Playing the computer game “City of Heroes” has definitely helped me with some ideas for future writing projects. It’s helped me flesh out the appearances of some of Storm’s allies and enemies, and helped with the creation of some new ones… like Captain Simon Crowe, who’s both friend and enemy.

Surveillance photo of Simon Crowe

Crowe is a bit of an “anti-Storm”, a guy who has access to all sorts of planes, assistants, and devices, but who operates on the other side of the fence from Clifton Storm and the MARDL trouble-shooters… or at least, he operates on that fence. He is an opportunistic air-pirate, the leader of a band of like-minded individuals who call themselves “The Black Brigands”. Their motto is “Audentes Fortuna Juvat” (“Fortune Favors The Bold”), and they are indeed bold about searching for, and claiming, their fortunes. Their home base is on Icepick Island, a 10-mile sliver of land somewhere in the North Pacific Ocean. It’s a tiny place, free of laws and restrictions, a place where people go to get lost. Crowe owns and runs the only drinking establishment on Icepick Island: The Jade Lounge… and unbeknownst to a lot of its visitors, he owns most of the island as well. In the north, hidden by dense jungle, is the Black Brigand’s home. It is here that several airplane hangars hold the swift fighter planes piloted by the Brigands, along with their mobile base of operations, the zeppelin “China Doll”.

The Black Brigands are made up of smugglers, pirates, con-men, and thieves from everywhere in the world. A handful of this group are Tito, the Honduran second-story man who is Simon Crowe’s right-hand; Steve, the white-collar embezzler turned gun-for-hire; Mickey Zippo, the arsonist; Karl, the ex-mob enforcer; and Chester, the hulking brute with the simple mind of a child. Another member of the Black Brigands worth mentioning is the German inventor, Professer Heinritz, who furnishes the crew with the occasional gadget or device… whether or not these gadgets work correctly is another thing entirely, as the Prof is a bit of a hair-brained crackpot.

A meeting of Crowe and the Black Brigands. In the foreground is Mickey Zippo (L) and Karl (R)

The Brigands operate under Crowe’s code of honor, a kind of “Robin Hood” mentality: they never take from those who can’t afford it, and if anyone is targeted by the group, it’s because they’ve got it coming. Those who don’t operate under the Brigands’ policies regarding their operations has to answer to Captain Crowe himself.

And what of their leader? Standing just under six-feet, Crowe isn’t necessarily an imposing man, but his body-language and attitude speaks volumes. Rough-shaven and gruff, he’s also surprisingly educated and refined. Beneath his captain’s hat is a weathered face full of character that is quick to either smile around his nearly-constant cigar, or to scowl in thought. Beneath his beaten-up black leather raincoat is a pair of mismatched pistols, each with their own story (hint: each one comes from a dead man). Without a shirt, Crowe’s torso and arms are covered with exotic, beautiful, and/or ribald tattoos, gotten from all over the world. Life for him is a life of opportunity, of swashbuckling derring-do and action, but also one of self-discovery and reflection. Simon Crowe and the Black Brigands walk the line between darkness and the light, balanced by their own moral gyroscope.