Midnight Express

Powers:

Cybertronian Physique: like his fellow Autobots, Midnight Express is a robotic entity of Cybertronian design and origin. As such, this locomotive combatant has, by his very nature, the use of a large variety of abilities that reflect this. His very body gives Midnight Express these super human powers:

* Body Armor (s): like most Cybertronians, Midnight Express was built (or formed) with a reinforced steel frame, one that offers him +2 resistance to injury. This makes him immune to many basic human attack forms, and moderately resistant to his fellow robots (taking his Strength into consideration).

* Growth (a): most Cybertronians have a degree of control over their size, no matter their form. Due to his significant height in his humanoid mode, Midnight Express has this power via technicality; he may very well grow somewhat while transforming, but doesn't appear to do so.

This power is bound in Midnight Express's case by the Permanent limitation, meaning that Midnight Express is always 22.5 foot tall in his humanoid mode. Due to his size, Midnight Express possesses this power at intensity 6, and while it's permanent, the requisite Strength and Agility changes are not applied.

This since his foes often vary in size considerably; the Autobots are not all die-cast from the same mold. For the sake of simplicity, one could just apply those alterations and call it a day, or he may go for accuracy and vary them based on the size of his current opponent; whichever works for your game.

* Invulnerability to Disease and Toxins (s): like all robots, Midnight Express is highly resistant to diseases and poisons that would kill organic beings. He has complete immunity to organic pathogens, and a 'mere' +10 resistance to other, more chemically creative substances.

* Microscopic + Telescopic Vision (w): all Transformers can alter their visual sensitivity where distance is concerned. Functioning at intensity 2, these powers let them see objects up to a mile distant with ease, and allow them to read items on microfiche.

* Radio Transceiver (i): as are most all Transformers on earth, Midnight Express is equipped with an audio / video transmission system. This communications rig allows him instant contact with any other Cybertronian on earth, having intensity 10 power (25,000 mile range).

Gestalt (a): a very tight-knit group, Team Bullet Train has the power to combine their very bodies into a singular fighting form, the fleet-footed Rail Racer! Midnight Express himself possesses this power at intensity 16, allowing him to serve as the lower body (legs and hips) component of Rail Racer.

Headlights (i): to better emulate earthen vehicles (and since they come in handy in the dark), most automotive Transformers on earth are equipped with a set of convenient headlights. These twin lamps can be used to generate intensity 8 illumination, making driving at night no problem.

High Fever Missiles (i): launched from his highly versatile should blades, these projectiles can be used by Midnight Express to melt snow - and the defenses of Predacon foes. These projectile swarms inflict intensity 8 energy (heat) damage in tandem, adding +1 for each additional one used (maximum of intensity 16).

Light Swords (i): also projected from his oversized shoulder pads, these light energy pulses are almost laser-like in scope, as they can be used to melt through anything from an iceberg to solid steel. Midnight Express can use these beams to inflict intensity 17 energy (heat) damage per blast.

Shape Change (a): as does the rest of Team Bullet Train, Midnight Express has the power to transform into, well, the engine of a bullet train. He can do this at will, though the transformation requires a verbal trigger ('Midnight Express, Transform!'). Midnight Express has intensity 7 Lightning speed in his engine form.

Equipment:

Diesel Destructor Gun (i): this powerful weapon fires an odd payload; it appears to be naught but an incredibly large sledge. This solid, massive projectile can strike anyone within one area of Midnight Express' location, inflicting +5 physical damage with every leaden shot.

Hindrances:

Naive: while he's not clueless, per se, Midnight Express' youth relative to his fellow Autobots has caused him to show a decidedly less-than-stellar understanding of how the world works. As such, he is at intensity 0 regarding any action related to surprise attacks, and must always declare his actions first.

Skills:

Boxing (s): while he's not very well schooled in most other matters, Midnight Express sure knows how to throw down with the best of them - but then, most kids do. He can divide his pre-cardplay action score between two unarmed melee strikes, the last of which will occur as a contingent action.

Marksmanship (a): younger than the other members of Team Bullet Train, Midnight Express hasn't picked up all that many skills thus far. In addition to the above, he's managed to master the fine art of wielding heavy projectile weaponry - he can use just about any firearm at a reduced difficulty level.

Calling:

Youthful Exuberance: naturally, Midnight Express has a strong leaning towards this calling, in that he seems to face the world (or worlds, as it were) with a wide-eyed enthusiasm most Autobots can't match. He's a bit reckless at times - and has his fair share of hare-brained notions - but always tries his best.

Likeness:

In his vehicular form, Midnight Express resembles a streamlined bullet train engine, one that is white and blue in hue, with yellow trim between his two main colors. In his humanoid configuration, Midnight Express resembles a well-crafted robot built from various bits of a bullet train engine - he's really quite smooth.

Personality:

Cheerful and good-natured, Midnight Express is the veritable spirit of youth. A competent warrior who tends to be harsh on his enemies, Midnight Express is almost naive at times, and can sometimes run on a misguided hunch for quite a while. He tries hard to do the right thing, though - and that's what's important.

Real Name: Midnight Express
Occupation: Autobot warrior
Legal Status: citizen of Cybertron with no known criminal record on earth
Marital Status: inapplicable
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: the Autobots, Team Bullet Train

Height: 22.5' (approximately)
Hair: inapplicable
Eyes: pink
Weight: several tons
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Midnight Express is composed of a strong alien metal that is primarily blue and white in hue, with yellow trim, regardless of his form. Of course, his humanoid configuration adds a dash of black here and there for added effect, so there's that.

Story:

As is the case with the other members of Team Bullet Train, the history of Midnight Express is something of a mystery. How this youthful Autobot wound up working with the other two members of his elite team is as of yet unknown, but he's nevertheless among them, and they make the best of it.

Of course, this can be tricky sometimes, for in his youthful exuberance Midnight Express sometimes comes up with some harebrained ideas that, while perfectly sensible to him, are complete nonsense to his fellows. They take this in stride though, for this 'bot can definitely pull his own weight when necessary.

One particular instance which saw him truly shine involved the refurbishing of the antique coal engine train known as D-5. While probing the mind of Doctor Onishi, Megatron flashed across a memory of this vintage vehicle, and since he was looking for energy to plunder, he assumed the train a secret weapon.

When he sent his Predacons to collect the train, Team Bullet Train was called in to protect this human antique, and even after his fellows gave up on the effort, Midnight Express went above and beyond the call of duty to protect the thing - but then, he believed it was actually sentient... so there is that.

Along with the rest of the Team, Midnight Express has fought Megatron and his flunkies on many other occasions, almost always reigning supreme in the end - whether they had to combine into Rail Racer or not. In fact, he was present during the final defeat of Megatron's earth-bound minions.

And Megatron himself, who had since transformed into the diabolical, undead Galvatron. Now that his primary purpose for coming to earth is no longer an issue, it is assumed that Midnight Express will be joining his fellow Autobots when they return to Cybertron, though one never knows.

He and the rest of Team Bullet Train are rather fond of humanity, after all...

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