Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
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Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

Okay, so some people can't read my older builds, owing to RA sucking ass. So I'll make a page here devoted to re-posting them in big blocks. Hopefully it doesn't break anything to have so much text :).

Archives:
MARVEL BUILDS:
The Agents of Atlas
Alien Races
The Avengers
Avengers Villains
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Captain America Builds
Daredevil Builds
The Defenders
Defenders Villains & Templates
Doctor Strange Builds
The Elders of the Universe
The Externals
The Fantastic Four
The Guardians of the Galaxy
Hawkeye Builds
The Hellfire Club
The Heralds of Galactus
The Inhumans
Iron Man Builds
The Marauders
Marvel- "E"
Marvel- "I"
Marvel- "K"
Marvel- "O"
Marvel- "Q"
Marvel- "U"
Marvel- "V"
Marvel- "X"
Marvel- "Y"
Marvel- "Z"
Marvel Randoms 1
Marvel Randoms 2
Marvel Randoms 3
Marvel Gear
Marvel Villains 1
Marvel Villains 2
Marvel Villains 3
The Nasty Boys
The New Universe
The New Warriors
New Warriors Foes
The Night Shift
The Runaways
Salem's Seven
The Serpent Society
Serpent Society (Elite Versions)
Spider-Woman Friends & Foes
Strikeforce Morituri
The Technet
The Upstarts
The Winter Guard
The X-Men
The Young Avengers
The Zodiac Cartel

DC BUILDS:
The Bat-Family
Lady Shiva & Man-Bats
The Freedom Fighters
The Green Lantern Corps.
Hitman Builds
The Justice Society of America
JSA Comics Rundowns
The Justice League of America
Justice League Elite
Magic Heroes
Preacher Builds
The Young All-Stars

OTHER BUILDS:
Alien vs. Predator (Video Game)
Archie Comics
Astro City Builds
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Legend of Korra
Beavis & Butt-Head
The Book of Mormon
Captain Planet & the Planeteers
Captain Scarlet
Care Bears
Casablanca
Cheers Builds
C.O.P.S.
Daria
Downton Abbey
Dragon Ball Z
Dungeons & Dragons (Cartoon)
Dungeons & Dragons (Video Game
Ever After High
Frasier Builds
G.I. Joe
Goodfellas
The Head
He-Man & She-Ra Builds
Jem & the Holograms
King of the Hill
The Little Shop of Horrors
Lupin III
The Mighty Crusaders
Monster High
The Powerpuff Girls
The Princess Bride
Pushing Daisies
The Roswell Conspiracies
Scrooge McDuck
Sherlock Builds
The Simpsons
Sinbad: The Legend of the Seven Seas
Star Wars
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Thundarr
The Transformers
Twisted Metal
Video Games 1
Video Games 2
Video Games 3
Video Games 4
Video Games 5
Video Game Systems
World Heroes
WWF WrestleMania

ANIMAL BUILDS:
Bovine Builds
Bird Builds
Cervids & Pigs
Fish Builds
Herbivores
Horses
Bats
Insects & Arachnids
Marsupials
Primates
Reptiles & Amphibians
Rodents
Xenarthra

2nd EDITION BUILDS:
Avatar Builds
Due South Builds
The Office Builds
Police Academy[/b]
Star Trek
Warhammer
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Oct 01, 2020 5:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Agents of Atlas

Post by Jabroniville »

THE AGENTS OF ATLAS:
-Chances are, if you were reading a Marvel comic between 2005 and 2007, you were reading a lot of hype for the Agents of Atlas. I dunno if it was just the comics *I* was reading, but it felt like everywhere you turned, there they were- either featuring prominently in ads, getting big "Crossover" Limited Series with more-established heroes, or just plain crossing over into everyone else's books. The Agents of Atlas were EVERYWHERE.

And honestly, it annoyed the hell out of me.

Don't get me wrong- I READ the book's first arc, and it was FINE. I wasn't enamored with it, but it was Perfectly-Acceptable Comics, featuring characters with a bit of chemistry, a unique concept ("Heroes From Long-Dead 1950s Comics!"), and it was a different batch of characters than you'd normally see featured in an all-too-static Marvel Universe. BUUUUUUUUUUT... much like how Wolverine annoyed people with his constant Cross-Over Appearances and Hype, The Agents of Atlas did the same to me. Pick up the odd Winter Guard Limited Series? There they were- in the first issue, showing up just to have their book shilled. Reading the phenomenal Incredible Hercules series, before it went to shit around Chaos War? GREAT STUFF- now here's your Agents of Atlas Cross-Over and hype. Read ANY Marvel comic? Well here's some ads for Agents of Atlas. I was like OH MY GOD I GET IT ALREADY YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BUY THIS BOOK.

The sad thing is... comics could stand to hype more off-kilter books like this FURTHER. Showcase their line and build hype for lower-selling acts by letting some more-popular characters shill for them. But doing it endlessly, for just this one book, made me dislike the characters for no other reason than the hype. Theoretically this could entirely be in my head (I've never read of anybody else noticing this), but it irked me. IRKED ME, I say!

Anyways...:

The book revolves around Jimmy Woo, a government agent from a mostly-forgotten 1950s comic book (yes, really- an ETHNICALLY-CHINESE PROTAGONIST. In a 1950s Comic Book. He didn't look like the Blackhawk's squinty-eyed, short, coolie-ponytail'd Ethnic Sidekick, either). He teams up with the Gorilla-Man, Namora (Namor's cousin), Marvel Boy (possibly Marvel's top-selling act of the 1950s) and The Human Robot- all 1950s-era characters, and faces down the Yellow Claw- a "Yellow Peril" villain also popular in that era.

-The characters (who'd been teamed-up in a random What If? story from 1978, which was again seen in Avengers Forever as an Alternate Timeline) were Retconned into having been a team in the 1950s, and reforming in modern times. With Jeff Parker & Leonard Kirk as creators, and the name Agents of Atlas (Atlas being the name Timely/Marvel was going by at that point), it had some positive word-of-mouth and a TON of hype from Marvel, but was never a big seller. It went eleven issues (following a Limited Series) before being relaunched in the Heroic Age (which relaunched a TON of stuff), but only lasted five issues- the Agents just weren't popular enough to continue.

-What's odd is that immediately following the book, Mad Men became a HUGE HIT, capping off nostalgia for the late '50s, early '60s era. Of course, that one was more about fashion, handsome men and crazy people (seriously, EVERY CHARACTER on that show was this tormented nutbar- it's basically a soap opera done with a budget and more style... which explains its success, really). Turns out Marvel was just a bit too early. And didn't focus enough on bad-ass 1950s hats (Kennedy killed the hat for men, it was later pointed out. Same way Audrey Hepburn killed the bust for women, but that one didn't stay dead).

The Cast:
Jimmy Woo- FBI Agent and enemy of the Yellow Claw.
Gorilla-Man- Standard "Talking Gorilla", though was originally a regular dude.
M-11/The Human Robot- Old-school Sci-Fi character.
Namora- Namor's Cousin- a Distaff Counterpart back when Marvel was doing that a lot.
Venus- One of Marvel's most-popular '50s characters, working in a Romance Comic that later went Horror. Supposedly the actual Goddess of Love (this was later undone).
The Uranian- The former Marvel Boy- one of Marvel's top '50s characters.
3-D Man- Left off of the team, because he was actually a "modern" character that existed in the mainstream Marvel U, and thus didn't fit the timeline. Later, Delroy Garrett, the former Triathlon, joined the team under that name.


JIMMY WOO
Created By:
Al Feldstein & Joe Maneely
First Appearance: Yellow Claw #1 (Oct. 1956)
Role: Heroic Antagonist (to the Yellow Claw), The Regular Guy
Group Affiliation: Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, The Agents of Atlas, The Avengers (1950s)
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (The Spy Game) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Investigation 7 (+11)
Perception 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 4 (+7)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Head of the Atlas Foundation), Equipment 6 (Gear), Improved Critical (Gun), Languages (A Few), Leadership, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork, Tracking

Equipment:
"Automatic Rifle" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -1) (17) -- (20)
  • AE: "Standard Rifle Shot" Blast 6 (12)
    AE: "Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)
    AE: "Grenade" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (20)
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Uniform" Protection 1, Protection 2 (Flaws: Limited to Ballistics) (2)
"Assorted Gear" (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Pistol +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Rifle +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Machine Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (America, The World)- Though S.H.I.E.L.D. is supposedly an international organization, the President of the United States can disband it.
Enemy (The Yellow Claw)- However...
Responsibility (The Atlas Foundation)- Woo now heads the Claw's old group, the Atlas Foundation.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (125)

-Jimmy Woo was created as the protagonist of Yellow Claw, a book largely-about the "Yellow Peril" villain within. And yes, this was EXCEEDINGLY-unusual in comics at the time. Generally speaking, ethnic minorities were used as simple-minded, stereotypical Sidekicks, or horrible villains. And Jimmy came out more than TEN YEARS before one of the Big Two tried to create books featuring another non-white hero. The book failed, and Woo was brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. in 1968, though he was never an important character (I'd never heard of him until 2006, for example). He was a part of the "Godzilla Squad" sent after the Japanese Kaiju in Marvel's Godzilla series of the '70s.
-He was brought out of the mothballs for Agents of Atlas, which revealed that his old enemy (who points out that his name is supposed to have been "The GOLDEN Claw") actually wanted Woo to REPLACE him, at which point he committed suicide (well, allowed himself to be eaten). He's more or less the "Normal Guy" on a team of weirdos, and heads the Atlas Foundation- Yellow Claw's old organization. After the series is cancelled, Woo is revealed to be the headmaster of a Mumbai-focused school for Asian Superhumans.
-Woo is basically an enhanced version of an elite S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, being a somewhat-ugly PL 8 build that doesn't hit his caps all the way. This kind of fits the guy who acted more as a team leader, not muscle. He apparently had his aging retarded, but it was being undone before it got re-done (oh, older comic book characters...), so now I think he's just aging in real-time.

THE HUMAN ROBOT (M-11)
Created By:
Al Feldstein & Joe Maneely
First Appearance: Menace #1 (May 1954)
Role: Robot Buddy
Group Affiliation: The Agents of Atlas, The Avengers (1950s)
PL 9 (119)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Perception 6 (+4)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Kill-O-Bot"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 10 (Extras: Impervious 11) [21]
Power-Lifting 1 (50 tons) [1]
Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
"Self-Repair" Healing 8 (Flaws: Limited to Self) [8]
"Sensors" Senses 2 (Infravision, Extended Hearing) [2]

"Death Ray" Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate 2) (22) -- [25]
AE: "Electrified Limbs" Damage 10 (10)
AE: "Access Computer Databanks" Communication (Technology) 3 (12)
AE: Force Field 8 (Extras: Affects Others Only +0) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Electrified Limbs +7 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Eye Blast +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +10 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Vulnerable (Electrical & Magnetic Attacks)

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 88 / Defenses: 8 (119)

-The Human Robot debuted in a five-page story in 1954, and is programmed by his creator's greedy business partner to murder the scientist. However, the incomplete robot comprehends "kill the man in the room", and kills the MANAGER, too, then goes on a rampage. He's largely a knock-off of many Sci-Fi Movie Robots from this era, and looks particularly-like the Alien's robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). In the Agents of Atlas series, he appears in a non-speaking role, kind of doing mop-up stuff, and having no real character of his own. He simply joined the team decades ago, and is still intact to this day. His origin was also Retconned- the inventor, afraid of giving his creation over to the government, had it kill him, reasoning that this would allow his mind to sort-of live on in his creation, which gained a bit of sentience.
-Standard-Issue boring-ass Kill-O-Bot Build, albeit with Force Fields and Self-Repair. Also, despite being called The Human Robot, he's not human.

NAMORA (Aquaria Nautica Neptunia)
Created By:
Ken Bald & Syd Shores
First Appearance: Marvel Mystery Comics #82 (May 1947)
Role: Distaff Counterpart (To Namor), Forgotten Golden Age Character
Group Affiliations: The Agents of Atlas, The Renegades, The Monster Hunters, The Avengers (1950s)
PL 11 (167), PL 12 (167) When Soaked
STRENGTH
13/14 STAMINA 12/13 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (History) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Business) 6 (+9)
Intimidation 9 (+12)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Atlantean Weapons) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Chokehold, Fast Grab, Favoured Environment (Underwater), Great Endurance, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Combat 4, Takedown

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Winged Feet"
Flight 9 (1,000 mph) (18) -- [19]
AE: Swimming 11 (1,000 mph) (11)

"Atlantean/Human Hybrid"
Immunity 4 (Aging, Drowning, Cold, Pressure) [4]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

"Improved Underwater Stats" (All with Flaws: Limited to Underwater/When Soaked)
Enhanced Strength 1 [1]
Power-Lifting 2 (1,600 tons) [1]
Enhanced Stamina 1 [1]
Impervious Toughness 6 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Soaked +9 (+14 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12 (+13 Soaked, +3 Impervious), Fortitude +12 (+13 Soaked), Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Human/Atlantean Hybrid)- Namora's racial make-up often becomes an issue with her people.
Power Loss (Wings)- Namora can lose her Flight if the tiny wings on her feet are damaged or disabled.
Weakness (Lack of Water)- If left without water, Namora will grow progressively weaker. After a long period of time, she will becoming Fatigued, Impaired, Disabled, Stunned, etc. (in addition to dropping Strength & Stamina consistently).
Relationship (Namor)- Namora is very close with her cousin. And wants to be REALLY close, if you catch my drift.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 11 (167)

-Namora first appeared in 1947, back when "Girl Versions" of male heroes were still fairly-rare and new, and even got her OWN SERIES in 1948, probably to capitalize on female readership. It lasted only three issues, however- superhero comics have almost ALWAYS struggled on that front. Nonetheless, she continued appearing with her cousin Namor in Marvel Mystery Comics and other books until the mid-1950s. However, she did not reappear with Namor when he was brought back in the 1960s- she appeared to be a relic nobody wanted to touch (even as Namor got his own book for a bit there), and was even killed via flashback in 1972! This led to a lot of "flashback" stories, and even a DAUGHTER in Namorita (because... I guess they wanted a Chick Namor, but not THAT Chick Namor). It would be until 2007 when we'd see her resurrected to appear alongside the other What If? 1950s Avengers.
-Namora is, oddly enough, possessing the SAME hybrid nature and mutant powers that Namor does. She appeared with her cousin on many adventures, but was poisoned to death by Namor's enemy Lyra- her sole legacy being a cloned "offspring" named Namorita. She is resurrected by her "old allies", the Agents of Atlas, in a pretty-simple manner (they just kinda open her coffin and there she is). She joins Amadeus Cho's pro-Hulk team during World War Hulk, then becomes a Girlfriend of the Week in the tremendous Incredible Hercules series. She even manages to become Kissing Cousins with Namor, but they split when it's determined that some Atlantean Elders had connived for the two of them to get together, as Human/Atlantean Hybrids are so powerful.
-Namora is no weak stripling, like a lot of Female Versions of male characters are- she's stated to be EQUAL in power to Namor, which makes sense when you think about it (I mean, HUMAN men are much stronger than human women... but why would that hold true for OTHER SPECIES?). Also, I was about to start statting her, when I noticed that I'd already done so when I did a "Namor" set a year ago, so THAT was easy! This build at least features all-new commentary, as I'd already done THAT bit before getting into her stats. Namora's basically Namor Lite, being equally-powerful (she's the heavy-hitter of the Agents), but a less-skilled fighter. PL 11 in normal circumstances, but like most Atlanteans, upgrades in water.

3-D MAN I (Charles & Harold "Hal" Chandler)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Jim Craig
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #35 (April 1977)
Role: Retcon Hero
Group Affiliations: The Agents of Atlas, The Avengers (1950s)
PL 8 (137)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+10)
Athletics 7 (+13)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Test Pilot) 3 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Perception 4 (+7)
Vehicles 8 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Flying Vehicles

Advantages:
Diehard, Evasion, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 2, Takedown

Powers:
"Three Times Peak-Human Physiology"
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Regeneration 4 [4]
Senses 3 (Extended Vision, Scent & Hearing) [3]

"3-D Man True Sight" Senses 6 (Counters Illusion 2, Detect Shapeshifting & Possessions- Ranged) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Forms)- 3-D Man is basically Chuck with a telepathic link to his brother Hal. Unless Hal concentrates, he is a crippled (ST -1, STA 0, AGI -3, FIGHTING 0, DEX 0, INT 4, AWA 2, PRE 0) individual with great scientific skill (+8). Chuck becomes a 2-D image in Hal's glasses. When Hal awoke after 3 hours, 3-D Man would disappear.
Enemy (The Skrulls)

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 25--18 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 13 (137)

-3-D Man was created by Roy Thomas in the 1970s to be an homage to the Kirby/Simon character "Captain 3-D". His adventures took place in the 1950s (3-D being a huge gimmick in theatres back in the day- I mean, can you imagine? Theatres charging more for a cheap, pointless gimmick like 3-D?), and he didn't last very long- his appearances in modern times are few and far between. A Test Pilot captured by Skrulls, Chuck Chandler was transformed into a two-dimensional being by an explosion from their gear, and his crippled brother Hal discovered his body trapped within a pair of glasses. When Hal put on the glasses, Chuck's body super-imposed it over his own, and had Triple-Peak Human stats.
-At some point after the 1950s, Hal left Chuck floating around in otherdimensional space while he lived a normal life. However, 3-D Man returned when an aged Hal met the Hulk. Their power was stolen by the leader of the Triune Understanding, who used it to empower Delroy Garrett, the controversial late '90s Avenger known as Triathlon. Triathlon later freed the brothers, and Charles regained a human form. Garrett thus became the new 3-D Man, appropriately fighting Skrulls.

GORILLA-MAN I (Kenneth Hale)
Created By:
Robert Q. Sale
First Appearance: Men's Adventures #26 (March 1954)
Role: Talking Gorilla
Group Affiliations: The Agents of Atlas, The Avengers (1950s), The Howling Commandos
PL 9 (127)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 3 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+9)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Ambidexterity), Diehard, Equipment 4 (Guns, Knives), Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Guns), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle, Ultimate Strength Check

Powers:
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Ape Strength & Long Arms" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]
Features 1: May Use Feet As Hands [1]
Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Guns +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Prejudice (Talking Ape)- Kenneth is permanently-stuck in ape form.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 17 (127)

-Full confession time: I don't find the idea of talking apes to be nearly as funny as apparently 95% of the comic-book audience does. It's like... okay, it talks. That's unexpected and a bit amusing. But THEN what? Just being a talking animal does not a great character make. It's just the subject of a five-minute Saturday Night Live gag. Cripes, that's like the joke in Zookeeper! DO YOU WANT TO READ COMICS THAT ARE LIKE A KEVIN JAMES MOVIE, PEOPLE??
-The Gorilla-Man debuted in a 1950s "Adventure" story, back when comics like that were popular and extremely-common (Martin Goodman's company, being a bunch of copycats who would alter their entire line to suit the hot new gimmick, was of course on board). He's a soldier of fortune who slew a Gorilla-Man, hearing that doing so would make him immortal. It was apparently true... except he also BECAME a Gorilla-Man himself! Retcons have placed him as a jungle guide to the original X-Men, and he rejoined the Agents of Atlas in modern times. Later stories saw him join Nick Fury's Howling Commandos (a Monster-based team in a book that could not POSSIBLY have been intended to have a long, successful run- I refuse to believe that anybody thought it would last). He's sort of an "Everyman/Snarker" guy, as I recall, making snide remarks about stuff.
-Gorilla-Man is pretty capable in a fight, especially once he starts using machine guns with various limbs

VENUS (aka Victoria Starr)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Lin Streeter
First Appearance: Venus #1 (Aug. 1948)
Role: Romance Character
Group Affiliations: The Agents of Atlas, The Avengers (1950s), The Sirens
PL 10 (173)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Expertise (Journalist) 5 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+7, +12 Attractive)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Daze (Persuasion), Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Immortal Siren"
Regeneration 4 [4]
Immunity 3 (Aging, Disease, Poison) [3]
Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]

Illusion (All Senses) 10 (50) -- [52]
AE: "Emotion Control" Mind Control 10 (Extras: Area- Hearing Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (40)
AE: "Shield From Sight" Concealment 2 (Vision) (4)

Morph (Other Humanoids) 3 [15]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Illusion & Mind Control +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (World Peace)
Enemy (Aphrodite)- The authentic Olympian Goddess of Love was not impressed to discover that a mere SIREN was waltzing around, "pretending" to be her.
Responsibility (Uncontrolled Power)- Extreme emotions can sometimes cause those nearby to Venus to feel the very emotions affecting her.
Power Loss (Voice)- Venus's powers will be lost if she is gagged.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 86 / Defenses: 16 (173)

-Oddly one of the bigger characters of the 1950s for Marvel, Venus was supposed to be the Goddess of Love (Roman Mythology, naturally), living on the planet Venus with her female companions. Her book began as a lighthearted humor/fantasy feature (with her boss as a love interest, and an Office Bitch as a rival), but started shifting towards dark subject matter- Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics showcased a series of covers, one of which featured the skin sliding off of a sinister, grimacing SKULL. Various other mythological figures appeared (including Thor & Loki, in pretty much non-continuity appearances, I would imagine), and the series was cancelled after 19 issues.
-She resurfaced in a Sub-Mariner comic book 25 years later, manipulating Namor into defeating the amorous Ares, and she then became a guide for young Namorita as a peace activist. Later, she teamed with the Champions to stop Pluto & Ares's attempt at overthrowing Zeus (she was to be forcibly-wed to Ares in the agreement). She then allied with the Avengers against a raging Zeus in that popular Avengers arc where they fought the Olympians after Hercules was nearly-killed. HOWEVER... stuff happened. Basically, Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente, working on the awesome Hercules series, were using Aphrodite (who, you know, IS Venus, as Marvel makes no difference between the Greek & Roman Pantheons) in her more "traditional" (ie. bitchy & vain) personality, at the same time as the Agents of Atlas were being a thing. It is eventually revealed that the being known as Venus is NOT a true Goddess, but a soulless Siren (one of the creatures that lured sailing ships to their doom)- years ago, a ship's captain got a mystic to give her a soul, thus sparing his ship. She became a mute nun, but then regained her voice and made herself thing she was the divine Venus, since her voice could bring lust to the minds of people. It remains unclear just how much of the earlier stories feature Venus or Aphrodite, as both are Shapeshifters with Love Powers. Though I assume that the Gods and Aphrodite herself would probably know the difference.
-The revelation nearly broke her mind until Jimmy Woo talked her down, and she elected to stay with the Agents, where her sheer costume is the kind of UBER-Fanservicey thing that can look a bit silly at times (like, she's walking around basically wearing a single bedsheet draped over herself). A fight between her and the authentic Aphrodite ends with Aphrodite admitting that she's nowhere near as good a person as Venus is, and gives up.
-Venus is essentially another Emotion Controller kind of character, albeit with physical stats closer to a minor-level Olympian. Later on, she possesses the Cestus- the "Magical Girdle" that gives Aphrodite enhanced powers. Creating both Love Slaves and turning weapons into harmless materials, it's basically the NRA's worst nightmare.

"The Cestus" (Flaws: Removable) [79]
"Love-Slave Enchantment" Mind Control 10 (Extras: Continuous +3) (70)
Transform 7 (Weapons to Neutralized Forms) (Extras: Ranged) (28)
-- (98 points)

MARVEL BOY I (Robert Grayson, aka The Uranian, The Crusader)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Russ Heath
First Appearance: Marvel Boy #1 (Dec. 1950)
Role: Forgotten '50s Icon
Group Affiliations: The Agents of Atlas, The Avengers (1950s), The Eternals of Uranus
PL 10 (198)
STRENGTH 4/8 STAMINA 4/8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+14)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 4 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+8)
Technology 6 (+12)
Vehicles 9 (+13)

Advantages:
Equipment 15 (Giant Spaceship w/ Missiles & Regenerative Pools & Junk, Polarized Contact Lenses- Avoids Dazzle Effects), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Wrist-Bands" (Flaws: Removable) [47]
Enhanced Strength 4 (8)
Enhanced Stamina 4 (8)
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) (20)
Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) (2)
Dazzle Visuals 10 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) (20)
-- (58 points)

"Telepathic Headband" (Flaws: Easily-Removable) [22]
Senses 3 (Communication Link- Spaceship, Analytical Vision 2) (3)
Enhanced Advantages 1: Eidetic Memory (1)
Mind Control 8 (32)
AE: Mind-Reading 10 (20)
-- (36 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Wrist-Bands +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Dazzle Visuals +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Mind Control -- (+8 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Mind-Reading -- (+10 Mind-Reading, DC 20)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+8 Bands), Fortitude +5 (+9 Bands), Will +8

Complications:
Disabled (Odd Physiology)- In the 2000s Agents of Atlas series, it was revealed that Grayson must distend his esophagus in order to eat, and must breathe an atmosphere similar to that of Uranus. The reasoning for this is unclear.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 69 / Defenses: 12 (198)

-One of the more-odd characters out there, the original Marvel Boy was a Sci-Fi/Super-Hero story that came out way back at the tail end of the Golden Age (and after most of Timely's characters had stopped being popular). However, despite his somewhat-iconic name (Marvel's re-used it at least twice) and appearance (he's got the same look as Quasar, and packs Energy-Shooting Bands like he & Captain Mar-Vell), the character was nowhere near popular, and his series died one year later. It would take another TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS until someone would bring him back, and THAT was for a What If?! Really, he's more of an historical footnote than anything.
-Robert Grayson and his father fled Earth during the rise of Nazi Germany (their family's original last name is Grabshield, and they're Jewish), landing on the planet Uranus, where they are met by the Eternals of that planet (note: that's obviously been retconned- initially they were just Uranian aliens). Growing up there, Robert was given cool bracelets and fought crime when he returned to Earth. However, he later went insane when the Uranian colony was destroyed, and became The Crusader. He battled the Fantastic Four in this state, and died when his wrist-bracelets overclocked themselves and exploded (these were in fact the Quantum Bands that were later given to Quasar, then called "Marvel Man"). THAT part would get retconned in The Agents of Atlas, where it's revealed that Crusader was a surgically-altered Uranian Eternal who had been given the Quantum Bands, and died in Marvel Boy's place. Grayson himself now calls himself "The Uranian", and is a mysterious, aloof guy who I recall spending a lot of time in a spaceship.
-The Uranian's powers are a bit odd (you don't see a lot of Flying Dazzle-Based guys who are also super-strong and tough), and I don't recall much of him fighting, so I think a PL 9-10 build is alright for him. His Flying Saucer is basically a big ol' Spaceship with Tractor Beams (Move Object), Hologram Projections (Illusions/Equipment), Regenerative Pools (Healing), Virtual Reality Controls (??) and Laser Blasts. I don't like the vagueness of that, so I'm charging him 15 points and that's the end of it :).
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Alien Races

Post by Jabroniville »

MARVEL'S ALIEN RACES:

-Another set of largely-unchanged reposts, I figured I'd get the old Alien Races builds I'd finished posted.

Marvel, as a whole, has three KEY Alien Races- The Skrulls (an early "Little Green Men" invading army in Fantastic Four), The Kree (blue-skinned generic spacemen, also in FF), and the Shi'ar (created as quasi-avian people in Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum's X-Men run). The 1960s of comics featured mainly Skrulls and Kree, plus a CRAP-TON of one-shot alien races meant to menace Thor or Giant-Man for a single throwaway issue of Journey Into Mystery or something between big stories. Seriously, looking at Wikipedia's List of Alien Races in the Marvel Universe, it's REPLETE with examples of these kind of one-shot guys. In the '70s, we had a lot of cosmic stuff, with Stan Lee's Silver Surfer, and Jim Starlin's Adam Warlock & Captain Marvel.

The Skrulls & Kree were given as the two "Big" races for eons (including Roy Thomas' legendary The Kree/Skrull War), until Claremont suddenly decided that the Shi'ar were the best race in the galaxy in the late 1970s. This coincided with a lot of writers ignoring Marvel's Space Scene for a while, so it worked out well for the X-books, as THEY became the pre-emiment space travellers. The Shi'ar thing fell by the wayside a bit until Operation: Galactic Storm, a positivelty titanic crossover between all the Avengers books (at this point being Avengers, Avengers West Coast, Captain America, Quasar, Iron Man, Thor & Wonder Man), based around a war between the Kree and the Shi'ar. This thing was HUGE, but was unfortunately a bit meandering and dull, since a lot of the villains were bland (most Kree rulers other than The Supreme Intelligence are a bit generic), and the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, a recurring team since the X-Men of the '70s, had never really developed any personality over the years aside from "Legion of Super-Heroes Homages". This story ended with a Nega-Bomb wiping out almost all of the Kree Empire, an act set off by the Intelligence, so that the Kree's stagnant evolution could "Re-Start" and make the race more powerful. I don't think this ever got touched on again outside this generation of writers, so it was all kind of a waste.

Marvel had a trio of crossovers (Annihilation, Annihilation: Conquest and War of Kings), each of which featured the last days of one of the three big empires. The Skrulls got their asses kicked by the end of Secret Invasion (setting off Dark Reign in the series of interconnected events), and were nearly finished off by Annihilus' Negative Zone forces in Annihilation. In Conquest, we say Ultron lead the Phalanx against the Kree, killing tons of them (and the Supreme Intelligence). War of Kings featured the death of Lilandra and Vulcan, the fall of the Shi'ar to The Kree, and Gladiator becoming the new Emperor of the Shi'ar while The Inhumans took over the Kree Empire. But then Hickman's Fantastic Four undid the Kree stuff, as The Inhumans just wandered back to Earth, the Kree invaded for no particular reason, and the S.I. got resurrected using a pair of Alternate Reed Richardses. Then a bunch of races allied in Infinity, as The Mapmakers tore the Universe apart trying to destroy Earth.

Marvel's Alien Empires are kind of the sort that get written out of the books for years at a time, then return in their baseline, "original" form, since that's where most people are familiar with them.

KREE SOLDIERS
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #65 (Aug. 1967)
Role: Space Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Kree Empire
PL 5 (66)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Space Soldiers) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+3)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6 Multiattack, Rebreathers)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Blasters +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Kree Empire)
Prejudice (Skrulls, Shi'ar)- The Kree betrayed a bunch of Skrull ambassadors millennia ago, and this move of supreme dickery set off a massive war. As the OTHER great space-race, the Shi'ar also got mixed into things.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (66)

-The Kree are a pretty cool alien race, as things go. A nice example of "Not Quite Alien" Aliens, they were just blue people for the most part- not being truly special. They were a good standard "evil alien race" for years, before they got UTTERLY played out during the whole "Operation: Galactic Storm" thing and stuff like that- getting over-used and then turned into a new "Ruul" evolved race to overcome their old weakness. Then current writers of course did the classic comic book thing of "Those changes suck- so here's the race as WE remember it from when WE were reading coimcs", and the Ruul were gone. The current race is crippled from the Annihilation Waves (Annihilus & Ultron-related), and was given over to The Inhumans. But then the Inhumans left them and the Kree attacked Earth for some reason... it got a little confusing when the Space Stuff got a new set of writers.
-Here's a common Kree Soldier. Blues & Pinks aren't REALLY that different (though Wiki says pinks are tougher), so I figured this'd do for them as Minions or supporting characters. They have a lot in common with Shi'ar as far as alien races go in Marvel- they're supposed to be SUPER-STRONG, yet I've pretty much never seen a Kree K.O. Daredevil with one punch or even lift something that heavy- it's more an implication that they're a BIT stronger than a human of comparative size.

SKRULL SOLDIERS
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #2 (Jan. 1962)
Role: Space Mooks, THE Alien Invader Race
Group Affiliations: The Skrull Empire
PL 5 (79)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Space Soldiers) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+3)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Blasters +6 Multiattack, Rebreathers, Space Armour)

Powers:
"Skrull Physiology"
Morph 4 (Any Form) [20]
Concealment 1 (Detect True Shape) [2]
Shapeshift 1 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Body Weaponry +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Blasters +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+4 Body Armour), Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Skrull Empire)
Prejudice (The Kree, Shi'ar)

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 3 (79)

-Skrulls are one of Marvel's oldest recurring villains (FF #2!), and have been used off-and-on over the years as the ultimate "Little Green Men" concept, frequently targetting the FF, but finally getting an upgrade in Secret Invasion. Now, with that over, the entire race is basically finished (in the first step of Marvel's restructuring of it's cosmic scene, the Skrulls were wiped out both by the Earth's repulsion of their forces, and the Annihilation Wave from the Negative Zone), a few stragglers left bearing the name, and even their GODS are dead. It's all for the best, as "He was really a SKRULL" was a Dead Horse Trope in Marvel Comics by this point anyways, and there was nowhere else to go.
-Common Skrulls are more costly than Kree ones, for obvious reasons (they have honest-to-God SUPER POWERS). Their Shapeshifting actually isn't very powerful beyond giving them unique appearances (offering a single rank in Shapeshift for perhaps some Body Weaponry, Elongation or something like that), as Skrulls don't just gain superhuman strength or anything at-will. They're basically like Kree plus that little Power Template otherwise, just a bit weaker and easier to kill. Any elite Skrulls will no doubt have INSANELY high Deception scores, in addition to enhanced Presence and fighting ability. Lower-level Skrulls will probably lose the Shapeshift Power entirely and get stuck with a "mere" 4 ranks of Morph.
-Skrulls are prone to absolutely yanking powers out of their asses DECADES after their introduction, owing to their Shapeshifting abilities. Of particular note are their occasionally sprouting wings and FLYING, despite never having done so, even if it would have been tremendously-useful in past stories; and Regeneration, which has been implied here or there in comics. Also, their culture was rarely well-defined for years- they were more or less just Generic Evil Conquerors. They were also known for tremendous sexual dimorphism, with the males being this hideous, big-chinned, wrinkly Frog-Men; while the women were sexy green chicks with only the tiniest of chin-wrinkles marring their Standard Comic Book Hot Chick features. Even Paragons of the race, like The Super-Skrull, were depicted as ugg-os. However, in the 2000s series Runaways, a Super-Skrull modification named Xavin basically goes "Oh, you're into women, my love? Well now I'm a chick." to his lesbian love interest, and acts like this is something Skrulls do "as casually as a human being changes their hair colour." Which is obviously a giant Retcon for a then-forty-year-old race of aliens, but I suppose there's no evidence this WASN'T true beforehand (except how pretty much every Shapeshifting "It was a SKRULL" moment involves a Skrull matching the target's sex). Oh, and now there's a few male Skrulls depicted in the female "like a beautiful human, but with slight chin folds" manner.

DIRE WRAITHS
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Al Milgrom
First Appearance: Rom: Spaceknight #1 (Dec. 1979)
Role: Elite Space Mooks, Shapeshifters
Group Affiliations: The Dire Wraith Empire
PL 7 (112)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Space Soldiers) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Perception 3 (+4)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 1, Startle

Powers:
"Dire Wraith Physiology"
Morph 4 (Any Form) [20]
Shapeshift 1 [8]

"Brain-Sucking" Strength-Damage +2 Linked to Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Limited to Slain Foes) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+5 Damage, DC 16)
Body Weaponry +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Brain-Sucking +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Control of the Galaxy)
Enemy (Galador, The Spaceknights, Rom)- The Dire Wraiths are arch-nemeses of the highly-technological people of Galador and their mighty Spaceknights.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 3 (112)

-The Dire Wraiths are the "Evil Alien Empire" of the continuity of "Rom: Spaceknight", which has it's own odd little legal entanglement going on (the character is owned by Kenner, but Marvel owns all of the comic book stuff, meaning that all of Rom's story can be used in Marvel continuity EXCEPT for the main character!). They're basically like uber-Skrulls with Brain-Sucking Power, and were the arch-nemeses of the Spaceknights of Galador. The males are technologically-powerful, while the females are powerful Magicians (who at first could not use their powers under Earth's sun). Rom sent a lot of them to Netherworld (which is basically one of Marvel's MANY Limbos- this one ruled by Immortus), and in a big climactic battle, Rom sent their entire PLANET there, which gives them a fate worse than death (many of them actually goad super-heroes into KILLING them, and a recent "Annihilators" storyline states that "even our SOULS are worn thin").
-They would be gone for a good while with only a scant few appearances here and there (this was AFTER Rom was cancelled), and popped up in the "Winter Guard" Limited Series to confound Russia's heroes (it was revealed that Fantasma had been a Dire Wraith Queen all along). The Annihilators faced some of them and forged the start of a peace with Galador, and there are even Dire Wraiths among the Universal Inhumans in the current "Fantastic Four" uber-complex arc, as one of them is now married to Black Bolt and allied with the Badoon, Centaurians & Kymellians.

BADOON SOLDIERS
Created By:
Stan Lee & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Silver Surfer #2 (Oct. 1968)
Role: Space Mooks, Reptilian Aliens
Group Affiliations: The Brotherhood of Badoon
PL 5 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Space Soldiers) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+3)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +5 Multiattack, Rebreathers, Space Armour), Ranged Attack 1

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blasters +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+4 Body Armour), Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Skrull Empire)
Prejudice (Other Genders)- The Badoon are split along gender lines- the violent males and the pacifist females.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (47)

-The Badoon are, at heart, Just Another Evil Space Empire, but they got a BIG push in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" stories, as they took over Earth and were THE Big Empire of their day. I had thought that "Marvel: Annihilation" was leading towards a Badoon surge into the "main" timeline, because when you think about it, the big three Event Arcs dealth with the falls of each major empire- The Skrulls were demolished by The Inhumans and the Annihilation Wave after they failed against Earth, the Kree were nearly wiped-out by The Phalanx, and the Shi'ar had lost massive amounts of power by "War of Kings". That, plus various characters mentioning The Badoon in passing, made me assume that THEY were going to be the new Big Thing, since all the other typical Empires (who had gotten REALLY tired by this point) were faltering. But once Abnett & Lanning were off the Cosmic Scene, it looks like the Badoon just got skipped over again.
-Badoon are here mainly to represent the "Baseline" Space Soldier- they're just like Skrulls, but lose all the Powers. Despite looking reptilian, I don't think they gain any real Reptile-based Powers.

ATLANTEANS
Created By:
Bill Everett
First Appearance: Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939)
Role: Underwater Mooks, Hot Blue People
Group Affiliations: The Super-Axis
PL 6 (70)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+7)
Expertise (Atlantean Soldier) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 1 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 2, Favoured Environment (Underwater)

Powers:
"Atlantean Physiology"
Swimming 6 (30 mph) [6]

Immunity 3 (Drowning, Cold, Pressure) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Protection 1 [1]

Equipment:
"Thrown Trident" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Ranged 7) (Diminished Range -1) (8) -- (10)
AE: "Net" Snare 5 (Flaws: Limited to One Use) (5)
AE: "Trident" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Trident +5 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +6, Fortitude +5, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Atlantis)
Enemy (Attuma)- Andromeda and her daddy are kind of at odds.
Weakness (Lack of Water)- If left without water, Atlanteans will grow progressively weaker. After a long period of time, they will becoming Fatigued, Impaired, Disabled, Stunned, etc. (in addition to dropping Strength & Stamina consistently). They will also suffocate after 10 minutes outside of water, unless they have a special helmet or serum.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 2 (70)

-Atlanteans are basically your average Underwater Jobbers in the Marvel Universe. Problematically, they're usually only a factor in Namor-based stories, which means they ALWAYS fall victim to the standard never-ending "Namor Tropes"- Atlantis falls to Attuma or Lemuria, Namor loses his throne and becomes an outcast, and then Namor comes in and kicks some ass, inspiring Black Adam to new levels of awesome in the DC Universe. So Atlanteans are usually just pricks that fight the heroes. Their biggest advantage is the fact that blue people are SMOKING hot, and the characters have every reason to wear skimpy swimsuits (since they're UNDERWATER and all), and so they're an ideal source of Fanservice. Despite this, the three most prominent Atlanteans in Marvel Comics are all pink-skinned (Namor, Namorita & Namora), but there's still Namorita-as-Kymaera mutations and Andromeda.
-Atlanteans are quite powerful for Mooks, being much stronger than ordinary humans by a considerable degree. Lemurians (the ancient enemies of Atlantis- who are all green and look more inhuman with scales and stuff) would utilize the same overall Template, and their most outstanding specimens are Llyra and her son (and Namor's sorta-clone) Llyron.

RIGELLIANS SOLDIERS
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Thor #131 (July 1966)
Role: Space Empire
Group Affiliations: The Rigellian Empire
PL 6 (67)
STRENGTH
1/7 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Space Soldiers) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+4)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +5 Multiattack, Rebreathers), Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Density Alteration"
Enhanced Strength 6 [12]
Protection 5 [5]
Features 2: Increased Mass [2]

"Mind Thrust" Mind Control 5 [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 19)
Density +4 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blasters +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2 (+7 Density), Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Responsibility (Rigellian Empire)

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 13 (67)

-The Rigellians are basically yet ANOTHER "Evil Space Empire", but they have the unique racial tricks of Mind Control and Density Control, which is definitely a rare combo. They're probably most notable for their Big Giant Heads, which make them among the dumbest looking of Marvel's races as well.

SHI'AR SOLDIERS
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #97 (Feb. 1976)
Role: Space Mooks, THE Space Empire
Group Affiliations: The Shi'ar Empire
PL 6 (62)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Space Soldiers) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+3)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6 Multiattack, Rebreathers)

Powers:
"Shi'ar Senses" Senses 4 (Extended & Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing, Acute Scent) [4]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Talons" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Blasters +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +6, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Shi'ar Empire)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (62)

-The Shi'ar effectively became THE Space Empire in Marvel Comics during the 1970s and '80s, when Chris Claremont took a major interest in Marvel's "Space Scene" (which was less-common in that era's Fantastic Four, I believe). Somehow, this brand-new, never-before-seen race was allowed to come right in and show themselves as the largest of the three main empires, bigger and better than the Skrulls OR Kree. That's something that comics has lost in a way- if such a race were to be created today, fans would decry it as a cheap Mary Sue-style thing that a writer could do that, not to mention freak out over how "Why has NOBODY ever mentioned this race before if they're so great?" But I guess in the late 1970s it didn't matter so much (the new main continuity was all of fifteen years old, really), and there was rarely a nice slow story where you COULD ask around "Who is the biggest empire?"
-The Shi'ar are most notable for Empress Lilandra, D'Ken, their attack on the X-Men & Dark Phoenix, and Marvel's various space stories. They defeated the Kree Empire in Operation: Galactic Storm, and generally come across like Space Bureaucrats who force their will on everyone else while still technically being the "best of the three big races". Shi'ar are also TOUGH, lifting 1 ton under optimal conditions, making them the most elite of the main Space Races, too. However, in almost any story I'VE ever read, they go down just as easily as Standard Mooks, so they're still below Earth heroes.

THE BROOD
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #155 (March 1982)
Role: Insectoid Aliens, Unending Hordes
Group Affiliations: The Brood
PL 8 (116)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Predator) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+7)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Startle

Powers:
"Sleazoid Physiology"
"Stinger" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 2) Linked to Weaken Strength 4 (Extras: Progressive +2) [16]
"Six Legs" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

"Bug Wings" Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]
"Chitinous Exoskeleton" Protection 1 [1]
Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]

"Brood Hive Mind" Mental Communication 5 (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Brood) [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Stinger +7 (+8 Damage & +4 Weaken, DC 23 & 14)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +0

Complications:
Obsession (Sadism)- Brood are horrible creatures, and are notorious for enjoying torture and terror.\
Motivation (Over-Running the Galaxy)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 46 / Defenses: 6 (116)

-The Brood are the eminently-hateable Bogeyman of alien races- inhuman enough to prevent ANY sympathy from the heroes killing them (murdering blue people or green men with lumpy chins would look MUCH worse than killing giant Nightmare Bugs), sadistic enough so that you ENJOY their deaths, and overall they're just completely disgusting. They threatened the X-Men, and even infected them with Brood Eggs, but right when they transformed, a Space Whale God cured them with its dying thoughts, and the day was saved. This was, of course, the story where Kitty & Colossus stated that they wanted to do the nasty, but her age prevented it from happening. Brood are currently undergoing a massive population decrease (along with almost all the "old school" alien races), as their cred as recurring foes had dropped over the years. Many, many Brood are being born with compassion now, and there's even been a few notable Good Guy Brood (one on Wolverine & The X-Men, and another on Hulk's Warbound group).

BROOD QUEEN
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #155 (March 1982)
Role: Insectoid Alien Queen, Unending Hordes
Group Affiliations: The Brood
PL 11 (200)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Predator) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 5 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+9)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Stinger), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown, Tracking

Powers:
"Sleazoid Physiology"
"Stinger" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 2) Linked to Weaken Strength 6 (Extras: Progressive +2) [21]
"Six Legs" Extra Limbs 2 [2]
Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]

"Bug Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
"Chitinous Exoskeleton" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 7) [9]
Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]

"Brood Hive Mind" Mental Communication 5 (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Brood) [20]
"Implant Brood Eggs" Affliction 10 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Transformed to Brood Hatchling) (Extras: Disease +2, Continuous +3) (Flaws: Grab-Based, Limited to Helpless Victims, Unreliable- Only a Few Eggs) (Inaccurate -1) [29]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Stinger +10 (+12 Damage & +6 Weaken, DC 27 & 16)
Implant Eggs +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +13 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +12, Will +7

Complications:
Obsession (Sadism)- Brood are horrible creatures, and are notorious for enjoying torture and terror.\
Motivation (Over-Running the Galaxy)

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 98 / Defenses: 14 (200)

-Brood Queens are PL 11 Super-Heavyweights that can hold off even the X-Men for a while. A Brood Empress is a likely even-tougher version of THIS, probably around PL 12 or 13.

THE PHALANX
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Bill Sienkiewicz
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #311 (April 1994)
Role: Implacable Robot Army, The Brainwashers
Group Affiliations: The Phalanx
PL 8 (194)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 6 (+5)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Lasers) 2 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Transmode Creature"
"Mechanical Being" Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]
"Self-Repairs" Regeneration 4 [4]
"Rotors & Engines" Flight 6 (120mph) [12]
"Interplanetary Travel" Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]
"Sensory Array" Senses 14 (Analytical Sight 2, Darkvision 2, Extended Vision 2, Distance Sense, Infravision, Microscopic Vision 2, Radio, Radius Sight 2, Rapid Sight) [14]

"Mass Form Alterations" Shapeshift 3 (Flaws: Limited to Mechanical Forms & Powers) [18]

"Inflict the Transmode Virus" Affliction 9 (Fort; Impaired & Dazed/Disabled & Stunned/Transformed & Controlled) (Feats: Incurable, Reach 4) (Extras: Extra Condition, Cumulative, Progressive +2) (50) -- [52]
AE: "Cutting Laser" Blast 8 (16)
AE: "Multi-Lasers" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (21)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Transmode Virus +7 (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Blasts +7 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Multiattack +7 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +0

Complications:

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 132 / Defenses: 7 (194)

-The Phalanx were a slightly-less-than impressive variant of the Technarch, and were the primary threat for the awful, AWFUL Phalanx Convenant cross-over. Seriously, this storyline (meant to start the Generation-X team) was awful in so many ways- it was dreary and boring, it featured lame and uninteresting villains, it featured people acting wildly out of character (Cannonball was turned into a gigantic ass that whined about everything and argued with everyone), and it went on for a ridiculous number of issues. This crappy story (and the fact that it took place during the Dark Age of Comics when the sales started to falter) meant that it's main villains were doomed to mediocrity. It took over a decade for the group to REALLY get another push, during the second Annihilation cross-over, which used them as a techno-organic empire that nearly took over the entire Universe while working for the big bad ULTRON. Of course, terrible editorial oversight meant that Ultron was being used as a villain for The Mighty Avengers AT THE SAME TIME (sure it's easily-explained since he's a robot, but come on- you can't dilute villains with over-use like that), but it was still a pretty cool story. They haven't been seen since.
-Phalanx are basically mini-version of Warlock, though quite impressive if the Mooks are PL 8.

THE ACANTI
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #156 (April 1982)
Role: Space Whales
Group Affiliations: The Acanti
PL 13 (161)
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA 17 AGILITY -3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Diehard, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Extended Hearing, Extended & Low-Light Vision) [3]
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

"Staggering Size" Growth 15 (Str & Sta +15, +15 Mass, +7 Intimidation, -7 Dodge/Parry, +3 Speed) -- (84 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [31]
"Over a Mile Long" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Extended Reach 10) (Extras: Ranged 15) [25]
"Super-Body Ram" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) [48]

Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 17) [19]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+15 Damage, DC 29)
Area Ram +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative -3

Defenses:
Dodge -10 (DC 7), Parry -7 (DC 7), Toughness +17 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude +17, Will +8

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Blue Whales cannot speak to humans, nor use their flippers to easily manipulate objects.
Disabled (Scent)- Blue Whales are thought to have either no sense of smell at all, or only tiny amounts of scent capability. Their blowholes are closed when underwater, and useless in open air.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 147 / Defenses: 6 (161)

-The Acanti are absolutely HUGE Space Whales that were kidnapped and twisted by The Brood into being their own personal interstellar vessels- their minds wrecked by a powerful Brain Virus. Their stats are basically those of non-fighting, non-parrying Giant Creatures, but their sheer size makes them dangerous. Their strength and size is sheerly staggering- they can fit large ships into their stomachs (even a baby swallowed The Starjammer whole), and the eldest was the size of a CITY, and even centuries after its death had barely half-rotted.

-So like I said, Marvel is replete with examples of one-shot Alien Races that appear for a single issue, and then vanish forever when the hero either helps them through a crisis, or kicks the invaders' butts and sends them packing. Many of these are just "odd-coloured humanoids", but there's a surprising amount of eight-foot-tall powerhouses and other weird things interspersed here. I was only going to do the reasonably well-known ones like Ovoids & junk, but wouldn't ya know I found an ENTIRE list of these bastards on Wikipedia and had an hour of free time, so enjoy a STAGGERING amoung of mini-Templates to throw onto whatever. You can throw one of these onto my Badoon Build (as a Generic Spaceman Build), some of my Mook builds, a Caveman, etc., to equal just about any kind of Villainous Alien Mook.

Other Races:
Aakon: Yellow skin, didn't like humanity. A ton got killed in the Annihilation Wave.
Aedians: Thin humanoids with long craniums. (Mental Communication 4, Mental Awareness- Ranged 8, Mind-Reading 8) [45]
A'askvarii: Green men with octopus traits. (Extra Limbs 4, Immunity to Drowning, Pressure & Cold, Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [9]
Achernonians: Purple men with pre-industrial tech and a dictatorial government. (Some can go Insubstantial 4) [20]
A-Chiltarians: Many eyes and purple-furred. Aggressive & tempermental. (Radius Sight, Perception +4) [3]
Alpha Centaurians: Aquatic grey humanoids who faced Namor. (Immunity to Drowning, Cold & Pressure, Environmental Adaptation, Swimming 4) [12]
Amebids: Jellyfish aliens from Sakaar. (Half-Immunity to Blunt Damage, Flight 1- Low Ceiling) [11]
Anthrosians: Annihilus' race- insectoid monsters. (Alien Mind- Half-Immunity to Mental Powers) [10]
Arcturans: Pink-white people. Half of the population is mutant in nature. StarHawk & Aleta of the Guardians of the Galaxy are Arcturans.
Astrans: Yellow people with magnetic powers. (Move Object 6- Limited to Metals) [6]
Autocrons: Blue-black humanoids, made of iron and from a militaristic world. (Strength & Stamina +5) [20]
Axi-Tun: Human-like guys with energy powers. No idea what kind, though.
---
Ba-Bani: Yellow skin, ruled under military dictatorships in a planet-wide war.
Baluurians: Strong humanoids living in the Negative Zone- Blastaar and Burstaar are members of this race. (Strength & Stamina +5) [20]
Betans: Purple men with wings. They appeared in Marvel's Godzilla books. (Winged Flight 2) [2]
Bidoceros: Flat-bodied things with a tube mouth. No idea what their stats would be like. (Slithering) [2]
---
Centaurians: Yondu of the Guardians of the Galaxy is one of these. They have blue skin and big red fins, making them pretty cool-looking. (Mind-Reading 10- Limited to Emotions, Ranks 4-6 Limited to Animals -3, Senses 5 (Magic Awareness, Detect Alien Element, Cosmic Awareness- Extended 4- Limited to Ecological Questions) [7]
Centurii: Yellow-skinned humanoids. Largely philosophers & artists.
Chr'Ylites: Tiny insectoids looking like Dragonflies mixed with Helicopters. Sikorsky of the StarJammers is one. (Shrinking 8, Winged Flight 3, Insight +4) [22]
Ciegrimites: Green men with snail-traits. (Strength -1, Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1) [0]
Clavians: Tribal people who looked just like humans.
Contraxians: Jack of Hearts' race, with his half-and-half colouring.
Cotati: The plant-like race that was nearly wiped out by the Kree's genocide- they shared a world. They became immobile, but gained telepathy, and had a bunch to do with Mantis & The Swordsman. (Agility -5, Mental Communication 3) [5]
Courga: Tall dog-like people. (Strength & Stamina +2) [8]
---
Dakkamites: Basically Kryptonians. Quantum is one of them.
Darbians: Tall human-like men. (Strength & Stamina +2, Reach, Blast 8) [25]
D'Bari: These unfortunate plant-folk are most famous for a single panel in "X-Men" lore, featuring Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix going completely nuts and wiping out their Solar System and nova-ing their sun.
Deonists: Skinny race with pale white skin.
Druffs: Tiny pink, timid creatures. They're basically rapidly-reproducing Tribbles. (Shrinking 4, Stamina -2, Summon Druff 1- Reaction +3, Extra Minion +2) [16]
---
Elan: Green men with antennae & hooves with near-limitless psionic Power, but are peaceful. (Growth 2, Strength & Stamina +1, Transform Anything 10- Continuous, Move Object 10) [89]
Entemen: Octopus men. (Extra Limbs 4) [4]
Epsiloni: Pink-skinned, fanged parasitse. (Weaken Stamina 8- Limited to 1 per Round, Enhanced Strength & Stamina 5- Requires Drain) [14]
Ergons: Red, merciless race. (Strength & Stamina +5) [20]
Ethereals: Stardust is one of these energy beings. (Insubstantial 3, Immunity- Life Support & Aging, Space Travel 2, Flight 10) [50]
---
Flb'Dbi: Semi-Arachnids. (Shrinking 4, Extra Limbs 4, Mental Communication 2, Mind-Reading 4, Immunity to Aging) [32]
Fomalhauti: Amoebic Blobs. (Shrinking 4, Extra Limbs 2, Insubstantial 1, Mental Communication 2, Mind-Reading 2) [30]
Fonabi: 16' giants who are nonetheless quite weak. Except for Terminus, who grew HUGE. (Growth 5- Limited to Non-STR & STA Boosts) [5]
Fortisuians: Human-like people.
Froma: Large Green men. (Strength & Stamina +2, Flight 4- Low Ceiling) [12]
---
Galadorians: The founders of the Space Knights- Rom is a member. Appear human.
Gegku: Semi-aquatic green men. (Strength & Stamina +1, Immunity- Drowning, Environmental Adaptation, Swimming 5) [12]
Glx: Semi-humanoid silicon people. One of them fused Hammer & Anvil together. (Strength & Stamina +3) [12]
Gramosians: Blue-black humanoids. (Energy Blast 7) [14]
Grunds: Yellow short people. (Shrinking 4, Antennae Blast 7) [23]
Guna: Reptilians. (Burrowing 4) [4]
---
H'ylthri: Sentient plants. (Strength & Stamina +4, Summon Plants 4, Snare 5, AE: Poison Barbs- Affliction 5- Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) [40]
Herm: Giant whale-people who were nearly invincible. (Growth 20, Insubstantial 3- Energy, Flight 6, Space Travel 2, Life Support, Immune to Aging) [83]
Horusians: Brown or yellow-skinned big guys. They disguise themselves as Gods of whatever planet they visit (like Egyptian Gods), to inspire awe. (Strength & Stamina +2, Reach) [9]
Hujah: Giant Serpents. (Growth 4, Slithering, Move Object 6) [23]
---
Interdites: Blue-skinned people with psionic powers, their civilization was wiped out by the Badoon. (Precognition, other psionic powers) [4 + ??]
---
Judans: 12' oval-shaped men with giant faces. (Growth 4, Extra Limbs 2, Move Object 2) [15]
---
K'Lanti: Pale-skinned people. (Fligth 2) [4]
Kallusians: Pink-skinned men.
Kamado: Muscular men who threatened Earth in The Defenders. (Strength & Stamina +3) [12]
Kawa: 10' Reptile men. (Growth 2, Strength & Stamina +1) [13]
Klklk: Large insect men. (Strength & Stamina +4, Antennae Blast 6) [28]
Kodabaks: Pig-like men.
Korbinites: Beta-Rey Bill's orange race.
Kosmosians: Giant amoebas that hypnotize victims to death. (Growth 8, Elongation 3, "Hypnosis" Weaken Stamina 8- Perception Range) [44]
Kronans: Korg of the Warbound's rock-men race that were Thor's first opponents. (Strength & Stamina +10, Increased Mass 2, Reach, Impervious Toughness 9, Immunity- Life Support & Heat) [67]
Krylorians: Humanoids with advanced tech.
Kt'kn: Small insectoids (Shrinking 4, Extra Limbs 2, Mental Communication 2, Acute & Analytical Mental Sense) [24]
Kymellians: Horse-people, including the one who empowered Power Pack in their origin story. Some develop super-powers like the Power Pack kids.
---
Landlaks: Humanoids from an FF book.
Lava Men: Old-school Thor foes who are pretty mindless. (Lava Aura 6) [24]
Laxidazians: A pretty punny name for a lazy race. Pip the Troll is one. (Strength -1) [-2]
Lem: Red serpentine race that eat through holes in their chests. (Slithering) [2]
Levians: Blue people who wiped out their home planet thanks to environmental damage.
Lumina: Human-like, but live much longer, and founded the Charter from Shogun Warriors (Immunity to Aging) [1]
Luphomoids: Nebula is one. They're blue, I guess.
---
Majesdanians: Enemies of the Skrulls who met the Runaways. (Immunity to Solar Damage, Solar Blast 10- Fades) [25]
Makluans: Fin Fang Foom's interstellar Dragon race. (Growth 14, Impervious Toughness 13, Winged Flight 9, Mental Communication 4, Mind-Reading 4, Immunity 5- Aging, Disease, Poison, Hot, Cold, Regeneration 6- Diehard, Tail- Extra Limb 1, Low-Light Vision & Acute Scent, Acid Breath 12- 60ft. Cone/60ft. Line +2/Fists 12 30ft. Burst/Blast 14) [115]
Mandos: 9' tall guys (Strength & Stamina +5, Space Travel 1, Environmental Immunities) [27]
Marvanites: 40' tall Giants with big heads. (Growth 10, Flight 6, Force Beams 10, AE: Teleport 10) [54]
Mekkans: Robots. (Strength +4, Immunity 30, No Stamina) [38 -Stamina Score]
Megans: Semi-Reptilian race met in Godzilla books, at war with the Betans. (Wall-Crawling) [2]
Mephitisoids: Hepzibah (of the Starjammers) was one of these Skunk-People. (Low-Light Vision, Claws +1, Acute & Extended Scent, Pheromone Communication 2; males have Reaction Affliction 6- Scent-Dependent Mind Control) [14] or [56]
Microns: Part of a Sub-Atomic Universe. Technically VERY tiny, but generic in their own 'verse.
M'Ndavians: Highly-intelligent and the best law-makers and understanders in the universe. (Int +4, Expertise- Legal +8) [12]
Mobians: 8' tall Orange guys. (Strength & Stamina +2, Immunity to Heat, Cold, Pressure, Radiation, Drowning, Suffocation) [14]
Morani: 20-foot Humanoids. (Growth 6, Some have Bioelectric Blast 8) [29]
Myndai: Humanoid race from Shogun Warrior.
---
Nanda: Light green guys who look like Rimellians. Met the Shogun Warriors.
Nuwali: Created the Savage Land for the Beyonders. No idea what they're like.
Nymenians: Hippo-people. (Strength & Stamina +1) [4]
---
Ovoids: Mind-Transferring guys who trained Dr. Doom to be immortal. Way to go, you round-headed dorks. (Affliction 6- Will; Entranced/Compelled/Transformed Mind, Perception Range, Flaws: Must Leave Own Mind) [12]
---
Pegasusians: 20-foot Reptilians. (Growth 6, Flight 6) [25]
Pheragots: 10-foot Humanoids. (Growth 3, Strength +2, Stamina +2) [15]
Plodex: Marrina's race. (See Marrina for basic stats)
Procyonites: Tortoise-like Humanoids. (Strength +1, Stamina +1, Protection 3, Impervious 7) [14]
Prosilicans: The Watcher's ancestors gave them atomic energy, and they blew themselves up.
Poppupians: The Impossible Man's goofy race. (Shapeshift 10, Life Support 10, Immunity to Aging, Space Travel 2, Flight 6) [91]
---
Queega: Reptilians who showed up in Daredevil, back when it was just another random hero book. (Electric Aura 4, AE: "Cold" Affliction 6- Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Incapacitated) [17]
Quists: Lame X-Men foe Lucifer was one, and they look like 6'5"-ish Humans. (Strength +1, Stamina +1) [4]
Quo Modari: Space pacifists using diplomacy. Seen in Force Works. (Insight +4) [2]
Quons: Amphibious brown race. (Strength +3, Stamina +3, Swimming 4, Immunity to Drowning, Environmental Adaptation) [18]
Qwrlln: Alpha Flight race. No info about them.
---
Rajaks: Space pirates, many of whom were killed by Ultimo.
Reptoids: Snake-men servants of Korvac.
Rhunians: Pointy-eared humanoids that are apparently a MILE TALL, and can consume entire planets. Sounds more like Galactus or the Celestials to me. Exactly what other stuff they possess is beyond me.
R'malk'i: Sentient trees, more or less. Basically Bystanders with Mental Communication 2. They have to uproot themselves to move around, probably implying low Stamina.
Roclites: The Blood Brothers' race. Not sure if they possess the Bros' Sibling Proximity Powers. (Strength +2, Stamina +2) [8 + ??]
Ruul: An evolved form of Kree. (Use Kree Soldiers as a Template, with +2 Strength & Stamina, and likely higher other stats as well) [8 + ??]
R'zahnians: Red skin.
---
Saggitarians: Grey-skinned fin-headed types.
Sakaarans: The red-skinned natives of the World War Hulk planet, Sakaar.
Sarks: Light blue, Universal Church of Truth members.
Saurids: Ch'od of the Starjammers is one of these powerful Reptilians. (Strength & Stamina +6, Features 2: Increased Mass 2, Immunity to Drowning & Heat, Swimming 4, Speed 1, Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic & Swamp-Based) [35]
Scatter: Insect hive-mind living inside people's bodies. (Use the stats for one of Swarm's bee swarms, minus the Stings, plus Touch Range Mind Control 8. Not sure if they're really sentient or not) [28]
Scy'ar Tal: Eventually wiped out the Shi'ar but pledged their deaths.
Sidri: Hive-mind-like giant beetles. (Strength & Stamina +3, Extra Limbs 2, Life Support, Mental Communication 3 with Sidri, "Ship Form" with Growth 20, Space Travel 2- Requires Other Sidri) [58]
Siris: Octopus-like race. (Extra Limbs 4, Elongation 1- Limited to Limbs) [5]
Sirusites: The Holy World of the Universal Church of Truth. Humanoid.
Sirians: Humanoids conquered by Quists, and one of them came to conquer Earth, but the Avengers beat him up.
Sligs: Eight-limbed insectoids. (Extra Limbs 4, Elongation 1- Limited to Limbs, Low-Ceiling Flight 1, Mind-Reading 5) [16]
Sm'ggani: Big orange bugs. (Strength +4, Stamina +4, Wall-Crawling) [18]
Sneepers: Minor race with a tiny empire- hoping to rule the galaxy. Green skin.
Sleepwalkers: One member was part of the 1990s nigh-forgotten series after being trapped in Rick Sheridan's mind. Plenty of weird psionic powers whose stats elude me.
Solons: Big blue humanoids. (Strength +2, Stamina +2, vague Psionic Powers) [8 + ??]
Spartoi: Humanoid species of Star-Lord.
Sssth: Big reptilians. (Strength +2, Stamina +2) [8]
Stark: The Stark are purple humanoids who built their society off of Tony Stark's technology.
Stenth: Yellow humanoids.
Stonians: Gargoyle-like humanoids. (Strength +1, Winged Flight 4) [6]
Strontians: Purple humanoids who bequeathed to us Gladiator, Praetor of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, and eventual Emperor. (Full Superman Power-Set at PL 12-ish levels minimum)
---
Taurians: Orange big guys, mostly wiped out by Galactus. (Strength +2, Stamina +2) [8]
Tektons: Primitives. (Use Neanderthal Man with Strength +3 & "Tail" Extra Limb 1)
Thuvrians: Oversized heads, and they have a Middle Ages-type world.
Tribbitites: The "Toad Men" who fought The Hulk in one of his goofy earlier issues. (Strength -1, Stamina -1) [-4]
Tribunals: Sentient Energy that can take any form. (Insubstantial 3, Teleport 10- Extended, AE: Dimensional Travel, AE: Morph 3) [47]
Troyjans: Race of warlords that fought The Hulk in the '90s.
Tsiln: Gigantic orange humanoids. Oddly, they first appeared in SPIDER-MAN's book of all places. (use the Mountain Giants that I built for my Fantasy World)
Tsyrani: Six fingers or toes on each limb, and operate under the Shi'ar Empire. Appeared in Spider-Woman.
---
Ul'lula'ns: Giant tentacled fish. (Use Great White Shark, add "Tentacles" Extra Limbs 2, Reach 2, Morph 3, vague Mental Powers)
Uncreated: Super-Atheists that want to hunt down all religions and destroy them. They all committed suicide when the Starjammers confronted them with the image of their Creator-God. (Strength & Stamina +2, Claws +1, Quill Aura 2) [17]
The Undying: Created by the alien Serayns, who could not leave their home planet due to their fragile bodies. Meant to be explorers, they could possess people, and turned out to have no sense of morality, feeling only an "unquenchable thirst for death". They threatened Cable and some allies (G.W. Bridge, Domino, Jean Grey, The Beast), and eventually they were reprogrammed to be able to only possess cockroaches for the rest of eternity. Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects), Protection 8, "Possession" Mind Control 9 (Extras: Possession) [83]
---
Vegans: 30' tall Humanoids. One fought Giant-Man in his weak '60s adventures. (Growth 9) [19]
Vorms: Huge reptilians. (Growth 5, "Tail" Extra Limb 1, Low-Light Vision, Vulnerable to Heat) [13]
Vrellnixians: Insectoids with four arms. (Extra Limbs 2, some have Winged Flight 4) [2] or [6]
---
Wilameanis: Humanoids, had a popular spaceport.
Wobbs: Semi-Humanoids. (Comprehend Languages 3, Mental Communication 1) [11]
---
Xandarians: Founded the Nova Corps, and wiped out by The Annihilation Wave.
Xantareans: Reptilians. (Strength +2, Stamina +2) [8]
Xantha: Tiny humanoids. (Strength -2, Stamina -2) [-8]
Xartans: Shapeshifters. (Morph 3, Strength +2, Stamina +2) [23]
Xeronians: Tall guys with five eyes- only two of which get used at once, for some reason. (Strength +2, Stamina +2) [8]
Xixix: They lost their world to Galactus.
---
Yirbek: Reptilians.
Yrest: Yrds are green-skinned and pretty tall. (Strength +2, Stamina +2, "Horn" +1) [9]
---
Zen-Whoberi: Gamora's race. Green skin.
Zenn-La: Silver Surfer's race.
Z'nox: Reptilians.
Zundamite: Giant yellow-skinned guys. (Growth 3, Immunity- Heat, Cold, Radiation, Pressure, Suffocation & Drowning) [13]
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

