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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
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Scream

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

Would... bang...?

SCREAM (Donna Diego)- The Red & Yellow Chick With Hair
Created By:
David Michelinie & Ron Lim
First Appearance: Venom: Lethal Protector #4 (May 1993)
Role: Mirror Image Villain, Culmination of Over-Used '90s Concept, Theme-Diluting Jobber
PL 8 (151)
STRENGTH
2/8 STAMINA 3/8 AGILITY 3/8
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Webbing/Blades) 6 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+10

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Diluted Symbiotic Costume"
"Immune to Spider-Sense" Concealment (Spider-Sense) 1 (Extras: Continuous) [3]

"More Than Proportionate to A Spider"
Enhanced Strength 6 [12]
Enhanced Stamina 5 [10]
Enhanced Agility 5 [10]

"Spider-Movement"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Spider-Sense- Warns of Danger & Boosts Agility"
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]
Enhanced Skills 10: Acrobatics 3 (+11), Perception 5 (+9), Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8) [5]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [2]
Enhanced Parry 2 [2]

"Cellular-Morphing Qualities"
"Scary-Ass Face" Enhanced Skills 2: Intimidation 2 (+8) [1]
Features 1: Carries Pocket [1]
Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Morph 2 (10) -- [11]
  • AE: Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Blending) (2)
"Self-Created Webbing"
"Web-Shooters"
"Web-Line" Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Hair Grab" Snare 8 (Feats: Split, Tether) (26) -- [28]
  • AE: "Hair Burst" Snare 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Touch Range) (24)
  • AE: "Hair Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 8) (10)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Hair Blades +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Hair Burst +8 Area (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Hair Grab +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +6 (+8 Symbiote)

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (+8 Spider-Sense, DC 16-18), Parry +6 (+8 Spider-Sense, DC 16-18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +3

Complications:
Power Loss/Weakness (Webbing)- If the Symbiotes use too much "Webbing", they will lose strength, or the ability to produce more, having used up too many of the symbiote's cells.
Power Loss (Fire & Sonics)- The Symbiote Race fears both fire and extremely loud noises. Being in proximity to either weakens them to the point of losing all his abilities, moreso with more powerful applications.
Weakness (Fire & Sonics)- Similarly, the Symbiotes take extra damage from fire and sonics. This depends on the writer (or the GM).
Enemy (Spider-Man, Venom)
Responsibility (Schizophrenic)- Scream has been hearing voices even before gaining her "other"- these lead her to murder her teammates.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 99 / Defenses: 2 (151)

-Scream is rather generic and bare-bones compared to the others, notable only for using her HAIR as a weapon, like The Inhumans' Medusa. Despite that, she has the most-interesting visual design, which made her the most-popular character. You can still find her on the 3-D Spider-Man ride at Universal Studios Florida (as one of Doc Ock's Sinister Six- her role is mainly to leap out and do "3-D stuff" at you with her tongue and claws), despite her never mattering even the slightest bit in the comics- really, her main claim to fame there is being the only member of the team to survive past a certain point, as she's responsible for murdering all of the others, whose Symbiotes went on to form Hybrid. Hers actually stuck around until Brock murdered it.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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HalloweenJack
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Re: Shriek

Post by HalloweenJack »

Jabroniville wrote: Wed May 31, 2017 11:21 pm Image

Because Dagger and The Black Cat needed a villainous rival in the "Uber-Cleavage" department.

SHRIEK (Frances Louise Barrison, aka Sandra Deel)
Created By:
Tom Defalco, Mike W. Barr, Terry Kavanaugh, Ron Lim, Jerry Bingham, and Mark Bagley 
First Appearance: Spider-Man Unlimited #1 (May 1993)
Role: Dark Action Girl, Plot Device, Riot-Creator
Group Affiliations: The Carnage Family
PL 9 (138)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+6)
Insight 3 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Perception 3 (+3)

Advantages: 
Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Critical (Sonics), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
“Sonic Energy Control”
Blast 10 (20) – [22]
  • AE: “Emotion Control” Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
  • AE: "Sonic-Propelled Flight" Flight 4 (30 mph) (8)
"Sonic Detection" Senses 2 (Accurate Hearing) [2]
“Wide-Range Emotional Control” Affliction 2 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Sustained +2, Area- 30-mile Burst +13) [32]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Blast +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Emotion Control +8 (+8 Affliction, DC 23)
Wide-Range Control +1 Area (+1 Affliction, DC 11)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Chaos)- Shriek loves murder and mayhem.
Responsibility (Family)- Shriek possesses a subconscious desire for a family, which has led to her attempting to “Adopt” various psychopaths at different points.
Relationship (Carnage)- Shriek is crazy for the mass-murderer, to the point where she gains a victim-complex and comes back to him, despite him giving her numerous beatings.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 17 (138)

-Shriek is basically a villainous girl added to the books just for Maximum Carnage, so Carnage could have a chick to impress, and to add some female energy to the villainous side. Her entire concept is "Hey, chaos is awesome!" and she was a drug-user & dealer who was driven insane by being sent to Cloak's Darkforce Dimension during an attack from Cloak & Dagger. She became sort of a sick "mother" to the Carnage Family, though really she treated Doppelganger like a pet, and Carrion rarely spoke to her. She was a standard Blaster at first (even "killing" Dagger in the opening salvo of the storyline), but soon showcased the ability to affect the minds of THOUSANDS of people, as she sends out "psychic waves" that turn New York into a city full of rioting criminals (so... Detroit?). 

