Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[Jabroniville]

So many wasted ideas here. A lot of secondary members of the Acolytes (any many other crap teams) really had something going. There was a number of visually unique ideas and they just needed a more personality notes to make them really stand out.

Yeah, Gargouille, Senyaka and a couple of others had great designs, and there's some interesting power-sets throughout.

[Jabroniville]

Such a generic pile of '90s tropes- glowing eyes, energy powers, Faux-Claremont villainous dialogue and a goddamn cape.

EXODUS (Bennet du Paris)
Created By: Scott Lobdell & Joe Quesada
First Appearance: X-Factor #92
Role: Uber-Powerful Villain, The Dragon (to Magneto), Generic '90s TK/TP Guy
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes, The Marauders, The Brotherhood of Mutants, The Crusaders
Fate: Still alive and on the team
PL 14 (247)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills: 
Expertise (Crusading Knight) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Acolyte) 6 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Perception 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Telekinetic Blast) 3 (+10)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages: 
Equipment (Acolyte Gear), Fearless, Great Endurance, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Startle

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: So Much F$*%ing Power It's Ridiculous"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]

"Telepathy"
"Group Mind Control" Mind Control 12 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Ranged) (61) -- [69]

• Dynamic AE: "Mental Blast" Damage 14 (Extras: Perception Range +2, Will Save) (61) 
• Dynamic AE: Mind Reading 12 (25) Linked to Mental Communication 3 (Extras: Area, Selective) (18) -- (43)
• Dynamic AE: Mind Control 14 (44)
  Dynamic AE: "Mass Mind Control" Mind Control 4 (Extras: Area- 1,000ft. Burst +6, Selective) (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (37)

"Telekinesis"
"TK Force Field" Force Field 12 (Extras: Affects Others, Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Impervious) (61) -- [74]

• Dynamic AE: "TK Grab" Snare 14 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (62)
• Dynamic AE: Teleport 13 (Extras: Affects Others, Extended) (53)
• Dynamic AE: Move Object 15 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Sustained) (51)
• Dynamic AE: "TK Blast" Blast 16 (Extras: Penetrating) (49)
• Dynamic AE: "Return the Dead to Life" Healing 10 (Extras: Resurrection Only +0) (20)
• Dynamic AE: Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Affects Others) (20)

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Mental Blast +14 Perception (+14 Perception Damage, DC 29)
Mind Reading +12 (DC 22)
Mind Control +14 Perception (+14 Perception Affliction, DC 24)
Group Mind Control +4-12 Area (+4-12 Affliction, DC 14-22)
TK Grab +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
TK Blast +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +4 (+16 Force Field), Fortitude +10, Will +14

Complications: 
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")
Relationship (Magneto)- Exodus has often followed Magneto religiously, to the point of madness.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 155 / Defenses: 25 (247)

-I HATE character like this- Exodus is just a masturbatory excercise for Power Fetishists. He's one of those super-powerful uber-types that were invented solely to be all "OMG this guy is so POWWWWWERFULLLL!!!" and he sucks because there's nothing else to him other than a sycophantic follower. I can't stand guys who just have limitless power from the Grab Bag of "oh, I dunno, he can do _______, I guess", able to wipe out entire super-team with ease... actually, y'know I can. Magneto can do stuff like that (sorta), Graviton can and he's cool, etc. It's theoretically possible for a villain to be that tough and still be cool, since villains are SUPPOSED to be more powerful than the heroes. But those guys have CHARACTER. ORIGINALITY. Something that sets them apart. They didn't just whip powers out of their asses. Exodus is just another modification of the Phoenix Power-Set that we were inundated with during the '90s. So much of this went down with guys like Exodus, X-Man and more, to the point where I just got sick of all of them. Exodus' silly '90s look didn't help matters- a big flowing cape, glowing eyes, etc.- he looks like the kind of thing Liefeld would have created (except for his lack of pockets). Pretty much everything that applies to Overly-Versatile Magic Characters applies to Exodus as well.

