Character Contest 40: Southern Fried Heroes

Sometimes regionally-themed characters can be great (hello Alpha Flight!) and sometimes they can blow chunks (hello Great Lakes Avengers!), but therein lies your challenge for this week: Create a character (or characters) based on the Southern United States, the fabled Dixieland of old, stretching from Louisiana to South Carolina, from Florida to Virginia, and all those rolling lands of gentility in between.

Buddy John Hartwell had a group of villains set in an alternate universe where the South won the Civil War, and it was a real hoot. I suspect that prompted him to suggest this idea and I am glad he did! The Sketch of the Day for today featured Gumbo, just as an example of something along the lines of what I am thinking, a character with Southern roots whose public identity is linked to their home in some way.

The rules are the same as usual:

  • All entries must be posted to a publicly accessible server like the UGO forums, PhotoBucket.com, ImageShack.com, or what have you;
  • A link to the JPG or PNG (please, no BMPs, they're too big) hosted on that server;
  • Next Monday I will pick the winner, the image that best conveys the concept of a character from the US South, and its creator will win a choice of either any item or any portrait to be included in the final HeroMachine 3 version.

Good luck everyone!

Edited To Add for Clarity:The South isn't a list of states, it's not borders on a map, and it's not the Confederacy. It's a culture, based in a geographic area yes, but much more than that. It's gentility and manners and steel magnolias and chivalry and heat and mint juleps and sweet iced tea and race relations written right into your bones. Worrying about whether a STATE is in The South or not is to miss the point entirely.

Cowboys are not Southern. Ted Turner's TBS network, while based in Georgia (which IS Southern), is not Southern itself. Cattle rustling is not Southern. Dallas is not Southern. Tex Mex is not Southern. Pizza with artichokes on it is not Southern. This isn't a "Civil War" contest, it's a REGIONAL CULTURE contest, and the regional culture in question is THE SOUTH.

If you want to enter someone called The Texas Tornado, go right ahead and staple a copy of the Articles of Confederation to his forehead if it makes you happy, but I'm telling you right now he's going to lose.

181 Responses to Character Contest 40: Southern Fried Heroes

  1. Cliff says:

    Jeff, can we PLEASE include Texas can we huh, huh huh?

  2. Jeff Hebert says:

    Nope, Texas will either be part of the Western region (I plan on doing more of these), or its own standalone area.

  3. Me, Myself & I says:

    Is ther a limit on the number of entries?

  4. Jeff Hebert says:

    No limit, just make sure they’re GOOD!

  5. Danny Beaty says:

    Hi gang! Here’s my first entry.

    JOHNNY REB

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=477041&l=0d9c81eadf&id=1815191475

  6. C. Baize says:

    Eh, Texas WAS part of the Confederacy… they SHOULD be included. As much as I hate to admit Texas was part of anything…

  7. Me, Myself & I says:

    Are you including Arkansas, Kentucky or West Virginia?

  8. Jeff Hebert says:

    That’s fine, except this isn’t “The Confederacy” or “Former Slave States”, it’s “The South” — Texas is either a Western state or its own thing, but it’s not part of “The South” culturally. Having lived in Louisiana for 18 years, and then Texas for 22, I feel relatively qualified to speak to this point.

    Kentucky and West Virginia, absolutely. Arkansas … meh. I guess. I can’t think what other region it would be part of.

  9. Cliff says:

    FIRST: I realize this is YOUR contest and ANY rules go that you say. I did find this, which confirmed my own beliefs though:
    “As a definite geographic location within the United States, “Dixie” is usually defined as the 11 Southern states that seceded to form the Confederate States of America. They are (in order of secession): South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This definition is strongly correlated with history and, in the minds of many Southerners, remains the traditional South.”
    But of course, as I said, Your contest, your rules, and I do respect that.

  10. John says:

    Dudes: for whatever it’s worth, you’re missing the point.

    Establishing my own credentials as an 18-year resident of The Great State and a current 12-year resident of the ATL, the point is NOT to haggle over historical technicalities. It’s a cultural thing: Texas is Texas. Period. Any red-blooded Texan worth his cattle will tell you that. Texas has as much to do with grits and sweet tea as Georgia has to do with Ohio Mennonites. It ain’t the same thing.

    (That said, Georgia is home to the spectacular geek-fest known as Dragon*Con, which fairly sets my geek heart to bursting…!)

  11. Cormac says:

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6437343/Rob%20Johntson.jpg
    Rob Johnston, a poor man from Mississippi had a burning desire to play blues guitar. On the advice of a mysterious man he met in a New Orleans bar, he went to a crossroads at midnight and was soon approached by a large black man, dressed entirely in dark clothes. He tuned Johnston’s guitar and when Johnston took it in his hands, he was instantly a master at playing Blues guitar. But the man marked Johnston so that folk would know he had made a deal with the devil, giving Johnston red eyes. After 10 years, Johnston did not return to hand over his soul, and so the Devil set his hell-hounds after Johnston, but Johnston had learnt mysterious powers from a swamp woman in the bayou and uses these powers against the forces of darkness hunting him, as he desperately searches for his own redemption.

    (I’d just like to say, in my defence, I am from England and so know almost nothing about the south 😀 )

  12. C. Baize says:

    Having lived in Texas, myself (though not for nearly the last 30 years), far be it from me as a Southerner to argue FOR Texas’ inclusion as part of the South. 🙂
    Bottom line, it IS Jeff’s contest, and what he says goes.
    If Jeff wants to include Star Trek’s planet Vulcan or Star Wars’ planet Kashyyyk as part of the South, that’s his deal. 🙂

  13. joel says:

    here’s an entry:

    Jonathan Clifford, was a well respected scientist from Louisiana. Or at least he was, until he began tests merging human DNA with that of animals in order to help cure diseases. He was laughed at by everyone. So he took it upon himself and was his own test subject. He fused his own DNA with that of an Alligator. at first it seemed to work, making him stronger. Then he began to change. He became a half reptilian half man creature. He could not reverse the process. So instead, he created a suit of armor for his new body that would utilize his power to the fullest. It was on that day that he ceased to be Jonathan Clifford the scientist, and began his life anew as Gator Guy, Louisiana’s greatest hero:

    http://s948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/?action=view&current=GatorGuy.png

  14. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE COLONEL
    Very little is known about the mysterious man who they call The Colonel.He is said to be from Kentucky and has been spotted at roadside greasy spoons eating deep fried food. There are reports he once killed a man for calling him a chicken. This is one Colonel you do not want to mess with.

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta63.jpg

  15. Aaron says:

    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9822&id=100001141451514&saved#!/photo.php?pid=97741&id=100001141451514
    Nmae: Rexx Cage and his Tennesee Hound Dog Fred
    age:25
    b.p: Morhead Kentucky
    Ocupation: loose cannon cop
    bio: grew up listin to country music aint afraid to defend his homeland of Dixie. he has busted many heads open. he does this all with his best friend Fred

  16. MartianBlue says:

    Here’s this.
    http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf

    @Jeff
    Couple of suggestions
    –Using this, maybe you can give a listing of the states you intend to be included in the contest, so there’s no confusion.
    –Since you intend on doing more of these, might I suggest a map, with the eligable contest states colored.

  17. Gargoyle323 says:

    MB,I think that is a really good idea. I like the idea of a map to show divisions for other contests down the line. We could then have a winner for each region then maybe a vote to select the best overall hero!(Just an idea,Jeff)

  18. C. Baize says:

    Hm. I didn’t realize we were including character concepts with the pic.

    That said, I’d like to modify the above with the following:

    First member of the team: The Confederate.

    http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs117.ash2/39176_137648059602197_100000710104588_226752_1430137_n.jpg

    The Confederate is not so much a person as it is a position. The current Confederate is Gunnery Sergeant William Harris. Gunny Harris is well trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Pencak Silat, and Escrima.
    The designers of The Confederate’s gear kept in mind human psychology and utilized their extremely limited amount of impact and energy absorbing meteoric metal as the central portion of The Confederate’s shield and emblazoned it with an eye-drawing star to draw enemy fire to the strongest portion of his shield. The Confederate can use his shield to block, shield-bash, or strike with the edge. The Confederate’s baton is an extremely durable alloy metal. It is, in fact, four different batons with various settings that may be dialed in at the handle, and put to use at the tip. The most common setting The Confederate uses is the “Stun-Gun” electrical charge tip that transmits 50,000 volts of electricity on a successful hit with the tip of the baton. Each of the four batons has five different settings, leading to rumors varying from twenty different batons, to one baton with twenty different “powers”. The computer device on The Confederate’s forearm is sat-linked to the National Crime Index Computer, and the computer run by The Confederate’s team of associates, so that he can access information regarding criminals and villains nearly instantaneously.

    The Confederate is not necessarily a secret position. Some of the soldiers who have held the post have gone public with their identities, leading to lucrative business ventures upon their retirement.

  19. Aaron says:

    sorry bout the misspell but i hope you like Rexx Cage my first contest entry i just now figured out how to post characters please give me some feedback.

    *more info*
    he does what he wants when he wants.
    he dont need no gun.
    he is one heck of a street brawler.
    fred is one mean dog (based on my brothers basset hound)
    when not on the job he is doin what most rednecks do mud runnin four wheelin and spendin time with his family
    *American by birth southern by the grace of god*

  20. Dude says:

    I dont really have any background thing on this all I know is that he is a Southern Rebel Biker. Haha.

    http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx256/chuck_a_duck/?action=view&current=SouthHM.png

  21. haz says:

    Oh man, it’s so hard to hold back the evil laughter. I see this as a shining opportunity to take out all my frustrations with Gambit’s character design. Mwahaha!

    Don’t get me wrong, Gambit’s great. He’s just not a New Orleanian and doesn’t wear a color scheme I can reconcile with the bayou (hot pink = no).

    Now, to the drawing board!

  22. joel says:

    this “hero” is slightly darker then most (just a warning).

