History: Frank is a member of the occult familiy the D'Ascenzo. Frank's father and his great uncle Stephano accrued a huge library on the bizarre.

Several generations of the D’Ascenzo family, the owners of the estate, were buried in that cemetery. Lucilla could see several newer headstones, reminder of the terrible events surrounding her last visit.

Lucilla Gionvanni (AKA the hero Hollow) had been asked to help save the remaining members of the D’Ascenzo family from an ancient curse that had hounded the family all the way from their ancestral home in Venezia Italy. Despite the best efforts of Lucilla and her friend Rebecca Charity, seven of the remaining D’Ascenzo’s had died before they had been able to break the curse. Frank became the only survivor.

History: Born in a poor neighborhood in Queens, NY, Eric Drighten did not exhibit any of his latent mutant abilities until puberty began. Always a loner in school, his single mother sent him to the best schools available to her limited income. Although she supplied him with great moral support, his emerging mutations, though easily concealable, made him an outsider in his own mind. He eventually fell in with a group of leather-clad gang members calling themselves the Jackyls, and despite a slim frame, found use and status as the group's enforcer. Keeping his gang activities secret from his mother, Eric soon found things spiraling out of his control. Until this time, the gang's activities in drug traffic and protection had netted them only small money, and their leader, Black Jack O'Keefe, wanted more. He soon 'contracted' his group's services out to more violent underworld figures, and wound up getting his peers in way over their heads. Eventually called to the office of the minor mob figure who oversaw the Jackyls, ostensibly for a scolding, Drighten found himself and his gang in a proper mob rubout. His gang friends were gunned down in the dank warehouse office, and Eric took 5 slugs to the body. However, he stood back up, and using his hands and feet alone, beat the 5 mafia goons to death. Realizing he had placed himself in danger of a more serious reckoning than he'd ever imagined, he ransacked the offices, left all the drugs and other illicit goods he found in plain sight and phoned police, then absconded with a bag full of cash.

Tearfully relating the entire tale to his mother, Eric faced yet another shock: his mother felt serious shame that he had been involved in such dangerous illegal activities for so long, after all she had tried to teach him about right and wrong. Mortally shamed, Eric nonetheless escaped the Big Apple with her to flee the inevidable mob retaliation, completely altered his costume, and adopted a new secret- and hero-identity as they settled in a quiet Rhode Island suburb, and went back to school for a degree.

When he first got started, he became the sidekick to the venerable '70s hero Golden Boy, who taught the young hero many things about both fighting and heroing.

Determined to right all the wrongs he may have commited as a youth, and to make sure he never fails his mother's teachings again, he used his burgeoning flight powers to soar back and forth between his birthplace of New York City, and his quiet home outside Paragon, combating evil in both places. With local crime on the upswing, he now battles evil in Paragon City almost exclusively. He uses his former contacts and civilian job in TV news as a location van video techician to be where the trouble is thickest.

Over time, he has made several friends, including Gothika, a special investigator of mental and spiritual phenomina for the Paragon Judiciary office, and Outpost, the leader of the Galaxy Rangers, a team that Dark Harrier briefly joined. He was with the Rangers when he first encountered Dr. Vahzilok and stopped him from poisoning the Paragon City water supply.

The Dark Harrier was among the heroes who helped battle the Clockwork King outside of the Whitmoore. He witnessed the King tearing the hero Necronus in half. He and Nicholas Dent destroyed the Clockwork King's body, but his encased brain escaped.

Dark Harrier felt an affinity to Dent, who was a former Outcast looking for redemption. He joined Dent, Shadow Marshall, and Ishtara on a trip to the Flaming Moe, a criminal bar that Dent knew. Dent wanted to find out who had put a hit out on him. Dent was attacked by a group of Hellions looking for the reward, but the four heroes beat them soundly. Also during the fight, the dead hero Necronus re-appeared suddenly on the dance floor.

The Dark Harrier returned to the Whitmoore the following day, and joined Nick Dent's group in going after Oscar, Dent's former mentor who had put the hit out on him. They travelled to Boomtown to the Oscar's hideout. Harrier fought the other Outcasts as Dent fought Oscar. Shadow Marshall, who was currently possessed by the Paragon Stalker, killed another Outcast. When Dent ran Oscar through with his fiery sword, Dent assumed he had killed him, but the Harrier found Oscar was holding on by a thread. The Harrier sent him to the Zigg.

