Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Monica Rambeau

Post by Jabroniville »

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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)

Monica Rambeau- Pet Character to Forgotten Character:
-The "Pet Character" of the 1980s Avengers was definitely Monica "Captain Marvel" Rambeau, beloved creation of Roger Stern. He created her for a Spider-Man 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 nominated 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. Oddly enough, as a highly-powerful visible minority, she's the kind of character Marvel SHOULD be pushing in their "Diversity Initiatives", but often forgets she exists and has to keep making new Legacy Heroes of color. Monica's currently floating around doing little aside from appearing in random books.

The New Captain Marvel:
-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 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 debuted as a Coast Guard member who was injured stopping a super-science weapon- naturally gaining powers from this, she took the name of Captain Marvel, who'd been dead for less than a YEAR at this point, effectively ensuring that they name was still owned by Marvel Comics. She promptly joined the Avengers, and stayed for Roger Stern's five-year run. She was part of the legendary Secret Wars event, but was one of the least-used characters there (Jim Shooter barely used either her or Rogue), and also fought Kang, Nebula, and the Masters of Evil in the Under Siege arc. She was chosen to replace the Wasp as Avengers leader (though Cap was still a part of the book), leading them against the X-Men, Olympian Gods, and the Super-Adaptoid, and dealt with Dr. Druid attempting to undermine her authority and take charge of the team himself. Unfortunately, she was de-powered trying to fight Namor's wife Marrina, who'd been transformed into a sea monster- she turned into a bolt of lightning, and was dispersed across the surface of the ocean. Returning as a withered husk with no powers, she spent ages regaining them, and became one of those "Marvel Limbo" characters who just disappeared.

Post-Stern Monica Rambeau:
-Yeah, Monica's history is pretty sad once Stern left The Avengers after a behind-the-scenes scuffle with Mark Gruenwald (who wanted Cap made leader once more). 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 takes the name "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 a brain-addled 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 team leader 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. Unfortunately, despite the book being a fun "Island of Misfit Toys" collection of weirdo characters and Al Ewing being one of my current favorites at Marvel, Monica probably had the least characterization out of anyone in there. Despite Ewing adoring her (stating he'd loved how competent and powerful she was on The Avengers when he was younger), he just kind of had her as this backgrounder who didn't get to DO anything. I mean, this book made me like background wizard KALUU, and poor Monica didn't get to do anything cool. Ewing even brought her onto The Ultimates, as part of the team that explored the new basis of Marvel's cosmos.

Monica Rambeau's Power:
-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.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Woodclaw
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Location: Como, Italy

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Captain Mar-Vell! Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau!)

Post by Woodclaw »

Weirdly enough Monica is one of the iconic members of the Avengers in my book, despite all the insanity and discontinuity she suffered over the years. I do agree that calling her Captain Marvel was completely out of the blue (I'm partial for Photon as a codename), but other than that I really think that her reputation comes from the fact that no author except Stern knew what to do with her. Sure as hell, she started as an author's pet, but like Hawkgirl in JLU, she was a character pet you could get behind.
For me, the biggest weakness of Monica is that despite having an insane power-set, a unique look and bringing some real skills to the table, she really lacks some personality that isn't a stereotype tacked on just because. during and after Stern's tenure on the Avengers, most of Monica's problems were linked to her powers, revealing her secret identity to the team and so on. In short, they were superhero problems that felt as consistent as toilet paper. E.g., during the Terminus Saga, Monica re-joined the team as a reservist and, during the big battle, tried to power through Terminus's force field, something she had never done since the battle with Marinna. She failed and, of course, her ego was a bit bruised. Now, I think we can all agree, this isn't a relatable problem; it can be a good bit of characterization, but it's not a relatable problem.

Also, Jab, during Acts of Vengeance I distinctly remember Monica saying that she can't go full speed inside the atmosphere, due to the possible damage to the environment.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)

Post by Jabroniville »

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QUASAR II (Wendell Vaughn, aka Marvel Boy IV, 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- Forgotten Cosmic Hero:
-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), though he was actually created by other guys. He debuted as regular ol' Wendell Vaughn, a S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy wash-out who was believed to lack the "killer instinct" to succeed and thus given a generic security detail, but he gained super-powers when the Quantum Bands wielded by the dead "Crusader" come into possession of his research facility. The test pilot given them first is killed, but Wendell successfully uses them when A.I.M. attacks the facility- it turns out his calmness and lack of aggression are benefits in controlling the tremendous power. He becomes a superhero, codenamed "Marvel Boy", and given a very similar costume to the 1950s hero (now called "The Uranian").