-The WORST part about him may just be the fact that the Power Geeks salivate over him. I've actually read SEVERAL forum threads where people are like "Oh man, the Acolytes SUCK! Except for EXODUS- that guy is AWESOME!" It's like...  I know that any fan can like any character, but if you like Exodus, then you are wrong and you should feel bad.

-Exodus was just a Magneto follower, having been trapped for centuries in a mountain after the Crusades (during which he was a knight). He followed Mags religiously, did stuff, and was a mega-villain during "Fatal Attractions", where he had the ludicrous power-feat of threatening all Genosha with a Force Field Blast, while trapping three powerful mutants, and fending off the attacks of the ENTIRE Avengers & X-Men line-ups. The stuff of legend for some guys, but the general uninteresting nature of Exodus ruined it (plus the fact that the crossover sucked anyways).

-He was basically a big mishmash of crap on one character, given a hundred powers, weird quasi-intellectual scripture to spout, and amped at a power level beyond most of the X-Men. With all that, you'd figure they'd use him more, but for the most part, he's just been Magneto's stock "second in command" who would come up with all the lame plans that never quite worked out. Much like Mr. Sinister, the writers did so little actual planning or caring about things that they'd simply toss in a new power every once in a while- he actually casually pulled out "oh yah I can also resurrect people" effect. He should normally be able to become a dominant character, but lack of personality or care in writing him stagnated Exodus into being an also-ran who's too powerful to use in a more regular context. As such, he never really got the chance.

-Exodus was with the Acolytes for some time, but after being weakened fighting Holocaust (after The Age of Apocalypse) and losing to X-Man, he was sealed underground. He reformed the Acolytes in a war against the High Evolutionary, but were stopped by Quicksilver and the Heroes For Hire, and re-sealed. I'm sensing a pattern, here. He attempted to reform and make Genosha peaceful, but failed when the X-Men revealed he was controlling the populace. A new Brotherhood of Mutants is formed, but he quickly rejoins the Acolytes, then the MARAUDERS in the hunt for the "Mutant Messiah", Hope Summers. Seriously, they REALLY pass this guy around from team-to-team. He is beaten back again and again, usually in Psychic Battles (once by Hope copying his powers and Rogue depowering him twice over- BECAUSE HE'S POWERFUL, YOU SEE??).

-And yeah, POWER. A full array of Mind Control, Snares, TK Blasts, Mental Blasts, etc., combining to make him a PL 14 character, the equivalent of the Hulk, my Thor build, and my Magneto one. He's THAT powerful. Sure, during the Fatal Attraction battle he showed power levels he never again possessed (he was like PL 15-17 level there!), but he's still baseline incredibly nuts, and even now still has enough stink on him to take out entire groups of the X-Men at once. He sometimes varies a bit (early on, he wipes out a ton of X-Force, but Warpath is left standing- and he later leads a Brotherhood team that loses)- another sign of a weak villain with whom nobody quite knows how to deal.

[Jabroniville]

REM-RAM (Marcus Andrews)
Created By: Fabian Nicieza & Alan Davis w/ Lee Weeks
First Appearance: X-Men: The Magneto War #1 (March 1999)
Role: Crappy Villain, Mind Controller
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Died during the Sentinel Massacre on Genosha
PL 9 (127)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills: 
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Acolyte) 2 (+4)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+2)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages: 
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Expanding the Subconscious Mind"
Affliction 9 (Will; Entranced & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Stunned/Transformed Memories and Personas & Asleep) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective, Extra Condition, Concentration) [54]
Mind Reading 8 (Flaws: Limited to 'Expanded' Victims) [8]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Expanding Minds +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Mind Reading +8 (DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+3 Suit), Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications: 
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 62 / Defenses: 14 (127)

-REM-RAM (oh what a name...) was a Belgian mind-controlling guy who would zap people into a subconcious "dream state", where he could manipulate their surface or inner thoughts or whatever to make them do stuff. A pretty handy power, but he was a mostly useless guy otherwise. He's one of the few Acolytes they bothered to show actually die during the Sentinel invasion of Genosha (the rest are just assumed dead or popped up in Necrosha), probably thanks to his goofy name inspiring Grant Morrison, who wrote that bit.

