Hegemony

Hegemony was a New York-based superhero-turned-villain whose powers were derived from the patronage of the goddess Athena.

## Biography

Hegemony was a hero in New York City for nearly a decade prior to the emergence of the other Greek heralds. She originally fought crime directly, but eventually came to realize that it was more effective to battle crime through positive social change. With funds gained through prudent investments (such knowledge being just one benefit granted by Athena's Mindstone), she became a major philanthropist and political contributor. She parlayed this into a position as an advisor in the New York State Governor's office, and wielded her political influence with great savvy.

Sometime in 2019-2020, however, Hegemony secretly joined Cú Chulainn in his quest to gain greater Divine power in a bid to destroy the Interdimensional Barrier. She maneuvered in secret to collect and deliver the various artifacts of the Greek gods, including her own Mindstone, to Cú Chulainn where he plotted in Tech Duinn. She tricked the Contenders into aiding her and grievously wounded Ringster, working with the former-Herald-turned-mercenary Warpath.

She succeeded in delivering the stones to Cú Chulainn, but lost her powers when he destroyed them and infused their power into his mighty axe. Far from rewarding Hegemony for her part in his plot, he cast her down to the role of a lowly serving maid in his drinking hall. Hegemony was killed when Lord Donn regained control of his realm and cleansed it of all of traces of Cú Chulainn and his minions.

## Personality

Hegemony was kind and personable, with a quick wit and charming demeanor. She also had a condescending streak that was perhaps appropriate for a literal "know-it-all."

Hegemony was ashamed of her part in Cú Chulainn's villainous plot and carried out her role with deep regret. It can be surmised that she was following divine orders, as the eventual destruction of the Interdimensional Barrier (and Cú Chulainn's downfall) resulted in Athena avoiding the fate suffered by other gods who "starved" for lack of mortal worship.

## Powers

Athena is the Goddess of Knowledge, the City, and Strategy, and she granted her herald supernatural capabilities in these areas. Hegemony was not as powerful a fighter as the other heralds, but she still held her own thanks to magically-conjured armaments including a spear and shield. The Mindstone made her an expert in nearly every subject, including martial arts, and she could wield her enchanted weapons with deadly effect by carefully observing her enemy's weaknesses.

Hegemony also had the power to grand knowledge to others through divine inspiration. She could use this to share vital combat information with her allies, increasing their effectiveness, or she could confuse her foes by filling their minds with useless data and gibberish. She could mystically observe anything happening within the same city she resided in, making her an extremely adept spy, and she could also teleport to any city she wished.

As a herald, Hegemony was a nominal divine entity, and was highly resilient to the attacks of most mortals. She also had a greater-than-normal lifespan, and hardly seemed to age during the years she served Athena.

## Weaknesses

Hegemony's powers all stemmed from the Mindstone, an artifact granted by a temperamental Goddess, and as such she was prone to losing all her powers when Athena was displeased with her. As a Divine entity, she was weak to the attacks of other Divinities, and magic was particularly effective against her.