The Zigg morgue called Dark Harrier and let him know about the dead Outcast. He and Tick-Tok went to the morgue where Tick-Tok revealed that it had been the possessed Shadow Marshall who had killed the Outcast. Through some quick detective work, he, Tick-Tok, Dent, and Elumien figure out that the body belonged to the Paragon Stalker, and that currently the Stalker and Ishtara are out playing pool. The heroes start planning how to get the Marshall back in the body, and how to keep Ishtara safe.

The Stalker was 'playing' with Ishtara, trying to lull her into complete relaxation to fully betray her and to see it in her eyes as he killed her, but she received a mental call from Elumien, and they hurried back to the Whitmoore.

When they got back, Ishtara was taken into a room with Elumien, but the Stalker figured out he was found out when confronted by Nick Dent. Ishtara went to help Nick, but the Stalker took her hostage. Elumien and his ally Stryk burst in, and with that distraction, Ishtara was able to teleport away, still receiving a gash on her cheek. Using her dark tendrils, she bound the Stalker into place, and Stryk was able to overpower the Stalker both body and soul. Stryk took the Stalker's soul to hell, and the Shadow Marshall was put back into the body.

Dark Harrier asked Gothika to come and to help with clearing the Shadow Marshall of all charges after Paragon Stalker was driven away.

Ishtara and Alex were taken to the hospital, picking up Sgt. Gevin Riley of Metaforces and Stryk as well. They then went to a diner, and Dark Harrier headed home.

The next day, Harrier was checking the Fifth Columns records, and was getting a little to close to finding a base. Five members of the Column followed the Dark Harrier to the Whitmoore, where he was helping Riley with a stalled elevator. The soldiers attacked. In the melee, Riley and Elumien were badly wounded, and two of the soldiers were killed. While waiting in the hospital for word on Riley, Riley's commanding officer, Captain Fletcher, came in to check on him.

Tick-Tok found the information as to where the Clockwork King's new lair was. Gathering a force that included Elumien, Riley, and Dark Harrier, they headed back into Boomtown to find the base. Completely obsessed with his vengeance, Tick-Tok charged into the base and the heroes were fighting for their lives. As Tick-Tok battled the Clockwork King, the ceiling collapsed on them, and Elumien disappeared in the collapse. Riley, Tick-Tok and Dark Harrier struggled to the surface where Tick-Tok found his comatose body in a steel coffin.

The Harrier ended up in the hospital, but was released shortly thereafter and returned to Boomtown where Riley had met the hero Sol-Ar. It was Harrier's description that encouraged Sol-Ar to move into the Whitmoore.

History: Destroya had a room in the Whitmoore. She had a bit of trouble controlling her super leaps and on more than one occasion crashed into the buildings. The Trolls and Freakshow in particular did not like her. She also has some trouble controlling her strength, and accidentally pushed herself through a wall at the Whitmoore before they reinforced it.

History: Deth Star is apparently from the future. She knew Geariven as "Uncle Riv." Her mother died when she was very young. What she remembers about her mother is that she was a 'rabble rouser' and loved to tease her serious husband. Deth's father of died of an aneurism when she was fourteen. She was raised by 'Gramps' who is from outer space and able to travel to at least 333 dimensions.

She came back into time to save her mother. She ended up in Paragon City in the early 21st Century and became a registered hero. She got a room at the Whitmoore Apartments. She befriended a couple of heroes almost immediately, Big Albino and IceFlare. She and IceFlare headed up uninvited to the dinner party that was going on at Julia Wright's on the night that Hellfire attacked her. Deth Star returned to the apartment just as the Skull assassin attacked. Deth Star helped defend Julia, but then was shocked when she killed Hellfire.

This killing created a rift between Julia and the other heroes.

Deth Star's current whereabouts are unknown.

All through her childhood, Giovanna's family, friends, and neighbors catered to her whims. She grew up to be a spoiled, bratty young woman who no one had ever been able to say no to – until the year of a bad harvest, when soldiers came to claim unpaid taxes. When they threatened her father, Giovanna rushed to his side and shouted at them to go away and leave them alone. To everyone's surprise, the soldiers did.

