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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
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Davies
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Kingpin! Hammerhead! Puma! The Rhino!)

Post by Davies »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 10:22 pm -Young Cassie was a surprise- possibly the first superhero to ever flat-out commit suicide.
The Vigilante, in 1988, predates her quite a bit.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Hornet

Post by Jabroniville »

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HORNET II (Eddie McDonough)
Created By:
Joseph Harris & Adam Pollina
First Appearance: Slingers #0 (Dec. 1998)
Role: Nerdy Everyman Hero, Powersuit Guy
Group Affiliations: The Slingers
PL 8 (106)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+10)
Insight 1 (+3)
Perception 2 (+4)
Technology 7 (+12)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Hornet Power Armor" (Flaws: Removable) [38]
Enhanced Strength 5 (10)
Protection 6 (6)
Flight 7 (250 mph) (14)
"Laser Beams" Blast 8 (16) -- (17)
  • AE: "Sedative Darts" Affliction 5 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Multiattack, Ranged) (15)
-- (47 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 17)
Hornet Strength +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Laser Beams +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Sedative Darts +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2 (+8 Armour), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Disabled (Cerebral Palsy)- Eddie's right arm is heavily-palsied and pretty well useless without his armor.
Relationship (Dusk)- Eddie has a crush on Cassie, who only has eyes for Ricochet.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 11 (106)

-Hornet, whose look & name were taken from Spidey's attempt at becoming an Iron Man-like hero (a solid idea, given that Pete IS a genius), was also the most like Peter Parker (as opposed to Ricochet, who was the most like SPIDEY) of the crew, being a shy, bookish nerdy type. This also made him the most like comic book fans, though his good-natured, helpful personality is pretty much the opposite of what I've seen on most comic book message boards :). He was hapless with the ladies, hid his deformity/disability with his Power Armour, and was always the voice of reason for his team, and so was probably the most popular character with the fans. And of course he's the only one who's been totally killed (since Dusk is a ghost or something), being murdered off-panel by a wild, mind-controlled Wolverine in Wolvie's own book- I guess that storyline needed a "big" death, but not from somebody the fans would MISS too much, and so a teenage D-leaguer got the axe. And all of the Slingers fans wailed- I hear they all rented a minivan and picketed Marvel :).

-Surprisingly, a modern character named Red Hornet has popped up recently, naming herself as Eddie's niece. She ended up fighting the new Wolverine (Laura/X-23).

-Hornet has another low-tier Powersuit set-up, this one based around being Iron Man Lite with his Lasers & Flight and stuff- he also has Darts.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ken
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Re: Dusk

Post by Ken »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 10:22 pm-Young Cassie was a surprise- possibly the first superhero to ever flat-out commit suicide. She did so during The Slingers' first appearance, falling off of a building after her teammates egged her on to leap the rooftops as part of their initiation.
Unless she wanted to die, it technically wasn't suicide. Stupid-cide, easily, but assuming her goal was to actually leap to another building and she simply didn't make it across, it's a stupid, tragic, accident. Of course, then there's the question of whether she knew she couldn't make it across, and whether she was expecting one of her dumbass suppossedly-heroic teammates to save her when she didn't make it.
My Amazing Woman: a super-hero romantic comedy podcast.

When the most powerful super hero on Earth marries an ordinary man, hilarity ensues.
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Man Mountain Marko

Post by Jabroniville »

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MAN MOUNTAIN MARKO (Michael Marko)
Created By:
Stan Lee & John Romita
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #73 (June 1969)
Role: Jobber Villain, Powerhouse
Group Affiliations: The Maggia
PL 8 (89)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills: 
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Singer) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Perception 2 (+2)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Diehard, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Equipment:
"Hand Torch" Damage 8 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (14)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2

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

Complications: 
Motivation (Greed)

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (89)

-Someone got to build this guy before I could- that is unacceptable for me, the lover of all things Jobber :). But seriously, Marko is just a silly Jobber character meant to be the minion of Silverman and his Mafia stand-ins, and brawled with Spider-Man for a bit, using steroid & engineering-based Super-Strength (even in the older eras they had that). He's on the low end of Stan Lee creations, well into the era where Stan was running out of steam. He looks a lot like Johnny Cash, too, for no apparent reason. He only appears a handful of times in the '70s, and is pretty much another Background Guy in the modern era, where he gets whupped on by low-levels like Jessica Jones and a powered-down Dazzler. He was eaten by a Dragon during Dark Reign, but inexplicably showed up alive as a background Mook in numerous others stories- he's just "one of those guys" now.