    The town of Gravel Ridge Arkansas isn’t very nice. the mayor is greedy, and he turns a blind eye to any all crime. he even commits some crimes of his own. the people suffer. everyone who lives there knows this, but no one can do anything about it. A man by the name of Arthur West had been strongly apposed to the mayor’s actions and the town’s decline for years, but he never did anything. that is, until one fateful day when his home was attacked by bandits as so many others had been. his family was killed, and he lost his left eye trying to resist, and his right arm was deeply scarred. It was that day that he realized he needed to do something, he needed to stand up. He knew that force was the only answer. So he took up the cause, and will now cut off the heads of criminals and use their heads to send a message, the message that there are still those who fight in Gravel Ridge. because of his methods he developed the name: Arkansaw.

    http://s948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta.png

  23. Gargoyle323 says:

    LOUISIANA LIGHTNING
    Jean Paul LeVaillier was a telephone repairman who lived in Baton Rouge.One stormy night while repairing a transformer he was struck by lightning. At first he seemed to have not suffered any serious damage from the strike.Around a week after the incident he started to feel a strange warmth to his body.Then all of a sudden his body transformed into pure electrical energy.After his initial shock wore off,he soon learned how to control the transformations.He decided to use his new found powers to help rid the area from the drug lords and criminal element that have taken over his home.He would now strike them down with a quick bolt of justice known as…LOUISIANA LIGHTNING!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta64.jpg

  24. Cliff says:

    Robert “Billy” Broad aka Rebel Yell, had always “had a mouth on him.” He was raised in a house were no one really knew what an “inside voice” was. He also always had a bit of a temper, but then he came by that honestly as well. Billy’s mourth and temper kept him in troubel quite a bit. As a kid if he wasn’t yelling at someone, he was firing something from his slingshot. He was sent to the military right out of HighSchool to learn some disciple, what he really learned was how to fight better and shoot bigger weapons.
    It was in bootcamp when he was actually yelling back at a dirill instructor so furiously that the instructor started bleeding from his nose and ears.
    Through trial and error Billy discovered he had amazing vocal powers, capable of shattering glass and crystal and greatly damaging other things, even people.
    Billy kept this mostly a secret from the military not wanting to be some guenie pig or experimental weapon under the government’s thumb.
    Once out of the Miliraty some run ins with a a slow driver, a carjacker, a telemarketer, and a jambed vending machine, Billy decided to do something with his power, and what his mouth couldnt solve, his guns would

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8643&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=155305&id=100000780936307

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8643&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=155306&id=100000780936307&fbid=135142566521774

  25. Ian says:

    Here’s my first entry: General Lee.
    http://is.gd/dLfvZ

  26. sutter_kaine says:

    BIG BUFORD – Mild-mannered tow-truck driver Buford E. Lee was chosen by the Spirit of Dixie to be the latest in a long line of protectors of the Southern way of life. Buford’s trusty crowbar, Lucky, was transformed into the Crowbar of Destiny, becoming both a badge of office and a potent weapon. The Crowbar of Destiny can pry anything apart, be it tanks, power-armor, or arguments based on Aristotelian logic. While holding the Crowbar of Destiny, Buford is virtually invulnerable, making him immune to weapons, energy attacks, and double entendres.

    http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/Buford.jpg

  27. MartianBlue says:

    So you want a character based on southern culture, instead of southern states.

    Something like this?
    http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m189/acebase_2006/Hero%20Forum/Rockabilly.png
    If so, that’s an entrant.

  28. Jeff Hebert says:

    MartianBlue, that’s exactly what I am talking about, yes! Rockabilly isn’t tied to a specific state necessarily, but it’s definitely Southern.

    You could do a state-based character if you want (as a lame example, something like “Georgia Peach”), because some states are definitely part of Southern culture while others aren’t, but it’s not JUST states. Southern culture is a bunch of states and a whole lot more.

  29. Ian says:

    Here’s my second entry: Whistlin’ Dixie (General Lee’s sister)
    http://is.gd/dLmbJ

  30. Ok This one kinda makes me mad cuz im from the south i live in Alabama so i took the high rode.
    In the past months the gulf coast has been hit with a devastating blow with the oil spill and what not. So I chose to create my character from this disaster.
    Crude Oil created from the same oil that is destroying the south east. He was just a normal oil platform worker when he fell off and the oil absorbed his body but he learned to control it so he decided to get revenge on what made him a monster BP. He can form his body into any size or shape. but his favorite way of killing people is to force his body down there throat and they suffocate.
    http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/MatthewSheffield/hm3-beta10.jpg

  31. VonMalcolm says:

    Let me introduce you to ‘The Creeper’, the Star Villain of ‘Deliverance II: The Ballad Of Bobby Trippe.’ The Creeper’s real name is Bobby Drew; his twin brother: Ed Lewis.

    Your Southern Heroes better watch their backs: even if you never watched the original ‘Deliverance’ most likely you know what the ‘Mountain Man’ did to Bobby Trippe. Bobby Drew was birthed and named by the Mountain Man’s cousin: Sarah Andie McKinney who was impregnated by the ‘Mountain Man’ before he died.

    Bobby Drew is out for revenge. Bobby Drew is also looking for ‘shotgun wives’: be they Female or Male. He is also looking for that special ‘shotgun someone’ (female or male) for his beloved brother.

    The Creeper is part Weapon Toting Survivalist, part Dangerous Animal Breeder, and part Inbred Mutant Pervert. If you go hiking in the deep Georgian Wilderness beware The Creeper: He WILL be watching you.

    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/#/d2uxckd

  32. MartianBlue says:

    alrighty got it.
    Rednecks & Inventions, Fast Cars & Dirt Roads, Four Wheelers & Mudding, Four Wheelers & Beer, Southern Bells & Southern Bells, Voodoo and Gumbo, Country Music & Trains, Miss Mabel’s Sweet Tea, Deer’s and Rifles, Coon skin hats and bowie knives, and best of all outhouses. Ok simple enough. Maybe we’ll see what a south eastern Kentuckian can come up with.

  33. Tigerguy786 says:

    “best of all outhouses” -MartianBlue

    That made me chuckle out loud. I think I have a few ideas for characters.

  34. Ian says:

    And positively my last entry, because they’re getting ridonkulous: Firebird
    http://is.gd/dLpNR

  35. Galahad says:

    Jeff,

    This contest would be the perfect time to roll out that mullet hairstyle I saw someone ask about last week.

  36. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER
    Ellie Jackson was your typical teenage girl.She lived in Kentucky and had a normal upbringing.The two most important people in her life were her Mother and Grandmother.When her grams was 18 she left her Kentucky home to play pro baseball with the Racine Peaches in the late 40’s.Ellie loved hearing her grams tell stories about her experiences from those days.When Ellie’s Grandmother passed,she felt a great loss.
    Ellie’s other hero was her Mother,who had raised her as a single parent due to her father being killed in a robbery when she was just a baby.Her mother was her best friend in the world.
    One night her mother was assaulted and badly hurt in a mugging.Ellie could not believe that not only did she lose her father due to crime,but that she almost lost her mother That made Ellie decide to find who did this to her mother. and make sure they did not get away with it.
    Paying homage to her Grandmothers love of baseball, Ellie patterned a costume after Grans old uniform.Ellie was going to use her gymnastic classes to hone her agility and use those skills as a street vigilante.She would be known as THE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta68.jpg

  37. Tim says:

    Say hello to Daisy, she’s happy to meet you 😉

    http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/da9698aea7.png

  38. All southified, like y’all? Do my best, Ms. Blousie.

    @Jeff: Can I post my quilts and swatches? Just for fun? Seriously, if you are running a “Southern” contest. I quilt and sew. Pinwheel, shoo-fly, daisycups… batch, hem, stitchwork… match your argyle socks. (my “goff gf” loves my handi-work). 😉

    Biscuits, red beans, wild rice, sausage gravy, strawberry wine…

    Mmmmm… can go on and on

    Controversy, Texas entered the Union as a slave state. With a certified butt-kicking to Mexico. And a strong rebuke from Generals Grant and Lee.

    @All: Enjoying the posts, and the works.

  39. The Imp says:

    Annabelle Conners is a revolutionary in a mid-21st century America where the South has risen again. Although she has the mutant ability to project energy bursts, her control over them is sketchy at best, and most of the time she prefers to rely on traditional weaponry.

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71525&d=1280208252

  40. And to say… there’s “all y’all” Which is the closest that English gets to French singular “tu” (you, familiar) or plural “vous” (you), German singular “du” (you) or plural “Sie” (you, proper). English dialectic “y’all” or plural “all y’all.”

    Y’all fixin’ to eat at Rosie’s? Nope, been done ate there (Are you going to / do you want to eat at Rosie’? I already ate there – explicit, “been done” – tried it, not going to eat there again – or at least for a long undetermined time)

  41. joel says:

    probably my second to last entry.

    Leo Dalton’s mother had always said, “Now you gonna make sumthin’ of yer self some day and make everyone proud.” No one could have known how right she was. Leo had always had high dreams, and when he grew up, he realized some of those dreams by becoming an astronaut. It was during his first launch into space, September 14th, a day he would never forget. That day was his birthday, but that day was also when an ancient prophecy as old as time would come to pass. a great evil would arise and a hero was needed. As he gazed in wonder at the world beneath him, Leo suddenly found himself floating in space, without a ship. He was in a part of space with nothing but a sun for miles. Then the sun burst into a supernova, and the waves washed over Leo. He found himself back in the ship. He was never sure, even to this day, weather he imagined the experience or not. however, soon after, he began to have strange episodes. little did he know it, but he had been fused with the energy that shaped the universe untold millenniums ago. soon he began master some of his powers by mastering the elements. as he grew stronger, he took on the role given to him as a legendary defender. He is now no longer just Leo Dalton, he is now: Heartlander!

    http://s948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta2-2.png&newest=1

  42. Tim says:

    Strange, I submitted an entry, but I can’t see it :/

  43. The Imp says:

    Adam Elvis Paisley was an Elvis impersonater in Atlanta when his pickup truck was struck by a strange meteorite one night. The space rock gifted him with the ability to cause illusions and hypnotic suggestions with his music and voice. He decided to become a crime-fighter (while still keeping his day job) and took the identity of The Gracelander. 😀

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71526&d=1280210810

  44. LargeFormat says:

    Ooh, my family and I lived in Georiga for some time before we took a complete flip and scuttled on up to Michigan. I still miss the feeling of that ol’ Georiga clay (Don’t you EVER call it dirt ;)) under my feet. Only sweet tea up here is from McDonalds..and thats not REAL sweet tea.

