Jab’s Builds! (Beaker! Sam Eagle! Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef!)

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

Leech

Post by Jabroniville »

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LEECH
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Paul Smith
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #179 (June 1984)
Role: Power Nullifier, Deus Ex Machina
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks, Generation-X, X-Terminators
PL 20 (64)
STRENGTH
-3 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 5 (+4)
Persuasion 5 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Nullify All Powers"
Nullify 20 (Extras: Fort Check +0, Area- 30ft. Burst, Continuous Duration +3, Broad- Metahuman) (Flaws: Close Range, Permanent) [60]

"Child-Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
(-4 Strength, -2 Movement, +2 Dodge/Parry, -2 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Nullify +20 Area (+20 Nullify, DC 30)
Initiative +0

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

Complications:
Prejudice (Obvoius Mutant)- Bright green and deformed, Leech could never pass for human.
Disabled (Speech)- Leech talks very strangely, and has difficulty being understood.
Motivation (Family)- Bounced from home to home, Leech has a burning desire for affection from parental figures and friends.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 65 / Defenses: 4 (64)

-Leech is a fun character that's gotten a lot of use over the years by virtue of being an iconic Obvious Mutant combined with the sad story of the Lonely Child. His parents left him to die as an infant, and he was raised by the Morlocks, but then ANNALEE, his foster mother, died, and he's been bounced between different homes for his entire life. First he was with X-Factor, then a boarding school (where he & Artie teamed up with Wiz Kid- a cripple Technopath), then Gene Nation, then Generation X. A really sad little tale, especially since he's so eager to please and be loved. Leech was one of the 198 Mutants to retain their powers after M-Day, but kind of joins X-Limbo after that, as no book really wanted to take him. It wasn't until the FF book was restructured into being a School For Special Children as "The Future Foundation" that he found a home again, allying with his old buddy Franklin Richards as one of the few NON-genius kids at the Foundation. He hasn't been seen much since the Richardses went into space until the Fox movie rights go back to Marvel... I mean, fix the multiverse.

-Leech's power is so over-arching it's virtually a PL X effect, but Nullify 20 oughta do it. A full-range Continuous Burst Nullify 20 effect will shut down pretty much ANYBODY in range, so it's a good thing he's a worthless fighter otherwise.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Artie Maddicks

Post by Jabroniville »

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Image
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ARTIE MADDICKS
Created By:
Bob Layton & Jackson Guice
First Appearance: X-Factor #2 (March 1986)
Role: Background Kid
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks, Generation-X, X-Terminators
PL 4 (20)
STRENGTH
-3 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
None

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Telepathic Vision Creation"
Illusion 1 (Visual) (Feats: Increased Size 5) [7]
Mind-Reading 4 [4]
"Mind-Block" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Mind-Block +4 (+4 Perception Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Prejudice (Obvoius Mutant)- Bright pink and deformed, Artie could never pass for human.
Disabled (Mute)- Artie cannot speak at all, requiring his mutant powers to create images of this thoughts.
Motivation (Family)- Bounced from home to home, Artie has a burning desire for affection from parental figures and friends.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 3 (20)

-Artie's a life-long sidekick of Leech, though much less of a Plot Device or otherwise powerful character. He's a mute kid who can create mental images (and has displayed other powers over the years), showcasing the trope of "being a mutant sucks and isn't all about hanging out with chicks with giant bazoombas"). Unfortunately, like Leech, he's been bounced all over the place, as every writer since X-Factor has gotten tired of him & Leech eventually, resulting in runs on a few different books. He was a ward of Gene Nation in the '90s, then moved on to Generation X (along with Leech & Franklin Richards, who was then orphaned after Onslaught killed his parents, among other Marvel heroes), then into X-Limbo he went, until he showed up as part of the Future Foundation in the FF book. He is believed to be de-powered, and uses a special helmet created by Valeria Richards to do his old "Create Images" thing now.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jun 26, 2022 7:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Taki

Post by Jabroniville »