-He's altogether your typical Powerhouse build, set up around Spidey's level, making him a bit stronger, but much less accurate. He's WELL into the Jobber Zone now, showing up as a background guy amidst ton of other villains. Essentially, he's a Super-Strong guy they don't feel the need to protect, and so ANYONE can whup on him.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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La Tarantula (Rodriguez)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

During the political upheavals in South America during the 1970s, there was a real sense that we, the United States, were somewhat culpable, both for supporting the repressive regimes that were in power, and in the case of Chile, actually assisting in the overthrow of the democratically elected government. So, in that environment, a character like the Tarantula was inherently political. But the real reason I wanted to write that particular story was something said by my good friend Don Glut, who was also writing for Marvel at the time. Don once asked, "Why aren't there international heroes from smaller countries, a third-world, or old-world Captain America, like say, Captain Serbo-Croatia?" We laughed, but I really liked that notion: Just because the United States came up with their guy, why stop there? Why stop with the larger countries, the superpowers?
-Gerry Conway, on the creation of La Tarantula


LA TARANTULA I (Anton Miguel Rodriguez)
Created By:
Gerry Conway & Ross Andru
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1974)
Role: Hot-Blooded Latino, Terrorist Guy
Villain Ranking: C-List
Group Affiliations: Boca Del Rios Rebels/Government, The Brand Corporation
PL 9 (145)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+13)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Military Rebel) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+7)
Stealth 5 (+9)

Advantages: 
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Improved Critical (Spikes) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Instant Up, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Takedown

Powers:
"Tarantula Uniform" (Flaws: Removable) [21]
"Venomous Wrist & Foot Spikes" All Powers Linked
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (3)
Affliction 7 (Fort; Fatigued/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Progression +2) (22) -- (23)
  • AE: Weaken Stamina 5 (Extras: Progression +2) (17)
-- (26 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Spikes +11 (+5 Damage, +5 Weaken & +7 Affliction, DC 20, 15 & 17)
Initiative +12

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Power)
Enemy (Spider-Man)

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 15 (145)

-La Tarantula is a pretty classic '70s Spider-Man villain. His costume, backstory (he's a military rebel from Central America-turned-criminal), concept (venom-wielding martial artist), etc., are all well-removed from the more iconic members of Spidey's Rogues Gallery (the '60s guys wearing green, and the '90s guys with their EXTREEEEEEME nature, etc.). He really stands out in a crowd, not that it makes him any better a villain. He just kinda farted around until they killed him off after turning him into a giant tarantula and having him commit suicide. There's really not a whole lot I can say about him... I've never even read an appearance by the guy! It's too bad, really- his look isn't that bad, and "Tarantula" is one of the more bad-ass animal names available in comics.

-La Tarantula (you have to say the whole thing or it doesn't work) was a terrorist revolutionary from Delvadia, who switched sides to the fascist government after they kicked him out. He ended up becoming his own government's version of Captain America, but alienated his own masters (yes, terrorist revolutionaries and FASCISTS thought this guy was too much of an asshole) and became a common criminal. An attempt to take hostages was foiled by Spider-Man and the Punisher, but he went on to be a recurring nemesis- for some reason, I recall thinking he was distinctive to the Spectacular Spider-Man series, but that seems to not be the case.

-He's a good example of a recurring minor-league guy- he's just a mercenary and a crook; nothing fancy. Almost all of his stories involve him being hired by somebody, fighting Spider-Man, and then losing. Up until he tries to gain spider-powers, but the process is disrupted by Will o' The Wisp, and he transforms into a monster. Horrified at the abomination he has become, La Tarantula leaps off the building, and dies in a hail of gunfire after begging police officers to end his misery.

