Position Traits

The Backup

"Right behind you!"

Examples:

• The Martian Manhunter often helps coordinates a team, or lends his powers to problems others can't solve
• Beast Boy doesn't often lead, but will eagerly follow a team leader's orders
• Frozone works as a partner to his friend Mr. Incredible

You provide support for the team. You're the helping hand, the factotum, the second pair of eyes. You might use this Trait to assist a teammate with a task, fix a problem nobody else thought of, or spot a threat the others missed.

Sample Hooks:

• You have to make a decision on your own
• Your aid is too little or too late
• A teammate or ally doesn't appreciate you

Sample Drives:

• The enemy has subordinates or reinforcements
• A natural disaster pulls the group in several directions, and you must help each of them stay focused
• Sabotage or bad luck interferes with the tema's normal operation

The Director

"Here's the plan, team..."

Examples:

• Captain America is a natural tactician, and inspires others with the rightness of his cause
• Cyclops keeps his teams safe and on mission
• Monica Rambeau has successfully led the Avengers, with a level head and sharp wits

You look at the big picture to make wise decisions and hard choices. You might use this Trait to navigate the team through a complex operation, restrain or motivate a teammate, or unify the team around a purpose or task.

Sample Hooks:

• You give an order that ends badly
• You give an order that nobody follows
• You miss a critical detail

Sample Drives:

• Enemies are being coordinated by a hostile leader
• A chaotic situation is developing that demands sharp thinking and quick action
• The team is being discredited or sabotaged

The Heart

"We can do it!"

Examples:

• Superman may have incredible power, but it's how he uses it, and who he tries to help, that defines him
• Nightwing has been called 'the heart of the DCU' for his ability to form connections and win trust
• Jubilee is a caring junior member of the X-Men, restraining their worst impulses

You provide inspiration, insight, moral support, charisma, and encouragement. When the team isn't sure it can keep going, you're the engine that lets them do it. You might use this Trait to encourage or comfort a teammate, understand an emotional problem, or gain insight into someone's secrets.

Sample Hooks:

• You make a promise the team doesn't deliver
• You give false hope or insincere encouragement
• You ignore a teammate's needs

Sample Drives:

• A particularly horrifying or demoralizing crisis is happening
• A villain is leading a reign of terror
• Something is artificially provoking fear or rage in people

The Muscle

"Time to give 'em the business"

Examples:

• The Hulk is the strongest there is
• Hercules is a Greek god who loves to fight
• Big Barda is one of the New Gods and the best of the Female Furies

When it's time to hit hard and lay down the law, the team depends on you to deal with threats. You get the job done, whether with powers, training, or just attitude. You might use this Trait to plow through opponents, force a challenger to back down, or break through a defense the others can't pierce.

Sample Hooks:

• You get hostile with a teammate or ally
• You escalate the violence of a situation
• Push others toward aggression

Sample Drives:

• A giant monster is running wild
• A single strong villain, or a team of bad guys, is causing trouble
• Ordinary people are being given powers, weapons, or other enhancements which make them dangerous

The Renegade

"I don't take orders from you"

Examples:

• Constantine solves problems, but nobody (including himself) likes how he does it
• Wolverine is frequently at odds with other X-Men
• Red Hood is the black sheep of the Bat-family

Not everyone on the team is a team player. You can be rebellious, disrespectful, and independent - but sometimes, the team is wrong, and only you can show them. You might use this Trait to enact an alternative plan, remind a teammate of their flaws and failings, or keep someone from meekly following orders.

Sample Hooks:

• You blow off someone who needs you
• You twist an order someone gives you
• You wind up needing the others after all

Sample Drives:

• Someone's disobedience of orders led to a disaster
• A former hero rebelled against authority and is now causing harm
• A leader or institution is corrupt and must be exposed

The Rookie

"Wh-what should I do now?"