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WIZ KID (Takashi "Taki" Matsuya)
Created By:
Louise Simonson & Joe Bogdanove
First Appearance: X-Terminators #1 (Oct. 1988)
Role: Smart Guy, Handi-Capable
Group Affiliations: The X-Terminators
PL 0 (54), PL 6 (54) to Machines
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Computers) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+5)
Insight 4 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+3)
Technology 5 (+7)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Inventor

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Technopathy"
Transform 11 (Any Metallic or Glass Substance to Any Other- 3,200 lbs.) (Extras: Continuous) (Flaws: Technology/Computers Skill Check Required) [44]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge -3 (DC 7), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +3

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)
Disabled (Wheelchair-Bound)- Taki cannot walk without assistance, and requires a wheelchair or other vehicle to maneuver around. Without them, he is completly helpless.
Disabled (Dyslexic)- Taki has learning disabilities despite his great intelligence, and often reads things incorrectly.

Total: Abilities: -8 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 4 (54)

-Taki's by far the least-used X-Terminator kid, being your average tech-savvy wheelchair-bound orphan kid (what is this- The 1980s? Oh wait, it was...), who can create awesome technology with his Technopathic powers. He was insular and angry after the death of his parents in a car accident (the accident also crippled him), but found friendship with Artie & Leech, joining up with them. After their Limited Series ended, he basically went on to do nothing, and eventually got de-powered- Artie & Leech continued forth doing things, essentially forgetting their friend had ever existed. However, Taki has recently appeared in Avengers Academy as one of their "Legion of Forgotten Teens" joining the student body there- his powers mysteriously reappeared, as they seemingly have ignored that he'd ever lost them in the first place.

-Taki is no combatant, but his Madison Jeffries Lite powers allow him a lot of innovation and variability.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Erg

Post by Jabroniville »

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ERG (Andreas Konig)
Created By:
Louise Simonson & June Brigman
First Appearance: Power Pack #12 (June 1985)
Role: Background Character, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks
PL 5 (70)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 7 (+8)
Expertise (History) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Streetwise) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+6)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Electrical Blast Through Eye"
Blast 6 [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blast +4 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications: 
Prejudice (Mutant)
Power Loss (Energy)- Erg's Electrical Blast requires nearby energy to be drained and converted. Kinetic energy from punches and the like will suffice, however.
Power Loss (Eye)- Only one eye releases Erg's power, and if he cannot open it, he cannot use his power.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 7 (70)

-Erg's a low-rent Blaster who's surprisingly still alive, given how many of these guys have been killed over the years. He's got a bit of a family history of Biker Gangs, and seems obsessed with that aspect, and he coined the "198" badge of honor among mutants (based off of the outlaw bikers' "1%" badge), but he's really minor, with a simple Blast. He's pretty much existed as a minor background character for thirty years, somehow being that unique combination of "not important enough to matter" yet "not important enough to kill for dramatic purpose".
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Ape

Post by Jabroniville »

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APE (Name unknown)
Created By:
Louise Simonson & June Brigman
First Appearance: Power Pack #12 (June 1985)
Role: Background Character
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks
PL 5 (47)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Shapeshifting"
Shapeshift 1 (Flaws: Limited to Alterations to Physical Form) [7]
(typical powers: Power-Lifting, Protection 2)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

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

Complications: 
Prejudice (Mutant)

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 8 (47)

-Ape is a really silly Power Pack character, being Erg & Tar Baby's buddy, a guy who looked like a fat, malformed hobo who could shift himself into various forms, usually goofy stuff like a bed or a coatrack or something. Nothing really useful in a fight, but in the '90s X-Men cartoon, he could do stuff like morph a hole into his body to avoid a Blast or something, so there's that. Like Erg, he's a PL 5 nobody, but he's actually dead now- killed as a throwaway victim in a Weapon-X storyline featuring a "Neverland" concentration camp in the Deadpool book.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Tar Baby

Post by Jabroniville »

