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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
greycrusader
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Maestro! The High Evolutionary! The Rangers!)

Post by greycrusader »

A couple minor caveats (which will show how utterly much an obscure comics-characters geek I am):

Texas Twister should likely be STR 3, sine he's generally depicted as a brawny 6'4"-6' 5" guy, though I admit in real-life terms that would be a STR 2 (harking back to the discussion on how even world-record weightlifters don't reach STR 4, let alone "human maximum" STR 6).

Shooting Star seems as if she should have the Benefit: Well-Off (since her daddy had enough money to fund her gear) and a couple more equipment points (she had special boots that let her glide on Twister's whirlwinds, for example).

BTW-since you're statting the Rangers, did the whole post-Secret Wars III Red Wolf title ever even come out? I knew when it was announced it was going to be one of those "doomed to fail FAST" things, like the Black Knight title, but did Marvel ever even let the ultimate Indian stereotype book see the light of day?

All my best.

PS: Oddly enough, the Rangers are probably the kind of goofballs I'd love to write about if I had the chance-not in a "BWAH-HA-HA! Look how self-consciously ridiculous we are" sort of way (which is death for a superhero comic) but just as these guys who are fringe-y but actually pretty decent at superheroing at a local scale. Though that's in part because I'm sick of all the Earth/Galaxy/Multiverse threatening plots.
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Maestro! The High Evolutionary! The Rangers!)

Post by Ares »

I actually listened to an audio-book that used the High Evolutionary to good effect, interestingly enough as an opponent for Bruce Banner rather than the Hulk. The issue with him seems to be "what to do with him" given his power and intelligence. He seemed to come off better as a scientist of incredible power who means well but occasionally loses touch with his humanity, and is more of an adversary rather than an outright villain most of the time.

I actually prefer the original Arabian Knight, flying carpet and everything. Yes, there should be more heroes from that area with more diverse powers and abilities. He really should have been on a team where he was the "Black Knight" of the group, along with more modern heroes, but I'll take someone who looks like something fun who likes his mythology over a guy in military fatigues.

As for the Rangers, they're a group that honestly could have worked, save for most villains focusing on New York. But in a larger superhero universe, you'd need at least one team of heroes in every major section of the country. I think their biggest issue was that they needed at least a couple of A-List or B-List members to help give them some cred.

As it stands, they come off as kind of the "Alpha Flight of the South", being a bunch of American sterotypes with little character. But having some Cowboy style superheroes again shows that we can have our own "Captain Ethnic"s like Arabian Knight and have some fun with it. And frankly, Texas Twister works just fine as a superhero concept, it's just that nobody DID anything with him.

Poor Red Wolf winds up being yet another "Native American with tracking skills" guy. I mean, the Apache do have legendary tracking skills, but not every Native American is going to be an expert tracker and warrior. Though what's weird is that even the guys who got their powers through mutation or science like the Proudstar brothers and American Eagle tended to have the same powers: enhanced strength/stamina/durability/speed/senses. Be nice to find a Native American hero whose powers were, say, density control or invisibility and without any connection to "Great Spirit" powers.
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M4C8
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Maestro! The High Evolutionary! The Rangers!)

Post by M4C8 »

greycrusader wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2017 4:01 pm A couple minor caveats (which will show how utterly much an obscure comics-characters geek I am):

Texas Twister should likely be STR 3, sine he's generally depicted as a brawny 6'4"-6' 5" guy, though I admit in real-life terms that would be a STR 2 (harking back to the discussion on how even world-record weightlifters don't reach STR 4, let alone "human maximum" STR 6).

Shooting Star seems as if she should have the Benefit: Well-Off (since her daddy had enough money to fund her gear) and a couple more equipment points (she had special boots that let her glide on Twister's whirlwinds, for example).

BTW-since you're statting the Rangers, did the whole post-Secret Wars III Red Wolf title ever even come out? I knew when it was announced it was going to be one of those "doomed to fail FAST" things, like the Black Knight title, but did Marvel ever even let the ultimate Indian stereotype book see the light of day?

