Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[Jabroniville]

DREADNOUGHTS
Created By: Roy Thomas & Jim Steranko
First Appearance: Strange Tales #154 (March 1967)
Role: Super-Mooks
Group Affiliations: HYDRA, The New Enforcers, The Maggia
PL 7 (87)
STRENGTH 6 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Kill-O-Bots"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]

"Electric Charge" Electrical Aura 7 (28) -- [32]

• AE: "Flamethrower Hands" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (14)
• AE: "Gamma Ray Eyes" Blast 8 (16)
• AE: "Knuckle Spikes" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (13)
• AE: "Freon Gas" Snare 8 (Flaws: Unreliable -2- One Use) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Electrical Charge +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Flamethrowers +7 Area (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Gamma Rays +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Knuckle Spikes +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

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

Complications:
Weakness (Magnetic & Electrical Attacks)- Dreadnoughts are made entirely of metal.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 69 / Defenses: 6 (87)

-Dreadnoughts are unknown to me, but are apparently pretty old and have shown up in various places. They were initially robots used by HYDRA on an assassination mission, but their target, Nick Fury, got away. The Maggia and A.I.M. both used their own, while another fought Union Jack, while others fought Iron Man under the orders of the Mandarin. I figure them for PL 7 Kill-O-Bots, more versatile and numerous than truly dangerous, as a hero from PL 9-12 should be able to stop a handful without dying.

DREADNOUGHT 2000: "Acid" Blast 4 Linked to Ranged Affects Objects Weaken Toughness 6, "Oil" Environment 2 (Impede Movement), "Adhesive" Snare 6, "Anesthetic Gas" Sleep 8, Feats: Variable 2 on Blasts (many energy types) [4]
-The Dreadnought "2000" model used by A.I.M. had some different sorts of abilities, all Alt-Effects of the first.

[Woodclaw]

One of the weaknesses of the dreadnoughts was also that cooling system was located in the abdomen area, making it a rather easy target. The problem was that a dreadnought without a working cooling system would overheat and explode.

[Jabroniville]

Hm, MC48 suggests via PM: “IIRC the Michael Collins Deathlok (and I think also Siege) was much more physical powerful than any other version of DL, with a baseline 90 ton level strength and a higher level of durability, speed etc.“

Anyone know about that? I never saw him as that tough (he punches Mysterio in the head without killing him, for instance), but the appearances I have are scattered. Typically he felt “Spider-Man Tier” in terms of power.

[HalloweenJack]

I think his series III card had him at a 6 in strength, but I never really saw any indication of it. Granted the only appearances I have of him are Return of the Sinister Six, Maximum Carnage, and an issue of War Machine

edit: Granted this same series also had Thanos as a 6 in strength

[greycrusader]

90s era Marvel characters seemed to get a lot of "power hype" to shill them to readers. I think the Collins Deathlok could briefly override his cybernetic safety systems and exert himself to near-failure, so if anything I'd just give him power-lifting with the tiring flaw.

All my best.

[Jabroniville]

DEVIL-SLAYER (Eric Simon Payne)
Created By: Rich Buckler
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #33 (April 1977)
Role: Monster-Slayer
Group Affiliations: The Defenders, The Initiative (The Point Men), The Agents of Fortune, The Revengers
PL 9 (184), PL 11 (184) Against Monsters
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Magic) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 5 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Favoured Enemy (Monsters & Supernatural Foes), Improved Critical (Summoned Weapons), Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 7

Powers:
"Shadow Cloak" (Flaws: Removable) [52]
Teleport 6 (Extras: Extended, Accurate, Portal +2) (36)

• AE: "Whips, Grappling" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach 4, Split, Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold)
• AE: "Grappling Cloak" Snare 8 (Flaws: Limited to One Target -2) (Diminished Range -1) (7)
• AE: Movement 2 (Dimensional Travel 2) (Extras: Portal +2) (8)

"Endless Supply of Weapons" Variable 4 (Weapons) (Extras: Continuous, Affects Others) (28)
-- (64 points)