The Avengers

Post by Jabroniville »

THE AVENGERS:

-The Avengers have had a long, storied run as one of Marvel's top books that was never QUITE the top book, until very, very recently. See, back in the 1960s, The Avengers were basically a rip-off of the Justice League of America- a collection of all Marvel's top-selling solo heroes (Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Ant-Man & The Wasp)- but the Fantastic Four was by then dedicated as Marvel's #1 book, and it was soon followed with Spider-Man. So The Avengers was really just #3 for most of the '60s, despite having some pretty big villains (the early Masters of Evil, Kang, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk after he turned on them). It's an odd book to look at nowadays, as the team fits together even more oddly than the FF does (The Hulk quit almost immediately- which you'd NEVER see in JLA). It never really "felt" like the Avengers until they thawed Captain America out of the ice to serve as their new leader, which set off a major era in the books. Of course, that was only issue #4, and we were on our way.

-It's a testament to the book's standing that at one point, ALL the originals left, with Cap sticking in an unproven group of ex-cons in the role. Can you imagine them trying that today? Every new line-up change has tons of fans whining about their favourites missing, and complaining about writer-faves showing up, and here The Avengers pulled one of the biggest roster-switches of all time in the mid-1960s with Cap, Iron Man foe Hawkeye, & background X-Men villains the Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver suddenly showing up as a new, deliberately-weaker team of guys. But that risky move (while making the Avengers even more of a B-level book) ended up revolutionizing all of those characters, who have since moved on to iconic Avenger status. And this gave the Avengers a status not enjoyed by many other teams- it was the book that CONTAINED some A-list characters, but often made its name using lesser-known C & D-List characters and then MAKING something out of them. Since Cap, Thor & Iron Man were always busy with their own stories in their own books, this freed up story space for the personal interactions of Hawkeye, Hank Pym (since his own snippet of a book was cancelled) and more. This gave us the best of BOTH worlds, and allowed Marvel to solve the old problem of "nothing in the Main Book ever matters" for the "unchangeable" guys like Thor, who after a point would have his own creative team, doing their own thing- if you give The Avengers at least SOME heroes unique to that book, then you CAN have stories that change things.

-The early brawls the team got into would be CLASSIC Silver Age: books in the '60s would actually re-use villains for months at a time, despite the comics themselves being mostly one-shots. So they'd fight Baron Zemo and his Masters of Evil (taken from the enemies of the respective heroes) one issue, then have to fight them AGAIN an issue later. THEN he'd create a super-powered guy named Wonder Man and fight them AGAIN. They'd also fight The Hulk & The Sub-Mariner, Kang the Conquerer, Thor's half-brother Loki, and more.

The 1970s:
-Stan Lee & Jack Kirby left the book pretty early on, but it was the newer creative teams that really set the standard on the book. It was there, with Roy Thomas & John Buscema, that we got new concepts like Ultron, The Vision, The Black Panther (created for the FF book) and more. Several iconic storylines followed- the Kree/Skrull War (with the legendary Neal Adams-drawn "Ant-Man goes into Vision's comatose body and fights his antibodies" story), etc. The Avengers met up with The Squadron Supreme (a winking jab at DC's Justice League), Arkon the Thunderer, and more. The Black Knight & Black Widow joined the team, and they frequently allied with Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell).

-Steve Englehart soon took over the book, and turned it into The Mantis Story. By bringing in the villainous Swordsman and his new, mysterious Vietnamese Bug-Hooker, Englehart set off The Celestial Madonna storyline, a multi-part epic that is still talked about today. His obvious Fanwankery over Mantis aside, it was pretty big. Hawkeye saves the Universe (one of the first among many times where ONLY HE can do it), Mantis runs off to have plant-babies, The Swordsman redeems himself, and The Vision & The Scarlet Witch FINALLY hook up after years of tortured relations. Soon, former X-Man The Beast joins the team with an all-new, fun-loving personality ("he discovered pot", sez Englehart), acting as a humorous wacky man. George Perez got recognized as the new Avengers artist, and Moondragon also joined the team. In true Marvel standards, she was a giant bitch, thus shaking up the roster and allowing more conflict. Wonder Man would finally be resurrected after constant teases and added to the group, giving it someone who could lose the fight to make Thor look better.

-Englehart's run begat Jim Shooter's, who set off The Korvac Saga, his own opus about a Cosmically-Powerful Thor villain named Michael Korvac, gaining supreme power and having to be put down. He slays The Avengers & Guardians of the Galaxy, but realizes what he's done and resurrects them, committing suicide because all of the universe's Cosmic Powers have awakened to his threat. Finally reading it decades later, I was a bit confused, and Korvac seems a lot more menacing than Shooter's sad "oh, he could have been a heroic force if everyone had handled this differently" eulogy. H.P. Gyrich was added to the book, acting as the perfect Obstructive Bureaucrat, pissing everyone off like a good government liaison should. In 1979, Marvel finally admitted to the "open secret" that Magneto was the father of two Avengers- Wanda & Pietro Maximoff. The Vision & Wanda are married, and Ms. Marvel, a feminist Flying Brick, joins the team.

The 1980s:
-In the '80s, Hank Pym would go crazy and slap his wife, and would never live it down, sadly dropping his coolest costume ever. He would largely retire from super-heroics for the decade, despite redeeming himself IN THE SAME STORYLINE (which people forget happened). Roger Stern would begin his run here, taking over the team for most of the decade, even while Englehart formed The West Coast Avengers, a gathering of some of the "cool" members as Hawkeye split off his own squad. Mark Gruenwald, then Avengers Editor, was happy, but realized a mistake- they'd unwittingly split up The Trinity of Avengers by removing Iron Man from Cap & Thor, and plunking him on the West Coast. This decade being the start of "Franchising" Marvel's heroes (we had West Coast Avengers, a Spectacular Spider-Man, X-Factor and New Mutants, and more), it was perhaps inevitable. This squad would feature Hawkeye, Iron Man (in the rad Silver Centurion armor), Wonder Man, Tigra (formerly The Cat) and Mockingbird, Hawkeye's wife. It'd soon gather OTHER East Coasters like The Wasp & Scarlet Witch.

-Stern's run was EXCELLENT. He would add Monica Rambeau to the team as Captain Marvel II, and make her his Pet Character, throw NAMOR of all people on the squad (with only a bit of his rambunctious personality intact), and add She-Hulk while putting The Black Knight back on the squad as a generic guy. Hercules would also join, but be beaten up during the classic Under Siege story, which featured Stern & Gru gathering a HUGE army of villains together into a new Masters of Evil, while a new Baron Zemo tortured Captain America by burning all of his precious mementos (the only picture of his mother) and torture poor butler Jarvis before his eyes. THEN the Avengers would have to deal with a bunch of pissed-off Olympians, deal with the paunchy jerk Doctor Druid becoming the new Team Asshole, Namor's leaving after mercy-killing his poor wife Marrina, and more.

-Starfox would also join, the team would fight Nebula, and they'd all move to Hydrobase once the Mansion was destroyed by the Masters in Under Siege. Alas, Stern's run came to an end when Gru as Editor interjected himself and forced Cap back on as team leader instead of Captain Marvel (Stern had recently upgraded her after The Wasp stepped down), resulting in some REALLY dark years for the book. Walt Simonson and others would take over, but the team would lose traction quickly, with multiple writers taking over. This is a curious time, as since Gru's died NOBODY says ill of the man, but clearly editorial stuff was getting involved here.

-Gru WOULD, at least, define much of the Avengers' charter (he's a HUGE nerd for details and specifics, as anyone who's read his Official Handbooks would know; I'm much the same). John Byrne, in taking over both books, would ruin The Vision for years by reverting him to a soulless robot, splitting up his marriage and sending Wanda into the arms of Wonder Man... plus she went crazy, which had some repurcussions for later. Acts of Vegeance would come and go, and not have much success. Gilgamesh, Quasar and Sersi would join the team, followed by Rage (who quickly joins The New Warriors). The West Coast Avengers would add War Machine, Living Lightning, U.S. Agent, Moon Knight, Firebird, the original Human Torch and a new Spider-Woman in Julia Carpenter.

The 1990s:
-Bob Harras would show up and immediately throw the team into its darkest period: The Leather Jacket Era. See... The X-Men at the time were the most popular characters in comics by a LONG ways, largely amped-up by Chris Claremont's huge run gathering steam for over a decade, as well as the work of a revolving door of hot young artists who drew an increasingly bad-ass looking X-team. This would culminate with Jim Lee's brilliant work, which also featured a lot of stylish brown leather jackets on people like Gambit, and popularized the "Bad-Ass Jacket Over Super-Hero Uniform" look. In a sad attempt at copying this, the floundering Avengers title would latch onto the obvious VISUAL elements of the X-Titles, without mimicking any of the stuff that'd ACTUALLY MADE THE X-TITLES GOOD TO READ- Leather Jackets. And so we had Sersi the Eternal dropping her green onesie and wearing a black & red number... with a brown jacket. The Black Knight, still decked out in Arthurian Armor Plate, would throw on... a brown jacket. Hercules, bless him, wouldn't wear one, but OH GOD DID HE EVER put on an ugly-ass shoulder-padded outfit. I've even seen pictures of Captain America & The Black Widow wearing the ubiquitous brown jackets. Naturally, they all had an "A" logo on them, copying the X-Men's "X" logo exactly. It was a move as pointless as it would be tragically-obvious.

-Harras would add Crystal to the team, and the failed Event Story Operation: Galactic Storm wouldn't gain much traction, despite basically ending The Kree as a threat for years. The West Coast team would be forcibly taken-down by the baseline team, which would then refuse the offer of "absorption" into the main league, and form Force Works instead. Unfortunately, Force Works was a failure of an EXTREEEEEEEEEEEME '90s book, and would quickly fail.

-The whole thing ended in disaster with The Crossing, a storyline so hated that Marvel went out of its way to Retcon it out of existence (it featured Tony Stark having been revealed as a double-agent for Kang, and replaced by a Teen Tony who was free of corruption), and finally Heroes Reborn allowed a Soft Reboot of sorts as all the mainstream heroes but Spider-Man died in battle against Onslaught. With a year and so's break, The Avengers came roaring back with an all-new volume, with the EPIC creative team of Kurt "Continuity Nerd" Busiek & George Perez. Busiek, as enamored with plot threads as Gruenwald but a better writer, easily turned the team around and made a big success out of it, coming into the Post-Modern Era of comics (after the Comic Book Crash that accompanied the Leather Jacket Era) with great new stories.

Busiek & Perez's team was The Big Three, plus a revived Wonder Man, The Scarlet Witch and former New Warriors Justice & Firestar, soon to be joined by The Vision, Silverclaw & Triathlon (whose $cientology-themed Big Arc never really panned out, leaving him forgettable). The run went for a couple years, and was a big hit, resurrecting Perez's flagging career (thanks to his frequent illnesses and delays), and ending with a huge Kang-themed arc.

The 2000s:
-Geoff Johns would get a short, unpopular arc out (even he's not impressed with it) before leaving to revolutionize DC, and then... Chuck Austen. Bleh. The two would add Jack of Hearts, Scott Lang's Ant-Man, and a new Captain Britain to the team, but some Indie writer named Brian Michael Bendis would take over and have a more long-lasting effect than anyone before or since, unbeknownst to everyone. The Scarlet Witch sets off a storm of events revolving around her broken psyche (a mostly-ignored thing ever since it turned out her children were living figments of her own imagination), kills Vision, Hawkeye, Jack of Hearts & Scott Lang, and removes a huge portion of the Mutants on Earth. Avengers: Disassembled was controversial as HELL, but effectively wiped the slate clean for Bendis's new team.

-Soon, Bendis combines several of Marvel's "Big Name" characters onto one book- Cap, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine and The Sentry are joined by the '70s Spider-Woman and Luke Cage (as Token Black Guy), effectively making a franchise out of the team, combining big-selling characters (Spidey, Wolvie), established Avengers (Tony, Cap) a big new character (Sentry) and a highly-visible female & black male (the other two). This team soon splits up due to Civil War, with the Street Levelers siding with Cap and the others going with Tony because of the Superhuman Registration Act. The Avengers splits into two books once again, and suddenly men who had never joined the team over the decades were now Avengers- guys like Iron Fist and Dr. Strange. This was now the Era of Events, as big story after big story hits, resulting in multiple shake-ups that last a couple years. Despite Avengers now being a big-name franchise (if anything, Bendis succeeded in making them a bigger deal than The X-Men was), it was now mostly used as a "Talking Heads" book revolving around whatever Big Event was going on- Secret Invasion, Dark Reign and others.

-Iron Man & Carol Danvers set up a new team of Mighty Avengers using some OTHER names (Ares), but soon the whole shebang was taken over by Norman Osborn as part of Dark Reign- watching Tony Stark bungle The Secret Invasion got him fired, and Norman, as a notable "redeemed villain" thanks to actions during the war, was given the role, effectively showing WHY Registration was such an awful idea in the FIRST PLACE (in the writers' defense, the U.S. Government is WELL-KNOWN for dropping nasty characters into high-power positions. You think Osborn's rap sheet is bigger than Henry Kissinger's?). Osborn forms The Dark Avengers comprised of nutcases and barely-controlled villains in place of the regular Avengers (Wolverine's evil son Daken, Moonstone as Ms. Marvel, Bullseye as Hawkeye, insane Marvel Boy, plus The Sentry still).

-Hank Pym led a new team of Mighty Avengers as The Wasp (a notorious attempt at Mary Sue-ing him into credibility that only backfired and made people hate him more), there were seemingly 900 Avengers books out there, and finally we hit the next decade.

The 2010s:
-Siege was an awful, stupid event, that crapped on the entire Dark Reign concept of "Villain takes over, but slowly grows more corrupt and obvious, and the heroes take him down" by making Osborn a ludicrously-stupid idiot who attacked Asgard for no damned reason. The disappointing storyline (someone I know said something like "this is supposed to be the triumphant return of Captain America to bring down the villains, and the best they can do is a panel of him leading The Young Avengers?") capped off with a whimper and really went nowhere. The Heroic Age was at least less of an event and more of a New Status Quo, with the split-up Avengers making nice. About 10,000 Avengers books sprouted up once again, making keeping track of them impossible, but hey- that's the price of Franchising. We even had a Secret group that added a bunch of guys in as one-shots. The Avengers fought The X-Men in one of the stupidest events in comics history (and that's SAYING SOMETHING), because the entire point was dumb ("We should protect Hope" "NO! YOU GUYS SUCK! LET'S FIGHT AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!").

Currently, we're halfway throught the decade, and there are new caretakers around. Bendis has FINALLY left (he was good at building from one event to the next, but I got REALLY sick of him writing his David Mamet-Speak style for EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER, making entire groups of teammates sound identical to each other), leaving Jonathan Hickman to write his giant Myth Arc. Infinity was alright in parts, but WAY too long and rambling, leading to a lot of redundancy, Filler Issues and meaningless crap in between all of the awesome fights and some great dialogue. He JSA'd the team into a giant, bloated roster that made characterization of anyone impossible, thus negating potentially-interesting new characters & Avengers like Manifold, Cannonball, Sunspot & Smasher into one-note forgotten background people. He's too critcally-vague about many other things as well, like The White Event mentioned at the beginning being important, but it then gets ignored for other stories for YEARS.

-Hickman's stories have a tendency towards some great moments and bad-ass acts, but... they're light on characterization (to the point where I didn't realize Shang-Chi was on the team until he got a focus issue, nor do any of the new characters have any kind of real "character" to them that makes them worth cheering for or hating), and he has a MAJOR weakness regarding clarity. And clarity is quite possibly the MOST important, MOST underrated aspect of any writer's talents- if people can't figure out what the hell is going on due to lack of (or vague) explanations, then they're going to get out of the story.

-Also, there's like three pairings of male characters that have an INSANE amount of homoerotic interaction- the series starts with Tony smiling his way into Captain America's bedroom and flirting with him, Thor & Hyperion being all Alpha Male Fatherly Bros with each other, and Sunspot & Cannonball have turned into life partner fratboys. We're talking crossing Ken/Ryu levels of gay into Sam/Frodo territory here- it is REALLY, REALLY HOMOEROTIC. Which actually only makes the books better, because it's hilarious.

-The old Illuminati group got back together, making dark plans behind everyone's backs, because simply being up-front and going all "oh hey this is going on- any help?" is UNACCEPTABLE and they have to do all this stuff to commit Genocide to protect their Earth (I mean, I get that it's better than letting BOTH worlds die, but still- why hide the problem from EVERYONE ELSE?).

----

Summation:

-The book's been EVERYWHERE. Its status as a major-league Marvel title gave it a great pick of creative teams, with icons like Thomas, Buscema, Steve Englehart, George Perez, Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid and others all trying their shot, and though the Cap's Kooky Quartet team was viewed with some derision, it set the standard- while other books had constant rosters, The Avengers had EVERYBODY. At any given moment, a half-dozen guys would leave the team, and be replaced with rarely-seen or unheard-of characters. Where else would you get Hercules (initially a Thor rival), The Black Widow (another criminal-turned-hero), Wonder Man (resurrected "died a hero" villain), The Beast (then unused by the X-books), Warbird (a failed solo hero), the Black Knight (hero with a villainous legacy), Swordsman, and others. It also became common for new creators to just invent their own new heroes to add to what was once a "Major Heroes" collective roster. Englehart created his own Mary Sue, The Mantis, to the team. Thomas had the aforementioned Vision. Kurt Busiek & George Perez threw in Silverclaw. Many of these characters utterly flopped, but it gave The Avengers the biggest roster in all of comics, with characters bursting at the seams.

-So it's been a crazy run, with varying levels of success. One of the biggest teams in history, with all sorts of major names and jobbers alike, legends and forgotten people on the same roster (often at the same time). By doing these builds, I basically throw down and build nearly every major hero in the Marvel Universe that isn't an X-Man.


The Avengers Roster:

The Originals:
Iron Man- Only gets more important to the team with time.
Thor- The team's heavy-hitter.
Henry Pym (Ant-Man, later other names)
The Wasp- The Token Chick. Hank's then-girlfriend, later made Leader and given different attributes.
The Hulk- Quits in only the SECOND ISSUE, and rejoins only decades later.

The 1960s:
Captain America- Joins in Avengers #4, having been unthawed. Pretty much became THE charter and most-important member within months, and is easily the man most-associated with the group.
Hawkeye- Archer and reformed criminal. Later becomes one of the men most-associated with the group, and a charter member of the West Coast branch.
The Scarlet Witch- Walking Macguffin and sexy lady addition.
Quicksilver- Speedster. Takes up the much needed "Team Asshole" role. Frequently leaves the team for decades at a time, and gets roped back into X-related stuff more often than with The Avengers.
Swordsman- Joins and is expelled in Avengers #20, only to rejoin for a short story a decade later.
Hercules- Thor Lite. Later gets some different traits in a 2000s series.
The Black Panther- Becomes more of an Avenger, despite debuting as an FF supporting character.
The Vision- Density-controlling android. Ultron's creation, but turns on him and joins the team.
The Black Knight- I had no idea he joined way back when. Descended from villains, he's a scientist attempting to reform while wearing Medieval looking gear.

The 1970s:
The Black Widow- Spy Girl, later becomes a Team Leader in the '90s.
Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)- Major ally. Cosmic defender. EPIC '70s Hair.
Mantis- Steve Englehart's baby and pet character, but few others used her.
The Beast- X-Men character, then-unused, joins the team with a whole different personality that is later ignored (The Team Wacky Guy). Moves back to the X-Books later.
Moondragon- Psionic martial artist. Team Bitch.
Hellcat- '50s Archie knock-off turned superheroine with minor powers. Probationary member, becomes more iconic to The Defenders.
The Two-Gun Kid- Western hero and time traveller. Honorary member.
Ms. Marvel (aka Warbird, Captain Marvel IV)- Feminist hero and Flying Brick. Only becomes important in the 2000s.
The Falcon- Cap's best pal. Added as a Token Black Guy (IN STORY).

The 1980s:
Wonder Man- Flying Brick. Resurrected dead villain, later becomes iconic to the West Coast team. Dies more than Jean Grey. Treates as the guy the villain beats up before fighting Thor.
Tigra- Catgirl and Team Skank, mostly on the West Coast team.
She-Hulk- Becomes a rather-iconic Avenger, actually, despite being pretty redundant, power-wise.
Captain Marvel II (Monica Rambeau)- Light-Controller and Roger Stern's Pet Character, leading to her becoming Team Leader eventually. Changes her name a lot (Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum). Only really got used by Stern.
Starfox- Thanos' brother and an Emotion Controller.
Namor the Sub-Mariner- Finally joins the team in 1985 for a short while.
Doctor Druid- Part of Stern's group, but later goes evil after manipulating the team.
Yellowjacket II (Rita DeMara)- Villain turned hero. Killed in action. Honorary member.
Marrina- Namor's wife, mostly known for Alpha Flight, but died in The Avengers.
Demolition Man (aka D-Man)- Cap's buddy. Reserve status.
Gilgamesh- Eternal. Thor Lite. Never really stood out, and got injured & died in hilariously-minor ways.
Mister Fantastic & The Invisible Woman- FF members given a brief Avengers stay.
Quasar- "Aw Shucks" hero with Cosmic Powers and GL-Capabilities. Was in the most boring comic book series ever.

The West Coast Avengers Additions:
Mockingbird- Hawkeye's girlfriend and a lady agent.
War Machine- Replacement Iron Man given his own suit.
The Thing- Left before a vote was taken to put him on the team. Doesn't really count.
Moon Knight- Mercenary with lunar-given strength, only there for a short while.
Firebird- Fire-powered Immortal. Reserve Status.
U.S. Agent- John Walker, the replacement Cap, given his own suit and status. Team Asshole.
The Human Torch I- Golden Age hero resurrected.
Machine Man- Android with extendo-limbs. Looks stupid. Later given variable personality elements.
Living Lightning- Electric-powered Latino. Mostly forgotten.
Spider-Woman II (Julia Carpenter)- MILF with Spider-Powers.
Darkhawk- Wannabe Peter Parker with Reserve Status.

The 1990s:
Sersi- Eternal Shape-Changer and Walking Macguffin. A giant flirt.
Stingray- Reserve status with his undersea suit. Never really wanted to be a hero.
Spider-Man- Reserve member and ludicrously-important hero. Never really added to the team despite being so famous for years- it took Bendis to add her.
The Sandman- Spider-Man villain gone straight, made a Reserve Avenger. Failed and went back to villainy.
Rage- Made a part of Larry Hama's run- an Angry Young Black Man given an adult's body and mild super-strength.
Crystal- Inhumans member.
Thunderstrike- Eric Masterson, once given the powers of Thor, then had lesser ones as part of a new "Extreme" generation of heroes.
Deathcry- Honorary Avenger. Shi'ar character. SO FREAKING '90s.

Post-Heroes Reborn:
Justice & Firestar- Ex-New Warriors brought in as Rookies. A Telekinetic & a Microwave Blaster.
Triathlon- Similar to but legally distinct from a $cientologist. Three times human peak in every physical stat. Later treated as a bit of a joke.
Silverclaw- Reserve Status. Shapeshifting silver girl.
Jack of Hearts- '70s Nobody randomly added to the team.
Ant-Man II (Scott Lang)- The greatest Ant-Man ever.
Captain Britain II/Lionheart- Part of Chuck Austen's legendarily-awful run. Used a sword.

The New Avengers/Bendis Years:
Luke Cage- Super-durable Street-Level Hero and '70s Icon.
Wolverine- The ultimate X-Man and influential hero.
The Sentry- Uber-powerful Flying Brick/Supermanalogue. Crazy.
Echo (aka Ronin)- Daredevil enemy brought in as a secret member.
Ares- Used as an aggressive ass-kicker, but also kind of nasty.
Amadeus Cho- Hercules' little buddy. Uses Super-Math. Is Greg Pak's Pet Character.
Jocasta- Another Ultron creation turned good. Not a very important character.
Captain America (Bucky Barnes)- Bucky as the temporary replacement when Steve was dead.
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)- Would-be big-name character with Spider-Powers.
Sharon Carter- Cap's girlfriend and Lady Agent.
Valkyrie- Asgardian ass-kicker, usually forgotten about.
Ant-Man III (Eric O'Grady)- The second-best Ant-Man. Iredeemable super-villain. Got redeemed.
Nova (Richard Rider)- Briefly used in one mission during the peak of his popularity.
Iron Fist- Randomly thrown onto the New Avengers team around Civil War.
Jewel- Luke Cage's Baby Mama.
Protector- Noh-Varr, the former Marvel Boy. Confusing, random-ass powers.
Doctor Strange- Alwasy an important character in the MU, his lack of solo book was solved by FINALLY placing him on The Avengers.
The Red Hulk- Yes, REALLY. "Thunderbolt" Ross as a super-strong menace was somehow entrusted with Avengers membership.

Post-Fear Itself (Brief Joiners, all):
Daredevil- Briefly joined.
Storm- Yeah, I guess.
Quake- Member of The Secret Warriors.
Captain Britain- The Flying Brick.
Venom (Flash Thompson)- Given the Venom Symbiote to do stuff.

Marvel NOW! & Infinity:
Sunspot & Cannonball- A true bromance for the ages, both joined the team to shore up the roster. Solar-Powered Flying Brick and Flying Invulnerable Guy, respectively. Both act like fratboys, despite Sam's past as an "Aw, Shucks" country boy.
Manifold- Marvel's second Teleporting Australian Aboriginie.
Shang-Chi- The Master of Kung-Fu. Bruce Lee Clone.
Captain Universe- The modern incarnation is a crazy woman who says "wacky random things" because FUNNEEEEEEEE I guess.
Smasher- Flying Brick. Just there because Hickman likes The Legion of Super-Heroes and she's Ultra-Boy.
Hyperion- See above, but with Superboy. Unrelated to the Hyperion of the Squadron Supreme's Universe.
Havok- Meant to be a link between humans and Mutants.
Rogue & Sunfire- X-Men mutants added to "The Unity Squad" with Havok. Sunfire still doesn't get up to much.
Ex Nihilo & Abyss- Nearly-genocidal "experimenters" added to the team to fight aliens.
Nightmask- Your guess is as good as mine. Says vague stuff that's supposed to be important, but you won't know it for years.
Star Brand- Vastly-powerful nobody college student.

Luke Cage's Mighty Avengers:
Ronin- Actually Blade.
The Blue Marvel- ANOTHER GODDAMN RETCON HERO, this one a black genius Flying Brick.
Power Man II & The White Tiger- Minority heroes who were left out of Avengers Arena. Vaguely-powered Street Level heroes.

The Young Avengers:
Patriot- Elijah Bradley's grandson with similar abilities.
Stature- Scott Lang's daughter. Giant Jailbait.
The Vision III- Android from the future.
Hawkeye III- Kate Bishop. Rich teen socialite.
Speed- The Scarlet Witch's son. Speedster (duh).
Asgardian/Wiccan- The Scarlet Witch's other son. Magic powers.
Hulkling- Skrull gone good. Is in love with Wiccan, which you might not know since they don't cram that fact down your throat on every other panel.
Iron Lad- Another version of Kang- this one younger.

Characters I'm not building in this set:
The Dark Avengers: Most of them belong in other sets. I've already built Bullseye/Hawkeye and Norman Osborn is a Spidey guy.
Spider-Man, Flash Thompson & The Sandman- Belong in a Spidey-specific set.
Captain America, The Black Widow, The Falcon, D-Man, U.S. Agent & The Winter Soldier- I built them like a month ago. My opinions have not changed :).
The Beast, The Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Havok, Sunfire, Rogue, The Sub-Mariner, Sunspot, Cannonball & Wolverine- I statted them up for my X-Men run.
She-Hulk- Statted up for my Fantastic Four set.
Starfox, Sersi & Gilgamesh- Statted up for The Eternals.
Echo & Daredevil- Statted up in the Daredevil run.
Abyss & Nightmask- Neither has remotely-clear definitions of their powers. They just... do stuff.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

DARKHAWK (Chris Powell)
Created By:
Tom DeFalco & Mark Manley
First Appearance: Marvel Age #97 (Feb. 1991)
Role: The Everyman Hero, Peter Parker Hero, The Failed '90s Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers West Coast, The New Warriors, The Loners, Project: Pegasus, The Fraternity of Raptors
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (121)
STRENGTH
1/7 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2/5
FIGHTING 3/7 DEXTERITY 0/2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+8)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Chest Beam) 4 (+9)
Stealth 3 (+5/+8)

Advantages:
Evasion, Improved Defense, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Darkhawk Replacement Body" (Activation -1) [-1]
Enhanced Strength 6 [12]
Enhanced Agility 3 [6]
Enhanced Fighting 4 [8]
Enhanced Dexterity 2 [4]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Ranged Attack 3 [3]
"Armor" Protection 5 [5]
Senses 2 (Extended & Infravision) [2]
"Teleport Back to Ship" Healing 16 (Flaws: Limited to Self) (Quirks: Must Appear as Chris Powell for Two Rounds) [7]

Flight 7 (250 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [7]

"Chest Beam" Blast 8 (16) -- [17]
AE: "Shield Generator" Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (Extras: Sustained +0) (4)

"Grappling Claw"
Movement 1 (Swinging) (2) -- [3]
AE: Strength-Damage +1 (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Claw +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Chest Beam +9 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3 (+5 Armor)

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Shield, DC 18-20), Parry +7 (+9 Shield, DC 17-19), Toughness +3 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Family)
Reputation (D-League Hero)- Darkhawk often has jokes made at his expense, thanks to being a rather forgotten hero.
Responsibility (Anger)- Chris Powell's Amulet was not designed to work with human beings. As a result, he often has intense anger issues.
Involuntary Transformation (Razor)- Powell was once taken over by the "Razor" persona at the hands of Talon, another member of The Fraternity of Raptors.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 70 / Defenses: 11 (121)

-Darkhawk is the result of an honest attempt in the early '90s to replicate the success of Spider-Man. Chris Powell was every bit a Peter Parker-knockoff- an everyday kid with everyday problems, trying to make up for his crooked-cop father after donning a random alien suit of armor he found in a carnival (man, abandoned carnivals are such a crapshoot in comics- you either find a bitching Powersuit or the goddamned Joker living there). He had his own series that went on for a while, and part of his run included meeting up with the West Coast Avengers, hanging around in that "provisional member" status (aka "Marvel didn't want me on the team, but the writer probably did"), earning him enough points with the team to actually get mentioned from time to time. Truth be told, my old roomate was a HUGE fan of Darkhawk, mainly because he happened to have a bunch of his comics as a kid, but it was basically a series of team-ups. Almost every other issue had him teaming up with Spider-Man, Ghost Rider or Moon Knight or someone, doing superhero stuff against minor-league villains- usually enemies of OTHER HEROES.
-Sadly, Darkhawk's stories never really took off on any serious level (when your ONLY good villain is not only named "Evilhawk", but "dies" after his first appearance, you're kind of screwed, and left borrowing old Spidey villains), and the book's slowing sales resulted in a newer, more badass costume that also got forgotten the second the book was cancelled. And cancelled it was, a victim of the Great Comics Crash of the mid-90s (partially caused BECAUSE Marvel was flooding the market with endless books at the time- giving amateur writers and over-worked creative teams these assignments). Darkhawk's appearances since then have been as a kind of jokey guy, with some of the humor based around how little he is regarded (he was a member of The Loners- a gang of former teen heroes out to convince The Runaways to give up their way of life). He popped up again in the recent Marvel Space-based stuff, with his entire series retconned away as a fantasy (or something- it was kinda confusing), and he joined "The Fraternity of Raptors", a group of age-old assassins that aided the old Shi'ar Empire. Turns out, THEY were the source of his armor all along.
-Alas, despite the Annihilation series being used as a continuous effort to spring off new offshoot books featuring old characters (both Nova and The Guardians of the Galaxy got this treatment), there was no forthcoming Darkhawk series- I think his Limited Series didn't pan out. He was a minor character in Avengers Arena, being thought-dead for a bit, but he came back.
-Darkhawk is a funny mish-mash of powers, but comes out like a PL 8.5 everywhere but his Dodge Defense, and even with that, he can make that or his Chest Beam at a time. This puts him around the levels of the New Warriors, which I think is right. It's a bit weird to do a big "body switch" concept (especialy since it's gone now, and he's always Darkhawk), but I chose to make it just Activation-based and giving him some low-level Strength boosts. Teleporting to his base for quick super-healing was tough to figure out at first, but since it's something he has to consciously do (whereas Regeneration is deliberately permanent and automatic), so Healing (Limited to Self) is best, plus a Quirk that shows Powell showing up for a round or two. He's also got a Chest Beam, a Shield Generator, a Grappling Claw that doubles as a Wolverine rip-off set of Claws, etc. So he's pretty versatile, just not very powerful.
-I'd build the later variant of Darkhawk, but he's basically a Powersuit with Variable Power or something. So few of his capabilities have been shown it's impossible to nail down his PL, and he basically reverted to his "old self" after that, so the whole Fraternity of Raptors boost didn't seem to go anywhere. In his own series, his new outfit gave him some Power-Boosts (higher-level Blasts, basically), and the ability to Teleport Weapons to himself.

EX NIHILO
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Jerome Opena
First Appearance: Avengers #1 (Feb. 2013)
Role: Super-Creator
PL 11 (225)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Space Events & History) 10 (+18)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+24) -- Flaws: Limited to Genetics
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 8 (+12)
Technology 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Assessment, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Ex Nihilo" Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Regeneration 12 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [13]

"Eye Beams" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) [22]
Mind Control 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited to Nihilo's Creations, Tough Range -2) [40]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Darkforce Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude +12, Will +10

Complications:
Motivation (Seed & Redevelop Worlds)- Ex Nihili have been sent by The Builders to remove certain life forms and replace them with new ones. When he discovers the other members of his race are being forced to simply destroy life, he finds this abhorrent.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 86 / Defenses: 17 (225)

-Ex Nihilo is one of the central characters of Hickman's new Magnum Opus for The Avengers... but is still kind of a blank slate, as he immediately went about creating a dozen new characters and then spent all of one issue each on them. Hell, I had to re-read the first three issues just to figure out if he had any combat powers. He basically goes around "seeding" worlds with new life, but it has a tendency to wipe out what was there before (like The Genesis Device from The Wrath of Khan). The Avengers showed up and gave him and his allies a beat-down, but left them to their own devices once they gave up upon meeting the new Captain Universe. Then... they just kinda sat around and then helped fight The Builders' armies during the big Infinity story, The Avengers having decided that these vague characters are powerful enough to ally with against this new oncoming threat. At the story's end, he went off with his fellow Nihilii and tries to fix the damage The Builders caused (I completely forget that part).
-And as such, I kinda had to eyeball and guess many of his powers and levels- he's tough and can use Eye Beams, and can control the beings he's created (though Falcon overcame his control of the bird-like ones, so it has limits), but I can't find as much evidence of any real power feats (or having a Summon power of his own). I could have missed something in his 85,000-part Infinity cross-over, though. His sister Abyss (who has even LESS characterization, but made out with Thor once, who then promised to spare her when the Avengers came to kick some ass) is sort of a Darkforcey Snare-User with Mind Control powers.

SMASHER (Isabel "Izzy" Dare/Kane)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Jerome Opena
First Appearance: Avengers #1 (Feb. 2013)
Role: Legacy Character, Flying Brick
PL 10 (110)
STRENGTH
2/12 STAMINA 3/12 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4, +14 Full Strength)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Space Hero) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Imperial Guard), Equipment 4 (Anti-Gravity Device), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Taunt

Powers:
"Natural Strength"
Power-Lifting 1 (12 tons/400 tons) [1]

"Exo-Specs" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Isabel) [23]
Penta-Blast 12 (24) -- (28 points)
AE: Enhanced Stamina 9 (Extras: Impervious 11) (20)
AE: Enhanced Strength 10 (20)
AE: "Penta-Vision" Senses 7 (Vision Penetrates Concealment, Darkvision, See Around Corners) (7)
AE: "Move Through 4-Space" Flight 7 (250 mph) & Movement +1 (Space Travel 1) (16)

Equipment:
"Shi'ar Anti-Gravity Device"
Flight 5 (10)
Space Travel 1 (1)
Immunity 7 (Suffocation 2, Cold, Hot, Radiation, Vacuum, Pressure) (7)
Shi'ar Computery Thing (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Exo-Strength +9 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Penta-Vision +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+12 Boost, +6 Impervious), Fortitude +4 (+13 Boost), Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Shi'ar Imperial Guard, The Avengers)- Isabel is the very first human member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard & The Superguardians.
Relationship (Grandpa)- Izzy's grandfather is the Golden Age hero Dan Dare... I mean Dan "Captain Terror" Kane.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 10 (110)

-Isabel is the new Smasher, a title normally given to one of the disposable members of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, and she all of a sudden appeared in a weird hooded costume as part of the new Avengers. This is one of the more obvious links to Hickman's Avengers being his Legion of Super-Heroes Fan-Fiction, as she's got the powers of the Guard's own Ultra-Boy analogue. She was initially called Izzy Dare, with her grandfather being named Dan, implying he was the British Golden Age hero Dan Dare, or the Fawcett Comics hero of the same name. However, Avengers World #1 has retconned her into being Izzy Kane, the granddaughter of Captain Terror, another, Marvel-owned Golden Age hero. Since I know none of these people, it didn't really matter to me, but it's nice to see Marvel using a bit more of their Golden Age stuff.

STAR BRAND (Kevin Conner)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Dustin Weaver
First Appearance: Avengers #7 (May 2013)
Role: Legacy Character, Flying Brick
PL 18 (284)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Food Services) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Starbrand Powers"
"Cosmic Burst" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 2 miles +10) (180) -- [181]
AE: Blast 28 (Feats: Increased Range 3, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (72)

Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]
"Starfield" Force Field 10 (Extras: Impervious 15) [25]
Senses 10 (Extended Vision 8, Analytical Vision) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Area Blast +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Cosmic Blast +4 (+28 Ranged Damage, DC 43)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +12 (+20 Force Field, +8 Impervious), Fortitude +12, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Unlimited Power)- The Starbrand is supposed to be able to defend a planet- this means that it must have the power to DESTROY a planet as well. Kevin cannot hold back his power easily, and tends to last out with Blast 16 at bare minimum.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 240 / Defenses: 6 (284)

-The new Star Brand (usually a New Universe concept, but since those books fail every time they try, they may as well give it a shot in the Mainstream Marvel Universe) is basically doing the "Everyday person with unlimited power" thing, but like most of the newbie Avengers, he hasn't gotten a lot of focus. He's some ignored loser who gained his power in an event that blew up his college, and after The Hulk agitated him, things descended into a pair of fights that required Hulk, Thor & Hyperion to go full-blast and triple-team him to just K.O. the guy (his reaction to a shot from Mjolnir: *smiles* "I barely felt that... I barely felt that at all..."). He also once knocked The Hulk into SPACE. While The Avengers imprisoned him to keep the rest of the planet safe while he got a handle on his abilities, he was made an Avenger when The Builders showed up to destroy Earth. And he's just... around.
-Though to be fair, my only familiarity with the original book is a REALLY creepy issue where a woman dies as her baby rips itself out of her belly and then talks to her friends (because of cosmic power), and the fact that it was Jim Shooter's big, personal story, and John Byrne (who HATED Shooter) took it over and immediately blew up Shooter's hometown of Pittsburgh and changed the entire concept of the series. Because nothing says "comic books" like industry politics and nerds who hate each other (That sounds sarcastic. It is not). But yeah, he's so tough that it took THREE PL 13-14 guys to bring him down, plus all the other Avengers, and he can demolish miles of area in one shot. With some accuracy (his Blast is only PL 16, and he's PL 17 defensively), he'd be nigh-unstoppable.

DAMN YOU, Dane Whitman! I! HATE! YOU! DANE! FREAKING! WHITMAAAAAAAAAANN!!"

THE BLACK KNIGHT III (Dane Whitman)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #47 (Dec. 1967)
Role: Permanent C-Level Hero, Evil Weapon Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Ultraforce, Excalibur, M.I.-13, The Heroes For Hire, The Masters of Evil, Euroforce
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (147)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Swords) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+12)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Armor & Laser Lance), Improved Critical (Swords) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Interpose, Minion 6 (Aragorn), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"The Ebony Blade" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Summonable by Magic Ceremony) [20]
"Redirect Energy" Deflect 12 (Extras: Redirect) (24) -- (27)
AE: Nullify Magical Powers 7 (Extras: Sustained +2) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Shields) (14)
AE: Nullify Energy Powers 7 (Extras: Broad) (Flaws: Touch Range) (14)
AE: "Sword Slash" Strength-Damage +5 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Penetrating 7) (14)
"Deflect Attacks" Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 (2)
-- (29 points)

"Pendragon Training" Senses 1 (Vision Counters Illusion) (Flaws: Limited to Magic) [1]

Equipment:
"Armor" Protection 3 (3)
"Laser Lance" Blast 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ebony Blade +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Nullify +12 (+7 Nullify, DC 17)
Laser Lance +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (+11 Blade, DC 20-21), Parry +11 (+12 Blade, DC 21-22), Toughness +4 (+7 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Ebony Blade's Curse)- The Ebony Blade enacts various curses at various times, either Mind-Controlling Dane, injuring him, or other various things. It hungers for blood.
Relationship (Sersi)- For a number of years, Dane & Sersi were together. Eventually they split up, for reasons largely unknown.
Relationship (Dr. Faiza Hussain)- The two hooked up while members of M.I.-13.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 14 (147)

-What's funniest to me about Dane Whitman is how this character I consider fairly-forgettable ends up being a VERY common "Red Guardian Character" to so many people. I remember one time in an old e-mail RPG (is that still a thing?), where I had to come up with some Future Hellfire Club characters, and just threw some names together. One of them was ol' Dane (I mean... they have chess names... Black Knight... makes sense, right?), and a bunch of people were like DANE WHITMAN! AWESOME!!!" It happens a lot.
-Dane Whitman's had it pretty rough for a "Classic Avengers" era character. His brief initial run led to decades of near-obscurity, and his '80s & '90s runs with the Avengers weren't much better. He actually had a big, solid run in the '90s on the big team, but sadly, this was the "Brown Bomber Jacket" phase of the team, where the entire squad was desperately trying to be as much like the Jim Lee X-Men as possible, in an era that mostly gets made fun of these days. Particularly egregious was Dane's giant '90s mullet and perma-stubble, surefire signs of a terrible design. After that, he basically has a running gag where he absolutely HAS TO show up in any book that combines forgotten characters. He was in Heroes For Hire in its short-lived run, farted around in an Excalibur version, and of course joined Captain Britain & M.I. 13 because... he has sort of an Arthurian link.
-Dane Freaking Whitman is the latest in a long line of descendants of Sir Percy, the original Black Knight, who was slain by King Arthur's enemy/son Mordred. Dane's uncle Nathan Garrett became a short-lived super-villain The Black Knight, but after being fatally-injured during a fight with Iron Man, he confessed his crimes to young Dane, and asked him to restore honor and dignity to their family legacy. Dane, a scientist, created a flying horse (!), and infiltrated The Masters of Evil to prove himself to The Avengers. He gained a Cursed Sword that he'd be bitching about for decades, then joined The Defenders and spent some time in the 12th Century while his body was petrified in our timeline, because comics. He would rejoin The Avengers during Roger Stern's era, though having read a ton of that run, I can honestly say that Stern gave him absolutely ZERO personality- he appears to be the "odd man out" in terms of the team, as everyone ELSE got plenty to say and do. Dane was just... that extra guy who was there.
-He suffered from the Blood Curse again, but it got fixed, and he stopped using The Ebony Blade and used a Lightsaber instead. During this, the Leather Jacket Era, he started a relationship with Sersi, then a love triangle when he started falling for Crystal instead. He got mixed up in the ludicrously-complex, awful plot surrounding Proctor (an alternate universe version of himself that was in a relationship with HIS Sersi, but was now trying to kill every version of her in each universe), then he got stuck with Sersi in The Ultraverse. After that (and the end of Malibu Comics), he went to the past again, then gained a suit of Magical Armor and some fancy Magic Weapons.
-But of course, we all know what happens when a minor-league hero gets a major modification... That's right- it was BACK-TO-BASICS SYNDROME, and after a run on Heroes For Hire with the upgrades, he soon lost them and started using the Ebony Blade again. But it turned out it was a fake (he uses it instead of the Blade anyways). Oh, and also he has a heart literally made of stone- a gift from Sersi help keep him "above it all" (the curse, naturally). He joined the new M.I.-13 and teamed up with Captain Britain, hooking up with Faiza Hussain (the cute, quirky Muslim girl who wields Excalibre), but has now most-recently been seen in Hickman's Avengers World, leading a new team of European heroes, plus an Original Sin story that featured him AGAIN trapped in the curse of the Ebony Blade, slowly going mad.
-So just why IS Dane so... well, sorta popular? Well, I think it's the Sword & Sorcery Theme- comics is relatively-short on those type of guys in superhero stories, and the fact that he can be a Knight AND be an Avenger is a cool thing for many people. So despite the fact that he's an absolute tabula rasa in terms of personality, he gets a lot of credit from fans. I do admit, it's kind of a unique thing... though it's VERY weird that there's so little of a D&D/Conan influence on mainstream superhero comics, given the overlap between the two fanbases.
-Dane's a well-balanced, but slightly under-pointed PL 10. Surprisingly, he's a fairly decent tech-guy as well (in upwards of 30 issues of Roger Stern's Avengers run, I've seen that come up exactly once, so it ain't a major thing), but his main ability is swordfighting. He's REALLY good at it (+13 Attack, nearly at Swordsman's level and the sword is a fair bit sharper), can modify many of his caps with his Combat Advantages, and the Ebony Blade itself is one of the most devastating weapons in the Marvel Universe. It's basically a super-elite Sword doing extra damage (most of it Penetrating, with more when he goes full-on Power Attack), and four combined ranks of Improved Critical (two from Dane's training, two from the Blade itself). It also has some weird sub-powers, including cutting through magical shields and absorbing energy, though the latter is at a low enough level he can't just do it all the time. He can spend Hero Points to showcase some other abilities (like nullifying all magical powers or something), but he's best as a Melee Fighter guy.

-Dane also has a pretty cool Flying Horse mount in Aragorn, though it's only a PL 7 6-point Minion. At one point, he dropped the Ebony Blade for a new Photonic Blade, which is either a Strike or a Stun in close. It's pretty good, but it's no Ebony Blade, and is much cheaper:

"Photonic Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [9]
"Stunning Blade" Affliction 7 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (14) -- (15 points)
AE: "Encasing Fist" Strength-Damage +3 (3)

ARAGORN
Role:
Flying Mounted Beast
PL 7 (75)- Minion Rank 6
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Diehard, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]
"Natural Weapons- Hooves" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hooves +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Aragorn cannot speak to humans, nor use his hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 13 (75)

THE BLACK KNIGHT III (Dane Whitman)- Arthurian Powers
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #47 (Dec. 1967)
Role: Permanent C-Level Hero, Evil Weapon Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Ultraforce, Excalibur, M.I.-13, The Heroes For Hire, The Masters of Evil, Euroforce
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (176)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Swords) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+12)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Equipment 1 (Armor), Improved Critical (Swords) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Interpose, Minion 6 (Aragorn), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Sword of Light & Shield of Night" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [32]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 4 (8)
Impervious Toughness 13 (Extras: Sustained +0) (13)
Absorption (Attack to Blast) 10 (Extras: Impact & Energy) (30) -- (31)
AE: "Sword Slash" Strength-Damage +5 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (11)
-- (52 points)

"Summon Strider" Summon 7 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Active) [22]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword Slash +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Absorption +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (+14 Shield, DC 20-24), Parry +10 (+14 Shield, DC 20-24), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Ebony Blade's Curse)- The Ebony Blade enacts various curses at various times, either Mind-Controlling Dane, injuring him, or other various things. It hungers for blood.
Power Loss- The Black Knight must touch a special amulet and say "Avalon" to gain all his powers & weapons.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 54 / Defenses: 14 (176)

-There's another variant of The Black Knight, featuring the Sword of Light & Shield of Night, increasing his cost by a ways, and gaining him the ability to summon Strider, a better mount also named after the Lord of the Rings super-handsome sexy-man. He's actually much more costly in this form, having some added defensive ability and the ability to absorb attack and fire them back.

STRIDER
Role:
Flying Mounted Beast
PL 7 (93)- Minion Rank 7
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Diehard, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]
"Natural Weapons- Hooves" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wings" Flight 8 (500 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [8]

Immunity 8 (Life Support -Starvation & Thirst) (Extras: Affects Others) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hooves +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Aragorn cannot speak to humans, nor use his hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 41 / Defenses: 13 (93)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

BLADE (Eric Brooks)
Created By:
Marv Wolfman & Gene Colan
First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #10 (July 1973)
Role: Vampire Slayer
Group Affiliations: The Nightstalkers, The Midnight Sons, The Vanguard, MI: 13
PL 10 (140)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 5 (+11)
Deception 1 (+2)
Expertise (Supernatural) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Supernatural) 6 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Vampires
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 3 (Gear), Diehard, Favored Foe (Vampires & Undead), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Stakes) 2, Improved Critical (Blades) 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Last Stand, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown, Tracking

Powers:
"Vampiric Traits"
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Cybernetic Hand" (Flaws: Removable) [16]
"Machine-Gun" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)
"Grappling Hook" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)
-- (20 points)

Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]
Immunity 1 (Vampire's Bite) [1]
Senses 2 (Supernatural Awareness- Ranged) [2]

Equipment:
"Weaponry"
"Guns" Blast 6 (12) -- (15)
AE: "Stakes" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical 2 on Vampires) (Extras: Ranged 4) (6)
AE: "Double-Edged Katana" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (8)
AE: "EMP Grenades" Affliction 7 (Tech Skill of Creator; Impaired/Disabled/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Technology) (7)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Stakes +12 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Sword +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
EMP Grenades +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Guns +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Obsession (Killing Vampires)- Blade often goes psychotically-crazy around vampires, to the point where he killed two men to get at a kid who was dressed as Dracula for Halloween. He is friends with the unwilling-vampire Hannibal King, however, and later hooks up with the vampiric Spitfire.
Enemy (Dracula)- Drac killed Blade's mentor Afari, and Blade has hunted him for years as a result.
Disabled (One Hand)- Blade has recently lost his hand, and utilizes a Removable Cybernetic replacement.
Motivation (Hunting the Supernatural)- The Nightstalkers wish to slay all supernatural creatures- even Ghost Rider is a potential target of theirs.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 14 (140)

-Blade is a weird case in comics: a guy who is ONLY a big deal in the movies, and is generally a failed character everywhere else. He debuted in "Tomb of Dracula" as a stereotypical black character (Marv Wolfman, his creator, admits this), and was kept out of the book on purpose to avoid overshadowing the rest of the less-capable cast. He moved around some of the B-level books for a while, but ultimately vanished for over a decade until the Midnight Sons line came a-calling and he joined The Nightstalkers (aka his old pals Frank Drake & Hannibal King) once again. He's had about a dozen failed mini-series and attempted full-time series since then, but for some odd reason, Blade ONLY WORKS AS A FILM CHARACTER. I don't know quite what it is- maybe because vampires are such pedestrian foes for comic book heroes, they need the added "oomph" of a Hollywood movie making them appear super-fast and wire-fu-ish. Martial arts will always work better in a medium fueled by animation and visible movements (part of why the still-good Avatarcomic books pale before the animated series in quality still- the fight scenes just don't have the same impression in the static comics medium- super hero epics still can, but not the fluid, energetic style of combat Blade or Aang would use). It also helps that the first Blade movie was one of the first major uses of new Matrix-esque cinematic techniques regarding fight scenes.
-Blade's origin is actually really awesome- he was a whoreson who gained supernatural powers after the vampire Deacon Frost killed his mother in the midst of her childbirth. He was trained in Vamp-Killing by a radical black jazz-man, and soon became a great blade-based hunter. He ganged up with the Anti-Drac Crew for a while, then became a Nightstalker, and then went solo for a good long while after his buddies "died". But like I said, he's just been too much of a minor character to get much use, and many books just play up the "Psychotic Anti-Vampire Bigot" part of him, like when he tried to kill Spitfire (who'd been turned into a vampire in MI: 13) or Jubilee (who got the same treatment in X-Men). Of course, he then started SLEEPING WITH Spitfire. He can now be seen in the Minoriteam Avengers... I mean Mighty Avengers. Which is actually a much more solid book than you'd think.
-Blade actually comes by "on the cheap" since he's a very basic build- an effective Investigator who is also a really good fighter, but is mostly dependent upon equipment and a Machine Gun Device to do his stuff (since he lost his hand in a more-recent story). He's not bad by any means, and is in fact the most effective member of his old Nightstalkers team by a ways, and more than enough to take on many of my other Marvel character builds (Daredevil, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, etc.), especially since he's much stronger than most of them.

