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

Re: Jab's Builds! (Furies! Flag! Nemesis! Capt. Boomerang! Jihad!)

Post by Jabroniville »

greycrusader wrote: Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:31 am Parallel to the Bronze Tiger situation, both Captain Boomerang and Deadshot were allowed to have good showings against Batman, before he was "Bat-God"ed by Grant Morrison and other, later writers. Digger was shown to be far better than the Dark Knight with Mr. Harkness' favorite weapon, easily knocking a batarang out of the air and even beating Bruce on the draw, though Batman simply dodged the second boomerang and closed with Digger to deliver a knockout blow. Batman flat out stated the ONLY reason Deadshot never hit him was because Floyd unconsciously pulled his shots against Bruce- because deep down Lawton actually admired the hero and did NOT want to kill decent people.
What's sad is that "like the main hero, but better" is SUCH a good Villain Archetype- it makes the hero have to fight harder, and really EARN his victories. Spider-Man has a ton of bad guys who are enhanced versions of himself in some way or another (Osborn & Ock are better scientists; Rhino & Scorpion are much stronger; the Symbiotes have all his powers, but greater strength and immunity to his Spider-Sense). Batman tends to get all his wins back against better martial artists and THEN some these days- I kind of liked how Tiger & Shiva could be better than him. Nowadays, Shiva's "big name" just makes her a popular fall-girl for whatever NEW martial artist DC wants to put over.
(The new 52 origin of Deadshot was among the WORST re-imaginings of a character's background, along with that of Guy Gardner, and Victor Friezes/Mr. Freeze).
I'm glad I wasn't paying attention to two of those- I remember Gardner getting a new backstory that consisted of him coming from a family of cops, but I didn't think that was too bad. For a good while there, his book was significantly better than the main GL one. What happened with Lawton & Friese?
As for Tom Tresser/Nemesis-his original run was pretty decent, when it was about a PL 6-7 hero who used a mastery of disguise, careful planning, and action-hero level fighting skills to take down a government conspiracy. But that genre of story is dead as a doornail in mainstream comics, and Tresser never really fin into the DCU books into which he was shoehorned. Wonder Woman was the most egregious of this, where he was roped into being a Steve Trevor stand-in; I credit her with at least writing a definitive ending to the relationship. She also managed to discard a lot of other random silliness, like having Megalodons swimming around Paradise Island as "protectors" of the isle, because whatever.
But... Megalodons guarding the island would have been AWESOME! And I dunno about anyone here, but a Jab-written Wonder Woman would have some motherf**kin' KANGAS in it, and screw y'all if you don't like it :).

And yeah, I figured the original stories must have impressed some people. I heard from another guy elsewhere that they were bad, but two people here are saying they were good stuff.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Manticores

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

MANTICORE I, II & III
Created By:
John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell (I & II), Mike W. Barr & Paul Pelletier (III)
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #1 (May 1987), #17 (Sept. 1988) (II), Outsiders #5 (March 1994- III)
Role: Jobber Villain, Monster
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 7 (92)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 9 (+7)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Bulletproof" Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 7) (Weak Point- Face -1) [7]
"Throws Cars Around" Power-Lifting 1 (3 tons) [1]

"Grenade Launcher Tail" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18) -- [19]
  • AE: "Claw Blasts" Blast 5 (Feats: Accurate 2) (Extras: Multiattack) (17)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Claw Blasts +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Grenade Launcher +6 Area (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +7 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +7, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Middle Eastern Terrorist)

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 10 (92)

-Manticore (named for a Middle Eastern mythological creature) is a big red guy with a grenade launcher in his tail, Claw Blasts and a mean temperament... so naturally he was easily killed by Deadshot, who deliberately woke the beast, dropping an elevator on him, then shot him repeatedly. Noting that the monster was bulletproof in the chest, Deadshot muses about whether or not his FACE is armored. "Guess not. Sloppy."

-A second Manticore with identical appearance and powers shows up in the Jihad's second go against the team, and he squares off against the powerful Duchess (actually Lashina of the Female Furies). Duchess grapples him to the ground after a bit of effort, rips off his tail, and then BLUDGEONS him to death with it, nothing happily that "You?... YOU were INTERESTING." A third (named Saied) has the same appearance, and was killed in a 1994 Outsiders issue by Charlie Wylde.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Furies! Flag! Nemesis! Capt. Boomerang! Jihad!)