-Tarantula is a deadly martial artist, and can give Spidey fits (very, VERY few of his enemies match his accuracy), but his PL is all over the place- he's not really a full-on PL 10 type of guy. Unarmed he's PL 8, with the Foot Spikes he's PL 8.5, and with the +7 Poison he's PL 9. Defensively he's PL 8.5-9- enough to make him a challenge, especially with all his combat ability, but he's not unstoppable. His Poison is quite scary, with the Strength-Damage Linking to either a Weaken Stamina effect, or a Paralytic Affliction, depending on the type of venom he's using- both are also Progressive.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Dusk

Post by Jabroniville »

Ken wrote: Tue May 30, 2017 1:48 am
Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 10:22 pm-Young Cassie was a surprise- possibly the first superhero to ever flat-out commit suicide. She did so during The Slingers' first appearance, falling off of a building after her teammates egged her on to leap the rooftops as part of their initiation.
Unless she wanted to die, it technically wasn't suicide. Stupid-cide, easily, but assuming her goal was to actually leap to another building and she simply didn't make it across, it's a stupid, tragic, accident. Of course, then there's the question of whether she knew she couldn't make it across, and whether she was expecting one of her dumbass suppossedly-heroic teammates to save her when she didn't make it.
Wikipedia words it as such:
She accepted, but had to undertake an "initiation" into the group by making a heroic leap across the rooftop of one building and land on another. While her teammates, Prodigy, Ricochet, and Hornet all had powers (or equipment) that enabled them to easily make the jump, she did not. When the others were distracted, Cassie did not actually jump, but instead purposefully fell to her death.
So, kinda on-purpose, I think. It was worded weird, which is why I'm not quite sure. Having read the issue, it looks like she just steps straight off- there was no way she wasn't gonna fall.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Mary Jane! The Sandman! The Black Cat! The Kingpin!)

Post by Jabroniville »

danelsan wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 7:09 am Oh, hey, just remembered a little piece of Jab's Builds history Trivia!

Last time Jab posted mustached old-man thief Black Fox, it was after the build of some forgotten villainess, and he probably edited the same template with her info or something when stating out Black Fox, leading to a quickly corrected error. Unfortunately, I noticed it before Jab made the correction.

The error? Black Fox's "Role" included in the description the term Seductress :x

And now you too can have in your mind the image of that old-guy-with-a-curvy-white-mustache as a Seductress. You can thank me later :twisted:

Image
And now you know why pointing out Template Fail will always enrage me :).
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La Tarantula (Alvarez)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

LA TARANTULA II (Luis Alvarez)
Created By:
Gerry Conway & Alex Saviuk
First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #35 (Feb. 1988)
Role: Failed Legacy Character
Villain Ranking: E-List
Group Affiliations: Boca Del Rios Rebels/Government
PL 8 (119)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Military Rebel) 5 (+7)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Takedown

Powers:
"Tarantula Uniform" (Flaws: Removable) [21]
"Poisoned Wrist & Foot Spikes" All Powers Linked
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (3)
Affliction 7 (Fort; Fatigued/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Progression +2) (22) -- (23)
  • AE: Weaken Stamina 5 (Extras: Progression +2) (17)
-- (26 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Spikes +8 (+6 Damage, +5 Weaken & +7 Affliction, DC 20, 15 & 17)
Initiative +9

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

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Power)
Enemy (Spider-Man)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 13 (119)

-There have been multiple "Tarantulas" at Marvel Comics (which I swear to God I forgot about completely before looking up "La Tarantula" and going "oh hey- I built another one"). One Mexican guy appeared as a villain in the 1960s Western Ghost Rider comic for an issue. Luis Alvarez was a replacement for Anton (created by Anton's old government bosses in Delvadia), packing the same outfit as well as Peak-Human physicality thanks to a formula (so... someone can copy The Super-Soldier Serum, just like that?), and engaged in a storyline based around illegal immigrants. He was supposed to kill them, but they were saved by Spider-Man... only to be deported. Immigration from Latin American countries was then a hot button topic (unlike the TOTAL non-issue it is today, right?), and we were clearly meant to side with the poor immigrants, and to see the pathos in Spider-Man's plight- for all his super-powers, he didn't have the ability to beat The System. This story also featured Captain America allying with La Tarantula, only to back off when he realized that he wasn't fighting for the right side (instead of siding against his own bosses, Cap simply left the field of battle, refusing to help his "partner" defeat Spider-Man).

-Luis was killed before he ever got the chance to do much, while fighting a member of The Jury.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Tarantulas III-V

Post by Jabroniville »

Other Tarantulas:

LA TARANTULA III (Jacinda Rodriguez):
-A woman claiming to be the daughter of La Original Tarantula appeared in Gail Simone's Agent X series, but got shot in her debut issue and never reappeared, so she's probably dead.

LA TARANTULA IV (Real Name Unknown):
-There was another who appeared in a couple of one-offs, almost certainly an artist & author forgetting that the two male versions were both dead.