MOCKINGBIRD (Barbara "Bobbi" Morse, aka Huntress)
Created By:
Gerry Conway & Barry Smith (Roy Thomas & Mike Friedrich are mostly responsible, though)
First Appearance: Astonishing Tales #5 (June 1971- Bobbi), Marvel Super Action #1 (Jan. 1976- Huntress), Marvel Team-Up #95 (July 1980- Mockingbird)
Role: Black Canary Rip-Off, Martial Artist, Refridgerator Stuffing
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Great Lakes Avengers, The World Counter-Terrorism Agency
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (145)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 7 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Spy, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent) 6 (+10)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Clubs) 2 (+12)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+10)
Stealth 7 (+12)
Technology 2 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Battle-Staves, Kevlar), Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Battle-Staves), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Battle-Staves"
"Bo Staff or Clubs" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 2, Split) (5)
"Thrown Staves" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 6) (Diminished Range -2) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Battle-Staves +13 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Thrown Staves +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 14), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Clint Barton)- Hawkeye & Mockingbird were married, then divorced, then she died and it turned out years later she was a Skrull, and now they're kinda... it's complicated.
Enemy (The Phantom Rider)- Mockingbird was mentally-dominated by the Phantom Rider, who likely slept with her during that time. She murdered him in revenge. This has come back to haunt her, both in her personal life, and by the man's ghost.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 74--37 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (145)

-What IS it with The Avengers and screwed up stories as characters? Doing these builds, I will encounter some F-ed up history about FIFTY TIMES. Barbara "Bobbi" Morse is possibly one of the WEIRDEST. She started out as a Ka-Zar supporting character, acting like a possibly-psychic brunette Englishwoman at first, until they switched personalities almost immediately and made her a blonde special agent type. Roy Thomas & Mike Friedrich took over her characterization, moulding her into the character we know today, as "Agent 19" of S.H.I.E.L.D., who aided (and made out with) Ka-Zar until Shanna the She-Devil was added to the book to be the new love interest. So Bobbi became "The Huntress" in a one-shot adventure (Mike Friedrich had written it, and most of her more-recent appearances), but that failed to bring her any success. Then, Mark Gruenwald had a "Mockingbird" character made up to be a Spider-Woman villain, but he left that book and wanted to re-create her. Instead, he put that name on an updated Bobbi (the "Huntress" name was being used by Helena Wayne of DC's Earth-2 by that point), and threw her into Marvel Team-Up.
-On to Steve Englehart's 42-issue run on The West Coast Avengers, featuring Bobbi (who had recently eloped with Hawkeye impulsively in his Mark Gruenwald-written Limited Series, which is perfectly in-character for Clint) as a charter member Martial Arts Chick who did a lot of the non-power-oriented stuff. She had a run-in with the Phantom Rider (who brainwashes her into loving him... better known as "rape"), which became a pretty interesting moral story (most heroes didn't murder their foes outright- and it didn't set well with Clint), but then they did the CLASSIC "Comic Book Relationship Fumble", as they split up, hooked-up, split again, got divorced, and fell back in love, just in time for Roy Thomas to kill her off during the last couple issues of the West Coast book, finalizing the whole thing with a death.
-Honestly, Bobbi was never a major character, and was WAY too much like Black Canary for my tastes (blonde martial artist in black uniform who is dating a blonde-haired male archer), though I'm not sure who went through the endless "Break-Up/Make-Up" cycle first. She wasn't even portrayed as an elite martial artist (U.S. Agent once said- and he meant it in a NICE way- "even if you can't really DO anything, you certainly improve the scenery around here"), and she wasn't really missed in the time since her death. However, she was kinda nice when she finally returned (it was a Skrull who died- the writers fought for her return the hardest out of all the characters), mocking Hawkeye's "Ronin" look, and Marvel gave her a bit of a re-push as the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" of the Marvel Universe post-Secret Invasion, teaming up with Hawkeye again. However, their new "Ongoing" was cancelled almost immediately, and despite her gaining the... oh god ANOTHER one... modified Super-Soldier Serum, she vanished onto the Secret Avengers book and is basically a non-entity now. She's a supporting character in Hawkeye's great recent solo book, but doesn't get up to much in it.
-Mockingbird is a capable martial artist of the PL 9 variety, being almost as expensive as a PL 10, and she's very good at what she does. She's a notch under certain people with the same general set-up (Black Widow, etc.), but she's much better than she used to be, and depicted as a major-league ass-kicker. She's also got a bit of Agent training and some scientific skill to go with her fighting. With the Super-Soldier Serum/Infinity Formula (and I bet you a million dollars that she loses that upgrade as soon as the next writer forgets), she'll be a good bit stronger (ST 4, STA 4), and possibly gain Immunity to Aging. She'll even out to around PL 10 then, as I don't see her at PL 11 or anything.

MOCKINGBIRD (Barbara "Bobbi" Morse)
Created By:
Gerry Conway & Barry Smith (Roy Thomas & Mike Friedrich are mostly responsible, though)
First Appearance: Astonishing Tales #5 (June 1971- Bobbi), Marvel Super Action #1 (Jan. 1976- Huntress), Marvel Team-Up #95 (July 1980)
Role: Black Canary Rip-Off, Martial Artist, Refridgerator Stuffing
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Great Lakes Avengers
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 8 (122)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Spy, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent) 4 (+8)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Clubs) 2 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 5 (+10)
Technology 2 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Battle-Staves, Kevlar), Improved Critical (Battle-Staves), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 6

Equipment:
"Battle-Staves"
"Bo Staff or Clubs" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach 2, Split) (6) -- (7 points)
AE: "Thrown Staves" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 6) (Diminished Range -2) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Battle-Staves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Thrown Staves +10 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 12), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Clint Barton)- Hawkeye & Mockingbird were married, then divorced, then she died and it turned out years later she was a Skrull, and now they're kinda... it's complicated.
Enemy (The Phantom Rider)- Mockingbird was mentally-dominated by the Phantom Rider, who likely slept with her during that time. She murdered him in revenge. This has come back to haunt her, both in her personal life, and by the man's ghost.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (122)

-Mockingbird for most of her run looked like this. She was less-skilled overall, and was only a tad better than a PL 8 in terms of points, while being PL 7.5 defensively.

HAWKEYE (Clint Barton, aka Goliath, Ronin II)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Don Heck
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964)
Role: The Snarky Hero, The Archer, The Hot-Headed Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Thunderbolts, The Great Lakes Avengers
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Carny Lore/Streetwise) 4 (+5)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 9 (+11)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bow) 3 (+15)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bow) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Inspire, Power Attack, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 8, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Aim

Powers:
"Archer's Bow" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [29]
"Tear Gas Arrow" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed & Vision Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Incapacitated & Unaware) (Extras: Extra Condition, Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (32)
AE: "Standard Arrow" Blast 5 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Electrical or Sharp) (Extras: Multiattack) (16)
AE: "Titanium Arrow" Blast 5 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (15)
AE: "Bola Arrow" Snare 7 (Inaccurate -1) (20)
AE: "Boomerang Arrow" Blast 5 (Feats: Split 2, Homing, Ricochet 2) (15)
AE: "Explosive Arrow" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Sonic Arrow" Dazzle Hearing 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Flash Arrow" Dazzle Visuals 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Gas Arrow" Sleep 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Smoke Arrow" Obscure Visuals 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Taser Arrow" Affliction 7 (Strength; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Acid Arrow" Blast 5 Linked to Weaken Toughness 7 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (Inaccurate -1) (30)
AE: "E.M.P. Arrow" Nullify Technology 5 (Extras: Sustained +2) (20)
AE: "Cable Arrow" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)
AE: "Vibranium Arrow" Nullify Blunt Impacts 7 (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
"Rocket Arrow" Adds 2 Ranks of Extended Range to Any Arrow (Inaccurate -1) (1)
-- (47 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Standard & Boomerang Arrows +15 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Dazzle & Gas Arrows +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Tear Gas Arrow +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Taser & Bolo Arrows +12 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Acid Arrow +13 (+5 Ranged Damage & +7 Ranged Weaken, DC 19 & 17)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (A Giant Mess)- Clint may be an excellent superhero, but his personal life is a disaster. He can't hold down a relationship to save his life, frequently offends even close friends, and has little sense of responsibility.
Disabled (Partially-Deaf)- Hawkeye is 80% deaf in both ears without hearing aids (thanks to using a Sonic Arrow against Crossfire) , which can be a problem if his aids are deactivated. This disappeared after he was resurrected post-Onslaught.
Relationship ("Mockingbird" Bobbi Morse- Ex-Wife)- Hawkeye & Mockingbird were married, then divorced, then she died and it turned out years later she was a Skrull, and now they're kinda... it's complicated.
Relationship (Many Others)- Clint has had a ton of other love interests- he lusted after The Black Widow for a long time, then switched to The Scarlet Witch- both women ultimately didn't care for him. He almost hooked up with the chaotically-evil Moonstone when she was semi-close to reforming on The Thunderbolts. He briefly dated Jessica "Spider-Woman" Drew, but she caught him with another girl.
Responsibility (Punk Made Good)- Hawkeye was a no-good punk at first, but made good with The Avengers, coming to respect Captain America after an argumentative relationship with him. This self-improvement drives Clint, and he often seeks out new, unproven heroes to help make the same change.
Relationship (The Swordsman & Trick Shot)- Hawkeye has come to blows with both of his former mentors. Swordsman died a hero, while Trick Shot became a friend after suffering from cancer, but soon went back to douchebaggery.
Relationship (Barney Barton- Brother)- Clint's brother was thought-dead, but then turned into a supervillain (a new Trickshot), then reconciled with Clint.
Enemy (Crossfire)- The gun-toting villain has a mad-on for Clint, trying to kill him or maim him numerous times.
Power Loss (Skills & Toughness)- In his most-recent series, Clint is like PL 8 and totally gets One-Punch-KO'd on a daily basis. It's the most Street Level thing ever.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 18 (174)

-If you held a gun to my head and made me select the Greatest Avenger Ever, I actually think I would have to go with Clint Barton- the true soul of the team. Sure, I think Captain America is a better CHARACTER, but Clint to me represents the iconic "Marvel Hero" as well as anyone- a man riddled with psychological problems and personality issues, prone to being an argumentative smartass, and with a love life more complicated than a Jane Austen character- and thus fits in perfectly with the squad. He can fit in as "that guy" (the rebellious one who just HAS TO cause problems in every issue), the leader (and because he's not as good as Cap, it can lead to more personality conflicts and better improvisation), the one who causes romantic issues (Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Jessica Drew & Mockingbird are among his love interests), and more.
-Clint Barton is your classic comic book character in that he's an orphan with a past full of betrayal and trickery- he was betrayed by his mentor The Swordsman, and was thought-of as a criminal, bringing him into conflict with Iron Man. Later on, he chased after Natasha Romanoff, falling for her and committing crimes on her behalf. Eventually, he became a "straight shooter" (his words), joining The Avengers along with Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch, forming a trio of ex-villains to join Cap's new team. He rebelled against Cap's leadership, setting off a long run of smart-assery.
-For a short while, he actually dropped the "Hawkeye" moniker and became Goliath, using a Growth Serum after he lost his bow at a critical time. I guess they were either trying to shake things up or give him a power upgrade in the late '60s, but this has mostly been left by the wayside. He switched back after the Kree/Skrull War, but left the team after Wanda hooked up with The Vision. Away from The Avengers, he kind of drifted around aimlessly, frequently causing a ruckus in other books (Daredevil, etc.), and even joined The Defenders for a spell. He starts the first of a long stretch of saving the entire Avengers squad of more-powerful heroes when The Collector defeats the entire team with gadgets, and disarms the Elder. After a short while farting around again, he finally gets his own Limited Series and marries Mockingbird, setting off the new period in his life.
-Hawkeye founds The West Coast Avengers, becoming the leader of a new offshoot book (written by Steve Englehart). After the stuff detailed in Bobbi's build, they split for a while (Hawk later kind of becomes "just a guy" in the WCA books I've read, instead of the leader), and he disappears from major books for a while after she's killed during the war between Mephisto & Satannish. He returns just in time to die against Onslaught, and when that whole deal was done, he joined The Thunderbolts to try and help the ex-villains reform. It actually worked for a while, and he led them against GRAVITON a couple times, but he eventually left, hooked up with The Wasp, and controversially-died during Disassembled. Losing the guy who to many was SUCH an iconic Avenger was offensive to many fans (despite the fact that Clint hadn't been on the main team in a major way for decades).
-He naturally resurrects after House of M, joins some of the New Avengers squads running around (it's kind of a mish-mash), dresses up as the new Ronin, briefly sorta-reconciles with his ALSO now-resurrected ex-wife, becomes Hawkeye again, and does some other stuff. Most-recently, he was the central character in Matt Fraction & David Aja's FANTASTIC (and funny) Hawkeye solo book, which was eternally-plagued by lateness (and has been cancelled), but was some of the most inventive stuff going- very much like their The Immortal Iron Fist book (Clint & Danny basically look IDENTICAL). It basically portrays the Street-Level/Spy antics of an unshaven, frequently-injured Clint Barton, while he makes a mess of his personal life and annoys the Young Avengers' own Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. Fraction gets a lot of enjoyment out of the fact that NOBODY is ever seen in their superhero gear- it's always street clothes for EVERYONE, making the book like like a classic Indie Snob book while also making cute asides to Marvel's history.
-So yeah, Clint is AWESOME. Though sadly a bit unable to keep a solo book going, this makes him an ideal candidate for membership of The Avengers, Avengers West Coast, or as the main star of the Anthology-title Solo Avengers. And despite this inability to hold a solo book, the fan outcry was IMMENSE when they tried to kill him off (his book had JUST been cancelled at #8). He's your CLASSIC snarky hero, a likeably-unlikeable fighter who's cocky in a funny way, and there are VERY few characters that perform better in a team- he plays off of EVERY other personality in the squad, whether it be the straight-laced humorless Cap, the serious epic Thor, the goofier snarky Spider-Man (unsurprisingly they argue a lot since they're fulfilling the same role), the Dark Action Girl Mockingbird, and more. Of course, I find it hilarious that the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes IRON MAN the Snarky Comedy Guy, leaving Clint to be a gruff, rarely-speaking bad-ass.
-Plus he gets some of the greatest World-Saving Feats in comics. I daresay he's responsible for more universe-altering wins than any other hero- he stopped Immortus during The Celestial Madonna, saved The Avengers from The Collector, fired the last shot in JLA/Avengers, saving both the Marvel & DC Universes from Krona's mad scheme, and, in one of the single greatest scenes in the history of comics books, saved the ENTIRE UNIVERSE from The Grandmaster's plan to conquer it by playing on the Elder's addiction to games of skill and chance. When Hawkeye & Cap faced certain death at the hands of The Grandmaster's Legion of Unliving (now made up of all the Avengers who'd died in the course of the story), Clint simply spoke up and challenged him to a game of "Draw Straws" for total power. When the Elder laughed him off, Clint EGGED HIM ON, suggesting that right then, THAT would be the ultimate "Game" to play- the entire universe for picking which of his two arrows had a cap on the end. When The Grandmaster loses, it distracts him long enough for Death herself to break free from his containment field and stop him, saving everyone. When Cap congratulates Hawkeye on his luck, Hawkeye laughs and reveals that HE CHEATED, leaving the caps off BOTH arrows, horrifying straight-laced Steve Rogers.
-As befitting a major Avenger, Hawkeye is PL 11-12-level pricey, but skilled like a PL 10. Hawkeye is INCREDIBILY accurate with his arrows- +15 is enough to hit just about anyone, especially since he has Accurate Attack and the ability to go Multiattack with his Standard Arrows. He's +13 in melee as well, being a generally amazing fighter just below those DEFINED by their melee capability. His multitude of arrows lets him get off a variety of effects, making him among the most fun Avengers to stat up. The multitude of effects includes tons of Affliction-based effects (Taser Stun, Snare, Tear Gas, Dazzles, etc.), an Explosion, a tech-nullifier, a Boomerang that Homes in on a target, a Titanium Arrow with more power (an Adamantium Arrow can do more damage- but is a Hero Point-costing one-time effect), and Acid. Hawkeye's not one for Power Gamers, but he is definitely the most-fun guy on the roster to play as.
-Hawkeye can drop the Bow & Arrow and become a lame Melee Fighter with his Ronin gear- gaining a Katana, Nunchuku and other stuff. He's still PL 10 (+13 attack and a +6 Sword), but less so. And really, that was a lame temporary change when EVERYONE just wanted Marvel's Awesome Archer back.

GOLIATH II (Clint Barton)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Don Heck
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964)
Role: The Snarky Hero, The Growing Guy, The Hot-Headed Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 10 (136)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Current Events) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Carny Lore/Streetwise) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 7 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Bow) 3 (+13)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bow) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Aim

Powers:
"Pym Particles"
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (24 feet) [16]
-2 Fighting [-4]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Largest Size +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +6
"Large Size" Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +11, Fortitude +13, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Partially-Deaf)- Hawkeye is 80% deaf in both ears without hearing aids, which can be a problem if he's in the dark and his aids are deactivated.
Responsibility (Punk Made Good)- Hawkeye was a no-good punk at first, but made good with The Avengers, coming to respect Captain America after an argumentative relationship with him. This self-improvement drives Clint, and he often seeks out new, unproven heroes to help make the same change.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 13 (136)

-Hawkeye had a pretty big run in the '60s as the new Goliath, for reasons I'm unsure of. He's basically a mini-Pym at this point, being a better fighter, but not as large as Pym would later get. He's less Skilled overall, and a worse fighter, but is still PL 10. He would likely be only PL 9 with his Bow & Arrow at this point, though.

KATE BISHOP (Katherine Bishop, aka Hawkeye III)
Created By:
Allan Heinberg & Jim Cheung
First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (April 2005)
Role: Rich Brat, Legacy Character
Group Affiliations: The Young Avengers
PL 8 (119)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Streetwise) 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)
Ranged Attack (Bow) +2 (+12)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Sword +3, Batons +1- Split), Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bow & Arrow), Precise Attack (Ranged/Concealment), Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Archer's Bow" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [27]
"Tear Gas Arrow" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed & Vision Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Incapacitated & Unaware) (Extras: Extra Condition, Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (32) -- (45 points)
AE: "Standard Arrow" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
AE: "Titanium Arrow" Blast 5 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (15)
AE: "Bolo Arrow" Snare 7 (Inaccurate -1) (20)
AE: "Boomerang Arrow" Blast 5 (Feats: Split 2, Homing, Ricochet 2) (15)
AE: "Explosive Arrow" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Sonic Arrow" Dazzle Hearing 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Flash Arrow" Dazzle Visuals 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Gas Arrow" Sleep 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Smoke Arrow" Obscure Visuals 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Taser Arrow" Affliction 7 (Strength; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Acid Arrow" Blast 5 Linked to Weaken Toughness 7 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (Inaccurate -1) (30)
AE: "E.M.P. Arrow" Nullify Technology 5 (Extras: Sustained +2) (20)
AE: "Cable Arrow" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Batons +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Standard & Boomerang Arrows +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Dazzle & Gas Arrows +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Tear Gas Arrow +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Taser & Bolo Arrows +9 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Acid Arrow +9 (+5 Ranged Damage & +7 Ranged Weaken, DC 19 & 17)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Clint Barton)- Kate took on Hawkeye's name while he was dead, and he let her keep it when he returned. She finds him exasperating and annoying, and frequently makes fun of him, yet is frustrated when he states matter-of-factly that he only gets along with her because he doesn't want to sleep with her.
Power Loss (Skills & Toughness)- In Hawkeye's most-recent series, Kate is like PL 7 and totally gets One-Punch-KO'd on a daily basis. It's the most Street Level thing ever.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 14 (119)

-Kate Bishop is a neat part of the most-recent Hawkeye series- a smart-assed rich (actually I don't think she's wealthy, but she acts like it) brat, she frequently makes fun of Clint for being short-sighted, foolish and immature, yet has basically taken him on as a weird sort of mentor while she babysits him. She made her debut when The Young Avengers roped her into one of their fights, and of course it turns out she's a great fighter and amazing with a bow. She acts above-it-all and frequently lectures others on their behavior (it's a given that Clint Barton needs this frequently), which is TOTALLY not how every teenage girl I've ever met acts.
-Kate is basically Mini-Hawkeye, doing quite well for herself sometimes, but generally being very fragile. She gets KO'd ALL THE TIME in the new Hawkeye book, but then, so does Clint. She has Hawkeye's Bow & Arrow, but I don't think she uses as many of the fancy bits. I left most of them in there, just in case.

JEWEL (Jessica Jones, born Jessica Campbell, aka The Knightress, Power Woman)
Created By:
Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Gaydos
First Appearance: Alias #1 (Nov. 2001)
Role: Regular Chick, Failed Hero, Retconned Background Character, Flying Brick
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Pulse Magazine, Alias Private Investigations
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 8 (113)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 6 (+9)
Expertise (Private Investigator) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Reporter) 4 (+7)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Generic Flying Brick Powerset"
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Jean Grey's Psionic Boost" Enhanced Will 2 (Flaws: Limited to vs. Mental Attacks) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +6 (+8 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Relationship (Luke Cage & Danielle)- Jessica is intensely devoted to her family. She's pretty much just "Luke's Wife" in every book.
Enemy (Zebediah Killgrave)- The Purple Man once mentally-dominated Jessica for several months, leaving her near-broken as a person, forced to watch as he raped numerous women, and to beg for sex from him (which he never gave, as a form of torture). He is still obsessed with her.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 12 (113)

-Jessica Jones is an interesting little story about what happens when your creator ends up having master control over a comic book company's path. Brian Michael Bendis was a highly-touted Indie comic writer, having done work on Powers and Sam & Twitch before getting handed the reigns of the sweet Ultimate Spider-Man property, which he then segued to Daredevil and part of Marvel's new R-Rated MAX Line of books featuring Jessica as a Jessica Drew/Carol Danvers variant (he wasn't allowed either character, basically) that was a failed superhero-turned-private-investigator. She was retroactively added to continuity much like The Sentry was, but in a smaller scale (she merely witnessed some events, rather than being a major part in some). Some stuff happened, it seemed to do OK (28 issues, which far outstrips MOST new, unproven characters' series), and she hooked up with Luke Cage, which became important when he joined the BIG new Avengers team.
-Jessica's kind of been "The Wife At Home" most of the time, having had Cage's baby, and she provides a bit of the "human perspective" to a lot of stories. Recently, she got back into the Jewel persona to join a new team of Avengers, but it was VERY short-lived. Which is odd, because Bendis seemed to REALLY like her at first, but get bored once he got some REAL toys to play with.
-Without a lot of modern showings, Jessica is a mere PL 7.5 individual, lacking the great power or experience of other great heroes. Even with her Avengers run, she didn't have a lot of feats outside fo One-Punching Jessica Drew. As it stands, here she's just the world's worst Flying Brick, being no stronger or tougher than Spider-Man, of whom she's otherwise unworthy of holding the boots.

LUKE CAGE (Carl Lucas, aka Power Man)
Created By:
Archie Goodwin & John Romita
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 (June 1972)
Role: Groundbreaking Hero, Token Black Guy, Gangsta Speaker, Tough Guy, Human POV Guy, The Put-Upon Leader
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, The Defenders, The Fantastic Four, The Marvel Knights, The Thunderbolts
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 10 (146)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+5)
Insight 6 (+8)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 6 (+8)
Perception 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Chokehold, Close Attack 2, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Extreme Toughness" Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 13) [14]
Immunity 7 (Pressure, Heat, Falling Damage) [7]
Regeneration 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +12 (+7 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +9

Complications:
Relationship (Jessica Jones & Baby)- Luke Cage is now a proud husband and father, and would do ANYTHING to protect them.
Relationship (Danny Rand)- Cage & Iron Fist go way back, and are the best of friends. He is also quite close to Misty Knight & Colleen Wing.
Reputation (Criminal & Thug)- A reformed criminal, Cage was framed for heroin dealing, and his status as an escaped convict still haunts him and causes others to mistrust him.
Enemy (Willis Stryker, aka Diamondback)- Cage's best friend framed Cage and put him in jail after thinking that Cage was responsible for Stryker's girlfriend leaving him.
Enemy (Various)- Cage has numerous low-key enemies: The first Bushmaster, various Chemistros, Discus, Stiletto, Coldfire (Cage's own brother) and Hardcore. Also, since The Purple Man once mind-raped his wife, he's rather pissy with Zebediah Killgrave.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 11 (146)

-Cage has had a pretty crazy run. The first successful black hero to have his own book (DC's Lobo, a black cowboy, was technically first, but is unknown even today), Cage farted around the mid-tier 1970s books during a period where Marvel was going through unprecedented creativity (thanks to the relaxing of the Comics Code allowing for all sorts of supernatural, blaxploitation and crime-based books, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the '50s), but it never really matched up with sales. Cage was a bit TOO exaggeratedly-black for a lot of comic book fans, and stuff like "Sweet Christmas!" just made him look silly. Nobody seemed to HATE Cage, but he was more of a joke. Various re-makes, re-dos, and updates occured for decades, trying to make him more popular. They gave him a code-name (the terrible "Power Man"), a team-up book with similarly-poor-selling Iron Fist, a solo run in the "EVERYBODY Gets a Solo Run" 1990s which suffered the same fate as Darkhawk, Sleepwalker & Terror Inc., and more. He was basically a Dead Horse by the time the 2000s hit (the '90s book Heroes For Hire gathered together a Defenders-like group of unused heroes, and also failed), which is why it was so weird to see him as an Avenger.
-Brian Michael Bendis' new roster of the team was very much "By Committee" in design. It needed a black guy, and Cage had always been one of Marvel's stand-outs (other than the Black Panther & Storm, who were busy elsewhere) on that front. Never mind that he hadn't done anything notable in decades, they needed a BLACK GUY. Thankfully, Bendis chose him as a Pet Character at the same time, putting him in Jessica Jones' book as a love interest, making him out to be a hardcore bad-ass in Avengers, etc., and suddenly CAGE WAS POPULAR. Funny how constant pushing and pressure can make almost any half-decent character a success. Cage has evolved from a bad blaxploitation stereotype into a fairly well-rounded tough-guy character, balancing fatherhood (hey- it doesn't ruin characters! There's no reason Spider-Man couldn't have had a kid! Cage is WAY more interesting with the added responsibility!) with being a poster-boy for Anti-Registration and the "Cool" Avengers teams. Now a successful Avenger, they're unlikely to push him with a solo run again, but I think he works much better in team books anyways.
-Cage is strong (Class 12- a notch above Spidey in damage) and tough as hell, nearly-matching guys like Ben Grimm & Sasquatch on the "hard to hurt" front. You've got to do more than +7 Damage to even SCRATCH him, and even then he can modify many of his caps to come out looking tougher than his stats would imply. He mixes streetwise nature, investigative skill and raw mental & physical toughness into a build that is very capable at the PL 10 level, despite JUST missing his points-cap. He's usually not the major ass-kicker on any team he's in, but I have seen him brawl it out with Wonder Man thanks to his toughness and fighting skills.

LUKE CAGE (Carl Lucas, aka Power Man)- 1970s Version
Created By:
Archie Goodwin & John Romita
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 (June 1972)
Role: Groundbreaking Hero, Token Black Guy, Gangsta Speaker, Tough Guy
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (122)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 7 (+9)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Extreme Toughness" Protection +0 (Extras: Impervious 11) [11]
Immunity 7 (Pressure, Heat, Falling Damage) [7]
Regeneration 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +11 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +6

Complications:
Reputation (Criminal & Thug)- A reformed criminal, Cage was framed for heroin dealing, and his status as an escaped convict still haunts him and causes others to mistrust him.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 8 (122)

-Cage in the '70s is much lesser than his present-day self, keeping the general strength & toughness but falling a ways behind in accuracy. He's a good, all-around PL 8 in this form.

SWORDSMAN I (Jacques Duquesne)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Don Heck
First Appearance: The Avengers #19 (Aug. 1965)
Role: The Mole, The Old Mentor, Melee Fighter
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Lethal Legion, The Emissaries of Evil
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 10 (135)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Sword) 3 (+14)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Sword Blaster) 8 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Critical (Sword) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Takedown

Powers:
"Makluan Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable -2) [20]
"Disintegration Ray" Blast 8 Linked to Weaken Toughness 4 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (28) -- (33 points)
AE: "Sword Slash" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (8)
AE: "Concussive Force Beam" Blast 8 (16)
AE: "Jet of Flame" Damage 8 (Feats: Reach 4) (12)
AE: "Lightning Bolt" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Nerve Gas" Affliction 7 (Fort; Dazed & Fatigued/Stunned & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud, Cumulative, Extra Condition) (28)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword Slash +13 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Disintegration Ray +10 (+8 Ranged Damage & +4 Weaken, DC 23 & 14)
Force Beam +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Flame Jet +13 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Lightning Bolt +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Nerve Gas +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications:
Reputation (Criminal)- The Swordsman tries to reform, but is believed to be bad by a great many heroes.
Relationship (Mantis)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 14 (135)

-Swordsman's a bit weird in that he only briefly joined the team, and on two separate occasions. He did the "join the team, only to betray them" bit, only years before Terra did (though it was, if I recall, one of those quickie bits solved in an issue or two, and you knew about the betrayal well in advance), but changed his mind at the last second to save the team. Oddly, he didn't DIE as a result of his change of heart, which was common among Stan's reformed villains. Then, years later, after becoming a failed villain in Marvel Limbo (generally popping up here and there to threaten The Avengers or others as a mercenary), he honestly reformed out of love for Mantis, and got a heroes' death in another arc, the ultra-weird Celestial Madonna storyline that was at least proof that SOME comic book writers were using psychedelic drugs at the time.
-History has kind of slighted him, in that he's mostly forgotten (he died saving Mantis, but then had his corpse possessed by a sentient tree, which gave Mantis a son but soon disintegrated), and has had his name taken by dozens of scrubs over the years, but he still gets some props for being "The Greatest Swordsman Ever".
-At PL 10 (135), he's under-pointed, but few are better with their chosen weapon. That sucker can blast various types of energy, fire out nerve gas (loooove Affliction still), and is a regularly effective sword at the same time. He crits on anything from 17-20, has +14 to Attack with his chosen weapon, and is damn hard to hit as well. He does quite a bit of damage, and has a really good set of Advantages to play off of his talent. Despite being under-pointed, he's a threat to nearly anyone in the PL 10 class short of the major Powerhouses.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST (Daniel "Danny" Rand, aka Daniel Rand-K'ai)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Gil Kane
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #15 (May 1974)
Role: Martial Artist, Forgotten Character
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, The Defenders
PL 11 (187)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 11 (+14)
Deception 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+17)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 12 (+14)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Treatment 5 (+7)
Vehicles 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 4 (Billionaire), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Languages (Many Asian Languages), Last Stand, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break

Powers:
"Possesses the Chi of Shou-Lao the Undying"
"Fists Like Unto a Thing of Iron" Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -3) (11) -- [13]
AE: "Healing Trance" Healing 6 (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease) (8)
AE: "Combine Souls or Whatever" Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Distracting, Limited to Aspects of the Soul) (1)

"Supreme Physical Specimen"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Senses 1 (Mystical Awareness) [1]
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Immortal Weapon" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+4 Damage, DC 20)
Iron Fist Punch +11 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Power Loss (The Iron Fist)- While Danny is no longer Fatigued or Exhausted if he uses the Iron Fist Technique, he still cannot simply spam the attack out willy-nilly. His Chi is a terrible weapon, and could consume him with over-use. He can use it multiple times in succession, but it's not a "use every time" kind of attack- he will eventually get Fatigued or Exhausted, suffer incredible internal damage, or lose the attack entirely.
Relationship (Luke Cage)- Marvel's pre-eminant Bromance, the two as very different, but are closer than most brothers. They understand each other better than anyone else does.
Relationship (Misty Knight)- Danny's off-and-on girlfriend of many years- there's a lot of history, and both tend to be stubborn fools in love.
Relationship (Orson Randall)- Orson is the Sixty-Fifth Immortal Iron Fist, and actually survived to the present era. He & Danny briefly take on a gruff mentor/naiive student relationship, but things end tragically before they can get too close. However, Danny still has Orson's Journal, able to be read only by Iron Fists- he will connect with Orson's old tales and meet with his old friends, to try and gain a greater image of the man.
Responsibility (Rand, Inc.)- Danny's fortune was built by Orson Randall's father Wendell, and built off of the fortunes of K'un-Lun and it's corrupt leaders. Danny feels tremendous guilt over this, and (never having been much of a businessman himself) resolves to give up the dirty-money fortune and help people.
Responsibility (The Rand Dojo)- Danny runs a dojo out of the inner city to try and make a difference amongst some poor kids who "really need a place to go after school". It doesn't even need to be said that most of the kids end up the targets of various bad guys.
Responsibility (K'un-Lun)- Danny was raised in K'un-Lun, and is devoted to it's people. However, their ruler and history are often dark and disturbing.
Relationship (Lei Kung the Thunderer)- Danny respects his mentor deeply, but finds him inscrutable and unwilling to part with information easily (he does not warn Danny about the heart-ripping Zhou Cheng, for example).
Enemy (Master Khan)- Khan has attempted to destroy K'un-Lun for centuries.
Enemy (Ward Meachum)- Ward never forgave Danny for trying to hunt down his brother (even though his brother murdered Danny's parents!). Never mind that Danny actually left the guy alive...
Enemy (Davos, The Steel Serpent)- The son of Lei-Kung the Thunderer, and a former friend of Wendell Rand, Davos is one of Danny's most-implacable foes.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 43 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 22 (187)

-In many other Iron Fist-centric stories, Danny comes across like a more stoic, mystical-thinking character, so in the modern incarnation, he's much more of a sarcastic, funny "Everyman Hero", much like Spider-Man, Hawkeye and others. Danny's altogether kind of a forgettable character at times, so it takes a good writer to make him decent. He's got a "dead parents" origin, added to a "Great White Hope" story of the honky outsider coming in to become the better fighter than all the natives who trained him. Then he's a rich white boy like so many other heroes before him, and also sarcastic like Spider-Man. Almost everything about him is kinda tired, so that's why the "Immortal Iron Fist" book was so cool- it took this brutally-generic idea and made a cool goofy hero out of it, as Danny got thrust into this epic mystical/martial arts story.
-Danny is what they call an ELITE martial artist. Even Captain America is +16 in melee combat- Danny is +17, making him THE best around, sharing stats with Shang-Chi and very few others. Of course, Cap is also way stronger, but that's what balance is all about. Iron Fist is only PL 10 by my count, since he still has trouble with basic villains, I've seen his struggle with mere HYDRA hordes in a way that Cap never does, giant robots can whup him even when they're mere goons, and he's shown as very much equivalent to Daredevil in many respects. Neither has been shown to fight the other with any kind of advantage either way, and there's no way DD is PL 11. His "Iron Fist" power is something I've statted before, and Taliesin did virtually the same way (so I know I'm on the right track :D)- it's an Inaccurate Damage effect that's also Penetrating (8 total, in case he Power Attacks), and he can't quite spam it out, so it's got a Complication on it.
-Danny all-around phenomenal, able to modify nearly every cap he has, from Accurate to Defensive to Power. Basically, if you're looking at martial artists, they begin and end here, and Danny's among the few who can push himself to the Heavyweight class by virtue of the Iron Fist strike- using it, he can match the offensive power of many Class 100 Powerhouses (especially with 3 ranks of Improved Critical). He can also heal in a pinch (rarely-shown, but semi-common), and detect some mystical stuff.
-His ability to cure himself of poisons can also be occasionally given to others, and his Chi can allow for some unique Stunted Alternate Effects- absorbing the Electro-Magnetic Energy of a Supertrain To K'un-Lun (then blowing it up... somehow), absorbing other types of energy, finding weak spots on giant Dragons, using the Iron Fist at range (one scene in the recent series shows Danny extending chi blasts out of his hands for a couple feet, and his first use of it involved him blowing up a squad of HYDRA goons in a close-range Cone Area effect), etc. Danny is easily a match for Daredevil or Shang-Chi (guys with similar skill levels), and has a better chance of winning, by virtue of his increased hitting power (Baron's charts show that the more hard-hitting character often wins, and Danny is a half a PL higher as well). Only his lower Toughness could hold him back, and even THAT can be counted if he can Heal when he has some moments of respite.
-Danny is probably the single hardest character to place in terms of PL that I've ever built- he goes from "Struggling against just some martial artist" to "proving that his is the longest and girthiest ever" by doing some outlandish super-power-feat at the same time. I think he also got an upgrade in "The Defenders", though the next time you'll see him, Back To Basics Syndrome will no doubt strike and turn him into the same guy he always was. But at PL 10.5, he is either super-accurate (equal to Shang-Chi and only a few others), SUPER-strong (hitting at +10 with high Improved Critical), or he can Accurate Attack the Iron Fist Technique and still do Penetrating Damage at a more-accurate level, hurting guys with Impervious armor.

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST (Daniel "Danny" Rand, aka Daniel Rand-K'ai)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Gil Kane
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #15 (May 1974)
Role: Martial Artist, Forgotten Character
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, The Defenders
PL 11 (187)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 11 (+14)
Deception 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+17)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 12 (+14)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Treatment 5 (+7)
Vehicles 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 4 (Billionaire), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Languages (Many Asian Languages), Last Stand, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break

Powers:
"Possesses the Chi of Shou-Lao the Undying"
"Fists Like Unto a Thing of Iron" Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -3) (11) -- [13]
AE: "Healing Trance" Healing 6 (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease) (8)
AE: "Combine Souls or Whatever" Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Distracting, Limited to Aspects of the Soul) (1)

"Supreme Physical Specimen"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Senses 1 (Mystical Awareness) [1]
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Immortal Weapon" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+4 Damage, DC 20)
Iron Fist Punch +11 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Power Loss (The Iron Fist)- While Danny is no longer Fatigued or Exhausted if he uses the Iron Fist Technique, he still cannot simply spam the attack out willy-nilly. His Chi is a terrible weapon, and could consume him with over-use. He can use it multiple times in succession, but it's not a "use every time" kind of attack- he will eventually get Fatigued or Exhausted, suffer incredible internal damage, or lose the attack entirely.
Relationship (Luke Cage)- Marvel's pre-eminant Bromance, the two as very different, but are closer than most brothers. They understand each other better than anyone else does.
Relationship (Misty Knight)- Danny's off-and-on girlfriend of many years- there's a lot of history, and both tend to be stubborn fools in love.
Relationship (Orson Randall)- Orson is the Sixty-Fifth Immortal Iron Fist, and actually survived to the present era. He & Danny briefly take on a gruff mentor/naiive student relationship, but things end tragically before they can get too close. However, Danny still has Orson's Journal, able to be read only by Iron Fists- he will connect with Orson's old tales and meet with his old friends, to try and gain a greater image of the man.
Responsibility (Rand, Inc.)- Danny's fortune was built by Orson Randall's father Wendell, and built off of the fortunes of K'un-Lun and it's corrupt leaders. Danny feels tremendous guilt over this, and (never having been much of a businessman himself) resolves to give up the dirty-money fortune and help people.
Responsibility (The Rand Dojo)- Danny runs a dojo out of the inner city to try and make a difference amongst some poor kids who "really need a place to go after school". It doesn't even need to be said that most of the kids end up the targets of various bad guys.
Responsibility (K'un-Lun)- Danny was raised in K'un-Lun, and is devoted to it's people. However, their ruler and history are often dark and disturbing.
Relationship (Lei Kung the Thunderer)- Danny respects his mentor deeply, but finds him inscrutable and unwilling to part with information easily (he does not warn Danny about the heart-ripping Zhou Cheng, for example).
Enemy (Master Khan)- Khan has attempted to destroy K'un-Lun for centuries.
Enemy (Ward Meachum)- Ward never forgave Danny for trying to hunt down his brother (even though his brother murdered Danny's parents!). Never mind that Danny actually left the guy alive...
Enemy (Davos, The Steel Serpent)- The son of Lei-Kung the Thunderer, and a former friend of Wendell Rand, Davos is one of Danny's most-implacable foes.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 43 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 22 (187)

-In many other Iron Fist-centric stories, Danny comes across like a more stoic, mystical-thinking character, so in the modern incarnation, he's much more of a sarcastic, funny "Everyman Hero", much like Spider-Man, Hawkeye and others. Danny's altogether kind of a forgettable character at times, so it takes a good writer to make him decent. He's got a "dead parents" origin, added to a "Great White Hope" story of the honky outsider coming in to become the better fighter than all the natives who trained him. Then he's a rich white boy like so many other heroes before him, and also sarcastic like Spider-Man. Almost everything about him is kinda tired, so that's why the "Immortal Iron Fist" book was so cool- it took this brutally-generic idea and made a cool goofy hero out of it, as Danny got thrust into this epic mystical/martial arts story.
-Danny is what they call an ELITE martial artist. Even Captain America is +16 in melee combat- Danny is +17, making him THE best around, sharing stats with Shang-Chi and very few others. Of course, Cap is also way stronger, but that's what balance is all about. Iron Fist is only PL 10 by my count, since he still has trouble with basic villains, I've seen his struggle with mere HYDRA hordes in a way that Cap never does, giant robots can whup him even when they're mere goons, and he's shown as very much equivalent to Daredevil in many respects. Neither has been shown to fight the other with any kind of advantage either way, and there's no way DD is PL 11. His "Iron Fist" power is something I've statted before, and Taliesin did virtually the same way (so I know I'm on the right track :D)- it's an Inaccurate Damage effect that's also Penetrating (8 total, in case he Power Attacks), and he can't quite spam it out, so it's got a Complication on it.
-Danny all-around phenomenal, able to modify nearly every cap he has, from Accurate to Defensive to Power. Basically, if you're looking at martial artists, they begin and end here, and Danny's among the few who can push himself to the Heavyweight class by virtue of the Iron Fist strike- using it, he can match the offensive power of many Class 100 Powerhouses (especially with 3 ranks of Improved Critical), albeit at lower than his usual offensive power (because otherwise, he would ALWAYS use the Fist. Plus a single punch that GLOWS is always gonna be easier to dodge than various other attacks. He can also heal in a pinch (rarely-shown, but semi-common), and detect some mystical stuff.
-His ability to cure himself of poisons can also be occasionally given to others, and his Chi can allow for some unique Stunted Alternate Effects- absorbing the Electro-Magnetic Energy of a Supertrain To K'un-Lun (then blowing it up... somehow), absorbing other types of energy, finding weak spots on giant Dragons, using the Iron Fist at range (one scene in the recent series shows Danny extending chi blasts out of his hands for a couple feet, and his first use of it involved him blowing up a squad of HYDRA goons in a close-range Cone Area effect), etc. Danny is easily a match for Daredevil or Shang-Chi (guys with similar skill levels), and has a better chance of winning, by virtue of his increased hitting power (Baron's charts show that the more hard-hitting character often wins, and Danny is a half a PL higher as well). Only his lower Toughness could hold him back, and even THAT can be counted if he can Heal when he has some moments of respite.
-Danny is probably the single hardest character to place in terms of PL that I've ever built- he goes from "Struggling against just some martial artist" to "proving that his is the longest and girthiest ever" by doing some outlandish super-power-feat at the same time. I think he also got an upgrade in The Defenders (and he got a REALLY huge Fanwank power feat by tipping a Helicarrier with one punch, which I HATE- it's classic over-the-top Power Geeking and you KNOW is going to come up next time he loses badly or something), though the next time you'll see him, Back To Basics Syndrome will no doubt strike and turn him into the same guy he always was. But at PL 10.5, he is either super-accurate (equal to Shang-Chi and only a few others), SUPER-strong (hitting at +10 with high Improved Critical), or he can Accurate Attack the Iron Fist Technique and still do Penetrating Damage at a more-accurate level, hurting guys with Impervious armor.

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST (Daniel "Danny" Rand, aka Daniel Rand-K'ai)- Standard Version
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Gil Kane
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #15 (May 1974)
Role: Martial Artist, Forgotten Character
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, The Defenders
PL 10 (182)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 11 (+14)
Deception 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+16)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 11 (+13)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 7 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Treatment 5 (+7)
Vehicles 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 4 (Billionaire), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Languages (Many Asian Languages), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break

Powers:
"Possesses the Chi of Shou-Lao the Undying"
"Fists Like Unto a Thing of Iron" Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -3) (11) -- [13]
AE: "Healing Trance" Healing 6 (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease) (8)
AE: "Combine Souls or Whatever" Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Distracting, Limited to Aspects of the Soul) (1)

"Supreme Physical Specimen"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Senses 1 (Mystical Awareness) [1]
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Immortal Weapon" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+4 Damage, DC 20)
Iron Fist Punch +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Power Loss (The Iron Fist)- While Danny is no longer Fatigued or Exhausted if he uses the Iron Fist Technique, he still cannot simply spam the attack out willy-nilly. His Chi is a terrible weapon, and could consume him with over-use. He can use it multiple times in succession, but it's not a "use every time" kind of attack- he will eventually get Fatigued or Exhausted, suffer incredible internal damage, or lose the attack entirely.
Relationship (Luke Cage)- Marvel's pre-eminant Bromance, the two as very different, but are closer than most brothers. They understand each other better than anyone else does.
Relationship (Misty Knight)- Danny's off-and-on girlfriend of many years- there's a lot of history, and both tend to be stubborn fools in love.
Responsibility (Rand, Inc.)- Danny's fortune was built by Orson Randall's father Wendell, and built off of the fortunes of K'un-Lun and it's corrupt leaders. Danny feels tremendous guilt over this, and (never having been much of a businessman himself) resolves to give up the dirty-money fortune and help people.
Responsibility (The Rand Dojo)- Danny runs a dojo out of the inner city to try and make a difference amongst some poor kids who "really need a place to go after school". It doesn't even need to be said that most of the kids end up the targets of various bad guys.
Responsibility (K'un-Lun)- Danny was raised in K'un-Lun, and is devoted to it's people. However, their ruler and history are often dark and disturbing.
Relationship (Lei Kung the Thunderer)- Danny respects his mentor deeply, but finds him inscrutable and unwilling to part with information easily (he does not warn Danny about the heart-ripping Zhou Cheng, for example).
Enemy (Master Khan)- Khan has attempted to destroy K'un-Lun for centuries.
Enemy (Ward Meachum)- Ward never forgave Danny for trying to hunt down his brother (even though his brother murdered Danny's parents!). Never mind that Danny actually left the guy alive...
Enemy (Davos, The Steel Serpent)- The son of Lei-Kung the Thunderer, and a former friend of Wendell Rand, Davos is one of Danny's most-implacable foes.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 66--33 / Advantages: 40 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 21 (182)

-This is the more "standard" Danny, with power-ups or whatever absent. He was mostly like this for years, and only slightly worse overall, dropping a notch of Accuracy, Defense and some Advantages.

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST (Daniel "Danny" Rand, aka Daniel Rand-K'ai)- Bronze Age Version
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Gil Kane
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #15 (May 1974)
Role: Martial Artist, Forgotten Character
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, The Defenders
PL 9 (153)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Deception 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 10 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 3 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Treatment 3 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 4 (Billionaire), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Languages (Many Asian Languages), Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Trance, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Possesses the Chi of Shou-Lao the Undying"
"Fists Like Unto a Thing of Iron" Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Flaws: Tiring) (Inaccurate -3) [5]

"Supreme Physical Specimen"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Senses 1 (Mystical Awareness) [1]
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Immortal Weapon" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+4 Damage, DC 20)
Iron Fist Punch +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Luke Cage)- Marvel's pre-eminant Bromance, the two as very different, but are closer than most brothers. They understand each other better than anyone else does.
Relationship (Misty Knight)- Danny's off-and-on girlfriend of many years- there's a lot of history, and both tend to be stubborn fools in love.
Responsibility (Rand, Inc.)- Danny's fortune was built by Orson Randall's father Wendell, and built off of the fortunes of K'un-Lun and it's corrupt leaders. Danny feels tremendous guilt over this, and (never having been much of a businessman himself) resolves to give up the dirty-money fortune and help people.
Responsibility (The Rand Dojo)- Danny runs a dojo out of the inner city to try and make a difference amongst some poor kids who "really need a place to go after school". It doesn't even need to be said that most of the kids end up the targets of various bad guys.
Responsibility (K'un-Lun)- Danny was raised in K'un-Lun, and is devoted to it's people. However, their ruler and history are often dark and disturbing.
Relationship (Lei Kung the Thunderer)- Danny respects his mentor deeply, but finds him inscrutable and unwilling to part with information easily (he does not warn Danny about the heart-ripping Zhou Cheng, for example).
Enemy (Master Khan)- Khan has attempted to destroy K'un-Lun for centuries.
Enemy (Ward Meachum)- Ward never forgave Danny for trying to hunt down his brother (even though his brother murdered Danny's parents!). Never mind that Danny actually left the guy alive...
Enemy (Davos, The Steel Serpent)- The son of Lei-Kung the Thunderer, and a former friend of Wendell Rand, Davos is one of Danny's most-implacable foes.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 17 (153)

-The more old-school Danny loses a lot of capability, largely thanks to his lower levels of experience and the fact that he couldn't spam out the Iron Fist attack that much. Quite often, he'd only use it ONCE per fight, as the coup de grace.

SHANG-CHI, MASTER OF KUNG FU
Created By:
Steve Englehart & Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Special Marvel Edition #15 (Dec. 1973)
Role: Bruce Lee Clone, Martial Arts Master
Country of Origin: China
Group Affiliations: The Heroes For Hire, MI-6, The Marvel Knights
PL 10 (153)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+17)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Martial Arts Lore) 10 (+12)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 7 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+9)
Treatment 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Chokehold, Cunning Fighter, Daze (Agile Feint), Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Defensive Throw, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 4, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Last Stand, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +16 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +9

Complications:
Enemy (Fu Manchu)- Shang-Chi's father raised him to be an agent of his will, but upon discover Fu Manchu's evil nature, Shang rejected him. Fu Manchu was defeated, and has been missing for years. Then it turned out it was a psuedonym for an immortal sorcerer.
Enemy (The Cat)
Responsibility (MI-6)
Relationship (Denis Nayland Smith)- When Shang-Chi learned that his father was an evil man, he teamed up with one of the top British agents to stop him.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 42 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (153)

-Shang-Chi is just one of those characters that fits a certain era PERFECTLY, but has never really maintained a following outside of it. Debuting in 1973 as the son of Fu Manchu (Marvel had bought the rights to tell his stories), Shang-Chi discovered the true nature of his father's evil, and joined a Rag-Tag Band of Misfits on their path to unravel the old man's empire. Shang was also a take-off of the Kung Fu series, and the Bruce Lee movies popular at the time, capitalizing on a western fascination with the asian martial arts. All of this combined to make a very dark, personal (Shang dealt with his own personal demons, as well as lethal rivals) ten-year run, ending in 1983. Doug Moench was generally the writer, and made the book his baby, which is probably why we don't see much more of him.
-Upon the series' cancellation, however, Shang-Chi would vanish, and only show up in VERY minor back-stories, or failed Heroes For Hire reboots. He SHOULDN'T be that dated (the '90s had their OWN massive Martial Arts boom, and now we've got an MMA craze to deal with), but his red pyjamas look is hard to hide (and any other look makes him appear to just be some Chinese guy in kung fu gear), and he's still typecast as a background character- he remains a minor character on Hickman's Uber-Avengers team (true story: I forgot he was even ON THE TEAM until the tenth or so issue). Truth be told, I find him to be a bit of a blank slate- I've almost never seen him in a story, and when he IS there, he's basically Generic Wise Asian and doesn't get anything done.
-Pretty much the ultimate "baseline" martial artist, Shang-Chi is as good as Iron Fist, perhaps a bit more Advantage-heavy, but lacks the Chi-based Super Punch. This puts him in a rare category of guys above even Steve Rogers in melee accuracy, but it totally fits for a guy who's supposed to be THE BEST. Cap still has the advantage thanks to his added strength and the Shield (PL 12 vs. PL 10), but Shang would put up one hell of a fight against almost anybody. He's given both Spider-Man & The Thing trouble (though it was more of the "impossible to hit because he's got +16 to parry" trouble in the latter case), and can easily take down metahuman opponents if he needs to. This is basically a Hong Kong Movie Martial Artist personified, upgraded to a PL 10 Super-Hero status.
-The only issue is that comparing him against others is tough, because he did fairly-little interacting with other super-heroes after a point. He would team up with a bunch of guys, but rarely oppose big-name competition.

THE TWO-GUN KID (Matt Liebowicz/Matt Hawkins/Matt Hawk)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Two-Gun Kid #62 (Nov. 1962)
Role: Cowboy, Time-Travelling Hero, Out of Time Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Desert Stars (Initiative Team)
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Cowboy/Bounty Hunter) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Lawyer) 5 (+6)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Pistol) 2 (+11)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 3 (Cowboy Gear), Improved Critical (Pistol), Improved Initiative 2, Quick Draw, Minion 3 (Comet), Ranged Attack 5, Tracking (Visual)

Equipment:
"Pair of Colt Pistols" Blast 5 (10) -- (11)
AE: "Lasso" Snare 4 (Feats: Reach 4) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to One Target) (8)
"Cowboy Gear" (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Colts +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Lasso +7 (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Man Out of Time)- A time-travelling character, the Two-Gun Kid has been all over, and is usually unable to get home.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 17 (109)

COMET
Role:
Beloved Mount
PL 6 (50)- Minion Rank 3
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+3)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 4 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Reach 1 [1]
Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Horses cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 9 (50)

-The Two-Gun Kid's got a weird link to The Avengers, in that he's a wild-west hero (somehow debuting after the SIXTIETH issue of "The Two-Gun Kid"- turns out there was an original, lamer one they brushed off as a fictional character) who ended up teaming with the heroes after some time-travelling, and he's popped up a few times as a result, even becoming an honorary Avenger. Continuity is all over the place for him though, as he shows up as a time-lost young man in She-Hulk (where he tries to become a lawyer again, but gives up and moves on to Bounty-Hunting), then again in a prequel of sorts to the modern Marvel U- explaining stuff to the man who became the Golden Age Angel while he's a dying cowboy in the 1930s.
-The Two-Gun Kid's a modern version of a Cowboy build, being PL 8 overall with his Twin Colts, a good rider with a good horse, and a nice roundabout set of skills. He's not a superstar, but he's better than most cowboys, because most cowboys never had to deal with super-powered opposition. TGK's rogues gallery in his own book were actual SUPER-VILLAINS, having come out in the early 1960s, as Stan & Jack tried to recapture their super-hero success with the westerns that were so popular in the 1950s. It didn't work- the genre was dead except for a bunch of failed Jonah Hex re-makes over the decades.

CRYSTAL (Crystal Amaquelin, nee' Maximoff)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #45 (Dec. 1965)
Role: The One Who Humps the New Guy Who Shows Up, The Chick
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Inhumans Royal Family, The Fantastic Four
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (153)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 5 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Attractive, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Suit- Protection +2), Ranged Attack 9, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Terrigen Mist-Given Powers: Control Over the Four Elements"
Immunity 10 (Weather Effects) [10]
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

"Earth/Ice Constricting Snare" Snare 8 (Feats: Variable Descriptor) Linked to Damage 5 (Extras: Ranged) (35) -- [50]
AE: "Dust Storm" Obscure Visuals 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Cloud) (6)
AE: "Earthquake" Affliction 9 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (33)
AE: Burrowing 7 (60 mph) (7)
AE: "Earth Attack" Blast 9 (18)
AE: "Earth Control" Move Object 8 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Earth) (16)
AE: Transform 5 (Stone, Water, Metal to Other Shapes) (20)
AE: "Tornado" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: Environment 3 (120 feet) (Extreme Heat 2, Impede Movement 2, Visibility) (15)
AE: "Tornado Winds" Move Object 8 (Flaws: Limited to Pushing or Pulling) (8)
AE: Suffocate 8 (24)
AE: "Water Control" Move Object 8 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (16)
AE: "Magnetic Control" Move Object 5 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (5)
AE: "Ignite" Blast 6 (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Perception Range) (19)
AE: "Fire Attack" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (24)
AE: "Fire Control" Move Object 5 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Snare +9 (+8 Ranged Affliction & +5 Ranged Damage, DC 18/20)
Earthquake +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Earth Attack +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Tornado +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Suffocate +9 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Ignite +6 Perception (+6 Perception Damage, DC 21)
Fire Blast +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Attilan, The Royal Family)
Relationship- First Johnny Storm, then Quicksilver, then some random dude, then Ronan the Accuser... there's a lot of this.
Weakness (Pollutants & Toxins)- Without a special serum, Crystal will soon become sick, disabled and dying.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 70 / Defenses: 18 (153)

-Crystal's always had a weird place in comics. See, when The Inhumans debuted, they were a mysterious race of outcasts who could NEVER interact with our world, meaning that there was a tragedy to her & Johnny Storm's romance. Not that it really WAS romantic- Stan Lee's idea of them falling in love was more like "Hey! That person is attractive! OMG I'm in LUUUUVVVV I CAN'T BE WITH THEM THO SO WAH!", which is pretty much 100% accurate to how teenagers act- but everyone else acted all sad about it, so we were apparently supposed to take it seriously. Now, this whole "Star Crossed Lovers" thing is a great old trope for a reason (I certainly do love it for Atom Smasher & Stargirl, f'rinstance), so they played off that for a few years. But then The Inhumans permanently got into society. For a bit. Which meant Crystal & Johnny COULD be together... but the whole appeal of their relationship was that they COULDN'T be together, so they really had nothing to do.
-Fast-forward a few years, and she's dumped Johnny for Quicksilver of all people (who had nothing better to do as character). They have a child (Luna, a normal human daughter of an Inhuman and a Mutant), do some stuff, then she cheated on him with a REAL ESTATE AGENT because Pietro was being a dick and ignoring her, and she shows up in The Avengers after years of being an FF-alternate. This was the HORRIBLE "Leather Jacket Phase", though, so was kind of a "Dork Age" for comic books in general, and The Avengers specifically.
-Another bunch of years later, and she was forcibly married to Ronan the Accuser to provide a union between the Kree & The Inhumans who came to rule them, but then it turns out they really did love each other after all, turning Ronan into a big ol' softie. AAAAWWWW... (note that this is a guy who once openly mocked The Vision & Scarlet Witch upon figuring out they were in love, just because it was so unlikely and funny). So Crystal's had a bizarre history (filled with more men than most comic book women, that's for sure), and who knows where she'll end up? Reign of Kings gave her more to do than at just about any other time in her history (she's gotten twice the characterization of any other Inhuman in that span), but she's been largely-ignored since then- most Ronan appearances don't even BRING HER UP, as it sees Jon Hickman wanted to reboot The Kree back to where they were before.
-Part of the issue with Crystal is that Marvel writers have a tendency to use her as the Girlfriend for random males that show up. Since she's the beautiful, innocent daughter of a race of weirdos, it makes her sorta like the Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter, which people just CAN'T HELP but include in stories like that. So bouncing her around from guy to guy looks rather silly when you look at her history as a whole (I mean, most super-heroines at least have the decency to cheat on their significant others with OTHER SUPER-HEROES... Crys did it with a NORMAL PERSON).
-Crystal stats up funny, having a ridiculous FIFTEEN Alt-Effects based around an Elementalist (all elements) set-up. She's fairly powerful, but not really PL 10 worthy (most of the other Inhumans are far better ass-kickers), and is a PL 9 character that is slightly above her standard PC-level points-cost because she's so insanely VERSATILE. She's a pretty good team player, and has so many options in combat that just about anybody is going to be weak to at least one of her attacks. All those Area Bursts and Control powers are bound to be effective. She's a bit of a Glass Cannon, though- PL 7.5 on Defense is not going to let you take a punch.