    Anyway, a little story on this first entry. Much of the south is considered within the ‘Bible Belt’, and thats where the roots of this pastor’s-son-turned-vigilante come from.

    Oh, and the time setting is around the mid 1800’s, where Hoss works to help mop up smuggling operations, get supplies to the frontlines, and will occasionally aid in a battle or two.
    Entry 1- Hoss (For lack of better name :))
    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71527&d=1280211678

    (And yes, that is a “Southern Hairstyle”, even though its not a mullet or mullet-esque. Its called a ‘Southern Swoop’. Just wanted to say that ;))

  45. LargeFormat says:

    Heheh, no mean to spam, but Atomic, when I was raised there was only ‘ya’ll’ not ‘all-a ya’ll’, since ‘ya’ll’ already means “You all”, saying ‘all ya’ll’ would be something like “all you all..”

  46. Malfar says:

    Aargh! I wanted to participate in the contest so much and I can`t. I know completely nothing about states culture, either northern or southern or whatever. I guess I should wait for the next contest.

  47. MScat says:

    I just have to say before i add any submissions that i am a born and raised southerner. I was born in Alabama and raised in Mississippi and my familie’s from Louisiana and i love this contest very much. The idea of characters from the south is a good one, you have to remember places like New Orleans are famous for its voodoo and out of this world culture. The south is more than rebels fighting for the Confederacy there are many layers and i think that those layers are going to come through very nicely in this contest.

  48. DiCicatriz says:

    Three entries!

    1) Bayou Belle

    Beatrice Boudreaux’s was born into a generation in which her family’s ancestral bayou territories were threatened by corporate land developers. Her father unemployed and her brothers arrested for harassing construction workers, Beatrice made a desperate plea with a mysterious old woman living in the center of the bayou, rumored to possess mysterious powers. The old woman subjected her to an ancient ritual which tied her life force to the bayou, granting her power over the animals and geography contained therein. Beatrice was reborn as the mystical guardian of the swamp, BAYOU BELLE

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-BayouBelle.png

    2)Dandy

    Rhett Wilkerson was considered the most gentile of the gentile in his community on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georga. His family feared him too delicate for farm work and thought him unlikely to take a wife. Rhett did nothing to dispel this reputation, for in secret he was a gallant and unconquerable crime-fighter. Having discovered an abandoned network of tunnels leading into the city, Rhett snuck out at night and donned a dazzling costume, fighting crime as the well-mannered and dashing: DANDY!

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-Dandy.png

    3)Gallow

    Whispered of throughout a number of Southern communities, an old legend survives of spirit of vengeance who haunts and persecutes those who would do wrong to others. It is said the spirit was once a simple blacksmith following the Civil War, who tended to a modest plot of land alongside a loving family. Tragedy struck when a neighboring landowner coveted his property, arranging false charges against one of his sons as grounds for confiscating it. An angry mob charged his home in the dead of night. The blacksmith fought fiercely but was beaten, and lynched by his neighbors. It is said his spirit was so overcome with rage that he could not pass on to the afterlife. Instead he remained, seeking out those who would persecute the innocence and punishing them accordingly. To this day his story is told as a cautionary tale. He is the Spirit of Southern Justice. He is GALLOW!

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-Gallow.png

  49. Cliff says:

    Georgia Rachael Moses
    was born to a family of Peach Farmers in Fort Valley, Peach County, Georgia.
    She was an A studant where even at such a young age she excelled in tumbling and acrobatics, wanting to be an olympic gymast.
    She continued as a stellar studant. I her early teens she began working the annual Georgia Peach Fest which she continued to do for years, selling programs, t-shirts, Peach ice cream, peach cobbler or where ever they needed a hand.
    She attended the Peach County High School where she became head cheerleader and dated the Trojan Man mascot. Unsurprisingly she was Studant Council President, Valedictorian and Prom Queen.
    Shortly thereafter she was engaged to Albert Rumph, another peach farm tycoon, she had met in high school.
    They both attended Fort Valley State University during which time she became Miss Georgia Peach. Miss Georgia leading up to try for Miss America.
    Unfortunately Georgia was drugged and assulted by her promoter, which lead to a public scandle which left her humiliated and disgraced. Her family and community turned on her, banning her as an outcast.
    She eventually moved out of town, and found what work she could. Cashing in on her looks she found a job dancing in a topless bar, called Peaches. She often uses her looks to get what she wants. She has kept in shape, working out at the gym to get her body fit, and started taking self defence classes so she would never had to endure another attack again. Her fitness, martial arts, dexterity and agility has helped her fend off attackers, whether it was a drunk bar patron getting to handsy, a pimp slapping around one of his girls, a would be mugger, or street gang.

    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8643&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=155399&id=100000780936307

    (Do a Georgia Peach search, and you better have your Filters on, it seems it is slang for a woman’s bottomm due to it’s visual similarity.)

  50. Cliff says:

    Caroline Ashley Cooper, was born and raised in South Carolina, she is a college graduate with degrees in history, psychology and dramatic arts.
    Through these interests Caroline has become skilled in the feminie arts of the legendary Southern Belles. This is through a combination of asthetics, fashion, poise, grace, facial expression, vocal modulation, gestures, mannerisms, and even olfactory manipulation.
    This typically caters to the male ego by playing up stereotypical female frailties, promoting the facade of being demure, refined, simple yet mysterious, submissive and helpess thereby wrapping men around her dainty gloved little finger.

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8643&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=155401&id=100000780936307&fbid=135182649851099

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8643&id=100000780936307&saved#!/photo.php?pid=155400&id=100000780936307&fbid=135182646517766

  51. Cliff says:

    @Jess #30
    I SWEAR I hadn’t looked at the later posts for most of the day until now, I did NOT know you used Georgia Peach as an example … particularly as a BAD example LOL

  52. Jeff Hebert says:

    I was helping my brother in law move to Virginia, and on the way through Georgia we saw, looming over the horizon, drawing ever closer, what for all the world looked like a giant, flesh-colored human buttocks on a pole. In horrified silence we stared as it grew and grew to giant size, until we passed it, seeing the stem and leaf on the other side, and realized that the water tower was supposed to be a peach.

    Also, as I said I am FROM Louisiana, so be careful of the more offensive stereotypes, folks. These are my people — my momma still lives there!

  53. Jeff Hebert says:

    @LargeFormat (#47): We would say “all y’all” sometimes growing up, even though as you say it makes no sense. I never heard anyone actually use y’all while referring to an individual, though, that’s one of those Hollywood dialog slip-ups that bugs the daylights out of me.

  54. Jeff Hebert says:

    Tim (#44): For some reason your entry was marked as spam, but I went in and retrieved it — should be showing now.

  55. Marx says:

    @Jeff #54 – You’d made it through Georgia up into Gaffney, SC. That giant peach water tower is landmark along I-85.

  56. Marx says:

    Incidentally, true connoisseurs know that Carolina peaches are far superior to those mealy little things they grow in Georgia. 😉

    (says the guy who grew up in Charlotte)

  57. Idiosyncracy says:

    Hmm, will look forward to seeing how this turns out, but I’m afraid I can’t really participate :-/ The culture of the Southern US is something you kinda have to be American to be familiar with.

    I mean, what’d you do if I asked you to make a character embodying western Jutland? 😉

  58. Danny Beaty says:

    More entries!

    BUBBA 2.0

    One day while riding his four-wheeler Bubba Jenkins tried to jump Widow Maker ravine but didn’t make it. At the hospital doctors used advanced prosthetics to repair Bubba’s broken body. Now he jokingly refers to himself as Bubba 2.0.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=477402&l=2c0a6fca5c&id=1815191475

    THE CRAWDAD

    The Crawdad uses his amphibious powersuit to fight smugglers, drugrunners, and any other criminal element on the shores of North Carolina.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=477459&l=350fc57b2c&id=1815191475

    STRAWBOSS

    Luther Dobbins was a ass-kissing supervisor at McMahon’s Furniture Factory. Nobody laughed at the Mr. McMahon’s unfunny jokes louder than Luther. Luther even convinced McMahon’s daughter Betty that he was in love with her(he wasn’t) and became engaged to her. Luther became Mr. McMahon’s best deer hunting buddy. Luther also enjoyed throwing his weight around, anyone standing up to Luther would be put written-up or fired, the big boss always taking Luther’s word over the word of the worker. Luther was in line to become Plant Manager when a scandal broke about him and a prostitute. Luther was immediately fired. While walking to the exit, his head hanging with shame, he could hear the calls of “So long, strawboss!” Luther never forgot the taunts from his former co-workers, so he decided to litteraly declare war on the working class as the villainous Strawboss. Strawboss and his henchmen specialize in robbing company payrolls and committing acts of domestic terrorism against businesses.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=477484&l=b2653fbc26&id=1815191475

  59. Danny Beaty says:

    I omitted an important fact about Strawboss: he dresses like a scarecrow.

  60. paul says:

    http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww145/costanps/aaronking.jpg

    “The King”

    With his gold plated guitar, this karate choppin’ trubador travels the south “Takin’ care of Business” as he says.

    He was once the leader of a hero group called the “Memphis Mafia”

    Hail to the King Baby!

  61. Gargoyle323 says:

    BAD MOON
    The local legends tell of a voodoo spirit who appears when an injustice against innocents happens.He rises out of the swamps,in a cloud of smoke,to hunt down the souls of the wicked.It is said that he never speaks,but it is rumored that drums can be heard as well as some type of chanting.The locals call him BAD MOON because when he has been sited the skies seem to become clear of clouds and the moon seems to shine eerily bright. There’s a BAD MOON on the rise!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta74.jpg

  62. Danny Beaty says:

    New entry!

    THE CHARLOTTE HORNET

    This high-flying hero of Charlotte, NC was a fan of a now defunct basketball team.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=477927&l=6ef4d8d2ec&id=1815191475

  63. joel says:

    almost definitely my last entry.