-First as Marvel Boy, then Marvel Man, Wendell joins the S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agents, but like half of them turned out to be villains. He then became the security chief of Project: Pegasus, a very boring, generic "Science Facility" that just ends up being the place where evil super-tech ends up. Helping against countless super-villain attacks, he shows up in the backgrounds of some Marvel Two-In-One and hangs out with the Thing. Eventually, he just takes the name "Quasar" and it sticks.

Mark Gruenwald's Quasar:
-Mark Gruenwald ended up taking over the character, making Quasar his own personal book to explore the Marvel Universe as a whole- he created more Cosmic Beings, established the origins of others, and used all the forgotten characters he could- during the course of my builds, I've read the phrase "_____ ended up on the Stranger's Laboratory World" something like fifty times, because all these one-off aliens that only Mark remembered got used in a Quasar arc. In the book, Wendell discovers Eon, who makes him the new "Protector of the Universe", and a mega-arc is established around the forgotten villain Maelstrom and his master Oblivion (who wishes to destroy the universe), the evil Deathurge, and more. In this time, he joins the Avengers, forming the squad I most remember from my childhood. Quasar & Eon are killed by Maelstrom, but Wendell is regenerated by new cosmic being Infinity (a forgotten counterpart to Eternity), and Eon's daughter Epoch replaces him.

-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- Continuity Porn for the continuity-obsessed Gru)... but it is also REALLY, REALLY BORING. It reads more like an "Encyclopedia of Marvel's Cosmic Scene" than an actual narrative book- on issue is the most eyelid-dropping thing I've possibly ever read: an endless dissertation of the nature of Cosmic Beings and why they appear the way they do- because there's a dimension where they keep "M-Bodies" that they inhabit to talk to mortals, of course! Like... we would have accepted "just because". 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 and being boringly rational with his defensive-oriented powers)- the result is basically a big, dry bore. More scholarly than good.

-Overall, 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, then 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 Disappears:
-In the end, the comic faded away after Wendell stopped the villains in the mega-arc, and said villains disappeared (I haven't seen Maelstrom in an eternity). Gru's unfortunate death was pretty much his last gasp. He fakes his death and leaves Earth when his family is threatened by The Presence, and also controls the New Universe's Star Brand for a time, but largely fades away. He's briefly in Avengers Infinity with some other un-used Avengers, does little in the "Kang War" in Busiek's Avengers, and it's really a "thing" again for ten or so years until he is killed in the final moments of the mega-event Annihilation, dying fighting Annihilus alongside Nova. A furious Nova then kills the villain. This gave some more human stakes to the event (which was mostly wiping out faceless alien hordes), and was more or less Wendell's last bit of relevance.

-Wendell returns within a few years, as a being made of Quantum Energy- Captain Mar-Vell's daughter Phyla ended up becoming the new "Quasar" for a time. Wendell joins The Annihilators, a squad of "All Powerhouse" characters in a spin-off to the Cosmic Stuff of the time, fighting the Dire Wraiths, the Magus, and more- this book doesn't last long. In an odd bit, he's willingly manipulated by the Cosmic Cube "Kobik" in the Pleasant Hill story, as his Quantum Bands were acting up- at the end of the story, he gives the Quantum Bands to a young S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent named Avril Kincaid, training her to be the next "Quasar" (Phyla was already dead by this point).

Quasar Overall:
-Wendell Vaughn is a tricky character to assess- I've met people who LOVE him, like my old friend/cowriter Azrael/Lightbend (Ares & Kreuzritter remember him), who considered Quasar his favorite book- looking at Azrael's stuff, I definitely see why. His favorite thing was cosmic beings and the origins of the universe... and powerful characters. Really, really powerful characters. But Quasar's fanbase was rather small, and the character was forgotten BEFORE Gru's book, and forgotten AFTER it, with only a tiny handful of writers even bothering with him. I mean, there's plenty of decent under-utilized characters, but we're talking about a guy who spent maybe five years of a 42-year career being relevant to anything. It's actually a little sad. Personally, I never found the character interesting, and his powers were so obviously a rip-off of the Green Lantern Ring that I never took him that seriously, but I can see why a lot of people adored him for cutting through the "usual comic book stuff" like Mandatory Super-Hero Fights (he tries to avoid this in the Avengers arc with Alpha Flight & the People's Protectorate), choosing to talk his way out of things. The trouble is... those are the FUN parts of comics, and were tropes for a reason. The boring, scholarly nature of Quasar really wasn't for me, either.