The family's relief at the sudden turn in fortune turned to fear several days later, when a second patrol of soldiers came to the village, this time with the intent of burning out a witch. They set fire to the farmhouse in the middle of the night, and the family barely escaped the smoke and flames. Giovanna screamed at the soldiers to burn each other, not their house – and the family watched in shock as they followed her orders to the letter, burning each other to death. Suddenly exhausted, Giovanna collapsed.

When she recovered, Giovanna’s eyes were finally truly open. From birth, she had been blessed with powerful psychic abilities. She had always been able to subconsciously influence the minds of those around her, but she now discovered she could consciously direct a subject's thoughts and actions with a careful force of will.

Giovanna was a girl with tremendous insight and a voracious appetite for personal satisfaction. There was only one place for her: Venice.

The young “Duchess” who arrived in Venice six months later was, outwardly, quite a different creature than the 15 year old girl who fled the burning farm. She threw herself into the whirl of social life in La Serinissima, and easily ingratiated herself into the highest levels of Venetian society. For a time, Giovanna lived happily as a storybook princess, surrounded by beautiful people and potential suitors, and enjoying the finest things in life. But she grew bored, and looked for something more to fulfill her insatiable appetite.

A city can hold few secrets from a restless girl with a natural power of persuasion, and soon a secret underworld of Venice filled with rare luxuries, forbidden pleasures, and occult mysteries was open to her. Giovanna fell for a mystic who called himself Uriel di Inferno, and revealed her abilities. He helped her explore the extent of her powers, and showed her how to increase their limits. Together they stormed Venice, and soon their sinful soirees spilled out into public plazas and even the Doge’s palace – the city kowtowed before her, and threw itself into a debauched frenzy which only served to increase her power.

Excess cannot burn forever unchecked, and soon stories of these legendary Bacchanalia reached Rome. A secret investigator of the Inquisition was dispatched to learn the truth about this so-called Duchess Giovanna Scaldi, and her rumored affair with the Devil.

Brother Abelard Vernoux was, like Giovanna, born special. Today we would call them mutants, but at that time, Brother Abelard believed he was blessed by God. He had the ability to read emotions and absorb the qualities of people, animals, and even objects around him. When he arrived, he found a month-long party in full swing. The lustful affair stretched out across all of the Piazza San Marco, and even into the Cathedral itself. As he traveled swiftly through the revelry, one image burned brightly in everyone’s mind: the face of Giovanna Scaldi.

He found the Duchess inside the Doge’s palace, holding court over a shameful display of the nobility. The confrontation was a surprise to both of them, never before having faced an equal in power. But the monk’s years of battle in the Thirty Years War served him well, and after an epic battle he outmaneuvered Giovanna, forcing her to run.

Exhausted and terrified, Giovanna’s control of the city was broken. The leaders, contrite and repentant, helped Brother Abelard scour the city to find her. It was Uriel who came up with a desperate plan. Years ago he had discovered a binding ritual that would prepare an object to host a soul. Traditionally, this was used to command devils and spirits, but he believed it could work for Giovanna, allowing her to hide her essence from the monk. Uriel would flee the city and find a suitable woman to act as host for Giovanna, far away from Brother Abelard’s reach. Uriel prepared a porcelain mask with grave rituals. When it was ready, Giovanna projected her entire being into the mask. Her body died, and the world went dark.

Unfortunately for Giovanna, Uriel’s plan never came to fruition. He was apprehended while attempting to flee the city. It would be a long, long time before light would again enter Giovanna’s world. It took a blood relative – a distant cousin from across the sea – to throw the shutters wide.

The mask, at first a minor curiosity, soon dominated her thoughts. She stayed in her hotel throughout the night, cleaning and repairing the mask. Finally, almost tentatively, she tried it on…

…Dawn broke fully into Giovanna’s mind. As the mask settled onto Vanessa’s face, Giovanna’s mind roared forth, nearly overwhelming the girl. The two sets of memories, emotions, and personalities drove Vanessa’s body into shock. The spirits wrestled all day and all night, fighting for dominance over the physical form. The conflict only ended the next day when a maid found her prone, and removed the mask.

