Some small corrections I just noticed. Most are minor.
The proper term for what you call a "sustain" power is a "Maintained" power.
Regarding the
Qularr, they aren't quite the same as the Rikti. Rikti are transformed humans from a parallel Earth (Rikti Earth.) Qularr are genuine aliens; I'll go into them below.
In regards to aliens as a whole in Champions Online, there are several noteworthy species.
The Gadroon: The Gadroon first appeared on Earth in 1984, attempting an invasion of the planet, but were repelled by the combined might of Earth's heroes. They would later try again in 1997, with the same result. Today, they are currently invading Canada, having established a significant outpost in the Canadian Wilderness. There, they are attempting to terraform the tundra into an alien subtropic 'grassland,' presumably similar to their homeworld.
Your average Gadroon is a stocky, frog-like humanoid. They're typically no more than five feet in height, but can measure three to three and a half feet across the shoulders. Their legs are short, but their arms are long and thick, often trailing down to the ground. Their skin is usually green, with lighter tones closer to yellow- or tan-green on their lower jaw, chest, and abdomen. Gadroon are physically stronger than humans, and can adapt to a wide variety of climates, but have poor senses. Gadroon DNA is apparently incredibly complex compared to humans. The Gadroon themselves are skilled geneticists, capable of using their own DNA to carry information, such as encryption keys for their technology to ensure that other species cannot access it. Most Gadroon encountered will be either warriors or Gravitic manipulators, and as such they are typically equipped with blocky, thick metal armor, sometimes with a light-orange bodysuit underneath it. Most Gadroon protect their lower arms with translucent energy shields that vaguely resemble glass, oddly enough with no visible emitters. Gadroon weapons are often attached to the knuckles of one of their arms, poking out in front of the energy shield.
The Gadroon use brutal and unsubtle tactics, often utilizing their gravitic technology to decimate planets from orbit before dropping a large standing invasion force to subjugate any natives. By
their own words, they typically use methods such as "clear-crushing", "flash-burning" or "cavitating" a planet to eliminate threats and prepare a planet prior to taking it over. The latest invasion, however, is different. The Gadroon are actually using subterfuge and espionage tactics, something they've never done before. On the infantry level, most Gadroon use energy blaster weaponry and their own raw physical might in combat. Adepts and Shapers also use field projectors that allow them to surround enemies in a bubble of force, rendering them helpless until they can break free. Gadroon wear high-tech armor, the most distinguishing feature of which is the translucent solid energy shields that cover their otherwise-unprotected arms. Most Gadroon attack squads are backed up by a simple, poorly-armed robotic drone called an Observer.
The Qularr: In May of 1965, the Qularr first attempted an invasion of Earth by genetically-engineering creatures that would later go on to populate Monster Island. After these creatures were subdued or destroyed, they attempted a conventional attack, but found themselves outnumbered. They would later attempt a second, localized invasion centered upon Millenium City, drawn by beacons set up by Dr. Destroyer's Destroid Robots, lead by Black Talon. The tutorial in CO covers dealing with this second invasion.
The Qularr are a race of insect/crustacean humanoids. They have a spoken language, but it's unpronounceable to a human mouth (though a human can learn to understand it). Compared to humans, the average Qularr is somewhat tougher and stronger owing to their exoskeleton/endoskeleton hybrid body structure, and they have a better sense of hearing and touch at the cost of weaker eyesight. However, Qularr are not shy about engineering themselves to better suit their purposes, and Qularr leaders are typically much larger and more formidable, physically, than their underlings. A Qularr Swarmlord can easily measure ten to twelve feet in height.
Qularr use a mix of energy weapons and organic technology, including purpose-bred combat organisms such as their Firebugs and Swarms. Qularr are also adept at stealth technology - Qularr ships are typically hidden from sensors by cloaking fields until just before they attack. Versatile and adaptive, Qularr have used an absolutely dizzying number of tactics in their skirmishes with Earth and its heroes, ranging from giant monster attacks in their initial invasions, to body-snatching, brainwashing, persuasion and manipulation, and even conventional infantry attacks. It's rare to see the Qularr use the same tactic twice, almost as though they are 'testing' approaches on Earth.
It's known that the Gadroon and the Qularr are at war with one another.
The Roin'esh: Where the Roin'esh are from and what they're doing on Earth is largely a mystery. What is known about them is that they are a race of bipedal roughly-humanoid aliens with potent shapeshifting capability. Roin'esh are capable of dissolving into a gooey, slimy liquid form, looking like nothing so much as a mobile oil slick, affording them rapid movement and resistance to harm, although they seem incapable of attacking in this state. Roin'esh "technology" mostly consists of organic extrusions of their own bodies, shaped into whatever weapon or implement that they need for the situation. Roin'esh have been known to fight with energy blasts, toxic sprays, bladed limbs, or simply snaring a foe in sticky, gooey strands of their biomass and then hauling him into close combat.
The most frightening capability the Roin'esh have is their shapeshifting. An adept Roin'esh shapeshifter can mimic a human being to the point of being visually indistinguishable from the real person, and can also mimic a person's voice near-perfectly, with concentration and effort. Roin'esh have also been known to lie in ambush by disguising themselves as boxes or crates or other innocuous items, or simply spreading out their biomass into a thin film on the walls or floor, and then changing their coloration to camouflage themselves. It takes thorough knowledge or advanced detection technology to ferret out a disguised Roin'esh. Most terrifying of all, the most skilled of Roin'esh shapeshifters can even duplicate a superpowered being close enough to utilize that being's powers, albeit usually in a limited fashion.
In its 'native' form, a Roin'esh looks like a jet-black humanoid, standing 5-8 feet tall, with a smooth, chitinous carapace shaped to resemble armor. Their faces typicaly have glowing green eyes, or sometimes a glowing blue-green 'faceplate'. Generally, Roin'esh of higher rank have thicker, more elaborately-armored appearances, while their underlings are typically smooth-bodied and thinner. Particularly high-ranking Roin'esh may shape a red 'loincloth' out of their mass, and wear red accents, to further set them apart from their inferiors. Roin'esh typically have humanoid hands, unless they've temporarily reshaped their limbs into weaponry or tools.
Elder Worms: Tens of thousands of years ago, humanity was ruled by a species of ancient extraterrestrial psionic annelids. The Elder Worms are the descendents of these creatures, hunting for the relics of their ancient culture in order to re-enslave mankind. Elder Worms look like nothing more than giant, fang-mawed smooth-bodied worms. Typically, they wear power-armored suits that provide them with arms and legs, jet propulsion, and potent defenses. They primarily attack with telekinetic or telepathic powers, and are adept at summoning "Mind Worms" - psychic annelid projections that cannot move, but attack with vicious telekinetic bites.
Malvans: Does not make a physical appearance in CO, but are referenced numerous times. The Malvans are an intergalactic race of what are apparently slave-traders. Numerous species, including the Roin'esh, were once slaves of the Malvan Empire. The Malvans apparently enjoy gladiatorial games - Drogen Lar of Dorvala, known to the people of Earth as
Ironclad, was once a Malvan gladiatorial slave.
Mandaarians: Does not make a physical appearance in CO, but are referenced in it. The Mandaarians are one of the few peaceful alien races to have made contact with Earth. They are apparently very similar to humans, but are slightly shorter and more delicate of build, with pointed ears and catlike eyes that come in colors outside the human norm. Not much other info is available in CO about them. Mandaarians apparently have a large number of psionically-active individuals, and like humans, have been known to manifest superpowers.