-After Maximum Carnage, she REALLY doesn't get a lot of use- it seems she suffers from the same condition that afflicted Carnage: the backlash against the story and over-use of Carnage had made her untouchable. She appears during a break-out attempt, then gets involved with Carrion, tempting him to join her as her "son" once again. She is contested in this by Malcolm McBride's actual BIRTH mother, who is desperate to get her son back. In the end, Shriek is touched by Mrs. McBride's willingness to sacrfice herself to save her son, and willingly gives up. She does not appear in a major way for more than ten years.

-Modern times would see her show up in the Carnage Limited Series- she returns to a homicidal mania and joins up with Carnage and Doppelganger, but is badly-beaten and rendered comatose by a Carnage offspring named "Scorn". She reappears alongside numerous other female Jobber Villains as part of the "Doom Maidens" in The Fearless Defenders, then allies with Carnage against Deadpool. Her appearances nowadays tend to just be as "Background Chick", because she's got a perfectly-serviceable, unique "look", and is a rare Villainess who actually stands out in a crowd.

-Shriek has a standard Emotion Control effect and a Blast in an array, mild Flight, and a REALLY wide-range Emotion Control that’s enough to break most bystander’s Will Checks, but is nothing compared to most super-heroes (even the standard Spidey NPCs were only agitated around this time). The range is MASSIVE, 30 miles is enough to cover all of Manhattan, and it’s cheap because it’s so weak.
the damndest thing.....it took me years to realize that was a plunging neckline. I just thought it was part of her costume. That's still my first reaction whenever i see her
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Cardiac! Solo! Venom! Carnage! Shriek!)

Post by Ares »

Okay, been away for a little bit, time to get back at it.

Alistair Smythe and the Spider-Slayers are a solid concept, one that sadly never really went anywhere. A guy who designs robots specifically to fight a hero never really gets old, and Spider-Man has one of the best power-sets for that concept. Think about it: for guys like Thor or the Hulk, the robot would have to be either just another big powerhouse, or would have to somehow be able to negate their strength (be immune to kinetic impact or something) to make them think outside the box. But Spider-Man? Spider-Man is strong and tough, but not too strong and tough, is fast and agile, and packs a unique weapon. You can send dozens of variations of robots after him, each designed to kill him in a different way, and Peter can use either his powers or his smarts to win. Smythe and the Spider-Slayers really shows the strengths of the Spider-Man powerset.

Interestingly, the Spider-Slayers only occasionally get thrown in Jameson's face as a blatantly illegal thing he did, along with creating the Scorpion. Jameson hired a weapons designer to build a robots specifically to assault and/or kill a private citizen who was not wanted for any crimes. At least with the Scorpion, Jameson eventually fessed up and went to jail for creating a supervillain, I don't know that he's ever faced any real consequences for the Spider-Slayers. The Savage Dragon actually kind of poked fun at the concept when a J. Jonah Jameson analogue tried to kill Officer Dragon with, what else, a killer robot called a Dragon Slayer (which is pretty cool). After Dragon destroyed the robot, he promptly went over and arrested the Jameson stand in, telling him how stupid it was to have his own face projected on the chest of the robot.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (Cardiac! Solo! Venom! Carnage! Shriek!)

Post by Ares »

Dr. Octopus definitely makes a strong case for being Spider-Man's #1 enemy, #2 or tied for #1 with the Green Goblin. While Otto was a villain who managed to avoid villain decay, Osborn always seemed to make it much more personal. Once Osborn was gone, Venom kind of took over as the big personal menace to Peter, but between Osborn and Eddie, Otto was definitely the most consistently dangerous foe in Spider-Man's roster.

What's kind of interesting is how simple the concept is: Otto is just a mad scientist with a gimmick, but that gimmick happens to be four mechanical arms that can extend to an extreme degree and are each roughly as strong as Peter himself. One thing I don't think that gets played up enough is how much intelligence and mental coordination Otto needs to pull that off. Most people have a hard enough time patting their head and rubbing their bellies at the same time, Otto can successfully coordinate four additional limbs in such a way as to stymie a guy with superhuman strength and agility. There was a storyline where one guy tried to steel Otto's designs, and added an extra pair of arms to a suit of armor, but honestly, I would have loved it if someone tried to replicate Otto's designs and the arms just flailed about uselessly because the control needed is extreme. Like, Green Lantern ring extreme.

Otto is also interesting in that he's rarely suffered villain decay, and has frequently been shown to be a threat to other heroes. He has physically beaten and outsmarted Tony Stark on two separate occasions, Reed Richards was barely able to fight him to a draw, he nearly defeated Captain America, and he completely slapped down the Punisher, largely without even looking at him. During Secret Wars, he was considered second in command after Dr. Doom. The only time Otto has ever really jobbed was when Peter David had the Hulk defeat Otto in a bit of petty revenge for Erik Larsen having Otto defeat the Hulk with his adamantium arms. It's amazing how many writers will bicker behind the scenes like that.

I've got to say, I think the best look for Doc Ock would combine the business suit look with the trenchcoat from the movie. The jumpsuit works, but the coat and suit give him a kind of classy style that I can see Otto indulging in.

Another nice thing about Otto was his willingness to work with other villains. He was the mastermind behind the Sinister Six, and was generally a pretty competent leader. I could honestly see him forming a team that could give the Avengers a run for their money.

And of course, Brian Michael Bendis had to make the whole concept of Otto more complicated than it needed to be. Instead of the accident altering Otto's brain so that he could design machines that responded to his mental commands (which other villains have done), Bendis made Ultimate Doc Ock into a person who could control magnetism. Lame.