Quasar's Cosmic Power:
-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 still a wide variety of powers- Create, Move Object, Blast, Flight, and more.

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QUASAR II (Wendell Vaughn, aka Marvel Boy IV, 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.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Shock
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Location: Connecticut USA

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Captain Mar-Vell! Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau!)

Post by Shock »

I really like the "starfield on the inside of the cape." Very distinctive and looks damn cool.
greycrusader
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Captain Mar-Vell! Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau!)

Post by greycrusader »

I remember rather liking Quasar's book, mainly for all the fun, obscure, quirky stuff Gruenwald through into the stories. But yes, Wendell Vaughn himself was just sort of a laid back, unassuming, decent guy...which makes for sort of a boring lead character, UNLESS he's got a really solid, interesting supporting cast, or other elements in his backstory which figure into the stories, and Quasar didn't have either.

Monica Rambeau (and dang, that Mighty Avengers costume is a sweet design!) really should be a lot more in the MU; I mean, she's got fairly rare power set, a personality with just enough hard edges without lapsing into "sassy black woman" stereotype, and doesn't really have any god awful stories in her past dragging her down. And yeah, she got shilled in her debut, with a little too many established heroes "talking her up"-but it didn't lapse into Mary Sue territory. She didn't come in and take down Thor or Dr. Doom, characters weren't constantly in awe of her, and she was actually pretty humble and likable, so most readers accepted her (for the complete OPPOSITE of the above, just look up Chavez, America). But unfortunately, Storm was THE black female hero for about three decades, until the Disney-Fox property wars led the Marvel execs to BADLY damage their once flagship X-titles. And since now Monica is mostly known for the running-gag codename changes and the goofball Nextwave team, she's likely to remain a C-lister unless the character hits it big in TV or film.

All my best.
Spectrum
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:08 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by Spectrum »

They already have Rambeau in the MCU, as a rather significant character in at least one movie. She's the best friend/mom in the Captain Marvel movie. I still haven't watched the Thanos movies (darn you Disney+) so I don't know what happened to her afterwards.
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by Jabroniville »

QUASAR CHARACTERS:
-Quasar's book featured a bunch of different characters, but here's some of the main ones:

Eon
Epoch
Makkari

Maelstrom's Minions:
Maelstrom
Helio
Gronk
Phobius
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Deathurge

Post by Jabroniville »

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The f*ckin' skis just make the whole thing so ridiculous, lol.

DEATHURGE
Created By:
Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio & Ron Wilson
First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One #71 (Jan. 1981)
Role: Implacable Hunter
PL 12 (231)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Technology 10 (+18)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (Avatar of Oblivion), Improved Critical (Weapons), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Startle

Powers:
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Subtle 2) (Flaws: Limited to Against Self-Destructive Targets) [17]
Communication (Mental) 1 [4]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
Comprehend 4 (Languages) [8]
Immunity 20 (Energy Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Those of Suicidal Beings) [10]

"Summoned Weapons"
"Ranged Weapon" Weaken Stamina 13 (Extras: Ranged, Progressive +2) (Flaws: Limited to Degree of Self-Destructiveness) (39) -- [42]
  • AE: "Ranged Weapon- Cold Feelings" Affliction 10 (Fort; Hindered/Exhausted) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (10)
  • AE: "Melee Weapon" Weaken Stamina 13 (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Progressive +2) (Flaws: Limited to Degree of Self-Destructiveness) (28)
  • AE: "Melee Weapon- Cold Feelings" Affliction 10 (Fort; Hindered/Exhausted) (Feats: Reach 2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
"Body-Created Skis & Flying Spear"
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) (Flaws: Platform) [10]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) (Flaws: Platform) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Melee Weapons +11 (+13 Weaken, DC 23)
Ranged Weapons +11 (+13 Ranged Weaken, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6 (+12 Boost, +16 Force Field), Fortitude +6 (+12 Boost), Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Suicides)- Deathurge claims to represent the inherent self-destructive tendencies of sentient life. He wishes most beings to give up and die, and serves as an agent of Oblivion, the Cosmic Being. He even once convinced PATSY WALKER to commit suicide!
Relationship (Mr. Immortal)- Deathurge realizes that Mr. Immortal will be the last person alive in the universe, and thus privy to some universal secrets. He has followed the hero throughout his entire life, and has actually grown legitimately attached to him.
Power Loss (Death Powers)- Demons and spirits are immune to Deathurge's powers. Beings who are filled with the desire to live will always be afflicted by the Cold Feelings aspect of the power instead of the Weaken Stamina portions. Similarly, near-misses (like say, coming within only a handful of points of hitting) will also result in the Affliction instead of the Weaken.