Post by Jabroniville »

There's a funny bit in one of the early Suicide Squad trades where Nightshade is angsting to a Catholic Priest about her powers and how dark they are, and she goes "tell me, father- am I damned?" And instead of being all serious, the guy just starts smiling and jokes about how a) it wasn't her fault she had those powers and that God's not so petty, and b) everyone thinks their sins are SO egregious, and how that's sort of a prideful thing- "oh no, my sins are SO TREMENDOUS that there is no way that *I* could ever be forgiven!" He even calls out Judas, who basically confessed to his sins, but still had that prideful thing where he thought he could never be forgiven, so he took his own life rather than face up to things, and THAT was what damned him once and for all.
greycrusader
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Jab's Builds! (Furies! Flag! Nemesis! Capt. Boomerang! Jihad!)

Post by greycrusader »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Apr 30, 2017 5:43 am
greycrusader wrote: Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:31 am Parallel to the Bronze Tiger situation, both Captain Boomerang and Deadshot were allowed to have good showings against Batman, before he was "Bat-God"ed by Grant Morrison and other, later writers. Digger was shown to be far better than the Dark Knight with Mr. Harkness' favorite weapon, easily knocking a batarang out of the air and even beating Bruce on the draw, though Batman simply dodged the second boomerang and closed with Digger to deliver a knockout blow. Batman flat out stated the ONLY reason Deadshot never hit him was because Floyd unconsciously pulled his shots against Bruce- because deep down Lawton actually admired the hero and did NOT want to kill decent people.
What's sad is that "like the main hero, but better" is SUCH a good Villain Archetype- it makes the hero have to fight harder, and really EARN his victories. Spider-Man has a ton of bad guys who are enhanced versions of himself in some way or another (Osborn & Ock are better scientists; Rhino & Scorpion are much stronger; the Symbiotes have all his powers, but greater strength and immunity to his Spider-Sense). Batman tends to get all his wins back against better martial artists and THEN some these days- I kind of liked how Tiger & Shiva could be better than him. Nowadays, Shiva's "big name" just makes her a popular fall-girl for whatever NEW martial artist DC wants to put over.
(The new 52 origin of Deadshot was among the WORST re-imaginings of a character's background, along with that of Guy Gardner, and Victor Friezes/Mr. Freeze).
I'm glad I wasn't paying attention to two of those- I remember Gardner getting a new backstory that consisted of him coming from a family of cops, but I didn't think that was too bad. For a good while there, his book was significantly better than the main GL one. What happened with Lawton & Friese?
As for Tom Tresser/Nemesis-his original run was pretty decent, when it was about a PL 6-7 hero who used a mastery of disguise, careful planning, and action-hero level fighting skills to take down a government conspiracy. But that genre of story is dead as a doornail in mainstream comics, and Tresser never really fin into the DCU books into which he was shoehorned. Wonder Woman was the most egregious of this, where he was roped into being a Steve Trevor stand-in; I credit her with at least writing a definitive ending to the relationship. She also managed to discard a lot of other random silliness, like having Megalodons swimming around Paradise Island as "protectors" of the isle, because whatever.
But... Megalodons guarding the island would have been AWESOME! And I dunno about anyone here, but a Jab-written Wonder Woman would have some motherf**kin' KANGAS in it, and screw y'all if you don't like it :).

And yeah, I figured the original stories must have impressed some people. I heard from another guy elsewhere that they were bad, but two people here are saying they were good stuff.
I don't mind the concept of the "major"/iconic heroes being the best in their particular niches-Spider-Man's blend of smarts, strength, and agility, the Hulk's capacity for physical strength, Superman's invulnerability, etc, but yes, the concept of the opposite number foe who is much better in one or more categories the hero usually dominates makes for a very sound antagonist. It fores the writer to be more creative in having the main character triumph in the end. Conversely, the mirror-image villain who is "like the hero, but less so" usually results in a weak story-Dr. Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme, and Mordo is just an inferior magician (aside from being a lackluster antagonist anyway).

So Batman should be the "World's Greatest Detective" (it IS one of his titles, after all), and the best non-powered superhero in the DCU OVERALL (intelligence, resources, range of skills, fighting talents, preparation) but not the ultimate in any of the other categories-Luthor is smarter and wealthier, there are a handful of superior martial artists, Bane is a better specimen, etc. A hero was who outstrips his villains in every way is just a boring Mary Sue/Gary Stu.