    Leo Dalton, AKA Heartlander, was given his powers for a reason. HE is that reason. HE is entropy, famine, despair. HE is evil made real; the darkness of creation. HE is death incarnate. HE, is Exodus.

    http://s948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta3.png

  64. Tim says:

    Spam huh? That’s a little weird, but okay. I see it now, thanks Jeff. 🙂

  65. sutter_kaine says:

    CRAWDADDY – Originally, Crawdaddy was Elmer McCoy, the human patriarch of a backwoods swamp-clan carrying on the family tradition of moonshining. Then came the day when they built a moonshine still from barrels containing illegally dumped toxic waste. After sampling the first batch made with their new still, the clan began to undergo strange transformations. Elmer made the logical assumption that the transformations were a sign from God for him to resurrect the Confederacy. Now he and his family of mutants have declared war on Yankees, carpetbaggers, and anything not born on Southern soil.

    http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/crawdaddy.jpg

  66. KountKill says:

    Idiosyncracy (#60), you don’t have to sit out the contest just because you aren’t as familiar with the area. Just Google Southern Legends or Southern Ghost stories, and you should be able to come up with some tales, then just create your character based on one you like the best. The South has lots of good tales, especially some good tall tales that you could probably use.

  67. sutter_kaine says:

    ALVIN EDWARD GATOR – A member of Crawdaddy’s swamp-clan, Alvin Edward was already a vicious, cold-blooded killer even before he became a man-igator. The ultimate predator, he remains a faithful member of the clan so long as Crawdaddy keeps him supplied with plenty of raw meat.

    http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/alvinEdwardGator.jpg

  68. hakoon1 says:

    Might have to listen to some Lynyrd Skynyrd to get some inspiration for this one, I wouldn’t know where to start :p

  69. Robottick says:

    Here is mine. Do everglades count?
    Plus, I don’t know how to post links, so…
    http://dellcintosh123.deviantart.com/art/Glade-Ranger-Jack-172974553
    That’s it, copy and paste it.

  70. Nightwing205 says:

    He is simply a man who believes in the South. The son of a Southern Minister who watched his Dad’s church burn to the ground for sticking up for civil rights and the fact that all men are God’s creation. Armed with Two side arms and a special wrist cannon, he is able to do what the government can not or will not do. He is simply the Southern Draw.

    http://a.imageshack.us/img243/642/hm3beta3.jpg

  71. Alan Bates says:

    Who is this mysterious Tennessean that appears when threats are at their most dire and danger at it greatest? Could it be a supernatural guardian or just another Good Ol’ boy looking for a nice fight.

    I present to you, the Volunteer.

    http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7525/tennesseevolunteer.png

  72. Haxxx says:

    I was never in USA so my veiw of “the south” is inspired by popular media, mostly True Blood, Dukes of Hazard and comedy such as Family Guy.
    Those might be quite stereotypical but here they are non the less:

    Old Man Johnson
    http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vAlcFDVMhZ4/TE9wNepOzMI/AAAAAAAAGnE/UytKS2iB2Z4/s512/Old%20Man%20Johnson.jpg

    Lost his arm while in Vietnam, Johnson got setled up in his shak up in the mountains. He will shoot anyone who come closer then “this far” from his shak.
    He is also known to scare the odd general bad guy who come to the town next door without asking anything but that “ye’ stay out of my property!”. A bit of an Anti-Hero realy.

    General Lee
    http://lh4.ggpht.com/_vAlcFDVMhZ4/TE9zM4Sp1HI/AAAAAAAAGng/mtjjzgRgIY4/s512/General%20Lee.jpg

    Ya. thats the Duke of Hazard car and it’s a transformer sue me twice.

  73. Haxxx says:

    And another one, probably Old Man Johnson Rival/Budy:
    Moonshine
    http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vAlcFDVMhZ4/TE9798Xs0vI/AAAAAAAAGoI/_avxfFXj6zc/s512/Moonshine.jpg

    Real Name: Billy Georgeson
    Power Type: Speedster
    Billy began his profesional life as a Moonshine smugler. At the age of ten his father tought him to drive… and he drove, fast. At the age of 18 he became a Race Driver and was quite sucsesfull until the accident.
    During a race his car got fliped several times and burned feureosly. The accident was so troumatic that it trigered something. Befor the car hit the ground Billy was out and racing on foot the rast of the cars, unharmed by the accident at all. He won that night and therafter became a Super.

  74. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=JohnnyDaniels.jpg

    Johnny Daniels

    The Devil went down to Georgia, and he was lookin’ for a sol to steal. Unfortunately for poor old Lucy, he chose to make a deal with Johnny Daniels. Johnny, an expert fiddler, walked away from that particular encounter with his soul, and a golden fiddle to boot. The Devil, blind with rage following his duel with Johnny, sent all the minions of Hell to ravage Johnny’s home state. Johnny, realising the danger, forged himself some crude armour fashioned from parts of his outhouse, spikes from the gate and his father’s old belt. Arming himself with his trusty shotguns, Belle and Louisa, and his fiddle of gold, Johnny now battles against the mass of horrors that strive to destroy him. His shells are doused with holy water and his fiddle has been blessed by the town’s holy man, his beautiful melodies capable of destroying demons who hear even the faintest trace of them. The Devil better watch out, because Johnny told you once, you son of a gun, he’s the best there’s ever been!

  75. Danny Beaty says:

    Another entry!

    TWO-GUN TARHEEL

    Jim Logan gave up his U.S. Marshall job to return to his home in North Carolina. When Jim saw how corrupt his hometown had became, he ran for sheriff and won. Folks call Jim the Two-Gun Tarheel.

  76. sutter_kaine says:

    POSSUM PETE – The smallest and weakest member of Crawdaddy’s swamp-clan, “Possum” Pete Shales was often the target of ridicule and abuse. But that was before he drank radioactive moonshine and became something…different. Nobody picks on Pete anymore.

    http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/possum_pete.jpg

  77. VonMalcolm says:

    Are you looking to seduce that special someone? -Or has that special someone ripped out your heart out, turning you into a Mindless Zombie bent on revenge. Well, dear friend: Seduction, Ripping Out Hearts, and Vengeful Zombies are the Voodoo Medusa’s specialty, -As well as cures or curses of impotence, incontinence, constipation, congestion, ingestion, gestation, dementia, demonic possession, ‘professional accidents’, embarrassing incidents, and torturous misfortunes. Find, protect or steal your fortune with the aid of the Voodoo Medusa’s Hoodoo. -Or have her destroy a rival’s fortune with a single lock of an enemy’s hair accompanied by your Dark Wish.

    The Voodoo Medusa gains her power from the Generations of Undead that exist in the Bayou, the most powerful of which being the revenants of the Unfortunate Slaves of Madam Delphine LaLaurie. The Voodoo Medusa gains her arcane wisdom straight from the lips of Angels and Devils; she whispers that wisdom with her Serpent’s Tongue.

    The Voodoo Medusa will work for Good or Evil, whoever pays better at any given time. Is it her fault that Evil usually has more money and thus pays better? To find the Voodoo Medusa you must first come to the her daughter’s shop in The Big Easy: ‘The Bayou Basement’. ‘The Basement’, as it is known by Louisiana Locals, is in a supernaturally hidden back alley in the Darkest Quarter of the French Quarter in Good Ole New Orleans. If you can find the shop, the daughter of the Gorgon will give you the directions to her mother’s secret cavern which is buried deep in the Bayou: but only for a precious price. If you survive to find the Voodoo Medusa, you must give her a goblet of your blood, a saucer of your flesh, and a vial of your soul: Do not fear: she will use all three wisely. Her spells are renown throughout the Bayou Underworld; her spells never fail the buyer, so long as the buyer makes it out of the Gorgon’s Bayou Burial Ground alive.

    The Voodoo Medusa also makes a Bad Ass ‘Cajun Gator Gumbo’, also known in the Bayou Underworld as ‘Dragon Gumbo’ because it will literally make you breathe fire. Just don’t ask what the ingredients are or you will become one!

    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/#/d2v017p

  78. Me, Myself & I says:

    Hero of The Yellowhammer State (a.k.a. Alabama). Yellowhammer has super strength, fortitude and endurance as well as the ability to fly. He bears the same name as the states nickname and official bird.

    Yellowhammer is a member of the Southern League. It is a group of superheroes officially sponsored by the states in which they operate.

    For the full story explaining some history and persona choices follow the link below.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Yellowhammer%20pdf.pdf
    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Yellowhammer%20jpg.jpg

  79. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE INTIMIDATOR
    For as long as people can remember, the South has always had a special team to defend and protect them. They are known as The Talladaga Knights. They work from their double wide mobile home base in Daytona,Flordia. They have safe houses in cities like Richmond,VA.and Charlotte,NC. They are the defenders of the common man and are loved by millions around the world. They are led by the mysterious man,known only as The Intimidator. He is a no-nonsense,take charge hero. He and the Knights have no wealthy benefactors to pay their way. They have even taken to letting sponsors advertise on their uniforms to help keep them together. The Intimidator may be the most beloved hero in all the south. I’m sure his legacy will continue long after he is gone.

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta75.jpg

  80. Danny Beaty says:

    My apologies, folks. Here is the Two-Gun Tarheel.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=478372&l=177b22635a&id=1815191475

  81. Danny Beaty says:

    Here’s another one.

    RAGIN’ CAJUN

    Ragin’ Cajun hunts down and kills the criminals who try to escape the law by hiding in the Louisiana bayous.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=478631&l=c7647f36c6&id=1815191475

  82. Me, Myself & I says:

    Black Fox is a Native American hero with all the traditional powers of a Medicine Man. See the link below for a much more detailed history.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Black%20Fox%20pdf.pdf

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Black%20Fox%20jpg.jpg

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Black%20Fox%20CloseUp%20jpg.jpg

  83. Freebird Floyd born and raised in the back woods of Ozark Alabama as you could tell named after the most famous song in the south “Freebird”. With his trusty dog Jack named after his favorite whiskey “Jack Daniels” they look for the evil no gooders that live in the woods and swaps of the south east on his four wheeler shooting them down with his rifle, shotgun, or his favorite the compact bow or fighting them hand to hand with the two knives keeps in his back pocket at all times.
    Hes even in southern attire including his Alabama football hat which nobody can touch if they don’t what to loose a hand
    , his rebel shirt, blue jeans and belt buckle, work boots and too tie it all together a mullet.
    http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/MatthewSheffield/hm3-beta12.jpg

  84. Decolda says:

    This contest is very broad… I understand you want it based on Southern America, but when? in what era? and what type of hero are we making?

    Will people be offended if I make a hero based on slapstick comedy and assume that’s what I think of Southern Americans – since participating in these hero machine contests, this is the only one I don’t fully understand!