LA TARANTULA V (Maria Vasquez):
-The FIFTH La Tarantula is Maria Vasquez, who appeared in the recent Heroes For Hire, showcasing a bit of a lunatic personality (she was avenging her sister, who died in The Stamford Incident... but also liked to lick the blood off of her blades) and a crush on Shang-Chi. She was beaten up during World War Hulk, but reappeared during some Six Guns series I've never heard of in 2012.
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KorokoMystia
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Puma! The Rhino! The Slingers! La Tarantula!)

Post by KorokoMystia »

So I was looking at your old build of the crappy Tor, The Magic Master, and typed his name into Google, immediately finding examples of his powers, like turning a ship into a giant turtle, making himself bulletproof, rendering guns useless, and turning into a giant commando. So he may not be quite as bad as you made him out to be. Magic guys are such a pain...ImageImageImageImage
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danelsan
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Puma! The Rhino! The Slingers! La Tarantula!)

Post by danelsan »

Huh. Who did the whole "magic by speaking backwards" thing first? Tor or Zatara? Or is it an older trope of ye olde magicke shows?
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KorokoMystia
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Puma! The Rhino! The Slingers! La Tarantula!)

Post by KorokoMystia »

danelsan wrote: Tue May 30, 2017 6:19 pm Huh. Who did the whole "magic by speaking backwards" thing first? Tor or Zatara? Or is it an older trope of ye olde magicke shows?
It was probably Zatara, but I have no idea.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Puma! The Rhino! The Slingers! La Tarantula!)

Post by Jabroniville »

I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE MAGIC.
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Cardiac

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

CARDIAC (Elias Wirtham)
Created By:
David Michelinie & Erik Larsen
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #342 (Dec. 1990)
Role: Nineties Extreme Anti-Hero
Villain Ranking: D-List
Group Affiliations: N/A
PL 9 (149)
STRENGTH
0/8 STAMINA 2/6 AGILITY 1/4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 1 (+9)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+11)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+9)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Blast) 4 (+9)
Technology 8 (+13)
Treatment/Medicine 8 (+13)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit (Wealth), Improved Critical (Blast), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Powers:
"Beta-Particle Reactor Heart"
Enhanced Stamina 4 [8]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Diehard, Great Endurance [2]
Regeneration 4 [4]

"Vibranium Weave Mesh Under Skin"
Enhanced Strength 8 [16]
Power Lifting 1 (12 tons) [1]
Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 7) [10]
Enhanced Agility 3 [6]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Improved Initiative [1]

"Beta-Particle Blaster" (Feats: Restricted 2) (Flaws: Easily Removable -2) [15]
Blast 9 (Feats: Split) (19) -- (20)
  • AE: Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) (2)
"Hang-Glider Feature" Flight 6 (120 mph) (Flaws: Distracting, Winged) (3) -- (23 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Staff +9 (+9 Damage, DC 23)
Staff Blast +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +1 (+4 Suit)

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

Complications:
Motivation (Revenge)- Cardiac lost his brother to a greedy corporation that didn't want to give him the proper medical care because it was too expensive. He is now driven to take down corporate greed wherever he finds it, and is the enemy of most Big Business.
Weakness (Heart)- His Beat-Particle Heart fuels him, but has flaws- it leaves him weak if it's disabled via magnetism or electrical shocks, or somesuch other plot device. This will cause him to lose all powers, and possibly die.
Rivalry (Spider-Man)- Though not an enemy (he has spared Spidey before), Cardiac has little respect for the "misguided" Web-Slinger, viewing him as naiive.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 63 / Defenses: 9 (149)

-Cardiac was introduced during Erik Larsen's great run on art, with your token "Anti-Hero with a noble crusade, but extreme methods" '90s schtick (though it was still very early in the decade, so that trope hadn't been completely run into the ground and been beaten like a dead horse by this point). His brother died of a disease after some pharmaceutical corporation witheld treatment for financial reasons (Big Pharma as the villain? This could have been written TODAY!), and so he was an anti-corporate crusader. A doctor/scientist/tech-guy (science is really easy to learn in comics, see), he built himself a garish suit of armour and replaced his heart with a super-heart that gave him super-strength and durability, and a nifty Beta-Particle Staff. He brawled with Spidey a few times, but within a couple years they just up and totally forgot about him.