Guy Gardner's original background was a blue-collar kid raised in a emotionally dysfunctional home-his father was a alcoholic construction worker who ignored Guy in favor of the older son, Mace (who became a corrupt cop); Guy became a teacher, and didn't develop the angry, reactionary persona until he was badly injured and suffered months in a coma (which made the way others treated him sort of awful at first-he was clearly suffering from brain injury). Far more interesting and rarer than another scion of a police family. Mr. Freeze was turned into a psychopath who murdered his own mother while he was still a child, luring her into an icy pond; his beloved wife was revealed as a delusion/rationalization for his villainy, so he went from a sympathetic villain to just another Gotham psycho. Deadshot was rewritten as a poor kid whose family was slain in a drive-by; he just resolved to "never be a victim again" sort of thing. A lot of the family soap opera elements were eliminated.

The original Nemesis stories were decent, but then again I haven't read them in like over a quarter century, since I was just a kid when they came out. Not classic or anything, but an OK strip which probably should have just been allowed to conclude with the original ending where the hero took down the evil organization through at the cost of his own life.

All my best.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Agni

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

AGNI
Created By:
John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #17 (Sept. 1988)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 8 (106)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Terrorist Piss-Biscuit) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages: 
Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Pyrokinesis"
Immunity 5 (Fire Damage) [5]
Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24) -- [25]
  • AE: Blast 8 (16)
Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fireballs +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Middle Eastern Terrorist)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 8 (106)

-Agni (named for the Hindu God of Fire) appeared on the second "Jihad" team, but was easily beaten by Captain Cold, a temporary member who simply avoided a few Fire Blasts and taunted Agni before freezing him in place. He later reappears as the occasional Team Leader once Rustam is killed.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Badb

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

Celtic God names are so weird.


BADB
Created By:
John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #17 (Sept. 1988)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 7 (84)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+3)
Expertise (Terrorist Piss-Biscuit) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages: 
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Mass Mind Control"
Affliction 7 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 500ft. Burst +5, Cumulative) [49]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Mind Control +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Irish Terrorist)

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 49 / Defenses: 14 (84)

-Badb is a very young Irish girl with vast Mind Control powers- very dangerous to large groups, but quite vulnerable. She was defeated by Nightshade in her debut, and captured by Nemesis in her second appearance (once she figures out he'd disguised as the Quraci President, whom they'd come to rescue).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ken
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Location: Sycalb, Madiganistan

Re: Jab's Builds! (Furies! Flag! Nemesis! Capt. Boomerang! Jihad!)

Post by Ken »

greycrusader wrote: Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:31 amThe new 52 origin of _______________ was among the WORST re-imaginings of a character's background.
Seriously, except for Aquaman, I'm pretty sure any DC hero's name could be used in that sentence. The guiding principal of the New-52 was to do the WORST re-imaginings.
My Amazing Woman: a super-hero romantic comedy podcast.

When the most powerful super hero on Earth marries an ordinary man, hilarity ensues.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Piscator

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

PISCATOR
Created By:
John Ostrander & Geof Isherwood
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #60 (Dec. 1991)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 8 (106)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Terrorist Piss-Biscuit) 3 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages: 
Equipment 2 (Trident +1, Net- Snare 5- Limited to One Target), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Atlantean Physiology"
Swimming 6 [6]
Immunity 3 (Drowning, Cold, Pressure) [3]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Communication (Mental) 1 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Trident +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Middle Eastern/Atlantean Terrorist)
Vulnerable (Leaving the Water)- Piscator requires a helmet to breathe air.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 7 (106)

-Piscator is an Atlantean soldier loyal to the Jihad- a modern-day Janissary (the elite European-bred guards of the Persian & Ottoman Empires)- he's strong enough to trade punches with Aquaman (he appears in Ocean Master's group in that hero's book after his Suicide Squad appearances), and fights like a Roman gladiator.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Ravan

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

RAVAN
Created By:
John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #1 (May 1987)
Role: Elite Martial Artist
Group Affiliations: The Jihad, The Suicide Squad
PL 8 (120)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 8
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+13)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Terrorist Piss-Biscuit) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 6 (+9)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages: 
Agile Feint, Chokehold, Equipment (Knives), Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Knives) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Knives +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Murder)- Ravan worships the Indian Goddess known as Kali, and murders in her sacred name.
Weakness (Backbrace)- Ravan wears a cybernetic backbrace in order to move about.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (120)

-Ravan is one of the interesting members of the Jihad- a member of the ancient Thugee cult (from whom we get the word "Thug"- the Thugees were notorious highwaymen and criminals), he kills in the name of Kali. However, the very first fight he gets into is against Bronze Tiger- the two share their names and respect, and fight to the end. Tiger manages to hold the advantage in a one-page fight, breaking Ravan's back with a kick. Refusing to kill a neutralized enemy, Tiger leaves his foe, who swears revenge. Ravan later reappears, sporting a cybernetic backbrace. Bronze Tiger defeats him again, and he is recruited into the Squad. He actually becomes a successful member of the team, engaging in several missions and becoming a bit of a loyalist.