All my best.

PS: Oddly enough, the Rangers are probably the kind of goofballs I'd love to write about if I had the chance-not in a "BWAH-HA-HA! Look how self-consciously ridiculous we are" sort of way (which is death for a superhero comic) but just as these guys who are fringe-y but actually pretty decent at superheroing at a local scale. Though that's in part because I'm sick of all the Earth/Galaxy/Multiverse threatening plots.
The Red Wolf mini-series did happen, he was a guy called Red Wolf from the old west who became stranded in modern day America by a time travelling villain, he didn't seem to have any superpowers outside of some vague connection to Wolves (I think his mother was a mystic though) and by the end of the run he was a small town deputy sheriff. He is currently travelling the US alongside Hawkeye helping 'real' Americans in the title 'Occupy Avengers'
I think one of the characters may have mentioned there being another Red Wolf (The one in the Rangers) but aside from that he hasn't appeared.
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Ken
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Re: Shooting Star

Post by Ken »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:17 am ImageImage

mmm.... cowgirls...
You know, it wouldn't take that much to change the stars on her uniform into a Maple Leaf. And then we could do a pallette swap, and say she was from Alberta, where her father was an oil baron....
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Red Wolf

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

RED WOLF (William Talltrees)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #80 (Sept. 1970)
Role: Magical Native American
Group Affiliations: The Rangers
PL 9 (137)
STRENGTH
3/6 STAMINA 4/7 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills: 
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 3 (+6/+10)
Expertise (History) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Cheyenne Warrior) 8 (+9)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Treatment 4 (+5)

Advantages: 
Animal Empathy, Diehard, Great Endurance, Equipment 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Tomahawk), Ranged Attack 10, Sidekick 13 (Lobo), Teamwork

Powers:
"Powers Imbued by Owayodata"
Enhanced Strength 3 [6]
Enhanced Constitution 3 [6]
Senses 2 (Low-Light & Extended Vision) [2]

Equipment:
"Coup Stick"
"As Javelin or Tomahawk" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 6) (Diminished Range -1) (9) -- (10)
  • AE: "As Bow & Arrow" Blast 3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Extended Range) (8)
Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Boosted +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Bow & Arrow +10 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Javelin or Tomahawk +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications: 
Relationship (The Rangers)
Relationship/Responsibility (His People)- Talltrees lost his family to Corrupt Corporate Executives, and wants to live up to their memories.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 32 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 10 (137)

-Red Wolf rounds out The Rangers, but didn't appear in the Chaos in Calgary comic book, so I never really associated him with the team. He's your everyday D-list Ethnic Loser Hero, being a Native American with God-bestowed powers who acts as crowd-filler. Not very interesting, and of course he's Native so he has to be named after an animal and be an outdoors expert. He was actually Marvel's first Native American hero, debuting in 1970, and segued from that to a nine-issue solo book a couple years later. It was set in the Old West, and featured the two predecessors of the modern-day hero, effectively being Retcons of a then-rookie character. The original Red Wolf is thus Wildrun, the 19th Century Cheyenne. One of the few appearances showed this version as part of Kang's Anachronauts- Wildrun joined Kang out of respect, after the Conqueror defeated him in one-on-one combat- the only man ever to do so.

-The second Red Wolf is Johnny Wakely, who was raised by a white family in the same time period. When they were killed by Natives in retaliation for the U.S. cavalry's massacres of their own people, he ended up joining the Cavalry as a scout, then visited by the Cheyenne God Owaydodata, who made him the new Red Wolf. He fought to bring Natives and whites closer together. The third Red Wolf was Thomas Thunderhead, who was active during the 1970s. Not much is known about him.

