Major Babe
| Major Babe | ||||||||||
| Player: @spooktheherd | ||||||||||
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| Model. Soldier. Model Soldier. | ||||||||||
| Character Build | ||||||||||
| Origin: | Natural | |||||||||
| Archetype: | Corruptor | |||||||||
| Security Level: | 50 | |||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||
| Real Name: | Marjorie Barbier | |||||||||
| Known Aliases: | Maj, MB, Sarge Marge | |||||||||
| Age: | 33 | |||||||||
| Gender: | She/Her | |||||||||
| Species: | Human | |||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Mixed, Nuyorican, Italian, French, Dutch | |||||||||
| Birthdate: | ||||||||||
| Birthplace: | NYC baby! | |||||||||
| Relatives: | ||||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5'8" | |||||||||
| Weight: | 135 | |||||||||
| Eyes: | Brown | |||||||||
| Hair: | Brown | |||||||||
| Complexion: | Light Golden Brown | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | Hourglass figure, well toned | |||||||||
| Physical Features: | Beauty mark | |||||||||
| Status | ||||||||||
| Alignment: |
Lawful Good | |||||||||
| Reputation: |
Memorable | |||||||||
| Identity: | Known | |||||||||
| Years Active: | 8 | |||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City | |||||||||
| Citizenship: | United States | |||||||||
| Education: | Vanguard military training | |||||||||
| Occupation: | Recruiting mascot, spy. | |||||||||
| Marital Status: | Single | |||||||||
| Known Powers and Abilities | ||||||||||
| Well trained in physical and ranged combat | ||||||||||
| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||
| The finest in firearms and gadgetry courtesy Vanguard | ||||||||||
| Attributes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ReldinBox Template | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Character Information
History
Marjorie Barbier was a teenage fashion model at the time of the Rikti invasion. With her city under attack, she decided to trade in the discipline of modeling for the discipline of life as a soldier in the US Army! Proving herself as a dedicated soldier first and foremost, Marjorie caught the attention of Vanguard, who proposed to her a new career as the public face of their recruiting campaign.
Now under the moniker of Major Babe, Marjorie became a staple of recruiting center and company barracks wall decorum! Her alluring "She Wants You" posters were as eye-catching as they were memorable, and became a favorite of male recruits. However, the campaign drew criticism that the Major Babe character was crass, lowbrow, and damaging to the experiences of female recruits. Rather than denying these criticisms, Marjorie gave a sit down interview where she acknowledged these points, but emphasized her own role as a soldier first and foremost, and introduced America to her newest catchphrase, "Service Is Sexy"!
Around this time, recruiting centers began to roll out the Major Babe comic book, which depicted Major Babe and her fictionalized super-team The Peace Brigade. The book was surprisingly well written by seasoned comics writers such as Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern, and regular comic readers demanded it to be made available for sale to the general public. The character was here to stay!
And while Major Babe was making public appearances at air-shows, Independence Day events, and military contractor trade shows, secretly she was actually working as an intelligence-gathering infiltrator for special ops! Her good looks and hourglass figure, as well a her charismatic grace, gave Marjorie a great advantage in making suspected high ranking traitors freely admit more than they otherwise would! After all, Major Babe is just that bimbo from the posters, right?
Assisting her in her secret role is her partner Practice Girl, who often sneaks around undetected while Major Babe captivates their attention! Practice Girl, while initially skeptical of Major Babe's ability, quickly grew out of that mindset after their first outing together. Now a well-oiled fighting unit, the two have also become the best of friends.
Eventually, Major Babe and Practice Girl were chosen to head up ASPIC, the Allied Super Powered Intelligence Committee, a cooperative effort between the military and civilian superheroes, with the goal of peace keeping and emergency response in super events.
Currently, Major Babe can be frequently spotted in the streets of Paragon leading teams of aspiring heroes at the urgings of the members of the Freedom Phalanx, but also makes time to tamp down the insurgents in the Rikti War Zone, although she tends to devote much of her time to evacuating the hapless citizens of the Shadow Shard. If you happen to see her out and about, she's usually happy to pose for a picture with fans, sign autographs, or advise you in ways to assist your community!