Shaken, Vanessa packed the mask away and ended her European research. She returned home to Paragon City, ostensibly to finish her thesis. Instead, she spent all of her time researching the mask, and her distant relative, Giovanna Scaldi. Although tempted by the stories of her ancestor, Vanessa was too frightened to touch the mask again. Until the Rikti came.

Witness to the horror and devastation of the Rikti, and the fall of so many heroes, Vanessa felt she had no choice but to don the mask. Vanessa had an offer ready for Giovanna’s spirit – work together and share their resources or else both would die. United in purpose, Vanessa/Giovanna did her part against the Rikti. Although she could not mentally dominate the aliens directly, she created an army of perfectly-coordinated, fearless soldiers under her mental halo. She fought until near collapse, and then in a moment of desperation “pulled” too hard on a subject’s soul … and consumed it in a flash of hunger. Although horrified by what she had done, the rush exhilarated her and recharged her. As long as she had souls to sustain her, she could fight indefinitely. Vanessa/Giovanna devoted her forces to the Alpha Strike team. When the Rikti portal was destroyed, all of her puppets were killed. Cut off from her resources, she collapsed.

When Vanessa awoke, free of the mask, she longed for Giovanna like a lost love. Vanessa reclaimed the mask immediately. United now in shared history and close friendship, Giovanna convinced Vanessa that she needed a reward for her good service. Giovanna helped Vanessa build her own little version of Paradise by seducing and dominating the young and wealthy of Paragon City. She reveled in the luxury, but soon felt directionless.

When one of her new playmates, Rachel Morris, was attacked by the 8th Street Muertos, Vanessa saw the assault in her mind. Right before they killed Rachel, Vanessa reached out took the poor girl’s soul. Energized, she hunted the 8th Street Muertos down and forced them to butcher each other.

Vanessa and Giovanna agreed upon a new purpose. Vanessa would create a haven of safety for herself and her closest subjects, keeping them safe in this dangerous city, and woe to any who crossed them. She knew she could not always be on guard, and so she chose her ten favorite subjects, all young and beautiful women, and shared with them the vision of Rachel’s death. They were horrified and incensed, and vowed to do whatever it took to help Vanessa in her goals, exactly as she had planned. The Carnival of Shadows was born.

Empowered by Vanessa’s telepathic insight and their own outrage, the women were transformed into psychic street fighters, able to pull knowledge from their foes’ minds to counter any attack. Emboldened by this first success, Vanessa and Giovanna began cherry picking recruits in earnest, empowering them into a super-powered strike force.

The Carnival of Shadows exists principally to cater to the needs and desires of Vanessa DeVore and the spirit of Duchess Giovanna Scaldi. In return, Vanessa has built a decadent and insulated environment for her subjects, in which they may enjoy whatever pleasures they desire. All she asks in return is their absolute loyalty in the ongoing battle against her many enemies. Of course, since Vanessa dances through the minds of each and every one of her followers, they are always happy to do whatever it is she asks of them.

However, to keep her energy levels high, Vanessa needs a constant stream of souls. If her powers fail, the whole enterprise will tumble like a house of cards. Her servants consist of beautiful, wealthy, young socialites, but only the most attractive, charming, and talented women are ever considered worthy of attaining the highest ranks. From the highest Ring Mistresses to the lowest Attendants, all are focused upon keeping Vanessa DeVore happy – for by sating her constant appetite, the Carnival of Shadows continues to spread its influence.

Vanessa took an interest in Tick-Tok and kidnapped him. She led his friends at the Whitmoore Apartments through a series of clues to bring them in to face her. She and Simon Says linked minds, found that they were kindred spirits, and Simon convinced the arch-villain to surrender. As a result, a shade of Vanessa resides in Simon-Says' mental garden.

Vanessa has since escaped from captivity and is currently at large.

History: At some point in the past, Max Odinsen was blessed by the Fae. They gave him both the ability to heal and to cause pain with darkness. He took the name 'Doc Mythos.'

Recently, he has joined Metaforces under the command of Captain Fletcher. He has formed a close friendship with the Metaforces scout Corporal BJ Kerkove.

Doc Mythos was at the Mr. Green rescue mission in Boomtown.