Examples:

• Impulse is a junior speedster with a peculiar upbringing
• Superboy (Kon-El) struggles to understand himself as hero and clone of Superman
• Kid Loki inherited the bad reputation but not the memories or malice of his old incarnation

You're new to the team, or to heroism. You might be young, inexperienced, or just not have good control of your powers yet. But you can do things the team doesn't know it needs. You might use this Trait to spot a flaw in a plan, do things an unconventional way, or convince a quarrelsome team to put aside their differences for your sake.

Sample Hooks:

• You tried something new and it backfired
• Someone has to come save you
• You distract a teammate at a critical moment

Sample Drives:

• Someone else's inexperience caused a disaster
• You made a mistake before and it's returned to haunt you
• A group of renegade anti-heroes want to show the world a new way to do things

Past Traits

The Anomaly

"Huh, that was weird..."

Examples:

• Firestorm is the product of sabotage on an experimental lab apparatus
• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are uniquely mutated animals
• The Flash gained super-speed through a combination of lab chemicals and lightning

You were turned into what you are now - maybe accidentally, maybe against your will. There's probably only one of you - but is that a bad thing, or a good thing? Some Anomalies are unique. Other times, there might be a category or subspecies of people who each have individual powers. They might be called "Mutants", "Inhumans", and so on. You might use this Trait to flex or expand your powers in new directions or build a bond with someone who feels isolated or freaky.

Sample Hooks:

• Your powers do something you don't want or don't expect
• It doesn't work when you try it a second time
• Someone's afraid of the freaky mutant weirdo

Sample Drives:

• Someone tried to replicate your powers
• Someone wants to capture and study you
• A villain somehow gained your powers too

The Big Shot

"I serve in two worlds"

Examples:

• Green Arrow is a millionaire playboy who moonlights as a vigilante
• Iron Man starts as a wealthy and influential arms dealer who sometimes had to pretend 'Iron Man' worked for 'Tony Stark'
• Each Black Panther is both the King and protector of Wakanda

You're a politician, public servant, billionaire, or some other prominent person. Your position might motivate you to heroism, and/or enable it. You might use this Trait to lean on your other identity's wealth, influence, or knowledge. For example, a wealthy hero can use an expensive gadget, or destroy a building they can afford to replace.

Sample Hooks:

• Your heroic actions complicate your public persona's life or duties
• If you have a secret identity, someone gets wind of it
• You can't help someone as your hero, only your public identity

Sample Drives:

• Someone from your public life is at risk (or is the villain!)
• The seat of your public life (e.g. a courthouse) is under attack
• A rival in your public life wants to undermine you as a hero

The Mantle

"They make it look so easy"

Examples:

• The Green Lantern ring can be passed from person to person, and many Lanterns exist
• 'Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor'
• The Ant-Man label has been held by Hank Pym and Scott Lang

You're the latest in a long line of similar heroes, inheriting powers, gadgets, or secrets with which to fight evil. But how are you different than those that came before? And is that better, or worse? You might use this Trait to call on your Mantle's other members for aid or work with someone who doesn't know you but who trusts your Mantle.

Sample Hooks:

• You fail to uphold the Mantle's expectations
• You exemplify peoples' worst opinions of the Mantle
• Members of the Mantle quarrel

Sample Drives:

• A traditional enemy of the Mantle appears
• Someone wields a weakness or counter for the Mantle as a whole
• The Mantle's HQ or base is under attack

The Penitent

"I'm not that person any longer"

Examples:

• Harley Quinn has steadily shifted from villain to hero, with plenty of missteps
• Silver Surfer became a hero to make up for his time as Herald of Galactus
• Astro City's Confessor struggles against his past and supernatural nature

You did something wrong, or were a criminal or villain for a time. You want to make it up, using your knowledge of how the other side operates. Will it be enough? You might use this Trait to go extra hard to prove yourself to someone on the scene or anticipate and counter a villain based on your past experience.