-Thus, William Talltrees is the fourth character to use that name, but was the first one ever seen. When his family was killed by Cornelius Van Lundt (Taurus of The Zodiac Cartel), he is visited by the same Cheyenne God and empowered as the new Red Wolf. Ten years after his creation, Bill Mantlo stuck all of the Southern heroes together on The Rangers, putting Red Wolf in with Texas Twister, Shooting Star, Phantom Rider & Firebird. However, in this role he did quite little, and was rarely used. He's only shown up a handful of times, but what I think was a past version was given an ill-advised solo book under the most-recent set of Marvel books, with the resulting expected cancellation (seriousy- a RED WOLF solo book? Yeah okay it's a Diversity Push Era, but come on- this is why Limited Series are made), then popped up in the current Hawkeye Occupy Avengers book, which features Clint Barton hooking himself up to whatever Liberal Cause du jour is a big deal.

-A minor, PL 9 (8.5 offense, 9 defense) character, Red Wolf is actualy fairly effective, and quite dangerous with his various weapons. His Coup Stick has multiple uses (Javelin or Bow), and he has a Tomahawk batch to fill out the rest of his Equipment (it does the same stuff as a Javelin, but he has more than one of them). Wildrun showed no superhuman powers, but had the Standard Native American Tropes. Thunderhead could make his Coup Stick & wolf sidekick appear from nothing. 

Image

LOBO
Role:
Animal Sidekick
PL 6 (63)- Sidekick Rank 13
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 1 (+6)
Expertise (Hunters) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Fast Grab, Improved Trip, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 2 [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

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

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 12 (63)

-The Red Wolf build also lets me trot out my old Wolf build for his Sidekick, Lobo! It's actually advanced a notch further, being an appropriate PL 6 sidekick. The one that was the sidekick to Thunderhead also appeared to be insubstantial, gaining twenty points.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Feb 03, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
brothersale
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Re: Red Wolf

Post by brothersale »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:53 pm
However, in this role he did quite little, and was rarely used. He's only shown up a handful of times, but what I think was a past version was given an ill-advised solo book under the most-recent set of Marvel books, with the resulting expected cancellation (seriousy- a RED WOLF solo book? Yeah okay it's a Diversity Push Era, but come on- this is why Limited Series are made), then popped up in the current Hawkeye Occupy Avengers book, which features Clint Barton hooking himself up to whatever Liberal Cause du jour is a big deal.
Nope that one is now the fourth Red Wolf and is a left over from the last Battleworld, (1872 #1-4) the Valley of Doom zone, where all of the established marvel heroes were given western backgrounds.
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Re: Shooting Star

Post by Arkrite »

Ken wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:16 pm You know, it wouldn't take that much to change the stars on her uniform into a Maple Leaf. And then we could do a pallette swap, and say she was from Alberta, where her father was an oil baron....
Wouldn't be that far from reality. Happen to know a little blonde woman who's a pro at riding horses while shooting pistols.
Her father is a farmer though. And if she's fighting crime I haven't heard of it yet ;~)
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Re: Texas Twister

Post by HalloweenJack »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:26 am Image

THE TEXAS TWISTER (Drew Daniels)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & George Perez
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #177 (Dec. 1976)
Role: Texan Stereotype, The Cowboy
Group Affiliations: The Rangers, The Thunderbolts, S.H.I.E.L.D.
PL 10 (157)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills: 
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Rodeo Cowboy) 8 (+10)
Expertise (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent) 4 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Wind) 4 (+10)

Advantages: 
Animal Empathy, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Teamwork

Powers:
"Wind Controlling Powers"
"Tornado" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 180ft. Burst +3.5) (Flaws: Distracting) (45) -- [53]
  • AE: Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Shapeable +3) (40)
  • AE: Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (40)
  • AE: Wind Blast 10 (Feats: Split) (21)
  • AE: "Wind" Features: Extinguish Flames, Thrown Objects Auto-Miss, -4 Ranged Attacks
  • AE: "Wind Funnels" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (31)
  • AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 10 (Extras: Ranged) (20)
  • AE: "Wind Storm" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Instant Recovery, Limited Degree) (20)
Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]
Immunity 7 (Cold, Vertigo, Wind/Air Damage) [7]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Wind Attacks +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Wind Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications: 
Relationship (The Rangers)
Relationship (Shooting Star)- The two are partners, both in romance and in super-heroics.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 81 / Defenses: 12 (157)

-Texas Twister here is a goofy cowboy superhero who just happens to have Tornado powers. A big handlebar mustache and generic Texan accent of course accompany him in his weird cowboy uniform. He's been rarely seen since he's so inherenly from the "old school" philosophy of "Ethnic" superheroes who are stereotypes of their region, but he's nonetheless one of the most common "Tornado" based people in comics, since it's one of the least-used power-sets of elements (alongside Storm, Thor to a limited extent, my girlfriend Cyclone, and Red Tornado). 

