Animal Man

Buddy Baker (Scenesys ID: 1189)
Quote
"Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem." -- A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Profile
Full Name:	Bernhard "Buddy" Baker
Gender:	Male
Species:	Metahuman
Theme:	DC (FC)
Occupation:	Hero / Activist / Stuntman / Rocker
Citizenship:	United States of America
Residence:	Starling City
Education:	High School Graduate
Status:	Dropped
Groups:	Justice League
Other Information
Apparent Age:	38	Actual Age:	38
Date of Birth	11 May 1988	Actor:	Scott Porter
Height:	183 cm (6')	Weight:	78 kg (172 lbs)
Hair Color:	Blond	Eye Color:	Blue
Theme Song:	"Animal" by Pearl Jam

Profile

Animal Man serves as the avatar of the universal force known as the Red. He can tap into the inherent connection between all animals and borrow the abilities of his fellow creatures, enabling him to swim like a shark, fly like an eagle and, on occasion, stink like a skunk. Experienced, wise, laid-back and just a little strange, Buddy's had a lot of jobs over the years but he still considers hero the most important - and the most fun.

Sheet

Description

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Buddy's a handsome, laid-back blonde guy entering his middle years. On occasion, he'll don an orange-and-blue costume to go out and fight crime. He has shaggy blond hair and blue eyes, his strong jaw often lined with stubble. He's easygoing by nature, with an easy smile, quite an achievement given some of the things he's been through. His voice can be a bit husky and he doesn't have much of an accent, although there's definitely something of the country boy about him.

In civilian clothes, Buddy tends towards flannels and t-shirts, usually somewhat vintage things depicting some band or concert. He has a dark blue jacket that he's worn into the ground, but it's his favorite and he's not like to give it up. Blue jeans and boots usually get the job done for him.

As Animal Man, he wears a tight bodysuit of bright orange and blue, often with the jacket still on over it. The orange forms a distinctive A emblazoned across his chest. He's kind of hard to miss.

History

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Buddy Baker grew up in the Pacific Northwest, his family moving around a lot and never putting down much in the way of roots. Buddy had a bit of a rebellious streak and never did great in school, although he was never a serious troublemaker. By his teenage years, he'd fallen in love with music, playing in a few punk and alternative bands. When he finished high school, he just lived out of his fan, travelling and playing guitar.

One night, while camping in the Adirondacks, strange lights drew him into the woods and he disappeared. Two weeks later, he emerged, a changed man, gifted with abilities beyond his comprehension. He moved to California, began to work as a Hollywood stunt man and became a hero in the guise of Animal Man.

In the years since, he's fought time travelers and wizards, dinosaurs and aliens. He's been to outer space and back. He drifted away from heroing, began to get deeply involved in politics and religion, even became the center of a cult (he doesn't particularly like to talk about that). Along the way, he came to understand that he was the avatar of a powerful force known as the Red, that he was to be the protector and champion of all animalkind. With that new understanding and a deeper grasp of his powers with it, he's left retirement and returned to the life of a hero. He's settled into Starling City to make his mark and remind the world that it has an Animal Man.

Personality

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Buddy has become a very laid-back, quiet and zen sort of fellow. Affable and friendly, he does his best to get along with others and make the world a better place. He's seen incredible cosmic things and it's widened his perspective and made him a better man.

It wasn't always so. Buddy grew up tumultuous, angry and rebellious. He still has that nature within him and constantly has to keep his temper in check, especially when he sees the harm and destruction that often comes to the wild world as a result of human greed and indifference. Sometimes it still gets the best of him, although he's doing better.

Buddy is extremely thoughtful and philosophical, prone to debate and conversation over straight violence when he can manage it. He isn't necessarily as educated as others, but he's okay with that and doesn't have much of an ego. Beyond trying to do good and make the world better, he mostly just wants to live quietly, have fun and maybe play a little guitar.

Abilities

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ANIMAL EMPATHY
Animal Man has a powerful connection with the animal world. He can sense what animals are feeling instinctively, able to discern the drives and natural instincts that guide them. He can communicate with them empathically, conveying his own thoughts to them - direct communication is rarely as straightforward as speech, usually based in broader concepts but no less profound for that. He can, if necessary, call on animals for help or even control and guide their actions. While he possesses the ability to do so against their will, he finds such a concept relatively loathsome and usually more guides and asks permission. Most animals, sensing his nature, are more than happy to help.

ANIMAL TRANSFERENCE
Buddy has the ability to leave his body and project his consciousness into the body of an animal. He has an operative range of about fifty square miles in any given direction and, while he does so, his human body will enter a form of stasis. The animal's mind is merely repressed and made dormant in a pleasant sort of haze. He tries not to do so in dangerous situations, for he would feel very bad indeed if an animal got hurt while he was controlling its body.