Sample Hooks:

• You slip, or are forced, into your old ways
• You face someone who knows your tricks and secrets
• Someone rejects your efforts

Sample Drives:

• A villain you knew is on the loose
• You must clean up up a mess you once caused
• Someone tempts you to return to evil, or with an offer of atonement

The Seeker

"This is the moment I've prepared for"

Examples:

• Tim Drake set about proving himself to Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, and received training as the new Robin in return
• The immortal Iron Fist learned to channel chi after an arduous quest
• Kate Bishop, the second Hawkeye, was driven to become a master archer after seeing Clint Barton in action

You wanted power - to make the world better, to overcome a personal problem, or whatever. You trained, traveled, and sacrificed. And now here you are. You might use this Trait to power through a hard challenge - you've proven your dedication already!

Sample Hooks:

• Someone's innate power overwhelms what you gained through effort
• Someone recognizes the source of your training and learns one of your secrets
• Your abilities require a focus or commitment that wavers at a critical moment

Sample Drives:

• A villain received your training, but not your morals
• A rival wants to test themselves against you
• Someone failed to achieve what you did, and took a darker path to power

The Visitor

"Your earth ways are strange"

Examples:

• Miss Martian takes her cues on Earth culture from sitcoms, and struggles to fit in
• Wonder Woman hails from an island of Amazons and spent time learning about Man's World
• Mar-vell is a Kree warrior who came to Earth, and became one of its heroes

You're from another place or time - an extraterrestrial, a visitor from another dimension, a time traveler, and so on. You're still learning how to function here. You might use this Trait to solve a problem with otherworldly knowledge or some innate power of your people.

Sample Hooks:

• You misunderstand a crucial detail of Earth culture
• Your morals or ideals conflict with people around you
• You face fear or discrimination due to your origin

Sample Drives:

• Your people - or their enemies - are here
• Some unique tech or phenomenon from your home is causing trouble
• You may never see home again - or you may be exiled there

Personality Traits

Arrogant

"Pff, of course I got this!"

Examples:

• Iron Man self-describes as 'genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist'
• Namor, the Sub-Mariner considers himself the best, even against world-class geniuses
• Otto Octavius was convinced that he could be the Superior Spider-Man

You think you're the shit - because of your powers, looks, or money. What you have might justify your confidence, but it's hard to make friends with your attitude. You might use this Trait to impress or intimidate someone or power through a moment of doubt with bluster.

Sample Hooks:

• You get into trouble you can't get yourself out of
• You mislead someone (or yourself) about your actual ability
• Alienate a more level-headed teammate or ally

Sample Drives:

• A rival with your gifts shows up
• Something challenges the source of your confidence
• Some power or circumstance negates your perceived advantages

Brooding

"Hmmm."

Examples:

• The Punisher wages a lonely war against organized crime, refusing to let others get close
• Raven is the daughter of a demon lord and must control her emotions to use her powers
• Spawn has been cursed to lead Hell's armies, and is understandably conflicted and isolated

You keep your thoughts and motives to yourself. You might be trying to protect others from some inner darkness, or you may just not trust them! You might use this Trait to pull out plans nobody could have predicted or resist attempts to sway your emotions.

Sample Hooks:

• You failed to tell somebody an important detail
• You make a teammate or ally feel rejected
• You thought you could handle it alone, but you were wrong

Sample Drives:

• A problem you never told the others about has come back
• You lost someone's trust and now they're out to hurt you
• Your secrets are at risk of being exposed

Dependable

"I've got this"

Examples:

• Black Widow is calm, collected, and capable in any situation
• Nick Fury, whether as a director or agent, is always on top of things
• Sam Wilson, first Falcon and later Captain America, is counted on by everyone around him

As a hero, people look to you as a reliable, trustworthy person. You do your best to deliver. You might use this Trait to reassure others or complete a task in the face of chaos.