Senses 5 (Mystical Awareness- Ranged 3, Tracking) [5]
"Illusion of Non-Costumed Appearance" Enhanced Advantages: Quick Change [1]
"Telekinesis" Move Object 7 (14) -- [15]

• AE: "Telepathy" Mind-Reading 4 (8)

"Specialized Monster-Killer" (All Have Flaws: Limited to Monsters & Supernatural Entities)
Enhanced Fighting 2 [2]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Ranged Attack 2 [1]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [1]
Strength-Damage +2 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Against Monsters +13 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +11 (+4-7 Damage, DC 19-22)
Against Monsters +13 (+6-9 Damage, DC 21-24)
Guns +11 (+4-6 Damage, DC 19-21)
Guns Against Monsters +13 (+4-6 Damage, DC 19-21)
Grappling Cloak +11 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Cloak Against Monsters +13 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Relationship (Cory- Wife)- Devil-Slayer's wife stayed with The Agents of Fortune cult after Eric had left it, but they eventually reunited. She died years ago, however.
Motivation (Slaying Supernatural Threats)
Responsibility (Personal Problems)- A man with a tragic past, Eric Payne is deeply-troubled, and has fallen into madness, alcoholism and other bad habits in the past.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 77 / Defenses: 14 (184)

-Devil-Slayer was created by Rich Buckler, who'd created a pair of similar characters for more Independent companies (Demon Hunter in 1975; Bloodwing in 1980), apparently REALLY liking this concept (it's like Steve Englehart's Mantis, except people have actually heard of Mantis). He brought his character to Marvel (even continuing the story from one of the defunct companies!), but it turned out to be the final issue of Marvel Spotlight. The character had to wait until he became a recurring element in The Defenders before he got a re-start. He had brief runs in The Defenders, but really didn't show up in much of anything other than that except for some odd one-offs in the '90s, and some short-lived bits in the late 2000s. The only comic I have featuring him was in The Initiative portion of Secret Invasion, as he helped The Point Men (Hawaii's Initiative team) fight off the initial Skrull invasion. His history is long and confusing, and the Too Long; Don't Want to Read version is right here, if you're interested.

-Devil-Slayer was a cult member who turned on his pals (and wife) and helped The Defenders against them. He stuck with the team for a good while before vanishing for years, and ultimately helped The Initiative beat back some of the Super-Skrulls who'd infiltrated the Fifty State Initiative by teleporting the Skrull Kill Krew around. Then he joined Wonder Man's Revengers for no adequately explored reason other than that Bendis needed another name he recognized from his beloved 1970s era of comics. Okay, so he said "I want to create a world in which The Avengers are held accountable for their actions", but really, that's weaksauce, never amounted to anything, and was a total B.S. story in the latter days of his increasingly-hated run. Ultimately, Devil-Slayer is a nothing character and a total relic of 1970s "Occult Comics", which are no longer popular in the marketplace, so he has nowhere to be.

-Devil-Slayer is a decidedly-average superhero for the most part, packing good fighting ability to human stats and a Grappling Teleportation Cloak, though his ability to pull weapons out of his cloak is rather effective. In effect, he can pull out nearly any melee or ranged weapon (medieval to futuristic) and even give it to others. However, adding to this, I also wanted to build him to be an above-average guy when it came to monsters, and thus I added stuff that I put onto my "Ranger" builds when I did Fantasy stuff- D.S. can do extra damage to beings like that, in addition to being more accurate against them. He's quite expensive thanks to having a good Device, a Continuous Variable effect, AND a power-set separate from that whole deal as well.

[Jabroniville]

THE DEATHWEB:
-The Deathweb (wow is THAT ever a '90s-sounding name) were a trio of Spider-themed bad guys who were empowered by a serum similar to that which empowered Julia Carpenter, the Spider-Woman of that era. Two had been scientists working for Valerie Cooper, and had administered the serums that gave Julia her powers. A guy named the "Manipulator" gave them and their janitor powers, but they had to take one of his serums every day, or else they would die. They committed a few murders, and threatened Julia as part of the Avengers West Coast, as well as in her very own Limited Series- eventually, they captured her, but all four were empowered by an upgraded serum of the Manipulator's. Julia had been used as a test subject, but used the power boost to escape her bonds, and soon exhausted the Deathweb, who were defeated, turning on the Manipulator in the end. The group has never reappeared- Julia vanished after Avengers West Coast and Force Works ended, Roy Thomas (their creator) left comics writing, and they generally sucked.