As lame have been all of the various re-designs that have made Otto's body dead weight. Like the time hew as basically in a coffin with the arms moving him around, or in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon where he's actually kind of a wuss.

And yes, killing him off to show how extreme Kaine was and how extreme the Clone Saga was suppose to be was just the height of stupidity. What a waste of an amazing character. Thankfully that was undone relatively quickly.

The Superior Spider-Man was an interesting idea, one that probably lasted just long enough before getting reversed. Comics seem to love playing with the idea that an evil version of the hero would be more dangerous an effective. Just look at the harm HYDRA Capt. America is doing right now, but if I remember right, they made it a point that any success Otto had was due to sheer ruthlessness, it frequently backfired, and ultimately he couldn't save the day. I do think it's important to show that such ruthless tactics can be successful short term, but long term it's better that the heroes act like heroes.

Lady Octopus was just a lame attempt at replacing a classic villain, only with an ugly outfit and hair, daddy issues and EXTREME improvements like a personal force field. I will say the Force Field is a good explanation for why when someone could get past the arms and tag the person wearing them, they don't immediately go down. But I've generally been of the mind that if there is at least one arm anchored to the ground (which they need to be in order to really maximize the arm's strength), the the arm can help the wearer "roll with the punch" so that they don't ever take the full brunt of the impact. Though I could also see Otto opting for some kind of body armor.

Anna Maria seems like a kind of interesting and sweet character, one who at least should have gotten some happy ending.

Stunner was an odd kind of one off, but you could see Otto maybe having some kind of kinship with a woman who wanted to re-invent herself as this tall, powerful, idealized self. It's something a lot of comic fans could likely sympathize with. I wonder if the hologram concept was always there, or if that was something later revealed when they needed to bring Otto back to life.

Overall, Doctor Octopus is one of the great comic bad guys, and definitely one of Spidey's top rogues.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Hybrid

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

HYBRID II (Scott Washington)
Created By:
Evan Skolnick & Patrick Zircher
First Appearance: Venom: Along Came a Spider #1 (Jan. 1996)
Role: Yet Another ****ing Symbiote
Group Affiliations: The Guardsmen
PL 9 (182)
STRENGTH
3/9 STAMINA 3/8 AGILITY 3/8
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Guardsman) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages: 
Improved Disarm, Great Endurance, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Diluted Symbiotic Costume"
"Immune to Spider-Sense" Concealment (Spider-Sense) 1 (Extras: Continuous) [3]

"More Than Proportionate to A Spider"
Enhanced Strength 6 [12]
Enhanced Stamina 5 [10]
Enhanced Agility 5 [10]

"Spider-Movement"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Spider-Sense- Warns of Danger & Boosts Agility"
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]
Enhanced Skills 10: Acrobatics 3 (+11), Perception 5 (+9), Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8) [5]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [2]
Enhanced Parry 2 [2]

"Cellular-Morphing Qualities"
"Scary-Ass Face" Enhanced Skills 2: Intimidation 2 (+8) [1]
Features 2: Carries Pocket, Can Send Pieces Out With Messages [2]
Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Morph 2 (10) -- [11]
  • AE: Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Blending) (2)
"Self-Created Webbing"
"Web-Shooters"
"Web-Line" Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) [4]
"Tendril" Snare 10 (Feats: Split, Tether) (32) -- [36]
  • AE: "Tendril Burst" Snare 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Touch Range) (27)
  • AE: "Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 10) (12)
  • AE: "Tendril Whips" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Ranged 8, Multiattack 8) (16)
  • AE: Weaken Toughness 6 (Extras: Affects Objects Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Chemical Compounds) (3)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blades +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Acid Spit +8 (+9 Ranged Damage & +6 Weaken, DC 24 & 16)
Crushing Mucus +8 (+10 Ranged Affliction & +5 Ranged Damage, DC 20s)
Tendril Burst +9 Area (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Tendril Grab +8 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +6 (+8 Symbiote)

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Spider-Sense, DC 18-20), Parry +8 (+10 Spider-Sense, DC 18-20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +5

Complications:
Power Loss/Weakness (Webbing)- If the Symbiotes use too much "Webbing", they will lose strength, or the ability to produce more, having used up too many of the symbiote's cells.
Power Loss (Fire & Sonics)- The Symbiote Race fears both fire and extremely loud noises. Being in proximity to either weakens them to the point of losing all his abilities, moreso with more powerful applications.
Weakness (Fire & Sonics)- Similarly, the Symbiotes take extra damage from fire and sonics. This depends on the writer (or the GM).
Enemy (Spider-Man, Venom)

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 112 / Defenses: 6 (182)

-Yaaaaayyy ANOTHER Symbiote. Hybrid's the result of Phage, Riot, Lasher & Agony being killed, and their respective Symbiotes forged together into repairing a crippled Guardsman's back and turning him into a new vigilante. Hybird often had to be held back from murderous intent by the SYMBIOTES. He appeared in 1996 (though Scott Washington was in The New Warriors in 1992), and pretty much failed to make even a remote impact, resulting in his casual murder by Eddie Brock a few years ago. The Four Symbiotes were split once again, going onto the Mercury Team that hunted, and was murdered by, Carnage. Deadpool then gave the Symbiotes to their dog. Because he's Deadpool.

