The man behind the mask

These questions have led me to a period of introspection, and I have come to the realization that I must unburden myself of my guilt by sharing the truth of my past. Like many heroes, my past is not without its blemishes. I was not always as I now am. In fact, I once embraced the dark side of my powers and battled against the forces of good. The events which lead to my transformation - my repentance, if you will - have been captured in this video. I can only hope that the good people of this city can forgive my errors and allow me to continue in their service.

Super Tag, issue 2!

The random questions continue!

Foods I Like:

1. *Mom's Chicken and Rice with Mushroom sauce
2. *Mom's Stroganoff.
3. *Mom's Chili Cornbread
4. *Mom's Cheesecake
5. Pizza - not just any pizza, but a good, restaurant-quality pizza, like Brick Oven's pizza. Now THAT'S good eatin'!
6. Arby's toasted Italian subs. They've become one of the pleasures in life which my wife and I often share.
7. Emilee's Chicken and Broccoli Casserole.
8. Olive Garden's Manicotti Formaggio----------->

* Mom's, of necessity, refers to *my* mom, meaning that it is the recipe I grew up with and loved. This, of course, differentiates this category from *your* mom and the recipes that you grew up with and, if you're lucky, also loved. I should also note that my wife also has cooked/baked/etc. almost every one of these to perfection using the same recipe.

Alas, my life doesn't tend to leave much time for fine dining - that Manicotti Formaggio is making my mouth water - but that hardly means that I don't have certain gastronomic preferences. Mighty Mart (specializing in health food) has an excellent chicken wrap, available in a hero-size combo to give a spandex-clad crime fighter the energy he needs to fly. El Super Mexicano has some killer burritos, and is quite popular with flame-throwing heroes like my wife, Alba. Unfortunately, one of the few things my healing powers can't cure is heartburn. Speaking of my wife, she cooks very well anything with the word "broiled" attached to it, but the InFront Steakhouse is a tough act to follow. And, if you can take the puns, City of Gyros has some fantastic food.

Hobbies I have:
1. I have a passion for singing, particularly barbershop, though I am beginning my foray into the world of pop music - more on that in another post.
2. I love to arrange music, especially for men's voices.
3. I enjoy writing short fiction, generally in the sci-fi genre.
4. I read a lot of fantasy/sci-fi.
5. I spend way too much time playing computer games.
6. I have an obsession for learning languages. I can now fluently speak English and Spanish, converse in Portuguese, exchange pleasantries in French, exchange insults in Klingon, and am beginning to dabble in Quenya (A form of Tolkien's Elvish) and Japanese

Crime fighting is, of course, an almost all-consuming passion. Add to the picture my red-hot wife, and helping our daughter learn how to use her superpowers and I'm a very busy family man. In my quiet moments, though, I enjoy reading the latest scientific journals and technology magazines, in hopes of finding something to further increase my effectiveness as a hero. After all, you never know when that little tweak will make the difference between walking away clean from a fight and watching your friends be teleported to the emergency room.

Next issue: Will the questions never end? What would Sapphire Sting do for a Klondike Bar? Pick up the next issue and find out!

Super tag!

So, this ball was sent my way one of my super friends, Homemaker. Just to make things as confusing as possible, I'll answer both as Sapphire Sting and as mild-mannered Steve.

Name 4 or more...

Places I've lived: Steve
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Santa Barbara, CA
3. Phoenix, AZ for a few months one summer
4. 2 years in various parts of Guatemala
5. Provo, UT (attending BYU)

Places I've lived: Sapphire Sting
This question is a bit more complex for me, since I remember little of my past before the explosion. I know that I was a manual laborer in an underprivileged nation - likely somewhere in Central America - before the explosion which nearly claimed my life.
When I came to, I was in a hospital which I later discovered to be located in southern Florida. I was there for quite some time, learning to live with the life-giving devices implanted in my body and working with physical therapists to gain a semblance of a normal life.
Then the breakthrough occurred - I discovered that I was able to tap into the energy reserves of my medical implants to heal myself and others. I realized that my newfound talents needed to be used for something greater, so when I left the hospital I went to Paragon City and found an apartment in Atlas Park from which I launched my career as a crime fighter.
Today, I reside on Talos Island, connected by monorail to Paragon City, with my wife, Alba, and my daughter, Carmen.

Places I've been on vacation:
1. Favorite: Disney Land / Disney World. I've always found myself at peace while at these parks. Maybe it has something to do with my inner child, but I love 'em.
2. New York - I've spent 2 summers in New York at economics conferences hosted by Libertarian groups. I've seen Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis on Broadway.
3. Across the Midwestern U.S. with my family. We visited historic church sites, such as the jail where the prophet Joseph Smith was martyred, and the foundations of the earliest modern temples.
4. Tempe, AZ for my brother-in-law's wedding.

While the life of a superhero doesn't provide much leisure time, a hero must take time to refocus himself, to recover from battle, and to renew his spirit. My vacations never take me far from Paragon City, though, since I may be needed at any moment. Thus, I content myself with visits to places like Founders' Falls, where one can see some of the marvelous architecture of Paragon City. With the Red River flowing through its center, it is truly a thing to behold.
I also sometimes take time off to aid fledgling heroes who are just beginning their journey. I often travel to the Hollows, the site of a massive, caved-in crater, to protect, heal and teleport young heroes on their way through dangerous terrain.

It's time for some sleep, so we'll get to the rest of this soon.

Every day heroism

It's not often that I get the opportunity to be a hero as mild-mannered Steve, but tonight was such an opportunity. I felt an odd need to go to the grocery store tonight while my wife studied - we weren't completely out of cheese yet, but we were getting close to it. The odd thing is, I almost never go to the store by myself, nor have the desire to do so. Yet, tonight, something moved me to go.
Little did I know as I pulled into the parking lot in my Stingmobile™ that trouble was afoot at Reams. I walked in, shopping list in hand, and was perusing the bananas when someone called my name - a damsel in distress!
Behind me was a young woman who I knew quite well from church. I am, in fact, her home teacher (assigned to serve the spiritual needs of her and her young family), and she was in need of my help. I didn't need to save her 9-month-old from a burning building or get her purse back from a gang of thieves - the rescue was a far simpler matter. She had locked her keys in her car and needed a way to get home to get the other set. I deemed this sufficient justification to use my super-speed to get my shopping done, then brought her home, and took her husband to their still-running car.
There was no fanfare, no badge, no cheering crowd of onlookers, but my mild-mannered heart was filled, knowing that I had been an instrument in the hands of a greater Hero than I in helping my fellow man.