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TAR BABY (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Louise Simonson & June Brigman
First Appearance: Power Pack #12 (June 1985)
Role: Background Character
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks
PL 5 (57)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 5 (+5)
Insight 2 (+2)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Exudes Tar-Like Substance From Skin"
Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile) (Extras: Extra Condition, Cumulative, Contagious) (Flaws: Limited Degree) [18]
"Sticks to Skin When Punched" Protection 2 (Flaws: Limited to Physical Attacks) [1]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Tar-Skin +4 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +1 (+3 Tar-Skin), Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications: 
Prejudice (Mutant)- You can tell Tar Baby's powers quite easily by the amount of paper and assorted garbage permanently stuck to him.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 9 (57)

-Yes, they really named a character this. Okay, so it isn't ALWAYS used as a racial slur, but come on. Tar Baby here sticks to stuff, which is kind of a weird power, but fun to stat up. I figure it allows him a close-range Snare-Affliction that's Contagious (since the tar sticks to others for a while), Wall-Crawling as a Movement effect, and a bit of Protection (it saved him from being killed by Blockbuster's punches- it's kind of like a permanent Defensive Roll against physical attacks only). He died with Ape in the Neverland Camp as well. Despite existing for a hell of a long time, he apparently only ever took part in eight individual comics!
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Caliban

Post by Jabroniville »

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CALIBAN (aka Hellhound, Death, Pestilence)- First Form
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #148 (Aug. 1981)
Role: Tracker, Wussy Guy
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks, X-Factor
PL 7 (67)
STRENGTH
0/8 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Music) 8 (+6)
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 8 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+5)
Perception 6 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+1)
Stealth 4 (+5)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Mutant Detection & Fear-Field"
"Detect Mutants" Senses 7 (Detect Mutants 2, Extended Range 2, Low-Light Vision, Tracking 2) [7]
"Boost Strength Via Fear" Enhanced Strength 8 (Flaws: Limited to When Others Are Afraid) [8]
"Induce Fear" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Entranced/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Limited to Fear) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Boosted +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Fear-Field +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications: 
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- Caliban is hideously deformed, with white skin and large eyes, and would not pass for a normal human being.
Relationship (Kitty Pryde)- Caliban fell in love at first sight with young Katherine Pryde, and this motivates him heavily in the early part of his life.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 14 (67)

Image

CALIBAN (aka Hellhound, Death, Pestilence)- Enhanced Form
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #148 (Aug. 1981)
Role: Powerhouse, Big Dumb Guy
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks, X-Force, X-Factor, Four Horsemen of Apocalypse
PL 10 (103)
STRENGTH
9/10 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+10)
Expertise (Music) 8 (+6)
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 8 (+7)
Intimiation 10 (+8)
Investigation 6 (+5)
Perception 8 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+1)
Stealth 4 (+6)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Mutant Detection & Fear-Field"
"Detect Mutants" Senses 7 (Detect Mutants 2, Extended Range 2, Low-Light Vision, Tracking 2) [7]

"Boost Strength Via Fear" Enhanced Strength 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Others are Afraid) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Boosted +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Fear-Field +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Mental Plague +6 (+8 Weaken, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude +12, Will +5

Complications: 
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- Caliban is hideously deformed, with white skin and large eyes, and would not pass for a normal human being.
Enemy (Sabretooth)- Caliban has an intensely personal rivalry with Sabretooth, who killed many of his friends during the Mutant Massacre. He snapped Sabretooth's neck once, though Creed has his number these days.
Enemy (Apocalypse)- Caliban was a willing ally of Apocalypse for years, but eventually broke away to regain his freedom.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 16 (103)

-Caliban was a great example of a background character used perfectly. Initially a means to an end, Caliban was a Mutant-Tracker, and used in specific instances where that would most come in handy. But later, they developed a sad little story where he fell in love with young Kitty Pryde (much like every young male fan was at that point), and made her promise to come stay with him. Eventually, she was kidnapped and kept to her word- forced to be his bride. The X-Men were planning a rescue and all that, but when Caliban realized that Kitty truly did not love him and wanted to go back to the surface, he willingly let her go- not wanting her to be sad. Great stuff that you rarely see in comics.

