Aquanaut
Regen
Ice
The Awesome Aquanaut is a hero through and through! You can find her on Everlasting on the Homecoming servers currently, a human mutant just looking to make the world a better place while trying to balance out her home life with her heroic life. Tireless in her pursuit of justice that can sometimes have adverse consequences in every other aspect.
Born Kara Cooper in urban Canada, this young mutant has struggled for years to live up to the hero legacy left by those that came before with the powers her genetic lottery provided for her. A young Hydrokinetic, she will fight crime with a big smile and a larger than life attitude! So give her a call and don't be afraid, The Aquanaut Won't let you down.
Backstory
"When I grow up, I'm going to kick plenty of butt! HIYA!" - Young Kara.
Born north of the border Aqua led a fairly normal life, going to school, attending classes, making friends. It wasn't until she turned sixteen that her powers had begun to manifest in.. admittedly silly ways. Water would move and avoid her or follow her around. She wasn't sure why or how this happened, all she knew was that she was the direct result of it. It was months of cat and mouse with her and water, learning how to control this wayward ability until it became a non-issue! But the question at the back of her mind, what else could she do?
That's when she turned to comic books, her collection. It wasn't a distant memory she still had plenty of books, games and even a few films that she enjoyed that glorified heroism. It didn't take her long to figure out what she wanted to do with her newfound gift, she wanted to become a superhero. With a little work and time she threw a costume together out of her old one-piece swimsuit, some swim goggles and a pair of shoes; she began to call herself 'The Aquanaut.' Little did the young girl know that hero work was a lot harder than the comics she read made it out to be.
At first she thought she could stop crime, but she had no idea how to find crime in a city like hers to no avail, then she thought she could help stray animals only to get chased off by a pet owner for her efforts. She was stumped, she tried doing a few good deeds like cleaning vehicles or shoveling snow for a little while but it wasn't the excitement nor the sort of good she wanted to do, it was frustrating and moreover a little demoralizing for the young Aquanaut and for a while it was like this, it gave her time to refine and work on her abilities but it wasn't the same as stopping a real crime, She'd soon find out however how dangerous it could actually get.
The fateful day she walked into her favorite corner store for a snack food run she noticed something was off and by off there was a man at the front of the store holding the little old lady up at gunpoint. At first, she was excited, it was her big break! But that quickly turned to fear, this person had a loaded gun, and it was aimed at a friend... that fear turned to anger, and she sprang into action. That was her first mistake, instead of using her powers to disarm the felon she leapt at them and for her efforts she was shot. Young, foolish, impulsive. She didn't save anyone that day; she was shot and the crook still got away with the money.
It was a dark day for her, scolded by her parents for being reckless and confined to home she had hit a low point. The Aquanaut and any of her heroic endeavors had been put on hold, she was ashamed. Not because she'd been punished but because in her mind she failed and that had simply put a stop to her dream. It would be years continuing to lead her life as normally as she could, facing the prejudice of being a mutant as best she could and making friend when she was able, though they were far and few. She found comfort in books, keeping to herself to avoid harassment when she thought it could start back up. When she wasn't nose deep in books, she worked on controlling her powers, practicing keeping herself on top of them just so she could avoid accidents.
By the time she even considered picking the moniker of Aquanaut back up again was years later by that point, she'd just started her post-secondary when she wandered into that corner store again. It was a place she would visit less and less as the years went on because of what happened prior, but she still popped in from time to time. It was unfortunately that day when the events of the robbery played out again, it wasn't the same man and the old lady's daughter had taken over in the years since, but the situation felt the same. She trembled, she was afraid, scared. The memory played back in her mind as if it were overlaying the two scenarios together. It was then the familiar anger bubbled inside, she was afraid, but this man could harm someone, and she wasn't about to let that happen.
Unlike last time Kara's hand would shoot out and the bottles of water in the far corner of the store would explode startling the man with the gun and it didn't take long before that very water would blast into the man sending him into a far wall. The collateral damage amounted to a few shelves but that didn't matter as long as she had the man on the ground. Separated from his firearm she took a defensive position between him and it until the cops arrived to subdue the man. It was triumph, overcoming a fear she had engrained in her for years.
She wasn't hailed a hero, but she certainly felt that way, when she got home, she told the whole story to her parents and rather than being scolded she was congratulated and even hugged. It was that feeling that accomplishment that she wanted to feel more of. Fast forward a few weeks later and she discovered an Academy designed to train new and upcoming heroes. She immediately told her parents and they agreed to help her get to Paragon City, so within an hour she sent out her application and she was well on her way toward becoming a hero proper. Eventually she would graduate to become a hero in her own right. She spent her time thereafter protecting the streets of Paragon from the criminal elements that plagued it.
Powers & Abilities
"Ice to meet you!" - Aquanaut during patrol.
- Hydrokinesis: She's able to draw moisture out of the air or call on bodies of water to fuel her powers, able to blast her foes with high pressure water jets or creating mini whirlpools to disorient and knock her enemies off balance, normally at room temperature when she commands it she can create scalding hot water or the biting chill of near freezing water should the need ever arise.
- Hydrokinetic Flight: With her control over water she surrounds herself under her costume with a thin layer of water which gives her enough to manipulate and achieve lift off! She has been known to reach a maximum flight speed of up to 65 Mph.
- Cryokinesis: With her thermal control comes the ability to create ice and as it is just frozen water her powers give her control. Able to create walls and bridges with enough water and often used to freeze villains on the spot for the police to find. One of her more useful utilities that she rarely uses as a weapon but when the need arises she can make some pretty effective blunt instruments using her cryokinetic abilities. It's also very handy as a makeshift cast and temporarily close an open wound.
