Podcast (from the Mizfits)

First time at this blog? Check out Home for details on the project and the Character Index for more of an overview of the characters.

Podcast (78)

Project: Comic (Mizfits)

Known as: Podcast

Real name: Pacey Campbell

Group affiliation: CounterAct

Physical description: Podcast is middle aged and notably overweight. He has a scraggly red beard that matches his long, scraggly hair. He wears thick glasses and is obviously profoundly nearsighted.

Personality: Podcast has never been noted for his intelligence or sparkling repartee. He’s quiet and has few friends and the cornerstone of those friendships are not conversation (they mostly drink beer and watch sports together). Occasionally they commit minor misdemeanors (and the occasional felony) together (hey, life has been unfair to them).

History: Podcast grew up in rural Oklahoma. A middling student (at best) his family was poor and was the first place the police would stop when there was a crime to solve. While both his parents had committed crimes that they got away with, they were ultimately convicted on a murder they did not commit. A young Pacey moved four houses down to a foster home and his life largely remained unchanged, although he did miss his parents (who were largely absentee). Their circumstances gave him a worldview that you might as well do crime you can get away with, since you’ll probably be put away for something you didn’t.

Still, he mostly kept his nose clean and didn’t get caught for anything (this was probably due to his natural laziness as much as anything). He worked at a local grocery store stocking shelves and so forth. He did commit minor larceny with his employer, but it was so minor the employer knew and ignored. Specifically, Podcast tended to poach items past their expiration date.

This may have created his powers (or maybe it was time spent at the dump shooting rats; or the blends of cheap alcohol he drank; or even things he did on dares), but no one knows for sure. He’s one of the members of the cast of Mizfits that did not get his powers from All Saint’s Anarchy. The strange thing is that because he spoke relatively little, and was pretty boring when he did, it took a long time to realize he had an ability.

He eventually posted a video showing him using his powers on his friends, which people ignored as a hoax (his power only works when he is in person). Counter and his gang had been watching for people with abilities and Post was dispatched to verify with Pacey. Though not actually having much potential as a member of CounterAct, Post recruited him as soon as she realized she could brand his powers as complimenting hers and her brother’s.

He doesn’t do a ton for CounterAct, though he can be useful with proper preparation (both in resisting his powers and giving him material to use).

Role in the narrative: An incompetent antagonist and possible source of comedy (his ramblings could get funny).

Abilities: When Podcast speaks, anyone who listens to him for a full minute becomes mesmerized and unable to do anything else but listen to him. This will continue as long as he keeps speaking and the listeners can hear him (note, his power only works in person – despite his name). If the listeners stop hearing him for a full 15 seconds, they are freed. This can be by someone plugging their ears or Podcast simply running out of things to say.

Probably the greatest limitations to his powers is a) it can be hard to get people to listen for a full minute and b) he quickly tends to run out of things to say. He has memorized a few long speeches but often forgets parts or gets bored himself.

Inspirations: I’ve been watching “Innocent Man” on Netflix. Another chilling docuseries about how innocent people can be sent to jail. I reflected what that might be like for the children (note those in the documentary turned out great). So it inspired this character, though the character provides little commentary on the wrongfully convicted (I might want to do something around this later). There are lots of mesmerizing type characters out there (the Ringmaster, Mesmero, etc.). A little bit of Purple Man in that his power is embedded in his voice.