-Later, Caliban was teamed with X-Factor post-Mutant Massacre, but he eventually joined up with Apocalypse to get revenge on Sabretooth in particular, gaining super-human strength and some vague "Mental Plague" thing, and was a Horseman of the Apocalypse for most of the 1990s, when I was reading comics (I had no idea he's started out as a sad little weenie). He eventually found and defeated Sabretooth, but merely broke the evil mutant's back, not realizing that Sabretooth had a Healing Factor and would survive. Later, he rejected Apocalypse and hooked up with X-Force long after I'd stopped reading the book, as a wacky Dumb Muscle type that I didn't care for one bit- his mind having regressed to a childlike state under Jeph Loeb's writing. He then went into Marvel Limbo for a while, got mutated by Apocalypse into becoming the new "Pestilence", came out back in his original state, and got killed saving Warpath from a hail of bullets in the newer incarnation of X-Force as a Black Ops Mutant Team. Well, if they weren't going to use him, may as well give him a heroic send-off, I guess.

-Caliban's first form is a means to an end- an elite Mutant Tracker with extreme range and some skill at surviving in the Morlock Tunnels. His second form is a PL 10 Powerhouse-type who dishes out lots of punishment and actually has a few Combat Advantages. He actually had a good string of wins going for him in the '90s (defeating Sabretooth, Cyclops & Jean Grey, then Mister Sinister) before settling into a more minor role later on.

During his time as "Pestilence", Caliban added the following:
"Mental Plague"
Weaken Mental Abilities 8 (Extras: Broad, Simultaneous, Progressive +2, Contagious) (Flaws: Distracting) (40) -- [41]
AE: "Induce Fear" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Entranced/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Limited to Fear) (12)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Neo! Callisto! Sunder! Leech! Caliban!)

Post by Batgirl III »

The only thing I dislike about Caliban is how "on the nose" they were with his name... Caliban fell in love with Kitty, yeah? But this was before she adopted the Shadowcat code-name and was still calling herself Ariel.
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Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Masque

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

MASQUE (Jack MacNaughton)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Paul Smith
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #169 (May 1983)
Role: Evil Leader
Group Affiliations: The Morlocks, The Tunnellers, The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
PL 9 (195)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+2)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Sewer Dweller) 6 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+5)

Advantages: 
Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Body Re-Shaping"
"Transform Body Parts Entirely" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Transformed) (Extras: Continuous Duration +3) [32]
Morph 3 (Humanoids) (Extras: Attack 12, Continuous Duration) (Flaws: Limited to Attacking) [27]
"Form Skin Over Orifices" Affliction 12 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Progressive +2) [36]
"Form Skin Over Eyes" Affliction 10 (Fort; Impaired/Prone/Vision Unaware) (Extras: Continuous Duration +3) [40]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Morph Attack +6 (+12 Morph, DC 22)
Transform Attack +6 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Suffocate Attack +6 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Blinding Attack +6 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +1, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications: 
Prejudice (Mutant)
Motivation (Power)- Masque is power-hungry and vengeful of a beautiful world when he must stay so hideous, and loves controlling his fellow Morlocks.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 135 / Defenses: 10 (191)

-Masque is one scary bastard, with one hell of a set of horrific powers. He was a bit of a "Plot Device" at first, with the power to alter the features of others, thus forcing some people to stay Morlocks because he'd made them hideously deformed. In his debut, he did this to Kitty Pryde, turning her face into a mass of disgusting lumps- a truly horrible baddie. A cruel, sadistic bastard, he often did this for the sheer FUN of it, and has used it to kill in the past (by morphing people's flesh over their nostrils and mouths), which is one AWFUL way to die. He was part of break-off group The Tunnellers, but they were all killed in X-Factor, leaving him alone. Once the Mutant Massacre was over, however, he gathered together the remaining survivors, and twisted the Morlocks into a more adversarial, evil group of people.

-Masque was actually a solid, deadly villain in this role, acting as a "Small Threat" in comparison to guys like Magneto & Apocalypse, who can break worlds. I HAAAAAAAAAAAAATED him as a kid, but I think now this was that kind of hate you reserve for the REALLY sinister villains, not "X-Pac Heat" (sorry to non-wrestling fans). Like, most baddies had some kind of self-justification, some grandeur, and a cool look. Masque? Masque was just a perverse sadist, and a sneaky little bastard too. One of his plots sees Banshee rendered mouthless, Jean turned into a tentacle-armed freak, and more!