-When Suicide Squad dissolves, he forms a "cyberchurch" devoted to murder in London, England- captured by Batman, he's forced to join a reformed Squad, and meets Kobra in battle, where he is fatally poisoned. When the Atom refuses Ravan's last wish, to murder Kobra, Ravan dies cursing the hero's name.

-A highly-skilled fighter, Ravan is nonetheless all-too-human, and is far enough below Bronze Tiger that he's beaten more than once. He actually balances out pretty well as a PL 8 (120) P.C. build.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Furies! Flag! Nemesis! Capt. Boomerang! Jihad!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Calgary Comic Expo Review:

So my friend and I kicked in to Calgary on a Sunday for the show- we'd only ever gone on Friday or Saturday before this, so this was different.

* The grounds are basically identical to the last year's, with the same set-up (though I forgot which building gave us our passes, so we had to re-trace). The crowds are much lighter than Saturday ones, and three of the big celebrity guests weren't appearing then (Kevin Smith, John Cusack & the current Doctor).

* The biggest lines: The Asian guy from The Walking Dead, Stan Lee (who was supposedly retired from the Con circuit), and Todd MacFarlane. Jeremy Renner was always away, as he had a panel around this time, and was the only celeb to be "hidden away" behind a thing you couldn't photograph through.

* There was a sad moment as we craned around looking for Jason Mewes at his booth (which had a line). We were watching the a lady off to the side have a conversation with some sketchy-looking trashy guy, and at the same time went ".... OH." Yeah, don't do drugs, kids. Age will not be kind to you.

* Some guys at smaller booths had tremendous lines. Patrick Warburton's was huge the entire time we were there. It's funny to see him in person, since I've been watching him since I was a kid (I remember him from Dave's World first, oddly enough). But HOLY GOD is he trying to look younger. The guy is definitely dyeing his hair dark brown, and it looks hella-unnatural in person.

* Wallace Shawn came to this Expo, too (his Edmonton booth was a HUGE success with lines all day long; his beat Carrie Fischer's by a ways), but I only saw him once. Kevin Sorbo maintained a decent line. James Marsters was here, and holy SHIT is this guy using the wrong plastic surgeon. His face looks like he's injected it with cortizone, and it's all puffed up unnaturally, like he's desperately trying to maintain his youth. Dude is popular, but is ALWAYS at these Expos- he apparently doesn't do much else (not a bad living for an actor). Nathan Fillion (another local) makes another appearance with a solid line, but I think everyone who wanted an autograph has already gotten one at this point.

* Guys who had pretty small lines: Adrian Paul (from the Highlander TV show), Garrett Wang (who lives in Alberta, so is CONSTANTLY at these things, to the point where he's basically the Canadian equivalent of Lonely Virgil), Billy Dee Williams (disappointing, as his Edmonton Panel appearance was REALLY full), & Kenny vs. Spenny.

* Who the f*ck is Bob Morley and why was his line HUGE the entire time? I swear his line was near the top-tier, and I've never heard of anything he's in.

* I feel like a million actors from Arrow and The Flash were here- basically every attractive woman who I didn't recognize was from one of them.

* We almost got ran over by the giant dude from Game of Thrones. He even talks kinda like that in real life, and has a prominent limp. Dude's at least 6'7" in real life.

* Linda Larkin (Jasmine from Aladdin... but only the spoken lines, not the singing) had a pretty solid group the one time we saw her there. She doesn't look that old, either, considering that movie is... holy shit... about twenty-five years old. Jasmine is also the only credit they even mention for her.

* Seeing Rider Strong & Will Friedle from Boy Meets World was fun. Both are CLEARLY trying to look younger than they are (both are my age or older, but dressed like college kids and had "cool kid" facial hair). They didn't have a lot of guests lining up to meet them, but usually had one or two people. They were more joking and talking with each other as much as anything. Friedle's odd in that he's done like THREE big "nerd things" (BMW, Kim Possible, Batman Beyond), so I'd have figured he'd be more popular. I'd have gone up... but I honestly have nothing to say to some of these people. Especially because I'm not actually getting anything signed (fifty bucks each? No thanks). Both of them nearly bumped into my friend and I walking away from their booths- some random guy was like "You made my sister's room look REAL GOOD!" Rider (*sigh*... SHAWN....), and one kind of laughed and went "yeah, YOU SUCK, but my sister loved you!" with the other going "yeah, I've heard THAT before".