-REM-RAM is a VERY defensively-weak character, but a fairly good guy offensively- a powerful Selective Area Affliction effect, which is actually much easier to build in 3rd Edition- He has a combo of Mind Control and the Transform Affliction route, making people stunned and asleep, while also transforming their memories & thoughts. He'd be really scary if he wasn't so easy to kill otherwise. His power was tough, but he feared using it against Professor X, for good reason- Chuck is WAY too willful.

[MacynSnow]

EXODUS (Bennet du Paris)
-I HATE character like this- Exodus is just a masturbatory excercise for Power Fetishists. He's one of those super-powerful uber-types that were invented solely to be all "OMG this guy is so POWWWWWERFULLLL!!!" and he sucks because there's nothing else to him other than a sycophantic follower.

-The WORST part about him may just be the fact that the Power Geeks salivate over him. I've actually read SEVERAL forum threads where people are like "Oh man, the Acolytes SUCK! Except for EXODUS- that guy is AWESOME!" It's like...  I know that any fan can like any character, but if you like Exodus, then you are wrong and you should feel bad.

-Exodus was just a Magneto follower, having been trapped for centuries in a mountain after the Crusades (during which he was a knight).

Ok,let's open this can of worms and see what happens.......

I don't think Exodus was that bad,actually.I honestly think he's a neat concept(Crusading Knight comes across alien tech& becomes corrupted,forcing his time-traveling friends to lock him in.Breaks out centuries later and latches onto the only thing that kept him sane during that time: his religious belief,only now twisted into seving a Racial Zelot) that could've gone far if paired with the right hero/Team......

[Jabroniville]

Y-y- You DARE make a positive remark about Exodus in MY THREAD!?!? HOW DARE YOU MACYNSNOW!!! YOU ARE NOW MY ARCH-NEMESISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!


No. No. I am calm. I can take it.

But yeah, Exodus has a solid IDEA- old-school religious sort brought into modern times and gaining a new crusade. BUT, the issue wasn't really his origin story, it was his "Generic '90s Boss" look and uber power level. I mean, cycle him down to a PL 11 and he's okay. But his dialogue style was pretty crap.

[Jabroniville]

ORATOR (Victor Ludwig)
Created By: Peter Milligan, Jorge Gonzales & Kelley Jones
First Appearance: Magneto #1 (Nov. 1996)
Role: Crappy Villain, Mind Controller
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Unknown- Marvel forgot he existed
PL 9 (128)
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Acolyte) 2 (+4)
Insight 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+2)
Technology 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Enhancing Emotional Impressions"
Mind Reading 9 (Flaws: Limited to Emotions) [9]
Affliction 9 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Emotions Controlled) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Sustained +2) (45) -- [46]

• AE: "Group Control" Affliction 9 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Emotions Controlled) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective, Sustained +2) (45)

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Emotion Control +9 Area/Perception (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Mind Reading +9 (DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+3 Suit), Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 14 (128)

-A character who only showed up in a single mini, Orator was an old-looking green man with emotion-controlling & detecting powers, attempting to seek out Magneto, and failed in turning Joseph (Magneto's clone) into their new messiah. So he's got nothing going for him other than his power. Not too impressive a character, given that they didn't even show him after the mini, which he didn't even DIE in. They just forgot he ever existed- no Sentinel Massacre, no Necrosha, no nothing. What a loser.

-Standard Emotion Controller, but a weak physical fighter, among the worst of all the Acolytes. And that is SAYING SOMETHING with this crew.