    Maybe it’s because I’m from London England UK

  85. Decolda says:

    Saints Necromancer

    This Southern Hero use’s his muscial skills to summon the dead, his colourfull purple and green outfit may be tacky but he is the local hero, using the dead to scare off enemys of the living.

    http://forums.ugo.com/picture.php?albumid=164&pictureid=1193

  86. spidercow2010 says:

    In solidarity with our staunch allies from the UK and other foreign dominions, I am going to disqualify myself from this contest. I’ve lived in California and Oregon all my life, and the South is like a foreign country to me, too. Not a slam on Dixie at all; I just don’t feel qualified to try to anthropomorphize a whole culture I don’t get.

  87. FnordBear says:

    First as a South Carolina native for all my 30+ years I wanted to do something that fit with my home state that had -nothing- to do with the Civil War or the Confederacy. This is what a came up with. This is based on a local ghost story, the Gray Man of Pawly’s Island.

    http://www.hauntedlowcountry.com/index.php?/hauntlow/south_carolina/the_gray_man/ Has good info on the source material.

    The Gray Man, long thought a legend or just another ghost story to attract tourists took on a new twist in the mid 80s. Before the closing of the Charleston Naval Base several nuclear submarines were in dry dock to undergo refits. One crackpot mad scientist calling himself Dr. Hurricane saw this as a grand opportunity to test his Weather Destructor and use it as a cover to steal nuclear material from the docked subs for his own nefarious purposes.

    Dr. Hurricane did not count on The Gray Man. A colonial era ghost who in death tasked himself with warning other of oncoming storms and hurricanes, he was awakened and angered by the artificial storms Dr. Hurricane brought with him. In the ensuing confrontation the long dead defender awoke to memories and emotions long but a faint dream to the ghost. After driving Dr. Hurricane off he was able to resist fading back in to the ether and his task of warning of storms. Fascinated and enchanted by the modern Charleston, to this day he acts as an undead guardian of the historic city.

    http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m250/fnordbear/grayman.jpg

  88. Dave3dclark says:

    Sorry forgot his name. “Confederate Kid”

  89. Aaron1 says:

    I think for 1 contest we should have to maake an amalagam of two heroes…1 from DC 1 from Marvel

  90. Aaron1 says:

    Or a light/darkside jedi

  91. Danny Beaty says:

    I thout of another one!

    NIGHTRIDER

    Nightrider uses the driving skills he learned as a NASCAR driver (and a near indestructable car armed with lethal, rapid firing “options”) to fight gangs, hijackers,and other criminals.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=479316&l=ba56a54cc7&id=1815191475

  92. Alan Bates says:

    Enemy of poachers, and illegal hunters, and protector of wildlife thoughout the South, I give you …

    http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/259/deerhunter.png

    The Deer Hunter.

  93. Alan Bates says:

    and other one very losely inspired by the old legend…

    The Bell Witch.
    http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5051/bellwitch.png

  94. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE ZYDECO MAN
    Terrance Fontenot was a veterinarian who lived in New Orleans. He grew up listening to the Zydeco band his grandfather played in. Terry fell in love with the music and would go to Grandpappy’s house when ever he could. He loved how the music seemed to put everybody in a happy mood.
    When his Grandpappy was on his death bed, he gave Terry a very special gift. It was a vest frottoir (from the Cajun French “vest to be rubbed”)that had been in the family for generations. Grandpappy told him that “you could sooth a savage beast” by playing this washboard. Terry told him he would cherish it for ever. He took it to his clinic and hung it on the wall.
    One night, he was working on an injured dog. The animal was frightened and was barking and moving wildly about. Terry remembered his Grandpappys story and took down the vest. He started playing a simple rhythmic pattern and surprisingly, the dog instantly calmed down. He tried playing around some of the other animals that were in the clinic and they also seemed to be hypnotized by the music.
    Over the next few days,Terry experimented around with the vest. He noticed that it would put people in a more relaxed mood no matter how they were feeling. On the wildlife, it put them into a hypnotic state,and they would obey his commands. Terry decided he would use the vest to help in his community. He would have the animals help him stop crime and protect the good citizens. When not at work, Terry would play the parks and streets,keeping an eye out for any wrong doings. He could do this without wearing a gaudy costume and nobody would suspect a thing. Any human who might get suspicious,would walk away feeling elated from the music. He would pay honor to his Grandpappy by becoming The ZYDECO MAN!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta77.jpg

  95. Me, Myself & I says:

    Fountain has become a very popular hero whose stomping grounds are centered around the State of Florida. She has incredible healing powers and water control derived from a concoction made using the water from the Fountain of Youth.

    For further history follow the link below.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Fountain%20pdf.pdf

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Fountain%20jpg.jpg

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Fountain%20CloseUp%20jpg.jpg

  96. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta-1.jpg

    harold

    It came from the bayous. Some say it was once a man, others say it is the spawn of Satan himself. Whatever it is, it calls itself harold.

  97. knighthawk says:

    http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n60/demetriknighthawk/rougarou.png
    Some people say that to become a werewolf is to break lent for 7 times in your life. Well, leave it to high schoolers to be exceedingly stupid. it started with a bunch of friends breaking lent each year junior high school and highschool, now mind you that lent is fairly easy to break but one boy named William Jean Bleu got particularly stupid and compounded each year with a deadly sin:
    His first year as a 7th grader he ate at an all-you-can-eat buffet until he blew chunks in the rest room, then went back for more.
    In 8th grade he specifically did not give to the communion paten every week of lent.
    As a freshman he stayed home from church every week and played video games until the car drove up the garage.
    During sophomore year he stole his best friends exclusive video game hand-held system she just got for her birthday, even after she took TV for lent.
    Junior year he picked a fight with every school bully he could find, even from ones not in his school.
    Senior year he took to lust, it was easy enough to find a roll in the hay he hooked up with a pastors daughter and took that bad girl for a ride every chance he could, it was only a fling and they went their separate ways.
    Finally he took a year off to backpack through the country before college, he was the only one left of their group trying to break lent and he was ever so prideful. Good and drunk he dared god to bring it on, well that was just dumb.

    He staggered off into the swamp with more alcohol than blood and passed out in an old church half sunk into the mud. The back half of the church rectory was used by a voodoo queen named “Madame Cayenne” who read the boys life and his purposeful aim to become a monster. Well not one to deny a boy his 7 years of effort she did indeed turn him into a Rougarou, her Rougarou.
    When he woke he found he was wearing four silver rings on each hand, his left hand read LOUP and his right hand read LENT. She explained to him that he was now bound by her for the next seven years, on her call and her whim. He would not transform in the full moon, and he would not be killed by silver, but if silver should shed his blood he will transform uncontrollably. The only way for him to change back from a wolf is to be exposed to peppers, breathing it in, eating peppers, sprayed with pepper spray, ect. this is compounded than he as a human is allergic to Capsaicin
    He would stay like this for seven years until he had shown each of the seven virtues seven times for seven years.
    Valour: Pursuit of Courage and Knowledge
    Generosity: Pursuit of Giving
    Liberality: Pursuit of Will
    Diligence: Pursuit of Ethics
    Patience: Pursuit of Peace
    Kindness: Pursuit of Charity
    Humility: Pursuit of Modesty
    Aside from the standard werewolf powers, he was granted the pour to smell souls and their sins, to track down others who would seek to do harm and set the souls of restless ghosts right.

  98. joel says:

    first off, I would just like to say that nightrider already exists (just encase you didn’t know). Now, here is my fifth and final entry. (I mean it! No more after this!).

    there are many legends about people who make deals with the devil. he can offer you many great things. hell, he can practically give you anything you want. at least if you’re willing to pay the right price? however, how exactly does the devil make sure you pay? he will ask you for something in return for your services, but often gets cheated by those he deals with. this is where The Death Dealer comes in. The Death Dealer is the devil’s soldier. if you renege upon a deal with the devil, The Death Dealer comes and kills you. so if you don’t do what you promised the devil, then he will have your life. no one can stop The Death Dealer, so don’t take a deal with the devil lightly or you will die.

    http://s948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta-1.png

  99. Phatchick says:

    Brenda (Birdy) Malcolm was a Baltimore studio singer and musician with a secret. She was a mutant with a voice that could cause shockwaves. When her older brother, an undercover cop, was injured in a drug bust gone bad, she became Oriole, using her sonic powers to fight crime.
    http://ladybard96.deviantart.com/art/HM-contest-40-173124933

  100. Marx says:

    @Phatchick #112 – I resent the implication that Maryland has anything at all to do with “southern culture.” I mean yeah, it’s true unfortunately, for certain parts of Maryland. But I resent it anyway.

  101. Me, Myself & I says:

    Mississippi Jack is a low key hero with the ability to affect the emotions of others with the sound of his voice. He puts this ability to good use as a blues singer. See the link below for more details.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Mississippi%20%20Jack%20pdf.pdf

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Mississippi%20Jack%20jpg.jpg

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20Mississippi%20Jack%20CloseUp%20jpg.jpg

  102. L. D. Moore says:

    CAPTAIN REBNECK

    Jack Andrews was a prosecuting attorney in Richmond until he became fed up with criminals getting off on technicalities and became a vigilante. His coat and hat are made of kevlar, with a ballistic insert protecting his chest. Armed with an electric sword and with rubber bullets in his revolver, the Captain doesn’t worry about losing his hat as he rides his motorcycle because the fake beard he wears is actually a chin strap.

    http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/skybandit/superdickery/CaptainRebneck.jpg

    FREE MAN

    Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, Lazarus Murphy was on a chain gang clearing swampland in Florida when the family of the white woman he supposedly wronged came and lynched him. However, his grandmother Mamadoc Chevalier brought him back from the dead to wreak vengeance on his killers. Unfortunately Mamadoc had a heart attack from the strain, and when he returned from his mission he found her dead. The authorities had no idea what to do with this mindless undead creature, so they put a ball and chain on him and threw him in the Okefenokee. There he lay dormant for a hundred years and a day before reviving in our time. The reptiles of the swamp developed an affinity for him over the generations, and he can now command their services as he protects their environment from developers and polluters while seeking a way to die.

    http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/skybandit/superdickery/FreeMan.jpg