[Jabroniville]

ANTRO (Hashi Noto)
Created By: Roy & Dann Thomas & David Ross
First Appearance: Avengers West Coast #82 (May 1992)
Role: Background Villain
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (138)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 6 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Acid Spray) 4 (+8)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
Teleport 8 (Extras: Attack, Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Side-Effect 2- Pain) (24) -- [25]
AE: Teleport 8 (Flaws: Side-Effect 2- Pain) (4)

"Antro Armor" (Flaws: Removable) [36]
Buys Off Side-Effect Flaw (16)
Protection 3 (3)
"Acid Spray" Weaken Toughness 6 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) Linked to Blast 4 (Diminished Range -1) (24) -- (25)

• AE: "Spider-Venom" Weaken Stamina 8 (Extras: Progressive +2) (24)

-- (44 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Acid Spray +8 (+6 Ranged Weaken & +4 Ranged Damage, DC 16 & 19)
Spider-Venom +8 (+8 Weaken, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +4 (+7 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 61 / Defenses: 8 (138)

-Hashi Noto was a graduate student, who felt "honored" to take part in this project. His powers allowed him to "Trapdoor" people in groups, using rapid teleportation. Alas, his powers were the group's undoing- the Scarlet Witch used her Probability-Altering Powers to cause him to 'port his whole team right into an Avengers ambush.

[Jabroniville]

ARACHNE I (Dr. Sylvie Yacqua)
Created By: Roy & Dann Thomas & David Ross
First Appearance: Avengers West Coast #82 (May 1992)
Role: Background Villain
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (128)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 6 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Webs) 4 (+8)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Psychic Webs"
Snare 8 (Flaws: Side-Effect 2- Pain) (8) -- [9]

• AE: Movement 2 (Swinging) (Flaws: Side-Effect 2- Pain) (1)

"Arachne Gauntlets" (Flaws: Removable) [36]
Buys Off Side-Effect Flaw (16)
"Spider-Venom Spikes" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) Linked to Weaken Stamina 8 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Progressive +2) (28)
-- (44 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Psychic Webs +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Spider-Venom +8 (+8 Weaken, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 8 (128)

-Dr. Yacqua is a Pacqui woman from one of the native tribes of Peru (were the Thomases looking in an atlas when they wrote this issue, or just South American enthusiasts? Because that's a hella-obscure group to grab from. I approve), and was one of the main doctors behind the experiment that gave Julia Carpenter her powers. Later, when Julia needed to be captured, she underwent a similar process, ironically taking the name that Julia herself would eventually take (once Jessica Drew came back). She performed most of the actual murders the group committed, and seemed perfectly happy to gain powers.

[Jabroniville]

THERAK (Theodore Davros)
Created By: Roy & Dann Thomas & David Ross
First Appearance: Avengers West Coast #82 (May 1992)
Role: Background Villain
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (94)
STRENGTH 11 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Maintenance Man) 3 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Ambidexterity), Fast Grab, Improved Grab

Powers:
"Six Arms" Extra Limbs 4 [4]
"Spider-Venom" Weaken Stamina 8 (Extras: Progressive +2) [24]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Spider-Venom +6 (+8 Weaken, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +11, Fortitude +11, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 28 / Defenses: 10 (94)

-Theodore Davros was the thick-headed maintenance man of the others' building, and was roped into the scheme with the others- he became a six-armed powerhouse who of course defeated Wonder Man in a fight, because Wonder Man is the World's Most Powerful Jobber (tm). His strength is apparently Ionically-enhanced, as he was once kidnapped and drained by Count Nefaria for the purposes of the latter's re-empowerment- the others were left in prison. Therak actually appeared a few times being drained like this- I think Kurt Busiek actually remembered all the "Iconic Powerhouses" floating around Marvel, and wanted to use them.