[Jabroniville]

VOGHT (Amelia Voght)
Created By: Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, Professor X Girlfriend, Teleporter
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Alive, but quit the team
PL 8 (218)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+6)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Acolyte) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Current Events) 3 (+6)
Expertise (History) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Treatment 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Transsubtantiates Matter & Teleports It" Both Powers Linked
Teleport 14 (16,000 miles) (Feats: Change Direction, Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Easy, Extended) [62]
Teleport 8 (250 miles) (Feats: Change Direction) (Extras: Easy, Perception Range +2, Attack +0, Extended) (49) -- [50]

• AE: "Rending Port" Damage 10 (Extras: Penetrating) (20)

Remote Sensing 4 (500 feet) [8]

"Mist Form" (Move Action) [-1]
Insubstantial 2 (Feats: Precise) [11]
Flight 2 (8 mph) [4]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Mist Transform +8 Teleport (DC 18)
Rending Port +6 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Suit), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")- Amelia strives for mutant supremacy, but does not go as harshly as the others, lacking their bloodthirstiness.
Relationship (Professor Xavier)- Amelia was in love with Charles way back in the day, but rejected him after discovering he wanted to form a team of mutant heroes.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 134 / Defenses: 16 (218)

-Voght, who was depicted as yet another chick Xavier slept with in his past (along with Moira MacTaggert & Gabrielle Haller- Xavier's power-set may as well have been Psionic Pimp-Daddy), was an Acolyte who ran from Xavier's "X-Men" dream and joined Magneto's cause years later. Amelia had wanted Mutants to stay underground continuously and avoid humans, while Xavier wanted interaction and acceptance- Amelia left him when Cyclops joined the School, saying that Charles would doom all mutants with his actions. The Prof nearly tried to stop her telepathically, but held back at the last second (realizing how wrong it would have been)- Amelia felt his "pull", and left feeling betrayed.

-This was revealed once she'd debuted as one of the Acolytes. She was yet another "let's not burn ALL the humans" type, who later ended up aiding the X-Men during various ventures. Eventually, she reappeared during Messiah Complex, revealing the location of her former Acolytes comrades to the X-Men. She rejoined them later, but soon quit again.

-Man, do I hate Teleporters, both to build and as characters in the comics. At least Voght is a villain, where you can get away with the Game-Breaking aspects of it in ways that heroes can't (there's a reason why Nightcrawler & Lila Cheney were heavily limited 'Porters, and why Lila was just a supporting cast member who didn't fight). But still, teleporting people across THOUSANDS of miles when she's not even there? Really cheesy.

-Voght had an extremely powerful Teleportation effect that could turn anyone and anything into psionic mist, that she'd teleport just about anywhere- this is basically a fancy descriptor of the Teleport power, so I don't feel the need to add Affliction to it. This gave her a dramatically powerful one-note ability, especially since it's at Perception Range (she can pull people out of a crowded mob without aiming, for example), and both are Linked thanks to the helpful descriptors of the "Attack" Extra in DCA. There's been an instance where she teleported someone who she couldn't even SEE at the time, but I'll call that a Power Stunt, as I would her attack teleporting that guy's bullets back at him- one-shot things that don't need intense statting- that's what Hero Points (or tossing them out to your angry players when you pull cheap crap like that on them) are 100% for. This leaves Voght as a PL 8 character who costs a TON of points, because Linking two Teleports with all their Extras together is very expensive.

-Some players bemoaned how Teleport got a kick to the nuts in terms of cost, but I am 100% for this as well- it is the Game Breaker of Game Breakers in case your characters ever get into a tough situation, especially once you start adding Extras to it. I threw in a "Rend" feat she treatened once or twice, as an Alt-Effect. Not a Linked Power like 2e says- Teleport should be costly, but shouldn't make you a PL 15 equivalent in points- there's no reason why it can't just be a. She can "see" a bit ahead of her to avoid Teleporting completely blind, but she usually has to be aware of where she's going. I think- never read a story featuring her- I just know her as "that boring-looking chick with the insane powers".