    REBELLE

    The beautiful socialite Victoria LeBlanc was overseas when Katrina hit New Orleans, and wasn’t there to protect her kid sister from the thugs roaming the streets who killed her. Vowing to bring order to the city, she fashioned a costume and packed non-lethal weaponry (pepper spray, flash-bangs, ball bearings to elude persuers, etc.) into a utility belt. An Olympic class acrobat and a black belt in taekwondo, she is now the genteel and well mannered scourge
    of the Big Easy’s underworld.

    http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/skybandit/superdickery/Rebelle.jpg

    Meanwhile, on the lighter side of a totally unrelated subject:

    http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/skybandit/superdickery/bhgay.jpg

  103. Nigel says:

    Ms. Desdemona Durham is the just prettiest, sweetest southern belle you’ll ever be devoured by…er, meet. Back in the day her daddy used to promise her that her looks would never fade, and now that she’s undead they never, ever will. Drinking the blood of the innocent and being an unnatural abominatin? A small price to pay for eternal beauty. For about a half a century now she’s been the belle of Louisiana’s midnight society, and most folks would just die to be part of her inner coterie. In fact, many have. Demure, modest, and genteel, Desdemona remains shockingly unwed, though she has several gentelmen callers each night (most of whom are discovered dead the next morning). Desdemona preserves the old traditions of southern hospitality, but as a lady of class and status her tastes are discrimating. Only a fortunate few are invited to her candlelit dinners, and ever more fortunate few survive them.

    http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af249/npick01/Heroes/MsDesdemona.png

  104. DiCicatriz says:

    1) Uwasa

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-Uwasa.png

    Son of the Cherokee nation, Uwasa the Lonely One wanders the lands of his ancestors in perpetual misery. Nearly two hundred years ago he refused to leave with his nation on the Trail of Tears, believing they should stand their ground rather than abandon their homes. He remained even when his family was removed, hiding in the neighboring wilderness. He sought to join the fabled immortal tribes, who foresaw the coming of the white men and decided to live forever in the mountains and under the water. However, Uwasa was cursed for abandoning his children. He was granted immortality but was spiritually tethered to these ancestral lands, unable to leave its borders. Through two-hundred years he witnessed the removal of his people and the consumption of their territories. He wanders in a constant state of emotional despair, lashing out at whomever he comes across. He is known as something of a menace to the Deep South, clashing with its local heroes.

    2) Mrs. Ippi

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-MrsIppi.png

    Missy O’Hara was the daughter of a successful steamboat captain in a prominent riverfront community along the Mississippi. During an excursion on the river she fell overboard and nearly drowned. She was saved from this untimely death by a quiet and mysterious dockworker, Henry Ippi. Missy sought out this man, strangely attracted to him and the pair soon began an affair. Henry seemed a paranoid man, with strange notions about being followed or persecuted. Despite this behavior and her father’s misgivins, Missy was wed to him within the year. On their honeymoon, Henry was assaulted by a group of strange men. The attackers acted on behalf of a conglomerate of industrial special interest groups. It seems Henry was not who he seemed. He was in fact the spiritual manifestation of the Mississippi River! The attackers wanted to capture him, controlling the river and thus the trade it supported. Henry was mortally wounded protecting Missy, but in dying he willed his power over the river to his wife. Missy was now herself the avatar of the Mississippi River, controlling the ebb and flow of its waters. She has taken to tracking down those responsible for her husband’s death and taking them to justice, flooding whole cities if need be. She honors her late husband by taking his name, going by the name MRS. IPPI!

  105. MScat says:

    http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/capttravis/Hurricane.jpg

    The Hurricane:

    Modeled after one of the most famous events on the southern coast, Hurrican Katrina. The hurricane used his technology to create the blasters on his arms. The blasters give him the power to generate wind storms so powerful he can completely level buildings.

  106. MScat says:

    http://mscat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2ruf1u

    Morning Star:

    (I changed her back story a little recently) She was born into a Cherokee family in northern Mississippi. Her parents taught her many of the legends their tribe has handed down over the years. One legend is of a warrior woman who came down from the sky to bring peace to the then enemy tribes. This warrior was later known as the Morning Star.

  107. Phatchick says:

    Marx Says: (113) I resent the implication that Maryland has anything at all to do with “southern culture.”

    Why? I love Maryland and esp Baltimore. Any place that can inspire John Waters, Duff Goldman and my brother-in-law can’t be all bad.

  108. Phatchick says:

    http://ladybard96.deviantart.com/art/HM-contest-40-2-173176649
    Throughout the south, there have been areas where dueling was a way of life (and death) and legends of skilled swordsmen abound. One of the most brilliant was a masked woman known only as the Flamingo. No one has ever seen her face although there are rumors that she hides a scar from a attack as a child. When an innocent is threatened, she is there to protect and avenge as only a angry southern belle can.

  109. Marx says:

    @Phatchick #122 – I live in Maryland. I moved to Maryland to ESCAPE southern culture. John Waters, not a southerner. Duff Goldman, not a southerner. Your brother-in-law, I’ve never met– he may be a southerner. We do have a few, mostly out on the eastern shore. The ONLY thing Maryland has in common with the south is that we close schools for a half inch of snow. Otherwise, nothing. NOTHING!

    😉

  110. Danny Beaty says:

    My last entry.

    SWAMPWATER MOLLY

    Swampwater Molly is a tough but beautiful woman who lives in the Georgia bayous. Her mother died shortly after she was born. Her pappy taught her how to shoot, track, and fight. When Molly’s pappy died he left her everything he owned, including his gold wristwatch.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=480907&l=ef1ff0d9ca&id=1815191475

  111. ajw says:

    hte gator a non beleiveing plantation owner was out rowing in the bayou when a voodoo lady came up to him from the water and offered her wares he told her to shove it and she grabbed his wrist in the processes putting a clamp on his wrist and turning him into the gator.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=985236&id=1589732210&saved

  112. VonMalcolm says:

    By day three sport All-American Herschel ‘Bo’ Tebow terrorizes opposing base runners, pitchers, centers, forwards, quarterbacks, running backs and/or receivers; by night he becomes HellRazor, a superhero who, along with his companion: Razorback, terrorize all who challenge The South’s Honor. In the light, in the ‘known SEC’, he is a Catcher, Power Forward or Linebacker for the Arkansas Razorbacks; in the dark, he works for the ‘unknown SEC’: The Superhero Excalibur Confederacy.

    (I chose Arkansas because I have always liked their nickname: Razorbacks)

    HellRazor & Razorback:
    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2v5czn

    HellRazor & Razorback breathing fire:
    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2v5dau

  113. MScat says:

    http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/capttravis/TheShrimper.jpg

    The Shrimper

    Luke Harris was a regular shrimp boat captain down in Louisiana until Hurricane Katrina hit. After seeing the crime that was spreading along the devastated coast he Decided to become The Shrimper a vigilante out to catch whatever criminals he can.

  114. MScat says:

    The bird in my picture was meant to be all white because its a seagull. Hes on the pier near the water. just in case noone got that 😉

  115. invisiboy says:

    I’ve never been to the South, so I’m mostly riffing on the cliches I picked up back when I was big into country music. These guys are all part of a team of covert operatives codenamed ‘Rattlestrike’.

    The Rebel

    http://img823.imageshack.us/i/hm3beta1.jpg/

    Bandits murdered his parents in their home when he was a baby. Their leader took pity on him and brought him back to their hideout to be raised as one of them. The child grew up into a young man and came to dislike the bandit’s life, so he ran away from them, taking only the scarf that marked him as one of them and the skills they had taught him. Upon finding a nearby town, he adopted his scarf as a disguise and set himself up as their protector. Over the years, the scope of his adventures grew much larger and, due to a number of battles in areas marked ‘Warning: Hazardous Materials’, he has become physically invincible, to the point, some believe, that he is now capable of living forever. Although he usually trusts his pistols in battle, he is equipped with enough muscle and skill to handle himself in hand-to-hand combat. Nevertheless, he is so convinced of his invincibility that he has become headstrong and cocky, taking risks in battle regardless of risk to others and refusing to take orders – a constant headache for his fellow Rattlestrike operatives. (Note: Stetsons are worn in the South by ranchers. Let’s say he picked up a dropped one.)

    Junior

    http://img201.imageshack.us/i/juniore.png/

    (I used 2.5 for this one because 3 happened to be lacking in the ‘overalls-and-flannel-shirts’ department. Also, I did some ill-advised touch-ups in Paint, which is why things like the dog and the girder look a little off. A young farmhand was gifted with super-strength by the unintended results of chemical testing done near a field where he was working. Still, in his work with Rattlestrike, he prefers to trust his shotgun and let the Rebel provide the muscle, though he will use his bulk when it becomes absolutely necessary. Contrary to his appearance, he is a gentle and intelligent soul who reads classics and tends to his dog Lucky, only willing to fight when provoked.

    The Gentleman

    http://img821.imageshack.us/i/hm3beta1.jpg/

    Close-up: http://img245.imageshack.us/i/thegentlemancu.png/

    He loves to talk things out. It’s when no one listens that he gets violent. Like other Rattlestrike members, the Gentleman is equally skilled with firearms and his fists, but he is also deadly with blades and projectiles. His chief skill, though, is talking to people and persuading them: in five minutes he could convince a perfectly rational man that jumping out of a sixth-story window was the most logical thing in the world; for this reason he was chosen to recruit for and lead Rattlestrike. He is also a master of disguise. His background is a mystery.

    I plan on having at least one or more in, depending on how long it akes me to finish my female character.