[Jabroniville]

DELUGE I (Mzungu)
Created By: John Byrne
First Appearance: X-Men: The Hidden Years #6 (May 2000)
Role: Retcon Villain
Group Affiliation: None

-Deluge was created for John Byrne's X-Men: The Hidden Years (about adventures the original team had that went "unrecorded")- he's an African who was outcast from his tribe due to his albinism, then captured by white scientists who were observing his "Uncontacted" tribe and didn't want him telling them. Discovering his mutant powers, he stole some storms that a young Ororo Munroe had created, attempting to purge the Earth. The young mutant and the X-Men managed to stop him by overloading his Energy Absorption abilities, and departed, with the X-Men apparently never telling anybody they'd met Storm years before she joined the team. This is the kind of thing that I think made people dislike this era of Byrne's writing.

-Deluge had Storm-like powers, and could also absorb energy, making it problematic for Cyclops to fight him.

[Jabroniville]

DOMINUS
Created By: Roy Thomas & Jay Gavin
First Appearance: X-Men #21 (June 1966)
Role: Super-Computer

-Dominus is a sentient super-computer created by the alien Quists and used by their minion/agent, Lucifer, in the '60s X-Men comics. Dominus was instrumental in the crippling of Charles Xavier, as it was a super-weapon responsible for conquering many worlds. As Lucifer was a HORRENDOUS villain, and immediately forgotten by Chris Claremont, Dominus did not make much impact. Steve Englehart would later re-use it in his West Coast Avengers book, having him create the Desert Dwellers, a band of one-off Mooks who fought the West Coast team.

[Jabroniville]

THE DESERT DWELLERS
Created By: Steve Englehart & Al Milgrom
First Appearance: West Coast Avengers #17 (Feb. 1987)
Role: Jobber Villains

-The Desert Dwellers are nothing more than a group of filler one-offs created by the sentient computer Dominus, meant to fight off the West Coast Avengers for a time. The Dwellers were handily defeated by the Avengers, but Dominus rescued them, then teleported the heroes back in time, where Mockingbird met the Phantom Rider, and... went through THAT story. Fearing that the Avengers might use the Fantastic Four's own Time Machine to rescue their friends, Dominus had the Dwellers assault Four Freedoms Plaza and destroy it five issues later. Two issues after that, Dominus created an 50-strong army of copies of the Dwellers, but the Avengers returned, with Moon Knight & Espirita (Firebird) in tow, and defeated them. Dominus fled Earth and most of the Dwellers never reappeared.

[Jabroniville]

CACTUS
Created By: Steve Englehart & Al Milgrom
First Appearance: West Coast Avengers #17 (Feb. 1987)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Desert Dwellers
PL 6 (78)
STRENGTH 5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab

Powers:
"Cactus Man"
Needle Aura 1 [4]
Affliction 4 (Toughness; Dazed/Stunned) (Extras: Reaction +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree) [12]
"Shoots Needles" Blast 3 (Feats: Accurate 4) (Extras: Multiattack) [13]
Immunity 1 (Heat) [1]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Features: Regrows Limbs [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Needles +9 (+1 Damage & +4 Affliction, DC 16 & 14)
Needle Shot +8 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Dominus's Will)

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 10 (78)

-Cactus was treated as more of a pest than a nuisance, though his pokey shell could provide some annoyance. He was a lookout for his team, and managed to regrow limbs once in a while, but was altogether ineffective. Him or one of his clones managed to appear in Avengers Spotlight as a backgrounder in The Vault, but did not feature in the story otherwise.

[Jabroniville]

Huh-huh- “Butte”

BUTTE
Created By: Steve Englehart & Al Milgrom
First Appearance: West Coast Avengers #17 (Feb. 1987)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Desert Dwellers
PL 6 (71)
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab

Powers:
"Rock Woman"
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]
Concealment (Vision) 2 (Flaws: Source- Rocks) [2]
"Shape Earth" Transform Rock to Rock 4 [8]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Dominus's Will)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 8 (71)

-Butte was the Team Powerhouse, but not tough enough to avoid being shattered by the West Coast Avengers, even when there were a dozen of her.