Personality
Major Babe is flirty and suggestive but makes an effort not to be too crass. She is accountable to the recruitment branch of Vanguard and as such has standards to uphold. She will not operate an OnlyCapes although she stands in solidarity with the women who do.
In the field Major Babe treats the safety of her operatives as a primary concern.
Affiliations
Groups
US Army (transferred)
Vanguard liaison to Longbow
ASPIC - Allied Super Powered Intelligence Committee
SPORT - Super Powered Organized Response Team
Individuals
Practice Girl - Long running partner, best friend.
Dawn'sEarlyLight - Defected Praetorian who also held a post as a patriotic mascot.
Subramanian - Independent hero who has worked closely with the US Military on international efforts.
Inspirations
Captain America, Bruce Wayne, James Bond, Black Widow, Peggy Carter
Paraphernalia
Recruitment Posters
The most well known of Major Babe's campaigns was the "She Wants You!" poster that kicked it all off. The "Service is Sexy" campaign kicked off in her second year. There have been various other one-off slogans urging enlistment throughout her career. "She Wants You!" has been updated for Major Babe's different looks, but the original has been made widely available at Air Shows and Fourth of July events for civilians to take home.
Major Babe Promotional Comic
In Major Babe's second year of campaigns, the Major Babe comic book was launched. This comic was initially only available at recruitment offices and events, but after the printing of a trade paperback to the general public, Comic shops were flooded with requests to stock the title in stores. This caused the book to alter it's sporadic publication schedule (there were only four issues in the collection which were printed 3 months apart) to a regular monthly schedule. Professional writers were brought in to up the appeal of the title.
The comic book depicted an exaggerated reality in which Major Babe was the child of Uncle Sam (well, Father Sam, to her!) and Rosie the Riveter. She was partnered with a fictional super-team called the Peace Brigade. Each issue was told in one-shot style and would reach a full conclusion to it's stories in under 20 pages. The comic books featured advertising only from the various branches of service, but always included enlistment blurbs for Vanguard on the final page, emphasizing the world threat of the Rikti invasion.
Major Babe Calendar
Major Babe has been featured in annual calendars for public sale. At the height of her popularity there have been both PG and PG-13 editions in the same year. Typical content includes photos of Major Babe in racy versions of military outfits as well as her well known promotional posters. The PG-13 editions featured Major Babe wearing swimsuits for the summer months.
Legacy
Eventually, recruitment marketing decides they want a fresh face for the Major Babe campaign, and so the title is both passed down, yet also retained? Marjorie Barbier continues operating in as Major Babe on field missions, but another soldier was promoted from the ranks to carry on the Major Babe name for promotional purposes.
Major Babe II
Chosen from the ranks of Vanguard to take over the mantle of Major Babe publicly (as Major Babe II) was Caroline Dempsey. Dempsey's campaign launched with a poster of the two Major Babe's together, in a symbolic passing of the torch. From thereon out, the Major Babe campaign was considered to have become slightly more raunchy and suggestive in it's messaging.
Major Babe II was introduced in the Major Babe comic book as Major Babe's cousin, making Uncle Sam her actual uncle. In the comic book, however, the original Major Babe continued to play a significant supporting role as a sort of mentor to her cousin.
Criticism
Fans of the original campaign and critics alike had mixed reactions to the passing of the Major Babe mantle. Critic felt that Caroline Dempsey's blonde-hair blue-eyes were a step backwards in optics, in opposition to Marjorie Barbier's mixed heritage which was felt to convey a more inviting tone to all citizens. Vanguard reasserted, with the help of the original Major Babe, that Caroline was chosen to represent the campaign because she excelled as a soldier first, just as Marjorie had.
Fans suggested that the two Major Babe's held animosity toward each other, which was also dispelled on a promotional appearance. "She helped me braid my hair!," remarked Major Babe II during the appearance. Marjorie asserted that her duties had led her away from the promotional side of the role, as she was the point-person for ASPIC, and although being Major Babe was the thrill of a lifetime, she was happy to see the title go to someone who she considers "a dear friend".
Other more superficial observations were prevalent in the online community in reaction to the switch, including remarks about the differences in body type, fertility, and age. A PR statement was given, not from any named source, that 'all bodies are beautiful', which led critics on either side to speculate why the two Major Babe's were each so conventionally attractive.