-I've never seen him outside of Wikipedia, but my initial guess that he could do all of the other Symbiotes' attacks was incorrect. He CAN, however, Glide and absorb chemicals (like Spider-Man's webbing).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Ares
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Re: Chance

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 21, 2017 6:31 am Image

CHANCE (Nicholas Powell)
Chance is a great concept muddled by a lackluster outfit and powerset. The notion of a gambling assassin who will pay the person who hired him if he fails to complete his job is a great concept for a villain, but seems to be a poor fit for a guy who flies around in light power armor. Which is a shame, because the Chance armor isn't really that bad as a generic armored badguy. The concept of helmet cameras that let him see in every direction but directly beneath him is kind of neat, though processing all of that info at once would seem to be kind of taxing.

Really, the concept should have been split between two characters. The power armor should go to someone else, and the concept of the gambling assassin should go to someone who is more about skill than anything. A guy who makes that kind of gambling would seem to be more about personal combat skill than on whatever high tech weapons he paid for. Chance likely would have worked better as a kind of evil Nightwing, a devil-may-care acrobat/martial artist/weapons expert who enjoys killing his targets up close, goes for maximum risk and thrills, and gets by with a combination of melee weapons along with standard firearms and maybe a couple of gadgets tailored for the opponents he fights.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Toxin

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

Oooooooooohhhhhh, you beat RAZOR-FIST and you HAVE to be considered a bad-ass!

TOXIN I (Patrick Mulligan)
Created By:
Peter Milligan & Clayton Crain
First Appearance: Venom/Carnage #1 (2004)
Role: Yet Another ****ing Symbiote
Group Affiliations: NYPD
PL 9 (180)
STRENGTH
3/9 STAMINA 3/8 AGILITY 3/8
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 7 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+6)

Advantages: 
Improved Disarm, Great Endurance, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Diluted Symbiotic Costume"
"Immune to Spider-Sense" Concealment (Spider-Sense) 1 (Extras: Continuous) [3]

"More Than Proportionate to A Spider"
Enhanced Strength 6 [12]
Enhanced Stamina 5 [10]
Enhanced Agility 5 [10]

"Spider-Movement"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Spider-Sense- Warns of Danger & Boosts Agility"
Senses 2 (Danger Sense, Tracking- Spider-Sense) [2]
Enhanced Skills 10: Acrobatics 3 (+11), Perception 5 (+9), Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8) [5]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [2]
Enhanced Parry 2 [2]

"Cellular-Morphing Qualities"
"Scary-Ass Face" Enhanced Skills 2: Intimidation 2 (+8) [1]
Features 2: Carries Pocket, Can Send Pieces Out With Messages [2]
Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Morph 2 (10) -- [11]
  • AE: Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Blending) (2)
"Self-Created Webbing"
"Web-Shooters"
"Web-Line" Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Tendril" Snare 10 (Feats: Split, Tether) (32) -- [35]
  • AE: "Tendril Burst" Snare 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Touch Range) (27)
  • AE: "Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 10) (12)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blades +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Tendril Burst +9 Area (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Tendril Grab +8 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +6 (+8 Symbiote)

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Spider-Sense, DC 18-20), Parry +8 (+10 Spider-Sense, DC 18-20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +5

Complications:
Power Loss/Weakness (Webbing)- If the Symbiotes use too much "Webbing", they will lose strength, or the ability to produce more, having used up too many of the symbiote's cells.
Power Loss (Fire & Sonics)- The Symbiote Race fears both fire and extremely loud noises. Being in proximity to either weakens them to the point of losing all his abilities, moreso with more powerful applications.
Weakness (Fire & Sonics)- Similarly, the Symbiotes take extra damage from fire and sonics. This depends on the writer (or the GM).
Enemy (Carnage)
Relationship (Wife, Son)
Responsibility (Letting Loose)- The Toxin Symbiote requires two hours a night to "let loose" (but isn't allowed to steal from, kill or rape anyone) in order to allow Mulligan some semblance of control.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 108 / Defenses: 6 (180)

-Toxin is a very recent creation (well, 2004, to be precise), a married New York City cop who got attached to Carnage's offspring. Venom & Spider-Man prevented him from being corrupted, and he tried to become a hero. He did some stuff in his Limited Series, but was mostly lame (seriously, a big threat is RAZOR FIST), and hadn't been seen in a very long time, until he was murdered by Blackheart in another book, at which point the Toxin Symbiote was forcibly-combined with Brock, where it was later sacrificed to prevent the rise of Chthon. He's a generic PL 9 Symbiote- a challenge, but not enough to beat Spidey, Venom or Carnage.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ares
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Re: Kraven

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 21, 2017 6:35 am Image

KRAVEN THE HUNTER (Sergei Kravinoff)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
I've got to say, I always had a soft spot for Kraven the Hunter. Ever since I read "The Most Dangerous Game" as a kid, it was easy to see how that concept could apply to superheroes, and Kraven was actually a pretty solid example of it. Stan Lee mentioned naming him "Kraven" on purpose, and early on Kraven was actually a legit threat. He was very skilled, routinely pushed Spider-Man hard, and during their battles Peter had to give it his all to win.

I think the problem was that Kraven didn't get a whole lot of use, because there is a limitation to Kraven's stories, generally. He's out to kill Spider-Man, he comes up with some novel ways of hunting him, he fights Spidey, and eventually gets defeated. Some stories to humanize the guy might have included things like him being against poaching, since while he's a hunter, he doesn't condone the mass slaughter of animals solely for their body parts. It might create a unique contrast where heroes are on his side and gain some respect for him. But instead he just didn't do much, necessitating his death to give the character a solid send off. And Kraven's Last Hunt IS an amazing story, but it also took out a very fun character from the MU, and none of his replacements were anywhere near as charming. So I can see why eventually Kraven was brought back.