Sample Hooks:

• You have to push your emotions to the side to make it through the moment
• Dependable can mean predictable, and someone anticipates your next move
• You do your usual thing out of habit, but it's the wrong thing this time

Sample Drives:

• Someone deviated from a plan and it all went to hell
• An agent of chaos is messing with people
• You want to reassure someone that it can all work out

Nerdy

"Give me a second to study this..!"

Examples:

• Spider-Man in all his incarnations is a huge science nerd
• Ms. Marvel is a hero nerd, particularly toward her idol Captain Marvel
• Cassie Sandsmark aka Wonder Girl went from geek to Greek

You're fascinated by the details of something: science, pop culture, UFOs, or whatever. Your knowledge and curiosity can help, but you can dive too deeply into it. You might use this Trait to study something within your purview, share knowledge, or build a bond with a fellow aficionado.

Sample Hooks:

• You let curiosity distract you from something important
• You try a complex solution when a simple one will do
• You give away a secret or detail in your excitement

Sample Drives:

• The crisis involves a mystery where your obsession is relevant
• Chasing your obsession caused a problem you're trying to make right
• Someone else's own obsession is responsible for a problem

Snarky

"If you aren't using your brain, please donate it to someone in need."

Examples:

• Deadpool is famously known as 'the merc with a mouth'
• Gambit is snarky with a Louisiana French accent
• Everyone from the Runaways, most notably Arsenic aka Gert Yorkes

You're always thinking and saying clever or cutting remarks. You might be a pessimist, or simply feel detached from life. You might use this Trait when making quips and retorts to throw someone off balance.

Sample Hooks:

• Someone is genuinely hurt by your comments
• The media clip one of your remarks as an official statement from the team
• You lose your own motivation when your negative feelings overwhelm you

Sample Drives:

• A villain you offended has come for revenge
• A civilian authority is unimpressed with your mouth and wants you taken down a notch
• You're struggling to make a connection with someone important to you

Upbeat

"Yeah! Let's do it!"

Examples:

• Plastic Man started as a criminal and couldn't be happier as a zany superhero
• Squirrel Girl has seemingly silly powers, but loves being who she is
• Nightcrawler is a swashbuckling, teleporting elf who is enthusiastic when he isn't angsty

You love what you do! Your enthusiasm motivates you, and you look forward to what new things your time as a hero will show you. You might use this Trait to inspire confidence in others, or find a solution to a no-win scenario.

Sample Hooks:

• You don't take a problem seriously enough
• Someone mistakes your eagerness for naivete
• You rush in when caution would have been better

Sample Drives:

• The situation is grim enough to challenge your optimism
• An enemy wants to convince you that life sucks
• You need to keep someone's spirits up

Powers Traits

Best At Something

"I'm Number One"

Examples:

• Reed Richards is a polymath scientist and one of the smartest people on Earth
• 'Hulk strongest there is!'
• Shang-Chi is considered the Master of Kung Fu

You might be the fastest, the smartest, or exemplary in other ways. Your power is how well you apply your excellence to the problems you face.

Sample Hooks:

• You try applying your excellence to a problem that it can't solve
• You think your excellence applies where it doesn't
• People mistake your excellence for arrogance

Sample Drives:

• An enemy has devised a counter for your excellence
• The source of your excellence is imperiled
• There's always someone better

Controls A Medium

"When I use force, I really use force"

Examples:

• Heroes Fire and Ice are masters of their respective elements
• Starman uses the Cosmic Rod to manipulate gravity and other cosmic forces
• Static can manipulate electromagnetism

You create or manipulate a substance, force, or energy: fire, paper, Q-Particles, whatever. Your power depends on whether you can apply your medium to the situation.