-Alas, Masque is one of many, MANY X-Men villains who was demolished and paved over in the early 1990s in order to leave things open for a new generation of bad guys. Along with the Hellions, Donald Pierce, Sebastian Shaw, Magneto, Crimson Commando, Super-Sabre, the Reavers and others fell Masque, who was executed by Shatterstar, under orders from his leader Cable- Masque had threatened the new X-Force in the past when they took in Feral (a Morlock runaway who left, fearing Masque's talks of assaults on the surface world), and Cable had warned the villain that he would die if he ever tried that again. Cable, it turns out, does not bluff. While some of the younger X-Force members looked on in horror, the diminutive villain was run through with some particularly-horrible Rob Liefeld art.

-Masque would remain dead for a VERY long time, until Chris Claremont would bring him back in X-Treme X-Men, where he arrives without explanation, nobody reacted with shock to him being alive, and he started running an underground gladatorial contest. Later, he schemes along with a renewed band of Morlocks, undoes Caliban's enhancements by Apocalypse, and more. He was last seen as part of a band of abandoned Mutant characters living in the ruins of Utopia, alongside guys who should despise him, such as Madison Jeffires (whose brother had a similar power, and similar temperment), Boom-Boom (who fought him alongside X-Force), and more.

-Not much of a battlefield guy, Masque can't take a punch to save his life, and would be easily killed by anybody. So he has lots of Mooks around him, and usually only dives in when he feels he has a chance. But that power.... *shudder* He can Morph, Suffocate, Blind or Transform people (he gave Callisto octopus-tentacle arms once, for instance, so it's not just the "Morph Attack", which only changes appearances), all Continuous in Duration because only HE can undo them (or a skilled surgeon I guess), so it's a good thing he's pretty weak otherwise, and not that great a fighter- he usually only nails helpless or Mook-like people with his attacks. The Morph has extra ranks added to the Attack Extra because otherwise I think it'd only be a DC 13 effect.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Horsenhero
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:01 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (The Neo! Callisto! Sunder! Leech! Caliban!)

Post by Horsenhero »

Batgirl III wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 2:32 am The only thing I dislike about Caliban is how "on the nose" they were with his name... Caliban fell in love with Kitty, yeah? But this was before she adopted the Shadowcat code-name and was still calling herself Ariel.
I just think it's hilarious that Kitty's string of lame code names was remarkable enough that Emma Frost felt compelled to mock her about it.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (The Neo! Callisto! Sunder! Leech! Caliban!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Horsenhero wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 5:29 am
Batgirl III wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 2:32 am The only thing I dislike about Caliban is how "on the nose" they were with his name... Caliban fell in love with Kitty, yeah? But this was before she adopted the Shadowcat code-name and was still calling herself Ariel.
I just think it's hilarious that Kitty's string of lame code names was remarkable enough that Emma Frost felt compelled to mock her about it.
The COSTUMES she wore are utterly horrible as well. Even worse than the garbage the New Mutants were wearing under Bret Blevins.

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Also, just watched two of the most recent PBS Saturday Night Cinema things. I can definitely see why Dustin Hoffman doesn't consider Tootsie to be a comedy. Though it's a very chuckle-worthy clip- nothing REALLY uproarious, but it's constantly amusing. Bill Murray of course steals the show ("you SLUT"), though there's a lot of funny lines from the other characters. Hoffman does a hell of a job in drag (like Roger Ebert said, the Southern accent can cover if his "lady voice" doesn't work). Nine To Five is pretty fun, though it devolves into farce halfway through, and it feels like a weird U-Turn from the first half, where it's a little more normal (except for the Dream Sequences, which could fit into any comedy, really). Also, I don't know if anyone else has ever noticed this, but that "Dolly Parton" lady has some very large bosoms. And oddly enough, she seems funnier and has better delivery than either Jane Fonda or Lily Tomlin.
Horsenhero
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Neo! Callisto! Sunder! Leech! Caliban!)