[Jabroniville]

STATIC II (Gianna Carina Esperanza)
Created By: Fabian Nicieza & Alan Davis w/ Lee Weeks
First Appearance: X-Men: The Magneto War #1 (March 1999)
Role: Power-Nullifier, Crappy Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Died during the Sentinel Massacre on Genosha
PL 9 (106)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+7)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Acolyte) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Neurosynaptic Impulses) 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Neuro-Synaptic Impulses"
Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed & Powers Impaired/Stunned & Powers Disabled/Transformed to Powerless & Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition, Sustained +2) [50]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Impulses +8 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+3 Suit), Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 10 (106)

-Static (how generic can you get!? She's like the third comic character with that name -or one like it- with similar powers! Static I was a Warpie in Excalibur, and Static III was a Neo member with super-strength and a Nullification Field) had the gimmick of "depower the other guys", which is a fairly common trend in comics when you want to defeat your main super-team, but without the villains just totally outclassing the heroes (Scrambler of The Marauders nullified Rogue during The Mutant Massacre, f'rinstance). It's a face-saving measure, as you knock out one of the primary threats on the hero team to defeat the squad just by a non-defendable nullification power, which isn't the fault of the hero (unlike, say, getting hit by a punch or blast or something). She's very minor, and a plot device, and it was only revealed she was killed during the Sentinel Attack on Genosha by her appearance as a techno-zombie in Necrosha. So she's dead. No personality and she's dead. Great team, these Acolytes, huh?

-She can "Fire Neurosynaptic Impulses", which I've chosen to stat up as a Ranged Nullifier... except I'm using Affliction to Transform others into their Powerless Selves. Taliesin does that with his Parasite build, and it makes a bit of sense, especially since Static's also links with a Paralysis Affliction (requiring I simply add an Extra Condition to it). I use the actual Nullify for Scrambler, because with him it's just "powers OFF!", but here it's actually disabling neurons and stuff.

[Jabroniville]

SENYAKA (Suvik Senyaka)
Created By: Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Surprisingly-Decent Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Decapitated by Wolverine during "Necrosha" (but he always comes back from death)
PL 10 (168)
STRENGTH 4/7 STAMINA 5/7 AGILITY 4/6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+8)
Close Combat (Whips) 2 (+12)
Deception 4 (+4)
Insight 5 (+6)
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Whips) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Use Psionic Whips to Drain Life Force For Various Effects"
Weaken Stamina 8 (Feats: Incurable, Split, Reach 5) [15]
Linked to
Affliction 8 (Fort; Fatigued & Dazed/Exhausted & Stunned/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split, Reach 5) (Extras: Extra Condition, Cumulative) [30]
Linked to
"Whiplash" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 5) [7]

"Boost Stats" (All have Flaws: Source- Must Weaken)
Enhanced Strength 3 [3]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [2]
Enhanced Agility 2 [2]
Regeneration 10 [5]
Immortality 3 (4 days) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Psionic Whips +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Boosted Unarmed +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Boosted Whips +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Psionic Whips +12 (+8 Weaken & Affliction, DC 18s)
Initiative +8 (+10 Boosted)

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (+12 Boosted, DC 20-22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +5 (+7 Boosted), Fortitude +8 (+10 Boosted), Will +7

Complications:
Obsession (Death)- Senyaka's power gives him great control over life and death, and he is by this point a sadistic murderer.
Motivation (Revenge)- Senyaka was killed by Magneto for acting without orders, and once he recovered, he attempted to hunt down Magneto and kill him.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 67 / Defenses: 17 (168)

-Senyaka's got far more play than most of the Acolytes, mainly because he looks different (big face scarf, energy whips) and has a much more cruel, vindictive personality. Somehow he ended up turning into a Cable villain, and being resurrected like five times (thankfully, they actually bothered in include that in his powers).

-Senyaka debuted alongside numerous others in Uncanny X-Men's 300th issue, but was easily-dealt with by Wolverine (who just chopped one of his whips in half). Then, in one of Magneto's more bizarre reactions, he executed his subordinate for acting out of orders by attacking a human nurse. Magneto even pointed out that he WOULD have allowed the action, but since Senyaka didn't ask permission, he was slain. However, Senyaka resurrected himself when S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to pick up his body. He later tried to murder Magneto's old lover Lee Forrester, but she was saved by Cable. After that, he was on the Exodus-led Acolytes, assaulting Wundagore Mountain in Quicksilver. When Magneto became ruler of Genosha, Senyaka joined the rebellion against him. Alas, he was killed when the Sentinels attacked.