Sample Hooks:

• Your medium isn't present, and you can't conjure more right now
• Your medium has an awful side effect when used
• An enemy is actually powered up by your medium

Sample Drives:

• Your medium is negated by something on the scene (e.g. water when you control fire)
• Someone else challenges your mastery of your medium
• Your medium is being used to endanger people

Is Mighty

"That tickled"

Examples:

• Shazam has the power of heroes and gods of legend
• Captain Marvel has cosmic powers that make her incredibly strong and durable
• Supergirl is as strong, fast, and tough as her cousin Kal-El, and in some incarnations even more so

You are superhumanly strong, durable, and hard to move. You may have secondary powers like flight, but mostly you hit hard and bounce bullets.

Sample Hooks:

• You're obliged to protect vulnerable people instead of acting
• You let collateral damage get out of hand
• You hold back to avoid hurting someone

Sample Drives:

• Something here is incredibly massive, requiring you to move it (or hold it in place)
• Someone here wants to test your strength
• A villain knows the secret to make you vulnerable

Has a Unique Physique

"Transform!"

Examples:

• Beast Boy can transform himself into numerous animal shapes
• Colossus can coat his skin with metal, making him nigh-invulnerable
• Elasti-Girl can grow or stretch her own body

You have a unique physiology. This could include things like size-changing, shapeshifting, turning into an animal, coating your skin with a metal, or many other things.

Sample Hooks:

• Your body or transformation has a natural weakness (e.g. you can't fly as a bird with a hurt wing)
• You push your power too hard, and it fails or becomes uncontrolled
• You can't turn your power off without hurting or damaging someone, but you must

Sample Drives:

• Your nemesis is on the scene (e.g. an ice user if you transform into fire)
• The scene is filled with stuff that interferes with your power (e.g. magnets if you turn into metal)
• Someone thinks your power is useless or dangerous, and you want to prove them wrong

Uses Gimmicks

"I've got just the thing for this"

Examples:

• War Machine augments the Iron Man armor with a variety of specialized weapons
• Mister Terrific has multiple doctorates and fights with a variety of amazing inventions
• The second Blue Beetle invented his own gadgets and reverse-engineered alien tech to fight crime

You have access to a variety of special gimmicks, perhaps stemming from a single source such as nanotechnology or hard-light constructs, or following a theme such as trick arrows. Your strength is your versatility, as you can bring _something_ to bear for almost any problem.

Sample Hooks:

• Your gimmick don't work right, or goes out of control
• You misjudged the situation and used the wrong gimmick
• Someone or something else takes control of your gimmicks

Sample Drives:

• The source of your gimmicks comes under attack
• A villain with the same - or an opposed - gimmick challenges you
• There's a problem only one of your gimmicks can solve

Wields Weirdness

"You don't understand what just defeated you"

Examples:

• Doctor Strange is a master of the occult
• Jean Grey has powerful telepathy and telekinesis, and later plays host to the Phoenix Force
• America Chavez can punch open portals to other dimensions

Psychic powers, mystic sorcery, or stranger abilities are yours to command. Your stuff can defy explanation, and may come off as spooky to some.

Sample Hooks:

• Your powers suffer a mysterious drawback or limitation
• Your powers frighten someone you're trying to help
• Your powers interact weirdly with someone else's thing

Sample Drives:

• Someone or something else sharing your powers is here
• Something related to your power has gone out of control
• A corruption is affecting the source of your power

Problems Traits

Haunted

"Not again..."

Examples:

• X-23 is a clone of Wolverine, trained to be an assassin, used and manipulated at every turn
• Cassandra Cain was raised with killing skills instead of language, and now works to become a hero
• The Sentry is both literally and metaphorically haunted by his own dark side, the Void

There's something you can't bear to endure. It could be a deep phobia such as fire, or the memories of a painful past. No matter what, it's something that stays with you - or can easily find you.