- Atmóskinesis: With her thermal control she is able to manipulate steam, using it often like a smokescreen when she needs an element of surprise or is trying to blindside an opponent. The steam is never uncomfortably warm when it's in use and even if she could make it hotter she would prefer to avoid hurting anyone if she can help it.
- Healing Factor: Kara was gifted with one more unique trait due to her mutation, a healing factor that comes in very handy. While not the fastest she can fully recover from a broken leg in a couple weeks as opposed to a few months, it also renders her immune to most poisons though she could never reattach a severed limb without a trip to the ER, unfortunately.
Limitations
"Ugh, I'm pooped.. need energy." - Kara after working out all day.
- Vulnerable: Kara is not immune to her own powers, if the water is scalding hot she'll still get burned and if she freezes the water around her body she risks hypothermia and frostbite. Her suit is designed to combat this unfortunate drawback but it can only do so much.
- Fatigue: Manipulating water can take a lot out of someone, for Kara it's like flexing a muscle and the more she does it the better she gets at it, but she still suffers from fatigue and it can disrupt her abilities if she's too tired to maintain control.
- Moisture/Water: She requires both to use her powers but if she finds herself inside a burning building, space, ect. Then she finds herself powerless and has to fall back on her hand-to-hand skills to carry her through combat though she rarely does as she prefers to fight at a distance.
- Ranged Fighter: Kara as a ranged combatant doesn't have the best melee training, it puts her at a disadvantage when fighting someone with superior close combat training. Really her hand-to-hand was designed for at most to defend herself against most low level street villains, though often supplemented with her powers to give her attacks more oomf.
Weaknesses
"Stupid Electric guys! GAH!" - Aquanaut after being shocked.
- Electrokinesis/Electromancy: The bane of her existence, not only does it short out her powers electricity can also cause serious harm to Kara. It's her biggest weakness and one she has taken as many steps to combat as she possibly can. It makes it physically impossible for her to draw on her abilities causing her muscles to seize up and depower her temporarily leaving her vulnerable to follow up attacks.
- Pyrokinesis/Pyromancy: When she fights a Pyrokinetic is can always go either way but fire makes the water too hot and can make it difficult for her to control in the heat of the moment. When faced with a fire flinging foe she is always on guard and tends to fight using water that's colder than normal or her borderline cryokinetic abilities.
- Water Immunity: People from Atlantis—or anyone who naturally breathes, lives, or fights in water—would be largely immune to most of Kara’s hydrokinetic abilities. This resistance would also extend to plant-based beings, whose biology already relies on water rather than being hindered by it forcing her to fall back on less effective skills.
Personality
"Hello there, name's Aquanaut and I'll be your hero for the day." - Aquanaut during a rescue.
A selfless hero who has been willing to put her life on the line day after day to defend the people of Paragon city from crooks and criminals. Aquanaut has -- for the better part of seven years -- been thrust into the limelight killing any lingering shyness Kara used to have and making her a better hero because of it, giving her a chance to find confidence in all aspects of her life. She's dedicated to her job as a hero and will often speak to younger or newer heroes about the trials and tribulations that being a hero entails.
She always has that trademark smile on her face. She cracks jokes and quips to off balance her enemy but she tries to keep it light hearted -- if annoying -- because at the end of the day she believes that being a hero isn't about beating the bad guy and carting them off to prison, that's only part. She believes in Rehabilitation and saving people even if that means saving them from themselves. She is always willing to offer someone a second chance no matter how hard that may be for all parties involved.
Outside of the costume, Kara is more reserved and relaxed. She still cracks jokes but as she's gotten older she's matured -- relatively speaking -- and enjoys the luxury of having a secret identity. She will still pop into a book store from time to time but now she's far more welcoming and warm to other people, even if she still tends to drift toward the outside of social circles. She's still an introvert but she's warmer and happier than she's ever been.
As a parent and teacher, she's strict but it's required in her mind. She believes that if she goes too hard they'll resent her and try to rebel, but if she's too soft they'll take advantage and won't learn anything. It's all about balance.
Affiliations
"Let's check my contacts list here.. where's my phone?" - Aquanaut after she lost her phone.
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Friends
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Associates
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Enemies
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Hooks
- A crime is in progress and you need another hero to lend a hand leaving Kara to answer the call.
- You've seen the Aquanaut in the news and recognize her on the street/club.
- You've been to one of Aquanaut's charity events or a birthday party where she entertained kids
- You're a villain that the Aquanaut's dealt with before and are looking at getting some well-deserved revenge for that evil scheme she thwarted.
- You've seen Kara at the local bookstore and want to strike up random conversation with someone you recognize.
- You know Kara as Mrs. Cooper the High School teacher or the weekend Swim Instructor
- Kara has a fan club from her rising fame called the ‘Aquanation.’ That wasn’t a term she coined; she just happens to peruse the message boards from time to time and interact with people, always out to encourage them to be the best they can be.
Themes
"That's my jam!" - Kara
Main Theme:When I swing by - Miracle of Sound
Patrol Theme: We Need a Hero - Ron Wasserman
Patrol Theme 2: Every Time you Look Around
Patrol Theme 3: Waverider (Feat. Esther Kim)
Photonic x Aquanaut: Bershy - Radio
Trivia
- Kara was inspired by heroes like Aquaman and Spiderman as well as a healthy love of swimming
- Aquanaut was originally called "Baby Shark doo doo doo" when Homecoming launched, I had no idea what to name her originally.
- Kara's original looked a lot closer to a one-piece swimsuit which her current uniform's pattern is inspired by.
- To contact me in game look for the global @Titan or @Orange Juice or just look for one of my many Aquanaut alts!