History: Dr. Medico had a room in the Whitmoore Apartment complex. She has spent significant time fight the enemies of Paragon City, in particular the Clockwork; more than once she has nearly lost her mechanical arms to them.

Dr. Medico was at Julia Wright's battle against Hellfire, and she stayed with the body until the police picked it up.

History: Dr. Radfire was a father of at least two children. He was in the back yard of his house grilling when some sort of explosion happened. He passed out on his patio. It is believed his wife and children were killed in the explosion.

When he awoke, he had radiation powers, but all that he loved were dead. He encased himself in a metal armor to keep his radiation under control and to keep himself alive. Calling himself Dr. Radfire, he registered as a hero in Paragon City and got an apartment at the Whitmoore. He became good friends with Mr. Green.

While flying back to his apartment, a group of Clockwork captured him and imprisoned him in a stone prison below a warehouse. He was freed by accident when Obsidian Omega summoned the earth and broke the prison. He joined the fight against Babbage alongside Obsidian, Point.Blank, Experiment 2.0, and Quickstrike.

History: Zeek Dodge, Captain of the Good Ship Fascination, is from an alternate reality. “The Paradox,” as it was known to the more-than-human populations of his home reality, resigned such gifted individuals as were as common as dust in Paragon to remain hidden from common knowledge in his world. Whether the disastrous and sometimes lethal force of apparent nature that was “Cosmic Paradox” was born from human disbelief (as was professed by some mystics and supernatural creatures) or was provided by the universe as a form of balance (or both) the end result was that if the common man discovered en masse the existence of beings like Captain Zeek Dodge or any one of his shipmates their reality would be rent asunder allowing all manner of supernatural creatures to be revealed, severing the notions of "rational reality" and in so doing open the cosmic gates for the minions of the dark. These creatures of the void were negatively charged metaphysical beings from the Astral Zone that some called demons and devils, and what Zeek called, Entropics. What these Entropics did was quite simply destroy any form of physicality making them the most dangerous and natural enemy of the material multiverse. So needless to say the notion of paradox could be appreciated even if entirely cumbersome and dangerous because if humans from his world had proof there were such beings as they would call devils, demons, angels, vampires, ghosts, mutants, monsters, faeries and wizards... well... all would be revealed and unfettered and ultimately they'd end up in a world like this one. A world with alien ships falling to Earth and laying siege. A world where winged hellspawn rise up from fiery depths to destroy anything resembling peace and serenity. A world where the battle between good and evil is so paramount that normalcy was absolute mayhem and possibility was undaunted. Sure, such things existed in Zeek's reality but that reality had opted to keep such things under proper wraps. Chaos, death and destruction were forces to be struggled against surely but they were to be fought covertly. So naturally, as a transastral explorer, a war hero and a danger-prone thrill-seeker, Zeek absolutely adored this reality and as much as he missed his shipmates, the Captain was thoroughly enjoying his adventuresome stay in this Paradox-free environment.

Zeek arrived in Paragon City with only the clothes on his back, the hat on his head, the Aural Sensitive Tactical Goggles (TM) around his eyes and the Astral Pocket (TM) hanging from his belt. Of course, inside the Astral Pocket (TM) was a great deal of gear and practical instruments should there be an emergency. An emergency like... maybe... being marooned in an alternate reality, on an alternate Earth, a good many years into its future.

Zeek registered as a hero in Paragon City and spent ten days living on the streets before learning of the free housing afforded heroes of Paragon City. He then moved into the Whitmoore Apartment building.

At 17 she was attacked by Crazy Ivan, Rebo, Hooch, and Nack, a group of Hellions. She was beaten, r*ped, and thrown off an overpass into traffic. Lost both arms just below the shoulder, metal plate in head, pins in spine and legs.

Spent almost a year and a half recovering and soon after appeared with her mechanical arms. (Prof Nittleman is pretty far outta the system, so it's unlikely they'd know it was he who'd given them to her.) Still an average student, though she gets in trouble a bit more than she used to. Has a campus reputation of being a little 'free' with her affections. (In simpler terms, a slut.) Not a registered hero.

Seven months later, after Nate had learned to control the earth controlling abilities of the gloves, he tracked Drake to Paragon University. Nate enrolled in many classes, incuding Urban Archeology, which Drake's twin brother was long term subbing in.