  116. Gargoyle323 says:

    STEAMBOAT WILLIE
    William Davison was a Captain with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He was highly regarded by the top brass for his outstanding body of work. He was hurt terribly when the boiler exploded on his ship. His badly marred body was taken to a Confederate base to see if he could be saved. The worst of his injuries was to his chest. His vital organs needed a way to keep them under great pressure to keep him alive. They built a metal casing with robotics to help his heart and lungs work properly. They built a mini steam powered motor to keep it running. His arms were very severely damaged so they outfitted him with telescoping robotic replacements. He was fitted with a metal half mask to hide some horrible scarring on his face. After months of healing and months more of training,he was now to be the face of the South forces. He was the first Super Hero of the South. His codename: STEAMBOAT WILLIE!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta78.jpg

  117. Nigel says:

    THE MONTGOMERY RIDER
    A legacy character, the orginal Montgomery Rider appeared in 1968, after the assasination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Emboldened by the reverend’s death, superpowered white supremecists began a covert reign of terror in the south, making the KKK look like a group of cosplayers by comparison. One man, whose real name is a mystery, took it upon himself to apprehend these foes of justice, and thus was born the Montgomery Rider.
    The first Rider had no known abilites, while the second and third posses super-strength and flight repectively. The current Rider, whose civilian identity is unknown, is endowed with flight and the ability to phase through matter.
    No matter the generation the Montgomery Rider has always stood for the oppressed and disenfranchised, be they of any creed, color, or sex. The Rider also does his best to adhere to King’s peaceful philosophy, and as such any villians the Rider defears are incarcerated or incapacitated, and not killed.

    http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af249/npick01/Heroes/Mont.png

  118. Blue Blazer says:

    I’m sure this name has been taken in previous posts, but here’s Whistlin’ Dixie, able to breathe hypnotic, mind-controlling music through her purty lips.
    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71585&d=1280482923
    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71586&d=1280482948

  119. Jack Zelger says:

    Though Wonder Woman was the first champion of her people to be sent to “Man’s World”, she was not the only one. Years later, another Amazonian was given similar powers, but she arrived in the American South upon arrival and quickly adopted the culture there. Though she adopted a similar look to her sister Diana, Wonder Gal is a superhero and a old fashioned country girl.

    http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx88/jzelger/Wonder_Gal.png

  120. Robottick says:

    Here are the stories that go with mine.
    GRJ: After having an intelligence modification done by an evil scientist, GRJ refused to be evil, causing the removal of his arm. After getting cybernetic limbs and an arm cannon, Jack dedicates his life to protecting the florida everglades.
    Angus: After a brush with death-by-stampede, Cattle farmer Jack Waters horribley mutated into a disfigured cow man. He now spends his days using his ion lasso, to deal justice.
    GRJ:http://dellcintosh123.deviantart.com/art/Glade-Ranger-Jack-172974553
    Angus:http://dellcintosh123.deviantart.com/art/Angus-172985952

  121. Sutter_Kaine says:

    REBEL SON – Born with superhuman strength, speed, and resistance to injury, Keith Barnhardt kept his mutant powers secret until Yankee supervillains began migrating south to escape the glut of superheroes in the major northern cities. He created the identity of Rebel Son and has been opening can after can of whoop-ass ever since.

    http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/Rebel_Son.jpg

  122. Me, Myself & I says:

    The Silver Crescents wasa football hero known throughout the south before he began to discover his powers. He can harness the hopes and admiration of the people which makes him stronger. I’m sure you’ll agree, his public displays make put him in danger of his true identity being discovered. I’m sure you’ll see why if you follow the link below.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20The%20Silver%20Crescent%20pdf.pdf

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20The%20Silver%20Crescent%20bmp.bmp

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20The%20Silver%20Crescent%20CloseUp%20jpg.jpg

  123. jason Ransom says:

    this is KFC (kenntucky fried chris), his family burt alive in there home, chris was badly burnt but escaped, outfitted with a cybernetic forearm weaponized as a flame thrower that also doubles as a booster to launch him up in the air, wears his brothers skull around his neck to remind him of y he must comtinue to fight, altho he carries a shot gun he only uses it to cripple then he slow cooks his victims to a crisp!

  124. Cliff says:

    I got busy this week. I love being challenged by these contests:

    This one is my vampire personae, I actually have a book of vampire poetry called In Another Vein written under this name at Synergebooks.com
    (I shouid look this good)

    Vanyell Delacroix
    was born in New Orleans in 1804, shortly after Nepolian sold it to the U.S. Vanyell lived there his entire life, He died in 1833 and was buried there. Three days later he rose back up and continues to “live” in the Cresent City.

    Body:
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157605&id=100000780936307

    Face:
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157606&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857493116948

  125. Cliff says:

    Big Mama – Maggie Bellefontaine – New Orleans
    Psychic and witch. Named after the Magnolia for its beauty, sturdiness and sweetness, and living up to her last name she is a fountain of
    love and generosity. Big Mama is all that and more.

    “Come in Child, Come in give Big Mama a hug and sit a spell … as it were. Hee hee. Mmmm you gots some good energy on you, not to mention some good genes in those jeans, but you perplexed. Big Mama knows what you needs.
    Now I can read the cards, or yur hand, or I can read the candle flame or a bowl a water, but I ain’t gonna lay no curse on your boss for firin’ yur skinny ass, and I ain’t gonna cast no love charm on that peroxide secretary you been eyein’ either, those aren’t real anyway. Oh! They’re hers, she paid good money for em.
    And I ain’t gonna read no chicken entrails … only chicken gizzards I wanna see is on a plate with some red beans and rice. Mmmmm Mmmmm! Now I may belly dance naked in the light of th’ full moon, and when this belly starts shaking … honey you better WATCH OUT! Ha ha ha ha!
    And I ain’t gonna get no Squee gee board to talk to yur granny’s shade
    or look into no expensive glass bowling ball.
    I WILL tell ya that key goes to your mama’s lost safe deposit box. Only thing is, it ain’t lost honey. Cause Big Mama gonna tell ya where it tis. No! It aint gonna cost you no extra. I ain’t no shysta. I shouldn’t even tell just you for that! Heh heh. But you so cute and helpless … the box is in First State Bank in Shreveport in a account in her middle and maiden name, And you gonna find a mess a CDs, stocks and bonds. Yes sir you gonna be a rich man!
    How I know that? Cuz I took your hand before ya hugged me didn’t I, and you wear yur Mama’s ring, and she had it on the day she put that all in that box now didn’t she.”

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157607&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857499783614

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157608&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857503116947

  126. Cliff says:

    Paul the Opposum Boy
    Paul Dide is a small guy from Virginia, he and his mom live in a mobil home trailer park.
    A notorius faker Paul would often pretend to be asleep or to faint to try to get out of going to school, get out of chores, homework, or get out of getting beat up by bullies.
    A furry he goes to cons dressed as
    Oppossom Boy.
    At Dragon Con in Atlanta he got hit by a taxi while he was crossing the street to get to the Maquerade Ball in the Centinial Ballroom at the Hyatt. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
    A little later he just “woke up”
    he soon discoved he had basically been reincarnated as an Opossum Boy, with real ears, coloring and prehensile tail. Being a total fan boy he thought this was great and immediately decided to be a super hero. After a few run ins with some VERY bad bad guys who shot and killed him, he came back to life after a bit. Paul discovered he was essentially immortal.

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157609&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857506450280

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157610&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857509783613

  127. Cliff says:

    Squirrel Girl – Stephanie Ray
    from Pascagoula, Mississippi.
    Diagnosed as hyperactive and ADD as a child. A bit of a tomboy she loves running around and is talented at jumping and climbing trees.
    She always loved squirrels, feeding the one’s around her neighborhood to the point they started eating from her hand. She joined the Furry community and created her a Squirrel Grrl costume and started going to cons.
    A lot of people thinks she’s nuts.
    (Ray Stevens inspired character, Yes I know Marvel already did this)

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157611&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857513116946

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157612&id=100000780936307&fbid=135857516450279

  128. Cliff says:

    Spanish Moss-ter
    Roberto Garcia
    was a good man who happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time. Roberto, a swamper, was born, raised and made his living in the bayou. Unfortunately his living also resulted in his dying as he was patroling the swamp and he came across some hoods killing and disposing of a body in the swamp. Roberto was immediately shot in the head and fell into the murky waters.
    However the swamp released him, and before the killers could even leave the expansive swamp he rose up from the bayou and exacted gruesome retribution on the cold blooded killers.
    He is now living Spanish Moss monster.
    He is is covered with moss and tendrils, which act as body armour against physical attacks and fire. His tendrils have tremendous grip and crushing strength.
    He can root himself anchoring him and he can uproot himself and walk, albeit slowly. His quick reflexes and tendril reach more than make up for his slow speed. He is feared through out the swamp, as sheltering snakes, bats and spiders in his tendril mass tends to add to his fearsome reputaion.

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157950&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977409771623

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157951&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977413104956

  129. Cliff says:

    Auntie Bellum – Annie Bellum also known as Auntie Bellum is a historian teacher, stage actress and poet.
    She has mental powers that “frees” things
    whether it is a stuck perserves lid, slave shackles, bad habits or rain from a cloud.

    Annie Bellum Face:
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157938&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977276438303

    (P.S. First draft looked WAY too young, but I liked her face, and couldn’t just Age it up, without keeping a copy.
    P.P.S. Auntie Bellum being a teacher, historian, performer actually comes from my friend Janeette Strother, who goes around to schools, libraries and other groups and performs Miss Liza Jane, her poem about a slave maid.)

    Auntie Bellum Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157936&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977183104979

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157937&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977273104970

  130. Cliff says:

    John Deer – farmer
    JD has always been from the land, whether it is Farming for a cash living, or hunting, trapping and fishing to suppliment his pantry and pocket.
    JD also practices some of the “old ways” and one Full Hunter’s Moon as he drew down the Horned God into him, he felt it like never before, he could feel the horns sprouting from his head, feel his ears lengthen, and his legs and feet morph. After the Ritual when he thanked the Horned God, he was a bit surprised he still felt the power, still felt the changes, the Horned God wasn’t leaving him anytime soon …

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157944&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977306438300

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157945&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977309771633

    Not every guy you can say has a “Nice rack!”
    Being a 20 point buck he has to hid from the hunters every year.

  131. Cliff says:

    Kent Auroi is both Jocky and horse in the Kentucky Derby thanks to the Anthropamorphic Humanoid Inclusion Act of 2062 granting Human Animal hybrids the same rights as full humans.

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157945&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977309771633

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157946&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977313104966

  132. Cliff says:

    Generations of Hills have lived in the hills of Tennesee, Billy Hill is no exception. Fiercely proud of his family’s heritage and history in the hills, time and time again Billy Hill loudly proclaimed that the Tennessee hills were in his very blood, bone and flesh.
    After his sudden death at the wrong end of a shotgun, Billy rose up from his grave to prove he was no liar.

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157942&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977299771634

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157943&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977303104967

    Billy’s son Lee
    whas struck by lightning while working on his still in a storm, now from dusk to dawn Lee is White Lightning.