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 97 / Defenses: 15 (231)

-Deathurge is a rarely-seen guy who tends to follow Maelstrom around (in retrospect, his appearance in Quasar #2 should have been seen as a hint as to the series' maxi-villain), sort of an agent of Cosmic Oblivion- he tries to get people to commit suicide, or just kill failures in general. He flies around on skis in an homage to Jack Kirby's dumbest creation, the Black Racer of the New Gods, and he often chases Quasar around. In his debut, Deathurge slays all of the cloned bodies of the minions of the villain Maelstrom, but then turns on his master, slaying Maelstrom's clone, too. It is later revealed that he was never truly serving Maelstrom at all; merely assisting him at the behest of Oblivion.

-So Deathurge waits ten years before reappearing, showing up trying to convince Quasar, dissatisfied with his life, to end it. Just when Deathurge appeared to be victorious, Quasar is pulled out of despair when Eon appoints him Protector of the Universe. Deathurge was quickly beaten by Quasar, now empoweroed by the "Life-Urge"- Deathurge taunts him as he flees "One day you will beg me to kill you... and I will refuse". Finally, he's proven right, as after years of fights between the two, Quasar is badly injured by Maelstrom and begs for death- Deathurge, of course, refuses. Ghost Rider arrives and the two fight as Quasar dies, but only to a stalemate- afterwards, he fails to kill both the Watcher and Doctor Strange. Quasar would return, and the two would fight during Infinity War when Quasar attempted to use the Ultimate Nullifier against the Magus. Again, it was a stalemate.

-Deathurge is apparently the being who compelled Patsy "Hellcat" Walker to commit suicide, ending her story-arc for years. However, he was also shown to be the "imaginary friend" of Mr. Immortal of the Great Lakes Avengers. Along the way, he had slowly killed everyone Immortal knew, finally taking his girlfriend Dinah Soar- enraged, Mr. Immortal called him out, and Deathurge was finally convinced to turn against Maelstrom, helping the heroes defeat him. He was replaced as Oblivion's agent by Doorman. Failing to take Squirrel Girl's sidekick Monkey Joe to the afterlife, he was thus turned into a squirrel as punishment- he was last seen attempting to kill Tippy Toe, but instead fell in love with her. So, um, that got silly. Well I guess he STARTED silly, with those damn skis, but you know what I mean. The dude went from someone who only knew Quasar to a Comedy Book villain.

-Deathurge flies around on Cosmic Skis, and can scarcely be hurt by most of his targets thanks to his Immunities and Phasing power.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Goldar
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by Goldar »

Doesn't DC also have a very similar character in the Black Racer, who also uses cosmic skiis?
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M4C8
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by M4C8 »

I like Quasar and he and Nova (Rider) make a great partnership. Admittedly I haven't read his early appearances, including his own title so I don't see him as a particularly dull character. As for his power level, yeah I feel he should be, and has shown to be, a cosmic level threat up there with Nova Prime, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Beta Ray Bill etc. and more powerful than a standard Green Lantern. A GL can do more but Quasar takes it on raw power alone.
And yeah I thought the introduction of Avril Kincaid was silly and unnecessary. I'm happy that Wendell is back as Quasar, though when last seen he was searching for her so who knows for how long it'll last.
'A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it'
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Spam
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by Spam »

Spectrum wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 3:14 am They already have Rambeau in the MCU, as a rather significant character in at least one movie. She's the best friend/mom in the Captain Marvel movie. I still haven't watched the Thanos movies (darn you Disney+) so I don't know what happened to her afterwards.
Wasn't Monica the daughter? The best friend had a different name, if I recall.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by M4C8 »

Spam wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:18 pm
Spectrum wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 3:14 am They already have Rambeau in the MCU, as a rather significant character in at least one movie. She's the best friend/mom in the Captain Marvel movie. I still haven't watched the Thanos movies (darn you Disney+) so I don't know what happened to her afterwards.
Wasn't Monica the daughter? The best friend had a different name, if I recall.
Hers mother's name is Maria. Monica will appear as a adult in the WandaVision TV show.
'A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it'
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Edwin Jarvis

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

EDWIN JARVIS
Created By:
Stan Lee & Don Heck
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #59 (Nov. 1964)
Role: The Butler, The Assistant
Group Affiliations: The Avengers Support Staff
PL 5 (56)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Butler) 10 (+12)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+7)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Insight 4 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Rifle) 2 (+4)
Treatment 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Ultimate Butler