I think what should have happened was that Kraven should have been shopped around to other animal themed heroes. While he would always be a Spider-Man villain, it would have been cool to see him hunt someone like Black Panther, Tigra, Wolverine, and other heroes, placing them in a unique situation. He could have also been more dangerous by playing up his skill level rather than his physical might. I would have tied his "jungle potion" to the herbs that the Black Panthers use to gain Peak Human physical abilities, only Kraven has figured out a way to use it despite not being of their bloodline. I'd also make the effects permanent or something he needs to take every few months or so, rather than before every hunt.

One credit I will give the Ultimate Spider-Man TV show was that they did a good job of making Kraven a legit threat without resorting to something stupid like gene-splicing lion DNA into him (Looking at you Spectacular Spider-Man!), instead making him this A-List fighter with a wide range of weapons. And really, if you made him an A-List fighter, with peak human stats, a focus on enhanced senses, and a wide range of hunter-themed weapons, he could be a legit threat to a lot of heroes.

I also think it's possible to make his outfit work.

Image

If anything, I'd make that lion on his vest into an actual lion head, make it clear he's wearing one of his personal kills.

So yeah, I always dug the Kraven concept.

None of Kraven's extended cast ever interested me tho. Calypso was introduced in one of the worst Spider-Man stories ever outside of the clone Saga (it truly was a Torment), the Grim Hunter never really had time to make an impact, my exposure to Alyosha was in Beyond! and his limited series where he was more of a joke character, and Ana never really made much of an impact to me, basically coming off as Damian Wayne with boobs, though she might predate the little accident.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (Cardiac! Solo! Venom! Carnage! Shriek!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Yay, more Ares essays! I had to harass you on Facebook, but it was worth it!

From the last time I commented on Symbiotes:
Yeah, Marvel did itself no favors with the absolute over-use of so many character types in the 1990s. You can't just take AWAY that kind of nonsense- kill them or Retcon/Reboot them, and they still exist somewhere in the void. It does SUCH damage to the initial characters, too.

I can buy their being a whole number of Symbiotes (I mean, why would there just be the one?), and giving Venom an offspring wasn't a bad idea. But adding a whole TEAM of them? Then another guy? Then ANOTHER guy? It gets as bad as all the Goblins (and at least in their case, there was usually only one active at a time, and when there wasn't, Norman Osborn cast a mighty shadow over the others). And all the Hulks. And all the female Spider-people (Girl & Woman alike).

I used to think it was a PLUS that Marvel had only one or two versions of everybody, contrasting DC's numerous offshoots. But nowadays, Marvel seems far, far worse. Spider-Verse seems like a fun idea, but it's spinning into a book of JUST Spider-Spinoffs.
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Re: Jean DeWolff

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 2:18 pm Image

VERMIN (Edward Whelan)
I never really had much of a connection to Vermin outside of that one Kraven story, and honestly, they should have just let him be cured and move on. In the world of Marvel Comics, a "rat man" just doesn't really stand out. Though it is interesting how the whole "animal hybrid" thing acts in Marvel.

Like, Spider-Man can lift 10-15 tons regularly due to his spider-powers. The Lizard is stronger than Peter by a noticable degree, and Vermin was around Peter or stronger in their appearances. So logically, Tigra should be as strong or stronger than Spidey, right? And Stegoron should be immensely strong, like Rhino/Thing level, being a frickin dinosaur man.

I don't know, sometimes I feel like there should be some kind of accepted animal pecking order of superstrength or something.
Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 6:19 pm ImageImage

CAPTAIN JEAN DeWOLFF
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Sal Buscema
Jean DeWolff was someone I first encountered long after she was dead, but she did grow on me quickly. She was fun, and it was nice having a cop who was on Spider-Man's side after Captain Stacy was killed. And I've admittedly got mixed feelings about her being killed off. On the one hand, she did have a lot of potential as a character, but I also have to agree with Peter David that killing her off in that way was what made the story memorable. And I'm not sure it really counts as refrigerating a woman, since her murder was important to the story. But in the Marvel Team-Up issues she appears in, I thought she was a solid character, and could see why fans were upset she was killed.
Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 10:51 pm Image

THE SIN-EATER I (Detective Stan Carter)
Created By:
Peter David & Rich Buckler
Sin-Eater is kind of interesting in that he seems to showcase a lot of real-world consequences of superhero fights. Jumping out of the way of a gunshot is cool, but in a crowded area those bullets are likely to hit somebody. And they showed what had happened to Carter after the beating Spider-Man gave him. Basically, Peter had beaten the guy so badly that it was like he'd had a stroke, being deaf in one ear, slurred his words, had to walk with a cane, etc. That's what happens when a normal guy pisses off a guy who can bench press a car.

Regarding the fight with Daredevil and Spidey, that didn't really bother me. For one thing, that wasn't really "Aunt May Mode" as some people call it when Peter fights for his loved ones and becomes an unstoppable force of nature. In those cases, he's fighting desperately not to let the tragedy of Uncle Ben repeat itself. It's a primal need to save those he loves and Heaven help you if you get in his way. Against Carter, Peter wasn't trying to save anyone. Betty had been rescued, Sin-Eater had surrendered, and all Peter was really doing was venting his anger at someone. It was anger without real purpose, without cause and barely any direction, it was just Peter lashing out wildly at someone who had taken away someone he cared about.

