A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on Hellions & Skulls
In every hierarchy, there has to be someone on the bottom, and that's where the Skulls and the Hellions sit. Sure, these gangs are terrifying to the civilian populace of Paragon City, but to heroes they're little more than a mild irritant. (They're probably less terrifying to the civilian populace of the Rogue Isles just by virtue of terror overload.) The one thing they're perfect for, however, is starting at the bottom of the many enemy groups within City of Heroes, because these two gangs are likely to be among your first enemies and the ones you level past the fastest.
Normally, villain groups deserve their own writeups, but in the case of these two gangs they can't help but be lumped together. Not just because they're similar in play, but because they're similar in structure. They're both the new kids on the block, metaphorically speaking, and they;'ve both made aggressive gains in various parts of Paragon City. The good fortune of one necessitates the fall of the other, even if one of the gangs is clearly destined for disintegration sooner or later. So let's look at the facemask-wearing enemies of the early-level game.
Group background
The Hellions aren't too different, at the core, from a lot of the gangs that popped up after the Rikti War came to an end. What's set them apart is the fact that they've got just enough magical power to back them up against the larger gangs, most notably the Skulls. Thanks to a few good-luck charms from Paragon's more magically inclined gangs, the Hellions have some members of real potential among their ranks, people who could be heavy hitters if not for the gang's predisposition toward arson and senseless violence. They'd be a cult if they had a solid leader, they could be good muscle if they could follow orders, and they're just big enough to make some serious pushes against authority but not quite big enough to hold much territory.
The Skulls, meanwhile, are a slightly older gang founded by the Petrovic brothers, big enough that the gang was able to move in to Kings Row and Perez Park following the Rikti attacks. As a gang, their core business is the drug trade, selling the hyper-potent steroid Superadine to more or less anyone on streets. Behind that are a number of strange rituals involving death, including a mandatory murder to become a full-fledged member in the gang. They've manage to work out a deal with the Trolls, which leads to both gangs getting a bit more power out of the deal, but the Skulls still aren't big enough to really go for the big time.
It's that second-place-sucker syndrome that leads to the bad blood between the Skulls and the Hellions. Both groups wand to control Perez Park and Galaxy City, but neither of them is strong enough to deal with a concentrated assault from heroes or police. As a result, they mostly wind up going to war with one another, with the few superhuman individuals among each gang providing the big guns. It creates what's effectively a state of detente -- neither faction is big enough to swallow or eclipse the other, at least not without also destroying itself in the process. Whenever one side or the other looks to be on the edge of breaking the stalemate, out go some of the younger heroes, and the status quo is back to normal.
Both groups are also found in small numbers on Mercy Island and Port Oakes. However, these chapters of the gangs are essentially powerless, as between the Snakes, Arachnos, Rogue Isles Police, and assorted other enemies, there's no space for second best.
Group activities and powers
When not setting fires for no real reason, the Hellions try to seek out more mystical artifacts and rituals wherever they can. Unfortunately, this is a bit like the classic dilemma in Call of Cthulhu, where the party learns the spell "Summon Hound of Tindalos" and casts it without any spells to bind or control that summoned creature. Another apt metaphor would be giving a kindergarten student a semi-automatic shotgun. In short, they're toying around with dangerous items that could easily get them killed, and it's a tribute to the gang's complete lack of competent leadership that no Hellion seems to realize how lucky they are to always be stopped before they pull off a complicated ritual. They're also helped by the fact that they have no real overarching direction, which keeps the Circle of Thorns from taking too much of an interest in their dealings.
The Skulls, meanwhile, have always centered around the drug trade -- but they're frequently the front rather than the source. The real source of Superadine in the city is the Family, which leaves the Skulls as the folks getting all of the heat without any of the power. Recently, the Skulls have been pushing to try and cook up their own batches of the drug, which would allow the gang to start standing on an even footing with Paragon's heavy hitters. Unfortunately for the Skulls, they're stymied by a lack of any real power to back up their efforts. It's a bit odd that there are no Skulls who seem to be hooked on Superadine themselves, with the few super-powered members of the gang all tied into umbral darkness.
Could I be one?
Being a former Skull or Hellion is well within the range of ability for the average starting character -- especially seeing as neither faction has power beyond a fairly narrow band in the early game. Hellions, naturally, tend to some form of flame powers, while Skulls utilize Dark-based abilities. Both gangs generally wear street clothes with only minor alterations, which can easily be replicated in the costume generator.
The big problem -- if there has to be one -- is that making your character a former member of either gang sort of pegs you as a chump. It's understood that neither of the gangs have any real pull or significant powers, just numbers and largely mortal members. Your days of running into your former gangland buddies will also be pretty limited, as you're unlikely to see them once you pass level 15 or so.
Parting thoughts
The Skulls and Hellions are really not the sort of groups you're supposed to think about, but I can't help it, I find myself wondering about both gangs. Sure, there has to be someone at the early levels and they aren't supposed to matter, but I always thought it would be neat to see a mission or two where the gangs actually start doing some real damage. The potential is hinted at being present, but instead, we're treated to other enemies as the game progresses and the starting foes are left out to pasture. Kind of a shame, that.
Also, I'd like to note that I managed to avoid the obvious meme through the entirety of this article. Now go and hunt.
As always, let me know what you think in the comments, or mail it along to eliot@massively.com. Next week, it's time to chat about doubled experience, a magical time that comes far too infrequently.
By day a mild-mannered reporter, Eliot Lefebvre unveils his secret identity in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles every Wednesday. Filled with all the news that's fit to analyze and all the muck that's fit to rake, this look at City of Heroes analyzes everything from the game's connection to its four-color roots to the latest changes in the game's mechanics.