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IRON MAN (Tony Stark)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber & Don Heck
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963)
Role: Powersuit Guy (Trope Maker/Definer), Flying Brick/Blaster, Just-Below-Thor Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers (all teams), The Illuminati, S.H.I.E.L.D., Force Works
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 12 (254)
STRENGTH
2/12 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Aerobatics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 6 (+11, +13 Attractive)
Expertise (S.H.I.E.L.D. Director) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 7 (+15)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+22) -- Flaws: Limited to Mechanical Sciences
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+7)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 6 (+11, +13 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Iron Man Weapons) 2 (+9, +12 Suit)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 14 (+22)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 5 (Wealth- Billionaire), Connected, Equipment (Gear in Suit- Radio, Jammer & stuff), Improvised Tools, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Skill Mastery 2 (Science, Technology), Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Science, Technology), Well-Informed

Powers:
"Iron Man Armor" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Tony, Remote Control) [101]
Enhanced Strength 10 (20)
Protection 9 (Extras: Impervious 9) (18)
Immunity 6 (Cold, Heat, Radiation, Pressure, Suffocation 2) (6)
"Boot Rockets" Flight 9 (1,000 mph) (18)

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 10: Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Withstand Damage (10)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (4)
"Armor Sensors" Senses 11 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate) (11)

"Repulsor Rays" Blast 12 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical, Variable Energy Descriptor, Penetrating 4) (31) -- (36)
AE: "Repulsor Stun" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (31)
AE: "Uni-Beam" Damage 12 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (Flaws: Distracting) (17)
AE: "Electro-Magnetic Pulse" Nullify Technology 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Sustained) (Flaws: Touch Range) (24)
AE: "Sonic Attack" Dazzle Audio 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (20)
AE: "Holographics" Illusion (Visual) 5 (10)
-- (122 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Suit Unarmed +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Repulsor Rays +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Stun +12 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Uni-Beam +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 27)
EM Pulse +12 (+8 Nullify, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
"Out of Suit" Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +9
"In Suit" Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude +6, Will +9

Complications:
Power Loss (Uni-Beam)- Tony must wait a few rounds between using the Uni-Beam, to recharge it's power. It also does comparatively less damage up close than it does at range.
Addiction (Alcohol)- Tony is a recovering alcoholic, and could be prone to a relapse.
Relationship (Pepper, Rhodey, Happy)- Tony has a large group of friends, most of whom he's let down or rejected violently at some point.
Weakness (Health)- Tony's health varies based off of the current writer- the second someone wants to "get back to basics" (which is A LOT in comics, for every hero ever), he gets a new health imperfection. A bad heart (Extra Effort leaves him worse off than normal), screwy mechanics that keep him alive (too strong a hit or magnetics does way more damage), etc.
Responsibility (Civil War)- Tony was the face of the Pro-Registration side, and now has to deal with the fallout from that. Many in the super-hero community will not trust him.
Enemy (The Mandarin, The Stane Family)

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 76--38 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 101 / Defenses: 21 (254)

-Tony Stark allegedly came about because Stan Lee wanted to challenge the Silver Age hippie reading audience with a super-hero as little like them as possible. The definition of cold-hearted, money-grubbing capitalism, the wealthy Weapon-Maker Tony Stark was everything the liberals hated, and Stan says he felt it was a challenge to make him work. Adding the schtick that he was badly injured and possibly dying gave him that right notch of '60s Hero Pathos (part of why Marvel eventually overtook DC in the '60s was a mastery of this trope), which made hiim a star. Iron Man has always a career-long also-ran in the big leagues of Marvel- he's always had a solo book, but he's a distant star compared to Spidey, Hulk, Cap, Wolvie, etc.. But then that movie came out- hitting on nearly every big political issue of the Iron Man comics, the movie served as a microcosm for what made the character great, and basically made him a full-blown major star in comics. It also made Tony a wise-cracking, snarky playboy who bedded every woman he met, spent money lavishly, and adored stardom- a STARK contrast to the grim, brooding, solitary figure I've seen in pretty much every Iron Man comic before 2004. I mean, this was a COMPLETE aversion to the comic book version (it's a good bit similar to the Ultimate version, in fact), and yet fans didn't mind, thanks to the raw charisma and humor of Robert Downey, Jr.'s performance. At least it got his Weapons-Maker-guilt right. But hey, that Tony was frankly more ENTERTAINING than comic Tony ever was, so Hollywood did that one right.
-In essence, the symbolic nature of Tony Stark as a character was altered at this time- prior to this, he was basically a symbol of Good Capitalism, the heroic figure who cared for his employees and fought off Evil '80s Capitalists and stuff like that. He was also a dark version of the Rich Boy, in that he owned all of this great stuff and was lauded publically by everyone, but couldn't enjoy it because his chest injury effectively gave him a death sentence, forcing him to keep everyone at arm's length. The movie basically shifted Tony into the Ideal Male- the man every dude dreams of becoming- handsome, rich, charming, funny as hell, and a dominating figure who at the same time has a rebellious streak a mile wide. Naturally, women appreciated this version more as well. Reading any of Tony Stark's appearances before the movie came out is REALLY bizarre to me because of how different the character really is.
-Tony's the ultimate "Armor Guy" in comics, setting off countless revisions, rip-offs, and "homages" ever since, which earns him total credit in the comic book world, where you're judged by the amount of guys who steal your ideas (very few can top him- Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, The Flash... can't think of many others). Unfortunately, he's been hampered by a respectable, but dull, supporting cast, of Generic Secretary Who Loves Him (Pepper. Thor had the same deal at the same time, along with countless other heroes), Loyal Dumbass Guy (Happy), and Angry Black Guy Who Replaced Him Once (Rhodes). Give him a Spidey-like supporting cast, and you'd have a much bigger star with more successful books.
-Of course, Civil War AND the movie coming out made him a huge star in Marvel, while also derailing him a bit. Here's a once-heroic figure hiring NORMAN OSBORN AND VENOM to hunt down SUPER-HEROES. Guys who ATE PEOPLE and Tony wanted them to arrest people just for not wanting to give the evil government their entire identity. They kinda brought him back to normal a couple years later, but writers still play with the old "Tony does something awful" thing. Though to be fair, this IS a recurring sentiment in older comics- The Korvac Saga features Tony pissing off Captain America so much over financial issues that Cap PUNCHES HIM IN THE FACE, and Tony also enraged Avengers by demanding the immediate execution of The Supreme Intelligence of the Kree Empire during Galactic Storm, and for running roughshod over ever Armor-Based Character in comics, including the Guardsmen (who were under Cap's specific protection at the time).
-They've added a ton of junk to that armor over the years, recently bringing out a ridiculous Extremis armor, which I HATE, because it takes Tony's coolest aspect (an Armored Hero), and just makes him a standard guy with powers. That amoung of high-tech stuff is just TOO futuristic, in my opinion. It's a good thing they dumped it and went back to the classics. Tony's various armors have been hit-or-miss: the early two clunky suits- grey & gold, by Jack Kirby, were silly-looking, but Steve Ditko's redesign into a streamlined red & gold suit was boss. It got bigger and more muscular-looking over time (with an unfortunate nose added because someone misunderstood a comment by Stan Lee about him needing one- Stan MEANT that the faceplate was too flat to fit a human nose, but the artist decided to put a big triangular nose dead-centre), culminating with the awesome but super-'80s Silver Centurion suit. SOOOO bulky. The even MORE awesome Black redesign as War Machine was even better, so of course they kept that one around. Why is it that recolouring things black ALWAYS makes them look cooler? Cap, Spidey, Iron Man, Batman... they shoulda made a Black Hulk (well, sorta they almost did in one Defenders story). It shifted to another Red & Gold look, then an awful Yellow & Black one (those colours ONLY work if you're dressed as a giant bee and therefore have stripes), and he's going into a white one shortly.
-Iron Man's build defines a lot of things for my builds in general, so I always like to do him first. He is THE defining "Armor Guy", and everyone else in comics (Steel, Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man) takes this build and just drops stats in various places. Tony's also effective as a benchmark for PLs- I view him as a resolute PL 12. Alot of others put him higher, but to me, he's always represented that level that was above the obvious baseline characters (ie. PL 10s), and guys like Spider-Man and probably She-Hulk, but was never quite at Thor's stage of the game. Notably, Tony's entire rogues gallery aside from The Mandarin was either lower-powered versions of himself (Dynamo, T-Man), or just plain sucky (Whiplash? The Melter? THE UNICORN?). Of course, he's also had like a bazillion upgrades since he debuted in the '60s, yet mysteriously, every time he gets upgraded, he ends up at the same approximate level (he's been below Thor in power after ALL of them, despite often being upgraded greatly). And while powerful, he's about the only Class 100-ish guy I've ever seen who gets hit by Captain America & Spider-Man and goes "OUCH!" Guys like Thor & The Thing just shrug off those punches like nothing, but Tony is all "OW STOP HITTING MEEEE!" (Unarmored Tony once fought his sentient suit and HURT IT WITH A ROCK). I just don't buy him as THAT powerful. He's tough, but not a God.
-Despite reservations about the highness of his PL, Tony's still a great fighter overall. PL 12 is pretty damn good (especially since I use PL 9 as a "starter" and PL 10s are better), and he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. His Armor converts him into a PL 10 melee, PL 12 ranged guy (it boosts his Ranged Attack, Dodge & Parry- he's never been great shakes in melee, but his armor warns him about incoming attacks, and lets him see more effectively, so his aim's better), with either Repulsor Rays (standard Penetrating Blast) or a Uni-Beam (Line Area force, but it's Distracting and needs a recharge). There's a few other side tricks in his array as well, like a Stunning option, and an EM Pulse that disables technology. Now, Tony's the type of guy to whip out a life-saving last-minute upgrade as a side thing (he's nowhere near as bad as Drs. Strange or Fate for it, though), so he usually spends his HP on sudden stunts like "Absorb the Energy into a Counter-Acting Blast" (he did this to Captain Marvel/Photon in one fight), Magnetic Control, Dazzles, or Visual Illusions or somesuch thing.
-And his Skills & Advantages. Tony is smart as hell (though a few notches behind Reed Richards, who seems to understand EVERY Science- Tony specializes), with +22 to Science & Technology, not to mention brilliant at Business (he's re-taken over his company at least twice, and builds companies from the ground-up regularly), Deception & Persuasion. The man is a modern Renaissance Dude. It's no wonder he's a PL 12 (250) monstrosity to deal with- the way they set up the game now, there's almost no way to see Tony coming in as a PC without doing cheap things like Alt-Effecting the Strength off of the Weapons Array (which I generally dislike doing).

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"Iron Man Space Armor" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Tony, Remote Control) [93]
Enhanced Strength 10 (20)
Protection 9 (Extras: Impervious 9) (18)
Immunity 7 (Cold, Heat, Radiation, Vacuum, Pressure, Suffocation 2) (7)
"Boot Rockets" Flight 7 (240 mph) (14)
Movement 1 (Space Travel) (2)

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 10: Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Withstand Damage (10)
"Armor Sensors" Senses 13 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate, Direction & Distance Sense) (13)

"Repulsor Rays" Blast 12 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical, Variable Energy Descriptor, Penetrating 4) (31) -- (34)
AE: "Repulsor Stun" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (31)
AE: "Uni-Beam" Damage 12 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Distracting) (17)
AE: "Electro-Magnetic Pulse" Nullify Technology 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Sustained) (Flaws: Touch Range) (24)

Quirks: -2 Fighting (-4), -2 Dodge (-2)
-- (112 points)

-Tony's Space Armor is a little different- replacing a rank of Flight with Space Travel. It's slower in the atmosphere, but it can fly outside of it. It also drops the Absorption Blast for Immunity to Vacuums. It's depicted as clunkier and slower, which lowers Tony's accuracy a lot, and loses him the Dodge/Parry bonus. By "Operation: Galactic Storm", he used one that was pretty much like his regular armor with more Life Support, allowing him to keep going for weeks without replacing resources.

---

"Iron Man Hydro Armor" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Tony, Remote Control) [95]
Enhanced Strength 9 (18)
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 7) (15)
Immunity 6 (Cold, Heat, Radiation, Pressure, Suffocation 2) (6)
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Water) (2)
"Boot Rockets" Flight 7 (240 mph) (14) -- (15)
AE" Swimming 10 (500 mph) (10)

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 10: Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Withstand Damage (10)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (4)
"Armor Sensors" Senses 13 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate, Direction & Distance Sense) (13)

"Electric Eel Field" Aura 10 (Flaws: Distracting) (30) -- (32)
AE: "Ink Cloud" Concealment 2 (Visual 2) (Extras: Attack, Area- Cloud) (8)
AE: "Manta Ray Torpedos" Blast 10 (Feats: Homing 2) (22)
-- (115 points)

-The Hydro Armor is a little weaker acros the board, but doesn't suffer when underwater.

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"Iron Man Stealth Armor" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Tony, Remote Control) [92]
Enhanced Strength 9 (18)
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 7) (15)
Immunity 6 (Cold, Heat, Radiation, Pressure, Suffocation 2) (6)
"Boot Rockets" Flight 7 (240 mph) (14)

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 10: Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Withstand Damage (10)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (4)
"Armor Sensors" Senses 13 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate, Direction & Distance Sense) (13)

"Invisibility"
Concealment 5 (Hearing, Visual 4) (Flaws: Limited to Machines) (5)
Concealment 5 (Visual 4) (Flaws: Limited to Humans, Partial) (2)
Enhanced Skills 20: Stealth 10 (+14) (5)

"Repulsor Rays" Blast 12 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical, Variable Energy Descriptor, Penetrating 4) (Flaws: Limited to 3 Uses) (19)
-- (111 points)

-Stealth Armor is really hard to spot, and invisible to machines.

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"Hulkbuster Armor" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Tony, Remote Control) [100]
"Large Size" Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -2 Close Attacks, +1 Speed) -- (15 feet) (8)
Enhanced Strength 9 (total 16) (18)
Protection 8 (Total 15) (Extras: Impervious 15) (23)
Immunity 7 (Cold, Heat, Radiation, Vacuum, Pressure, Suffocation 2) (7)
"Boot Rockets" Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 2: Extraordinary Effort, Withstand Damage (2)
"Armor Sensors" Senses 13 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate, Direction & Distance Sense) (13)

"Repulsor Rays" Blast 15 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical, Penetrating 7) (39) -- (40)
AE: "Uni-Beam" Damage 15 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Distracting) (22)
-- (121 points)

-The HulkBuster is a high-powered super-machine, but so big & clunky that Tony only breaks it out for the big fights... like against The Hulk.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN II/LIONHEART (Kelsey Leigh Kirkland)
Created By:
Chuck Austen & Olivier Coipel
First Appearance: The Avengers (vol. 3) #77 (March 2004)
Role: Replacement Scrappy, Forgotten Avenger
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Captain Britain Corps.
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (108)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Teacher) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Sword Blast) 6 (+9)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]
Impervious Toughness 7 [7]

"The Sword of Might" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [11]
Blast 8 (16) -- (18 points)
AP: Strike 3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (10)
AP: Force Field 5 (Extras: Affects Others 8) (13)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Sword of Might +8 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Sword Blast +9 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+10 Force Field), Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Children)- Because of her use of the Sword of Might over the Amulet of Protection, she can no longer see her children. For some reason.
Responsibility (Bad Past)- Kelsey has Rape As Backstory, and was scarred as a result of it, mentally and physically.
Normal Identity- When not using Captain Britain's powers (she must touch an Amulet to transform), Kelsey is limited to Strength 0, Stamina 0, Agility 0 & Fighting 4.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 28 / Defenses: 9 (108)

-I think Captain Britain II (aka Lionheart) may just have the title of shortest run as an Avenger. Chuck Austen (most hated writer in comics history) created her for his brief run, and she only stuck around for a couple months, before being sent back to England as a failed character post-Disassembled (which rebooted the team with a whole new roster just months after Austen drove it into the ground). Chris Claremont actually seems to have used her in Excalibur, as she fits his prototypical "Angry Woman Who Hates Stuff", but don't expect to hear much from her, as she only lasted an arc as a side-character. She's basically a failed character; an attempt at renewing an old name with a new person (made more redundant by the eventual return of Brian Braddock). She'd probably be the Worst Avenger Ever, if Doctor Druid didn't get such a big push as a character, then turn evil.
-Overall, she's a PL 8.5 offense/PL 9 defense type of character, with a Force Field, a Blast and a Sword, but she can't use all three at once, making her much less effective overall. She would've been a half-decent background character with any kind of a push, but she just never ended up getting one, so PL 9 she remains. She's kind of a mini version of a Flying Brick or a Scrapper, with some Blaster thrown in, but she doesn't specialize enough to be truly good.

STINGRAY (Walter Newell)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Bill Everett
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #95 (Sept. 1967) as Newell, Sub-Mariner #19 (Nov. 1969) as Stingray
Role: Background Scientist, Forgotten Avenger, Undersea Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Initiative
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (137)
STRENGTH
1/8 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Athletics 8 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+7)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Oceanographer) 9 (+14)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 6 (+11)
Vehicles 4 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Sea-Faring Vehicles

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Subs and stuff), Favoured Environment (Underwater), Interpose, Ranged Attack 7, Ultimate Skill (Oceanographer)

Powers:
"Stingray Underwater Survival Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [43]
Enhanced Strength 7 (14)
Power Lifting 1 (12 tons) (1)
Protection 6 (6)
Immunity 4 (Drowning, Suffocation, Cold, Pressure) (4)
"Electrical Bolts" Blast 8 (Feats: Split) (17)
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Underwater) (2)

"Ray Wings" Swimming 8 (120 mph) (8) -- (9)
AE: Flight 4 (30 mph) (8)
-- (53 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Unarmed Suit +7 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Electrical Bolts +9 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+8 Suit), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Diane Arliss)- The two are married. She is the sister of Tiger Shark, a supervillain who hates Stingray's friend Namor.
Responsibilty (The Seas)- More of a scientist than a super-hero, Stingray is nonetheless the leading super-expert on all things oceanic, which often brings him into situations unwillingly. Whenever Namor's around, people tend to call him up and make him help them.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 14 (137)

-I always liked Stingray as a kid, but that's only because I had one issue of that The Crossing storyline in The Avengers that dealt with Cap's team allying with Alpha Flight & The People's Protectorate to stop a bunch of Russian terrorists from going nuke-crazy in Canadian waters. Stingray had basically been dragged along by Cap because Namor was unavailable, and the poor bastard was stuck out there with a concussion after GETTING SHOT POINT BLANK, then trodding through a desert inside Shaman's pouch (it was a weird damn storyline, especially when you're like ten and you've got magic mumbo-jumbo mixing with nuclear physics). He was probably happiest to get home out of anyone. As a character he wasn't really anything amazing, but he had the most important attribute a comic book character could have- he LOOKED COOL. A very well-designed, pretty outfit there- a big red ray-like cape and a two-colour design interacting with a Wildfire-like white faceplate.
-Turns out when the guy's not an Avengers drag-along, he's the Marvel Universe's leading Oceanographer, and was mainly a Namor add-on, teaming up with the Sub-Mariner in his own book during the late '60s and early '70s (an era that mostly gets ignored altogether, especially by modern stories). He had side-runs as a buddy in other books (Marvel Two-In-One among them), but has always been a VERY minor-league guy in a standard Powersuit (though with an undersea schtick). He was a trainer at the Initiative Academy thing, but was never really seen in the main books. You just kinda saw him wandering around in costume a bunch. Overall, his history is hilariously-minor, and he really hasn't done anything of importance since the early 1990s.
-Stingray's a rather inefficient PL 9, being 8.5 with his Blasts and Dodging, and a PL 7.5-8 elsewhere. I think a mixing of the two levels (8 & 9) fit him well- he's not totally incapable, but his Powersuit is REALLY weak (Iron Man beat him EASILY during "The Armor Wars" when Tony thought Stingray might have used some of his tech), not that tough (a gunshot to the head nearly killed him- something beyond most Powersuit guys), and is generally a side-character. But at the same point, he's not TOTALLY useless, and can be very handy in oceanic adventures, using a combination of his smarts (Oceanographer covers almost anything water-related, I figure. Hey, if "Science" can cover astrophysics & biology, "Oceanographer" can let you know stuff about the tides, whales and undersea faults, I say) and natural ability underwater. Note that he's flat-out better underwater thanks to Favoured Environment.

MANIFOLD (Eden Fesi)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Stefano Caselli
First Appearance: Secret Warriors #4 (July 2009)
Role: Super-Teleporter, Complete Cypher, "Normal Guy" Hero
PL 16 (414)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Creates Spatial Manifolds"
Teleport 20 (Feats: Change Direction & Velocity) (Extras: Accurate, Easy, Extended, Portal +2, Size +6- 500ft. Wide) [260]
Linked to
Teleport 20 (Feats: Change Direction & Velocity) (Extras: Accurate, Easy, Extended, Attack Only +0) (102) -- [104]
AE: "Universal Manifold" Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) (Extras: Portal +2, Instant Transfer) (15)
AE: "Teleport Crap Into Other Crap" Damage 16 (Extras: Perception-Ranged +2, Penetrating 10) (Flaws: Damage Limited to Toughness of Teleported Objects) (42)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Teleport Attack +12 (+12 Teleport Attack, DC 12)
Teleporting Things Into Other Things -- (+16 Perception-Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Power Loss (Leaving His Own Universe)- Black Swan says that various Manifolds cannot use their powers when removed from their own universes.
Responsibility (Normal Guy)- Eden is often shocked and awed by the crazy world in which he now finds himself living.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 364 / Defenses: 10 (414)

-Eden "Manifold" Fesi is a new-ish Jonathan Hickman creation who debuted in his "Secret Warriors" run (a book that led to a lot of his later stuff, but didn't appear to have been read by many), and later got brought in to later Hickman stuff. A super-Teleporter who was related to the mutant Gateway, and was thus an Australian Aborigine. He's mainly a means to an end in the stories- during most of Hickman's huge space-faring tale, he's just there Teleporting the heroes all over the place. His only other purpose was to stand there and go "... woah, this is big" sort of like a "Fan's Eye View" character would, but only for a couple pages. That's... kind of what a lot of new Hickman characters ended up doing in that story. It was full of terrific moments, but he lost a LOT of ground on both clarity and characterization, as it was just kind of a bunch of unexplained STUFF happening.
-All of this means that Manifold, while INSANELY expensive, is pretty hopeless in direct combat, being way under-powered offensively & defensively unless he's Teleporting people at PL 12 levels. In terms of raw distance and Teleportational ability, he's unmatched outside of Cosmic Beings. At one point Captain America asks him to Teleport two massive ships into each other, which he could theoretically do with regularity- this is effectively a Perception-Ranged Damage Effect with COLOSSAL ranks, pushing him to PL 16-ish.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

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QUASAR II (Wendell Vaughn, aka Marvel Boy II, Marvel Man)
Created By:
Don Glut, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: Captain America #217 (Jan. 1978)
Role: Plucky Young Hero, Green Lantern Rip-Off, Cosmic Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Project: Pegasus, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Star Masters
Avengers Grade: C-Level (B-Level during his big '90s run)
PL 14 (223)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 11 (+13)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 5 (+7)
Expertise (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent) 3 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Cosmic Attacks) 3 (+12)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Protector of the Universe- Chosen of Eon), Defensive Attack, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 5, Power Attack, Teamwork

Powers:
"Quantum Bands"
Snare 15 (Feats: Reversible, Dynamic, Extended Range) (48) -- [63]
Dynamic AE: "Cosmic Energy Control" Blast 16 (Feats: Split, Dynamic, Improved Critical, Penetrating 8) (43)
Dynamic AE: Damage 14 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (43)
Dynamic AE: Damage 14 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (43)
Dynamic AE: Create 14 (Feats: Precise, Innate, Dynamic, Selective, Stationary, Tether) (Extras: Movable) (48)
Dynamic AE: Absorption 14 (Energy to Blasts) (Feats: Dynamic) (29)
Dynamic AE: "Quantum Melee Weapons" Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Dynamic) (7)
Dynamic AE: "Enhanced Field" Force Field 4 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Impervious 15, Affects Others 13) & Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Affects Others +0) & Space Travel 1 (Extras: Affects Others +0) (44)
AE: "Quantum Jump" Teleport 15 (Feats: Increased Mass) (Extras: Extended Only +0) (Flaws: Tiring) (17)

Force Field 8 [8]
Senses 7 (Detect Energy- Ranged 3, Acute & Analytical, Communication Link- Eon/Epoch) [7]

Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) [6]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Mind Shield" Enhanced Will Check 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Attacks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Cosmic Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Cosmic Area Blasts +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Snare +12 (+15 Ranged Affliction, DC 25)
Quantum Weapons +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+12-16 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +8 (+14 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Power Loss (Absorption)- Quasar's Absorbing powers do not work against effects created by Magic, or conisisting of Darkforce.
Responsibility (Protector of the Universe)- As the chosen of Eon, Wendell has been charged with a great number of tasks, many of which interfere with his daily life.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 117 / Defenses: 18 (223)

-Quasar is kind of Mark Gruenwald's baby in the Marvel Universe, being one of his biggest opuses (the others being Squadron Supreme & his Captain America run). It was his chance to explore the universe, figure out what Cosmics were all about (this was back when Marvel was REALLY into it's Ron Lim-drawn uber-starry guys), etc. Wendell Vaughn was a fairly generic everyman hero (in the Spider-Man vein) with Hal Jordan's power-set. He had a small but dedicated fanbase, and remains one of those beloved "Limbo" characters, killed or brought back whenever, just because he's not a major part of the Marvel U anymore. He's currently back, post-Annihilation, doing more Cosmic stuff in the background while other heroes star in their books.
-Having read the first Trade Paperback collecting his series, and flipped through another couple issues I own, I came to some observations. The book is fundamentally good, and full of information (Quasar does a lot of "finding the history of this character"-type stuff), but it is REALLY, REALLY BORING. It reads more like an Encyclopedia of Marvel's Cosmic Scene than an actual narrative book. Wendell himself is hilariously-uninteresting, and Mark makes him a bit too Genre Savvy (avoiding all of the standard "Hero (vs) Hero" fights, and even some VILLAINOUS fights, by talking his way out before anything can happen)- the result is basically a big, dry bore. It was like Gru just kinda wanted to outline all his stuff (he was a stat-junky even more than *I* am), at the expense of characterization. The art is usually quite good- Greg Capullo (who went on to do X-Force & Spawn, altering his style HEAVILY in the process) was just starting out, and made a lot of cutesy, big-eyed characters (Wendell's big eyes and baby-lips make him look like a 17-year old boy, and the fights actually make Quasar look a HECK of a lot more powerful than I anticipated- it features a scene where Quasar nearly EFFORTLESSLY defeats Venom. Venom at the time was the hottest new Spidey villain in decades, and had JUST debuted- so a win like that seemed almost completely bizarre.
-Quasar ends up much more powerful than he used to- in The Annihilators, he's considered in the same class as Beta-Ray Bill, The Silver Surfer and Gladiator, and a bit above Ronan The Accuser (PL 13), so PL 14 seems like a good bet. He's little more than an upgraded version of what came before, with few new abilities- he's a GL with fewer options, but a still-wide bit of power.

QUASAR II (Wendell Vaughn, aka Marvel Boy II, Marvel Man)
Created By:
Don Glut, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: Captain America #217 (Jan. 1978)
Role: Plucky Young Hero, Green Lantern Rip-Off, Cosmic Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Project: Pegasus, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Star Masters
Avengers Grade: C-Level (B-Level during his big '90s run)
PL 11 (200)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 9 (+10)
Expertise (Alien Lore) 4 (+5)
Expertise (SHIELD Agent) 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Cosmic Attacks) 3 (+10)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Protector of the Universe- Chosen of Eon), Defensive Attack, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 4, Power Attack, Teamwork

Powers:
"Quantum Bands"
Snare 14 (Feats: Reversible, Dynamic) (Inaccurate -1) (43) -- [61]
Dynamic AE: "Power Blast" Blast 14 (Feats: Dynamic, Penetrating 4) (Inaccurate -1) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Cosmic Energy Control" Blast 12 (Feats: Split, Dynamic, Improved Critical, Penetrating 6) (33)
Dynamic AE: Damage 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (23)
Dynamic AE: Damage 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (23)
Dynamic AE: Create 10 (Feats: Precise, Innate, Dynamic, Selective, Stationary, Tether) (Extras: Movable) (36)
Dynamic AE: Absorption 14 (Energy to Blasts) (Feats: Dynamic) (29)
Dynamic AE: "Quantum Jump" Teleport 15 (Feats: (Feats: Dynamic, Increased Mass) (Extras: Extended Only +0) (Flaws: Tiring) (17)
Dynamic AE: "Quantum Melee Weapons" Strength-Damage +3 (3)
Dynamic AE: "Enhanced Field" Force Field 4 (Extras: Impervious 9, Affects Others 9) (22) & Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Affects Others +0) (10)

Force Field 7 [7]
Senses 4 (Detect Energy- Ranged & Acute, Communication Link- Eon/Epoch) [4]

Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) [6]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Mind Shield" Enhanced Will Check 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Attacks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Cosmic Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Power Blast +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Cosmic Area Blasts +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Snare +8 (+14 Ranged Affliction, DC 24)
Quantum Weapons +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+10-14 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +8 (+14 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Power Loss (Absorption)- Quasar's Absorbing powers do not work against effects created by Magic, or conisisting of Darkforce
Responsibility (Protector of the Universe)- As the chosen of Eon, Wendell has been charged with a great number of tasks, many of which interfere with his daily life.
Reputation (Rookie Hero)- Quasar was considered the "baby" of The Avengers for several years of our-time.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 111 / Defenses: 14 (200)

-Quasar, like alot of Avengers, comes in over-pointed, even in his "old" format. Quasar was generally always more powerful than he was talented or skilled, though he was QUITE a bit more powerful than I first imagined- I figured him for a basic Plucky Rookie PL 10 with a ton of power, but then in his book he's kicking the ass of Venom, amongst others. Those bands are hella-powerful, allowing for +11 Damage Area Effects, a +12-14 Cosmic Blast, a Snare, Teleportation, Flight, etc., all while being protected with a Force Field (which he can further enhanced as part of his Dynamic Array). And you can probably Power Stunt more.

WAR MACHINE (James Rhodes, aka Iron Man II)
Created By:
David Michelinie & Bob Layton
First Appearance: Iron Man #118 (Jan. 1979), #170 (May 1983- as Iron Man), #282 (Sept. 1992- as War Machine)
Role: Powersuit Guy, Flying Brick/Blaster, Replacement Black Guy, EXTREEEME Replacement, Vitriolic Best Buddy, Black Best Friend
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., Force Works, Sentinel Squad O*N*E, U.S. Marine Corps, The Crew, The Initiative
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 11 (222)
STRENGTH
3/12 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7, +16 Armor)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+10)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Business) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Military) 9 (+11)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 5 (+7)
Vehicles 9 (+14)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Gear in Suit- Radio & stuff), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasts) 2, Improved Smash, Interpose, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 6, Teamwork

Powers:
"War Machine Armor" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Rhodey, Remote Control) [99]
Enhanced Strength 9 (18)
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 9) (17)
Immunity 6 (Cold, Heat, Radiation, Pressure, Suffocation 2) (6)
"Boot Rockets" Flight 9 (1,000 mph) (18)

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 4: Extraordinary Effort, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Withstand Damage (4)
Enhanced Dodge 2 & Parry 1 (3)
"Armor Sensors" Senses 13 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate, Direction & Distance Sense) (13)

"Guns Aplenty" Blast 11 (Extras: Multiattack) (36) -- (41)
AE: "Repulsor Rays/Flamethrower/Heat-Seekers" Blast 11 (Feats: Split, Variable Energy Descriptor, Homing 2, Penetrating 4) (30)
AE: "Uni-Beam" Damage 11 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (Flaws: Distracting) (16)
AE: "Electro-Magnetic Pulse" Nullify Technology 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Sustained) (Flaws: Touch Range) (24)
AE: "Shoulder-Mounted Rocket Launcher" Blast 11 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (33)
AE: "Gauntlet Blade" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Penetrating 4) (5)
-- (120 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Suit Unarmed +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Gauntlet Blade +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Repulsor Rays +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Guns +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Rocket Launcher/Uni-Beam +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
EM Pulse +8 Area (+8 Nullify, DC 18)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
"Out of Suit" Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +7
"In Suit" Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Tony Stark)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 99 / Defenses: 14 (222)

-DC had John Stewart, and Marvel brought in Jim Rhodes to replace Tony Stark. Both had the same idea- take a hero whose identity was based around a Device, and thus could be used by anyone, which made him the most likely candidate to be replaced by a black guy. Initially, Rhodey (introduced four years earlier as Tony's personal pilot) was just Iron Man, and acted like he had always been Iron Man. However, by the '90s, Marvel was into a VERY DC-esque kick (if you believe John Byrne's rants on his forum, he blames that on Marvel hiring a bunch of writers brought up on DC's stories of multiple versions of each hero) of each hero having a darker, more rage-filled version, and so Jim Rhodes got brought into the West Coast Avengers as "War Machine", in a BAD ASS black armor with lots and LOTS of guns. Taking it to the EXTREME, or something (one Nick Fury bio-card actually talks about him being "so full of rage"). Me, I just though the shoulder rocket launcher and multiple guns were the coolest thing EVER, but I was like twelve.
-Being the "Also Ran" Iron Man means that Rhodes gets replaced quickly, gets his ass kicked alot, and frequently gets called in to whatever big idea Tony has now. This includes The Initiative and Civil War, where he's a prime toady, even though usually Rhodes is the moralistic one getting Stark to calm down. But hey, it's a living. The mid-'90s were less kind, and even today, Rhodey farts about, not really doing too much, and always showing up in books that get cancelled quickly. He's gone all over the place, as well as going on one of those Sentinel O*N*E suits, as Marvel desperately tries to find a spot for the guy. But really- he'll always be the U.S. Agent to Tony's Cap, because that's how it is for replacements. Always has been, always will be. Rhodes can be a good character when they're actually trying with him, but they usually just kinda toss him out there.
-Hell, he's quit Stark Enterprises something like TEN TIMES over the years, always when a new writer switch demands he go into another Limited Series or the new Iron Man writer just doesn't need him. He gained an alien suit of armor for a while, and he got a newly-created sister we'd never heard of before (she died in the same story- The Crew a short-lived "all the black guys" book that I read for a bit, before dropping because it DIDN'T ACTUALLY SEEM TO BE GOING ANYWHERE). Then he got turned into a cyborg and became Stark's go-to guy during The Fifty State Initiative. Then he got placed into a clone body so I guess he's not a cyborg anymore (his Wikipedia page is REALLY LONG).
-The War Machine armor is basically the same as Iron Man's standard armor, with some modifications to the Repulsor array. The Repulsors are less powerful, in exchange for getting more out of the Variable Descriptor, allowing Rhodes to do all those flame blasts and electro-shocks or whatever that he's been shown having (tech guys can be as annoying as mages for just pulling stuff out of their asses), as well as firing Homing Rockets. War Machine is a PL 11, losing power in the Area Attacks as well, but being more versatile, with an explosive Burst Area Rocket Launcher, a Multiattack Blast, and even a Gauntlet Blade for extra melee damage. As a whole, he's much cheaper than Tony by virtue of being only a standard smart guy rather than a super-genius, but most of his Combat Advantages exist outside the Armor set-up, allowing him to use them whenever he wants (he would beat the CRAP out of Stark in hand-to-hand). Notably, he's +11 at Range regardless of how his suit's working.

Eidolon Warwear:
Enhanced Strength 9 [18]
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 9) [17]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
"Boot Rockets" Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
Movement 1 (Space Travel) [2]

"Targetting & Environmental Sensors"
Enhanced Advantages 4: Extraordinary Effort, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Withstand Damage [4]
"Full Battle Mode" Enhanced Dodge 2 & Parry 1 [3]
"Armor Sensors" Senses 13 (Extended & Infravision, Extended Hearing, Radar 4, Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Accurate, Direction & Distance Sense) [13]

"Right Arm- Blaster" Blast 11 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (30) -- [31]
AE: "Left Arm- Blade" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 6) (8)

"Unskin Drones" Summon Robots 2 (Extras: Multiple Minions +8) (Flaws: Feedback) [18]
-- (134 points)

-Partway through his 1990s series (in 1995), War Machine got a suit of alien bio-armor called the Eidolon Warwear, allowing him to basically form the suit around himself (making it a Power, not a Device). The suit makes him cost 256 points.

-A later suit from a 2007 series allowed him to "merge" with other technology (like tanks and jets & stuff) and gain some Regeneration on the suit. Another version includes some Stealth capabilities like Camouflage (Partial Concealment). Plus there's one with the ability to go Insubstantial 4, Concealment from all mechanical systems, etc. Like Tony, there can be a lot of variable traits put onto any armor, and who knows how many of them will be forgotten by the time the next writer comes along?

"Deathcry was a character who I knew nothing about until we started talking in the room about who we could use in the series (Chaos War: Avengers). She was terrific in Annihilation: Conquest, and that's definitely the incarnation of the character I'm going to be using. To me, her real name should be "The '90s" because she's the classic stereotypical bad girl with cleavage and a shitty attitude. She's a Shi'Ar who may or may not be descended from the X-Men villain Deathbird. So she's a female, berserker, bird person with crazy hair, which means she's awesome."
-Fred Van Lente

DEATHCRY (Sharra Neramani)
Created By:
Bob Harras & Steve Epting
First Appearance: The Avengers #363 (June 1993)
Role: Badass '90s Anti-Hero, The Scrappy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Triune Understanding, The Skrull Kill Krew, The Agents of Atlas
Avengers Grade: E-Level
PL 8 (107)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Shi'ar Warrior) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 7 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 1 (+3)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 7 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Shi'ar Senses" Senses 4 (Extended & Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing, Acute Scent) [4]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Talons" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Talons +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Kree)
Responsibility (The Shi'ar Empire)
Secret (Name)- Deathcry's name was not revealed until years after her death- she is the niece of Empress Lilandra.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 7 (107)

-Hey, it's a purple chick in a skimpy outfit with claws and a bad attitude! I wonder in which decade SHE was created!
-In any case, Deathcry sucks for the reasons outlined above (most generic character ever), and the fact that she was sent to be a "protector" to the Avengers, despite being weaker than virtually all of them. She was always all "Rarr attack first, questions later!" and was just FURIOUSLY similar to every other '90s character, to the point where she's either completely forgotten (I'm pretty sure she wasn't in the Wikipedia list of Avengers), or bitched about as the most hated member. She was casually written out of the book despite not realling protecting the team all that much, and vanished for about ten years. Until a few years ago, when she was part of Star-Lord's book in Annihilation, at which point she was hilariously and casually murdered as she flipped out on her team-mate Captain Universe, who then vaporized her. Now THAT is how you deal with a character who sucks.
-And yes, she is a shining case of Red Guardian Syndrome, as I have seen at least ONE internet fanboy who DECRIED her death, and loved the character (one of the guys who does all those Handbook-type entries, or at least someone who wrote in as a comment). He was like "I was not thrilled, to put it mildly, that Deathcry was brought back for the sole purpose of being killed, especially in such a stupid manner", then a sad addition that he is apparently the only person on the internet who feels that way.
-Standard PL 8, really. I don't view her as being cool enough to be PL 9, so she can suck it. She's not bad with her claws, but that's really the only way she's really good. Kind of a mini Brick/Scrapper.

MONICA RAMBEAU (aka Captain Marvel II, Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum)
Created By:
Roger Stern & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982)
Role: Double Minority, Background Character, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Nextwave, New Orleans Harbor Patrol
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (213)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Aerobatics 10 (+13)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Law Enforcement- Harbor Patrol) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+5)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Blasts) 2 (+10)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasts), Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Various Energy Forms" (Action -1) [-1]
Blast 10 (Feats: Variable Descriptor- Any Energy, Precise, Split, Dynamic, Penetrating 5) (29) -- [36]
Dynamic AE: "Area Light" Environment 4 (Light 2) (9)
Dynamic AE: "Invisibility" Concealment (Visuals) 4 (9)
AE: Illusion (Visuals) 4 (8)
AE: "Drain Energy" Nullify Energy Powers 10 (Extras: Broad, Concentration) (31)
AE: Dazzle Visuals 10 (20)

Insubstantial 3 (Feats: Precise) [16]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Sustained +0) [10]
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]
Senses 4 (Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Analytical) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Nullify Energy +10 (DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Mar-Vell's Legacy)- Monica had the name "Captain Marvel" thrust upon her, and she struggled with maintaining the impressive legacy of the dead former Marvel.
Relationship (Brother Voodoo)- They dated for some time in the past.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 109 / Defenses: 19 (213)

-If there ever was a Pet Character, it was definitely Monica "Captain Marvel" Rambeau, beloved creation of Roger Stern. He created her for a Spidey book, and threw her onto the Avengers as quickly as he could, having all this great stuff happen to her, with all of her teammates talking about how good she was at her job. When The Wasp stepped down as leader post-Under Siege, Captain America IMMEDIATELY nominatined Monica, commenting on her awesomeness, with The Black Knight instantly piping in with his own compliments. In crossovers with The X-Men, even THOSE guys go on about how great she is (she even KO's MAGNETO once). Stern even QUIT THE BOOK when Mark Gruenwald (his Editor) insisted that Cap be made the leader again. This is a writer who REALLY loved his own character- one fan even wrote in saying that Monica was a good character, but a bit too powerful and "too much is happening for her too quickly"- the fan didn't know it, but he had inadvertently called Monica a Mary Sue. And it fits- almost all of the attributes are there.
-However, Monica is also a good case of a POSITIVE Mary Sue. She didn't dominate the story. Not every man she met fell in love with her. She was uber-powerful and absurdly-versatile and hard to defeat (she had Insubstantial), but she didn't curbstomp absolutely every single villain with raw force. She wasn't this insanely dynamic, super-sympathetic character- she was just an honest Coast Guard girl-turned-superhero who really wanted to help. If anything, her personality was a bit BLAND- but this is an issue I've noticed in a lot of Stern's work- there's a handful of Wild Cards like Hercules (braggart, chauvinist), Namor (arrogant, flighty), and She-Hulk (flirt), but for the most part the other characters (Wasp, Knight, Cap, Monica) are just dull, get-along types who don't really act like anything other than nice, normal people.
-The second Captain Marvel was an attempt at creating a new minority character of some repute, also counting as a "twofer" (black AND a woman! She was supposed to look like Pam Grier, but ended up looking like "a generic black woman" after the art team got through with modifications, says John Romita). Unfortunately, her character begins and ends right around there for the most part. Oh sure, she's epically interesting for BEING a double minority, and her powers sure are cool, and they even let her lead the team for a while, but they never really established her much beyond that- making her essentially a generic heroine. There's a reason Storm is like twenty times as famous and interesting, despite taking the same role. Monica's currently floating around doing little aside from appearing in random books.
-See, Monica's history is pretty sad once Stern left The Avengers. She is rapidly removed from the team (having been de-powered after hitting the ocean in Electrical Form). Once re-powered, she does little of importance (she's a Reserve Avenger), and eventually gives up the Captain Marvel name to Genis, son of the original. After this, she becomes Photon, but is still one of those "Forgotten" characters that only shows up once in a blue moon (Stern's Avengers Infinity mini-series, mass All-Avengers Event Stories). When Genis himself goes under a new name as "Photon", Monica is PISSED, as this pretty much becomes her running gag. After a fight, she decided she liked the name "Pulsar" better. She appeared as a grouchy lady in Nextwave (which I still think should be Non-Continuity), then showed up in Marvel Divas, a Sex & The City rip-off (one of MANY Marvel has tried to make over the years) that was SPECTACULARLY-awful, and notable for attempting to staple the four girls' personalities onto Marvel Heroines- in this case, Monica became "The Miranda", a sharp-tongued, sardonic, mouthy Career Woman-type.
-This is largely-ignored (thank god) for an appearance in Mighty Avengers- she becomes a Deputy Leader of Luke Cage's new squad. Now, she goes by "Spectrum", seemingly adding ANOTHER layer to our great Running Gag of Monica's codename repeatedly changing. Currently, it's become as big of a thing with her as Continuity Problems are with Donna Troy and Constantly Dying is with Jean Grey.
-Jeez, Monica's expensive. I guess that's to be expected- M&M makes you pay out the NOSE for Spacefaring Flying Person-type builds, and she's got a regular Blast power on top of that. Not an easy build to put together, either- she can take the form of almost any kind of energy (most of which have similar base effects, so they fit under one "Alternate Form"), some complicated ones only by touching them first, which is sorta the definition of Variable Descriptors and spending a Hero Point on Stunts. She can fly in her base form, faster than any hero on Earth, so she gets 20 points of Flight right there. She can go invisible, nullify forms of energy, dazzle people, control light, and project energy like nobody's business as well. In addition to that, she's got decent stats, well-rounded skills, and is a half-decent ranged fighter/Blaster. I can scarcely think of a way to cut costs on her, which I guess is what makes her such a powerful Avenger.

MOONDRAGON (Heather Douglas)
Created By:
Bill Everett, Mike Friedrich & George Tuska
First Appearance: Iron Man #54 (Jan. 1973)
Role: The Enormous Berk (look it up), Miss Crankypants, Uber-Telepath, Game-Breaker
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Infinity Watch, The Guardians of the Galaxy, The Defenders
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 12 (205)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Deception 7 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+8)
Expertise (Space Lore) 3 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Psionics) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+7)
Vehicles 7 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Improved Disarm, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Taunt

Powers:
Mind Control 12 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Sustained +2) (73) -- [89]
Dynamic AE: "Group Mind Control" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3, Cumulative, Selective) (49)
Dynamic AE: "Telepathy" Mental Communication 4 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area, Selective) Linked to Mind Reading 12 (Extras: Sensory Link) (51)
Dynamic AE: "Psychokinetic Burst" Blast 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (21)
Dynamic AE: "Alter Personality/Erase Memories" Affliction 12 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Transformed) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Cumulative) (Inaccurate -3) (22)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Illusions" Illusion (Visual 2, Audio) 10 (31)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Stun" Affliction 10 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) (41)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Blast" Damage 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Resisted by Will) (45)
Dynamic AE: "Low-Level Telekinesis" Move Object 5, Flight 4 (30 mph), "Psionic Barrier" Force Field 6 (Feats: Dynamic) (25)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Mind Control +12 Perception (+12 Perception Affliction, DC 22)
Mind Control +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Mind Reading +12 Perception (DC 22)
Alter Personality +7 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Illusions +10 Perception (DC 20)
Mental Stun +10 Perception (+10 Perception Affliction, DC 20)
Mental Blast +11 Perception (+11 Perception Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+10 Force Field), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Power Loss (Mental Powers)- Heather requires access to the physical world to use her powers, and thus loses her powers if dazzled and tied up.
Responsibility/Reputation (Unstable Bitch)- Heather is notoriously nasty and mean to everyone, and has few connections with people.
Relationship (Marlo Jones, Phyla-Vell)
Relationship (Drax the Destroyer)- Drax is actually Heather's father, but completely mind-wiped and usually a different person.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 89 / Defenses: 17 (205)

-I really used to hate the Moondragon character. Various writers have had fun playing up her bitchiness, her sleep-aroundiness (she's done the deed with, or chased after, Daredevil, Quasar, probably Warlock, Marlo Jones, Thor- via Purple Man-style brainwash-rape- Phylla-Vell and a bunch of others I'd bet), and her inability to get along with ANYONE, but under most writers, she is just AWE-INSPIRINGLY annoying- much like Danny Chase, it's not entertaining to have someone CONSTANTLY belittling everyone else around them while acting like a holier-than-thou smartass who just happened to know best. Add to that the fact that she's simply TOO powerful (taking over the minds of a whole planet?), too skilled in combat (those powers PLUS she can take Cap hand-to-hand?) and has a generic powerset already done by half a dozen X-people, and you've got someone who I'm glad is dead. But now she's back. Oh, but she died again. Now she's back. Guardians of the Galaxy did wonders for her, seemingly drawing back her power levels (she has shown nowhere near her prior levels of power), and making her more entertainingly bitchy as opposed to being the worst know-it-all EVER that you just want to see die. I think the trick is to make them unpleasant because they have no social skills, but NOT make them right 90% of the time.
-And mixing THAT skimpy costume with THAT bald head is just criminal. That look has only worked for Sinead O'Connor (and even SHE kept a light bit of fuzz). One of the skankiest outfits in comic-dom, and it's wasted on Miss Severe Grimace. Well, I suppose it'd look dumb on Kitty Pryde, and any female character wearing it would be instantly unable to be taken seriously because of it, so maybe it's for the best that it went to Moondragon.
-Her history is a tad full of repeated-death, largely thanks to being a part of a lot of lower-selling books (which give the writers a lot more Editorial freedom)- she had a bigger run in The Defenders than she ever did on The Avengers. She fought The Dragon of the Moon, and the entire Defenders died to save her, but then she came back. She was largely un-used until Starlin started his big Infinity run, sticking her on The Infinity Watch (with the powerful Mind Gem, but with Adam Warlock deliberately holding back her full power). After that, she went onto Genis-Vell's new book, seducing Rick Jones' estranged wife Marlo and forming a lesbian relationship. When THAT ended, she hooked up with Phyla-Vell (Genis' sister), and became a part of Abnett & Lanning's new Cosmic scene.
-Moondragon is... a little nutty in terms of power. She's basically got the whole X-Man Expansion Pack of abilities, all amped to RIDICULOUS levels. You could easily point her out as one of the most powerful telepaths to ever live, and even justify a PL 14 variant if you wanted to. I was loathe to make her PL 12, but a chick who's mind-controlled an entire planet (I'll call that a Power Stunt- her power's normal limit is 120 feet) and kept Thor under her control for hours has GOT to be packing some serious might. It's all here- Mental Blast (affects Will, Perception-Ranged), Telepathy, Mind Control (Area & Single-Person), Mental Stun, Telekinesis, a Force Field, Illusions, Brain-Washing, etc. It's... yeah, there's a reason why I hate characters like this. She's a Game Breaker in every way, except for her Defenses- requiring her to use her Dynamic Array to meet a non-Glass Cannon level. She's still an incredible melee fighter, though. Very annoying.

MOONDRAGON (Heather Douglas)
Created By:
Bill Everett, Mike Friedrich & George Tuska
First Appearance: Iron Man #54 (Jan. 1973)
Role: The Enormous Berk (look it up), Miss Crankypants, Uber-Telepath, Game-Breaker
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Infinity Watch, The Guardians of the Galaxy, The Defenders
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 10 (190)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 7 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+8)
Expertise (Space Lore) 3 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Psionics) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+7)
Vehicles 7 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Improved Disarm, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Taunt

Powers:
Mind Control 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Sustained +2) (61) -- [77]
Dynamic AE: "Group Mind Control" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3, Cumulative, Selective) (49)
Dynamic AE: "Telepathy" Mental Communication 4 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area, Selective) Linked to Mind Reading 10 (Extras: Sensory Link) (45)
Dynamic AE: "Psychokinetic Burst" Blast 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (21)
Dynamic AE: "Alter Personality/Erase Memories" Affliction 12 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Transformed) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Cumulative) (Inaccurate -3) (22)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Illusions" Illusion (Visual 2, Audio) 10 (31)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Stun" Affliction 10 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) (41)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Blast" Damage 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Resisted by Will) (41)
Dynamic AE: "Low-Level Telekinesis" Move Object 5, Flight 4 (30 mph), "Psionic Barrier" Force Field 4 (Feats: Dynamic) (23)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Mind Control +10 Perception (+10 Perception Affliction, DC 20)
Mind Control +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Mind Reading +10 Perception (DC 20)
Alter Personality +7 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Illusions +10 Perception (DC 20)
Mental Stun +10 Perception (+10 Perception Affliction, DC 20)
Mental Blast +10 Perception (+10 Perception Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+8 Force Field), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Power Loss (Mental Powers)- Heather requires access to the physical world to use her powers, and thus loses her powers if dazzled and tied up.
Responsibility/Reputation (Unstable Bitch)- Heather is notoriously nasty and mean to everyone, and has few connections with people.
Relationship (Marlo Jones, Phyla-Vell)
Relationship (Drax the Destroyer)- Drax is actually Heather's father, but completely mind-wiped and usually a different person.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 77 / Defenses: 17 (190)

-OK, here's a more reasonable, lower-level, PL 10 Moondragon that better represents what appears on the Guardians of the Galaxy book. She's still enormously capable and very expensive, but she's a lot weaker acrosst he board, and not as great a fighter. It's a little peculiar, but Heather's definitely suffered some power downgrades over time.

MACHINE MAN (Aaron Stack/Unit Z2P45-9-X-51)
Created By:
Jack Kirby
First Appearance: 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 (July 1977)
Role: Wants To Be Human Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Nextwave
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (182)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Technology 6 (+10)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Equipment 2 (Robo-Gear), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Robotic Body"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 10 (Extras: Impervious 9) [19]
Senses 6 (Low-Light & Extended Vision, Radar- Ranged Accurate Radio Sense 4) [6]
Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks) [3]
"Computer Link" Communication 1 (Computers) [4]
"Nanotech Make-Up" Regeneration 6 [6]

"Telescoping Arms" Elongation 4 (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [2]
"Anti-Gravity Discs" Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

"Finger Payloads"
"Blasters" Blast 8 (Feats: Variable Descriptor- Fire, Laser Cutter or Bullet) (17) -- [21]
AE: "Cold" Snare 5 (15)
AE: "Electrical Blast" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Nanotech Boost" Healing 8 (Flaws: Limited to Machines, Limited to Others) (4)
AE: "Useful Devices" Variable 1 (Mechanical Powers) (7)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blasters +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Electrical Blast +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +10 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Power Loss (Solar-Powered)- If denied access to the sun, Machine Man will slowly power down.
Vulnerable (Magnetic & Electrical Attacks)- X-51 is made of metal, and is thus more-vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks.
Relationship (Jocasta)- Aaron has fallen for the daughter of Ultron a few times.
Reputation (Asshole)- Over the years, Aaron grew tired of saving humans in order to earn their love, and has since tried to mimic "the fleshies", now looking out for number one. He is now a huge prick, insulting everyone and offending swaths of the superhuman community.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 101 / Defenses: 10 (182)

-Jack Kirby was doing one of his "what is the nature of humanity?" things with Machine Man, but it just never stuck. His later creations never quite had the impact of his Marvel Silver Age stuff, and the goofy purple X-51 was no exception. Hell, even STEVE DITKO got a run at him on art, and it still failed quickly and badly. Poor guy had a silly look, lame powers, and was your standard Star Trek morality tale, which was totally run into the ground by that point (Vision, for example, did it much better). In recent years with Nextwave, he's basically been a riff on Futurama's Bender, but a lot more annoying- he reads like that "griefing" player in a Role Playing Game who always wants to be the crazy asshole who says offensive things (writing Bender-type characters is harder than it looks). My only modern memories of him are in Marvel's HORRIBLE "Technical Guy" run of books under one label, all of which died horrible, horrible deaths. His link to the Avengers is tenuous at best, being a reserve member for a short time. Curiously enough, the guy was created for the 2001: A Space Oddysey books that Marvel was running.
-His appearances are relatively-few, mostly sticking around Nextwave, Marvel Zombies (where he appeared as his own self, teleporting to that dimension) & Red Hulk, most of which showing his new, douchebaggy personality.
-Like most robots and machines, Machine-Man costs one heck of a lot of points (180 points total- dropping 30 points for his Immunity), and has a ton of fancy stuff loaded into him. Rather than try to stat up every techno-thing he's ever produced from his fingers, he gets 20 points of Equipment on him. His offensive and defensive potential isn't great, as he's no major combatant, but he's strong enough to do some damage, especially with his extending limbs (adding dozens of feet to his punches). He's added some Regeneration in recent years, and he's almost a Swiss Army Knife in "Nextwave", so you can take or leave certain aspects of the character, and add more at-will.