Daredevil, on the other hand, is someone who has fought evenly with Captain America, Wolverine and Iron Fist, making him legitimately one of the best fighters in Marvel, while also being an acrobat just under Peter's skill level, and having senses that let him telegraph Peter's every move in his angered state. Matt should do decently against Peter during any fight, and in a fight where Peter is fighting sloppy, falling to the same kind of psyche out tactics Peter uses on his foes, I've got no problem with Matt winning.
Jabroniville wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 12:23 am Image

THE SQUID IV (Don Callahan)
Created By:
Howard Mackie & John Romita, Jr.
I'd never even heard of this clown, but honestly, in a comics universe that gave us Lady Stilt-Man, Doc Ock having copycat fanboys makes all kinds of sense. Kudos to actually putting in more thought on this guy than the actual writers did.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (Cardiac! Solo! Venom! Carnage! Shriek!)

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:00 am Yay, more Ares essays! I had to harass you on Facebook, but it was worth it!

From the last time I commented on Symbiotes:
Yeah, Marvel did itself no favors with the absolute over-use of so many character types in the 1990s. You can't just take AWAY that kind of nonsense- kill them or Retcon/Reboot them, and they still exist somewhere in the void. It does SUCH damage to the initial characters, too.

I can buy their being a whole number of Symbiotes (I mean, why would there just be the one?), and giving Venom an offspring wasn't a bad idea. But adding a whole TEAM of them? Then another guy? Then ANOTHER guy? It gets as bad as all the Goblins (and at least in their case, there was usually only one active at a time, and when there wasn't, Norman Osborn cast a mighty shadow over the others). And all the Hulks. And all the female Spider-people (Girl & Woman alike).

I used to think it was a PLUS that Marvel had only one or two versions of everybody, contrasting DC's numerous offshoots. But nowadays, Marvel seems far, far worse. Spider-Verse seems like a fun idea, but it's spinning into a book of JUST Spider-Spinoffs.
Heh, yeah, I got caught up with a few things in real life, so thanks for the reminder. It's always interesting revisiting old posts, but I stand by what I said then. If anything, there's even more Spider-Clones around today than there was during the Clone Saga.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Man-Wolf

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 4:30 am Image

THE MAN-WOLF / Star-God

Image

COLONEL JOHN JAMESON
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963)
John Jameson has had such a weird career. It does showcase how weird it got when no one Peter Parker knew wasn't involved in the superhero world at some point. You'd think being an astronaut would be weird enough, but he wound up becoming a superhero, a werewolf, a star-god, the pilot to a superhero, married to She-Hulk, a star-god again, and then has finally gone on to something of a normal life these days, I believe. But it was nice to see someone who Jonah was legitimately proud of, and who could actually break through JJJ's gruff exterior. You could tell Jonah really loved his son, and vice versa.

Incidentally Jab, did you ever read the original story where John was "Col. Jupiter", and if so, about where would you place him, stat wise?
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Gwen Stacy

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 5:55 am Image

CAPTAIN GEORGE STACY
Created By:
Stan Lee & John Romita
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #56 (Jan. 1968)
Captain Stacy was a character who was before even my time, and I'm honestly not sure I own a comic with him. I found out about him retroactively and with what other takes on Spider-Man have done with him. Spectacular Spider-Man made good use of him, while the Amazing Spider-Man movies made him kind of annoying. But he does have an amazing, heroic death, and it was nice that back then writers realized you needed to give Spider-Man SOME people who treated him positively, and wasn't doom and/or gloom all of the time.
Jabroniville wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 7:46 am Image
Image
Image

GWEN STACY
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Dec. 1965)
Gwen was another one who was long dead before I came around, but I found out about her through reprints of older comics. It's actually really interesting how much she changed, as early on she was not the sweet, pure, loving girl she came to be in the years before her death. Like Jab said, someone who ran very hot and cold, which would ironically probably make her more popular to the anime fans of today. Still, it's undeniable that her death had a huge impact on Spider-Man, as well as comics in general. However, I do feel that the best thing her death did was bring Peter and MJ together, and that if Peter could ever bring her back, he would, but he would choose Mary Jane over her. He really loved Gwen, but Mary Jane to me will always be Peter's one true love.

And while I love JMS' run on Spider-Man (Spider-Totem stuff aside, it had some of THE BEST characterization of Peter, MJ and Aunt May), the "Gwen had an affair with Norman Osborn" was in some ways worse than One More Day, because at least that was an editorial edict handed down by a moron. This was just something stupid JMS did where an editor should have stepped in and said, "No, this is dumb".
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (Cardiac! Solo! Venom! Carnage! Shriek!)

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 5:55 am Image

CAPTAIN GEORGE STACY
Created By:
Stan Lee & John Romita
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #56 (Jan. 1968)
Captain Stacy was a character who was before even my time, and I'm honestly not sure I own a comic with him. I found out about him retroactively and with what other takes on Spider-Man have done with him. Spectacular Spider-Man made good use of him, while the Amazing Spider-Man movies made him kind of annoying. But he does have an amazing, heroic death, and it was nice that back then writers realized you needed to give Spider-Man SOME people who treated him positively, and wasn't doom and/or gloom all of the time.
Jabroniville wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 7:46 am Image
Image
Image

GWEN STACY
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Dec. 1965)
Gwen was another one who was long dead before I came around, but I found out about her through reprints of older comics. It's actually really interesting how much she changed, as early on she was not the sweet, pure, loving girl she came to be in the years before her death. Like Jab said, someone who ran very hot and cold, which would ironically probably make her more popular to the anime fans of today. Still, it's undeniable that her death had a huge impact on Spider-Man, as well as comics in general. However, I do feel that the best thing her death did was bring Peter and MJ together, and that if Peter could ever bring her back, he would, but he would choose Mary Jane over her. He really loved Gwen, but Mary Jane to me will always be Peter's one true love.

