The Ring

When people with power don't want to die, sometimes they get creative about it. A sorcerer of a bygone age was not yet ready to on from the mortal coil. He researched various methods of extending his lifespan: Lichdom, Vampirism, soul-swapping, and many others. There was a problem, though: He wasn't an evil man. The sacrifices required for lichdom, the constant feeding of a vampire, and the cursing of others to old age from soul swapping? The Sorcerer ruined many tomes losing his lunch just thinking about doing that to other people for his own benefit.

In the end, he had a plan, formed partly of the enchantments needed to attain some of the more vile methods of immortality. He spent decades gathering the materials and ingredients for his ritual, getting the strongest materials known at the time, shaping them, enchanting them, and, ultimately, binding himself to his creation: A simple ring.

The ring itself is seemingly indestructible... but when alone, the most he can do is phase out of reality and appear near a potential host (which has ruined many a "just bury him" plan over the eons).

While worn, he keeps the wearer alive. Stab the host through the heart, decapitate them, burn them to ash, then scatter the remains... and they'll be back, healthy and whole as when they first donned the ring, seven hundred seventy-seven seconds later (three seconds shy of thirteen minutes). This includes anything else worn or carried at the time of donning the ring: Commonly that means clothes, ID, debit cards, cash in theor wallet, et cetera... although with time, they will all be expired. This also grants the wearer a form of agelessness: On ****, the bearer resets to the age they first donned the ring. The only known way to truly kill a host is to separate the host from the ring FIRST... after which, any normal method will do the job.

Additionally, the ring himself has additional powers while worn: First, the Sorcerer can mentally communicate with the wearer to any extent desired (speak telepathically, present images, create phantom sensations, and so on). Second, the Sorcerer can posess the wearer.

While posessing a wearer, the Ring has full access to all his power while he was alive... provided he stays on the bearer. When separated, the bearer regsins full control, having full memories of everything that happened while possessed.

Of course, the ring isn't a bad guy. He generally makes deals with his hosts, only taking over during emergencies or with the bearer's explicit consent. He likes to encourage the illusion that consent is actually required, as an ace in the hole for when he's stolen.

As he is unable to act alone, the man naturally aquires allies:

His host as of Issue 1: The Green Whisper, legal name Jasmine Smith, a mocha-skinned mixed race woman: Black hair, green eyes, G-cups. Has a ring (from the ring) that gives her speed powers... while the rong has a host.

Also on the team: Shaper. Blessed with the power to reshape flesh and bone to anything that could exist, the pnpy real constants about hrr appearance is that she always pucks female forms for herself, and her clay red palms. Her legal name is Adam, but she likes to go by Alice and (as of issue 2) has largely abandoned her legal identity.

The lstest member of the team (issue 3): Wrath. green eyed redhead, she is a supergenius who specializes in solid holohrams, which she wears as power suits. Her legal name is Cathy Cumin (pronounced like the spice).