Post by Horsenhero »

Jabroniville wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:55 am
Horsenhero wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 5:29 am
Batgirl III wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 2:32 am The only thing I dislike about Caliban is how "on the nose" they were with his name... Caliban fell in love with Kitty, yeah? But this was before she adopted the Shadowcat code-name and was still calling herself Ariel.
I just think it's hilarious that Kitty's string of lame code names was remarkable enough that Emma Frost felt compelled to mock her about it.
The COSTUMES she wore are utterly horrible as well. Even worse than the garbage the New Mutants were wearing under Bret Blevins.

---

Also, just watched two of the most recent PBS Saturday Night Cinema things. I can definitely see why Dustin Hoffman doesn't consider Tootsie to be a comedy. Though it's a very chuckle-worthy clip- nothing REALLY uproarious, but it's constantly amusing. Bill Murray of course steals the show ("you SLUT"), though there's a lot of funny lines from the other characters. Hoffman does a hell of a job in drag (like Roger Ebert said, the Southern accent can cover if his "lady voice" doesn't work). Nine To Five is pretty fun, though it devolves into farce halfway through, and it feels like a weird U-Turn from the first half, where it's a little more normal (except for the Dream Sequences, which could fit into any comedy, really). Also, I don't know if anyone else has ever noticed this, but that "Dolly Parton" lady has some very large bosoms. And oddly enough, she seems funnier and has better delivery than either Jane Fonda or Lily Tomlin.
You know, I'm not really a fan of Dolly Parton's music, but I am a fan of Dolly Parton. Not because she has a huge rack or anything, but because she's so unapologetic about who she is. She's naturally funny, smart and sassy (which is probably why she could deliver her lines to such effect...she's a natural comedic talent). One of my favorite quotes from her involves a reporter asking her about her chest size, to which she responded: "Honey, if I wasn't born with 'em, I would've had 'em built."

She embraces everything about herself, from her talent, to her looks, to her image, to her wealth and status as a celebrity without apologizing for it or using it to demean others...and as the disasters (fire then flood) that struck her area proved, when the going gets bad for the people where she lives, she can wield that wealth and celebrity to great effect in bolstering her community. She's a rare breed that Dolly. Of all the female country music entertainers I can think of, the only one who comes close is Tanya Tucker.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Emma Frost! Chamber! Banshee! Synch! The Neo!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Horsenhero wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:09 am Looking forward to the next run, with just a couple comments. Claremont is definitely better with a collaborator and strong editor (and no matter how much crap people dump on him, it was Jim Shooter who wanted the characters quantified and that gave birth to the OHOTMU).

The Firestar/Bucky book was Young Allies, a riff off the "teen team" the original Bucky formed during Roy Thomas' run on The Invaders in the 1970's (also featured Gravity, Spider-Girl and Toro, a new creation for the book).

Finally...nothing could justify Avengers Arena. Dennis Hopeless should still be flogged for that trash.

Carry on!
I'll say this- Hopeless is pretty good on All-New X-Men, aka "the best book that has no reason to exist". I mean, why ARE the Young Original X-Men still kicking around?
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Goldar
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Neo! Callisto! Sunder! Leech! Caliban!)

Post by Goldar »

1980's comic drama: I remember both Masque and Plague being of unknown sex when they originally appeared.

A little later we learned that Masque was male. I think it was quite some time later, that they implied Plague is a woman.
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Spam
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Neo! Callisto! Sunder! Leech! Caliban!)

Post by Spam »

Jabroniville wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:55 am Also, I don't know if anyone else has ever noticed this, but that "Dolly Parton" lady has some very large bosoms. And oddly enough, she seems funnier and has better delivery than either Jane Fonda or Lily Tomlin.
My favorite Dolly Parton quote was from David Letterman, where she was reading Top Ten Dolly Parton Pet Peeves. "#1) Nobody ever seems to notice that I've got a pretty nice ass!"
Last edited by Spam on Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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