And while I love JMS' run on Spider-Man (Spider-Totem stuff aside, it had some of THE BEST characterization of Peter, MJ and Aunt May), the "Gwen had an affair with Norman Osborn" was in some ways worse than One More Day, because at least that was an editorial edict handed down by a moron. This was just something stupid JMS did where an editor should have stepped in and said, "No, this is dumb".
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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The Scorpion

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

It always weirded me out that his mouth was seemingly part of the mask.

THE SCORPION I (MacDonald "Mac" Gargan)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #19 (Dec. 1964)
Role: Left-Behind Villain, Upgraded Villain
Spidey Villain Ranking: C-List
Group Affiliations: The Masters of Evil
PL 10 (152)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+2)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 1 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Tail Sprays) 1 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Great Endurance, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Tail Strike) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Startle, Tracking

Powers:
"Scorpion Physiology"
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]

"Scorpion Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [36]
Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 5) (6)
Extra Limb 1 (1)
"Tail Acid Spray" Blast 9 Linked to Weaken Toughness 6 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (36) -- (38)
  • AE: "Tail Tear Gas Spray" Affliction 9 (Fort; Dazed & Impaired Vision/Stunned & Disabled Vision/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Cloud, Extra Condition) (27)
  • AE: "Tail Strike" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (12)
-- (45 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Tail Strike +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Acid Spray +8 (+9 Damage & +6 Weaken, DC 24 & 16)
Tear Gas Spray +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +9 (+10 Costume, +3 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Revenge)- Gargan hates J.Jonah Jameson for turning him into a freak, and Spider-Man for defeating him time and time again. He has ruined perfectly-good missions just because he got too focused on his vendettas.
Enemy (Spider-Man)
Responsibility (Insane)- The process which turned Gargan into The Scorpion has driven him insane, and he often spends time on a rampage.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 9 (152)

-The Scorpion, a Private Investigator hired to shadow Peter Parker (to uncover just WHERE he got those fabulous Spidey pix) then turned by JJJ into a super-powered menace, was initially a REALLY tough villain, capable of beating Spider-Man handily in a fight. It's a classic concept- the villain who takes the hero's powers and IMPROVES on them, thus becoming a major-league super-threat that requires the hero to use his head and natural talent to win. It wasn't to last, alas, as Spider-Man quickly gained in talent and experience, while Gargan got a never-ending supply of power-upgrades and new costumes, but never quite enough to be anything more than a one-note Jobber.

-I remember one particularly bad instance where Spidey had some stuff going on in his life, and was doing one of those "issue-long narration" things about it, while COMPLETELY IGNORING The Scorpion during a big fistfight between the two of them. He literally didn't mention Gargan the entire time, and basically ended up having beaten him while STILL narrating to himself. He'd pop up on Egghead's goofy-ass Masters of Evil team, fight Captain America of all people a couple times, and generally was just a "filler", non-epic Spidey villain- after all, Pete had a DOZEN better villains to choose from, no matter HOW cool it is to be based off of one of nature's most bad-ass killers. Gargan was thus as desperate as ANY villain for a major upgrade (all those sad '90s uniforms failed to last even a single story).

-Despite being a pathetic villain most of the time, The Scorpion is a PL 10 and rather dangerous, but mainly dependent on that tail. Most Scorpion stories only have the Tail Strike, but the '90s saw a series of upgrades with Tear Gas, Acid Spray (Blast linked to Weaken), and some other bits that got placed in and out depending on what the writers remembered. His Tail Strike is still easily his best attack, doing +12 damage (approaching Class 100 Powerhouse levels), and typically being boosted with Power Attack. He's rather inaccurate otherwise, but good enough to last a few rounds with Spidey, and his natural Strength & Toughness help him out. He's a pretty mediocre detective (I'm pretty sure his debut is the only time he'd ever used it), but packs a good deal of Combat Advantages onto his build. Not the prettiest PL 10, but he'd beat the PISS out of an Avengers Academy kid, even at this stage.

Image

VENOM II (MacDonald "Mac" Gargan, aka The Scorpion)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #19 (Dec. 1964)
Role: Upgraded Villain, Mirror Image Villain, Chaotic Evil Psychopath
Villain/Ally Ranking: A-List
Group Affiliations: The Masters of Evil, The Thunderbolts, The Dark Avengers
PL 12 (235)
STRENGTH
10/11 STAMINA 9/11 AGILITY 4/8
FIGHTING 8/9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6, +10 Agility, +12 Spider-Sense)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+2)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 8 (+8, +12 Face, +15 Size)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 1 (+2, +8 Spider-Sense)
Ranged Combat (Tail Sprays) 1 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6, +10)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Tail Strike) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Startle, Tracking

Powers:
"Symbiotic Costume"
"Immune to Spider-Sense" Concealment (Spider-Sense) 1 (Extras: Continuous) [3]

"More Than Proportionate to A Spider"
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Agility 4 [8]

"Spider-Movement" 
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Mimicking Scorpion Tail"
Extra Limb 1 [1]
"Tail Strike" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) [11]

"Spider-Sense- Warns of Danger & Boosts Agility"
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]
Enhanced Fighting 1 [2]
Enhanced Skills 10: Acrobatics 2 (+12), Perception 6 (+8), Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11) [5]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Strike, Uncanny Dodge [2]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [2]
Enhanced Parry 2 [2]