-The Twister was created by Roy Thomas, who shopped him around to an arc in another book after his debut- he was one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agents and was one of the rare ones to NOT turn evil immediately! He gained his powers from being in a tornado next to a nuclear power plant (you know, the traditional way), and had a pretty big focus on getting PAID for his work- he refused to join the Frightful Four when he discovered they wouldn't pay him to join, and later joined a traveling rodeo, where he met his future partner, Shooting Star. Later, he joined The Rangers in the Hulk's book, under Bill Mantlo, becoming one of many "permanent background characters" in the comics. He and his team meet up with the West Coast Avengers when he made a deal with a demon to get his fading powers back (when he begs to be spared by the demon, it infests Shooting Star instead- only his love for her can break the possession), then take a LONG break until they ally with the Right-Riders and Turbine, alongside Spider-Man. The Initiative briefly uses the team as Texas's Initiative squad (more or less keeping them intact as a squad), and they also team up with the "Kaine" Scarlet Spider in his own solo book.

-Surprisingly, Twister isn't all that bad. A big part of that is a 120-foot TORNADO that he can summon at-will, with himself either at the centre, or powering it from far away. That thing is quite powerful, but Distracting, and he has a bunch of Alt-Effects based off of it, from the common Deflect to various other Area Effects (Line, Shapeable) for getting in those pesky cracks. He also has a base Move Object, and a Wind Blast that isn't an Area Effect, so he can use Power Attack with impunity on it, making him rather versatile. He's only PL 7 defensively, so he's still vulnerable (the Wizard once easily defeated him by throwing a "Gravity Disc" onto his chest and then throwing him into a wall), and he's a bit under-Advantaged, but still capable.

There was a nice little Fred Hembeck comic in an issue of Marvel Age that had Adam Warlock and Thanos giving auditions for the Infinity Crusade and the Surfer walks in and joins them.

Off panel the Texas Twister announces that he wants to join them.

The Surfer narrows his eyes and says "Hey I've seen pictures of the Twister and that's no--"

He gets cut off as the Twister goes into a long winded diatribe about how he's perfect for the event and how he'll cut taxes and make 'criminals as scarce as the Kingpin at the Punisher's birthday party" with the three watching him growing more and more annoyed.

Finally the Surfer gets up and shouts "MR. PEROT, IT DIDN'T WORK IN NOVEMBER AND IT WON'T WORK NOW!"

at which point the 'Texas Twister' replies offscreen "Hey! I paid for this identity with my own money pardner!"
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Phantom Rider (Original)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

THE PHANTOM RIDER I (Carter Slade, aka Ghost Rider I, The Night Rider)
Created By:
Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas & Dick Ayers
First Appearance: Ghost Rider #1 (Feb. 1967)
Role: Cowboy Hero
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (105)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Cowboy) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Pistol) 1 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+7)

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

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

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

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

Complications:
Motivation (Justice)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 17 (105)

-The original Phantom Rider was actually called Ghost Rider, and was a Cowboy Hero from the late 1960s, based off of ANOTHER Cowboy Hero- the Ghost Rider of 1949's Tim Holt #11. This was a horror-themed Cowboy Book, but Marvel soon took the character's name and appearance and made a generic cowboy out of him. When the supernatural superhero Ghost Rider debuted in the 1970s, Marvel quickly renamed the guy Night Rider (unfortunately, this turned out to be a Southern U.S. term for a member of the KU KLUX KLAN), then to the Phantom Rider. At least five men have been the "Phantom Rider", and he continues to this day. As Marvel now owns the "Ghost Rider" trademark, another company has licensed reprints with the character called "The Haunted Horseman".