HANK PYM- A LEGACY OF SUCK:
-Poor, poor Hank Pym. His auspicious origins as "The Man in the Ant Hill" made him one of the goofier Avengers right away. I mean, what big-league super-team had TWO shrinking members? So in comics, Hank soon became Giant-Man, which is a fully-retarded name, and the poor guy only gets slightly more cred. The problem? "Growing Guy" is one of the biggest fall guys in comics. Because he's NEVER just "Team Powerhouse" (too many characters are Flying Bricks in this business), so he's always got to be the first guy getting his ass kicked by the new big super-villain. I mean, you can't just have Thor or Iron Man job out to Namor right away, because they're big-league heroes known for their great powers. Giant-Man, on the other hand, has the low-selling book, so you can cart his giant ass on out there to job out HARD to the Sub-Mariner, while he gets mocked for not being as strong as him, because hey, it still looks pretty impressive to send a 30,000 pound man out on his ass, right? Not helping things was the fact that Pym's OTHER key aspect- his Scientific ability, was not only equaled, but SURPASSED, by his teammate Iron Man.
-Problematically, while the Avengers was initially an "All Our Solo Guys in a Team Book" team, they cancelled the Giant-Man & The Wasp series first out of the rest (their book NEVER sold well, even at the height of the Silver Age- they're like Hawkman & The Atom in that sense), meaning they essentially got demoted to "always Avengers" guys, meaning that if they weren't in an Avengers book currently, they were out of comics PERIOD, like Hawkeye, Black Knight, etc. Not that many of these characters are BAD, it's just that if the current Avengers scribe doesn't care for them, they're up s@#* creek without a paddle, because you won't read ANY stories featuring them.
-What's funny about Pym is that his single most famous incident (the infamous "Wife Slap") was one single action undertaken by a deranged man suffering a mental breakdown, and was not entirely his fault. It just goes to show you... you gotta be careful as a writer, or you'll accidentally ruin a guy forever, ESPECIALLY if they're one of the least-popular Avengers. Technically he can excuse it with the breakdown thing, but nobody's really buying it. Hell, this is actually COMPLETELY HARMLESS compared to the actions of many other superheroes- The Civil War resulted in a ton of death as the Pro-Registration side was beholden to numerous atrocities (ironically, Pym gets a pass for this since It Was A Skrull), and both Stark & Reed Richards have done many things that were morally-questionable. Several heroes have committed murder. Hell, PETER PARKER once slapped HIS, and not only was Mary Jane NOT a professional superhero and a good fighter (like Jan was- I mean, The Wasp can be relatively-expected to take a backhand to the jaw in stride, considering her job), but HE didn't have a legit psychological disorder at the time- he was just buggered-up from the Clone Saga!! But because Peter was such a strong character, and because that was only like the TWENTIETH most-retarded thing to come out of The Clone Saga, Pete has since been given a 100% pass on that, and it's been wisely ignored since then. Not so for Pym. And that brings us to WHY...
-In the end, Hank's big problem isn't that he's a TERRIBLE character, because he's really not- there are hundreds of worse characters out there, and a dozen worse Avengers. The Problem With Pym is that he's just not a GOOD ENOUGH character- his comrades in the '60s were iconic guys like Iron Man, Thor & Captain America. He was replaced by Hawkeye & The Scarlet Witch. The Wasp separated from him and actually got upgraded to LEADER of the team. Later Avengers writers all threw in their iconic characters (Black Panther, Vision), Mary Sues (Mantis, Monica Rambeau) and assorted rookies... but Hank Pym just wasn't the equal of any of those characters. Not EVERY character could be a great one- Hank is hardly worse than Triathlon, Silverclaw or (barf) Deathcry, to say nothing of Gilgamesh or Dr. Druid. And because he's such a mediocre character, the only INTERESTING stuff he's ever done has been creating the evil robot Ultron, and slapping his wife.
-Another problem: Hank is redundant. Like I said before, he's nowhere NEAR as strong as Thor, despite being larger. He's a super-scientist on a team with Tony Stark on it, and later there are other smart Avengers. He's not a good tactitian, he's not a good leader, and he's not the best fighter. For character purposes: he can't be the Team Rebel (Hawkeye), Team Bad-Ass (Cage, Wolverine) or Team Joker. In short: Hank has NOTHING TO OFFER THE TEAM, as a fighter or as a character, other than being a big warm body who can possibly act as a Secondary Scientist and object of pathos & drama for his "hard luck" life.
-But the problem is, writers CONTINUOUSLY tried to force Hank onto the team, or have guys pull a "Poochie" on him and always be talking him up. His more recent Mighty Avengers run featured him as a "Scientist Supreme" that everyone pimped as a high-level uber-genius, and it came across as pandering Shilling The Writer's Pet to the point where there are some flat-out EMBARASSING passages of text from guys like ETERNITY AND HAWKEYE going on about how amazing Pym is. Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes takes the approach of making Hank smarter than Tony Starkm, and makes him less of a useless turd in combat, which is a good idea. This is probably the most problematic thing for the character- over-pushing just makes everyone hate him. The Cartoon Pym is popular based off of some discussions I've read (though he comes off as a bit of a Mary Sue with his "I'm trying to rehabilitate criminals and I am EVER so nice, but oh the world is JUST TOO CRUEL for me!" ways), but until he overtakes Comics Pym (unlikely, especially now), we'll always have the "Pym Problem".

GIANT-MAN (Henry "Hank" Pym)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962)
Role: The Failed Hero, Never Live It Down Guy (aka The Wifebeater), Growing Guy, Shrinking Guy, Third-Place Scientist
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Avengers Academy
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 11 (196)
STRENGTH
2/13 STAMINA 2/14 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+17)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+3, +11 Full Size)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5, -12 Huge, +21 Tiny)
Technology 7 (+15)
Treatment 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (Science Stuff), Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Science, Technology)

Powers:
"Pym Particles"
Small Size (61) -- [62]
AE: Large Size (42)

"Large Size- Over 100 Feet Tall"
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) (22)
Growth +6 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) (6)
Speed 2 (30 mph) (2)
"Giant-Sized Fists & Feet" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst on 11 Ranks) (11) -- (12)
AE: "Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
Close Combat -2 (-2)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (Flaws: Limited to Top Size) (2)

"Alternate Sizes"
Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (12)
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (24 feet) (16)
Growth 10 (Str & Sta +10, +10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -10 Stealth) -- (36 feet) (20)
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -11 Stealth) -- (42 feet) (22)

"Small Size"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) (48)
"Tiny Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 2: Close Attack 2 (Flaws: Limited to Smaller Sizes) (1)
"Insect Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)
Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Microverse) (2)

"Shrink Others" Shrinking 16 (Extras: Attack +0) [16]

"Ant-Man Helmet" (Flaws: Removable) [8]
Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Insects -2) (8)
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Insects) (2)
-- (10 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Growth 8 +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Growth 10 +9 (+12 Damage, DC 26)
Growth 11 +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Full Size +7 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Shrunken Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Giant Fists & Feet +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5
"Full Size" Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +13, Fortitude +17, Will +5
"Smallest Size" Dodge +17 (DC 27), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Janet Van Dyne- Ex-Wife)- Pym & Janet were married for a time, but divorced when he lost his mind. Eventually, they began dating casually once again, but never remarried. Then she died.
Relationship (Tigra)- The two were together on the West Coast Avengers, and had a bit of a thing in modern times, though that was mostly a Skrull copying him.
Reputation (Wifebeater)- He once smacked Jan while undergoing a mental breakdown. He still hasn't lived it down.
Reputation (Pymsuck)- Pym is sometimes known as a possibly-deranged loser amongst the super-community. He smacked his wife, lost to dozens of guys, and created The Avengers' worst enemy.
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite his added defenses at small size, Pym is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller he gets, the more vulnerable he is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if he is Shrinking 12 or smaller.
Vulnerable (Easy to Hit)- When fighting against a Full-Sized Hank Pym, any character may be treated as having the Power Attack Advantage, allowing them to go +5 to damage. He's such an big target that all his vulnerable spots are enormous.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 86 / Defenses: 15 (196)

-Hank's history is relatively-linear, but complex nonetheless. He debuted in a short Sci-Fi story The Man in the Ant Hill, and Stan (the writer) later decided to just make him a superhero since the seven-page story was popular. Eight issues later, he returned as Ant-Man, and his socialite/lab assistant girlfriend Janet Van Dyne became his sidekick The Wasp. The book was never a big seller- Stan comments about how tough it is to have artists draw tiny people- as an artist myself, I can relate. But I have to think that his IDIOTIC cast of villains, like talking Ants and Communist Gorillas, were a bigger reason for the failure- we weren't quite Post-Modernist enough in the 1960s to accept guys like that as threats to a super-hero. He appeared in The Avengers, soon becoming Giant-Man, after mastering what he called "Pym Particles" to allow him to grow BIG and thus be a bigger factor in fights. He still got repeated ass-kickings though, disappeared from the book after only fifteen issues, and eventually became Goliath in 1966 (three years after his turn as Giant-Man). He soon creates a little helper-bot named Ultron, who immediately brainwashes him and begings a quest to destroy humanity.
-Only two years later, he went a bit crazy thanks to inhaling some bad chemicals and became Yellowjacket, a smart-mouthed guy in a MUCH BETTER COSTUME. He's soon un-crazied as Ant-Man, but finally marries The Wasp... just in time to go crazy AGAIN, and build a robot to attack The Avengers so he can beat it and look good (hey, didn't El Hombre try that in Astro City?). He is finally court-martialed, and Jan divorces him. He gets a moment of redemption when he defeats Egghead's Masters of Evil, and retires from super-heroics.
-This led to a long term on The West Coast Avengers as a non-super Team Tech-Guy who advised the team. This Pym was more of a Gadgeteer, popping out little Devices to help them. He hooks up with Tigra, but soon falls back in with Jan. By the 1990s, he became Giant-Man once again, becoming an Avenger- sticking around till Onslaught killed them all. He finally dealt with his demons from creating Ultron in Kurt Busiek's run, where he got a bit of play- in addition, he was a big part of Avengers Forever, with both his then-modern incarnation AND Yellowjacket appearing on the team. After this, he switched back to Yellowjacket for a while (I think thanks to fan-acclaim- it was a popular look and combat style). Eventually, he becomes a central figure in Civil War, but It Was A Skrull. Pym returns from exile, taking after his now-dead old flame Jan as the new Wasp, leading The Mighty Avengers and becoming The Scientist Supreme of Earth. When that book crashed and burned (full of Mary Sue-pimping of Jesus Pym), he became the main teacher for Avengers Academy. After those kids were spun off into other books, he became part of Avengers A.I., an abysmal title that ALSO died a horrible death.
-Hank Pym with his standard power-set is basically a highly-strong gigantic guy who can alternatively become very, very small. Both of these are kind of annoying to deal with, as the acceleration in Strength from growing gigantic is quite immense, and so I just kind of said "meh, he's still PL 11, no matter his size" and stuck him at Growth 12, with some boosts to showcase his greater size. See, Hank can do +15 Damage at top size, which would normally make him a PL 12, but he's limited to being only +7 Unarmed in that case (and he's not as strong as a Strength 15 guy either- it's just his huge fists doing the damage). He normally sticks to Growth 8-11 (24-48 feet tall) for combat reasons (kinda hard to protect your teammates when you could squish them accidentally) and logistics (his giant feet would smash up everything around him). He can get bigger than 72 feet tall pretty easily. He can, of course, push himself to higher heights with Extra Effort, based off of what the artist thinks he should look like.
-Now, I was thinking of making Pym a PL 10 because frankly, he sucks, but what the hey- at large enough sizes, he becomes a pretty good hero. He has to be Growth 12 at least to start hitting his PL caps, and he NEVER hits them defensively- Growth is still fairly limiting defense-wise unless you're absolutely tough as hell to start with, so ol' Hank is PL 9 at maximum size that way (He isn't that tough either at max-size- I've seen him go down to a single leg-pressure-point shot from The Taskmaster, who is NOT super-strong, and was KO'd seconds later with a neck shot- Growth Guys are NOT that tough). Considering how easily he goes down sometimes, it makes sense. He's also very, very smart, being below Reed but Tony Stark's equal in the straight-up Ability Score, but lesser at Science & Technology in general (he's the master of Pym Particles, but his other inventions consist of a robot that improved itself only AFTER it broke free from his dumb ass, and a helmet that lets him talk to bugs).
-All of the various traits of large size & small size are separated into separate power-groupings, one Alt-Effecting off the other. It's not a big points-cheat, saving only four points (since the Shrink Others thing sits outside the array). Note another side thing I add to Growth-guys at large enough size- Area-Effecting Damage, letting him stomp & squish groups of people at once- but only 30-foot wide Bursts.

YELLOWJACKET (Henry "Hank" Pym)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962)
Role: The Failed Hero, Never Live It Down Guy (aka The Wifebeater), Growing Guy, Shrinking Guy, Third-Place Scientist
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Avengers Academy
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 10 (205)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+15)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Blasts) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Equipment (Science Stuff), Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Pym Particles"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) [48]

Yellowjacket Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [30]
Protection 2 (2)
"Vibrating Wings" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (2)
Flight 4 (Flaws: Limited to While Shrunken) (4)
Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Insects -2) (8)
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Insects) (2)
"Stingers" Blast 9 (Feats: Split) (19)
-- (37 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Stingers +10 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +5
"Smallest Size" Dodge +20 (DC 30), Parry +20 (DC 30), Toughness +0, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Secret (Insane)- Yellowjacket believes that he is not Hank Pym, and in fact killed the original.
Power Loss (Toughness)- Hank is limited in toughness by his Power Level, and thus cannot break it, no matter how big he gets. His toughness goes down the smaller he becomes.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 78 / Defenses: 17 (205)

-Hank's Yellowjacket years were some of his most exciting. His boring power set became shifted to an almost Spider-Man like athletic character who was much more jovial and fascinating to watch. Not to mention having a MUCH better costume. Unfortunately, this also gave him a big helping of INSANITY, leading to him stating to have killed the original Hank Pym. Somehow, despite this, The Avengers stood by happily while he married The Wasp, then commenced his now-well-known breakdown. He's PL 10 back in these days, packing some agility alongside a good-powered Blast, but has wholly different stats from the original Pym across the board, being stronger, tougher and a much better fighter. Unfortunately he loses some scientific ability at the same time, but you can't win 'em all. He's MUCH more expensive overall, though, because of all those Skills still on him, plus the Normal Strength Shrinking.
-Sometimes Hank just puts on this costume be uses all of his old stuff. In which case, just use the PL 11, earlier Pym build.

HENRY "HANK" PYM- Avengest West Coast Assistant
Created By:
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962)
Role: The Failed Hero, Never Live It Down Guy (aka The Wifebeater), Growing Guy, Shrinking Guy, Third-Place Scientist
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Avengers Academy
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 9 (174)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+17)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 7 (+15)
Treatment 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (Science Stuff), Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Science, Technology)

Powers:
"Pym's Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [13]
Force Field 4 (4)
Immunity 4 (Suffocation 2, Vacuum, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half an Hour) (2)
"Jet Pack" Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)
-- (16 points)

"Pym's Gadgets"
"Tiny Devices He Can Grow Large" (Flaws: Removable) [34]
Variable 6 (any gadget) (42 points)

Typical Devices:
"Net" Snare 9 (27)
"Sleep Gas" Affliction 8 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Area- Cloud, Cumulative) (26)
"Flying Stun-Guns" Affliction 7 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Homing 2, Split 2) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (25)

Shrinking 10 (Extras: Attack) (Flaws: Side-Effect- Fort Damage) [20]
Immunity 1 (Own Gadgets) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Net +8 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Sleep Gas +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Stun-Guns +8 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5
"Smallest Size" Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Reputation (Wifebeater)- He once smacked Jan while undergoing a mental breakdown. He still hasn't lived it down.
Reputation (Pymsuck)- Pym is known as a possibly-deranged loser amongst the super-community. He smacked his wife, lost to dozens of guys, and created The Avengers' worst enemy.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 68 / Defenses: 13 (174)

-Hank as a Gadget Guy came about in the Avengers West Coast days, as the writers kind of gave him a background de-push. Not wanting to use him as Giant-Man anymore, he became a Gadget-user who had a bunk of shrunken-down stuff that could do almost anything. This proved popular with some fans, but since this is COMICS, the very next writer who came along no doubt went "but hey- isn't Hank a Giant guy?" and immediately changed him back, re-writing the old "Heart Attacks When He Shrinks" Side-Effect and fixing it somehow. Mark Gruenwald once referred to stuff like this as being part of what makes comics too complicated, and how we should kill off overly-complex guys like that. We can only dream...
-He's mostly typified by having less powers (he can still Shrink, but it might give him a heart attack- a Side-Effect), and can throw Variable Power out there. He's a lower PL, but still quite expensive thanks to the... expensiveness, of Variable Power.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
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Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

CENTURY
Created By:
Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Tom Tenney
First Appearance: Force Works #1 (July 1994)
Role: Forgotten Hero
Group Affiliations: Force Works, The Revengers
PL 9 (188)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 5 (+10)
Expertise (Space Hero) 5 (+10)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Investigation 5 (+6)
Perception 9 (+10)
Technology 5 (+10)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Staff), Ranged Attack 3, Tracking, Trance

Powers:
"Comprised of One-Hundred Minds" Enhanced Advantages 3: Beginner's Luck, Eidetic Memory, Jack of All Trades [3]

"Staff- Parallax" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [74]
Teleport 20 (Extras: Accurate, Portal +2, Extended) (120) -- (122 points)
AE: Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous Travel, Portal +2) (15)
AE: "Smack With Staff" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach, Split) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Staff +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Defeating Lore)- Century has been created by the alien Hodomur to defeat an evil Nexus Being who had destroyed their homeworld.
Responsibility (Forgotten Past)- He debuted in the '90s- you have to ask if he had this Complication?
Enemy (The Scatter)- The Scatter bought a mind-wiped Century off of some other guy named Broker, and still hunt him in order to live off the chaos generated in Lore's wake, as Century can still follow Lore.
Weakness (Impending Death)- Century's lifespan is set to cease in exactly one-hundred years, though he will apparently not age until right then.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 77 / Defenses: 9 (188)

-Man, Abnett & Lanning were way busier than I thought back in the day- hell, I'd never even HEARD of them till their modern Marvel Cosmic stuff (though my friend was aware of their Games Workshop Books work). Century here was a central character in their Force Works book- generally-regarded as a weak attempt at capturing some more of that '90s energy with a more hardcore version of The Avengers West Coast (at the time made up of Iron Man, U.S. Agent, Wonder Man, Spider-Woman II & The Scarlet Witch). He's an artificial being created from the combined minds and skillsets of the best Hodomur, an alien race, in order to defeat some evil Nexus Being named Lore. Because of the timing of his creation, he was used in the Iron Man cartoon as part of his squad. Since Force Works was an utter failure (the comic book crash of the mid-90s was underway), the character was mostly forgotten, especially in the fustercluck storyline known as The Crossing (which featured the death of Iron Man, who'd been revealed as a Kang pawn for years... you can imagine that this was retconned away in a hurry).
-Force Works was split up with the book's cancellation (necessitating a full Avengers reboot by Kurt Busiek), and basically happily ignored for OVER A DECADE, only to reappear in a crazed Wonder Man's "Revengers" squad- a gang of ex-Avengers allies out to beat up the main team. He joined only out of a sense of duty to Wonder Man (who was killed in the first mission of the team, by the Scatter who were hunting Century).
-Century is a Teleporter capable of crossing the stars with his staff (named Parallax), though only PL 9 otherwise, since he's a forgettable loser from a book that was cancelled years ago.

ANT-MAN III (Eric O'Grady, aka Slaying Mantis)
Created By:
Robert Kirkman & Phil Hester
First Appearance: The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (Sept. 2006)
Role: The Repenting Criminal
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Thunderbolts, The Defenders, S.H.I.E.L.D., Damage Control
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (153)
STRENGTH
2/14 STAMINA 2/14 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+7)
Expertise (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent) 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+2)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Improved Defense, Luck, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ant-Man Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [64]
"Pym Particles"
Small Size (68) -- (69)
AE: Large Size (42)

"Large Size- Over 100 Feet Tall"
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) (22)
Growth +6 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) (6)
Speed 2 (30 mph) (2)
"Giant-Sized Fists & Feet" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst on 11 Ranks) (11) -- (12)
AE: "Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
Close Combat -2 (-2)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (Flaws: Limited to Top Size) (2)

"Alternate Sizes"
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (24 feet)
Growth 9 (Str & Sta +9, +9 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (30 feet)
Growth 10 (Str & Sta +10, +10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (36 feet)
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (42 feet)
Growth 12 (Str & Sta +12, +12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +3 Speed) -- (48 feet)

"Small Size"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) (48)
"Tiny Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 4: Close Attack 4 (Flaws: Limited to Smaller Sizes) (2)
Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Microverse) (2)
"Robotic Arms" Extra Limbs 2 (2)

"Jet Pack- Usable at Small Size"
"Pack Blast" Blast 8 (Inaccurate -1) (15) -- (16)
AE: Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)

Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Insects -2) (8)
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Insects) (2)
-- (79 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
"Small Size" Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
"Large Size" Unarmed +5 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Giant Fists & Feet +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5
"Smallest Size" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5
"Largest Size" Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +13, Fortitude +15, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Ex-Criminal)- Eric is attempting to better himself, having been a lying, cheating son of a bitch up until this point. He consistently fails.
Enemy (Mitch Carson)- Eric's friend was a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent too, but used it to hide his murders. He was injured when Eric first stole the Ant-Man suit, and later tried to murder Eric.
Relationship (Abigail)- Eric dated and fell in love with a woman who turned out to be a single mother. He tried to break it off when it turned out she was a single mother, but they soon began dating again.
Relationship (The Black Fox)- Eric and the cat burglar became close friends.
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite his added defenses at small size, O'Grady is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller he gets, the more vulnerable he is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if he is Shrinking 12 or smaller.
Vulnerable (Easy to Hit)- When fighting against a Full-Sized Eric O'Grady, any character may be treated as having the Power Attack Advantage, allowing them to go +5 to damage. He's such an big target that all his vulnerable spots are enormous.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 64 / Defenses: 19 (153)

-Eric O'Grady is one of the newcomers to The Avengers name, being a character introduced as kind of a jokey villainous cad, a guy who lied, cheated and stole his way through S.H.I.E.L.D., swiped the Ant-Man costume (that makes him the SECOND guy to do this and get to keep it), used it to check out super-heroic women naked (finally- a character who uses his powers the way douchebags would in real life!), etc. He would attempt to reform, but consistently screw it up. He finally had a change of heart while on the Thunderbolts, outside of his creator (Invincible's Robert Kirkman)'s view, and then he ended up on Secret Avengers, doing the same old cycle, but was believed to have been beaten to death while saving a child's life. Since his solo book has long-since vanished, and his creator is rather busy elsewhere, I don't see much of a future for him.
-O'Grady is a lying, sneaking variant of the Pym/Lang mold, maintaining Growth & Shrinking (but he doesn't max out as strong as the others), with a few side powers. He can do the Area-Affecting punches, reach far, and has a few unique tricks, like a Jet Pack, Fire Blast (using the pack as a weapon), and use Extra Limbs when shrunk. He's only PL 9, but an effective fighter in some ways, with some skill-based tricks.

STATURE (Cassandra "Cassie" Lang)
Created By:
David Michelinie & John Byrne
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #47 (April 1979) (Cassie), Young Avengers #6 (??) (Stature)
Role: Plucky Kid, Giant Jailbait
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Initiative, The Young Avengers
PL 9 (96)
STRENGTH
0/11 STAMINA 1/13 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat 1 (+7)
Deception 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Pym Particles"
Small Size (52) -- [53]
AE: Large Size (35.5)

"Large Size- Over 100 Feet Tall"
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) (22)
Growth +6 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) (6)
Speed 2 (30 mph) (2)
"Giant-Sized Fists & Feet" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2 on 9 Ranks) (4.5) -- (5.5)
AE: "Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +1 (1)
Close Combat -1 (-1)

"Alternate Sizes"
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (24 feet)
Growth 9 (Str & Sta +9, +9 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (30 feet)
Growth 10 (Str & Sta +10, +10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (36 feet)
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (42 feet)
Growth 12 (Str & Sta +12, +12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +3 Speed) -- (48 feet)

"Small Size"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) (48)
"Tiny Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 4: Close Attack 4 (Flaws: Limited to Smaller Sizes) (2)
Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Microverse) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
"Small Size" Unarmed +9 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
"Large Size" Unarmed +6 (+12 Damage, DC 30)
Giant Fists & Feet +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +1, Fortitude +4, Will +4
"Smallest Size" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +1, Fortitude +5, Will +5
"Largest Size" Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +13, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Father's Memory)- Cassie loves super-heroics ever since her father first became Ant-Man, and she strives to uphold his legacy. She died pretty much when he returned.
Relationship (Mother & Stepfather)- Cassie's other parents strongly-resist her desire to be a superhero, especially her cop stepfather.
Involuntary Transformation- Cassie has occasionally shrank against her will after feeling intense embarassment or shame.
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite his added defenses at small size, Cassie is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller he gets, the more vulnerable he is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if he is Shrinking 12 or smaller.
Vulnerable (Easy to Hit)- When fighting against a Full-Sized Cassie Lang, any character may be treated as having the Power Attack Advantage, allowing them to go +5 to damage. She's such an big target that all her vulnerable spots are enormous.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 52 / Defenses: 14 (96)

-Cassie has an acute case of "Comic Book Aging Syndrome" (related to Soap Opera Aging Syndrome), in that she grew from a young child (following Scott Lang to various books- The Avengers, Fantastic Four and Heroes For Hire) to a teenager basically overnight, as soon as a writer wanted to her to appear into a pretty teenager and join the Young Avengers, one of Marvel's MANY, MANY recent attempts to capture a zeitgeist of Hot Young Kids With Issues. She joined the Young Avengers when her father died, but book kind of faltered (I never got into it- I never found any of the characters interesting in any other books they crossed over in, and I don't find characters interesting just because they're gay, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERY F*@#ING COMMENT THEY MAKE IS ABOUT THEM BEING GAY), but Cassie seemed to stick out the most. The team does a lot of stuff that doesn't excite me at all, and she dies in the final moments of The Children's Crusade, killed by Dr. Doom.
-Cassie takes the Pym-ish stuff, but is MUCH cheaper than the others, having very few Skills, Advantages, or Power Feats just yet, but she could... "grow" into them. Hee. I funny. She's shown to be rather powerful (doing +12 Damage is rare amongst low-level Teen characters), but almost any serious super-character would house her, with her limitations.

ANT-MAN II (Scott Lang)
Created By:
David Michelinie & John Byrne
First Appearance: The Avengers #181 (March 1979)
Role: The Repentant Criminal
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, The Fantastic Four
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (154)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+11)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Jack-of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Tiny-Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 4: Close Attack 4 (Flaws: Limited to While Shrunk) [2]

"Ant-Man Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [50]
Shrinking 16 (+6 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) (48)
Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Microverse) (2)
Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Insects -2) (8)
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Insects) (2)
Immunity 2 (Suffocation 2) (2)
-- (62 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
"Small Size" Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5
"Smallest Size" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Cassie Lang- aka Stature)- Lang does everything he can for his daughter.
Relationship (Various Women)- Scott has a contentious relationship with his ex-wife, but has dated Jessica Jones (during Alias) and Darla Deering.
Reputation (Ex-Con)- Lang stole to provide for his family, and was incarcerated. He is always repenting for it.
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite his added defenses at small size, Lang is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller he gets, the more vulnerable he is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if he is Shrinking 12 or smaller.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 52 / Defenses: 17 (154)

-Hah, my note on the original 3e Scott Lang build: "It's unlikely a fourth-stringer like Lang will ever make it back from the dead, too." Yeah, unless they somehow make him the central character on Matt Fraction's FF and have Paul Rudd star as him in the main role of a FREAKING ANT-MAN MOVIE, huh?
-Scott Lang never really had a chance, for the longest time. He came in in the very late '70s as a replacement to Ant-Man, who was probably retired or busy sucking or something at the time, and promptly got tossed right into Marvel Limbo, because of course nobody needs a guy running around who can't really hurt people in a fight. He had a "single parent" gimmick, much like several later characters (Spider-Woman II, for one- but it was less cool on Lang because he wasn't a hot chick in spandex), and finally got Avengers membership during Bendis' run. Unfortunately, that happened right before Disassembled, and he was blown all the way up by a zombified Jack of Hearts. His daughter subsequently became a more important character than him, calling herself Stature and growing instead of shrinking. We'll see how that one goes.
-So Lang started out as an ex-con (but it's okay, he only burgled to help support his family) who stole Hank Pym's Ant-Man costume to help him steal more, and even THEN it was only to raise money enough to save his daughter Cassie from her heart condition. Pym decided to let him keep the suit, and he became a third-stringer who helped out various heroes in their own books- often showing up to help Spider-Man or Iron Man out of a jam using some technical know-how. Hell, he damn near teamed up with as many people as SPIDER-MAN did, judging by his Wikipedia article- Rom, The Avengers (during Under Siege), The FF, etc. When Reed Richards was thought-dead, he became the resident tech-guy of the FF, but this was during the '90s Dork Age so doesn't come up often.
-Scott died during Disassembled, and his daughter went on to become a bigger character. However, he was resurrected by Iron Lad during The Children's Crusade, only to watch Doctor Doom kill his daughter. A distraught Scott was temporarily on The Defenders, but soon chosen as the leader of the replacement Fantastic Four during Matt Fraction's FF, a poor-selling, controversial book that drew a bunch of hate, but I totally thought it was hilarious and goofy. During the course of this book (make around the time it was announced that Lang was going to be the titular character in an Ant-Man film, while Pym himself was going to be an older man played by Michael Douglas), Lang got a HUGE push in the end after being pretty mediocre and unattached for a long time- eager for vengeance on Doom for killing Cassie, Lang steals a look at The Watcher's equipment and discovers a way to beat Doom. He uncovers the secrets of Pym Particles (they can give Strength, Density Control, AND Size-Changing), gathers a group of guys to take away all of Doom's advantages using a Time Machine, and finally gives Doom a humiliating defeat. Scott's POV that Doom is actually simply a sociopath without real depth may be pushing it a bit, but hey- the man DID kill Scott's daughter.
-This naturally could lead to accusations of Mary Sue-ism or "Pushing The Pet Character". And it kinda is. But hey- it's SCOTT LANG, the forgotten SECOND Ant-Man, and the dude needed some hype. Plus nobody ran around telling him he was the greatest person ever like they did his predecessor in the Mighty Avengers.
-Barely more expensive than a standard PL 8, Lang's Ant-Man costume is slightly different than Hank Pym's, in that it allows him to shrink others (pretty powerful), but only gives him half his normal strength (versus Pym's full strength), which is how I chose to define Wikipedia's "four times his natural lifting strength" while shrunk. He's not much in a fight, but he's sure hard to hit- he makes PL 9.5 defensively (taken by slightly reducing the added defense from Shrinking 16- no way this guy is PL 11), and is a very good Science Guy when Richards, Stark, Pym, McCoy, Forge or... well, a lot of guys- aren't available.

MANTIS (something Brandt, aka DC's Willow, & Eclipse/Image's Lorelei)- written by Steve Englehart
Created By:
Steve Englehart & Don Heck
First Appearance: The Avengers #112 (June 1973)
Role: The Scrappy (to some fans and many writers), The Wesley/Pet Character (to Englehart), Martial Artist, The Enigma
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Guardians of the Galaxy
Avengers Grade: D-Level (C & B-Level during Englehart's run)
PL 11 (178)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Temple Girl) 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+10)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Takedown, Trance, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Priests of Pama Training"
"Weakness-Assisted Stun" Affliction 12 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (Inaccurate -3) (21) -- [22]
AE: "Weakness-Strike" Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Inaccuarate -2) (8)

Regeneration 2 [2]
Immunity 3 (Aging, Pain Effects 2) [3]
"Empathy" Mind Reading 4 (Extras: Move Action +2) (Flaws: Limited to Emotions) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weakness-Strike +12 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Weakness-Stun +10 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +6, Fortitude +10, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Celestial Madonna)- Sort of a Chosen One/Messiah-Bringer kind of thing.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 22 (178)

-Time, they say, heals all wounds. Such is the case with Mantis, who I no longer really feel such all-consuming hatred for.
-Mantis is Steve Englehart's Pet Character- a character designed around Eastern mysticism, with a wierd origin as the "Celestial Madonna", devoted to giving birth to the new messiah or somesuch thing. Englehart, one of the major "auteurs" of the 1970s & early '80s, loved the character so much, he brought her with him to DC, Image & Eclipse comics (under different names) once he left Marvel, AND brought her back on his return to Marvel (in addition to shoehorning her in to the FF and Silver Surfer when he wrote them). As a character, she's kind of a loser concept, as nobody really cares much for barefoot chicks speaking in the third person (calling herself "This one", which got old REAL FAST, let me tell you) who can easily knock out Thor in hand to hand (no, really).
-It's just... SO OBVIOUS that Englehart loved this character and only wanted to write stories featuring her doing awesome stuff and being the chosen one and all that, and even the other Marvel writers hated her at the time she was an Avenger. She's so much like Claremont's Sage character that it's not even funny. The fact is, if you feel the need to debut your hero by KICKING THE ASSES OF EVERY OTHER HERO, you have just made a ludicrously-awful rookie mistake. EVERY SINGLE READER can surmise your exact point when you do these blatant Mary Sue tricks- "Oh man, everyone! My new character is SO FREAKING AWESOME- just look at her beat the crap out of EVERY MAJOR HERO ON THE TEAM AT ONCE! Don't you want to read about my super new original character now!?" She was the focus of so much during Englehart's Avengers run that I find she ruins the whole Celestial Madonna saga, typically considered one of the best Avengers arcs of all time by fans (even those who dislike the character). It's not just me, either- plenty of fan dialogue mentions annoyance at the obviousness of Englehart's love & lust for his character. The fact that at the time she was actively trying to throw a fork into the relationship between The Vision & The Scarlet Witch was NOT helping make her likeable. In fact, it made her seem like an evil, nasty shrew (she was actively ripping on The Swordsman, who followed her around like a sad puppy during this time) out to ruin everyone else's good time.
-A short study of her history: She's the daughter of Libra (of The Zodiac Cartel), raised by the Priests of Pama with martial arts skillz in order to become the mother to a universal savior- to do this, they brainwashed her and she became a prostitute in Asia (because naturally, whoring is how you go about creating Celestial Madonnas). She meets up with Swordsman, and openly mocks him while he pines for her, and both join The Avengers, which she throws into disarray first by beating everyone up, then by hitting on The Vision. It turns out she IS The Celestial Madonna, and only realizes her love for Swordsman when he dies saving her (WIMMEN, amiright?), and therefore agrees to marry a plant-being (part of the race that shared the planet with, and were wiped out by, what became The Kree Empire, back when The Skrulls were nice and the Kree attacked them, setting off a huge interstellar war) who decided to possess Swordsman's corpse. She had the baby (having been carried over into three other comic book companies as a further chapter in the story when Englehart quit Marvel in a huff), but soon gave him up and went off with The Silver Surfer. Then there was some stuff where she went nuts, then evil, then that was retconned (it was The Crossing, and it was apparently REALLY awful), and then...
-She became much more entertaining as a weird background character in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" book, and seems to be MUCH less powerful, as she's usually stuck on the base instead of doing Goonsweeping. She's surprisingly more-tolerable when she's just doing baseline stuff and being quirky instead of the focus of everything.
-Mantis is an amazing martial artist, packing PL 11 altogether, and packing a huge punch when she needs do. Really, though, if Steve Englehart's writing, she's basically a PL 13-14, because she's . It's kind of a quasi-Iron Fist thing she's got going on, allowing her to KO people way above her normal class level (let's just assume Thor REALLY failed his Fortitude Check on that one, while she Crit-Hitted, huh?) some of the time. I've read an Englehart appearance where she whup on FOUR Avengers at once, and actually manages to easily avoid ALL of Hawkeye's arrows, while Stunning Wonder Man like three times, and get nothing in return. She criticals on a 17-20 as well, making her pretty scary in melee combat. Once she leaves the Avengers and merges with the Cotati/Swordsman/Whatever, she gains further powers, involving Astral Projection, Space Travel, Immunity (Life Support), Plant Control, etc.

MANTIS (something Brandt)- Modern Times
Created By:
Steve Englehart & Don Heck
First Appearance: The Avengers #112 (June 1973)
Role: The Scrappy (to some fans and many writers), The Wesley (to Englehart), Martial Artist, The Enigma
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Guardians of the Galaxy
Avengers Grade: D-Level (C & B-Level during Englehart's run)
PL 9 (200)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+13)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Temple Girl) 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+10)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Takedown, Trance, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Priests of Pama Training"
"Weakness-Assisted Stun" Affliction 11 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (Inaccurate -3) (19) -- [20]
AE: "Weakness-Strike" Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Inaccuarate -2) (8)

Regeneration 2 [2]
Immunity 3 (Aging, Pain Effects 2) [3]
"Cotati-Empowered Nature"
"Telepathy" Mind Reading 10 (20) Linked to Communication 2 (Extras: Area) (30) -- [33]
AE: "Astral Form" Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel) (2)
AE: "Plant Control" Move Object 6 (Flaws: Limited to Plants) (6)
AE: Immunity 10 (Extras: Sustained +0) (10)

Comprehend (Plants) [4]
Movement 1 (Space Travel) [2]
Senses 4 (Precognition) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weakness-Strike +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Weakness-Stun +7 (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +6, Fortitude +10, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Celestial Madonna)- Sort of a Chosen One/Messiah-Bringer kind of thing.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 68 / Defenses: 18 (200)

-Mantis circa-Guardians of the Galaxy has a TON more powers, and a ridiculous amount of options for Alt-Effects if she spends an HP. She is moderately less skilled and lower in PL than her earlier form, being a base-living mentalist who doesn't even see much combat, but is otherwise way more versatile. Honestly, I don't think they ever explained why she was no longer Hell on Wheels in a fight, but I suggest that Englehart not writing with his dink in his hands for once may have something to do with it (ie. there's different people writing her now).
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

THE BLACK PANTHER (T'Challa, aka Black Leopard)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966)
Role: THE Black Hero, The King, Saint Matthew's Favorite Character Ever
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Fantastic Four
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 11 (238)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+12)
Close Combat (Claws) 3 (+15)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (World Leader) 6 (+13)
Expertise (Survival) 9 (+16)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+14)
Insight 6 (+11)
Intimidation 7 (+11)
Investigation 3 (+8)
Perception 11 (+16)
Persuasion 3 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Throwing Knives) 2 (+12)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+8)
Stealth 9 (+15)
Technology 6 (+13)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Animal Empathy, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 5 (King of Wakanda), Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Inventor, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Tracking- Scent, Ultimate Survival Skill, Ultimate Perception Skill, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Peak Human Physiology"
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]
Regeneration 2 [2]

"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute, Accurate & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing) [6]

"The Black Panther Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [28]
"Vibranium-Weave Mesh" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 4) (6)
Immunity 10 (Ballistics, Falling Damage) (10)
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) (2)
"Throwing Knives" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15) -- (16)
AE: "Claws" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
-- (34 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Claws +15 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Throwing Knives +12 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +5 (+7 Costume), Fortitude +10, Will +12

Complications:
Relationship (Storm)- The two were married, since who ELSE were the two top black people in Marvel Comics supposed to marry? OTHER characters? Ones that made more SENSE? Eventually they got divorced because of reasons.
Responsibility (Wakanda)
Relationship (Shuri)- T'Challa's little sister eventually grabs the mantle of ruler of Wakanda following T'Challa's coma at the hands of Namor and The Cabal.
Enemy (Ulysses Klaw)- The adventurer Klaw murdered T'Challa's father, and still hunts the current King.
Power Loss (Magic Herb)- If the magic herb that gave T'Challa his powers is ever neutralized, he drops in power considerably. He becomes ST 3, STA 4, AGI 4, and loses the Diehard, Great Endurance & Extraordinary Effort Advantages, in addition to his Peak Human Physiology power-set.
Enemy (Namor)- The Sub-Mariner's nation of Atlantis warred with Wakanda, and Namor himself flooded the nation while under the power of The Phoenix.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 96--48 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 23 (238)

-Like I said with the Falcon build, there's a lot of nitpickery and little things that went into making the Panther important as far as black characters in comics go- there were a bunch of racist charicatures in the '40s (Whitewash and company), and a few non-costumed types showed up earlier (Gabe Jones, the black sherriff Lobo), but the Panther is an honest-to-God SUPERHERO, and the first of them all. And adding to THAT, he's no savage king of a wild African country- they were a nation of SCIENTISTS. Written in the NINETEEN-SIXTIES. Think about that for a second- this is the era of Civil Rights and Mad Men here. You can simply NOT give Stan & Jack enough credit for coming up with this kind of an idea in that time period- it basically smashes every idea you had of a group of people at that period of time. Given that diversity and inclusion were a huge part of Stan's overall theme in comics, it's fitting that he would be a part of the first black superhero.
-T'Challa is a great character when used right- a major leader in the Marvel Universe, and always something Marvel trots out when they need to throw a bone to black writers, or critics of the company. He had a few brief runs back in the 1970s (one of which was called among the greatest stories in the history of comic books by Dwayne "JLU Head Writer/Crappy JLA Comic Writer Via Blaming the Editors" McDuffie), but none really amounted to much success. He's had a good book under Christopher Priest, a so-so, HEAVILY-hated book rife with a Mary Sue-like treatment of Wakanda from Reginald Hudlin (some white commentators have bitched about this, but I figure it's okay for blacks to get a "wishful thinking" super-society of proud black people JUST THIS ONCE, all things considered. I'm pretty Anti-PC, but one white-hating black writer really fails to raise my ire... even though Marvel would have been better off had that been an Elseworlds book. I read a few issues that weren't bad, but stuff like "we willingly withold the cure for cancer because you suck" is pretty bad), and a few runs on The Avengers and The Fantastic Four in his day. Actually, he was barely ON The Avengers- he spent much more time as an ally than he ever did as a member. Call him a second-stringer/major hero, since he can never seem to get a top-selling book going.
-T'Challa of course debuted in the FF's book, but didn't get up to much in that series (his one-shot appearance, beating on the entire FF to prove himself, would be copied a fair bit over the years to debut new heroes. It also made him my dad's favourite superhero).
-Ah, Gawd, stupid guys like this and their Not Being Bad At Anything. He's got insanely high stats (he's even stated to be among the smartest men in the Marvel Universe, despite never really inventing a lot of stuff), tons of Skills and Advantages, and even a pretty good costume as a Device. I left in the Christopher Priest-added Vibranium stuff since it was all pretty cool, but various writers have dropped various things, and you can never really know what you're gonna get with T'Challa. Note that the Panther's a remarkable combatant, making PL 11 easily, doing up to +7 damage with his Claws, and with +15 accuracy overall with both that and his unarmed damage. And yeah, look at that points cost- he's up their with Cap, Iron Man & Thor. I had to think for a second about that, but really- it makes sense given his importance to the Marvel U. He's almost as good a fighter as Cap, almost as smart as Tony, and he's all-around as good as anybody.

YELLOWJACKET II (Rita DeMara)
Created By:
Roger Stern & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #264 (Feb. 1986)
Role: The Legacy Villain, Villain Turned Hero, Sacrifial Lamb
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Femizons, The Masters of Evil, The Guardians of the Galaxy
Avengers Grade: D-Level (Honorary Member)
PL 8 (122)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Aerobatics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Yellowjacket Stings) 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Yellowjacket Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [47]
"Small Size"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) (32)
"Higher Density" Enhanced Strength 2 (Flaws: Limited to Small Size) (2)
"Tiny Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 2: Close Attack 2 (Flaws: Limited to Smaller Sizes) (2)
"Wasp Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) (5)
"Wasp Stings" Blast 8 (Feats: Split) (17)
-- (58 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Small Size +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Wasp Stings +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +4
"Small Size" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Former Super-Villain)- Rita DeMara never wanted to be a villain, but it was kind of thrust upon her. Nervous and often weak-willed, she is attempting to make good.
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite her added defenses at small size, Rita is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller he gets, the more vulnerable he is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if she is Shrinking 12 or smaller.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 11 (122)

-Rita DeMara's a mere eyeblink of a super-villain, being a woman who found an old Hank Pym Yellowjacket costume and refitted it, becoming a reluctant villainess. She hung around for a while before making a face-turn, and then she joined the Guardians of the Galaxy and becoming an Honorary Avenger, before being casually killed by a mind-controlled Iron Man on the orders of Immortus during the now-forgotten and much-hated The Crossing storyline.
-Rita is basically a PL 8 version of The Wasp, lacking a lot of her accuracy, but mostly the same powers, limited to a Device.

THE VISION II (Victor Shade)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #57 (Oct. 1968)
Role: Learning To Be Human, Emotionless Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers (All Teams)
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 11 (223)
STRENGTH
8/12 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+10)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Solar Blast) 4 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Technology 6 (+10)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Diehard, Equipment (Holographic Disguise), Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Smash, Interpose, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (Various), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Teamwork

Powers:
"Datalink" Communication 1 (Computers) [4]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks) [2]
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Senses 2 (Extended & Infravision) [2]

Low Density (41) -- [42]
AE: High Density (38)

"Physical Disruption" Affliction 12 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Cumulative, Affects Corporeal) (37) -- [39]
AE: "Damaging Disruption" Damage 11 (Feats: Dynamic, Penetrating 6) (Extras: Affects Corporeal) (29)
AE: "Solar Blast" Blast 10 (20)

"High Density"
Enhanced Strength 4 (8)
"Immovable" Features 6: Increased Mass 3 (6)
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 15) (19)
Protection 6 (Flaws: Immobile -2) (2)
Enhanced Advantages 1: Withstand Damage (Trades Defense for Toughness) (1)
-- (38 points)

"Low Density"
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Precise) (21)
Enhanced Skills 8: Stealth 8 (+14) (4)
Enhanced Advantages 4: Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Uncanny Dodge (4)
Flight 4 (30 mph) (8)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (4)
-- (41 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
High Density +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Physical Disruption +10 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Damaging Disruption +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Low Density, DC 18-20), Parry +8 (+10 Low Density, DC 18-20), Toughness +10 (+14 High Density, +8 Impervious), Fortitude +12, Will +8

Complications:
Power Loss (Solar Blast)- The Vision requires solar energy to power his blasts- if left without, he will lose power.
Weakness (Android Body- Despite being humanlike in construction, The Vision's body is different enough to require specialists beyond mere medical training if he is injured.
Relationship (Scarlet Witch)- It's complicated, even by the standards of comic book relationships. They fell in love despite tons of angst, then got married, then had babies, then turned out to be constructs (which nobody decided to tell Dr. Strange about- he was shocked and David Finch copied the same picture seven-hundred times while it was explained to him later). Then he got turned into an emotionless droid and lost all his colour. Then he chased after her for a long time, not quite getting over it.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 16 (223)

-Vizh is a rare case of a guy who ALWAYS looks best in older books- for some reason, the way older books were made (heavily-inked and thick, simple colours) made him look BOSS AS HELL, whereas all the newfangled modern techniques actually make him look weaker and silly-looking. He's the only comic book character I can think of who ALWAYS looks worse these days.
-The Vision went from a creation of Ultron to one of the best Avengers, all in one great storyline by Roy Thomas. He was created to bust up the team, but ended up betraying his creator and was then offered to JOIN them, proving that "even an android can cry!" He would go on to be one of the more-iconic members, the years have been both kind and cruel to the poor guy, as he had several years of bliss with the Scarlet Witch in one of the few great love affairs that started and ended in the comics (as opposed to "introduced as lovers" individuals like most heroes and their ready-made girlfriends), having a neat little relationship for a long time. They even got a pair of Limited Series... the latter of which (a TWELVE-ISSUE one) STARTED okay, but got more boring by the issue, with almost nothing of note happening that was any good. He was a great character, and one of the iconic guys known for being only an Avenger and never really getting a solo book.
-Unfortunately, John Byrne destroyed all of that in West Coast Avengers. Note: When Byrne bitches and moans (as he is wont to do) about people always changing heroes from their basic versions, and how its always his responsibility to change them back to what they were supposed to be, Vision is what you can throw in his face, and those of his apologists'. He turned a wonderful character, an android who had long ago conquered his emotionless facade (unlike, say, Data, who did it for seven seasons and five movies in Star Trek), into basically a big, boring robot with no colour in his personality or on his costume (Wonder Man having refused to allow his brain patterns to be copied to create Vision's mind once again). His children with Wanda were revealed to be apparitions created by Mephisto, as well, fully separating him from his wife. It took Kurt Busiek YEARS to repair that damage in his own run, and even then he couldn't quite pull it off, as Vision just had some forgettable dates with Warbird & Mantis before going back to pining over Wanda like a sad puppy. Like Scott Lang, he was offed during Disassembled.
-We wouldn't see him until Fear Itself, having finally been rebuilt by Tony Stark. However, he hasn't really gotten up to much, or factored into any major storylines. He was only on that awful Tech-Avengers thing, and it was quickly cancelled. I fear he's one of those guys with a TAD too much baggage built up over the years, though his relatively-long time spent in "The Book of the Dead" may have made some of that better.
-Vision's a considerably powerful super-hero, able to modify his Strength & Toughness with his Density power, as well as launching a half-decent Blast and hurting nearly everybody with a +12 Damage attack. He'd technically break his Damage caps with his maximum Density, but since he's PL 11, you can limit him to +13 Damage Bonus. Deciding his final rank in Density was tough, as he's been shown pushing himself to 90 tons before (which would imply at least Density 18), but the operative word is "pushing", ie. Extra Effort or somesuch thing.
-His costs are pushed along by several side-powers, such as weak Regeneration, Comprehend, Datalink, Holo-Disguises, and Immunity to various things. One thing I WON'T do, however, is make him a full-on machine. Vision is NOT a robot. He has organs, eyes, etc. as any human being does, they just have artificial construction. This means he has a Stamina score and all that fun stuff (just Immunities to some things because his mechanics are so different). I think if you tore his arm off, he'd be just as devastated as a normal super-tough human. Sure, he can be "rebuilt" if taken apart, which is kinda robot-like, but they've said repeatedly that he is "in every way a human being".

TRIATHLON (Delroy Garrett, aka 3-D Man II)
Created By:
Kurt Busiek & George Perez
First Appearance: The Avengers (vol. 3) #8 (Sept. 1998)
Role: 3-D Man Rip-Off, The Unlikable Newbie
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Triune Understanding, The Skrull Kill Krew, The Agents of Atlas
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (148)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 6 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Religion) 4 (+6)
Insight 5 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 6 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+9)
Technology 2 (+4)
Treatment 2 (+4)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Disarm, Great Endurance, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Three Times Peak-Human Physiology"
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Regeneration 4 [4]
Senses 3 (Extended Vision, Scent & Hearing) [3]

"3-D Man True Sight" Senses 6 (Counters Illusion 2, Detect Shapeshifting & Possessions- Ranged) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +6, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Triune Understanding)- Triathlon was a member of the Triune Understanding, and was often torn between loyalty to them and to The Avengers. When they revealed themselves as a cult under an evil leader, it was up to him to stop them.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 18 (148)

-Triathlon is what we'd call a "failed experiment". Kurt Busiek, while writing his awesome revamp of The Avengers, ended up with a bit of a boring storyline with the whole Triune Understanding thing. They were your standard cult/religious group (very similar to $cientology) that did an "Oh, we're SO oppressed by the big mean heroes" vibe (basically exactly what Marv Wolfman did in Teen Titans fifteen years prior with Brother Blood), and the fans kind of crapped on it. Poor Triathlon, the Understanding's toady, who got shunted onto the Avengers under advice from their government liaison, fared even worse, being a giant douche to the whole team right away, and acting like he was super awesome.
-So the fans HATED the character right out of the gate, considering him a lame 3-D Man rip-off, and he got depowered at the end of the Understanding's arc (of course, they turned out to be super evil- it's not a good plotline when the fans can stay seven leagues ahead of it), vanishing for years. Like most guys, he's shown up in the Initiative storyline (seriously, is there a B-through-D-level guy who HASN'T shown up in that?), but that's about it- he gaind the 3-D Man's powers (turns out they WERE related in terms of powers) and helped out during Secret Invasion, but hasn't done a lick of work since, aside from a short run in The Agents of Atlas, a book Marvel just INSISTED on cramming down the fans' throats for a couple years there, despite nobody really "taking" on it.
-Standard PL 8.5 offense/PL 9 defense build, he's strong, fast and durable, but falls JUST short of those PL 10 benchmarks, and is also pretty light on the Skills and Advantages for an in-close fighter type guy. "Just above peak human" guys tend to have some movement powers added onto their basic stats (Speed, Leaping, etc.), so I stuck those on as well. He's also got a modified kind of "True Sight" that lets him watch for Skrulls easily.

THE WASP (Janet Van Dyne)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963)
Role: The Tagalong, The Girlfriend (to Hank), The Ditz, The Break-Out Leader
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Lady Liberators
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 10 (182)
STRENGTH
1/3 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Aerobatics 10 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Fashionista/Businesswoman) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Wasp Stings) 8 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Persuasion), Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Wasp Sting), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Pym Particles"
"Small Size"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) [48]
"Higher Density" Enhanced Strength 2 (Flaws: Limited to Small Size) [2]
"Tiny Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 2: Close Attack 2 (Flaws: Limited to Smaller Sizes) [2]
"Wasp Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

"Wasp Stings" Blast 8 (Feats: Split) [17]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Small Size +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Wasp Stings +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +6, Will +7
"Small Size" Dodge +18 (DC 28), Parry +18 (DC 28), Toughness +2, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Hank Pym)- Somehow, he made her fall for him. Somehow. They were together, then married, then divorced, then kinda together again. Then she died.
Relationship (Alex Summers- Havok)- Jan & Havok hooked up during The Uncanny Avengers, and even had a daughter in the future.
Responsibility (Fashion Business)- The Wasp has a reputation to maintain, and thus rarely wears the same costume twice (especially under George Perez).
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite his added defenses at small size, Jan is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller he gets, the more vulnerable he is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if he is Shrinking 12 or smaller.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 74 / Defenses: 16 (182)

-The Wasp's history started out pretty badly, as the girlfriend to the lamest hero on the Avengers, but she's grown into either a Marvel Limbo denizen or a fantastic secondary leader of the Avengers, depending on which writers are in power at any given time. Her link to Hank Pym is a semi-terminal weakness, but she makes up for it in pluck, determination, and an ability to not seem like a COMPLETELY crappy choice as leader whenever Cap isn't available (she gradually came into her own as a leader, which is why her run is more beloved than Monica Rambeau's, which was basically "Hey! We have a new leader, and she's BLACK AND A WOMAN! Gaze upon how modern and PC we are and be in AWE!"). But yeah, what a weak start. A 1960s fashionista, she made epically retarded decisions left and right, and made sure nobody would ever mistake Stan Lee for a feminist, despite any liberal leanings he had (look at his Nixon parodies in some books, or the time a Conservative politician in Spider-Man was revealed to be a bigoted supporter of hate groups). Poor woman got more hysterical every issue than a whole gaggle of Deanna Trois.
-Janet left The Avengers a couple times, marrying Hank by the late 1960s (despite him going nuts as Yellowjacket at the time). She developed "Wasp's Stings" by the 1970s (seriously, she was pretty freaking useless before that). Hank dooms himself forever by slapping her, and is then elected Chairwoman of The Avengers, leading part of the early Roger Stern-era team. She eventually leaves that squad after the Masters of Evil destroyed the Mansion, then joined the West Coast squad. She didn't do much during the 1990s, but was the leader of the team during the Destiny War in Avengers Forever, her weaker leadership letting the team act chaotically to insure victory (which would have been impossible under the stronger heel of Captain America). The 2000s were a bit odd, as she LED the team once again, gained Growth for a bit, then left the team following Disassembled.
-In an odd, utterly-useless bit, she was killed at the end of Secret Invasion. I mean, this was the most casual, random, half-assed death imaginable- one that seemed to serve almost no purpose. Almost like they just wanted to do some "spring cleaning", or that they felt they NEEDED a death to make the event "important", and thus chose one of the few Silver Age heroes who hadn't died yet. She came back a handful of years later in ANOTHER meaningless bit, especially since it didn't come in the form of a big event or Avengers story or anything- it was kinda like "oh hey, Jan" in some books I've read. She later became an important member in The Uncanny Avengers, hooking up with Havok.
-Oh, and now she's dead. Which was pretty well forgotten, as she hadn't done anything in years of note by that point, and more big stuff happened as a result of the Secret Invasion anyways. But I thought she was cool in the late '90s/early 2000s years, as well as "Avengers Forever". She's been eclipsed like a hundred times over by the OTHER women in Marvel by this point, though, so she's just not packing the name value she used to- Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, etc., are all way bigger and more important in the long run, despite Jan coming way ahead of the pack as far as her first appearance goes.
-Janet is a classic PL 10 Blaster, with the side-effect of being extraordinarily small and hard to hit, moreso than even Spider-Man. She has shown signs of greater weakness before (The Legion of the Unliving's Bucky- which is presumably NOT the original one anymore because of funny continuity- killed her with a couple punches). She's more accurate than damaging with her "Stings", but her key thing is defense. It is damn near IMPOSSIBLE to hit her. Sometimes she's been shown growing, but it's so rare that it's basically a Hero Point expenditure 99% of the time.

THE WASP (Janet Van Dyne)- Modern-Day Powered-Up Version
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963)
Role: The Tagalong, The Girlfriend (to Hank), The Ditz, The Break-Out Leader
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Lady Liberators
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 11 (197)
STRENGTH
1/3/12 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Aerobatics 10 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Fashionista/Businesswoman) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Wasp Stings) 8 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Persuasion), Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Wasp Sting), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Pym Particles"
Small Size (61) -- [62]
AE: Large Size (40)

"Large Size- Over 100 Feet Tall"
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) (22)
Growth +6 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) (6)
Speed 2 (30 mph) (2)
"Giant-Sized Fists & Feet" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst on 11 Ranks) (11) -- (12)
Close Combat -2 (-2)
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 (Flaws: Limited to Top Size) (2)

"Alternate Sizes"
Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (12)
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (24 feet) (16)
Growth 10 (Str & Sta +10, +10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -10 Stealth) -- (36 feet) (20)
Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -11 Stealth) -- (42 feet) (22)

"Small Size"
Shrinking 16 (+8 Dodge/Parry, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) (Extras: Normal Strength) (48)
"Tiny Sized Fighting" Enhanced Advantages 2: Close Attack 2 (Flaws: Limited to Smaller Sizes) (1)
"Wasp Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)
Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Microverse) (2)

"Wasp Stings" Blast 8 (Feats: Split) [17]
Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Insects -2) [8]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Insects) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Small Size +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Wasp Stings +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Growth 8 +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Growth 10 +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Growth 11 +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Full Size +8 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Giant Fists & Feet +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +6, Will +7
"Small Size" Dodge +18 (DC 28), Parry +18 (DC 28), Toughness +2, Fortitude +6, Will +7
"Full Size" Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +13, Fortitude +15, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Hank Pym)- Somehow, he made her fall for him. Somehow. They were together, then married, then divorced, then kinda together again. Then she died.
Relationship (Alex Summers- Havok)- Jan & Havok hooked up during The Uncanny Avengers, and even had a daughter in the future.
Responsibility (Fashion Business)- The Wasp has a reputation to maintain, and thus rarely wears the same costume twice (especially under George Perez).
Vulnerable (Small Size)- Despite her added defenses at small size, Jan is highly-vulnerable to such comparatively-large targets. The smaller she gets, the more vulnerable she is- he treats all attacks from human-sized targest as Area Attacks if she is Shrinking 12 or smaller.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 89 / Defenses: 16 (197)

-Wasp can apparently now grow to super-large sizes, as well as talk to insects.