* How can you tell the Retro Gaming Market has exploded? Because all of a sudden, 25% of the retail booths were selling retro video games at disgusting prices (some game called Ninja Warriors cost hundreds of dollars. I saw one SNES game I've never heard of for *$2500*!!!). Similarly, the Toy Scalpers, ruiners of children's dreams everywhere, have bought out the Toys R Us stuff and thoroughly jacked up the prices on everything.

* Dan Parent from Archie recognized me, though he was sadly alone this time, with no other Archie guys.

* Jim Shooter had a booth there, selling signed prints for ten bucks each (which was the discount price). As he.. didn't actually do more than Edit those, it was odd, but I wanted to hear him talk. Alas, he was a bit soft-spoken and was generally going on about the business side of things, so I didn't have much to say. MAYBE if my friend hadn't been there, I'd have stuck around and asked him stuff, but he always had a line, so it was difficult to really find the excuse. All I was really gonna say was "hey, your blog is AWESOME!" because it's generally good reading. I promise I wasn't gonna tell him what Bob Layton said about him :).

* The most Fan-Art Award was easily won by Overwatch once more, though I swear to God Sailor Moon has made a hell of a comeback all of a sudden. I guess it's a combination of the DVD re-releases, the Crystal re-make, and the fact that her core fanbase has now hit the "Nostalgic Nerd" age where you both remember stuff and have a disposable income while also not having a family to support. I was actually expecting Steve Universe to be the big thing, based off of how much I see it in fan-art online, but no- almost nothing. Rick & Morty is probably #3. Oddly very little of the Disney stuff this time around.

* The Most Cosplayed award is pretty handily won by Harley Quinn, to no one's surprise. It's actually snowballed since the Suicide Squad movie, as the Edmonton Expo only featured a small handful. Now there were lots- one girl REALLY had the walk down, basically making every possible effort to draw attention to her fishnetted butt-cheeks. I'm pretty sure that's why my friend had us following behind them for a bit. I think she mortified a much younger, more innocent Harley cosplayer. The #2 Most-Cosplayed was easily Belle, who had three Gold Dresses and one Peasant's Outfit. Disney as a whole was well-represented, with most Princesses having at least two examples.

And GOD do I hate Cosplay when the girl has a tattoo. I generally hate tattoos on women anyways, but it's so WEIRD to see a good Poison Ivy costume or whatever and then a big ugly green mess on someone's arm. Totally ruins the look.

Cosplay is definitely lesser on Sunday compared to Fri & Sat, though. I think less eyes are on them. There was very little really OUTSTANDING stuff. though one group had some of the Gods from Hercules down pretty well.

---

Overall it was pretty good, though this is easily the least amount of swag I've ever bought at one of these things. I considered a couple of prints, but the prices are insane now (EIGHT BUCKS for one the size of a postcard? Even for ELSA, that's a no!).
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Rustam

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage

RUSTAM (Raza Kattuah)
Created By:
John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #1 (May 1987)
Role: Team Leader
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 8 (116)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Terrorist Piss-Biscuit) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Sword), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Fire Sword" Damage 8 (Extras: Penetrating) (Inaccurate -1) [15]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Fire Sword +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Quraci Agent)
Enemy (Rick Flag, Jr.)
Power Loss (Sword)- Rustam's Sword seems to come from his right hand- disabling it hurts his ability to wield the blade.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 11 (116)

-Rustam was the recurring leader of The Jihad, turning on America (whom he'd been aiding inside Qurac) after they destroyed his home with a misplaced bomb. Taking the name of an ancient Persian hero and wielding a magical weapon that made a Fire Sword, he formed The Jihad and led its operations. He was the only member to make it out of both missions intact- he was usually defeated by Rick Flag, but would escape. He even managed to kill Mindboggler in Suicide Squad #2. Ultimately, however, he was killed by Flag during a mission that ended up with both guys in Skartaris (the Warlord's realm).

-Rustam is a good fighter and has a REALLY dangerous Flaming Sword (he can tear open a 747's fusellage with ease, destroying the entire thing), but of course he can't hit shit with it in a real fight. Rick Flag manages to defeat him twice, generally by shooting him in the hand (where his Sword seems to emanate from).