-The original Phantom Rider is Carter Slade, a traditional cowboy who wears a more superheroic garb, including a phosphorescent white uniform. He was gifted this, plus his horse Flaming Star, from a Native American "medicine man". Slade would be short-lived, dying in a 1972 Western Gunfighters comic, and become replaced by his sidekick Jamie Jacobs (use the same stats), who was also killed in action. Carter Slade's grandson James Taylor James (aka J.T. Slade) was be one of Nick Fury's Secret Warriors, going by "Hellfire", but was revealed to be a HYDRA double-agent, and Fury allowed him to fall to his death.

-There was also another "Ghost Rider"- the black cowboy Reno Jones would temporarily take up the uniform while fighting Klansmen called The Night Riders- he retired after killing his old partner Kid Cassidy, who it turned out was a racist.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Feb 03, 2022 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Maestro! The High Evolutionary! The Rangers!)

Post by Jabroniville »

greycrusader wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2017 4:01 pm A couple minor caveats (which will show how utterly much an obscure comics-characters geek I am):

Texas Twister should likely be STR 3, sine he's generally depicted as a brawny 6'4"-6' 5" guy, though I admit in real-life terms that would be a STR 2 (harking back to the discussion on how even world-record weightlifters don't reach STR 4, let alone "human maximum" STR 6).
Hm- interesting. I'll adjust him. My desktop is being weird, which prevents me from doing some stuff, but thankfully I have a couple weeks' worth of builds I can post from my phone, and my computer-literate friend is helping me, so I shouldn't lose anything.

Good to hear from you again- I hadn't seen you here in a while.

BTW-since you're statting the Rangers, did the whole post-Secret Wars III Red Wolf title ever even come out? I knew when it was announced it was going to be one of those "doomed to fail FAST" things, like the Black Knight title, but did Marvel ever even let the ultimate Indian stereotype book see the light of day?
Yup, and it died quickly. Like Dane Whitman's book, it should have been a Limited Series.
Jabroniville
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Phantom Rider (Villainous)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

THE PHANTOM RIDER III (Lincoln Slade)
Created By:
Steve Englehart
First Appearance: West Coast Avengers #??
Role: One-Shot Villain
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (97)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills: 
Athletics 4 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (U.S. Marshal) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Cowboy Gear), Minion 3 (Horse), Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Equipment:
"Lasso" Snare 4 (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: One Target Only) (11)
"Six-Guns" Blast 4 (8)
"Bolas" Snare 5 (Flaws: Limited to 5 Uses) (Diminished Range -1) (9)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Guns +10 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Lasso +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications: 
Responsibility (Insane)- The Phosphorescent effects of the Phantom Rider gear drove Lincoln nuts, and caused him to think it was OK to drug a woman into being his girlfriend.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (97)

-Carter's brother Lincoln would become the third Phantom Rider, but was driven mad by his powers. When the West Coast Avengers were sent through time to this period, Lincoln fell in lust with Mockingbird, then drugged her into having sex with him. This horrific incident led Mockingbird to lash out at him and knock him over a cliff- he at first begged for help, but then started to re-hypnotize her. Out of anger for what had happened, and the violation it implied, Mock allowed him to fall to his death. This would become a major sticking point between her and Hawkeye for a number of years. 

-That is a LOT of unnecessary complications added on to one single D-List character. Way too complex and full of convoluted material. In any case, Lincoln here lacks the powers of Hamilton and is just some PL 7 Cowboy archetype, handily-defeated by weak PL 8 Bobbie Morse- only as a dead person does he gain powerful Possession powers.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Feb 03, 2022 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Phantom Rider (Modern)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