CAPTAIN UNIVERSE (Tamara Devoux)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Jerome Opena
First Appearance: Avengers #1 (Feb. 2013)
Role: Uber-Powered Template, Crazy Hero
PL 15 (229)
STRENGTH
18 STAMINA 18 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Perception 6 (+5)

Advantages:
Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Imbued With The Power Cosmic"
Impervious Toughness 15 [15]
Immunity 12 (Aging, Sleep, Life Support) [12]
"Immune to the Ravages of Space" Immunity 2 (Proximity to Stars & Suns) [2]

"Cosmic Mind"
"Uni-Vision" Senses 12 (Microscopic Vision 4, Extended Vision 4, Vision Penetrates Concealment 4) [12]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Space) [2]
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]

"Molecular Rearrangement" Transform (Anything to Anything) 13 (Extras: Continuous) (78) -- [85]
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 18 (Extras: Perception Ranged on 15 Ranks) (51)
AE: Cosmic Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 2, Penetrating 5) (47)
AE: "Cosmic Explosion" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (45)
AE: "Cosmic Beam" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (45)
AE: "Cosmic Wave" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (45)
AE: "Uni-Hypnosis" Affliction 12 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Selective, Cumulative) (48)
AE: "Transform Others" Affliction 12 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Transformed) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (36)

Flight 15 (64,000 mph) [30]
Movement 3 (Space Travel 2, Dimensional Travel) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Cosmic Blast +8 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Cosmic Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +18 (+8 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +4

Complications:
Power Loss (Uni-Power)- The Uni-Power is sentient, and will leave it's host if the host begins using its powers for evil, such as the committing of crimes.
Responsibility (Broken Mind)- Her mind broken by a car crash, Tamara is prone to making random statements, and cannot strategize effectively.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 129 / Defenses: 10 (229)

-I'll never figure out why some writers just LOVE to write "Crazy Dialogue" so much. The latest benefactor of the Uni-Power is Tamara Devoux, a comatose car-crash victim whose mind has pretty much cracked because of it, leaving her prone to making random comments and say crazy things, or just deliver the secrets of the universe in a way that's hyper-vague and hard to figure out. She's pretty much just like Starman in that JSA arc, and I hated it then and I hate it now. I just don't get the appeal- maybe it's because I've played on too many RPG games with the "Crazy Guy Who Says Random Things" character across the table, so I know how annoying that behavior is in real life. In any case, Tamara ends up with low Mental Stats, but an INSANE Power Level otherwise- she's pretty effortlessly a top-tier Avenger, and keep in mind that squad now includes Thor, Hyperion & The Hulk.
-Captain Universe and the Uni-Power were intially brought to the Marvel Universe because Bill Mantlo & Jim Shooter wanted to find a way to tie their "Micronauts" toy-based universe in with the Marvel Universe as a whole. As such, this Cosmic Power ended up bestowing itself onto various individuals, generally civilians. It even got used in a special comic where people could pay to put THEMSELVES into the role (stock stories which would add different skin and hair to Captain Universe)! This was mainly used in the 1980s, as the concept had fallen by the wayside seriously by even 1990, with it's biggest showing coming in the Spider-Man books, where he temporarily flew around with Phenomenal Cosmic Power in a pretty fun little gimmick. One of these guys earned my eternal adoration by one-shotting Deathclaw when she turned on him (she was so hated that the writers basically had her go mad and try to murder a teammate for no reason, only to die easily), but he perished to the Annihilation Wave soon afterwards.
-The Uni-Power makes the wearer a PL 15 at minimum, and cranks their existing powers up as well. When Spider-Man wielded the Uni-Power, he was the most powerful super-hero on Earth for a good chunk of time, and easily threw Terminus into space with help from Quasar. In effect, the Uni-Power makes you as tough as a Herald of Galactus, even if you're a baseline human. A great fighter like Spider-Man or another established super-hero can REALLY use the power with their higher accuracy to bust some heads.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

RAGE (Elvin Haliday)
Created By:
Larry Hama & Paul Ryan
First Appearance: The Avengers #326 (Nov. 1990)
Role: Angry Young Black Man, Immature Guy, D-Grade Powerhouse
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The New Warriors, Counter-Force, The Initiative, Psionex
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (99)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 2 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Stuff) 6 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improvised Weapon, Interpose, Taunt, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Radiation Enhanced Physique" Impervious Toughness 7 [7]
Leaping 4 (120 feet) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 20), Toughness +10 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +4

Complications:
Secret (Only 13 Years Old)
Reputation (Young Punk)- Once his secret is uncovered, the teenageg Elvin is still known as an aggressive, short-sighted kid who is quick to throw the first punch.
Relationship (Grandmother)- Raised by his beloved grandma, Rage is devoted to her, and extremely defensive. She is later killed by a street gang called The Poison Memories as revenge for the New Warriors' actions.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 9 (99)

-Rage is one of the shortest-lived, most forgotten Avengers, having a brief run in Larry Hama's Avengers issues, turning up to insult them for their lack of black members, then getting asked to join in the same story (if their standards were THAT low, why the heck haven't there been more black Avengers?). His whole schtick revolved around him being a 13-year old kid in an adult's super-powered body, living with his grandma and being in over his head, while acting as an Angry Black Man. In short, kind of a stereotype. I expect better from you, G.I. Joe comic-scribe Larry Hama. Though they only couple issues I've read of this era were actually pretty decent, with Rage figuring out that Doom wouldn't REALLY sacrifice his life to spite the Avengers (Doom was trying to save his mother's soul- Rage, owing to his own relationship with his Grandma, knew that Doom would NEVER sacrifice his life as he was threatening to, because that would have left his mother's soul lost forever).
-Once Elvin's age was discovered, he was turfed out of the team (first demoted to Trainee status, and finally fired when he stole a Quinjet to help the New Warriors). He ended up joining the Warriors in their own book, where 95% of his story as a character was told. So yeah, barely counts as an Avenger, being so brief and all that. His grandmother was killed, he went on some adventures with the Warriors (though the "classic" Warriors are the only ones anyone remembers), etc. He actually survived the whole Civil War mess, and ended up on some team called Counter Force, after quitting The Initiative.
-Truth be told, I actually don't mind Rage all that much- he's a bit of a stereotype (Angry Young Black Man raised by grandma and with a chip on his shoulder about "The Man"), but A) stereotypes exist for a reason- it's not like those people DON'T EXIST, and B) I kinda dig the idea of a Low-End Powerhouse who isn't prone to feat upon feat or overpowering everyone. It's a bit BLAND, of course (he's basically got a low-end version of the most-common power-set in comics, and Luke Cage Lite at that), but his argumentative nature means he fits in well with most teams. Though of course, he's the MOST redundant character ever on just about every team, especially an Avengers-class team with tons of Class 100+ guys. Also, it helps that as a young fan, Rage was the first "Rookie Avenger" I was aware of- I had his "Rookie Card" from the Series II set, which was my introduction into comics. Thus to me, like Quasar, Rage was basically ALWAYS an Avenger, and thus holds a special place in my own personal head-canon. He's not a FAVOURITE of mine by any stretch, but he's a character I don't mind that could have a lot of potential.
the whole "low end Powerhouse" concept is fairly cool and un-used. Most Marvel guys hit Class 100 at least, and the current Power Geek obsession comics have usually pushes any new guys WAY beyond that.
-Rage is a PL 8.5 Powerhouse, being pretty bare-bones and weak compared to the elites- he can't deal damage compared to guys like Hercules & the Hulk at all, but he can do plenty of damage to Mooks. He's fairly inexperienced (despite being a hero for twenty full real-life years by this point), since he's spent HUGE chunks of time in Marvel Limbo, and was a standard Initiative Recruit (themselves a group of PL 6-9s) until recently.

WONDER MAN (Simon Williams)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Don Heck
First Appearance: The Avengers #9 (Oct. 1964)
Role: Flying Brick, Below-Thor-Guy, The Smartass
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Masters of Evil, S.H.I.E.L.D., Force Works
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 12 (182)
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA 15 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Close Combat 2 (+9)
Expertise (Actor) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Weapons Maker/Electrical Engineer) 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Technology 6 (+9)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Takedown, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Ionic-Powered Being"
Power Lifting 5 (25,000 tons) [5]
Impervious Toughness 11 [11]
Immunity 16 (Aging, Life Support, Fatigue Effects) [16]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +15, Fortitude +16, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Heroism)- Formerly a weapon-maker, and having since seen the destruction metahuman activity can cause, Simon is now devoted to saving and protecting lives. In the 2000s, he becomes a full-blown Pacifist.
Relationship (The Scarlet Witch)- It's complicated. Leave it at that.
Relationship (Ms. Marvel)- More recent- it was over quick.
Fame- A recognizable actor, Simon is quickly mobbed or pointed out in a crowd at inopportune times. Additionally, his glowing red eyes make him easy to spot.
Prejudice (Obvious Superhuman)- Simon has eyes that permanently-glow with red ionic energy, and he must wear sunglasses to conceal this effect. This has the effect of potentially-wrecking his Secret Identity any time he chooses to have one, and also makes him look permanently like an '80s douchebag always in his shades.
Reputation (Giant Jobber)- Not really in-universe, but Simon will almost 100% of the time lose a fight to a guy even remotely around his Power Level, generally right before that guy jobs to Thor. It's like the second the chips are down, he starts to actively suck and be unable to fight worth a damn.
Relationship (Eric Williams- aka The Grim Reaper)- Simon's brother Eric has an unhealthy fascination with his brother- motivated by Simon's death, he lashed out against The Avengers as a supervillain. When Simon returned, Eric believed him to be a simulacrum and an insult to his brother's memory, and attacked him.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 48 / Defenses: 16 (187)

-Wonder Man takes an unusual position on the Avengers teams. He debuted as a short-lived character in a classic "Stan Lee Storyline"- the guy who redeems himself, only to die in the end. Stan was the BEST at coming up with that kind of stuff, and would often go to that same well repeatedly (Crimson Dynamo, The Big Man & Wonder Man all suffered this fate). Simon was a weapons dealing executive out for revenge on Tony Stark since Stark International wiped out his company, but ultimately realized he could not kill the Avengers, and sacrificed his life instead. This early death stuck with writers and fans, especially thanks to his vast power level (he was among the few Silver Age guys who hold his own with Thor), and he was brought back a couple times for more one-shots until they FINALLY pulled the trigger and made him a full-time superhero. But since he was basically the same type of power-set as Thor, they rarely had the two interact, and thus Simon was on the quirky Englehart Avengers with The Beast (where they struck up a bromance) and no Thor, and then joined the Avengers West Coast team.
-The issue with Simon here became something that'd stick to him for his whole career- a succession of bizarre-to-awful costumes (the red & green one is particularly horrible), and the effect of being Thor Lite. I have several Simon-based comics from the 1980s, and it's ASTONISHING just how much of a Jobber he is. I mean, this guy is supposed to be a step below THOR, and yet there are issues where he sneak-attacks The Wizard, who EASILY SHRUGS IT OFF, then defeats Simon. He gets curbstomped by Gladiator, who then jobs to the less-experienced rookie Thor (Eric Masterson). He's easily trounced by the evil Legion of the Unliving Hyperion during The Grandmaster's "Contest of Champions", being handily pummeled and then thrown through a planet and into a sun. He gets KO'd by goddamned JAWBREAKER of The Pacific Overlords.
-In short: Wonder Man was the most-powerful Jobber in the entire universe- he basically existed to get his ass kicked in order to show off how powerful the villain was. Like Giant-Man, but WORSE. Because he was supposed to be Thor-level, but Thor was himself a major hero, he ended up being used as a Hercules-type guy to job to the villain so that THOR could then show off his own power. This is about the worst-possible situation for a hero to be in.
-He kind of had this weird Actor/Hero thing going on, especially once he got his own series in the era where EVERYONE was getting one. It still seems unusual that in the `90s we had Iron Man, Cap, Thor, Quasar AND Wonder Man all packing their own solo books aside the Avengers main book, especially when you consider how the A-team were FAR less successful than the X-Men at this time. But that`s the '90s for you. He was killed again during the short-lived crap Force Works book, but returned via Kurt Busiek & George Perez with a modified "Kirby Dots" look during their Avengers run, finally seeing Simon move alongside Thor in the books. He did some stuff on that "All Star" line-up, but kinda vanished again, especially once Bendis took over. Bendis REALLY didn't use Simon much, until the Mighty Avengers went a Byrne-esque "Back to Basics", giving him his ridiculous '80s vest and sunglasses back, but he didn't really do much here aside from date Ms. Marvel (OK, that IS quite the feat, but still...), and then he was off all the A-related teams again, acting as a bizarre outside operative. He's now on a Pacifistic phase (a pretty useless vocation for a super-hero), helping out The Avengers Unity Squad.
-He's not overly popular, but the types of fans who are into guys mainly for power seem to like him. Personally, I have no connection to the guy- he seems more like someone that interesting things HAPPEN TO, not someone who is ACTUALLY INTERESTING. Simon is the kind of guy who hooks up with The Scarlet Witch (herself the centre of many storylines), is the brother of The Vision (sorta- Vision is based off of Wonder Man's thought-processes), takes part in the Love Triangle because Vision still loves the Witch, has a supervillain for a brother, two resurrections going for him, Class 100+ level power, a unique physical make-up (a big part was his being unable to become tired at all), a brief phase where he was the only hero to actually FEAR DEATH (owing to his, y'know, actually dying), and more. Yet none of it actually makes the CHARACTER interesting- it just provides an interesting overall story. He & Wanda are basically the dullest, most lame couple in the Marvel Universe, having zero chemistry (ESPECIALLY compared to Wanda & The Vision).
-Wonder Man is one of the tougher Avengers to place on the scale, really. His power level varies as badly as Thor's does, if not more- it's easily pointed out that he's weaker, as it was virtually a common occurence to see Simon step up against a big tough bad guy, only to get his ass kicked, necessitated Thor flying in to save the day. They fought in Clash of the Champions, resulting in a big win for Thor as well. I've also seen Simon get his ass handed to him by Mantis (OK, it was Engelhart writing, but c'mon), struggle when fighting Luke Cage in that guy's eponomous '90s series (seriously, they looked like total peers in terms of combat there, which is ridiculous writing, but it still exists), and get handled decently by Ms. Marvel and Iron Man. In all, I'd say Simon is a PL 12. VERY powerful, equivalent to Iron Man or a boosted Carol Danvers, but a notch below Hercules and Thor. This gives him immense strength (just below both Gods), half-decent fighting capability (he's never been shown to be wildly-skilled, but he's no klutz either), etc. Sometimes he seems to be boosted to PL 13 (or others lowered), but I think PL 12 covers all the bases, and the rest is good rolling. Especially since he Jobs so often.
-He's pretty much a generic Flying Brick, though he's unique with his Immunities, making him impossible to tire out (I think he was the only guy with a "7" in Stamina in the old Marvel Cards, back when they thought THAT was a bigger stat than Fighting Ability- hell, as a kid, I was SURE that Punisher-type guys sucked because their overall stats looked so low due to lack of Fighting), drown, age, etc. (his Fortitude is also higher than Thor's by 2). There's been a couple variants out there that make his Flight come from a Jetpack (Equipment- it got broken A LOT), and during the Busiek/Perez years he could turn into an Energy Being for a while. Sometimes he can shoot an Energy Blast, but I can't recall ever seeing that.

SILVERCLAW (Maria de Guadalupe "Lupe" Santiago)
Created By:
Kurt Busiek & George Perez
First Appearance: The Avengers (vol.3) #8 (Sept. 1998)
Role: Token Minority, Failed Newbie, Shapeshifter
Group Affiliations: The Avengers
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Religion) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 5 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Takedown

Powers:
"Shapeshifting to Jungle Creature Were-Forms"
Variable 9 (Flaws: Limited to Jungle Creatures) [54]
"Goddess' Chosen" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Example: Jaguar
Enhanced Strength 4 (8), Stamina 2 (4), Agility 2 (4)
Enhanced Skills 16: Acrobatics 2 (+9), Athletics 6 (+10), Intimidation 3 (+8), Perception 3 (+9), Stealth 2 (+8) (8)
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing) (5)
Speed 3 (16 mph) (3)
"Improved Musculature" Strength-Damage +1 (1)
"Natural Weapons- Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Cat Agility"
"Climbing Skills" Enhanced Skills 4: Athletics 4 (+14) (Flaws: Limited to Climbing) (1), Leaping 2 (2)
"Silver Sheen" Protection 3 (3)
-- (44 points)

Other Forms: Puma, Anaconda, Cheetah, Cockatoo, Giant Sloth, Monkey

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Unarmed as Animals +9 (+1-7 Damage, DC 16-23)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+5-8 Animal Forms), Fortitude +6 (+7-9 Animals), Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility- The Chosen of her Goddess Peliali, Silverclaw is often targetted by those who require the power of Gods.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 12 (125)

-Consider Silverclaw another failed Busiek add-on to the team. Boy, in retrospect, despite his amazing run, he didn't add alot of good members to the team, did he? Almost all of them ended up retired or in Marvel Limbo, or both. Silverclaw, Triathlon, Justice & Firestar all have kind of farted around, despite varying attempts to make them cool. This one I chalk up to George Perez' influence as lead penciller- a Latin name and animal powers are dead giveaways (Perez has Latin blood and obviously loves drawing animals- hence Changeling of the Teen Titans in that group). Silverclaw was added as Jarvis' sponsor child from Costa Verde in South America, with demi-goddess powers as an animal shape-shifter. Her fairly boring design (silver chick in jungle girl clothes) and pedestrian powers didn't help her any, and she's basically been ignored by Marvel as a whole since then, showing up only in background shots and one-panel adventures doing stuff around Civil War.
-Silverclaw's a basic Animal Shapeshifter (I used Variable without the Move Action boost the "Shapeshift" power has- I don't think she's that fast), usually gaining strength and the like from her transformations. She's no big-league ass-kicker, but she's a good standard PL 8, good on offense and defense. She can do more damage in Anaconda or Giant Sloth forms, but that makes her larger and slower- she gains around 40-45 points of powers based off of the forms she takes

SPIDER-WOMAN I (Jessica Drew)
Created By:
Archie Goodwin, Sal Buscema, Jim Mooney & Marie Severin
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #32 (Feb. 1977)
Role: Distaff Counterpart (of Spidey), Miss Fanservice (of the Avengers), The Mole (Queen Veranke)
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Heroes For Hire, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., The Lady Liberators
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (196)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 9 (+12, +14 Attractive)
Expertise (Spy/Agent) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Bounty Hunter) 2 (+5)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 7 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+9)
Technology 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Fascinate (Deception), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Languages (Many) 2, Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Spider-Movement"
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Limited to Gliding, Requires Winged Costume) [1]

"Radiation-Based Immunities" Immunity 7 (Poison, Radiation, Radiation Damage) [7]
Senses 2 (Extended Hearing, Acute Scent) [2]

"Venom Blasts" Blast 10 (20) -- [21]
AE: "Stun Blasts" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (20)

"Pheromones" Affliction 2 (Fort; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Area- Scent Perception, Cumulative, Reaction +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Limited Emotions- Hate/Fear in Women & Lust in Men) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Venom Blasts +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Stun Blasts +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Pheromones +2 Area (+2 Affliction, DC 12)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Reputation (Triple-Agent)- She's been an agent for HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., and been replaced by a Skrull as the most important mole during the "Secret Invasion". Most people barely trusted her BEFORE that last one came out.
Enemy (HYDRA)
Responsibility (Pheromones)- Without a regular dose of perfume or drugs or whatever, Jessica's pheromones would go out of control, and be constantly active.
Enemy (Morgan Le Fay, The Brothers Grimm)
Relationship (Lindsay McCabe)- The two were close friends for years.
Power Loss (Everything)- It happens a bunch, for various reasons. You don't wanna be a career C-Lister, let me tell you.

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 14 (196)

-The first Spider-Woman (created largely to enact a copywright or somebody else would make one) had a bit of a weird situation going, in that her series lasted fifty issues, but was still completely ignored by Marvel as a whole once it ended (Siryn was created as a villainess for her, yet never mentions her AT ALL in any X-book appearance she's ever made) even though Chris Claremont cut his teeth on the series. This allowed for a new, single-mom Spider-Woman to come in a few years later, with little mention of Jessica. Not to mention the one or two others that came later- Spidey would later get on Jessica's case for loaning the name out after he gave her specific permission to use it. It would take Brian Michael Bendis having a massive crush on this character to take her out of Marvel Limbo, and bring her onto the New Avengers line-up. Of course, he would THEN reveal her to be a Skrull all along, which now leaves as asking who the ACTUAL Jessica Drew is.
-By most account, Jessica Drew was supposed to be a one-off created because of the aforementioned copywrite reasons, but the issue sold well enough to put out an ongoing. They quickly retconned out her original origin (an actual spider evolved into a human), and Marv Wolfman named her after his daughter Jessica and fictional teen detective Nancy Drew. She was initially an isolated outsider, often fighting Morgan Le Fay and The Brothers Grimm. Wolfman quit after eight issues, citing discomfort with writing the book, and newbie Mark Gruenwald was put on instead. Gru would add in some fear-inducing pheromones, to help explain why this SMOKING-HOT WOMAN was making everyone around her dislike her. Drew was cripplingly-shy and didn't fit in well. Oddly, despite the book's sales faltering, she got her own CARTOON SERIES, which I actually remember, I think having rented it from one of the local video stores way back when- I remember nothing about it aside from the voice of the character. Gru would quit after issue #20, and she soon became a bounty hunter, abandoning the more-macabre stories from earlier. Chris Claremont turned her into a Private Investigator for his run- the fourth writer to work on the solo book, which was rapidly-becoming a cliche, and would only get worse. Her book was cancelled with issue #50, with the character dying- after a hugely-negative fan response, she un-died within a year (a VERY quick turnaround considering this was the mid-'80s).
-Afterwards, she only had a few sporadic appearances, sometimes as a supporting character in Wolverine, always out of costume. Gru nearly started up a series in 1996, but this was right when he died, and instead she was a supporting character in Mattie Franklin's book. It wouldn't be until 2005, more than TWENTY YEARS after her book's cancellation, that Brian Michael Bendis, who'd grown up with her stories in the 1970s, would include her on his new Avengers squad as a total dark horse candidate. It was oddly fitting, however, as the book seemed like kind of a "Best Of" group, adding the most-marketable heroes (Spidey & Wolverine) and two Tokens (Cage, Spider-Woman) to the establishment of Cap & Iron Man, and I like it when Avengers groups add in one random "dark horse" type. In a pretty brilliant move, she was revealed to have been a SKRULL ever since her 2005 return, making her the biggest-name replacement/abductee- it probably PO'd some fans, but I thought it was a great twist.
-The only issue with that twist, of course, is that it effectively nullified all of the good will she'd built since her "comeback", and the Jessica Drew that had returned was essentially an all-new character who had to prove herself AGAIN. And in my opinion, she really hasn't- she kind of fell off the face of the Earth after that, never really taking part in major events or getting her own book for any kind of a stretch. That Bendis was the only writer to really care is made clear when he leaves the book and she disappears. All the heat she built up, and they basically dropped the ball- such is life in comics.
-And why the hell was JESSICA FREAKING DREW the one character who would cause the biggest pain to the Marvel Universe as a Skrull agent? Yeah, yeah "she's been on S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA AND The Avengers blah blah blah", the freakin' chick's been a back-bencher for twenty years now, and THAT's the best plan the Skrulls have? No wonder they lost so bad in the end.
-Spider-Woman's a GIANT pain to build, thanks to her having the same ability as Cartman's Four Ninjas character Bullrog- she has lots and lots of powers. Constant, permanent Pheromones, minor-league Gliding, Stun & regular Blasts, Immunity to stuff, Wall-Crawling, and on top of all that, she's got the Spidey physical power-set. She's pared down a BIT, but still costs a large amount. She's a pretty good PL 10, having good melee skill and a Blast, in addition to her other tricks. She can spend a Hero Point to "Push" her Pheromones a bit stronger, like she did against The Wrecker one time, but it's not a regular part of her power set.

THOR, GOD OF THUNDER (Thor Odinson, Dr. Donald Blake)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962)
Role: God, Epic Hero, Supermanalogue (kinda), Power-Cap Definer, Flying Brick
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Asgardian Pantheon, The Thor Corps., The God Squad
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 14 (260)
STRENGTH
16 STAMINA 14 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Close Combat (Hammer) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Aesir) 8 (+10)
Expertise (History) 2 (+4)
Insight 6 (+9)
Intimidation 11 (+15)
Perception 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Hammer) 4 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Lightning) 4 (+12)
Treatment 7 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Status- God), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hammer) 4, Improved Smash, Interpose, Last Stand (ignore damage for 1 round with an HP), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Effort (Strength), Withstand Damage (trade Defense for Toughness)

Powers:
"Immortal Aesir"
Power Lifting 5 (50,000 tons) [5]
Impervious Toughness 13 [13]
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrowth) [3]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]

"Mjolnir" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Those Worthy) [53]
"Weather Control" Environment 6 (1,000 feet) (Impede Movement, Visibility) (12)
Movement 1 (Space Travel) (2)
Flight 1 (4 mph) (2)

"Lightning Bolt/Hammer Line" Damage 14 (Extras: Area-Line 120ft. +3) (56) -- (66)
AE: "Lightning" Blast 14 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Indirect- From Above, Penetrating 6) (37)
AE: "Hammer Smash" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (8)
AE: "Hammer Throw" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Ranged 17) (24)
AE: "Hammer Spin" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +18/+1/2) (29)
AE: "Obscure Visuals" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extars: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 16 (Flaws: Concentration) (16)
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 13 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (17)
AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Movement 3) (Extras: Portal +2) (12)
AE: Deflect 12 (12)
AE: Flight 11 (8,000 mph) (24)
-- (82 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Hammer Smash +10 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Hammer Throw +12 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Lightning Bolt +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Lightning +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +15 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude +15, Will +13

Complications:
Power Loss (All Powers)- If removed from Mjolnir for more than one minute, Thor will transform back into human form (if he has one). This sometimes vanishes as a limitation based on the era.
Responsibility (Honour)- Thor is not one to lie nor cheat.
Enemy (Loki, Ulik, Jormungandr, Hela)
Rivalry (The Incredible Hulk)- As two of the strongest beings alive, they naturally dislike each other and come to blows.
Rivalry (Hercules)- The Son of Zeus is Thor's greatest heroic rival, though they often see eye-to-eye as well. Hercules bristles against the greater fame of Herc.
Responsibility (Asgard, Odin)- Thor must do his father's bidding, or that of Odin's replacements. This can be bad, because Odin is a royal (literally) dick.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 86 / Defenses: 20 (260)

-Frickin' Thor. Basically created to be Marvel's answer to Superman (some historical reports have said as much, others play coy), but with a mythological, magical bent, Thor's been all over the place, but has consistently been well-portrayed. That's thanks to the loving hands of several creators- Jack Kirby considered this a favourite, and then there's Walt Simonson and the last creative teams in recent years as well- Thor draws as many A-list creative teams as Wonder Woman (but sells better). He's had more luck with them than nearly every other hero I can think of. And he's almost always linked to the Avengers (hell, his big villain brought the team together!). For some reason, though, I never much cared for him. I think it's just the excess of POWER he's got (I always liked the more mid-range heroes), and the often-vague descriptions of just what he could do. As a result, I wasn't half as familiar with any Thor stuff as I am with other heroes who's books I never read. Plus, I always liked Greek stuff better, so I'm biased.
-Thor's ridiculous power feats are part of it as well- I can't really get into a guy who can literally do anything to win a fight. It's boring to read ("Oh hey, I can just use the Odinforce to kill my enemy. Too bad I didn't do that last time I had a struggle"), a cheap way out from writing yourself into a corner, and more. Anyone who can whip out Time Travel, the God Force, or about five different kinds of "Force" as a Limit-Break just bores me. He's one of the few Avengers who can straight-up wreck a story because he can take most of the villains by himself, actively ruining the conflict because he's just so over-the-top.
-Not to mention the "Thorbags"- the fans of Thor who populate various forums and care ONLY about "good showings" and Thor winning every damn fight like it's the only thing in the world that's important. I mean, what are we? Twelve? WHO CARES how powerful he's shown, or if he jobs to a new big villain or something (particularly if he gets the win back)? As long as the new characters aren't annoying Mary Sues (say, Red Hulk) who ONLY exist to beat everyone else, I don't see how it should matter.
-A couple years ago, I FINALLY got into the Simonson Thor run, and was very impressed- the art is a bit dated and scratchy by today's standards, but there's a real energy to it, and the characterization is FANTASTIC. What amazed me the most was how characters I have hated in other books come across well. Odin, in most Marvel Comics, is this Chaotic Dickhead-aligned old bastard who does thinks just because he's an asshole and that's that- Simonson's Odin is clever, crafty and wise, and never does things just to be a cock to his son. There's a GREAT bit where he convinces some Asgardian children to guard his wife Frigga upon Surtur's invasion of the realm- they complain at first, because he's obviously just putting them out of harm's way, but Odin is able to make it seem like a GREAT idea, because he himself fears that his wife won't leave his side unless SHE thinks that SHE is guarding the CHILDREN, and so he needs to send the kids away to ensure her protection. A great bit.
-And then the OTHER characters! Loki is crafty and conniving sure, but he's also FUNNY. Bad things happen to him, almost to a comical level. The Enchantress is a mopey, nasty figure. Lorelei is actually entertaining as a less mature, bratty Enchantress. Sif is cool. Beta Ray Bill of course seems awesome. The Executioner gets a massive 100% character turnaround, and a death so epic that resurrecting him is just out of the question. Even side-Asgardians like The Warriors Three and Heimdall are great. But THOR? Thor is... just the same damn boring nothing he's always been. It's astounding that three or four trades' worth of collected stories can make the ENTIRE Asgardian Pantheon seem amazing, yet Thor himself still remains an undynamic bore. And the OTHER most-noble Asgardian, Balder, is the only OTHER one who's also utterly-dull, too!
-I think some of the only Thor appearances that I enjoy involve him being a rarely-speaking giant dumb weapon, almost as if nobody's actually PLAYING him in a game, but that Thor himself is a Power of the other Avengers- sorta like Captain Planet. In many Hickman & Remender Avengers issues, he just kind of grunts along and then does something awesome, like pretending to give up, only to tear his hammer through an Alien Super-Robot or something like that. Thor, it seems, kicks ass the more silent he is.
-I thought long and hard (huh-huh, I said...) about where to place Thor on the PL scale- he's EXTREMELY strong and tough compared to most Marvel heroes, and he's not a bad fighter either. I like lower PLs in general, but THIS guy? Thor is a PL 14 in my book, and that's a pretty big shift- I used to put EVERYONE within a PL 12 boundary if I could help it. But even then I admitted that Thor was actually higher-level- I just wanted him to fit more playability-wise with his team. Now? It's 3rd edition so I don't have to care so much. And since Thing & She-Hulk types are +13 damage unarmed, it only makes sense that Thor is a few notches higher (+16 normally, and Mjolnir knocks him up even higher- there's no easy way to fit that into PL 12 without making him very, very inaccurate. Thor is quite a good fighter as well, but uses Accurate Attack to improve his attack bonus rather than have a big number, as +11 seems more than good enough. He's SUPPOSED to be a godlike, super-experienced fighter, but I have never IN MY ENTIRE LIFE seen him use elite fighting tactics beyond "hit and then hit harder". He probably COULD dodge and weave, but usually is just a straight-on fighter, and I'd put him at a level with good fighters, but not elites (guys like Spidey, Kingpin & Black Knight are more accurate in general).
-At PL 14, Thor is a ways above even Iron Man (2 PLs basically make it REALLY unlikely Iron Man would ever win in a fair fight, which is as it should be), and well above most Marvel villains. His Silver Age self was more PL 11-12, and so guys like Mister Hyde (PL 10) and The Wrecker (PL 11) were more dangerous enemies. Nowadays, Thor makes mincemeat out of most guys on that level. Mjolnir costs a pretty penny, for good reason. It's a powerful Strike, has Area Effects (a Burst for his "whirl it around me" trick, with a half-price +0.5 Extra, a Line, and, a ranged Blast (Lightning), a weather controller (outside the Blast Array, so he can do them simultaneously), AND it can throw him across dimensions. The Belt of Strength is an occasional Boost to Strength that renders him supremely tired once he takes it off, and goes unstatted since it's a rare deal (probably boosts him by 2-4 ranks in Strength & Toughness). Thor's Hammer is basically a Dr. Strange-level plot device, and he can spend a Hero Point to travel through time (an ability he later "gave up"), use the God Force, etc., to beat the new Big Bad.
-Note Thor's defenses, which place him as a "mere" PL 12/12.5. That's deliberate, as most Super-Heavyweights lack defensive capability, usually just eating whatever attacks come their way. I can't possibly justify a Thor with more than +11 to Parry, and certainly +10 to Dodge is enough- he's never struck me as particularly light on his feet, and he's never seemed as durable as he is strong or damage-heavy. After all, it's virtually his stock in trade to pull out the Last Stand Advantage (ignore all accumulated damage for a turn) or eat something with Withstand Damage. Getting out of the way is for sissies, and Thor is a MAN'S MAN, dammit!

THOR, GOD OF THUNDER (Thor Odinson, Dr. Donald Blake)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962)
Role: God, Epic Hero, Supermanalogue (kinda), Power-Cap Definer, Flying Brick
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Asgardian Pantheon, The Thor Corps., The God Squad
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 13 (244)
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA 14 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Expertise (Aesir) 8 (+10)
Expertise (History) 2 (+4)
Insight 6 (+9)
Intimidation 10 (+14)
Perception 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Hammer) 4 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Lightning) 4 (+10)
Treatment 7 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Status- God), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hammer) 2, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Effort (Strength), Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Immortal Aesir"
Power Lifting 5 (50,000 tons) [5]
Impervious Toughness 11 [11]
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrowth) [3]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]

"Mjolnir" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Those Worthy) [49]
"Weather Control" Environment 6 (1,000 feet) (Impede Movement, Visibility) (12)
Movement 1 (Space Travel) (2)
Flight 1 (4 mph) (2)

"Lightning Bolt/Hammer Line" Damage 13 (Extras: Area-Line 120ft. +3) (51) -- (60)
AE: "Lightning" Blast 14 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Indirect- From Above, Penetrating 6) (37)
AE: "Hammer Smash" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (8)
AE: "Hammer Throw" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Penetrating 6) Extras: Ranged 16) (23)
AE: "Hammer Spin" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +16/+1/2) (29)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 16 (Flaws: Concentration) (16)
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 13 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (17)
AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Movement 3) (Extras: Portal +2) (12)
AE: Deflect 12 (12)
AE: Flight 11 (8,000 mph) (22)
-- (76 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Hammer Smash +9 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Hammer Throw +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Lightning Bolt +13 Area (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Lightning +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +13 (+14 Belt, +6 Impervious), Fortitude +14, Will +12

Complications:
Power Loss (All Powers)- If removed from Mjolnir for more than one minute, Thor will transform back into human form (if he has one).
Responsibility (Honour)- Thor is not one to lie nor cheat.
Enemy (Loki, Ulik)
Rivalry (The Incredible Hulk)- As two of the strongest beings alive, they naturally dislike each other and come to blows.
Responsibility (Asgard, Odin)- Thor must do his father's bidding, or that of Odin's replacements. This can be bad, because Odin is a royal (literally) dick.

Total: Abilities: 98 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 76 / Defenses: 19 (244)

-Here's a weaker, PL 13 Thor, that fits a lot of '80s & '90s adventures before Thor got REALLY elite. It can also fit if you want him closer to the rest of the team. Y'know, I actually think I like this version more, as he's not quite as excessively powerful, but he doesn't really match modern Thor as much. Even in this "lesser" form, Thor is a bit beyond Iron Man, and a league ahead of Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, The Thing or other PL 11 superstars. I think this kinda fits the Walt Simonson classic Thor run of the '80s quite well, since Thor was elite, but was still regularly challenged by people.

THOR, GOD OF THUNDER II (Eric Masterson)
Created By:
Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
First Appearance: Thor #391 (May 1988)
Role: Replacement Hero, Flying Brick
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Asgardian Pantheon
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 13 (218)
STRENGTH
16 STAMINA 14 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Hammer) 1 (+7)
Expertise (Aesir) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Architect) 6 (+7)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+9)
Perception 2 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Hammer) 3 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Lightning) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (Status- God), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hammer), Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Ultimate Effort (Strength), Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Given the Powers of the Immortal Aesir"
Power Lifting 5 (100,000 tons) [5]
Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 13) [14]
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrowth) [3]
Immunity 15 (Aging, Life Support- Radiation, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Mjolnir" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Those Worthy) [50]
"Weather Control" Environment 6 (1,000 feet) (Impede Movement, Visibility) (12)
Movement 1 (Space Travel) (2)
Flight 1 (4 mph) (2)

"Lightning Bolt/Hammer Line" Damage 13 (Extras: Area-Line 120ft. +3) (52) -- (62)
AE: "Lightning" Blast 14 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Indirect- From Above, Penetrating 6) (37)
AE: "Hammer Smash" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (8)
AE: "Hammer Throw" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Ranged 17) (24)
AE: "Hammer Spin" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +18/+1/2) (29)
AE: "Obscure Visuals" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extars: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 16 (Flaws: Concentration) (16)
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 13 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (17)
AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Movement 3) (Extras: Portal +2) (12)
AE: Deflect 12 (12)
AE: Flight 11 (8,000 mph) (22)
-- (78 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+16 Damage, DC 30)
Hammer Smash +7 (+18 Damage, DC 34)
Hammer Throw +9 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Lightning Bolt +13 Area (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Lightning +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +15 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude +14, Will +8

Complications:
Power Loss (All Powers)- If removed from Mjolnir for more than one minute, Eric will transform back into human form.
Enemy (Loki, Bloodaxe)
Responsibility (Replacement Hero)- Eric feels like he's much less than the original Thor, and wants to live up to that legacy.
Relationship (Son)

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 83 / Defenses: 17 (218)

-Eric Masterson never really seemed to get a major chance. He spent a couple years as the "replacement Thor" (being the last of the Avengers' Big Three to get replaced with other guys), putting an 'everyman' perspective into the book- sharing this trait with Spider-Man, DeFalco-friend Mark Gruenwald's Quasar, etc. Masterson was an architect that died saving Thor from a villain, and so the two came to "share" Thor's powers (thus resurrecting Eric), until Loki's machinations caused the real Thor to be banished, and Masterson keeping the role. This sort of thing happened a lot in this era of Marvel, as Jim Shooter was a big fan of temporary "Shake Things Up" storylines that left heroes in new identities or costumes for some hype.
-Oddly, THIS is the Thor I was most familiar with for most of my childhood- HE was Thor when I first got into comics, and thus I always viewed Thor as a masked, bearded guy who was kind of normal underneath all his vast power. Of course, Thor eventually got the role back, but Eric got his OWN name and set of powers from Odin. This led to a Thunderstrike solo series, which was cancelled as soon as the Dark Age of Comics resulted in mass loss of money (though I've read the first Thunderstrike issues and found them pretty bad all-around- Sif even wears one of those ridiculous '90s Stripper Suits), and Eric was killed off, committing suicide to protect his friends from his own possession at the hands of an Asgardian super-weapon. Too bad for him, but I guess you really can't have TWO guys kicking around at Thor's power level without getting crazy (note: Obviously written before Hickman added like five more guys at that level to the team). He's easily had the worst luck of the Big Three Avengers replacements, but not nearly as bad as some OTHER heroes' replacements (poor, poor Ben Reilly). Honestly though, if you put a gun to my head and made me pick, I'd choose Eric over the Odinson any day.
-Masterson's version of Thor is also highly-powerful, but is PL 12.5 across the board except defensively (PL 10.5) and with his Lightning (PL 12). He's just not as good a fighter as the Odinson by virtue of inexperience, but still has all the Hammer's tricks, the Asgardian Immunities, and more. He loses almost all of his Combat Advantages and Skills, though, essentially being a normal guy underneath everything. Altogether, he's barely a better fighter than most Powerhouse-type PL 10s- he's just packing more strength. A LOT more strength, though- this guy holds a win over GLADIATOR. It was in the otherwise-iffy Operation: Galactic Storm, and it took everything he had (he was explicitly called-out as being inexperienced and clumsy, probably even lower level than he is right here), but he did it. I'm not normally an "OOOH SO POWERFUL!!" type of comic book fan, but that was an EPIC brawl, complete with Gladiator pwning him to start, then Thor getting a bit lucky (using Living Lightning, who was just innocently passing-by, as a weapon), then NAILING him with a Hammer-Uppercut while Kallark staggered. The subsequent pummeling had to be stopped by his fellow Avengers, lest the rookie Eric KILL the Praetor of the Imperial Guard on the spot. Not bad for a newbie.

THUNDERSTRIKE (Eric Masterson)
Created By:
Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
First Appearance: Thor #391 (May 1988)
Role: Replacement Hero, Flying Brick
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Asgardian Pantheon
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 12 (191)
STRENGTH
13 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Hammer) 1 (+8)
Expertise (Aesir) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Architect) 6 (+7)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Perception 2 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Hammer) 4 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Lightning) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (Status- God), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hammer), Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Ultimate Effort (Strength), Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Given the Powers of the Immortal Aesir"
Power Lifting 3 (6,000 tons) [3]
Impervious Toughness 6 [6]
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrowth) [3]
Immunity 15 (Aging, Life Support- Radiation, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Thunderstrike" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Those Worthy) [37]
Movement 1 (Space Travel) (2)
"Lightning Bolt/Hammer Line" Damage 11 (Extras: Area-Line 120ft. +3) (44) -- (54)
AE: "Magical Energy" Blast 14 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Penetrating 6) (26)
AE: "Hammer Smash" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Penetrating 4) (5)
AE: "Hammer Throw" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Ricochet 3, Penetrating 4) (Extras: Ranged 13) (21)
AE: "Hammer Spin" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +16/+1/2) (28)
AE: "Obscure Visuals" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extars: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 16 (Flaws: Concentration) (16)
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (15)
AE: "Blinding Light" Dazzle Visuals 10 (20)
AE: Deflect 12 (12)
AE: Flight 8 (500 mph) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (8)
-- (56 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Hammer Smash +8 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Hammer Throw +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Lightning Bolt +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Lightning +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +13 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +14, Will +8

Complications:
Power Loss (All Powers)- If removed from Mjolnir for more than one minute, Eric will transform back into human form.
Enemy (Loki, Bloodaxe)
Responsibility (Replacement Hero)- Eric feels like he's much less than the original Thor, and wants to live up to that legacy.
Relationship (Son)

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 64 / Defenses: 17 (191)

-Thunderstrike is basically what Thor is, minus a ton of powers. His strength cap's lower, his Hammer does less damage overall (but it does Ricochet like Cap's Shield), and he's generally just less powerful overall. Still, a "less powerful" version of Thor is still a PL 12 super-heavyweight who can take out someone like War Machine, and runs almost even with Iron Man, so he's no pushover. He's gained a bit of experience and fighting skill since his "Thor" days, so he's not totally weaker.

VALKYRIE (Brunnhilde)- Elite Version
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #83 (Dec. 1970)
Role: Thor Side-Character, Warrior Chick
Group Affiliations: The Defenders, The Valkyrior, The Avengers, The Lady Liberators
Avengers Grade: D-Level (still new)
PL 11 (145)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+14) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (History) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Valkyrie) 9 (+10)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Perception 6 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Dragonfang), Improved Smash, Minion 6 (Aragorn), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Asgardian Physiology"
Power Lifting 1 (50 tons) [1]
Impervious Toughness 3 [3]
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) [2]
Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]

"Valkyrie Powers"
Super-Senses 4 (Precognition) 4 (Flaws: Limited to Impending Death) [2]
Super-Senses 3 (Detect Death- Ranged & Acute) [3]

"Dragonfang" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Subtle- Appears Invisible When Sheathed) [7]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (8) -- (9)
AP: "Spear" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Extended Reach 2) (3)
Enhanced Advantages 1: Quick Draw (1)
-- (10 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Spear +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Dragonfang +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +10 (+2 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Valkyrie of Asgard)
Responsibility (Aragorn)

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 18 (145)

ARAGORN
Role:
Flying Mounted Beast
PL 7 (75)- Minion Rank 6
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Diehard, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]
"Natural Weapons- Hooves" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hooves +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Aragorn cannot speak to humans, nor use his hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 13 (75)

-Criminy, now THIS is an overly-complex character! Debuting first as Brunnhilde, the Samantha Parrington persona came into things, and there was a bunch of switching around, as Valkyrie's mind could be transplanted into the bodies of various women over the years. A major character in The Defenders, pretty much the "this is where D-League heroes go when they can't make The Avengers" book of Marvel's '70s & '80s (that kind of concept tends to invite the most inventive writing, and gain the most vocal kind of fans, but in small numbers), she did all KINDS of stuff, switching identities, gaining and losing new powers, etc. So I'm absolutely confused as to where one ends and the other beings- even the Annotated Appendix to the Marvel Universe has a dozen Defenders appearances of "normal" Brunnhilde, and a hundred of the "Samantha" Valkyrie, as if they're different people (but with one personality in the other), but nobody around her seems to ask what's up... I'm so confused.
-She's been a very minor over the years, recently showing up again because Frank Cho was drawing Marvel stuff, and there's nothing he likes more than thickly-muscled women with giant knockers who love to kick some ass. Who knows which body is being used this time? Ed Brubaker at least says the one that's appeared in his "Secret Avengers" is Brunnhilde, so this build represents that one the most.
-Valkyrie's a PL 11, though she's one of those classic pains in the ass characters, because she uses a super-sharp Sword, PLUS is super-strong normally, AND is supposed to be a really good fighter, which adds up to a PL 12 or something using M&M's system. I had a PL 10 Valkyrie, but she's supposed to be at least as good as Sif, if not better, so PL 11 it is- I had to make her a +12 Unarmed, +10 Armed character with +10 normal strength, able to be shifted with a ton of Combat Advantages, to make up the difference, because I've never seen Valkyrie portrayed as a supreme threat like a PL 11 theoretically should be. I mean, who has she beaten than a PL 10 couldn't? Nobody, by my recollection- she threatens people like Hawkeye, and might give Spider-Man some trouble. She has a set of assorted minor powers, such as Detecting and Foreboding Death, a Quick Changing Sword that's normally invisible, and a Flying Horse Minion (the same Aragorn that Black Knight used- he gave him to Val when he left The Defenders).

VALKYRIE (Brunnhilde)- Regular Version
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #83 (Dec. 1970)
Role: Thor Side-Character, Warrior Chick
Group Affiliations: The Defenders, The Valkyrior, The Avengers, The Lady Liberators
Avengers Grade: D-Level (still new)
PL 11 (141)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+14) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Expertise (History) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Valkyrie) 9 (+10)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Perception 6 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Dragonfang), Improved Smash, Minion 6 (Aragorn), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Asgardian Physiology"
Power Lifting 1 (25 tons) [1]
Impervious Toughness 3 [3]
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) [2]
Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]

"Valkyrie Powers"
Super-Senses 4 (Precognition) 4 (Flaws: Limited to Impending Death) [2]
Super-Senses 3 (Detect Death- Ranged & Acute) [3]

"Dragonfang" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Subtle- Appears Invisible When Sheathed) [7]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (8) -- (9)
AP: "Spear" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Extended Reach 2) (3)
Enhanced Advantages 1: Quick Draw (1)
-- (10 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Spear +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Dragonfang +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +10 (+2 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Valkyrie of Asgard)
Responsibility (Aragorn)

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 18 (141)

-Curiously, in the newer Defenders chick-focused book, Valkyrie actually seems WEAKER, getting almost no power feats or "Good Showings" aside from being a Goonsweeper, and could easily be PL 10 again. I'd say she's PL 11 in Thor stories, but PL 10 in The Defenders and every other book. Don't ask me how that makes sense- she's hardly the only character in comics who shifts up and down the scale depending on the writer.

JOCASTA
Created By:
Jim Shooter & George Perez
First Appearance: The Avengers #162 (Aug. 1977)
Role: Learning to Be Human Girl, Sexy Robot, Sacrificial Lamb
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Mavericks (Initiative Team)
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (148)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 7 (+7)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (Holographic Inducer), Interpose, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up

Powers:
"Robotic Body"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
"Titanium Construction" Protection 9 (Extras: Impervious) [18]
"Robotic Senses" Senses 4 (Enhanced & Infravision, Acute Scent, Extended Hearing, Detect EM Particles- Ranged & Tracking) [7]
Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks) [3]
"Image Inducer" Morph 1 [5]

"Electro-Magnetic Energy Beams" Blast 9 (18) -- [20]
AE: "Datalink" Communication (Computers, Radio) 2 (12)
AE: Force Field 3 (Extras: Impervious 4) (7)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Eye Beams +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +9 (+12 Force Field, +8 Impervious with Field), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Vulnerable (Electrical & Magnetic Attacks)- As a machine, Jocasta is much more vulnerable to these two types of attacks than normal beings.
Relationship (Machine Man, Hank Pym)- She REALLY likes sucky male characters.
Enemy (Ultron)- She was created to be his robotic bride, but finds herself morally compelled to betray him at every opportunity.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 83 / Defenses: 11 (148)

-Jocasta's a short-lived, mostly forgotten Avenger, joining briefly after (and during) several new Ultron phases, as he built her to be his bride, a la Frankenstein. Of course, she pulled a Vision and joined the Avengers, after a pair of adventures where she betrayed her master, despite seemingly being totally-controlled. This is likely why she's mostly forgotten- she's got the same origin as a guy ON THE SAME TEAM as her, not to mention she's boring-looking, essentially being a big robotic Princess Leia. She'd have a handful of adventures with the team as a temporary member (including the first fight against The Taskmaster- as a new opponent for him, he was unsure how to fight her). She voluntarily quit after a membership change (the team was actually going to offer her special membership, but she was ignorant to that fact). She would sacrifice herself on THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS- first to defeat Ultron again, the next against The High Evolutionary, and finally a third time against Madame Masque. Naturally, these are pretty easy deaths to undo.
-She aided Iron Man as a Sentient A.I. within his armor for a while, being a person he could talk to about stuff- after being thought-dead again (this time against the Sentient Armor), she returned to aid The Avengers yet again. She went on to the Mighty Avengers line-up (what IS it with modern Avengers and changing their lineups every three seconds?), but it really hasn't done much for her, aside from being yet another super-chick to attach herself to the Pymsuck. They later appeared to split up (I think).
-A pretty boring character, Jocasta's your average tough, strong robot. Her Force Field gives her a ton of Toughness when combined with her body's make-up, so she's pretty easy to hit, putting her safely within PL 9 caps. But she's only PL 8.5 offensively, and isn't great shakes in combat either way.

HELLCAT (Patsy Walker)
Created By:
Ruth Atkinson
First Appearance: Miss America Magazine #2 (Nov. 1944- as Patsy), The Avengers #144 (Feb. 1976- as Hellcat)
Role: Archie Comics Rip-Off, WTF?-Added Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Lady Liberators, The Legion of the Unliving
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (152)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 4 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 1 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Expertise (Writer) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Arcane Lore) 8 (+9)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Cable-Claws) 8 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Treatment 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+2) -- Flaws: Limited to Flying

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Claws), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Takedown

Powers:
"Enhanced Human Physiology"
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Magical Awareness"
Senses 2 (Detect Magic- Ranged) [2]
"Evil Detection" Senses 2 (Tracking- Visual, Danger Sense) (Flaws: Limited to Demons & Evil Beings) [1]
Immunity 20 (Magical Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [10]
Enhanced Will Check 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Mental Attacks) [3]

"Summonable Costume"
Features 1: Quick Change [1]
"Claws" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) [3]
"Cable-Claw Tie" Snare 6 (Flaws: Limited to One Target -2) (6) -- [8]
AE: Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) (2) (2)
AE: "Cable-Claws" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Claws +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +7 (+11 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Relationship (Daimon Hellstrom)- Patsy eventually married The Son of Satan, though later she was driven to suicide as a result. Their relationship is, to say the least, messed-up.
Relationship (Hedy Wolfe)- Hedy was Patsy's best friend, but also a romantic rival.
Relationship (Buzz Baxter- aka Mad-Dog)- Patsy's High School Sweetheart later turned into a distant Army Man, and then a crazed super-villain.
Relationship (Charlotte, Miranda & Samantha... I mean Firestar, Monica Rambeau & The Black Cat)- Apparently the two became great friends and were inseparable... for a single four-issue story.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 66--33 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 14 (157)

-Few characters had such an utterly-unexpected re-tool as Patsy Walker, even by Avengers standards. See, she was basically just another Archie Clone in the 1940s, albeit possibly the most successful (and there were a LOT of Archie Clones out there- he's probably been copied more than friggin' Superman). Patsy Walker, Patsy & Hedy, and a few other associated books were actually BIG sellers back in the day, using some of the best names of the day (MAD's Al Jaffee and Archie's Al Hartley), and surprisingly are among the only Timely Comics to survive the dark ages of the 1950s to the 1960s, finally bowing out in 1967 (oddly, right before Archie Comics had its peak, becoming THE highest-selling comic book in 1969). Yes, that's right, Patsy outlived CAPTAIN AMERICA by over a decade.
-That all changed when Steve Englehart (there's THAT NAME AGAIN- I've learned more about this guy than any other creator just through Avengers builds) brought her back out of nowhere as a SUPERHERO with his Beast & Avengers stuff- her original tales having been written in-universe by Patsy's mother Dorothy. Originally donning Greer Nelson's old "Cat" costume to gain powers, she eventually moved on to the Defenders book, becoming a big star there (thusly, her Avengers tenure is ridiculously short and basically limited to a reserve role). Well, not really a "big star"- like the entirety of The Defenders, she was used like a D-List character tended to be used. This meant tons of interesting storylines prone to getting very vocal love from very few fans, but still very little fame.
-She eventually married Daimon Hellstrom, The Son of Satan, in a very large arc in Englehart's run, and the two basically entered Marvel Limbo together with the book's cancellation. Alas, she killed herself in the early '90s, having been driven mad by Hellstrom's increasingly-demonic nature. This silly move ended with her being resurrected nearly a decade later. Last I saw, Marvel tried a mini-series and a silly Sex & the City rip-off (as I mentioned, they altered four women's personalities to match Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte & Miranda- with Patsy being the snide, sarcastic Carrie-type... Gail Simone has said that Marvel pitched this exact story concept at her no less than three times), but none of it's really let her hit big.
-Patsy Walker is much different than I was expecting, being a mildly-superhuman PL 9 fighter who is very expensive thanks to all her power tricks. Turns out she can SUMMON her Costume (thus not being a Device like I thought), is Immune to most Magic Effects, can Detect Evil, and all sorts of other things. She even has Limited Danger Sense & Visual Tracking of "Evil". She's more or less equivalent of The Black Cat and a few other PL 9-type Skillmonkeys, but she's not quite to their level of talent, despite being stronger and faster.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

SPIDER-WOMAN II (Julia Carpenter, aka Arachne)
Created By:
Jim Shooter & Mike Zeck
First Appearance: Secret Wars #6-7 (Oct.-Nov. 1984)
Role: Distaff Counterpart (of Spidey), Super-MILF, Single Mom
Group Affiliations: The Avengers West Coast, Freedom Force, Force Works, The CSA, Omega Flight
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (155)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+10)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Government Agent) 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Webbing) 5 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Defense, Teamwork

Powers:
"Spider-Movement"
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]

"Psionic Webs"
Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Detect Vibrations" Senses 3 (Ranged Touch- Accurate) [3]
Snare 8 (Feats: Indirect 4, Split, Tether) (30) -- [31]
AE: Move Object 1 (Flaws: Limited to Webs) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Psi-Webs +11 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Daughter, Rachel)- Julia is a single mother, having divorced Rachel's father years ago. This is a frequent source of trouble and angst, though happily Rachel soon figured out what Julia was up to in her double-life. But to Child Protection Services and Julia's ex-husband, who don't know that she's Spider-Woman, she just looks like an absentee mother.
Responsibility (The Comission)- The Commission gave Julia spider-powers against her will (at the behest of her school-friend, Valerie Cooper), forced her into acting as their agent, and then sent a group of super-villains after her.
Relationship (Moonraker, The Shroud)- Julia was together with her Force Works colleague Moonraker for a bit, but was revealed in the 2000s to be dating the anti-hero The Shroud.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 10 (155)

-The Julia Carpenter Spider-Woman came about after the failed Jessica Drew series, and she debuted in Secret Wars, with an awesome black costume and no personality to speak of (when people kvetch about the series, they're talking about stuff like "Hi, I'm the new Spider-Woman! I'm here to join you!" and then she just joins up and does nothing interesting for six more issues). She kicked around with Freedom Force as a forced operative for a bit, before joining the West Coast Avengers crew, and kicked around that book for a few years. It's a bit weird that she rarely interacted with Spidey, either- he based the design of his Black Costume on her, but she was really more of an X-Men character at first, before moving over to WCA in its middle years, staying there until the end of the book.
-Truth be told, I really dug the character, despite the fact that she never really got up to much. Since it's virtually the law of the land that no superheroes can every marry and, *gasp* -- BREED, it's ultra-rare to see someone who actually has a child. But the Single Mom thing is virtually untred-ground in superhero books, and instantly made her stand out- despite comic writers fearing it like marriage/reproduction is the Devil Itself, it can provide a HUGE amount of extra stories to a character, involving the more-serious responsibilities of parenting in addition to super-heroics. Plus, y'know, the MILF aspect. Truly one of the least-used fetishes out there in an industry that's only TOO HAPPY to throw out ever OTHER sexual fetish out there with aplomb. Well, she's not nearly as old as the usual MILF is, but still- it counts. And that COSTUME- the Spidey Black Costume is one of the best visual designs ever, and modifying it for a female character adds in thigh-high leggings, shoulder-length gloves and legs that wrap around the entire torso... I mean, DAMN. I've seen a handful of artists REALLY sex up her design, too- one Secret Defenders arc features some of the more-ludicrous sexy poses of the Iron Age.
-She had a brief Limited Series in the '90s against a team called Death Web (created by the same Commission who gave her super-powers against her will). Soon after, however, she retired from super-heroics (the book must not have sold well), and was then depowered in a Spider-Man arc that involved the creation of a NEW Spider-Woman. When Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman, was given a massive push by Bendis, that was basically the death-knell for Julia as an important part of comics, as she changed her name to Arachne (with restored powers after a serum left her de-paralyzed from the aforementioned Power Theft). She was stuck on the Omega Flight team of silliness, helping defend an Alpha Flight-less Canada. And she was a major character in the 1990s Iron Man cartoon series, which utilized her as a kinder, gentler love interest (with more Spidey-Like Powers, though in the first season she just threw nets), as opposed to the sultrier Scarlet Witch.
-But yeah, consider Julia, based off of appearance and some unique character bits, to be one of my top Red Guardian Characters. She deserves a lot better than to be chucked into the background of the Spideyverse like she has been, but considering that her entire super-heroic career has been spent on C-league books like Avengers West Coast (post-Englehart, it dropped in sales by a ways) and Force Works.
-Julia Carpenter takes a bit from Spidey's build for obvious reasons, at a generally lower-level throughout. She's a PL 9.5 Snare-using fighter who's a standard PL 9 elsewhere, but with a handful of smarts. She has a few side-powers and unique tricks that are interesting, however- particularly a Snare that can sprout up at range and move in any direction (4 ranks of Indirect), an ability to control her own webs (Move Object of the already-created webs), and a Tremorsense (tough to figure out, but thankfully Ultimate Power lists it flat-out- it's Ranged Touch, and also Accurate. Which Touch is anyways, which is what confused me- I guess this just makes the Ranged part ALSO Accurate).

MADAME WEB II (Julia Carpenter, aka Arachne, Spider-Woman II)
Created By:
Jim Shooter & Mike Zeck
First Appearance: Secret Wars #6-7 (Oct.-Nov. 1984)
Role: Distaff Counterpart (of Spidey), Super-MILF, Single Mom
Group Affiliations: The Avengers West Coast, Freedom Force, Force Works, The CSA, Omega Flight
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (192)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10/12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+10)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Government Agent) 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Webbing) 5 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Defense, Teamwork

Powers:
"Spider-Movement"
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]

"Psionic Webs"
Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Detect Vibrations" Senses 3 (Ranged Touch- Accurate) [3]
Snare 8 (Feats: Indirect 4, Split, Tether) (30) -- [31]
AE: Move Object 1 (Flaws: Limited to Webs) (1)

"Madame Web Powers"
"Blindsight" Senses 3 (Accurate Psionic Sense) [3]
"Future Sight" Enhanced Fighting & Defenses 2 [8]

"Clairvoyance" Remote Sensing (Visual & Hearing) 8 (24) -- [26]
AE: "Telepathy" Communication 3 (Mental) (15)
AE: "Psionic Senses" Senses 6 (Precognition, Detect Psionic Powers- Ranged) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Psi-Webs +11 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (+13 Future Sight, DC 21-23), Parry +11 (+13 Future Sight, DC 21-13), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Daughter, Rachel)- Julia is a single mother, having divorced Rachel's father years ago. This is a frequent source of trouble and angst, though happily Rachel soon figured out what Julia was up to in her double-life. But to Child Protection Services and Julia's ex-husband, who don't know that she's Spider-Woman, she just looks like an absentee mother.
Responsibility (The Comission)- The Commission gave Julia spider-powers against her will (at the behest of her school-friend, Valerie Cooper), forced her into acting as their agent, and then sent a group of super-villains after her.
Relationship (Moonraker, The Shroud)- Julia was together with her Force Works colleague Moonraker for a bit, but was revealed in the 2000s to be dating the anti-hero The Shroud.
Disabled (Blind)- But it doesn't really affect her, since she has Blindsight and all. Maybe she sucks worse at telling colours apart or something.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 79 / Defenses: 10 (192)

-Even worse things would happen, as Madame Web would be killed in the Spidey books, and her prophetic power and blindness would then be transferred to JULIA, rendering her disabled. This turned her into the ever-awful "Foreseeing Advisor" character, which brings with it permanent smugness and vague instructions, all of which are VERY ANNOYING CHARACTER TRAITS.

