Wild Card

Background/History: "The existence of magic is widely accepted, if not well documented. We have superheores who acknowledge that their powers are mystical in nature and origin. We have been threatened by supervillains with powers unexplainable by even the most speculative theories of science. There have even been reports of attempted invasions by beings with magical powers from other dimensions. These phenomena have been reported by countless people, most of whom would be considered extremely credible witnesses under any other circumstances.

"It seems clear that the existence of magic, of powers unexplained by the recognized laws of physics, must be acknowledged if we are to accept the evidence that is before us. The relevant question, then," said Dr. Daniel Gates, "is this: when will the archaeological community accept the possibility that mystical artifacts exist, and when will we begin looking for them in earnest?"

Daniel had given that speech at an archaeological conference eight years ago. He had been laughed out of the building. In the year that followed, he couldn't get anyone to take him seriously. Then in an interview with the department chair at a small midwestern college, he had been given his challenge:

"If you want the academic community to accept the existence of magical artifacts, you're going to have to bring them one."

So he decided that's what he'd do. He knew that such things existed, because he'd held one in his own hands. He'd felt its power coursing through him, and he had seen its history unfold in the vision of his mind. He didn't know how it had happened, but he had left that experience knowing exactly what he had experienced. And he knew that if he were ever to hold another such object, he would experience it again.

In records taken from a tomb dating back to the dawn of ancient Egypt, Daniel had found references to a mystical spear buried in a lost cave. Selling everything he had and scraping together what limited sponsorship he could, he organized an expedition to Sudan to find that cave--and its treasure.

After nearly two years of combing the desert and finding nothing at dig after dig, Daniel found his lost cave. Everything inside was remarkably well-preserved, and he knew that the treasures in that cave would pay for all his work a hundred times over. But his heart leapt when he saw the spear. It was exactly as the hieroglyphs had described. He reached for the spear, anticipating the rush of ancient history in his mind. But he was interrupted by the touch of cold steel at the back of his neck.

"Well, Doctor Gates, it looks like you're not crazy after all." Daniel recognized the voice. It was David LaCroix, a graduate student that had come along on the dig, seemingly with little enthusiasm. "Of course, I believed in you all along."

"Then why is there a gun pointed at the back of my head?"

"Because I can't allow you to leave with that spear. It's my ticket to the big time." Daniel could hear him chuckling evilly. "And if this sort of thing ever came to public light, a lot of people who are paying me a lot of money would be made to look like fools. We can't have that now, can we?"

Daniel swallowed hard. "Go ahead and do what you're going to do."

"Kill you? Oh, no, I have no interest in your death. Your work is too important for you to die. But," he said, raising the pistol, "I can't have you following me out, either."

Daniel awoke many hours later with a thumping headache and the taste of ether in his mouth. As he had expected, the dig site was deserted. But LaCroix had left him food, water and two camels. And he had left him several very nice artifacts to take back to his benefactors.

Three more expeditions over the next five years also proved fruitful in the search for magical artifacts...or would have, had LaCroix and his associates not beaten him to the find on each and every occasion. Who could he be working for? Who had access to that kind of information, or such vast resources? Then, after finding a weapon left carelessly at the third dig site, he had his answer: VIPER. Daniel, who had never cared much for LaCroix in the first place, had yet another reason to dislike him now.

The revelation of VIPER's involvement made Daniel rethink his strategy. For his next dig, he decided he'd go after something so outrageous that VIPER wouldn't even waste their time with it. He had read a story years before about a mystical weapon that Napoleon had commissioned for his wars of conquest, then abandoned without ever using it. Dr. Gates started looking, keeping no written notes of his research. He hoped his memory would be up to the challenge.

It was. After only eight months of searching, he found what he was looking for. Holding the unexpected item in his hands, he found himself reliving its creation.

An old Gypsy woman was brought before Napoleon. "You are the mystic?" he asked. "I am," she replied simply. Even in chains, she had a dignity about her that was formidable, even to the Emperor.

"Very well," he continued. "You will use your powers to create for me a weapon--a weapon powerful enough to drive my enemies into the sea and to take me into the heart of Moscow itself. These are the terms of your service to France. Give me what I want, and I will have you and your family freed."

"I live to serve," the old woman said, bowing. Was that a spark of mischief in her eye? It didn't matter. The Emperor of France was not to be trifled with, and certainly not by such as this one.