THE PHANTOM RIDER IV (Hamilton Slade)
Created By:
Mike Fleischer & Dave Perlin
First Appearance: Ghost Rider #56 (May 1981)
Role: Dark Cowboy
Country of Origin: The United States (Southern U.S.)
Group Affiliations: The Rangers
PL 8 (172)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills: 
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+10)
Deception 4 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Intimidation 7 (+9)
Investigation 6 (+8)
Expertise (Archaeology) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Cowboy) 6 (+8)
Perception 5 (+7)
Insight 3 (+5)

Advantages: 
Accurate Attack, Animal Empathy, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 10, Startle

Powers:
"Phantom Possession"
"Invisibility" Concealment 2 (All Visual Senses) [8]
Insubstantial 4 [20]
Senses 7 (Detect Evil, Ranged, Progression 5) [7]

"Phantom Six-Guns" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [12]
Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (19 points)

"Phantom Lasso" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Features: Can be Made Intangible) [8]
Snare 4 (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: One Target Only) (11)

"Summon Banshee"
Summon Minion 6 (Extras: Active) [18]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lasso +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Six-Guns +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications: 
Relationship (The Rangers)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 73 / Defenses: 12 (172)

-After the deaths of the other Phantom Riders, archaeologist Hamilton Slade (a descendant of Lincoln) would uncover the burial site of his predecessor, becoming possessed by the spirits of the other Phantoms. He then rode off to rescue Johnny Blaze, the current Ghost Rider. Eventually, however, Lincoln's ghost would possess Hamilton constantly, and begin stalking Mockingbird out of vengeance for his death. Hamilton fought back, and eventually joined The Rangers. 

-His showing in Chaos in Calgary was so unimpressive (he was trapped by a cage of paste, even though he's supposed to be insubstantial) that I'm not even sure if it was the right guy I'm using here. Course, it's just as likely the writer (hey! Scott Lobdell!) didn't even realize such a minor character had all these powers. His actions in the story were generally unimpressive, as he chased the Dreadknight around a corner, then got whacked because the guy was waiting on the other side for him. Really. He rarely featured in major stories, as Texas Twister, Firebird and Red Wolf were always more important; he was murdered in modern times by the villain Crossfire while he was attempting to exorcize his own daughter (who had become the FIFTH Phantom Rider) from Lincoln's ghost. When she saw her father's dead body (he was shot by her partner Crossfire), she attacked Mockingbird and the other heroes, and had to be taken into custody.

-Holy hell- this guy is EXPENSIVE. It's all these powers... a "Ghost"-type build with Invisibility & Insubstantial on him, in addition to magical Six-Guns, a Lasso, a Summoned Steed, as well as a VERY long-range Detect Evil power, and you've got a pretty good all-around character. However, he's still only PL 8 (Dreadknight easily kicked his ass), so he's monstrously over-priced for his power level. Technically, when he has his powers, it's the ancestor possessing the current guy, but I'm pretty sure the stats are the same, since he can tap the skills of the other guy presumably.

BANSHEE
Role:
Powered Mount
PL 6 (77)- Minion Rank 6
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

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

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

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

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

"Phantom Powers"
"Invisibility" Concealment 2 (All Visual Senses) [8]
Insubstantial [20]

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

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

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

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 9 (77)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Thu Feb 03, 2022 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Maestro! The High Evolutionary! The Rangers!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Wow. I used to have a Champions Online character who looked exactly like Shooting Star... Although my gun-slinging heroine added a white Stetson. I had a lot of fun with her on the road up to midpoint on the level cap, but the dual pistol "power set" was very mechanically limited. There were a whole bunch of powers, but they all boiled down to: focus damage on one target, light damage on every baddie in the area, or dodge like a nutter.
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Ken
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Maestro! The High Evolutionary! The Rangers!)

Post by Ken »

Oddly, Dick Ayers, when he worked for Magazine Enterprises, he was the first artist on the Rex Fury Ghost Rider character back in 1949, so he really did co-create the Phantom Rider ... twice.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Skaar! Hiro! Glorian! Ryker! The Gamma Corps!)

Post by Spectrum »

Batgirl III wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:13 pm Which of the three Prodigys was pyrokenetic? I distintly remember that one of them was a fire-starter. A twisted fire-starter. Yeah.
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