Sample Hooks:

• You're confronted with what haunts you
• You must use what haunts you to make it through a difficult moment
• Someone else is casual or dismissive about the thing that haunts you

Sample Drives:

• A villain wants to challenge you with your weakness
• Someone else is threatened by that which haunts you
• Someone is embracing the thing, which will go on to hurt them or others unless stopped

Isolated

"I'll do it alone, like always"

Examples:

• Moon Knight has an array of psychological problems and supernatural powers that keep him isolated
• Swamp Thing is both physically terrifying and dangerous to anyone who brings evil to his domain
• The Question in some incarnations is a conspiracy theorist whose ideas and attitudes push others away

Something - social anxiety, a monstrous exterior, a negative reputation, harsh publicity - keeps people away from you. You might do your best to overcome it, or you might simply accept that this is how it is.

Sample Hooks:

• Someone's fear or mistrust of you spoils your attempts to help
• Your actions reinforce or justify the thing that keeps you isolated
• An enemy or situation puts you in the spotlight

Sample Drives:

• Endangered civilians will need to be calmed or led somewhere
• The team must split up and work as individuals
• The team's image is on the line

Needy

"Let me have it!"

Examples:

• Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four is a thrill-seeker and womanizer
• Booster Gold traveled from the future to gain fame and fortune as a hero
• Whether as the White Queen or a teacher at Xavier's school, Emma Frost always needs to hold influence over others

You crave something - attention, adrenaline, adoration - and you can get it by being a hero. Unfortunately your cravings can push you into reckless, dangerous, or foolish choices.

Sample Hooks:

• You go too far pursuing your need
• You expect someone to fulfill your need, but they refuse or reject you
• Your need distracts you from something more important

Sample Drives:

• Your need is readily available - for a price
• Someone baits you with what you crave
• A teammate disapproves of your behavior

Pushed

"I have to do this"

Examples:

• Batman defines himself by being the protector of Gotham, no matter the personal cost
• The Spider-verse version of Spider-Gwen is pushed into protecting Canon Events, regardless of the consequences
• X-Men such as Bishop are involved in time travel, and must constantly work to avert bad futures

Someone said you have to do a thing. Maybe that someone is you. If you aren't doing it, you're distracted, wondering if you should be. If you are doing it, are you doing it well enough?

Sample Hooks:

• You're distracted from something important by what's pushing you
• Your failure leads to the disaster you fear
• You make a mistake or collapse because you were pushed too hard

Sample Drives:

• You failed once and the consequences have come back now
• Someone else takes advantage of what pushes you, or set up a situation that would exhaust you
• You want to protect someone else from going down your path

Selfless

"I can't ignore their need."

Examples:

• Astro City's The Samaritan runs himself ragged saving as many people as he possibly can
• Richard Rider aka Nova will answer any call for help, no matter the personal cost
• Wally West aka The Flash is convinced his speed should let him fix every problem

Part of being a hero is self-sacrifice, but you take it too far. You're willing to get seriously injured, or give up something important, for people you barely know. But why are you like this?

Sample Hooks:

• You take a hit you didn't have to
• You surrender an advantage or possession for someone else's sake
• Someone else calls you out for your behavior

Sample Drives:

• The crisis poses significant risk to life and limb (e.g. fire, radiation)
• There's lots of vulnerable people who need defending
• You're lured into a trap requiring self-sacrifice

Torn

"I can do this, but how...?"

Examples:

• Etrigan the Demon is in constant conflict between his human and demonic natures
• Speedball still deals with guilt by sometimes letting another heroic persona, Penance, take hold
• Symbiotes and their hosts, such as Venom, are often at odds how to live - stay human, or eat faces?

You're at a crossroads and must choose, but choosing is hard. This could be living as a superhero vs. a mundane identity, a choice about how to be a hero or what it means, or some other conflict.

Sample Hooks:

• You were making progress on one choice, but you must reverse yourself to succeed
• Someone or something makes you doubt the rightness of your current path
• Your choice alienates people who thought they knew you

Sample Drives:

• The situation is such that both your choices look appealing
• Someone wants you to commit to one choice or another
• Someone's taken one of your choices and gone too far with it