-This being Senyaka, he reappeared AGAIN, teaming with the Acolytes during a few other stories. His biggest appearance was probably as one of Selene's main henchmen during Necrosha, though he received the least focus of the group. He was eventually decapitated by Wolverine... at least until the NEXT group of goofs band together, calling themselves "Acolytes". Not bad for the only Sri Lankan character in comics.

-In combat, Senyaka is fairly dangerous, making full PL 10 stats (oddly, he suffers from the inverse of New Villain Stink- he's gotten MORE dangerous over the years, not less), and packing a ton of lethal effects, all Linked. Yeah, a Weaken, Affliction (along Paralysis and Tiring lines) & Damage effect all combined into one lethal Psionic Whip attack. In addition to that, he can boost all his stats once he's started draining people, Regenerate, AND come back from absolute death. He is one TOUGH nut to fully-crack, and costs accordingly, with 163 points spent overall.

[HalloweenJack]

Y-y- You DARE make a positive remark about Exodus in MY THREAD!?!? HOW DARE YOU MACYNSNOW!!! YOU ARE NOW MY ARCH-NEMESISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!


No. No. I am calm. I can take it.

But yeah, Exodus has a solid IDEA- old-school religious sort brought into modern times and gaining a new crusade. BUT, the issue wasn't really his origin story, it was his "Generic '90s Boss" look and uber power level. I mean, cycle him down to a PL 11 and he's okay. But his dialogue style was pretty crap.

*jumps over rail*

I agree with Fezzik...er Macyn

[MacynSnow]

Y-y- You DARE make a positive remark about Exodus in MY THREAD!?!? HOW DARE YOU MACYNSNOW!!! YOU ARE NOW MY ARCH-NEMESISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!


No. No. I am calm. I can take it.

But yeah, Exodus has a solid IDEA- old-school religious sort brought into modern times and gaining a new crusade. BUT, the issue wasn't really his origin story, it was his "Generic '90s Boss" look and uber power level. I mean, cycle him down to a PL 11 and he's okay. But his dialogue style was pretty crap.

*jumps over rail*

I agree with Fezzik...er Macyn

*gives HalloweenJack a high five & Acolyte uniform*

Welcome,fellow member of all things Black Knight related......

[Jabroniville]

VINDALOO (Venkat Katregadda)
Created By: Fabian Nicieza & Alan Davis
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #366
Role: Blaster, Crappy Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Still alive, off the team
PL 8 (96)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Acolytes) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 2 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Gel Blast) 2 (+7)

Advantages: 
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Amorphous Flammable Gel"
Blast 8 (Extras: Secondary Effect) [24]
Burning Gel Aura 5 [20]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gel Aura +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Gel Blast +7 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Suit), Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 13 (96)

-Vindaloo (yes, they named a guy after an Indian pork dish) still shows up in Messiah Complex, so he got to survive as an ex-Acolyte for some bizarre reason. He's pretty much a generic Blaster archetype, though I tossed in Aura because of the descriptions of his power indicating it was a flammable gel that came from his skin. Plus, since it's a flammable gel of sorts, I decided to throw on a Secondary Effect so it can affect guys for two rounds.

[Ares]

The Acolytes are pretty much as Jab said: a solid concept ruined by a lack of focus. They would have made an interesting faction in the Mutants scene in Marvel. While the X-Men are the good guys and there are numerous villain groups, Magneto's Acolytes could have been a somewhat "grey" faction, one that could be enemy or ally depending on the situation. Unfortunately, since no one really gave them the time and attention they would have needed, they basically became the next big thing in Marvel.

It's kind of frustrating in retrospect to see how the landscape of Marvel's Mutant scene could have been different with a little effort. Granted, it would have had to kick in before the New Mutants got ruined, but eh, hindsight and all that.

• You have the X-Men as the traditional superhero team.
• You keep the New Mutants as the proving ground for future superheroes.
• You have Mystique run the Brotherhood of Mutants as a terrorist group, and include characters from the MLF.
• You have Magneto's Acolytes be the morally grey group that tests the heroes philosophy.
• You have the Hellfire Club as the "mutants as elitist assholes" group.
• You have Apocalypse and his followers as the full on, evil supervillains.
• You let Emma Frost break from the Hellfire Club and act as a teacher for a rival group for the New Mutants.