"Fail me," he said, "and you will all die."

Weeks passed, and the Gypsy woman returned bearing a small hand-carved box. The Emperor opened it impatiently and looked inside. After only a quick glance, he looked the woman squarely in the yes. She had mocked him, despite his threats. "Execute her and her entire clan at once."

"I am an old woman, and I am unafraid to die. But you have cast away my gift without even the courtesy to examine it, and you are a fool. That is as it may be. If you will kill me and my people, then our deaths will be visited upon you and your men a thousand fold. The winter winds shall be our vengeance, and after you watch all of those around you die horribly, you will remain to die alone and impotent. If you will betray us for the appearance of my gift, then this is the doom you bring upon yourself and your nation. So be it."

The Gypsy woman's words faded from Daniel's mind as he returned to himself. Standing in the catacombs far below a Paris cathedral, he held her legacy in his hands: a simple deck of playing cards. And he knew the truth of it, that this gift could have been a more powerful weapon than any Napoleon had in his vast armies. He contemplated the implications...but only for a few moments. That's when he heard the commotion.

It seemed that LaCroix's associates were even more competent than he'd given them credit for. He heard them coming and quickly started looking for a way out. There wasn't one. He was trapped.

Then he remembered that he was holding a powerful, ancient mystical weapon.

The goons in green never had a chance. Between the element of surprise, his long years of training in Savate, and the deck of cards he now held, Daniel Gates defeated the VIPER agents handily. The last to fall was LaCroix himself. "You should have stayed in school," he said as he dismissed his former student with a swift kick to the side of the head.

Upon his return to America, Daniel decided it might be time for a change of scenery. He resigned his position at that small midwestern college and started looking at some other schools that had expressed interest in his services. He felt himself drawn to one school in particular: the University of Florida at Vibora Bay. He made a couple of quick calls, and within a few hours, he was on his way south for an interview. A week later, he was back in Vibora Bay, this time to stay.

Personality/Motivation: Daniel is a combination of serious-minded academic and thrill-seeking adventurer. Each day presents new challenges, and when he goes to school in the morning, he never knows exactly what he'll do before he comes home that evening. And that's just the way he likes it.

Daniel's bigest pet peeve is closedmindedness. He has something of a chip on his shoulder where magic, archaeology, and academics are concerned. He realizes that most of the archaeological academic community doesn't take his work seriously, and that bugs him. Even so, he knows the truth and doesn't let other people's skepticism dampen his mood. "It could be worse," he said on one occasion. "I've got a second cousin who's convinced the Founding Fathers hid the treasure of the Knights Templar somewhere in colonial America. You should hear the flak he takes."

Quote: "Fortune favors the bold. But it doesn't hurt to be well prepared, too."

Powers/Tactics: Daniel is adept at both hand-to-hand combat and the more esoteric fighting situations that superheroes sometimes find themselves in. He has the equivalent of a black belt in Savate and it at home mixing it up with other martial artists, even superpowered ones. When the situation calls for something more than fisticuffs, he turns to the cards.

The deck of cards Daniel carries is one of the more unusual magical weapons ever created. Each card in the deck has unique properties and powers. The value of each card determines what kind of an attack he can use (e.g., Entangle, Energy Blast, Telekinesis). The suit of the card also have unusual effects; either making his attacks more accurate or more effective, protecting him from opposing attacks, or making it harder for enemies to attack him. Between these two characteristics, this magical deck offers him a wide range of options in combat. Unfortunately, he can never tell exactly which card he's going to have until he draws it.

It should also be noted that Daniel Gates lives something of a charmed life, and his remarkable good fortune sometimes spills over to his combat experiences.

Appearance: Dr. Daniel Gates is tall and physically fit with rugged good looks. In class he tends to dress fairly casually for a professor. He's fond of chino pants and polo shirts in earth tones and other subdued colors. He has been known to wear a ragged brown overcoat and a fedora on occasion.

Daniel recently acquired a magical ring that not only protects him from harm, but allows him to change the appearance of his clothing. When he activates the ring, his clothes change from whatever he happens to be wearing at the time to his 'Adventuring Clothes'. This change makes him look, at first glance, like any number of pulp-era heroes (Indiana Jones comes almost immediately to mind). His 'Adventuring Clothes' include leather boots, rugged brown trousers, an earth-toned cotton shirt, a black domino-style mask, and a fedora. He does not typically carry a whip.

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