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Butler)- As Butler to Tony Stark and the Avengers, Jarvis is dedicated to his duty.
Relationship (Aunt May)- The two were a couple briefly when Spider-Man was on the "Stark Tower" Avengers.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (56)

-Gotta love Jarvis. OK, so he's basically an Alfred wannabe, and a weak one at that- British & dryly funny and all that, but much less so. He's had a long run, and been beaten up several times (by the Masters of Evil, no less!), hooked up with Aunt May and managed NOT to die (as rare a feat as Powerbombing Billy Kidman), and is still a part of comic books to this day. Not bad for a 1960s supporting character!

-Edwin Jarvis was, of course, the butler of Tony Stark in the Iron Man comic, and as Tony's mansion became home to the Avengers, he became THEIR butler, as well. Becoming accustomed to the superheroes in his midst with a polite regard, Jarvis became somewhat integral to the backdrop of The Avengers. He was attacked by people invading the mansion at one point, helped defend Hydrobase against some Doombots, and more, but was never in a more pointed tale than when the Masters of Evil attacked the mansion during Under Siege. There, in order to mentally-torture Captain America, Baron Zemo had Mister Hyde tear apart Cap's most precious heirlooms (like his original Shield and the only surviving picture of his mother), then brutally beat and maim the butler before Cap's horrified eyes.

-A badly-injured Jarvis was given much credit for his bravery, and he continued his work with an eyepatch (having lost most of the vision in his left eye), including leading the Avengers' "Home Base Crew"- a collection of side-characters created to serve as a staff for the team (this is SUCH a "Mark Gruenwald" thing to do). At one point, he tendered his resignation during Tony Stark's bout with alcoholism (his letter was actually plagiarized from a Marvel staffer's own letter of resignation; Marvel had to print an apology), but soon returned.

-Jarvis was a bit central during Brian Michael Bendis's New Avengers run, tending Stark Tower with a rough & tumble team, including dealing with Wolverine's poor table manners. When Peter Parker's childhood home burned down, his family moved into the Tower, and Jarvis actually started a relationship with Aunt May! This normally kills people stone-dead in a matter of months, but Jarvis somehow managed to live. They were separated when Peter turned on Tony during Civil War, but he confessed a deep love when May was shot and nearly killed- however, that whole "One More Day" thing happened, apparently removing their romance from the timestream forever. Also apparently he was born in Brooklyn, and adopted an English accent during the War?

-Jarvis was shot at one point, was replaced by a Skrull during Secret Invasion (which steals away with Luke Cage & Jessica Jones' daughter), and was hired by Amadeus Cho & Hercules to be the Mighty Avengers' butler, as he refused to serve under Norman Osborn's team. He went around to various teams in the subsequent "Every six months there's a new Avengers roster" era, but hasn't done much in a while. Jarvis is... neat, though. He's the one constant in the Avengers (which has been called out in the past ten years quite a bit), has a solid role to play, and can either sit in the background for years or get a random awesome moment or two, like a good Supporting Character can. Amazingly, he has never been killed (despite sleeping with AUNT MAY), turned into a super-villain, or been given super-powers, which I think is a world record for a supporting character created before 1970.

-Jarvis is a phenomenal Butler, which entails cleaning, cooking & etiquette (though realistically there's no way one person could run the ENTIRE Mansion by himself, this is passed over in comics in order to make a smaller cast), wise, knowledgeable, and a lot tougher than he lets on- he's an former boxing champ and soldier. Despite this, he's PL 5 only with his Defenses- he's PL 2 otherwise.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Spectrum
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by Spectrum »

M4C8 wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:10 pm
Spam wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:18 pm
Spectrum wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 3:14 am They already have Rambeau in the MCU, as a rather significant character in at least one movie. She's the best friend/mom in the Captain Marvel movie. I still haven't watched the Thanos movies (darn you Disney+) so I don't know what happened to her afterwards.
Wasn't Monica the daughter? The best friend had a different name, if I recall.
Hers mother's name is Maria. Monica will appear as a adult in the WandaVision TV show.
Very nifty! Thank you for the kind corrections. :)
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Carol Danvers! Monica Rambeau! Quasar!!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Hey, look! Someone did a full scientific study of the accuracy of all the dinosaurs shown in Jurassic Park!: https://jurassicparkterror.net/jurassic ... kkWt-BtJCM
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