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157952&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977416438289

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157953&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977419771622

    Lee married his cousin, Mae. She helps run the moonshine they make and everyone knows her as Moonshine Mae.

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157948&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977403104957

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157949&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977406438290

    After a few miscarrages Mae and Lee finally had a son, unfortunately … he just ain’t right.
    They call him Chigger

    Body
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157954&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977423104955

    Face
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=157939&id=100000780936307&fbid=135977279771636

  133. Sutter_Kaine says:

    SPIRIT OF JAZZ – Based on the Mighty Boosh character of the same name, the Spirit of Jazz preys on would-be jazz musicians, granting them mastery of all musical instruments in exchange for their immortal souls.

    http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/spiritOfJazz.jpg

  134. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE REDNECK RANGER w/ HUSH PUPPY
    “Fatback” Johnson was your typical good ol’ boy from the South. He loved stock cars, pro wrasslin’,fishing and huntin’.He had always been a husky child that loved to eat. His true love was drinking soda pop. No matter what brand, he could never seem to get enough of that sweet,sugary elixir. When he would hang out with his buddy’s, he never lost a burping contest. He would literally shake the earth with his powerful outbursts. As he grew older he noticed different sodas would cause him to have different levels of force behind his burps. He learned he could knock targets off of tree stumps from up to 20 yards away. He could even shatter glass with the right mix of sodas. One day he witnessed Old Miss Sally being attacked by three street punks. He was sippin’ a Big Gulp from 7-11 and sucked it all down. He forced his belches towards the thugs and knocked them all down. He realized that he could actually use this “gift” to help the citizens of his town. He made an outfit using long johns,boxer shorts,a table cloth for a cape and a mask. Accompanied by his hound dog,Hush Puppy,he would now be The REDNECK RANGER!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta81.jpg

  135. invisiboy says:

    Yet another Rattlestrike agent:

    The Hunter (‘Huntress’ is taken)

    http://img801.imageshack.us/i/hm3beta.jpg/

    Given first-rate training in hunting by her father from the time she could walk. Grew to be an expert on all kinds of firearms and on tracking and “studying” any kind of animal, including people. When she became aware of the corrupt local law enforcement that was releasing dangerous criminals on flimsy evidence, she put her skills to use correcting the problem. Word of her abilities spread far and wide, resulting in her being recruited to join Rattlestrike. Best on missions that require tracking and keeping a low profile.
    (Note: I could point out all the flaws in this picture, but instead I’ll shut up and hope that the attitude comes through on its own – except to say that, despite the similarities, I did not model her after Sarah Palin.)

  136. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE HARVESTER
    An old Southern legend tells the tale of Jebediah Smith. Jeb was a tobacco farmer in the late 1800’s. The story goes that he was brutally murder by some Englishmen that tried to buy his farm. Jeb refused to sell because the farm had been in his family for over 100 years. It is said that on the 7th day of the 7th month after his death a specter rose up from the tobacco fields on Jeb’s farm. A pale man with burning sickles wrecked vengeance upon the men who killed Jeb. It is said that this spirit was the ghost of Jebediah. The spirit has reappeared on other occasions where innocent people were in peril. He roams the tobacco fields of the South as The Harvester.So beware,he may come to reap what you have sown!

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta82.jpg

  137. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta1-1.jpg

    Jedediah

    A drifter who travelled throughout the Southern States, Jedediah brought justice with him wherever he went. When he left a town, the streets would be free of crime for months to come. While in a small town in Louisiana, he was shot dead by the corrupt mayor, Lionel Blackwater. However, God had found favour with his crusade of justice, and he was sent back to Earth as an Angelus, one of the holy servants of the Lord. Now he brings holy justice wherever it is needed.

  138. coyote says:

    date 8675 march 09 after the war of 2142 the world changed but the more is changed the more is stayed the same.Jimmy jack lives in this world fighten drinken and just trying to live another day. he dose what it takes be it runing shine or playing the blues he wanders from dead town to dead town all over the wast o the dixie http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31539379&id=1309659782&ref=album

  139. coyote says:

    the highways of the old dixie land is a wash with road pirates in the year 8675 but none as means as cutters crew http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31539380&id=1309659782&ref=album

  140. coyote says:

    ok cuters crew was a lazy thing to do …in the swamps of LA in 8675 are thing man was never meant to see the toxic fallout of 2142 gave birth to somthing twisted part gator part snake part crawdady all swamp. call it a beast but it sure aint no mud bug . we call them swamp chimera http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31539427&id=1309659782&ref=album

  141. TailyPo, TailyPo, I want my TailyPo!

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/tailypo.html

    Going with Southern legends before I get into original characters. Finding some really neat history as I’m researching ideas.

    Along with the characters, I’m posting a link to my source.

    Here’s the legend of TailyPo:

    http://www.scaryforkids.com/tailypo/

  142. A little stay just outside of Gettysburg:

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/cash_town_inn.html

    The legend of the Cash Town Inn (at the bottom of the page):

    http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110670/paranormal%20legends.htm

  143. The Grey Ghost:

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/grey_ghost.html

    The real Grey Ghost, Colonel John S. Mosby:

    http://www.old-picture.com/defining-moments/Grey-Ghost.htm

    I know the contest guidelines discourage Civil War themes, and there’s already a centaur. But I’ve had this character idea for a long time.

  144. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE GRAY MAN
    A South Carolina legend tells of a mysterious figure, dressed in all gray,who roamed the Pawleys Island area. This figure would rise from the mist as a warning of impending disaster. It is said that no harm would befall any who lay eyes on him and heed his warning.This legend led former police officer Matthew Vaughn to use this tale to help him battle crime. Matt was injured in the line of duty and could not get medical clearance to return to working in the field. He could mot see himself behind a desk doing paperwork. He needed to be in the middle of the action. He decided to become the real life Gray Man. Clad in an all gray outfit and using smoke pellets,he could appear as a phantom from the mist. As word started spreading about this mysterious figure,fear took hold in the underground crime rings. A rural legend was now a reality. The Gray Man was back with a vengeance.

    http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/SOUTHERN%20FRIED%20HEROES/?action=view&current=hm3-beta87.jpg

  145. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta2-1.jpg

    Fabulous Freddie

    Freddie LaMont was a grade-A party boy from Miami, Florida in the 80’s, back when anything that didn’t glow in the dark was considered ‘dull’. One night while out clubbing, a disco ball fell from the ceiling and crushed Freddie. However, little did anyone know that the disco ball was actually made from glamorium, an alien substance that will merge with any living tissue it comes into contact with. Absorbing the disco ball, Freddie gained the power to fire beams of pure fabulosity, and is constantly surrounded by a psychedelic aura of funk. He now fights crime in the streets of Miami, and looks fabulous doing it.

  146. VonMalcolm says:

    I put an ‘Ideological Sensitive’ Warning on the above entry: you must be logged on to DeviantArt to view.

  147. Bonnie Blue: Avenging Angel off Highway 12

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/bonnie_blue.html

    A brief history of the Bonnie Blue:

    http://www.anyflag.com/history/bonnie.htm

  148. haz says:

    I’ll refer to this installment as “Fun with Cliches.”

    MYSTERIOUS SWAMP WOMAN:
    http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/sketchway/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=haz-mysteryswampwoman.png

    No one really knows anything about the mysterious swamp woman, thus the mystery. While there is no evidence to suggest she is a hero herself, many people who have encountered her have become heroes. She has been known to teach would-be heroes her arts. She has also been known to bless and to curse those who venture into her swamps. As of the 2010 census, almost one third of Louisiana’s heroes credit her as the source of their powers.

    SOUTHERN COMFORT:
    http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/sketchway/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=haz-SouthernComfort.png

    Georgia-Savannah Johnson doesn’t have superpowers (unless you count her bust), and she doesn’t need them to kick ass, even in heels. Growing up in the country, she learned how to shoot at an early age.She’s since moved to a large town and has been instrumental in cleaning up the riffraff. The locals have taken to calling her “Southern Comfort” because she’s very pleasant, but if you’re not careful, you’re going to wake up hurting.

    TALLADEGA:
    http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/sketchway/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=haz-Talladega.png

    Hit by a radioactive lug nut at a NASCAR crash, Dale Evans (named for her father’s favorite driver) developed the ability to outrun the fastest cars. She uses this ability to fight crime and goes by the name “Talladega” in honor of where she gained her power.

  149. Me, Myself & I says:

    The “United” has found a new peace that he never knew though it took amalgamating the lives of three people to do it.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20United%20pdf.pdf

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20United%20jpg.jpg

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI%20United%20CloseUp%20jpg.jpg

  150. Jack Zelger says:

    The Gator is a former Navy SEAL who helped design special hi-tech armor resembling an alligator. It has tough hide and a powerful tail he can manipulate to attack enemies. The Gator fights crime in the extreme Southern US, often in the swampy regions there.

    http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx88/jzelger/CajunGator.png

  151. invisiboy says:

    Probably too late to enter it into the contest, but just to get it out of my system:

    http://img375.imageshack.us/f/hm3beta1.jpg/

    Discord

    A pair of high school lovebirds made the unfortunate mistake of taking a dip in the old swimming hole without checking that a nasty mix of science-gone-wrong wasn’t brewing down there. (It was.) As a result, the two were mutated into a single body with both their heads fused to it. Their discomfort with being in such close proximity to each other causes them to bicker constantly, preventing them from utilizing the heightened physical capabilities (strength, speed, etc.) of the mutated body they’re “stuck” in. Still, when called on in a critical moment, they are capable of being fierce fighters for whatever side they happen to be on.

  152. Zoogies: They came to Alabama seeking mining opportunities. They found White Oak (wine).

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/zoogie.html

    Inspired by the Zeuglodon (The Alabama State Fossil):

    http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Alabama/AL-state-fossil.html

    Another character idea that was waiting for a background story.

  153. Spes: Embodying the Goddess of Hope. Winner of the Miss Super South Carolina pageant:

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/spes.html

  154. Nic kakuno says:

    hey um i dont have face bookor photobucket is there like anythin i can use to upload a pic like a website or something if you do reply or email n.reit@hotmail.com k thanks guys oya really kool characters i couldnt make something that good

  155. Nic kakuno says:

    dont click the link i dont know what it does

  156. Nic kakuno says:

    joel your exodus todaly ripped of the way we holds his guns from death the kid from soul eater