"Cellular-Morphing Qualities"
"Scary-Ass Face" Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+14) [2]
Features 1: Carries Pocket [1]
Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
Regeneration 4 [4]
Morph 2 (10) -- [11]
  • AE: Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Blending) (2)
"Self-Created Webbing"
"Web-Shooters"
"Web-Line" Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Spider-Web" Snare 10 (Feats: Split, Tether) (32) -- [33]
  • AE: "Tendril Burst" Snare 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Touch Range) (30)
"Inconsistent Growth Powers- 20 Feet Tall"
Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (8 feet) [4]
Growth 6 (+6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & STA Growths) [6]
"Height" Reach 2 [2]
Features 2: Increased Mass 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Tail Strike +9 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Large Size +11 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Web Burst +10 Area (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Spider-Web +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +12

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (+10 Agility, DC 20), Parry +8 (+11 Senses, DC 21), Toughness +12, Fortitude +13, Will +6
"Growth" Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +14, Fortitude +15, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Revenge)- Gargan hates J.Jonah Jameson for turning him into a freak, and Spider-Man for defeating him time and time again.
Obsession (Consumption of Flesh)- The Symbiote's bloodthirstiness has driven Gargan even madder than normal, and he will freely consume flesh whenever available to him, regardless of the consequences.
Enemy (Spider-Man)
Power Loss/Weakness (Webbing)- If Venom uses too much "Webbing", he will lose strength, or the ability to produce more, having used up too many of the symbiote's cells.
Power Loss (Fire & Sonics)- The Symbiote Race fears both fire and extremely loud noises. Being in proximity to either weakens Gargan to the point of losing all his abilities, moreso with more powerful applications.
Weakness (Fire & Sonics)- Similarly, Venom takes extra damage from fire and sonics. This depends on the writer (or the GM).
Power Loss (Growth)- Gargan can only grow to full size with enough effort, or after being injured. Usually it is only in response to an extremely large or tough foe, as well.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 120 / Defenses: 8 (235)

-Gargan-As-Venom is one of the better ideas Marvel's had in the past ten years- it saved both a poisoned villain in the over-used Eddie Brock, and a poisoned villain in the jobbed-out Mac Gargan. Once Brock got rid of the symbiote and tried to commit suicide, the symbiote looked for a new host (after rejecting a mob boss' weak son, leaving him to die in mid-leap), and hooked up with Gargan, who was in the middle of a big scheme with Norman Osborn against Spidey. Though Gargan lost, he now had the big bad-ass push of most villains' dreams, and he went all-out. He appeared in TONS of books as a major character, especially during Dark Reign and Siege, and fought Anti-Venom and others, proving himself as a major star. Though he got jobbed-out a few too many times for my taste (Spidey still routinely mocks him as a "freaking loser", and he's given a world of trouble by guys like Spider-Kid and Andreas Von Strucker in Thunderbolts), they did him a major boon with THAT push.

-Gargan is kind of a pain in the ass with that Growth power, but aside from that it's a standard addition of Venom's powers boosting up Gargan's frame, plus a tail he can make himself. The symbiote makes him tougher than Brock, and a notch stronger, but he's still a PL 11 at normal size. Enough to kick Spidey's ass, but he still maintains a losing record against him thanks to Spidey's added experience, smarts and luck. 

Image

THE SCORPION I (MacDonald "Mac" Gargan, aka Venom II)- Upgraded
Created By:
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #19 (Dec. 1964)
Role: Upgraded Villain, Mirror Image Villain, Chaotic Evil Psychopath
Villain/Ally Ranking: A-List
Group Affiliations: The Masters of Evil, The Thunderbolts, The Dark Avengers
PL 11 (164)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6, +8 Sense)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+2)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 1 (+2, +6 Sense)
Ranged Combat (Tail Sprays) 1 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6, +10)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Tail Strike) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Startle, Tracking

Powers:
"Arachnid Movement" 
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Scorpion-Sense- Warns of Danger & Boosts Agility"
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]
Enhanced Skills 6: Acrobatics 2 (+12), Perception 4 (+6) [4]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Strike, Uncanny Dodge [2]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [2]
Enhanced Parry 2 [2]

"Cybernetic Scorpion Systems"
Extra Limb 1 [1]
"Tail Strike" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) [12]
"Body Armour" Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 7) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Tail Strike +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Senses, DC 20), Parry +9 (+11 Senses, DC 21), Toughness +9 (+12 Armour), Fortitude +11, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Revenge)- Gargan hates J.Jonah Jameson for turning him into a freak, and Spider-Man for defeating him time and time again.
Enemy (Spider-Man)

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 11 (164)

-Gargan was eventually separated from the Symbiote after a few years (it was then attached to FLASH THOMPSON of all people), which I feel is a big mistake- Marvel made COUNTLESS attempts at upgrading The Scorpion for years (especially in the '90s), and they all basically turned into nothing, as he already had a reputation as a Jobber by that point. With the Symbiote being taken away while he was in The Raft (post-Siege), Gargan was given a new suit by Alistair Smythe, in another attempt to hurt J. Jonah Jameson. Doc Ock (in Spidey's body) was able to access Parker's memories and hatred of Gargan to fuel a SUPER-punch to rip Gargan's jawbone off. So yeah, he's a Jobber again, doomed to just show up as a "background villain" or a one-off. But still PL 10-11, since he's gotten some boosts with his Armour. He might get downgraded right back to PL 10 over time, but we'll see.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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