Blue Steel

This article is about the signature character. For the developer Ray Snyder, see Blue Steel (Developer).

Blue Steel
Paragon Police Department's very own hero
Details
Real Name	Josh Young
Gender	Male
Archetype	Scrapper (see notes)
Affiliation	Paragon Police Department
Age	Unknown
Romantic Associations	Unknown
Known Family	Father (deceased)
Primary Powers	Martial Arts (see notes)
Secondary Powers	Shield Defense (see notes)
Zone Locations	Kings Row

Overview

Blue Steel is a hero trainer in Kings Row in the Freedom Plaza section located at (-768.0, 36.0, 1330), or 330 yards southwest of the Yellow Line train station. His location is marked on the map as a contact.

Background

History

Blue Steel was an original member of the Regulators with Back Alley Brawler. He is the only hero in Paragon City who works directly for the police.

Further details of the man who is Blue Steel was recently revealed.

Josh Young's father was a stalwart member of the Paragon Police Department. Josh spent his youth on the streets of Kings Row, feeling safe and proud because his dad was a cop. Josh's world turned upside down when his father was shot and killed in the line of duty the week before Josh's High School graduation. That day Josh put aside his plans for college and enrolled in the Police Academy. His father's sterling reputation and untimely death assured Josh of a spot with no questions asked. He excelled in his courses and completed his studies in record time. He was a man possessed, studying and preparing every day practically round the clock. With what little spare time he had, he built a dream. Forging himself a shield with his father’s badge melted into it, Josh crafted the identity of Blue Steel.

Josh went to his Captain with the idea of patrolling the Row in his Blue Steel identity. His notion was met with skepticism at first but after he went straight to the PPD Commissioner (who was a friend of his father) and told him that Blue Steel would be patrolling the streets of Paragon with or without sanction, a compromise was made. Josh registered himself as a super-powered individual but was made a special deputy in the PPD. This solution received some resistance but enough high ranking officers spoke on Josh's behalf and thus it was implemented despite any objections.

Blue Steel adopted Kings Row as his primary beat, after asking the Back Alley Brawler to set up shop in Galaxy City as a personal favor. He is known to let his still simmering anger over his father's death boil over on occasion (such as his encounter with the Clockwork King) but so far no disciplinary action has been leveled against him.

Blue Steel has a special rank in the PPD and is also registered as a super-powered hero. Any hero in Paragon City is welcome to join the PPD. They must receive training like any other police officer but it does not excuse them from registration.

Character Stats

Secret Identity: Josh Young
Origin: Natural (debatable, see below)
Archetype: Scrapper (debatable, see below)
Primary Powers: Martial Arts
Secondary Powers: Shield Defense (debatable, see below)

Regarding the validity of Blue Steel's primary, secondary, archetype and others, see the Developer Notes below.

Blue Steel Meme

For a while, Blue Steel was the subject of a great many Chuck Norris one-liner jokes. Most of these jokes, like the Chuck Norris jokes, "are normally absurd hyperbolic claims about [Blue Steel's] toughness, attitude, virility, sophistication, and masculinity". Even developer Manticore got in on the meme:

Blue Steel grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his rage over Tub Ci's release.

Blue Steel didn't come by his powers; he sprang full grown from the forehead of Zeus ready for battle.

Blue Steel doesn't sleep. He waits … for another crack at the Clockwork King.

Castle and BABs put Shield Defense in the game because Blue Steel told them to … or else.

Blue Steel has no Secondary powers. All his powers are Primary.

If you can see Blue Steel, he can see you. If you can't see Blue Steel, you may be only seconds away from defeat.

Blue Steel doesn't register as a hero. The city registers heroes so Blue Steel doesn't have to take them down.

Blue Steel told Statesman that PPD trumps FP and Statesman shut up.

Blue Steel destroyed the periodic table, because the only element he understands is the element of surprise.

(I consulted with Ray Snyder, the dev who plays Blue Steel, and he informed me that Blue Steel is a Martial Arts, Shield Defense Scrapper but…Blue Steel doesn't need an Archetype. Blue Steel *is* an Archetype)"

From the Canon Fodder thread on the Official Forums [1] [2]

Miscellaneous

Normal Notes

• Blue Steel is mentioned in the description of the Blue Shield exploration badge, which is likely a homage to his namesake in the original plans for City of Heroes, 'Blue Shield.'
• Blue Steel was not an in-game NPC until the Beta Test of City of Heroes. Originally, Back Alley Brawler was the hero trainer of Kings Row. When Galaxy City was added to the game as a secondary entry point for new heroes, Back Alley Brawler was moved to Galaxy City and Blue Steel was added as the hero trainer of Kings Row. He was originally an NPC named 'Blue Shield' in the planning stages of City of Heroes, and was involved in the creation of the villain known as the Clockwork King, but was not intended to be an in-game trainer. This is likely why there is (so far) no Praetorian Earth villain counterpart for Blue Steel.
• Blue Steel is responsible for the 'birth' of the villainous Clockwork King. After tracking down a suspect involved in a police homicide committed by robots controlled via telekinesis, Blue Steel beat the man nearly to death and left him for dead. This man's body was never recovered, and was beaten beyond repair. However, the Clockwork King's brain survived the encounter, and he used his powerful telekinetic powers to build himself a clockwork body, leading to the rise of the Clockwork King.
• Blue Steel is used quite often as the reason Arachnos' plans do not succeed post-Issue 7. Some of his feats include:
  • Breaks the trap used to hold Numina to a base in Nerva
  • Breaks Miss Francine out of an Arachnos prison with Luminary's assistance
  • Breaks Manticore, Operative Hugo Figures and Agent Gally Ido out of an Arachnos prison
  • Breaks various other people such as scientists from Arachnos after they were kidnapped
  • Impersonates Manticore on one occasion to a degree where nobody is able to tell the difference