HERCULES (aka Herakles)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Thor Rip-Off, Breakout Character (2000s), Boisterous Bruiser, The Dunderhead, The Man-Whore
Godly Role: Greco-Roman God of Strength, Sports, Athletes & Heroes; Gatekeeper of the Gods and Divine Protector of Mankind
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Champions, The God Squad, The Heroes For Hire
PL 13 (198)
STRENGTH
16 STAMINA 15 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Olympian God) 4 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Intimidation 8 (+11)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 8 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improvised Weapon, Luck, Power Attack, Rallying Cry, Takedown, Ultimate Strength Check, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Olympian God of Strength"
Power Lifting 5 (50,000 tons) [5]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
"Strong-Breathed" Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrowth) [5]
Impervious Toughness 11 [11]
Leaping 4 (120 feet) [4]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]

"Super-Strength Feats" (AE of Strength Damge) [2]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 13 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (14)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +15 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +15, Will +8

Complications:
Reputation (Man-Whore)
Relationship (Amadeus Cho)- Herc & Amadeus are the best of buds, and would gladly sacrfice themselves for each other. But Cho is NOT Hercules's Eronomous!!
Enemy (Ares)- Herc's brother is kind of an asshole.
Enemy (Hera)- The wife of Herc's dad is kind of a bitch.
Secret (Murdered His Original Family)
Responsibility (Those Close to Him Die)

Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 15 (198)

-The story of Herakles (turned to "Hercules" in Latin) is among the greatest mythological stories ever told, in my opinion. It's basically the tale of how a Demi-God of great power (essentially a super-hero, with an origin and arch-nemesis and everything) had to overcome everything, using his strength and wits combined, to finally make good and ascend to true Godhood. The tale of the Twelve Labours of Hercules are famous the world-over, and contain such awesomeness as killing the fricking HYDRA, beating a gang of flesh-eating birds, killing two invincible characters (one of who was also a lion), cleaning up tons of poop, feeding a dude to his own horses, and going into Hell to kick a three-headed dog's ass. The dude is so hardcore that when faced with certain death from Hydra's blood (his wife was tricked by a lusty centaur into poisoning Herc), he built his own funeral pyre and had himself burned alive. Hell, even as a BABY he was a bad-ass, strangling a pair of snakes to death after they'd been sent by Hera to kill him. The Hercules of Mythology is 100 times as manly as James Bond, Batman, Chuck Norris & Godzilla all put together.
-The Incredible Hercules was just an awesome, awesome series. Part Buddy Comedy, part Superhero Story, part Epic Myth, it's full of classic humor, sex jokes, hot chicks, hot EVIL chicks, James Bondian Girls of the Week (or Arc, as it were), and some pretty cool fight scenes. It's basically the story of Hercules, the jovial, boisterous bruiser of Avengers fame, teaming with little buddy (and Seventh Smartest Person Alive) Amadeus Cho, mentoring the young kid through a series of Greek-themed adventures. All this from a guy who beforehand was a generic replacement Thor, just a bit more bloodthirsty (and stupid and drunk), who tended to job to the villain so that Thor could look better for beating them. He had an AWFUL shoulder-padded monstrosity of an outfit during the "Bomber Jacket Avengers" period, and spoke in the same faux-Shakespearean dialogue that Thor used. Very redundant and quite lame. He'd never made his own in a book beforehand, with the failed Champions team being a mere blip on the overall radar with it's crack-addled line-up featuring two unused X-Men (Iceman & Angel), an unused Avenger (Black Widow), a third-string hero (Ghost Rider) and a Russiane babe (Darkstar).
-Best moment of the new run? Probably Hercules (disguised as Thor through some complicated mistakes) fighting Thor (disguised as Hercules), and deliberately throwing the fight (so that the Evil Dark Elves would lose the war against Asgard), proclaiming aloud that "I do, before all those who have assembled here... Let It Be Proclaimed... that MIGHTY THOR has finally, definitively, and COMPLETELY been defeated... by HERCULES, the Lion of Olympus! CONGRATULATIONS, Son of Zeus! Though, truth be told, I have ALWAYS known your brawn and fighting skills SURPASSED my own." How do you not love this guy?
-Unfortuantely, it wasn't to last. The end-game of the Herc arc was a battle against Mikaboshi, but the whole thing just fell flat, as it was a never-ending stream of "Mikaboshi easily beats all the other Pantheons), the one-shots were boring, and the ending was rather disappointing. This led to a de-powered Hercules in his own book again, but without the Epic Bromance of Herc/Cho and the Girls of the Week, the humour wasn't there, and the book failed to last more than a year.
-Hercules gets an upgrade from my old builds of him. Without the needless hammer (which just made him more of a Thor rip-off), Herc is what he's meant to be, a big, tough PL 13 Melee Powerhouse, designed to take a massive beating and keep on coming back, with immense physical power (his greatest Strength feat- towing the ENTIRE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN via a chain), great durability, and plenty of Willpower to back it up. Anyone who can slug it out with Thor and The Hulk deserves full PL 13 status, I believe- not to mention all the brawls with Ares (who always LOSES to Herc) and Namor (never got a decisive winner). He's a notch below the full-on PL 14 Thor, but matches my more-liked version, and I generally believe Thor to be a bit superior anyways.
-Oddly, he lacks the sheer recuperative abilities of most of the Greek Pantheon (his ex-wife Hebe collapsed into a bloody, broken pile after a massive fall, and stood up almost immediately, healing before onlookers' very eyes), probably to avoid 'breaking' him in terms of power. He grew some skin back pretty quickly after burning poison off of his body, though, so it's a fair amount of Regen. Otherwise, he's just a huge, tough, charismatic brawler (check out his Advantages- very few Powerhouses get to modify almost ALL their caps that way...), and enough of a match for just about anybody. He's much cheaper than Thor by virtue of not having a huge omni-powerful Magic Weapon at his disposal (his own Adamantine Mace is basically a +2 Penetrating 10 Damage Indestructible Mace and that's it- no fancy control), but is a better grappler by a ways, having helped invent "The Pankration".

HERCULES (aka Herakles)- Human Version
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Thor Rip-Off, Breakout Character (2000s), Boisterous Bruiser, The Dunderhead, The Man-Whore
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Champions, The God Squad, The Heroes For Hire
PL 10 (182)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5)
Deception 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Olympian God) 4 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Intimidation 7 (+10)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 8 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improvised Weapon, Luck, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Rallying Cry, Takedown

Powers:
"The Sword of Peleus" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [7]
Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical 3, Penetrating 4) (11 points)

"The Shield of Perseus" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [39]
Enhanced Dodge 4 & Parry 3 (7)
Extras: Impervious Toughness 8 (Flaws: Sustained +0) (8)
"Madusa's Stare" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed & Vulnerable/Immobile & Defenseless/Transformed to Stone & Unaware) (Extras: Continuous +3, Extra Condition, Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Permanent) (50)
-- (65 points)

"The Arrows of Heracles" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [12]
Blast 7 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (20 points)

"The Helm of Hades" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [12]
Concealment (All Senses) 10 (20 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword of Peleus +11 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Arrows of Heracles +11 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+12 Shield, DC 18-22), Parry +11 (+14 Shield, DC 21-24), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Reputation (Man-Whore)
Relationship (Amadeus Cho)- Herc & Amadeus are the best of buds, and would gladly sacrfice themselves for each other. But Cho is NOT Hercules's Eronomous!!
Enemy (Ares)- Herc's brother is kind of an asshole.
Enemy (Hera)- The wife of Herc's dad is kind of a bitch.
Secret (Murdered His Original Family)
Responsibility (Those Close to Him Die)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 72 / Defenses: 16 (182)

-So in recent appearances, Hercules has been de-powered to a mere human-level guy, and these are the states I can glean from his actions and the "fluff" they describe of his weapons. He's basically armed with four separate weapons of Greek mythology, all of which add up to make him JUST as expensive as his PL 13, Super-Strong version! Despite that, he's a "mere" PL 10 here. He loses his old Powers, but gains some fighting skill and accuracy with his bows (since he's "in practise" again, and fighting human-level opponents). Same old Herc otherwise, though, right down to the pimping way with the ladies. PL 9.5-ish with the Sword, and PL 10 with the Shield, allowing him to still beat some guys up- he recently handled The Griffin & Basilisk simultaneously with the help of the Shield (though Basilisk didn't turn to stone).

MS. MARVEL (Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel IV, Binary)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Gene Colan
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) (Carol), Miss Marvel #1 (1977) (as Ms. Marvel)
Role: Background/Forgotten Character, Distaff Counterpart (to Mar-Vell), Pet Character (to Claremont), Flying Brick, Blaster, Resurrected Concept
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The U.S. Air Force, NASA, S.H.I.E.L.D., The X-Men, The Starjammers
Avengers Grade: A-Level (formerly C & B-Level)
PL 11 (212), PL 12 (212) with Absorption
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Aerobatics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 6 (+9, +11 Attractive)
Expertise (Military/Air Force) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Attack (Blasts) 2 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 10 (+12)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Interpose, Jack-of-All-Trades, Last Stand (Ignores Damage For 1 Round with an HP), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Teamwork, Ultimate Military Skill

Powers:
"Enhanced Physiology"
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 5) [7]
Power Lifting 1 (100 tons) [1]
Flight 7 (240 mph) [14]
"Energy Blasts" Blast 11 [22]
Features: Quick Change [1]

"Absorption of Energy"
Enhanced Strength 1 (Flaws: Fades) [2]
Enhanced Blast 3 (Flaws: Fades) [6]
Immunity 20 (Energy Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [10]
"Seventh Sense" Features 1: May Ask the GM a Question with an HP Spent [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blasts +10 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Boosted Unarmed +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Boosted Blasts +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +9
"Versus Energy" Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +14 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibility (Alcoholic)- Carol was an alcoholic for a good chunk of time.
Responsibility (Heroism)- Whether it be the government (NASA, Air Force), The Avengers, or elsewhere, Carol is devoted to the concept of upholding the law.
Power Loss (Absorption)- Carol has difficulty with certain types of energy (depends on the writer/GM).
Enemy (Mystique)- Mystique was basically Carol's arch-nemesis for years, but then she got Kingpinned and became an X-Men villain when Claremont went to THAT book.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 64 / Defenses: 17 (212)

-Carol Danvers has been absolutely ALL OVER THE PLACE in Marvel, which is funny, because she pretty much vanished for years after getting injured in a Captain Marvel story, popped up with super-powers, then became Ms. Marvel- The Feminist Superhero. It's funny, because as a kid, I only difference between "Miss" and "Ms." I knew was that the REALLY bitchy teachers insisted on "Ms.". The only books I have featuring her in this time period have her as a pretty Claremont-esque heroine- a headstrong, bossy, powerful woman with a hell of a lot of sass-mouth.
-That's mostly thanks to Chris Claremont, who chose her as one of his random "Angry Women With Godlike Powers (tm)" after working on her book in the '80s (it came and went pretty quietly- I'd never even heard of her until she became an Avenger again in the late '90s- only knowing the name because that's where Rogue got her powers from), then had her de-powered by Rogue, shoved her onto the X-Men with a rivet gun, turned her into Binary, and then left her as an Ubergod for a while. There was a particularly horrible storyline that saw her seduced via machinery (if that sounds a little bit like rape, it's because IT TOTALLY IS) by Marcus, son of Immortus, thus giving birth to ANOTHER Marcus because of some stupid crap (the writer SWEARS it's because an editorial edict nixed their original idea and they had to improvise), but that's honestly best left ignored, because sometimes comics in the '80s sucked balls. The writers didn't even REALIZE they'd had Carol raped (the Avengers basically looked at her running off with her techno-rapist with an "oh well I guess they're in love- it must be for the best! Good day!", and Claremont had to run in and try to fix things (he and various fans had pretty much went "WTF?" to the whole thing).
-When Claremont turned her into Binary, she mostly disappeared- she wasn't a regular on the X-books after a point, and Cosmic Marvel wasn't really a "thing" yet. She eventually reverted back to normal during Operation: Galactic Storm. Eventually, she returns as "Warbird", with an alcohol problem and a career resurrection once she beat that, and she all of a sudden got a major push out of NOWHERE as "Ms. Marvel" again, as seemingly a dozen different guys all at once figured out she was hot and that they should make her a big star. Her comic started EASILY outselling DC's Wonder Woman, despite their all-star creative team. I blame Diana's boring character that makes no sense :). They soon lost sales and it got cancelled, but she was still an Avengers leader because Bendis took a liking to her.
-Unfortunately, her turn as "Captain Marvel" coincided with an AWFUL, unreadable mess of a series that came across as more of a feminist screed than a book just featuring a character who WAS a feminist- the first issue was a piece of crap, and featured an AWFUL diatribe by the Editor, acting like Carol's old costume (which featured bare upper thighs and shoulders ONLY- less skin showing than a standard T-shirt) was some kind of sexist imagery, which is heteronormative, sexist, AND retarded- what the f*ck is he, a Saudi Arabian Imam? And keep in mind I'm one of those people who argues AGAINST Super-Skank costumes on many comic book women- using it on Carol Danvers is virtually a Strawman argument if you were trying to discredit YOUR OWN SIDE.
-It's like how Joss Whedon describes himself as a feminist, while puncuating his shows with rail-thin anorexic girls who are either psychotic or cry at the merest provocation (thus basically making them as much nerd-fetish-bait as any gravity-defying comic book women are). That idiotic pile of verbal faeces was puncuated by a boring book with god-awful art and a HORRIBLE costume (what was with that goofy mask that showed the hair?), and I fear her whole run as the new Captain Marvel just flamed out right out of the gate. Sales started circling the drain as soon as the #1s came out to an initial surge (even after they restarted it AGAIN), and I can't imagine her lack of appearances in Hickman's Avengers stuff is doing her any favors. Too bad- she was one of Marvel's better shots at making a big female star to counter Wonder Woman over at DC- Marvel has a lot of great female leads, but not a lot with the kind of high-level cred necessary. Her boring "Flying Brick" power suite doesn't help.
-Miss Marvel pretty well fits the higher-class of hero, especially these days. She's very powerful and skilled, but not a god of war or anything- Spider-Man gave her fits during their fight, and she goes off-and-on as a major-league fighter. I think it's generally assumed she's above most baseline PL 10 heroes (she's survived several punches from Wonder Man, after all... though note that Simon is a pussy), but not close to Thor or anything, so PL 11 suits her- PL 10.5 in melee and at range, but both are boosted to PL 11-12 when she's using her Absorption power (which I personally have NEVER SEEN USED EVEN ONCE, despite having read like 45+ comics featuring the character). She basically has Enhanced Blast & Strength, both Fading unless she gets hit by a certain type of energy. In addition, she has +6 Impervious to Energy Attacks, giving her a bit of bonus on that regard- she still feels pain from high-powered energy attacks, but they do less damage than general attacks do, and if she goes all-out (ie. spends HP) she can take a freaking NUKE. She's basically a standard Flying Brick/Blaster For any added bonuses to damage (she's implied to be on a level of hitting power with the Colossus/Thing level of guys), and uses Power Attack to hit harder. Aside from that, she's a powerful Flying Brick, but not ready for an "S" on her chest or anything- she's only PL 12 in limited runs, and if the enemy is EXTRA dumb and tries to blast her.
-As Ms. Marvel back in her '70s-'80s run, she was more of a PL 9 to PL 10 Flying Brick, and I think she lacked the Blast (not too up on her in that era, aside from her god-awful Mar-Vell belly-shirt). She had a "Seventh Sense" that is basically Precognition (Flaws: Uncontrolled). Pretty sure she doesn't have that anymore.

BINARY (Carol Danvers)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & Gene Colan
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) (Carol), Miss Marvel #1 (1977) (Ms. Marvel)
Role: Background/Forgotten Character, Distaff Counterpart (to Mar-Vell), Pet Character (to Claremont), Cosmic Powerhouse
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The U.S. Air Force, NASA, S.H.I.E.L.D., The X-Men, The Starjammers
Avengers Grade: A-Level (formerly C & B-Level)
PL 14 (283)
STRENGTH
11/15 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Aerobatics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 6 (+9, +11 Attractive)
Expertise (Military/Air Force) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 10 (+12)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Interpose, Jack-of-All-Trades, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Teamwork, Ultimate Military Skill

Powers:
"White Hole-Drawn Powers"
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
Flight 13 (16,000 mph) [26]
"Light Speed Flight" Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) [6]
"Energy Field" Force Field 5 (Extras: Impervious 21) [26]

"Photonic Energy Blast"
Damage 14 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (63) -- [70]
AE: Damage 14 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 240ft. Cone +3) (63)
AE: Damage 14 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 240ft. Burst +3) (63)
AE: Photonic Aura 12 (60)
AE: Blast 18 (Feats: Split, Extended Range 4- 1200ft. Max) (Extras: Penetrating) (59)
AE: Environment 5 (Heat 2) (10)
AE: "Gravity Control" Move Object 14 (Extras: Perception Range) (42)
AE: Enhanced Strength 4 (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Boosted Unarmed +10 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Energy Blast +8 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blast +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +15 (+10 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Heroism)- Whether it be the government (NASA, Air Force), The Avengers, or elsewhere, Carol is devoted to the concept of upholding the law.
Responsibility (Vast Power)- Carol could blow up a space station. This is a lot to deal with.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 138 / Defenses: 15 (283)

-Here's Cosmic Carol Danvers, aka Chris Claremont getting his jones off writing SUPER-Powerful women again. She`s a standard excessively-powerful cosmic being, being PL 14 and really really hard to kill. She was the primary fighter during the New Mutants' epic battle against the planet-crushing Magus (ie. she was the only one who would survive a straight-up fight for more than five seconds), and kicked around like this for a while as a minor X-character. High-powered Blasts and vast Area Effects (covering much more than a few ranks) are quite expensive, but I fully support this controversial decision, as these guys are pricey BECAUSE THEY ARE EPIC, and the points reflects that.

Orphic Hymn 65 to Ares (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"Magnanimous, unconquered, boisterous Ares, in darts rejoicing, and in bloody wars; fierce and untamed, whose mighty power can make the strongest walls from their foundations shake: mortal-destroying king, defiled with gore, pleased with war's dreadful and tumultuous roar. Thee human blood, and swords, and spears delight, and the dire ruin of mad savage fight. Stay furious contests, and avenging strife, whose works with woe embitter human life."
Ares: "Lethal Force is authorized! Suspect is threatening the life of my teammate!"
Hercules: "No I'm not."
Wonder Man: "No he's not."
Ares: "I AM SORRY, COMRADE WONDER MAN! I CANNOT HEAR YOU OVER RETURNING FIRE!" *BOOOOOM!*

ARES (aka Mars)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Thor #129 (June 1966)
Role: Thor & Wolverine Replacement, Asshole Hero, The Bad-Ass, Boisterous Bruiser, Moron
Greco-Roman Roles: Greco-Roman God of War & Battle, Violence & Rage, Civil Order & Rebellion, Murder & Manslaughter, Courage, Manliness & Fear, Sacking & Defence of Cities, The Planet Mars
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Dark Avengers, The Warhawks
Avengers Grade: B-Level (was once C-Level)
PL 12 (184)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Construction Worker) 5 (+5)
Expertise (God of War) 9 (+9)
Expertise (History) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 12 (+12)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Notice 7 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+7)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Great Endurance, Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 3 (Axe 2, Rifle), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Ritualist, Takedown Attack

Powers:
"Olympian God of War"
Power Lifting 1 (100 tons) [1]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
Immunity 2 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrowth) [5]

"Olympian Weapons" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [6]
"Axe" Strength-Damage +3 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (10 points)
--or--
"Spear" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Extended Reach 2) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (10 points)

"Adamantine Armour" (Flaws: Removable) [4]
Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 4) (5 points)

Equipment:
"Twin Automatic Rifles" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24) -- (25)
AP: "Grenades" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Spear or Sword +11 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Rifles +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Grenades +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +12 (+13 Armour, +5 Impervious), Fortitude +13, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Alexander)
Enemy (Hercules)
Reputation (Violent Maniac)

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 66--33 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 31 / Defenses: 15 (184)

-Ares is generally portrayed as one of the biggest ass-wipes of the entire Olympian Pantheon, even if their own mythology. He was "The Other Man" in the Hephaestus/Aphrodite marriage (and once got humiliated by Heph, getting trapped in an Unbreakable Net), a loser in The Trojan War (he jobbed to a HUMAN BEING thanks to the direct interference of Athena), bedder of his worshippers' women, and seen as the destructive, nasty side of War, whereas Athena was the smart and just side of it (Killing for Chaotic reasons and for the sake of killing, over Lawful reasons, effectively). Ares joined Wars alongside Eris (Strife/Discord), Phobos & Deimos (Terror & Fear), and assorted other Gods/Concepts that are vague and not usually given personifications (Mischief, Angers, Threats, Treachery, Valour, Rage & Death- only the latter is really a God). He's fought countless other Gods (usually Athena & Hercules, who slew a swack of Ares' children). He was highly-sacred to Greeks, but also feared by them- they knew Athena was the "Good" side of War, but Ares represented what usually ended up happening.
-By contrast, the Romans REALLY loved Mars as their God of War, and fictionalk patriarch of their race. This left Mars as a major figure, free of Ares' catalogue of character flaws, though he kept his brutality (these people liked to crucify their victims; worshipping the God of Bloodshed isn't exactly out of character for them).

-Ares was re-introduced to Marvel with a new Frank Cho design after years in Marvel Limbo, after the whole Civil War thing happened and the Initiative Registration Program went out. He was forced to register and join an Avengers team, and got a brand-new Boisterous Bruiser attitude (he was formerly a 60s-styled arrogant supervillain), retaining the personality of an insane Blood Knight who did nothing but attack first, and then forget the 'asking questions' part (as Miss Marvel described him- Both Thor AND Wolverine). Once Hercules got a big character-push, Ares kind of shifted into more of an antagonistic role again, attacking Herc at great cost to his own allies, and he's more blatantly villainous there. He has some good moments, like when he's trying to care for his son Alexander, but mostly he's kind of a dingus. I think they killed him recently, so we'll see where that goes.
-Ares is a nasty, over-pointed PL 12 (matching the cost of half-bro Herc), built for Power Attack, All-Out Attack, and using lethal weapons (with Penetrating Damage) in combat. He's not fancy, and he's not nice, and he doesn't have half the Mental Abilities the Greek Gods should. He's the God of War, plain and simple, strong enough to brawl it out with Hercules and actually last (but not win, since he NEVER DOES), and he's a physical match for almost anyone else for at least several rounds. He has a bit of Magic in him, but they've downplayed that to the point where he's just got minor ranks in Arcane Lore and the Ritualist Feat to explain any past spell-crafting he's done, and some Sensory powers for his ability to detect Olympians & Magic.

Divine Offspring:
With Aphrodite- Deimos (God of Fear), Phobos (God of Panic & Terror), Eros (God of Sexual Love), Harmonia (God of Harmony), Anteros (God of Love Reciprocated & Unreciprocated)
With Eris- Enyalios (God of War)

Famous Mortal Offspring:
With Harmonia: The Amazons
With Others: Diomedes (the King with the carnivorous Horses), Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons), Kyknos (Lord of Macedonia/Thessalia)

AMADEUS CHO
Created By:
Greg Pak & Takeshi Miyazawa
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #15 (Jan. 2006)
Role: The Self-Insert Mary Sue, Teen Genius, Everyman Hero, Smart-Ass Hero, Glass Cannon
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympus Group, The God Squad
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 9 (170)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2/8 DEXTERITY 4/6
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4, +8 Math)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+14)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+12)
Expertise (History) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 4 (+12)
Insight 5 (+8, +12 Math)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+14)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6, +8 Math)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Technology 10 (+18)
Vehicles 4 (+8, +12 Math)

Advantages:
Equipment (Vespa Scooter)

Powers:
"Super-Math"
Enhanced Fighting 6 [12]
Enhanced Dexterity 2 [4]
Enhanced Skills 8: Acrobatics 4, Insight 4 [4]
Enhanced Advantages 35:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Roll 3, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck, Ranged Attack 6, Redirect, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Sleight of Hand, Computers, Technology, Science), Teamwork, Throwing Mastery 4, Uncanny Dodge (Sight), Ultimate Perception Skill, Well-Informed [35]

Enhanced Dodge 8 [8]
Enhanced Parry 4 [4]
Super-Senses 6 (Danger & Distance Sense, Analytical Vision, Detect Weakness- Ranged, Acute & Analytical) [6]
Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Math Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Thrown Objects +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +4, Will +6
"With Math" Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +1 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Reputation (Fugitive)
Relationship (Loves Delphyne Gorgon)
Responsibility (Athena's Champion)- Cho must often do Athena's bidding, but he's beginning to realize what this means.
Responsibility (Buddy Comedy Relationship with Hercules)- But he is NOT Herc's Eronomous!!
Responsibility (Searching for Sister)
Power Loss (Math)- Amadeus requires a steady supply of sugar, or he will begin to lose his intelligence.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 76 / Defenses: 12 (170)

-Amadeus Cho is a great new character, despite having some astonishingly Mary-Sue-ish qualities to him (his creator is ALSO Korean-American; Amadeus pwned Reed Richards in one of his first appearances; he's a super-genius; he made out with a hot monster chick) which have mostly calmed down in recent storylines. He's a conflicted character, being greatly opposed to S.H.I.E.L.D., The Superhuman Registration Act, and even rebels against Athena's mentoring of him, and he's often forced to just follow along in the big lug Hercules' antics, but he's ultimately loyal to Herc. As the "Seventh Smartest Person Alive", he's searching for his sister; having since uncovered the truth behind his parents' death, and thrown away his chance at revenge (because "Revenge is a childish emotion, and it's time to put away childish things)- which caused their killer, the Sixth Smartest Person Alive, to kill himself, despondent that he could no longer pit his mind against Cho's.
-Cho is basically Hercules' Hetero Life Partner during most of The Incredible Hercules, going on many adventures, arguing whenever Herc's libido gets involved, chafing under Athena's stern orders (mmmm... Athena...), and fighting their way out of all kinds of scrapes. When they split up after a particularly nasty argument, they soon find themselves willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other (foiling Hephaestus's trap, which was set up to force one ot kill the other to escape- upon BOTH of them attempting the sacrifice, he just goes "Frickin' HEROES"). When Herc gains full Godhood and then gives it up, they split apart for no adequately explained reason, and Herc goes off on his own for a lower-powered, short-lived book, and Cho basically vanished off the face of the Earth. An older-looking Cho appeared in Frank Cho's Savage Wolverine short-story (wonder why Cho used Cho, huh?), and again in a more modern story, but he seems to have primarily vanished from comics without his creator actively attempting to push him.
-Cho is a truly bizarre and unique character to stat up. It's quite clear early on that he sees the world differently from other people- he can correctly calculate the position, nature and pathways of things, giving him a kind of superhuman accuracy and dodging ability unknown to most other 'genius' characters, who are just able to build things. Cho ALSO has plenty of those skills, however, being vastly intelligent- he's hacked REED RICHARDS of all people, and knocked down a Helicarrier once. I threw almost all of his abilities under his "Super-Math" power, which requires a supply of food to constantly work, but is otherwise pretty much always there.
-Among his feats & capabilities that I've read, and are shown here, are: deflecting a powerful laser weapon armed at his back with a Vespa scooter's mirror, figuring out Ares was going to come crashing through a room he was being interrogated in- and the exact pathway he'd take, redirecting Thena's attack into the Dreaming Celestial, who then KO'd her, and more. This means he's got a swack of Super-Senses (especially Analytical Vision & Danger Sense), high Attack & Defense scores, some Math-given boosts to some skills (like Acrobatics, since he can 'see' where he needs to go), Throwing Mastery (just tossing a fork can have some weird effects for him), and general Mental Quickness.
-Cho doesn't even invent stuff, really- his fighting consists of running away (which is why he's PL 9 only Defensively, he's PL 8 on offense at-best, and that's just with thrown stuff- he's quite the weakling physically). He picks up pretty much every bit of the slack Hercules gives him as a team (ie. the intellectual and Wisdom-based Skills compared to Mister Follow His Wiener), which is why they make up such a great duo. Cho is brutally expensive by contrast to his lower-PL, a virtue of being a Skillmonkey and highly-efficient with his other abilities.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

THE HULK:
-The Hulk is one of those big-name superheroes that I just absolutely do NOT give a flying crap about, despite his importance to the Marvel Universe as a whole, and his status as the iconic "Strong Guy" of Marvel. He's FINE on a symbolic level- he represents the fear of Nuclear power, the Cold War itself, the monster inside all people, and the concept of the underdog (he's basically got the mind of a child, yet is constantly hunted by the military), distrust of "The Man", and more. And then there's the whole Jekyll/Hyde thing and his argumentative nature being prime for conflicts both personal and interpersonal, but as an ongoing feature character? Absolutely dull as dishwater.
-It ain't just his strength or "limited" powers- I like a LOT of strong-guy characters- my favourites as a kid included Colossus, The Thing & Warpath. It's not due to OVER-Poweredness- as a kid, I simply replaced Banner with Colossus as the top-tier Strong Guy at Marvel. The tricky thing with The Hulk is that despite his long-running series, the character lacks a lot of depth, and that means that a LOT of his solo book has been garbage over the years. Most stories involve Banner turning into the Hulk, and the big doofus getting wrapped up in something that involves him being manipulated, chased by the Army for a fight that goes nowhere, or just punching some dude. His ENEMIES therefore look stupid, since the character is super-dumb, yet is still able to foil the plots of super-geniuses.
-It says something that the only popular Hulk runs seem to be based around Banner getting a HUGE cast of characters with whom to interact. In Peter David's uber-long run, he ended up getting married, making friends, and joining an entire army in The Pantheon. In Grek Pak's run, he went to a whole new planet, and formed ANOTHER army of dudes in The Warbound. He's had tremendous feats, had a ton of iconic feuds (often with other heroes, such as Thor & The Thing), and a COUPLE runs out there... but as a whole? Just boring as hell.
-It wasn't until The Avengers movie came out, and the EMH cartoon, that I truly "got" him. He IS a perfectly-fine character, but ONLY ON A TEAM. He's great as a somewhat snarky, simple-minded ass-kicker, and is PERFECT for physical comedy (witness him randomly-punching Thor or slamming Loki into the floor in the film). It's to the point where they'd be better off just cancelling his regular book (I mean, even MARK WAID couldn't write a decent Hulk book, and he's in the midst of a career-high with Daredevil!) and just making him an Avenger exclusively. His Rogues Gallery sucks ass anyways- The Leader is just awful (stupid-looking AND cheesy in concept), and Abomination is just a low-rent Mirror Image Villain.

The Hulk's History:
-The book started off with a grey Hulk, but when Stan Lee saw the finished results of colorist (and Archie artist, the recently-deceased Stan Goldberg), with varying shades of grey (a tough colour to match properly in the time period), he switched it to green (his transformations taking place at night and ending at dawn was also dropped). The book itself was short-lived and rather goofy, but soon got some attention and the concept was revived. He was often used as a semi-villainous character in various other books- he quit The Avengers in their SECOND ISSUE (then a shocking thing in comics- nobody LEFT teams like that!), and I've seen issues comprised of just him fighting The Fantastic Four (especially The Thing), The Avengers (teaming with Namor to crush them), and Spider-Man. He was eventually written as a childlook behemoth, instead of being a tough-talking thug, and his rebellious nature made him somewhat popular with teenagers and college students (he was listed by a poll of them as a revolutionary figure alongside Bob Dylan, Che Guevara and Spider-Man). His Teen Sidekick Rick Jones (who was a key part of his origin- Banner got irradiated while saving Jones from Banner's own Gamma Bomb experiment) was basically transferred into being a Captain America Buddy before going off with Captain Marvel. The Hulk's own bad guys were chiefly an Evil Hulk in Abomination, and a Gamma-Powered genius in The Leader- nobody else was really popular.
-His book was always AROUND, but never seemed quite like a big seller- Len Wein & Bill Mantlo had popular, long runs in the 1970s & '80s. Longtime love-interest Betty Ross married his rival Glenn Talbot in 1972, and Hulk brieftly went to an Alien Dimension and hooked up with Sexy Green Empress Jarella. A scruffy Canadian Jobber was introduced, and had a modicum of success on another book a few years later. He turned grey again, becoming Joe Fixit, a jerk-ass bouncer in Las Vegas. He finally married his Betty in the late '80s (Talbot had died in '81). It was determined by Mantlo that Banner had suffered child abuse as a boy- Marvel's increasingly-serious, dark stories were becoming popular back then. Peter David's legendary run began in 1987, and introduced the concept of Banner having multiple personalities (dissociative identity disorder), thus explaining why there was once a Grey Hulk, and various personality changes over the years. This made EVERYTHING all of a sudden make sense, and proved to be a permanent change- David's Hulk would later form all of the various personalities into one- The Professor Hulk. In 1998, Betty died of an illness, and Peter David quit the book after his Editor demanded the return of The Savage Hulk persona.
-Post-David runs have never been quite as good. Some were popular, but David really IS The Hulk to many people. It wasn't until Greg Pak's run, starting in 2006, that we had a new big run. Pak sent him to an alien world in Planet Hulk, and forced him to team up with a gang of super-powerful "Warbound" to save their planet from an evil dictator. This great book led to him arriving back on Earth to kick some ass (he believed that The Illuminati had set off an explosion that killed his world, and his wife), though World War Hulk was a pretty crap-ass event. Later runs... weren't as good. Especially when we saw the introduction of The Red Hulk to the Rogues Gallery, plus Rick turning into an Abomination-lookalike.

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DR. BRUCE BANNER
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)
Role: The Strongest One There Is, Jekyll/Hyde Concept, The Powerhouse, The Animalistic Savage
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Pantheon, The Warbound, The New Fantastic Four, The Hulkbusters
Avengers Grade: D-Level (only a few issues)
PL 3 (68), PL 12 (68) Scientist
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+22) -- Flaws: Limited to Radiation
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+5)
Technology 6 (+14)
Treatment 2 (+10)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Skill Mastery (Science), Ultimate Skill (Science)

Powers:
Immunity (Radiation Damage) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Guilt (The Hulk's Rampages)- Bruce is indirectly responsible for all the damages the Hulk causes, as well as the deaths.
Responsibility (A Basket Case)- Banner is emotionally-withdrawn, and has a great number of demons. He was horribly-abused by his father as a boy, leaving him with lifelong complexes about trusting people.
Responsibility (Turns into the Hulk if Angry)- You wouldn't like him if he's angry.
Responsibility (Betty Banner, Jarella, Caiera)
Secret (Split Personalities)
Enemy ("Thunderbolt" Ross, The Leader, Red Hulk, etc.)

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 10 (68)

-Well, if you're statting Hulks, you gotta stat out the basis for all of 'em, Bruce Banner. Not the hugest fan, myself, but Banner's a classic Jekyll/Hyde with a fascinating psyche at the root of his multiple personalities. Here he is, as a VERY smart, very skilled human scientist. He's no ass-kicker, but PL 3 isn't bad for a weakling civilian identity. He's in-shape, good at running & hiding, and THE BEST expert on radiation in the history of the world. When even Reed Richards and DOOOOOOOOM admit that you're the best in the field, you're good.

Image
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THE GREY HULK (aka Mr. Fixit, Dr. Bruce Banner)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)
Role: The Strongest One There Is, Jekyll/Hyde Concept, The Powerhouse, The Brutish Savvy Thug
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Pantheon, The Warbound, The New Fantastic Four, The Hulkbusters
Avengers Grade: D-Level (only a few issues)
PL 11 (188)
STRENGTH
13 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 5 (+7)
Drive 5 (+5)
Expertise (Streetwise) 7 (+9)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 8 (+10)
Intimidation 13 (+15)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Debris) 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Connected, Crushing Pin, Daze (Intimdiation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Ultimate Strength Check, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"The Strongest One There Is- But Less So"
Power Lifting 1 (400 tons) [1]
Leaping 6 (250 feet) [6]
Impervious Toughness 11 [11]
Immunity 11 (Heat, Cold, Radiation, Pressure, Poison, Disease, Radiation Damage) [11]
Immunity 10 (Mental Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [5]
Regeneration 8 (Feats: Regrowth) [9]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]

"Super-Strength Feats" (Alt-Effects of Strength-Damage) [5]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 11 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (13)
AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 11 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (13)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (11)
AE: "Super-Breath" Move Object 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (11)
AE: "Thunderclap" Dazzle Hearing 11 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (11)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Assorted Strength Feats +11 Area (+11 Damage/Affliction, DC 26/21)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +13, Will +8

Complications:
Secret (Split Personalities)
Normal Identity- The Grey Hulk will turn back into harmless Bruce Banner by the light of day.
Enemy ("Thunderbolt" Ross, The Leader)- These two assholes have hunted Banner for years. Ross wants to wipe him out to save the world; The Leader just wants him dead period.
Temper- The Hulk is famously easy-to-anger, and is not easily-swayed once enraged.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 16 (188)

-I always liked the Grey Hulk the best- it's more interesting to read stories where the main character can both TALK NORMALLY, and actually lose every once in a while- not having some crazy Boost power that lets him beat up anybody as the fight gets longer. Of course, he's a bit of an amoral prick, working as a Mafia enforcer in Las Vegas and all, so there's that on the down-side. But I always liked the look the best as well- it's more monstrous and less comic-booky than lime green as a colour.
-Grey Hulk is the most playable, non-overpowered Hulk, as shown here, being an over-pointed PL 11. He's the most accurate, sneaky & defensive of the Hulks because of his relatively smaller size (he's still got Growth, but only barely- he's wide as a truck, but no taller than your average Powerhouse), but this corresponds with Thing-level Strength that doesn't get boosted as high as the other Hulks do (aside from Extraordinary Effort & Ultimate Strength). Otherwise, it's just moderate-level Powerhouse stuff for his other Powers. Keep in mind that being the "lowest-powered Hulk" is sorta like having the "lowest-range nuclear warhead" and so he's still tough enough to wipe out most metahumans ANYWAYS, but still.

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THE SAVAGE HULK (Dr. Bruce Banner)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)
Role: The Strongest One There Is, Jekyll/Hyde Concept, The Powerhouse, The Animalistic Savage
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Pantheon, The Warbound, The New Fantastic Four, The Hulkbusters
Avengers Grade: D-Level (only a few issues)
PL 12 (206), PL 14 (206) When Fully-Enraged
STRENGTH
15/20 STAMINA 13/15 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+6)
Intimidation 18 (+17 Size)
Perception 4 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Debris) 8 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimdiation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown, Ultimate Strength & Toughness Checks, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"The Strongest One There Is"
Power Lifting 1 (100,000 tons) [1]
Leaping 11 (4 miles) [11]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 15) [17]
Immunity 11 (Heat, Cold, Radiation, Pressure, Poison, Disease, Radiation Damage) [11]
Immunity 10 (Mental Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [5]
Regeneration 8 (Feats: Regrowth) [9]
Senses 1 (Detect Astral Forms) [1]

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]

"Super-Strength Feats"
"Thunderclap" Dazzle Hearing 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (24) -- [29]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (22)
AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (22)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (24)
AE: "Super-Breath" Move Object 12 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (24)
AE: Penetrating Strength Damage 13 (13)

"The Hulk's Rage" (All Have Flaws: Uncontrolled- Must be Angry)
Enhanced Strength 5 [5]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Impervious Toughness 4 [2]
Regeneration 2 [1]
Enhanced Super-Strength Feats +2 [2]
Power-Lifting 2 (400,000 tons) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Raging +7 (+20 Damage, DC 34)
Assorted Strength Feats +12-15 Area (+12-15 Damage/Affliction, DC 27/22 to 30/25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +15 (+17 Raging, +8-10 Impervious), Fortitude +15 (+17 Raging), Will +8

Complications:
Secret (Bruce Banner Identity)
Obsession (Wants to be Left Alone)
Rivalry (The Thing, Wolverine)- Both the FF member and the X-Man have threatened him many times in the past, setting off epic brawls.
Responsibility (Betty Banner, Jarella, Caiera)
Secret (Split Personalities)
Enemy ("Thunderbolt" Ross, The Leader)- These two assholes have hunted Banner for years. Ross wants to wipe him out to save the world; The Leader just wants him dead period.
Temper- The Hulk is famously easy-to-anger, and is not easily-swayed once enraged.
Normal Identity- The Savage Hulk will revert back to Bruce Banner if made completely calm.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 107 / Defenses: 25 (206)

-The Savage Hulk is the most common one you'll see in comics, and virtualy the default of most Hulk-based media, for the obvious reasons that it's the Mr. Hyde of his personality, and the most powerful/dangerous overall of his usual personas. Me, I always found his book REALLY boring, because this character has some pathos, but not a lot of real depth unless you've got Banner involved, too.
-Throwing an "Uncontrolled" Flaw on all his boosts is a WAY easier thing to do that 2e's crazy "Boost" Power, so I like this way better. Essentially, Baseline Hulk is a PL 12 Superheavyweight powerhouse most of the time. But, as the fight goes on (and he keeps getting madder the more you hit him), he starts powering up, eventually hitting full-on PL 14 status when he's Raging AND fully boosted from his powers. It amps many of his powers, including Regeneration (which is inconsistently-shown, as with most Regenerating characters, but let's just say it's close to Wolverine-level).
-PL 14 may ALMOST seem low for someone so powerful, but keep in mind that Hulk tends to be really slow and unable to hit any kind of Dexmonkey character (like Spider-Man), he's no martial artist, AND such a 'low' level doesn't properly illustrate how hard it can be to put him down. Sure, he's 'only' +17 Toughness at his maximum anger level, but he also Regenerates at a high rate, meaning that any damage that DOES get through is going to scarcely hurt him for long. So The Hulk is a full-on entire-Avengers-team-Level threat, in addition to being able to easily brawl it out with Thor. He actually does one point more damage when fully-enraged than Thor can with Mjolnir.
-Hulk's max strength level is 800,000 tons, which is WAY above Thor or Hercules, especially when you take all his Advantages into account. And note that his Super-Strength Feats now sit outside the Array of his Strength-Damage, since a couple are more expensive than +15 or +20 damage.

Image

THE PROFESSOR/BANNER HULK (Dr. Bruce Banner)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)
Role: The Strongest One There Is, Jekyll/Hyde Concept, The Powerhouse, The Animalistic Savage
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Pantheon, The Warbound, The New Fantastic Four, The Hulkbusters
Avengers Grade: D-Level (only a few issues)
PL 12 (243), PL 14 (243) When Fully-Enraged
STRENGTH
15/18 STAMINA 13/15 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+22) -- Flaws: Limited to Radiation
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Debris) 8 (+8)
Technology 6 (+14)
Treatment 2 (+10)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Crushing Pin, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Science), Startle, Takedown, Ultimate Strength & Toughness Checks, Ultimate Science Skill, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"The Strongest One There Is"
Power Lifting 5 (25,000 tons) [5]
Leaping 11 (4 miles) [11]
Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 13) [14]
Immunity 11 (Heat, Cold, Radiation, Pressure, Poison, Disease, Radiation Damage) [11]
Immunity 10 (Mental Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [5]
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrowth) [5]

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]

"Super-Strength Feats"
"Thunderclap" Dazzle Hearing 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (24) -- [29]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (22)
AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (22)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (24)
AE: "Super-Breath" Move Object 12 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (24)
AE: Penetrating Strength Damage 13 (13)

"The Hulk's Rage" (All Have Flaws: Uncontrolled- Must be Angry)
Enhanced Strength 3 [3]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Impervious Toughness 4 [2]
Regeneration 5 [2]
Enhanced Super-Strength Feats +2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Raging +9 (+18 Damage, DC 32)
Assorted Strength Feats +12-15 Area (+12-15 Damage/Affliction, DC 27/22 to 30/25)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +14 (+16 Raging, +7-9 Impervious), Fortitude +15 (+17 Raging), Will +10 (+14 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Secret (Bruce Banner Identity)
Rivalry (The Thing, Wolverine)- Both the FF member and the X-Man have threatened him many times in the past, setting off epic brawls.
Responsibility (Betty Banner, Jarella, Caiera)
Secret (Split Personalities)
Enemy ("Thunderbolt" Ross, The Leader)- These two assholes have hunted Banner for years. Ross wants to wipe him out to save the world; The Leader just wants him dead period.
Temper- The Hulk is famously easy-to-anger, and is not easily-swayed once enraged.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 101 / Defenses: 22 (243)

-The "Professor" (or "Banner") Hulk was a huge part of Peter David's beloved run on the title, as he both summed up all the previous Hulks & explained everything as psychosomatic trauma and split personalities resulting from a lifetime of abuse at the hands of Bruce's dad, and made the most all-around great Hulk yet- a super-strong behemoth that was also clever, funny and intelligent, literally taking the best of all worlds and combining them toghether. It didn't last the full length of the '90s, but it's fairly iconic for that era and it's still fondly remembered to this day. He was also kinda this way during Secret Wars (when he held up the titanic mountain range), but I forget the specifics.
-Professor Hulk is basically Savage Hulk, minus some points in his abilities (one point less Strength), but with a bit more accuracy and a TON more Skills & Abilities, essentially taking Banner's section of those. This makes him REALLY expensive and overly powerful, but hell, it's THE HULK- you kinda stopped caring about PL limits and points-cost when you chose to play him, amiright?

Image

THE GREEN SCAR HULK (Dr. Bruce Banner)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)
Role: The Strongest One There Is, Jekyll/Hyde Concept, The Powerhouse, The Animalistic Savage
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Pantheon, The Warbound, The New Fantastic Four, The Hulkbusters
Avengers Grade: D-Level (only a few issues)
PL 15 (312)
STRENGTH
19 STAMINA 16 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Expertise (Tactics) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 15 (+20 Size)
Perception 6 (+9)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Crushing Pin, Damaging Escape, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Big-Ass Sword), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Rallying Cry, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Strength & Toughness Checks, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"The Strongest One There Is"
Power Lifting 6 (800,000 tons) [6]
Leaping 11 (4 miles) [11]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 17) [19]
Immunity 13 (Heat, Cold, Radiation, Pressure, Poison, Disease, Suffocation 2, Radiation Damage) [13]
Immunity 10 (Mental Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [5]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrowth) [11]

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]

"Super-Strength Feats"
"Shockwave" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (45) -- [50]
AE: "Thunderclap" Dazzle Hearing 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (42)
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 14 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (42)
AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 14 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (42)
AE:
AE: "Super-Breath" Move Object 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (30)
AE: Penetrating Strength Damage 13 (13)

"The Hulk's Big-Ass Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [5]
Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 6) (8 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Assorted Strength Feats +14-15 Area (+14-15 Damage/Affliction, DC 27/22 to 30/25)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +16 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude +17, Will +13 (+17 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Obsession (Revenge Against The Illuminati)
Rivalry (The Thing, Wolverine)
Responsibility (Caiera's Memory, Sakaar)- The Hulk's beloved wife was killed soon after their coupling- this causes him an untold amount of rage, rendering him stronger than he's ever been.
Responsibility (The Warbound)- The Warbound are eternally-bound to help each other.
Enemy (The Illuminati)- Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Black Bolt, Professor X & Dr. Strange conspired to send The Hulk away from Earth. When the ship they sent him in blew up on Sakaar, it killed almost everyone (including The Hulk's wife). This displeases him.
Enemy ("Thunderbolt" Ross, The Leader)- These two assholes have hunted Banner for years. Ross wants to wipe him out to save the world; The Leader just wants him dead period.
Temper- The Hulk is famously easy-to-anger, and is not easily-swayed once enraged.

Total: Abilities: 110 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 130 / Defenses: 21 (312)

-"The Green Scar" aspect of The Hulk came about during his months on Sakaar, during "Planet Hulk", a sword & sorcery-esque epic chunk of the Hulk's main book, which did what I thought was impossible nowadays- make an interesting Hulk book. Sure, the writer basically made a whole new character & personality from whole cloth, as this guy didn't match ANY of the old Hulks, but hell, it was like a big green Conan the Barbarian tearing up the countryside as a wicked-awesome rebel leader, so who gives a crap? He was craftly, cynical and mean, but wanted everyone to be free, and sought to depose the Red King. Sure, he did it with ridiculous ease and never appeared to be in overmuch danger the entire time, which was a bit less dramatic (and the Red King was more of a lame monarch who was 100% nasty & evil, rather than any kind of complex character), but this series was really all about creating a world, and showing lots of the Hulk fighting.
-So when the Warp Core of the ship that brought him to Sakaar exploded, The Hulk blamed the Illuminati who sent him there in the first place, and came flying to Earth on the hull of a massive starship, promising to beat the living tar out of each and every member of the group, starting with Black Bolt (whom he beat with ease), then Iron Man, Mister Fantastic & Doctor Strange. And he pretty much owned everybody until the Sentry showed up, and even THEN he survived, requiring a massive satellite bombardment and a willing submission after discovering his own allies committed the genocide on his people.
-So this guy's a monster, and has a whole different set of abilities than the other Hulks. He's by FAR a better fighter, being a trained gladiator with tons of war experience. The Banner personality exists, but Hulk actually has to 'let him out' and has perfect control over the change now (so no Drawbacks). Instead of Boosting his power, he's ALWAYS at maximum strength (especially after his nation died), and he can pretty much survive at-will in outer space for some reason. He's so unbelievably nasty & strong that he could whup EVERYBODY in the Marvel Universe, practically at once, so nobody should mess with him, period. His Regeneration is as elite as Wolvie/Sabretooth, and unlike most Hulks, he's actually likely to DODGE some attacks.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

FIREBIRD (Bonita Juarez, aka La Espirita)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Sal Buscema
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #265 (Nov. 1981)
Role: Latina Chick, Generic Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Rangers
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (141)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+9)
Expertise (Religion) 9 (+10)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Fire) 3 (+9)

Advantages:
Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Fire), Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Meteor-Given Fire Powers"
Flame Aura 2 [8]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (Quirks: Cannot Breath While Flying at High Speeds -1) [11]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Immunity 16 (Life Support -Starvation & Thirst, Aging, Demonic Magic 2, Radiation Damage) [16]

"Boost Aura" Aura 6 (24) -- [26]
AE: Blast 9 (18)
AE: "Ignite" Blast 6 (Extras: Perception Range) (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Aura +9 (+4-8 Damage, DC 19-23)
Blast +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Ignite +6 Perception (+6 Perception Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Devout Catholic)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 63 / Defenses: 19 (141)

-Firebird pretty much defines "Tertiary Character" in the Marvel Universe, basically being created as a fight for the Hulk (yeah, right...) in his own series, then being put onto the Rangers subsidiary team, and finally joined the Avengers West Coast for a very brief period. Subsequent "comebacks" have generally been pretty short, as she's about as generic as they come: A devout Catholic Latina, a fire-wielding hero (at least they didn't make her 'hot-headed'), a flying blaster, it's all pretty standard stuff. She has some extra powers thrown out there that seem to make little sense (she has fire-powers from a meteor, so of course she can also see the future and is immune to poison and daemonic magic-- huh?), but she's not much of a character otherwise. She basically followed the WCA around for a couple years, hooked up with Hank Pym briefly (well, part of Christianity IS helping the unfortunate...), but soon vanished from the book.
-Firebird's a PL 9 Blaster with quite a few extra tricks, making her rather expensive for what is really a minor character. All that Precognition, Aura stuff, fast Flight and Immunity adds up- I didn't want her to be too pricey since she's so insignificant, but really there's nothing I can think of leaving off. She's a half-decent fighter, a good Blaster, but one hell of a Glass Cannon- she's PL 6.5 defensively! She does NOT want to be getting hit.

LIVING LIGHTNING (Miguel Santos)
Created By:
Roy & Dann Thomas & Paul Ryan
First Appearance: The Avengers West Coast #63 (Oct. 1990)
Role: Token Minority, Double-Minority, The Gay Guy, Forgotten Character, Flying Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Avengers West Coast, The Secret Avengers, The Pacific Overlords, The Rangers (Initiative)
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 9 (170)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Electricity) 5 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Lightning), Improved Initiative, Teamwork

Powers:
Senses 2 (Detect Electricity- Ranged) [2]
"Lightning Strike" Blast 10 (20) -- [23]
AE: "Lightning Bolt" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (18)
AE: "Lightning Force Field" Protection 5 (Extras: Sustained +0) (5)
AE: Lightning Aura 4 (16)

"Lightning Body" Alternate Form (Activation -1) [-1]
Insubstantial 3 [15]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightning Strike +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Lightning Bolt +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Lightning Aura +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+8 Force Field), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Prejudice- Both latino and homosexual, Miguel is occasionally brushed with negativity.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 103 / Defenses: 14 (170)

-Living Lightning is... kind of a forgettable character, really. He was added to the West Coast Avengers in the middle of their run, before and after most of the big storylines, and he just kind of floated around, doing not much of anything. His next big character moment was when he came out of the closet... to zero notability. I mean, really, it's not a big deal when it's a character THAT minor. His biggest recent accomplishment was being seen with The Rangers once he joined the Initiative. Starting out with the West Coast Avengers team is kind of a strike against him in the first place, and the name is just the clincher. Miguel here got his powers from your standard accidents, and worked for bad guy Dr. Demonicus for a while before turning good. His Wikipedia page pretty much just states the Avengers' multiple big events & cross-overs as "things he's done". He caused a teeny bit of a ruckus when he "came out" in a GLA book, which bugged some fans, as he'd dated women in the past, and Dan Slott, the writer, defended it with the usual "He's a wonderful gay role model" schtick, but really, who gives a crap if the LIVING LIGHTNING, one of the big guys people would forget to even list as having been Avengers in the first place, was gay?
-Living Lightning's an expensive guy, despite being a PL 9 character with a generic Lightning-based offensive power-set. It's that Flight speed- he's sub-lightspeed in nature (despite being made of actual electricity), but it's still 32 points on making him one of the fastest fliers around. He's got a Blast, a Line Damage Bolt, an Aura and a protective Force Field, but they're all Alt-Effects, and thus much less efficient than the standard builds that usually include Protection, Auras & Blasts separately.

TIGRA (Greer Grant-Nelson, aka The Cat)
Created By:
Linda Fite, Roy Thomas & Marie Severin (The Cat), Tony Isabella & Don Perlin (Tigra)
First Appearance: Claws of the Cat #1 (Nov. 1972- Cat), Giant-Size Creatures #1 (July 1974- Tigra)
Role: Animal Chick, Miss Fanservice
Group Affiliations: The Avengers West Coast, Avengers Academy
Avengers Grade: C-Level (usually D-Level)
PL 9 (158)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 6 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Law Enforcement/S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 8 (+10)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+10)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Equipment (Mystical Amulet- Transforms to Greer & Back), Evasion, Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Claws), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Instant Up, Prone Fighting, Startle

Powers:
"Feline Claws"
Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) [1]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]

"Feline Physiology"
Speed 4 (32 mph) [4]
"Cat Agility" Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Cat Senses" Senses 7 (Low-Light Vision, Infravision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing, Tracking- Scent) [7]
"Prehensile Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
"Tiger Stripes" Enhanced Skills 4: Stealth 4 (+14) (Flaws: Limited to In Jungles & Forests) [1]

Regeneration 2 [2]
"Animal Mind" Enhanced Will Check 4 (Flaws: Limited to Telepathic Attacks) [2]
"Cat Empathy" Mind-Reading 6 (Flaws: Limited to Emotions, Distracting) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Claws +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +6, Fortitude +9, Will +6 (+10 vs. Telepathy)

Complications:
Vulnerable (Hearing)- Tigra is more vulnerable to Audio Dazzles than normal humans.
Motivation (The Next Generation)- Tigra is devoted to training heroes, having joined both The Initiative and The Avengers Academy as an instructor.
Relationship (Hank Pym)- They've hooked up twice (three, if you include Skrull Hank)- apparently Cat People have low standards.
Relationship (William Nelson)- Tigra's child is now the most important person in her life. She is one of three superhuman females to successfully breed.
Responsibility (Cat People)- Tigra was meant to be the protector of The Cat People.
Responsibility (The Call of the Wild)- Tigra often exhibits very feline-like tendencies, such as a desire for freedom, aggressiveness, or an obsession with getting attention.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 14 (158)

-I still remember picking up one of the few comics I bought with my own money in Grade 5- Avengers West Coast, looking at the very first page, and going "WOAH! Who is THAT?" Apparently all the cooties-fearing in the world can't make an 11-year old not be impressed by a scantily-clad Catgirl in a conquettish pose, because right then and there, I became a fan of Tigra.
-Tigra made her debut as "The Cat", one of three attempts by Marvel to simultaneously appeal to female readers. All three (including the Night Nurse & Shanna the She-Devil) failed, mostly because they stank. Even Marvel admits to their failure, with this in addition to the dropping of Spider-Woman & the first She-Hulk attempt around this time. Funny how getting women to read comics only worked when they did romance stuff, though Gail Simone's Female Empowerment stuff tends to do okay with that crowd (largely through mostly not sucking). It's a tricky thing to do in comics, what with the obsession with "Strong Women"- too many guys think "strong woman" translates to "reject authority, act like a bitch, and dress like a gigantic whore"- never mind that many of the most-popular male characters are characters with a lot of weaknesses
-Greer Grant-Nelson allowed a scientist friend to experiment upon her after her police officer husband died, and she wanted to do something with her life. After her book died four issues in, the character was quickly turned into something else- some Cat People turned her into their defender, since humans were apparently picking on them (they were the remaining members of a race that was mostly banished to another dimension). Thus she dropped the costume (that later went to Patsy "Hellcat" Walker), donned a skimpy black bikini, and became a humanoid Tiger-Girl- the Living Embodiment of Fanservice. She didn't get up to much in the late '70s aside from some random team-ups with other heroes, but was on The Avengers for a short while- resigning after realizing how much weaker she was than the other heroes. She was more successful of Steve Englehart's West Coast Avengers team, where she was a character member for a long time. Unfortunately, Englehart started it off with a run as "Slutty Tigra", as her cat nature overpowered her and caused her to basically jump the bones of absolutely every male in her presence! In this form, she slept with both Wonder Man and Hank Pym, then found herself desperate for affection from GRAVITON, of all people! Now, this was meant to be a TEMPORARY thing, and show the mercurial nature of cats (she was also more savage at this time), but unfortunately, Slutty Tigra became the Iconic Tigra. Something about a sexually-aggressive Catgirl in a bikini strangely APPEALS to certain readers, I guess!
-She went through some more stuff with the Cat People, gained a tail to go with her fuzzy self, and got a power upgrade. She left the West Coast team after several years, briefly returned, but then more or less vanished from comics for a LONG time. She ran off into space with Starfox and didn't get up to much of anything, until more than a DECADE after her WCA departure, where she became a central character in the Initiative plotline. She got badly beaten by The Hood in a rather-uncomfortable story bit, and she was a major trainer at Camp Hammond, slept with Pym AGAIN, but this time it was a Skrull, resulting in a baby (with a comic book trademark "Super-Fast Pregnancy", explained away by her cat-like nature). She became one of the teachers in Avengers Academy, continuing a long run of responsibility for the once-flighty character. Despite all of that, she's still relatively... MINOR- she doesn't get the major storylines, and is usually way down the list of importance for characters in each cast of Teachers.
-Tigra is a good, over-pointed PL 9, being a very capable fighter, but not quite as powerful as a lof of Avengers are- it was actually a plot point in the WCA days that she was WAY-underpowered as a superhero, and really struggled to pull her own weight. She lacks the raw power or accuracy needed to breach the cusp, and she's a bit too easily injured by human-level opponents. She best fits that "Domino/Black Cat" stage of low-level superheroics and goonsweeping, as opposed to straight-up beating the hell out of people. For her, guys like the Brothers Grimm, The Mandrill and others are decent physical threats, whereas Spider-Man would trounce them (though oddly, she was shown EASILY defeating Vermin in a background scene- "Cat versus mouse. What do you think?"- despite Vermin being considered a dangerous opponent for Spidey or Captain America). She can still modify many of her caps, though, so be warned against taking her lightly.