-I'm not kidding- as soon as Erik Larsen was off Amazing, and did his short run on "Adjectiveless" Spider-Man before moving to Image Comics, this guy VANISHED, except for a few appearances here and there, often years apart. He showed up in that Wolverine comic where he was mind-controlled and curb-stomped 50% of the inhabitants of Marvel Limbo (I call it "Wolverine's Fanboy-Boner-Inducing Rampage of Jobbers"), and lost in embarassing fashion, and wasn't seen for eons.

-Cardiac brawls with Styx & Stone, Code: Blue, Ghost Rider and others, and generally runs afoul of the law because he's willing to kill criminals (but often feels bad because he's forced to, unlike many other murderous vigilantes)- his entire schtick is based around fighting corporate greed, which actually makes him more relevant NOW than in the '90s. After that 1999-ish Wolverine issue, he spends fifteen years on the shelf before meeting up with The Superior Spider-Man, who senses a bit of a kindred spirit in Wirtham, and proposes a partnership- Wirtham's scientific expertise and quetionably-moral activities jibe REALLY well with Doc Ock's schemes, and so they get along just fine (after initially getting into a huge fight because Ock-Spidey wants to steal a device Cardiac invented to work on his own brain). Unfortunately, he hasn't been seen too much after that, just kind of taking the old "Curt Connors" role of being a Science-y Supporting Character of Spidey's.

-I can't decide on whether or not I like his costume- in my old build, I described it as hideous at various points, going on and on about it. But... IS it? In some ways, it can look pretty decent. Bright colours, blue & white, and pretty unique. But sometimes it can look really garish- the token "Erik Larsen Grimace" appears on him quite frequently.

-Cardiac can be a tough guy to place, PL-wise, but the universe dictates he be low-level after vanishing for so long, and being considered a joke overall. He was pretty good at first, handling The Rhino & Spider-Man occasionally, but he always had an Achilles Heel that kept him down- he either lost control of his powers (Boomerang threw a Sonic-Arang at him and disabled him completely) or lost his staff or something. After his first couple appearances and the shine of "New Character Stink" wore off (every character in comics is at least a PL higher during his first appearances), he was resolutely a jobber, being housed by Wolverine in a few hits, so you know he's no elite. He reappeared doing okay against The Superior Spider-Man (who was being held back by the fact that Peter Parker was still screwing with his body), I went with PL 9. Sometimes though, he would be lucky to hit PL 8.

-Overall, he fits a Mini-Powerhouse merged with a Blaster, having high-strength & durability for a Street Level guy, packing All-Out & Power Attack for extra benefits. He's dependent on an Easily-Removable weapon (that has a nifty Hang-Glider, but it's useless in a fight- Distracting AND Winged), isn't terribly accurate or defensive to hang with the Big Boys, and has some BAD Complications that come up fairly often. That said, he can dish out some punishment (+9 plus Power Attack), his physical stats are great, and he's also very smart & Skilled, which boosts his cost up past most PL 8s, nearly to the point of a PL 10. So he's a versatile Melee/Blaster guy with weaknesses.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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L-Space
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Re: The Rhino

Post by L-Space »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 28, 2017 12:20 amThe Rhino... Gets Characterization!?!?:
-His role as "Spidey's Dumbest Foe" has actually given him some surprisingly great stories over the years, chief among them being Flowers For Rhino a Flowers For Algernon take-off that saw him briefly become a super-genius, before willingly giving it up, realizing that genius made him miserable and bored. Then there's the recent run, where he nearly got replaced by a new, more bad-ass-looking Rhino, but the guy made the mistake of challenging the old guy- Aleksei figured he'd have to fight and kill the new guy, but Spider-Man talked him out of it, telling him to enjoy his normal life. Then the new guy killed Aleksei's new wife. Word of advice to aspiring bad guys... killing the love interests of SUPER-HEROES guarantees you an ass-kicking. But... super-VILLAINS? That's just a death warrant, right there. There's a pretty bitching scene where Rhino is making a beeline towards his helpless foe, with Spider-Man just DESPERATELY trying to hold him back, and failing. His feet are literally tearing off chunks of sidewalk, as Rhino's strength and Spidey's sticky-feet overwhelm the concrete. Spidey's forced to watch helplessly, begging all the way, as the new Rhino dies alongside the man who was "Aleksei Sytsevich", once and for all.
Both of these were just fantastic. My favorite part of Flowers For Rhino was after he was made stupid again (actually a bit stupider than before to be safe) was the look of pure dumb joy on his face as he's charging through guys. Ignorance is truly bliss :D.
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