"And he STRIKES!... Like THUN... DER... BAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!"
THUNDERBALL (Dr. Eliot Franklin)
Created By: Len Wein & Sal Buscema
First Appearance: The Defenders #17 (Dec. 1974)
Role: Elite Jobber Villain, Marvel Universe Punching Bag
Group Affiliations: The Wrecking Crew, The Masters of Evil
PL 9 (124)
STRENGTH 4/10 STAMINA 4/9 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1
Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Sciences) 9 (+15)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Wrecking Ball) 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+4)
Technology 9 (+15)
Advantages:
Diehard, Improved Critical (Wrecking Ball), Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork
Powers:
"Crowbar-Given Powers"
Enhanced Strength 6 [12]
Enhanced Stamina 5 [10]
"Durability" Impervious Toughness 3 [3]
Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease) [2]
"Mystically-Enchanted Wrecking Ball" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [11]
"Long Chain Reach" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 3) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (15) -- (18 points)
- AE: "Thrown" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Ranged 11) (Feats: Homing) (12)
- AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 8 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (4) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (10)
- AE: Deflect 10 (10)
Unarmed +6 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Wrecking Ball +6 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Wrecking Ball Toss +8 (+10 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2
Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +9 (+2 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +4
Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- Though less destructive at heart than his allies, Eliot loves to knock buildings over.He probably loves money more, though.
Motivation (Ego)- Eliot freaks out if not given proper due, and often things that he should be the leader of the Wrecking Crew, despite being notably less powerful than his boss, The Wrecker.
Rivalry (The Wrecker)- Eliot has attempted many times to steal the leadership and raw power of his boss. Dirk usually beats the hell out of him, but eventually invites him back into the group.
Reputation (Job Squad)- The Wrecking Crew, despite their power, have lost to virtually every hero in the Marvel Universe, so don't get a lot of respect.
Power Loss- The Wrecking Crew must touch The Wrecker's mystical Crowbar for it's magic to infuse them with powers. The Wrecker may take all this power for himself otherwise, leaving the rest de-powered. Thunderball's standard Abilities are then STR 3, STA 4.
Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 9 (124)
-It always struck me as a funny kind of Positive Discrimination that the one black guy on a team of big stupid thugs like The Wrecking Crew was a genius physicist. That's about the extent of his skillset in the comics, however, as rather than actually build stuff most of the time (with a few exceptions), he acts like a big, dumb Brick anyways. Ah well, at least he's named after a James Bond movie.
-Eilot Franklin was a brilliant Gamma Radiation expert who was fired after his boss stole his designs for a Gamma Bomb- jailed for trying to steal the bomb, he met up with the rest of the Crew in jail and forged a plot to take it using their increased power. Most of the time, he just goes along for the ride with the rest of his team, but various books make him the odd man out- actually smart and a bit clever, he frequently tries to take leadership of the Crew away from The Wrecker, leading to feuds between the two. Thunderball resents that his power is entirely dependent on his "boss", and has stolen the Crowbar before. The Wrecker, dumber but more powerful, usually pummels Franklin for this, but always invites him back- Back To Basics Syndrome at its finest, though explained away by "The Crew is the only family I have."
-He featured a bit in Damage Control, as he was joyous when the team returned his Enchanted Wrecking Ball to him- he later allowed the team to escape, making the rest of his team believe that one of the DC guys had super-powers. He split off from the Crew once or twice, joining the Secret Empire during one story, and The Hood's army in another. In Chuck Austen's Avengers run, he actually scored a win over CAPTAIN AMERICA of all people, and nearly killed him before Kelsey Leigh debuted as the new Captain Britain.
-Thunderball is a Weapon-User guy like The Wrecker, but a PL lower. He's the team genius, which is a bit cheaper in this edition (only "Science" and "Technology" need to be bought), and his weapon is quite elite, capable of Deflecting and Groundstriking in addition to just plain doing a hell of a lot of damage (+11 on a guy who loves to Power Attack, and it's Penetrating). He's a notch worse than the rest of the Crew in terms of fighting (since they ONLY fight and he fights AND thinks, it makes sense thematically. Plus, I don't think he deserves to be PL 10 ).