You scrap the idea of X-Factor as some government run mutant group, and instead let the Avengers and other superhero teams have openly mutant members to showcase mutant/human relations. You can maybe include X-Force if you want, or just focus on Cable as this mysterious aspect of the mutant world who acts as sort of the Wolverine for the New Mutants. Maybe ignore Stryfe all together.

Oddly enough, the Acolytes wind up being a much more racially and culturally diverse group than the X-Men were for a while.

VOGHT (Amelia Voght)
Created By: Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, Professor X Girlfriend, Teleporter

So of all the Acolytes to go for obvious fanservice, it's Xavier's ex-girlfriend with a custom cleavage cut-out? You know, the portrayal of Xavier by James McAvoy makes a LOT more sense. I mean, I figure Xavier is suppose to be in his 50's or 60's, so how old is SHE suppose to be?

Such a generic pile of '90s tropes- glowing eyes, energy powers, Faux-Claremont villainous dialogue and a goddamn cape.

EXODUS (Bennet du Paris)
Created By: Scott Lobdell & Joe Quesada
First Appearance: X-Factor #92
Role: Uber-Powerful Villain, The Dragon (to Magneto), Generic '90s TK/TP Guy

Exodus is a mixed bag for me. For one thing, Exodus as a name works better for someone with teleportation or similar travel powers, though I understand the religious connotations they're going for.

I kind of like the look, as the faux-fantasy outfit at least makes him stand out a bit, but it's too busy in certain respects, such as those weird back blade coat hanger things that do nothing. Get rid of them, darken the magenta into a lighter purple and change up some of the gold designs so that they aren't so busy, and it could work as an outfit.

Powerwise, he was basically X-Man Nate Grey or Jean Grey unleashed, which was basically Marvel shorthand for "plot device powers" since that combo of high level TP and TK could basically do anything with enough BS. Honestly with that look, I'd have made him more of a Green Lantern-style energy construct creator, where you get similar versatility without being as generic.

It was also weird that he was basically this religious nut obsessed with Magneto, when HE was the vastly powerful psionic mutant who was several hundred years old. Why wasn't he the one preaching the One True Way of mutant enlightenment?

Actually, going THAT route might have been interesting. Give Magneto back the whole Brotherhood of Mutants as his "morally grey" faction, and make Exodus leader of the Acolytes who create a lot of problems by basically being religious zealots with their own philosophy about mutants being blessed by God or some such. Give them some of the worst aspects of the Abrahamic religions to let them be stand ins for religious intolerance and radical religious terrorists. Then you have Nightrcawler around as a good counterpoint to show that religion isn't bad in and of itself, it's the people who twist it and use it to justify atrocities who are the bad guys.

[Ares]

The Acolytes also show off something else I got annoyed with when it came to superhero comics: powers that were WAY too complicated. That whole joke about the guy whose atmospheric powers were too complicated to actually show them being used was a prime example.

There's just some point where the powers get weird, especially for mutants whose powers are ostensibly based on science and genetic evolution. I think mutants would probably be the folks whose abilities fall into definite categories with some variation (psionic, energy absorption/generation/manipulation, physical mutation, transformation, teleportation, etc.) with about a 3rd of the mutants having some kind of physical oddity that makes them stand out.

You'd need either Weird Science Experiments or Magic to get people with faery wings that can teleport people, or unique circumstances where the Scarlet Witch's mutant power essentially became a connection to chaos magic.

But the weirder stuff like a mutant who's got a head for a star or is a human shaped amoeba are just too goofy and stupid.

[Ken]

VINDALOO (Venkat Katregadda)

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Amorphous Flammable Gel"
Blast 8 (Extras: Secondary Effect) [24]

-Vindaloo (yes, they named a guy after an Indian pork dish)

Whenever I have vindaloo, I find myself needing to Find-a-loo before I release an amorphous gel. It isn't so flammable, but the methane released with it...