THE RED HULK (General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby (Ross), Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuiness (Red Hulk)
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962- Ross), Hulk #1 (vol. 2) (Jan. 2008)
Role: The Villain Sue, The Rival (to The Hulk)
Group Affiliations: The Hulkbusters, The U.S. Army, The Avengers (?)
Avengers Grade: D-Level (just kinda joined)
PL 14 (285)
STRENGTH
16 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4/8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Military) 10 (+12)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 5 (+7)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit 2 (General), Equipment 6 (Giant Guns), Improved Critical (Guns), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Villain Sue"
Power Lifting 5 (50,000 tons) [5]
Leaping 11 (4 miles) [11]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 13) [15]
Immunity 16 (Heat, Cold, Radiation, Pressure, Poison, Disease, Radiation Effects) [16]
Regeneration 8 (Feats: Regrowth) [9]
"The Hottest One There Is" Heat Aura 8 [32]
Enhanced Fighting 4 [8]
Enhanced Advantages 11: Chokehold, Close Attack 3, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Withstand Damage [11]

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]

"Super-Strength Feats"
"Thunderclap" Dazzle Hearing 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (24) -- [29]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (22)
AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (22)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (24)
AE: "Super-Breath" Move Object 12 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (24)
AE: Penetrating Strength Damage 13 (13)

"The Red Hulk's Rage"
Enhanced Heat Aura 7 (Flaws: Uncontrolled- Must be Angry, Side-Effect- Fatigue) [21]

Equipment:
"Killer Giant Guns" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Heat Aura +11 (+8 Damage, DC 25)
Raging Aura +11 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Assorted Strength Feats +12 Area (+12 Damage/Affliction, DC 22)
Giant Guns +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +15 (+7 Impervious), Fortitude +15, Will +8

Complications:
Secret (Thunderbolt Ross Identity)
Obsession (Stopping the Hulk)
Enemy (The Hulk, Everyone Else)- During his early stint as the Red Hulk, Ross kicked nearly every powerful hero's ass. Now that his big run is over, except every one of them to come for payback.
Responsibility (Daughter- Betty Banner)
Temper- Ross is easily-enraged, and will not hesitate to attack something he percieves as a threat.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 164 / Defenses: 16 (285)

-Ho-kay, so here's the famous Red Hulk, a big-time Hulk villain of the past couple years who exploded onto the scene, and sent a bunch of nerds into a tizzie. Well really, the whole thing (invented by Joe Quesada at a meeting) was kinda amusing to watch, as I cared little about the Hulk-verse, but I find huge attempts at Mary Sues funny. Essentially, the Red Hulk comes across as Jeph Loeb getting his jollies off by writing a power-fantasy character to run amok on the Marvel U, and kick everyone's ass. He went through She-Hulk, Iron Man, The Hulk, a Wendigo, THOR, and then took the Silver Surfer's Board and went flying around space to kick the Grandmaster or the Watcher's ass or something. Now, comics has always been somewhat subject to immature writers' fantasies (Claremont and his X-Women, Englehart & his Mantis), but this was almost TOO much. It reads literally like a giant bag of bad Fan Fiction- that lowest of all creative industries. Loeb was writing a villain whose sole purpose was to kick ass, and it's both amateurish and embarassing to read. But also funny. I'm actually happy they created him for this reason.
-And it was "Thunderbolt" Ross this whole time, which is kind of an un-reveal, but really, they had driven the Ross/Banner thing into the ground centuries ago, and it gave them a new dynamic. Big secrets like that tend to be disappointing let-downs anyways. This whole concept is so Pro Wrestling it's not even funny (I'm a huge wrestling nerd- almost moreso than I ever was a comic nerd)- a hot new Monster Heel debuts, Squashes all the prior top names in one-sided matches that seem to Bury them. But Putting Him Over, the guys devalue their own names, and the internet Smart Marks cry foul, calling for the head of this guy being Over-Pushed. Once his Push ends and he loses the big-time rematch at the end of their Series, he starts Giving Back some of the wins he had amassed before. For example, he's since jobbed to The Hulk, Thor, a super-powerful Ben Grimm, and the X-Men, and during a more heroic turn in which he tries to make up for past misdeeds, he's become more or less a traditional hero, prone to struggling to overcome many situations (like against the Mayan Gods).
-Ross was basically created as a dramatic twinge in The Hulk's book- both the father of Bruce Banner's love interest, and the main man in charge of hunting down and destroying this "mindless monster". He existed in this form for YEARS before dying heroically and giving his blessing to Bruce & Betty, but of course was resurrected by The Leader and started hating Bruce once Betty died of gamma-caused cancer or whatever. He became The Red Hulk in 2008, beating up pretty much everyone he encountered for a year or two post-World War Hulk.
-OK, I've not read that many comics featuring Rulk, so this is what I got off of Wikipedia and copying others' builds, plus that arc with the Mayan Gods. He's as strong as the baseline Hulk, but a much better fighter, has nifty giant guns, and gets super, SUPER hot, doing massive damage with an Aura Effect. He's of high PL, equivalent to Thor or The Hulk, which accounts for his "New Villain Stink" putting him ahead of both of them in early fights. He used to have an Energy Absorption power- Nullifying all Energy Powers (or Afflicting them), but it's been taken away.

PROTECTOR (Noh-Varr, aka Marvel Boy III, Captain Marvel III)
Created By:
Grant Morrison & J.G. Jones
First Appearance: Marvel Boy #1 (Aug. 2000)
Role: Skrull Killer, Crazy Guy
Group Affiliations: The Dark Avengers, The Kree Empire, The Young Avengers
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 11 (248)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 6 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Kree Soldier) 7 (+13)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+14)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Perception 10 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+12)
Stealth 7 (+13)
Technology 8 (+14)
Vehicles 6 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"White Running" Immunity 20 (Dazzle Effects, Stun/Fatigue Effects, Mental Effects) (Flaws: Sustained +0) [20]
"Triple-Jointed" Immunity 1 (Pressure) [1]
"Able to Eat Anything" Immunity 1 (Poison) [1]
Regeneration 4 (Flaws: Source- Requires Food) [2]
Movement 3 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed) [6]
Speed 5 (60 mph) [5]

"Biologically-Active Saliva" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Progressive +2) (Flaws: Limited to if Saliva is Still Touching Them) (18) -- [20]
AE: "Fingernail Toxin" Affliction 8 (Fort; Fatigued/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (16)
AE: "Fingernail Spike" Damage 10 (10)

"Variable Weapon" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [26]
Variable 6 (Types of Weapons) (42 points)

Equipment:
"Body Armour" Protection 1 (1)
"Kree Blaster" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (21) -- (22)
"Grenades" Blast 7 (Feats: Triggered) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Reduced Range -1) (21)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 22)
Fingernail Spike +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Toxins +10 (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Blaster +12 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Grenades +7 Area (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +7 (+8 Armour), Fortitude +10, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibilty (Kree Agent)- Noh-Varr is a loyalist Kree, and also does not get, nor like, human beings.

Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 78--39 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 80 / Defenses: 16 (248)

-... I really, really know nothing about this character. He sorta just came & went quietly in some Morrison-written limited series in the year 2000, and didn't show up again until Bendis' modern era, where he became a Dark Avenger and did some more stuff. He's kind of an insane Kree spy/soldier guy who hated people, but is now kind of a hero or something. Bios of him online basically showcase a guy that seems like he was designed by a commitee of imbecilic 9-year-olds who added every power they could do him. I have no idea.
-He fights an evil Omni-Corporation and a Multi-Trillionaire (oh yeah, Morrison was writing, alright), but is soon captured and turned into a mind-controlled agent of the government, sent to fight The Runaways & Young Avengers. Norman Osborn uses his Skrull-hating tendencies to make him the perfect alien agent to join his Dark Avengers, which sees him acting generally confused and ignorant of everything. He quits the team when it's revealed that its full of criminals, and eventually starts calling himself Protector, which is about the most generic superhero name in the history of the world. He turns on his Kree masters when he discovers they want the Phoenix Force energy for themselves, and won't save the Earth, but the AVENGERS also threw him off the team and declared him an enemy for stealing the energy in the first place.
-I've never so much as seen this guy fight, and his powers all come from Wikipedia & ComicVine, so this is the best I got. He can make his fingernail grow super-big and explode if put inside some guy (?- only happened once, so I'm declaring that a Power Stunt... not sure which overly-nice GM allowed it though), he can mind control people if his spit is in them (gross), and he's immune to anything sensory-based as long as he can pay attention and make sure of it. He's sort of a PL 11 ass-kicking melee guy with a death-weapon capable of creating several different kinds of damage (a spike, a regular Blaster, and a SUPER blast that burned THE SENTRY somehow), and he's enough to beat all of the Young Avengers in seconds. He's a full, HUGELY expensive elite fighter, which is something I wasn't expecting- but yeah, he's incredibly skilled, fighty and has a ton of varied powers. Currently he also has a pair of Nega-Bands like Mar-Vell's, but they also Teleport and probably make him even MORE expensive. What a thoroughly unpleasant character to have to build. If I didn't already say I was gonna stat all the Avengers, I'd have skipped him completely.

MARRINA (Marrina Smallwood)
Created By:
John Byrne
First Appearance: Alpha Flight #1 (Aug. 1983)
Role: Aquatic Hero, Namor's Wife
Group Affiliations: Alpha Flight, Beta Flight, The Avengers (ally)
PL 9 (126)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 1 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Insight 2 (+2)
Perception 7 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 3 (Cold, Drowning, Pressure) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Swimming 11 (1,000 mph) (11) -- [12]
AE: Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

"Oil Secretions" Dazzle Visuals 8 (Flaws: Touch Range) [8]
"Water Spouts" Water Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Requires Large Water Body) (18) -- [19]
AE: Water Control 10

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Water Spout +9 Area (+9 Area Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Leviathan)- Marrina, if brought near a Plodex, or made pregant, can and will shift into one of two forms- either a sharp-clawed, savage creature, or a mile-long Leviathan with almost no sentient thought processes.
Responsibility (Peaceful)- Marrina dislikes violence, and does not want anyone to see her when she is in an enraged state.
Relationship (Namor)- One of many women to have earned Namor's love, Marrina went as far as to marry him, and bear his child. It ended badly, with him forced to slay her with the Ebony Blade when she went insane.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 17 (126)

-Marrina's an odd fit in Alpha Flight history, as she came in as an alien egg that attached itself to humans, and made her way as an Aquatic archetype hero for the Alphans, eventually hooking up with Namor (who I believe John Byrne was also writing at that time). Her story gets weird from there, though, as she ends up turning into a monster half a dozen times (as the Plodex want her to mate with another of her species), eventually needing to be killed by her husband in her final form. And after that, we pretty much never saw Marrina again. Really weird, in that she married a semi-major hero (but a B-league seller) and then disappeared so easily, but that's what happens when new writers take over a series, or the current writer runs out of stuff for you to do (Roger Stern wasted relatively-little time in getting rid of her as soon as he could). I still say that the lack of sadness over her death is based more off the fact that she wasn't Comic Book Gorgeous (she had a nice body, but big black googly eyes) than anything else.
-Oddly, she was resurrected TWICE, first for part of Norman Osborn's revenge against Namor for betraying him during Dark Reign (he mutated her and sent her against Namor, who killed her AGAIN), and for the modern Alpha Flight Limited Series, but as a snarky, scrappier fighter who used "Die, Human Scum!" as a catchphrase.
-A PL 9 who's more of a PL 7.5 in close combat when water's not close by, Marrina's a mediocre hand-to-hand scrapper, and needs water to create her dangerous Water Spouts.

MARRINA- LEVIATHAN FORM
Role:
Evil Version
PL 14 (196)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA 14 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 10 (+16 Size)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Eye Beams) 10 (+10)
Stealth 26 (+6)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Grab, Startle, Power Attack, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Direction Sense) [2]
Unarmed Reach 10 (Reach: 150 feet) [10]
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]

"Sea Creature"
Swimming 6 (120 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Pressure, Cold, Drowning) [3]
Swimming 11 (1,000 mph) [11]

Features 2: Can Nullify all Electronic Signals [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 18 (Str & Sta +18, +18 Mass, +9 Intimidation, -9 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -18 Stealth) -- (144 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [37]
"Body Ram" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (56) -- [60]
AE: "Single Strike" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +2) (42)
AE: "Whirlpool Wake" Move Object 13 (Extras: Area-120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Dragging Into Water) (39)
AE: "Eye Beams" Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 2- 400 feet) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Damage 13) (51)

Strength-Damage +4 [4]
Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 19) [26]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Area Attacks +13 Area (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +21 (+10 Impervious), Fortitude +17, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- In this form, Marrina cannot speak to humans, nor use her limbs to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: -34 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 163 / Defenses: 29 (196)

-Marrina in her Leviathan form is brutally powerful, enough to challenge an entire team of Avengers (including Monica Rambeau, Thor, and Namor) and take nearly all of their attacks without worry. She was so mighty that she took Thor & Marvel's full-powered electrical blasts without dying, and required Namor wielding the Ebony Blade to stop her.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

THE HUMAN TORCH I (Jim Hammond)
Created By:
Carl Burgos
First Appearance: Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939)
Role: Blaster/Energy Guy, Forgotten Golden Ager
Group Affiliations: The Invaders, The All-Winners Squad, The V-Battalion, Oracle Inc., The Heroes For Hire, The Avengers West Coast
PL 10 (199)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Police Officer) 4 (+7)
Expertise (History) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+7)
Expertise
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Fire) 4 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Critical (Fire) 2, Improved Smash, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Android Physiology"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Suffocation, Drowning) [3]

"Horton Cells in Makeup"
Flame Aura 4 (Feats: Precise) [17]
"Fire-Assisted Flight" Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Fire Being" Immunity 6 (Fire Damage, Heat) [6]
"Super-Hot Bullet Shield" Immunity 5 (Bullets) (Extras: Sustained +0) [5]

"Cone Blast" Damage 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (31) -- [40]
Dynamic AE: "Line Blast" Damage 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (31)
Dynamic AE: "Fireball" Blast 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (31)
Dynamic AE: "Power Blast" Fire Blast 10 (Feats: Dynamic, Split, Penetrating 6) (28)
Dynamic AE: "Advanced Flame Aura" Flame Aura 6 (Total 10) (Feats: Dynamic) (25)
AE: "Nova Flame!" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fire Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Fire Effects +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Flame Aura +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Advanced Flame Aura +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Nova Flame +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Android)- Jim is not human, and often has to deal with his strange origins, and he can be taken apart or resurrected by various means.
Power Loss- Jim's powers will not work in a vacuum, or under much pressure from water or other fire-retardant substances.
Responsibility (Firepower)- Hammond's power is extremely dangerous, and can go out of control if he does not excercise proper care.
Relationship (Toro)- Thomas Raymond was a Mutant who discovered his dangerous ability to set himself aflame- the Torch discovered him at a carnival and made him his partner.
Responsibility (Death-Prone)- NOBODY in comics- not Jean Grey, not anybody- is as prone to death or "being put into stasis" as Jim Hammond. He has been decommissioned something like SEVEN DIFFERENT TIMES, and has spent more time "dead" than alive.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 87 / Defenses: 16 (199)

-The original Human Torch is among the first super-heroes in all of comics, but never quite attained the level of many of his contemporaries. He was fairly popular in the old days, getting several covers and stuff like that, but "Timely Comics" in general was far behind DC, National and Fawcett, with ONLY their top three being any good, and only Captain America selling REALLY well. DC/National and their Justice Society had many more big names, especially once later writers like Roy Thomas made the crappy forgotten schlubs like Hourman (maybe had all of ten appearances total in his debut decade), Dr. Mid-Nite (ditto), etc. into great characters with terrific legacies in the modern JSA. Marvel really just had Cap, Namor & the Torch, with distant guys like The Whizzer (hee), Miss America, Blue Diamond, Captain Terror and others falling totally by the wayside as forgotten concepts. Marvel's guys had POTENTIAL, but there was no epic retro bring-back for most of them.
-Torch was part of comics' first-ever crossover battle, as the Torch & Sub-Mariner opposed one another in 1940 for an EPIC fight (all of New York was flooded, as shown in Marvels). They formed a truce, and later appeared devastating Nazi & Tojo forces on various covers (with the Torch having some especially gory ones- you don't often see people get their freaking ARMS MELTED OFF right on the cover, even during the Iron Age), and faltered in the post-war era, as Timely shifted to whatever was popular at the time (Martin Goodman was basically a bandwagon-jumper extraordinaire, as Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics states outright- if Westerns were popular, Timely produced FIFTY Western books at once! When Romance hit big, ALL Timely books became Romance!). A couple failed revivals led to him completing the WWII hero trifecta (Namor & Cap had already re-appeared), but unfortunately, Hammond died again following a brawl with the new Human Torch. However, it IS apparently a matter of record that Hitler did NOT in fact commit suicide at the end of World War II- the Torch & Toro invaded his private bunker when he was about to take the coward's way out, and when Hitler turned his gone on them, Jim Hammond BURNED HITLER ALIVE. That is AWESOME.
-It's interesting how Marvel's eventual-reputation as a hall of fallen heroes and freaks started even back THEN- Namor was a villain at first, and the Torch was thought-of as a freak and a monster right from his origin story, featuring him as an android set ablaze, setting off a panic in the streets of New York. THESE GUYS ended up being the central figures in Timely Comics, perhaps predicting the 1960s runs of the hideous Thing, argumentative Fantastic Four & Avengers, monstrous victimized Hulk, prejudice-facing X-Men and the "menace" Spider-Man. These were no square-jawed, proud, upstanding DC Heroes- these guys were dark, despised figures, feared by the very people they saved. There's an innate sense of REBELLION to Marvel's works, and it helped set them apart from DC in those early days.
-This just kept happening. A writer would bring him back (John Byrne did for Avengers West Coast), then he would die or go into stasis or something. Nothing ever really panned out. People just aren't interested in hearing about the comparatively-boring Jim Hammond compared to the other two Golden Agers or the current, flawed Torch. His best appearance is STILL that brilliant, freaky Golden Age intro in "Marvels", where he breaks out of the pavement holding his body and accidentally terrorizes the populace. They did the big "reveal" that neither he nor Vision were the same guy (which got sorta-retconned by Kurt Busiek in Avengers Forever- so now he & Vision are basically "clones"), and he got a minor team run as a hero out of it. But it just wasn't to be, as interest waned, and the character ended up being de-powered. I remember him being on Heroes for Hire, but that book only lasted a year or so as well. And in recent history, he died AGAIN, got a heroic send-off in Brubaker's Cap run, but then ANOTHER revival happened, and he AGAIN got controlled by a super-villain, before naturally resurrecting and turning good... AGAIN. So who knows what the future holds for what was once Marvel's third-biggest cash cow? His history's more messed-up than a barrel of Hawkmen sometimes.
-Yikes. Was NOT expecting Hammond to be so expensive. But then, he's got many of Johnny Storm's abilities, just at PL 10 levels, an Android body (like Vision, he's just Immune to a few things- not a robot with no Stamina), some skill, and great Toughness, given his artificial body. This Torch is powerful, but hasn't recieved the upgrades that later benefitted the FF's Torch. Still though, very few characters can break 190 points in cost, so he's definitely powerful, versatile and dangerous.

Good thing you just posted this, because I've been away in Red Deer & Calgary for a while, and wouldn't have had time to respond otherwise :).

I vaguely remember Masked Rider, but only that version- it didn't last long, and I got out of the Super Sentai fandom around that time. But I'll see what I can do.

I can see you've gone the uncharacteristic path of choosing a nice-guy, helpful superhero :). But starting out, I'd say your dude is in shape and yeah, has various Teamwork Advantages (Set-Up, Teamwork... Interpose, maybe?). Very high Persuasion as well (not that common with superheroes, who are generally unable to get ANYONE to stop beating their heads in).

Multiple Forms are a bit trickier in that the GM may not like too much variability, but since we both know Kreuz and you're not a Power Gamer, it should be alright. Alternate Form doesn't really work the same way it did in 2nd Edition (in 2e, it gave a simple -1 or -2 Flaw to an entire batch of Powers)- nowadays it just costs what the combined powers cost, minus a flat -1 or 2 (which I think is what you said anyways). Nowadays, you simply build the most-expensive Form, then do the other three as Alt-Effects. That's what I do with guys who can both Grow & Shrink, but gain multiple Powers from each case. Vision's High Density & Low Density as well.

Red Form seems like a stronger Mini-Cap... actually, just U.S. Agent, really. Only less of a dick. Is Blue a better fighter than Red- if not, he'll be lower-level Offensively. The character reminds me a fair bit of Crystal Girl, my PC for Horsenhero's short-lived Legion of Super-Heroes game. She was a Construct created by Mordru who had the same number of Forms- a Powerhouse (Diamond), a Blaster (Ruby), a Create Object (Sapphire) and a Blast Redirector (Jade).

The Super-Combo seems relatively like my standard Street Fighter/SNK Builds, which I usually replicate with the assumption of Power Attacks (since they almost never hit in-game) and Extraordinary Effort. However, for a more "Real Life" application, I'd suggest building it as a real, separate Power.

Any rarely-used attack is likely Tiring in M&M terms- so rather than go super-complicated with the Temporary Weaken Toughness thing, I'd just make it something like this:
Strength-Damage +X (Feats: Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating Y, Multiattack Z) (Flaws: Tiring) (Inaccurate -1 or -2)

This allows for an Iron Fist-like Super-Attack that is hard-hitting, but also fairly-rare. It's inaccurate so it makes PL caps while still using great force. Multiattack AND Improved Critical will add together to make it very dangerous. Tiring means you won't want to use it all the time, especially since the best application of these techniques is also to use Extra Effort AND Extraordinary Effort (allowing a super-boosted effect).

As for the "Rider" thing, I'm thinking a low-level Summon, if the thing is capable of fighting. If not, then it's basically a power like the following:
Protection X (Affects Others Only- Limited to Vehicles)
Speed X (Affects Others Only- Limited to Vehicles)
Extra Limbs X (Affects Others Only- Limited to Vehicles)

Essentially letting him Empower something else with a touch- it basically enhances Equipment he's already got, in ADDITION to Equipment he just finds. If he uses the power like a Summon, then the SUMMON has those Powers- not the Rider.

Hope that helps!

DOCTOR DRUID (Anthony Ludgate Druid, aka Doctor Droom, Druid)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Amazing Adventures #1 (June 1961)
Role: Crappier Version of Dr. Strange, The Scrappy, Worst Avenger Ever
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Illuminati, The Order
Avengers Grade: C-Level (barely a member)
PL 10 (169)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 10 (+10)
Expertise (Sorceror) 9 (+14)
Expertise (Psychiatry) 6 (+11)
Expertise (History) 3 (+8)
Insight 8 (+11)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Artificer, Ranged Attack 5, Ritualist, Trance

Powers:
"Not as Good as Dr. Strange Magical Might"
Senses 4 (Postcognition) (Flaws: Limited to Magical Objects) [2]
Senses 3 (Detect Magic- Ranged, Tracking) [3]

Mind Control 10 (Extras: Sustained +2) (60) -- [66]
AE: "Telepathy" Mind Reading 9 & Mental Communication 5 (38)
AE: "Mass Hypnosis" Affliction 7 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Concentration) (29)
AE: Concealment (All Senses) (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Mental) (21)
AE: Illusion 10 (Visual & Audio) (Feats: Selective) (31)
AE: "Psychokinesis" Move Object 8 (Extras: Perception Range) & Flight 5 (60 mph) -- (34)
AE: "Yogic Trance" Immunity 8 (Drowning, Suffocation, Starvation & Thirst, Pain Effects) (Extras: Sustained +0) (9)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Mind Control -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Telepathy (DC 19)
Mass Hypnosis +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Magical spells are dependent upon verbal components and hand-movements. If Dr. Druid is tied up, bound, snared or anything else, he will be unable to cast spells.
Vulnerable (Iron)- Iron will negatively affect Druid's spells, and break through his fields with ease.
Reputation (Worst Avenger Ever)- Even compared to Silverclaw and Deathcry. Seriously, HE SUCKS. Pym is like worth two Caps compared to Druid.
Reputation (Not as Good as Dr. Strange)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 71 / Defenses: 12 (169)

-When there's any list out there to see who the worst Avenger ever is, there's only one name you'll see on EVERYONE'S, since people like Silverclaw and Miss Shi'ar '90s Stereotype tend to be forgotten by all but the most intensive fanboys (like, y'know, us). And that name is Doctor Druid. Why? It could be his lame generic red tights and cape. His betrayal of the Avengers. Being thrice taken over by evil villains. Being randomly killed off. Being the only fat male hero in the entire Marvel Universe. Any of these reasons are good enough. Hell, in one side-story, She-Hulk & Wasp agreed upon Druid as the "Worst Avenger Ever" and made fun of him for a full panel of mockery. Even his successor/son (sure, why not? Everyone else has mystery kids pop up out of nowhere) is just some forgotten loser named "Druid". In Chaos War, he was temporarily-resurrected, and even THERE they knock on him for being an ass. Basically, "Doctor Druid Sucks" is like a Marvel Meme, sort of an in-universe thing of Pym or Aquaman's reputations online. It's hilarious.
-Which is ALL THE FUNNIER that the actual character wasn't really THAT bad at first- having read a lot of Roger Stern's run, I kind of "get him" more. He sucks- but he's SUPPOSED to be a giant ass! You're SUPPOSED to be annoyed when this goofy-looking turd starts out helpful, but then immediately starts gunning for Captain Marvel's leadership of the team! He's actually a manipulative, unlikeable piece of crap-- but it's DELIBERATE! Which makes all the difference from all those times the writer creates a Mary Sue and just has them come across as an insufferable ass by accident. And while Druid's appearance was awful (he didn't get the gut till later, but his outfit was horribly-generic), he actually had a unique set of powers- Meserism & Illusions in a HEROIC character are rather unusual.
-Druid debuted as "Doctor Droom" in an early Stan & Jack tale that pre-dates all of the Silver Age Marvel Heroes (his debut book Amazing Adventures, would change names repeatedly until it's final issue, #15, which debuted a certain wall-crawling game-changer for superhero comics. A big part of the story was this occult-seeking guy actually "Turning Oriental" as part of the climax for his debut. He vanished after a few appearances, unknown during the Silver Age proper, until showing up in a Hulk story years later with the name Dr. Druid (to avoid comparisons with Doctor Doom). He would later reappear as one of those classic "Dark Horse" Avengers, helping the team out during the Masters of Evil's takeover of the Mansion, earning his way onto the team the old-school way (Random Team-Up = Joining the Team; they need a story where someone deliberately-plots trying out for the team by artificially setting up one of those situations).
-He had his mind altered by The Terminatrix, leading to him attempting to take control of the team. He was disgraced, but fought back and became leader of The Secret Defenders when that book was floundering and Dr. Strange left it. This time, ANOTHER villain (generic Demon Slorioth) took over his mind- he faked his death and the team disbanded. He changed his name to "Druid", but feelings of rage and power took control of him, and he was killed by Daimon Hellstrom after going insane a THIRD TIME. Now THAT is an ignominious end!
-Druid kind of sucks stats-wise. He doesn't have any decent damage spells at his finger-tips, good Attack or Defense, or any particularly useful skills outside of his Expertise & Insight. His best tactics in battle involve creating illusions, making himself invisible, and hypnotizing people, though none of these are battle winners on their own- at best, he's a half-decent Team Player. Though it can be a bit tricky- he had to distract Tigra just to use his Hypnotism on her one time, but on a later date managed to put a hold on FREAKING MAGNETO, whose Will Save is at least +12, even as a less-sure-of-himself good guy. And check out that WILL CHECK- anyone and everyone could overcome his weak-ass mind. You suck, Dr. Druid. What's funny is that his powers include a ton of straight-up Magic, even though he was careful in the Stern days to point out that he WASN'T MAGIC, and instead used mesmerism and other mental powers- a Mentalist, not a Wizard.

CAPTAIN MARVEL I (Mar-Vell)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Gene Colan
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec. 1967)
Role: Space Hero, Iconic Death Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Titanian Eternals
Avengers Grade: N/A (never really a member- honorary addition)
PL 11 (208)
STRENGTH
5/9 STAMINA 5/9 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3/6 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Aerobatics 6 (+10)
Athletics 3 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Alien Lore) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Kree Soldier) 7 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7, +10 Bands)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11, +14 Bands)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Photon Blasts) 2 (+11)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 8 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasts), Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"The Protector of the Universe"
Senses 11 (Cosmic Awareness- May ask the GM a single question with an HP, Danger Sense, Counters Concealment 2, Illusion 2, Obscure 5) [11]

"Nega-Bands" (Flaws: Removable) [64]
Enhanced Strength 4 (8)
Enhanced Stamina 4 (8)
Enhanced Awareness 3 (6)
Flight 13 (16,000 mph) (26)
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) (4)
Immunity 6 (Heat, Cold, Pressure, Vacuum, Suffocation 2) (6)
Blast 11 (Feats: Split, Affects Insubstantial) (24)
-- (79 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+9 Damage, DC 20)
Nega-Bands Unarmed +11 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Nega-Blasts +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+9 Bands), Fortitude +7 (+11 Bands), Will +10

Complications:
Enemy (The Kree Empire, The Skrulls, Thanos)- The Skrulls consider him their GREATEST enemy. Thanos thinks the same of Mar-Vell & Adam Warlock.
Relationship (Elysius)- Mar-Vell & Elysius were totally sleeping together, and she ended up having a ton of clone-babies with him after he died. Because she's weird.
Relationship (Rick Jones)- They didn't get along for years (Rick is kind of an ass), but eventually became best buddies.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 75 / Defenses: 18 (208)

-Captain Mar-Vell (Marvel grabbed the formerly-trademarked name as soon as they could, and promptly acted like chodes to DC about it- but hey, it IS the name of their company) is an interesting study in fan psychology, and the impressions that certain events have over fandom. See, Mar-Vell was not a big seller in his prime, which is something I'd always wondered about- I mean, who kills characters PERMANENTLY? Everyone ELSE who died in that era is back but for Gwen Stacy. But the Captain Marvel series was a disappointment- even Stan Lee couldn't save it, as it was one of his late-'60s creations, and he's one of those guys for whom it seems their creative juices expired after their initial peak. Twenty issues in, they changed his costume to the one we recognize and he got a new creative team of OTHER comic book legends (no less than Roy Thomas & Gil Kane!), but even that faltered. Jim Starlin made him kind of a pet character as well, but nothing came of it. And so, seventeen years after he debuted, Mar-Vell was killed off in The Death of Captain Marvel, an amazing, poignant story about a guy slowly dying of cancer while all his super-buddies could only sit around and watch.
-And yeah, EPIC stuff. From Starfox gaining some much-needed maturity, a rare cowardly moment from Spider-Man (he can't bear to watch the lingering Mar-Vell and kinda bails for a while), and a frickin' SKRULL awarding the sick man the Skrull Medal of Valor ("you are not just our enemy... you were our GREATEST enemy!")- it's something you rarely have EVER seen in comics. And so poignant was the storyline that no fan would allow Marvel to bring Mar-Vell back, and no writer would have the balls to. That seems to be inviting fate in an era where BUCKY GODDAMN BARNES is breathing air, but I still doubt it.
-And so, Captain Marvel sits as a legend, and curiously FAR more famous that way than he ever was in life (his guest-starring role in the Kree/Skrull War was his peak otherwise). But that's how it goes, sorta like those rock stars that die young.
-Captain Marvel's a bit of various things, being a mildly super-strong Flying guy who also has Blasts, making him a mini-Superman of sorts. He's a PL 11 overall thanks to the bad-ass enemies he fought (Thanos, Drax, etc.), but he's very smart, savvy and skilled, and he would be a top-line fighter on any team he ended up on. He also has Cosmic Awareness, which is a mix of that Sense that was only in 2e, plus the "True Sight" set of Counters to various clouding effects. Mar-Vell's actually had a few other iterations in his more unsuccessful forms, including an ability to Teleport all the way around the universe (Teleport & Dimensional Travel), Illusion-casting, and a Uni-Beam (Device- shoots Blasts, Magnetic Control & Obscure Visuals).

JACK OF HEARTS (Jack Hart)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Keith Giffen
First Appearance: Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #22 (March 1967)
Role: Forgotten Character, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Avengers
Avengers Grade: D-Level
PL 10 (176)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+6)
Close Combat 1 (+7)
Deception 1 (+1)
Expertise (Poetry) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Space Adventurer) 4 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 2 (+2)
Ranged Attack (Zero Energy) 4 (+9)
Technology 3 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Zero Energy), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Heat Aura" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30) -- [31]
AE: "Zero Energy" Blast 11 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 6) (29)

Flight 11 (4,000 mph) [22]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Scanalyzer Imprint on Brain"
Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks) [3]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Eidetic Memory [1]

"Containment Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [12]
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 9) (14 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Zero Energy +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Aura +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4 (+9 Containment Suit), Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility- Jack wants to be a true hero, and has sought advice from others in becoming just that. Previously, he was obsessed with revenge over his father's death.
Enemy (Contraxians)- The alien race his mother came from often spies on him and tries to attack him.
Responsibility (Power)- Jack's Zero Energy will leak out indiscriminately if he is not wearing his Containment Suit. If it is damaged, he may explode.
Relationship (Marcy Kane, Ganymede, Harper)
Responsibility (Uncontrolled Power)- Jack often has trouble using his massive powers- he can go up to PL 12 in this manner, but his stats mostly become Uncontrolled and always at maximum level.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 83 / Defenses: 18 (176)

-Jack of Hearts is one of the weirder Avengers, coming from Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu for whatever reason, becoming a black & white hero for a bit before joining the Marvel Universe proper, and becoming one of their forgotten "Space Guys". He's the son of a scientist and an alien, getting mixed up with some "Zero Fluid" that gave him powers. An evil Corporation (?) killed his father, and he swore vengeance, interaction with guys like The Sons of the Tiger & The Hulk. He killed the man who slew his father, and teamed up with Iron Man a few times (and wouldn't ya know it that Bill Mantlo, who created Jack, was writing Iron Man at the time?). He teamed up with a few more heroes as a recurring character, but soon vanished into Comics Limbo.
-Naturally, Mark Gruenwald would remember he existed, and he got involved with some Quasar-related stuff. After that, it was some random Cosmic-based stuff. I recall a ton of online fanboys begging for his return during the early 2000s, which always weirded me out, and when he FINALLY came back and joined the Avengers, they spent all of a year with him before randomly killing him off and having him blow up the mansion during the opening salvo of Disassembled. Alright then. BUT, he was finally resurrected as part of some Marvel Zombies thing
-A very strong hero, Jack has a ton of power, but little in the way of depth. He's your standard Blaster/Area-Effect guy, just at a higher level than most of the run-of-the-mill types. The fact that he can survive unaided in space jumps his cost up a lot, in addition to his high level of power. Despite this, he's still only PL 10- I've never seen any evidence that paints him as a major weapon of destruction. He's a half-decent blaster, but his lack of control over his power leaves him without Improved Aim or Precise Shot, like most should have.

DOCTOR STRANGE (Doctor Stephen Strange)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)
Role: Deus Ex Machina Supreme, THE Magic Guy, The Assister of Heroes, The Explorer
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Illuminati, The Order
Avengers Grade: C-Level (barely a member)
PL 14 (310)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Sorceror Supreme) 16 (+22)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+8)
Insight 4 (+9)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Notice 9 (+14)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Treatment 7 (+13)

Advantages:
Artificer, Benefit 4 (Wealth, Status as Sorceror Supreme, Magic Items), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Magic) 2, Power Attack, Luck 2, Ranged Attack 9, Ritualist, Skill Mastery (Sorceror, Insight), Trance, Ultimate Save (Will), Ultimate Skill (Sorceror Supreme)

Powers:
"The Sorceror Supreme- Magical Might"
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) [2]
Senses 4 (Detect Magic- Acute, Analytical & Ranged) [4]

Teleport 14 (Feats: Increased Mass 6, Change Direction & Velocity, Dynamic) (Extras: Accurate, Extended, Portal +2) (Flaws: Standard Action) (79) -- [115]
Dynamic AE: "Telepathy" Mind Reading 10 (20) & Mental Communication 5 (20) -- (41)
Dynamic AE: "Eldritch Bolts" Blast 16 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (30)
Dynamic AE: "Eldritch Wave" Damage 14 (Extras: Penetrating, Area- 60ft. Cone) (43)
Dynamic AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel) (Feats: Increased Mass 6) (Extras: Portal +2) (19)
Dynamic AE: Create 12 (Feats: Precise, Innate) (Extras: Movable, Selective, Stationary +0) (51)
Dynamic AE: "Resurrection" Healing 8 (Extras: Resurrection) (25)
Dynamic AE: Force Field 14 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Affects Others, Impervious) (47)
Dynamic AE: "The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak" Snare 14 (Feats: Reversible) (44)
Dynamic AE: Mind Control 13 (Extras: Sustained +2) (79)
Dynamic AE: "Sleep Spell" Sleep 13 (Extras: Cumulative, Progressive +2) (66)
Dynamic AE: "Time Stop" Affliction 13 (Will; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Restrained/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective, Extra Degree) (53)
Dynamic AE: Illusion 12 (Visual & Audio) (37)
Dynamic AE: "Transmutation" Transform Anything to Anything Else 14 (6 tons) (71)
Dynamic AE: Move Object 14 (Extras: Perception Range) (42)
Dynamic AE: Comprehend 3 (Animals, Languages, Spirits) (9)
Dynamic AE: Concealment (All Senses) 10 (Extras: Affects Others, Area) (41)
Dynamic AE: Flight 4 (30 mph) (9)
Dynamic AE: Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Sustained +0) (21)

"The All-Seeing Eye of Agamotto" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted- Pure Hearts, Indestructible) [41]
Enhanced Skills 8: Insight 8 (+17) (4)
Remote Sensing 19 (4,000 miles) (Feats: Subtle, Dimensional) (40) -- (44)
AE: "Searing Light of Disintegration" Blast 14 (Flaws: Tiring) Linked to Weaken Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Ranged) (Flaws: Tiring) (34)
AE: Enhanced Mind Reading 4 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) -- (total Reading 14) (26)
AE: Nullify Energy Effects 12 (Extras: Concentration, Broad) (48)
AE: "True Sight" Senses (Danger Sense, Counters Concealment 2, Illusion 2, Obscure 5) (10)
-- (48 points)

"The Cloak of Levitation" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible) [15]
"Speedier Flight" Flight 8 (500 mph) (16)
Extra Limbs (1) -- (17 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Telepathy +10-14 (DC 20-24)
Eldritch Bolt +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Eldritch Wave +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Mind Control +13 Perception (+13 Perception Affliction, DC 23)
Sleep Spell +12 (+13 Ranged Affliction, DC 23)
Time Stop +13 Area (+13 Affliction, DC 23)
Disintegration +12 (+14 Ranged Damage & +10 Ranged Weaken, DC 29 & 20)
Nullify +12 (DC 22)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+16 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +14

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Magical spells are dependent upon verbal components and hand-movements. If Dr. Strange is tied up, bound, snared or anything else, he will be unable to cast spells.
Responsibility (The Sorceror Supreme)- Strange is at the forefront of all magical-related situations, as well as universal threats.
Responsibility (The Ancient One's Memory)
Responsibility (Corrupted Power)- Magic is a dangerous, all-consuming force- Strange is constantly at war with Dark Spirits to maintain his sanity and morality.
Relationship (Clea)- Strange is or was in love with Clea, the daughter of the extradimensional sorceror-God Dormammu.
Enemy (Dormammu, Baron Mordo)- He's beaten then about 9,000 times each, but they keep showing up again for a new helping of ass-kick.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 179 / Defenses: 21 (310)

-Dr. Strange has a classic Stan Lee-esque Marvel origin- the egotistical, foolish man who improves himself and realizes the good that needs doing. There's scarcely a more powerful hero in the Marvel U than the good Doctor himself, which is probably why nobody buys his stories. The guy can just about do ANYTHING with a spell he's got pre-set in there. It says something when his only true major success as a character came with Steve Ditko was doing insanely weird tales of him in the '60s with Stan Lee, and he never approached that level again (Stan kept Spider-Man going without missing a beat after Ditko left, but Strange wasn't so lucky). He's had all kinds of comebacks and specials since then, and is usually at the forefront of nearly every major event, whether he's got a solo book out at the time or not (the various Infinities, Disassembled, Secret Invasion, etc.), but nothing ever sticks for him. It's the curse of magic books.
-I know it's why I've never read him- who wants stories of a guy who does everything? Unless they're Ditko-level inventive and weird (I've read a couple more modern tales that were actually pretty good, and were along those lines), there's just no point. A similar problem befalls every other Magic Guy, particularly Dr. Fate of the JSA, who has to be conveniently off-planet EVERY TIME a big villain shows up who couldn't beat him. You could blame the writers ("they're not being creative enough!"), but I think that's a load of bunk- characters who are WAY too powerful are an ankle-lock on every writer who wants to write a good action scene. You either have to throw the guy off-world, or have him get KO'd super-fast by a villain aiming for his specific weak point. And yeah, any writer can do that- but it gets TIRED after a point. And I don't even really care about whatever Avengers teams Strange ends up on either, for the same reasons- everyone else just seems like a ride-along bunch of losers while Strange explains everything in detail, then gives them their marching orders. He can basically do everything, rendering the rest of the team redundant.
-Now it sounds like I'm very anti-Magic here, and that's more the ways it's used in comics than the actual Magic POWER itself. Joshua Dunlow did a big bit on defending Magic, stating that it was no worse than various other Alt-Effect-heavy powers, and he was totally right. Magic is FINE as a power, as long as its reasonable, and not just an epic "Pull the power outta your ass" ability. But too many BAD WRITERS use it JUST LIKE THAT- from Strange whipping out game-breakers, to Dr. Fate mind-wiping thirty villains at once in JSA (Willingham/Sturges' opening arc featured that lovely bit of Breakage), to Theodore Diggers Gold Diggers (an Antarctic Press manga-by-Yankees production) casually beating half the villains, or regenerating himself from nothing just because (a total Deus Ex Machina/"oh crap I can't think of a way out of thisOH WELL TIME TO MAGIC THE PROBLEM AWAY), and more! Even the most Alt-Effect Happy character never pulls off the nonsensical "every power ever" stuff that Mages do- the only comparisons are the more rare Reality Warping powers out there. Magic should be something people work at, or get challenged by (such as limiting characters to certain kinds of spells- I came up with an idea based off of Warhammer's "Eight Winds of Magic" that means everyone only gets ONE of eight schools to use), NOT a "Get Out of Situation Free" card.... and end rant.
-Strange was "inspired" by a Chandu the Magician radio series, and his Lee & Ditko-created series (easily seen to be headed mostly by Ditko, as the craziness was very un-Stan-like beyond the trademark over-the-top speech patterns) was some of the most mind-expanding stuff of the '60s. Strange fell in love with an Otherdimensional Princess, fought the embodiment of nightmares, a Mirror Image Villain and a flame-headed douchebag warlord (Clea, Nightmare, Baron Mordo & Dormammu, respectively). Strange shared a book with The Human Torch, who was doing mostly Generic Hero Stuff, while Strange was meeting Marvel's first conceptual beings, such as Eternity (the embodiment of the universe) and The Living Tribunal (the judge of everything). When Ditko left, various other creative teams took over, some of them blantantly drug-users (Ditko & Lee were apparently not, despite the insanity going on in the comics). For a while, Strange got a more super-heroic uniform, but it didn't last. His book was cancelled in the early 1970s.
-Strange then became a central figure in The Defenders, which was a semi-popular "Book of Minor Heroes" in that era. He would become The Sorceror Supreme proper in 1974, with the death of his mentor, The Ancient One. Steve Englehart (a drug-user) started a new ongoing series (1974-87) and created some whacky stuff like Sise-Neg uncreating the universe, then creating it again (sending Stan Lee into a tizzy, afraid of offending religious readers- Stan was ALWAYS afraid of offending people). When the book was cancelled, he got into another cover-sharing operation, this time with Cloak & Dagger, then got ANOTHER solo book in 1988, lasting until the Comic Book Crash in 1996, in the meantime mixing it up with the Midnight Sons line of mystical/darkness books. He appeared in the short-lived Secret Defenders, a book featuring him and a rotating cast of heroes that were currently being pushed (Wolverine, Spider-Man, Thunderstrike, War Machine... plus two uses of Julia Carpenter, oddly enough).
-1996 was the last time he had a regular ongoing book, but he'd actually maintained one for most of his history until that point. He always seems to have sold poorly, but had a cult audience (ie. stoners). Peculiarly, his time out of the solo books led to an INCREASE in his overal importance to the Marvel Universe- it was only after THAT that he was included as a member of The Illuminati and revealed as a major power behind-the-scenes for years. Marvel's Event-Crazy nature unleashed itself in the 2000s, often with Strange as a major player- he ironically became more omnipresent the less he appeared in his own book.
-Dr. Strange holds a Power Level equivalent to Thor, being a super-powerful PL 14 Magic Blaster/Variable Power guy. He's got two regular Devices (one for Flying, one for an extra super-blast and boosting his mental powers beyond their normal levels), and one mother of a Magical Dynamic Array, essentially having a super-massive selection of varying powers that he can alter to a given situation or threat. I made his Force Field an Alt-Effect of it as well, so that he can't just toss his most powerful spells off without worrying about the Field; he's got to give up various other cool effects to get his Field up to max strength. It makes a fairly unplayable character slightly more vulnerable, but he's still way over the line in terms of power. Note that he's not PL 14 EVERYWHERE- his Mind Control and stuff are all PL 13-ish, and he's only PL 12 defensively at his best because I never really see the guy dodging ANYTHING.

DOCTOR STRANGE (Doctor Stephen Strange)- Lesser Version
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)
Role: Deus Ex Machina Supreme, THE Magic Guy, The Assister
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Illuminati, The Order
Avengers Grade: C-Level (barely a member)
PL 12 (288)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Sorceror Supreme) 16 (+22)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+8)
Insight 4 (+9)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Notice 9 (+14)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Treatment 7 (+13)

Advantages:
Artificer, Benefit 4 (Wealth, Status as Sorceror Supreme, Magic Items), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Magic) 2, Power Attack, Luck 2, Ranged Attack 8, Ritualist, Skill Mastery (Sorceror, Insight), Trance, Ultimate Save (Will), Ultimate Skill (Sorceror Supreme)

Powers:
"The Sorceror Supreme- Magical Might"
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) [2]
Senses 4 (Detect Magic- Acute, Analytical & Ranged) [4]

Teleport 12 (Feats: Increased Mass 6, Change Direction & Velocity) (Extras: Accurate, Extended, Portal +2) (Flaws: Standard Action) (69) -- [97]
Dynamic AE: "Telepathy" Mind Reading 10 (20) & Mental Communication 5 (20) (Feats: Dynamic) -- (41)
Dynamic AE: "Eldritch Bolts" Blast 13 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Eldritch Wave" Damage 12 (Feats: Penetrating 4) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (28)
Dynamic AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel) (Feats: Increased Mass 6) (Extras: Portal +2) (19)
Dynamic AE: Create 10 (Feats: Precise, Innate) (Extras: Movable, Selective, Stationary +0) (43)
Dynamic AE: Force Field 10 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Affects Others, Impervious) (36)
Dynamic AE: "The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak" Snare 14 (Feats: Reversible) (44)
Dynamic AE: Mind Control 12 (49)
Dynamic AE: Illusion 12 (Visual & Audio) (37)
Dynamic AE: "Transmutation" Transform Anything to Anything Else 12 (71)
Dynamic AE: Move Object 12 (Extras: Perception Range) (37)
Dynamic AE: Concealment (All Senses) 10 (21)
Dynamic AE: Flight 4 (30 mph) (9)
Dynamic AE: Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Sustained +0) (21)

"The All-Seeing Eye of Agamotto" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted- Pure Hearts, Indestructible) [41]
Enhanced Skills 8: Insight 8 (+17) (4)
Remote Sensing 19 (4,000 miles) (Feats: Subtle, Dimensional) (40) -- (44)
AE: "Searing Light of Disintegration" Blast 13 (Flaws: Tiring) Linked to Weaken Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Ranged) (Flaws: Tiring) (33)
AE: Enhanced Mind Reading 4 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) -- (total Reading 14) (26)
AE: Nullify Energy Effects 12 (Extras: Concentration, Broad) (48)
AE: "True Sight" Senses (Danger Sense, Counters Concealment 2, Illusion 2, Obscure 5) (10)
-- (48 points)

"The Cloak of Levitation" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible) [15]
"Speedier Flight" Flight 8 (500 mph) (16)
Extra Limbs (1) -- (17 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Telepathy +10-14 (DC 20-24)
Eldritch Bolt +11 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Eldritch Wave +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 29)
Mind Control +12 Perception (+12 Perception Affliction, DC 22)
Disintegration +11 (+14 Ranged Damage & +10 Ranged Weaken, DC 29 & 20)
Nullify +11 (DC 22)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+12-14 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +13

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Magical spells are dependent upon verbal components and hand-movements. If Dr. Strange is tied up, bound, snared or anything else, he will be unable to cast spells.
Responsibility (The Sorceror Supreme)- Strange is at the forefront of all magical-related situations, as well as universal threats.
Responsibility (The Ancient One's Memory)
Responsibility (Corrupted Power)- Magic is a dangerous, all-consuming force- Strange is constantly at war with Dark Spirits to maintain his sanity and morality.
Relationship (Clea)- Strange is or was in love with Clea, the daughter of the extradimensional sorceror-God Dormammu.
Enemy (Dormammu, Baron Mordo)- He's beaten then about 9,000 times each, but they keep showing up again for a new helping of ass-kick.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 159 / Defenses: 21 (288)

-Here's a "weaker" Dr. Strange, making PL 12, and still being brutally expensive. He's downgraded across many abilities, and also loses a few Alt-Effects.

THE SENTRY (Robert Reynolds)
Created By:
Paul Jenkins, Jae Lee & Rick Veitch
First Appearance: The Sentry #1 (Sept. 2000)
Role: The Wesley (writers love him, fans hate him), Supermanalogue, Flying Brick, Top-Tier Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Triune Understanding, The Skrull Kill Krew, The Agents of Atlas
Avengers Grade: B-Level (powerful, but crazy)
PL 15 (275)
STRENGTH
19 STAMINA 18 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 16 (+14)
Perception 6 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Radiation) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive, Crushing Pin, Improved Grab, Interpose, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown

Powers:
`The Power of a Million Exploding Suns
Power Lifting 5 (800,000 tons) [5]

Impervious Toughness 21 [21]
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Super-Senses 8 (Extended Hearing 5, Microvision, Analytical Vision 2) [8]
Regeneration 10 [10]

"Power of a Million Exploding Suns"
"Radiation Control" Blast 19 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical 2, Penetrating 7) (48) -- [58]
AE: Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Penetrating) (45)
AE: Environment 5 (Light) (10)
AE: Dazzle Visuals 13 (Extras: Area-Burst) (Flaws: Touch Range) (26)
AE: Healing 10 (Extras: Resurrection) (30)
"Super-Strength Feats"
AE: "Thunderclap" Dazzle Hearing 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (24)
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 15 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (25)
AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 15 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (25)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (30)
AE: "Super-Breath" Move Object 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited to One Direction) (28)
AE: Penetrating Strength Damage 15 (15)

Flight 14 (32,000 mph) (Feats: Dynamic) (29) -- [33]
Dynamic AE: "Super-Speed" Speed 8 & Quickness 8 (17)
Dynamic AE: Deflect (Ranged Projectiles) 12 (13)
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+19 Damage, DC 34)
Radiation Control +10 (+19 Ranged Damage, DC 34)
Radiation +15 Area (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Super-Strength Feats +15 (+15 Affliction, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +18 (+11 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +5

Complications:
Normal Identity (Robert Reynolds)- Robert occasionally loses the Sentry's power.
Enemy (The Void)- Who is actually Robert.
Relationship (Wife)
Involuntary Transformation (The Void)
Vulnerable (Mental Attacks & Control)

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 146 / Defenses: 12 (275)

-There are many terrible characters throughout the history of comic books, but only a few can boast the fact that their sheer shittiness can destroy EVERY story in which they find themselves. Among them is Robert Reynolds, The Sentry.
-The Sentry's most interesting point is the "hoax" creation, where he was supposed to be Stan Lee's "Lost" Marvel hero of the early '60s, who he just never got around to using because of his power levels. It turned out to be Marvel & Wizard hyping the crap out of his Limited Series run, and it seemed to work for the most part, even once the reveal came out. Now, plenty of comics fans know who Sentry is. Trouble is, very few like him. If it was JUST the limited series or two, it'd have been fine, but now Marvel basically suddenly had a GIANT Superman rip-off appearing in books on a regular basis, overpowering every team, and generally just being a lame character whose main job is to throw tantrums and whine about how much his life sucks, while showing off how powerful he is. Unfortunately, the writers just LOVE having a full-time Supermanalogue. For some reason, writers are FASCINATED with Supes, so even while his books tend not to sell that great, he inundates all the other books. I hate The Sentry.
-The Sentry's some dude who was the "Greatest Hero Ever" in the old days (great pals with Reed Richards & the Hulk, helped out Spider-Man, slept with Rogue), but upon discovering that he and his enemy The Void were two sides of the same person, the memories of everyone on Earth had to be wiped (including his own), leaving him forgotten. Unfortunately, Brian Michael Bendis decided to make him a central character in his Avengers update- it was a true Superteam, sure (adding Spidey & Wolverine to the Cap & Iron Man backbone of the team, then sticking in a high-profile minority and female character with links to his fave books from the '70s), but adding the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe was frought with peril. Reading summations of Sentry's history are that lethal combination of Excessively Complex and Utterly Boring- he got a ton of Origin Stories, acted like a loon, was revealed to have been a drug addict, and more. He also showed up in Mighty Avengers and as a charter crazy member of Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers.
-The Sentry dominated the plotlines of many books, had some Resurrection nonsense going on (even his wife sorta did this), ran headlong into danger with crazy showings of power that had terrible consequences, and eventually went full-blown crazy after Bullseye murdered his wife and the "Siege of Asgard" (arguably the worst and most pointless of Marvel's Events- it made ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE for Osborn to risk his job and life in this idiotic manner- it was like they couldn't figure out how to end Dark Reign, so they just had Norman act like an idiot to undo it)- he murdered Ares (who fans were getting to like) and was himself slain by Thor, then cremated in the Sun. He recently re-appeared as one of the Dark Horsemen in Uncanny Avengers, but un-crazied and did some heroic stuff before disappearing.
-People like The Sentry just... DOMINATE their stories. You can't simply ignore or avoid someone who's that insanely powerful AND crazy- he either starts ranting openly, or he just pulls a "Goku" and wipes out the enemy because he's the best. It's irritating- at least with MOST awful characters you can simply ignore them or get issues where they're not so omnipresent, but not so with The Sentry. Add in the fact that it seems like Marvel Writers are just jealous of DC for having Superman and wanting to do "Superman Stuff" with him, and you've got something worse- I consider it a GREAT ADVANTAGE that Marvel never really had a "Superman"- that One True Powerhouse above all others, to whom everyone looked at as some kind of paragon. Marvel was grittier and things were more of a broad level, rather than so focused on one guy. The Sentry ruined all that.
-What's scariest about this build is that it's modern-day, emo & whiny, low-Will Save Retard Sentry, and not the 'elite' Silver Age version. Yeah, his CRAPPY version takes up 287 points. He's got pretty much all sorts of damaging effects, and more power than any build I've done in 3e aside from the uber-Hulks and Cosmic Beings. He's just extra powerful all around, and really boring to build. Flying Bricks like this are generally easy to stat, given that they're so generic that EVERYONE'S done enough builds of them to make half this crap default. *yawn* Next build.

The Void contains some additions to The Sentry's moveset:
Morph 4 [20]
"Shapeshift" Variable 10 (Includes Massive Strength & Blast Boosts) [70]
"Infini-Tendrils" Blast 16 (Extras: Will Damage) [48]
Plus maybe some Weather Control-type stuff. As a whole, The Void is likely PL 18 or something insane like that- he can hold off dozens of superhumans at once, has beaten The Hulk in seconds, and is basically unstoppable.

HYPERION III (Marcus Milton)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman
First Appearance: The Avengers #1 (Dec. 2012)
Role: Flying Brick, Supermanalogue, Team Powerhouse
Group Affiliations: The Squadron Supreme, The Avengers
Avengers Grade: C-Level (new, but a big deal)
PL 14 (271)
STRENGTH
17 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+11)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+6)
Perception 12 (+16)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Atomic Vision) 4 (+12)
Technology 6 (+11)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Flying Brick"
Power-Lifting 4 (50,000 tons) [4]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 19) [22]
Flight 11 (4,000 mph) [22]
Movement 1 (Space Travel) [1]
Senses 9 (Infra & Extended Vision 5, Microscopic Vision, Extended Hearing 2) [9]

"Atomic Vision" Blast 16 [32]

"Super-Strength Feats" (AE of Strength Damage) [2]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 13 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (16)
AE: "Shockwave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Groundstrike +13 Area (+13 Affliction, DC 23)
Shockwave +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Atomic Vision +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +16 (+10 Impervious), Fortitude +14, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibility (Interference)- Hyperion often debates with himself over just how much he should interfere with the affairs of mortals.
Relationship (Those Tiger-Striped Kids)- Hyperion has taken a fatherly role of those odd kids who don't need to sleep, and learn super-quickly.
Relationship (Thor)- It's the first or second-most homoerotic relationship of The Avengers. They're like Frodo/Sam levels, here.

Total: Abilities: 116 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 15 (271)

-Yeah... if you want to make it REALLY FREAKING OBVIOUS that you're jealous of another company's characters, you can't go wrong with someone like Hyperion. What's sad is that The Squadron Supreme were a neat, unique, friendly "jab" at DC Comics, in that it was SUPER-obviously an homage/parody (especially since the first group was the evil Squadron Sinister). Later issues basically took the concept and ran with it, establishing their alternate universe, and Mark Gruenwald had the run of a lifetime on their 12-issue Limited Series. But this? This just comes off as cloying and desperate- like Hickman was SO JEALOUS of DC for having Superman that he wanted to create his own. That's why I believe that Supermanalogues (especially the REALLY obvious ones) should under no circumstances be regular characters- it goes from homage to straight plagiarism, and makes both Hickman & Marvel look bush-league, despite the occasional high spots in his run. Keep in mind that he's FAR from the only Supermanalogue at Marvel- they've copied the exact same power-set so many times that it's not only lost all meaning, but it just looks pathetic.
-This new Hyperion is one unknown to us, an Eternal from a Universe that died- a victim of the "Incursions" that have been afflicting the Multiverse during Hickman's run. He's a bit of a philosophical sort, debating with himself his purpose in the universe (ie. should he get involved TOO much, and stifle the growth of humanity? stuff like that). He's a good bit more competent than the standard Hyperion, who often struggled against superhuman opponents due to inexperience in dealing with people at his strength-level, but this guy? He one-shotted TERMINUS.
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