ENERGY BLASTS
Animal Man can channel the primal energy of the Red. The energy can be quite destructive, capable of blasting through steel plate, blowing boulders to pieces, creating explosive force equivalent to a few sticks of dynamite. He usually channels the blasts from his eyes or his hands.

THE RED
Buddy has an intense spiritual connection to a primeval cosmic force called The Red. The Red represents the connection between all animals, from the protozoic to the mammoth, across the world and beyond it. By tapping into the power of the Red, Buddy can connect to the morphogenetic field and take on the abilities of other creatures.

He can become as strong as an elephant, as fast as a cheetah. He can swim like a dolphin, shock like an eel, burrow like a mole. He can replicate himself like an amoeba or navigate with sonar like a bat. He can take on physical characteristics to match these abilities, such as claws, fangs or wings, but not always and only if he so chooses. He can even tap into extinct or mythic animals, utilizing the abilities of dinosaurs and unicorns. In theory, he can tap into alien animals as well, although his knowledge of such is quite limited and it requies time and focus to search the field for such abilities (it helps if he has a member of an alien species nearby to strengthen his connection - or, of course, if he's on another world).

He can manifest and switch abilities relatively instantaneously. He can manifest up to three animal abilities at any given time, but it takes greater concentration to do more than one and he tries not to overdo it lest he tax his system. Too much switching around can be exhausting over time as well.

Skills

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CHARISMA
Buddy's extremely likeable. He's been a performer all his life and knows how to command a stage and get attention. He was the leader of a small but very effective cult for a period of time (don't ask him about it). He's comfortable in the spotlight.

FIGHTING
Buddy's not a violent man by nature, but he's been in the superhero game for a while. He's a veteran of superheroic combat and more than comfortable exchanging fisticuffs with villains. He's not Batman, but he's no slouch.

MUSIC
Buddy's an excellent electric guitar player and a pretty good singer, specializing in rock and punk styles. He sometimes does a little country and feels bad about it.

STUNT MAN
Buddy's worked for many years on and off as a Hollywood stunt man. He knows how to take a punch, fall safely, light himself on fire with the proper precautions and, of course, crash a car with the best of them. While green screen and CGI have made his talents less required in recent years, old school filmmakers and cheap TV producers still use him now and again.

ZOOLOGY

Buddy has become abundantly knowledgeable on animals and the animal world. While he doesn't have any formal education in the matter, he knows more than plenty of zoologists, some of which he's learned in relatively odd ways. He has a strong general knowledge of the natural world and wildlife.

Resources

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ANIMAL CHAMPION
As an avatar of the Red, Animal Man has a certain status in the universe. He is a representative of a primal force and that earns respect among certain mysticks and magical types. He also has a natural kinship with others empowered by the Red and even those connected to the Green (plant life) and the Blue (Water and the oceans).

FAME

Buddy's got a little bit of fame. Movie afficionados know him for his stuntwork, vinyl fans and music nerds know him for his bands. And, of course, he's the Animal Man, a spokesperson and activist for the animal rights movement and did have a cult of his own for a time. He gets recognized often enough and even has fans. It's kind of cool.

Weaknesses

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DELIBERATE
Animal Man's powers do not work reflexively or automatically. He will not heal like a worm unless he invokes that power. He is not as strong as a Tyrannasaurus unless he decides to be. He must be conscious and capable of invoking his abilities to use them. If taken by surprise or without sufficient time, he may not be able to draw upon his powers in time. In addition, he has to choose the right power for the moment and may choose wrong in a rush or facing multiple dangers.

FATIGUE
Invoking too many animals in sequence or trying to summon too many abilities at once will put a strain on Buddy's system. He will become exhausted if forced to use his powers too much over time and, when drained, he can be vulnerable and definitely in need of a serious nap.

SENSITIVE
Buddy is extremely connected to animals and the animal world. He cannot bear to be around or see animals suffer, literally able to feel their pain. He is a vegan (although he tries not to be a preachy one) and is extremely active in animal rights circles. Sometimes it seems as though he relates to animals better than people. Spoiler: he does.

THE ROT
As an agent of the Red, Animal Man is naturally opposed by its enemy, the Rot. Agents of the Rot will regularly seek to destroy him, undermine his work and antagonize him. He may also be called to fight the Rot anytime it manifests in the world and bears a responsibility to keep it at bay.

WEIRDNESS

Buddy's had an odd life. He seems to attract weirdness, one way or the other. He's a bit of a strange duck himself. He doesn't walk to the beat of the average drummer and he certainly isn't a normal person by anyone's stretch of the imagination. He likes it that way, but it does cause problems now and again.

Logs

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Title	Date	Scene Summary
NYC Convoy Caper!	March 15th, 2019	Impulse, Spider Woman, Animal Man, and Arella stop an attack on an Alchemax convoy.
The Joke Didn't Go Far Enough	March 12th, 2019	Summary needed
Log 1491	July 16th, 2017	Summary needed

Cutscenes

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Title	Date	Scene Summary
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Gallery

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