-His son, Njara, appeared with a modern version of the team, but he was killed by Deadshot.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Ifrit

Post by Jabroniville »

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IFRIT
Created By:
John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
First Appearance: Suicide Squad #1 (May 1987)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Expertise (Terrorist Piss-Biscuit) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages: 
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Startle

Powers:
"Digital Construct"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 6 [6]
Insubstantial 4 [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Middle Eastern Terrorist)
Weakness (Computer Console)- A console "the size of a walkman" is all that keeps the Djinn alive- damaging it will destroy his body.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 7 (108)

-Ifrit is the same general thing as the Djinn, but is fueled by the mind of Mindboggler, whose body was left in the Jihad's base. The sentient Israeli computer known as Dybbuk freed her, and she fell in love with him.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Dervish

Post by Jabroniville »

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DERVISH (Nema)
Created By:
Mike W. Barr & Paul Pelletier
First Appearance: The Outsiders #5 (March 1994)
Role: Wind Controller
Group Affiliations: The Outsiders, The Jihadis, Strikeforce Kobra
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Terrorist) 5 (+6)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Persuasion 1 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Wind) 2 (+8)

Advantages: 
Improved Initiative 2, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Wind Controller"
Speed 8 (500 mph) [8]

"Windstorm" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16) -- [18]
AE: Wind Blast 8 (16)
AE: "Speedblitz" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Speedblitz +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Wind Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Windstorm +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +12

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Quraci Agent)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 14 (109)

-Dervish comes from Qurac, the DC version of Iraq (ie. Warlike Country of Douchebags), and was given the ability to control wind by her government. When Qurac was nuked by the increasingly-nuts Cheshire (remember when she was a mercenary with morals?), she was one of the few survivors, along with her boyfriend (the third Manticore) and other members of The Jihad. She allied with the Outsiders for a while, but quit in a fury when it was revealed that Manticore had died earlier, while Outsiders team member Wylde was pretending to help her look for him. With most of the Jihad dead or gone, she joined Strikeforce Kobra (a revenge squad of female characters who hated the Outsiders) for lack of a better thing to do. Not really much of a character, or much of a run on the team.

-Dervish's whole thing is that she's a Non-Speed Force-using Speedster, with a bit of a focus on Wind stuff. A minor PL 8 Jobber Villain, really. And it turns out I already statted her back when I did some Outsiders builds, and forgot about it.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Dahak

Post by Jabroniville »

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DAHAK
Created By:
Mike W. Barr & Paul Pelletier
First Appearance: The Outsiders #5 (March 1994)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliations: The Jihad
PL 7 (73)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Deception 5 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 5 (+5)

Advantages: 
Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Demonic Physiology"
Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Quraci Agent)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 8 (73)

-Dahak is a demon who is possessing an old woman. I have literally nothing to go on with this character, so I'm assuming a PL 7 Scrapper.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Koshchei/Jess

Post by Jabroniville »

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Image

JESS BRIGHT (aka Jeff Bright, Koshchei the Deathless)
Created By:
Mike W. Barr & Paul Pelletier
First Appearance: The Brave & The Bold #25 (Sept. 1959)
Role: Generic Scientist-Turned-Zombie
Group Affiliations: The Jihad, The Suicide Squad
PL 6 (84)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+12)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Technology 6 (+12)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages: 
Inventor, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Electronic Implants" Senses 1 (Communication Link- Zombies) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +8

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Quraci Agent)
Enemy (Rick Flag, Jr.)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 10 (84)

-Jess Bright is one of two men assigned to Rick Flag & Karin Grace's Suicide Squad way back in the day. Bright and his partner both fell in love with Karin, who tried to spare their feelings, as she only cared for Rick. When they discovered the truth, both men felt betrayed, but sacrificed themselves to save the group from a Yeti. Years later, Bright was revealed as having been a survivor, with frostbite leaving him hideously deformed. He allied with a few Communist nations, becoming quite the tech-head. Hateful of Flag, he joined up with the Jihad, and continued to scheme against him. Leaving the Squad in a death-trap, he was talked down by Nemesis, and freed them, deliberately leaving himself in the trap.

-Jess, as Koshchei, could control Undead creatures via an electronic implant. But they had to be a certain kind of pre-made undead, so it's not quite the same thing as Summon or Mind Control- it's more just a threat you have to overcome when you face him.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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