Jab’s Builds! (Beaker! Sam Eagle! Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Aggressors of Dark Kombat! Undergrads! The Acolytes!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And that's all the Acolytes! Well, except Cargill & Magneto. But I figured they were important enough characters, and posted semi-recently, that they deserved to be a bit more focused than "thirty builds in three days" spam-posting.

Next up... Marvel- The Letter "H"! And then we finally get some more DC builds, with the Legion of Super-Heroes!
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

H (Hack to The Hypno-Hustler)

Post by Jabroniville »

H:
Hack (Chimere's Mind-Reader)
Haechi
Hafga of the Coils of Infinity (Tetrarchs of Entropy)
Hag & Troll
Hairbag
Hairball (The Undead MC)
Hala The Accuser
Halflife
Halfnium (Elements of Doom)
Halloween Jack
Hammer & Anvil
Hammer II (Weapon: PRIME)
H.A.M.M.E.R. (S.H.I.E.L.D. Replacement)
Hammer Harrison
Hammerhead I (Triumvirate of Terror)
Hammerhead II (Spider-Man foe)
The Hand
Handsaw (The Power Tools)
The Hangman I (Roland)
The Hangman II (Krueger)
Hank Pym (Giant-Man)
Hank Pym (Yellowjacket I)
Hank Pym (WCA)
Hannibal King
Hans Feldstadt (Hulk Foe)
Hans Klaus (One-Off Howling Commando)
Hans Schulmann (The Head Hunters)
Haokah (Anasazi Thunder God)
The Happy Campers
Happy Hogan
Harald Jaekelsson
Hard Drive
Hardball I (Imperial Guard)
Hardball II (Initiative)
Hardcase & The Harriers
Hardcore
Hardshell (Leila Davis)
Hardtime (Shadowforce)
Harlequin Hit Man (Speedball Foe)
Harness
Harold Meachum
The Harpies (Marvel UK)
Harpoon
Harridan
Harrier I (Haff)
Harry Leland
Harvard-Man
Harvest (The Young Gods)
Harvester
Hassium (Elements of Doom)
The Hate-Monger I (Adolf Hitler)
The Hate-Monger II (Android)
The Hate-Monger III (Animus)
The Hate-Monger IV (National Force)
The Hate-Monger V (Josh Glenn)
Hatch-22
Hathor (Alternate Form of Sekhmet)
Haumea (Polynesian God of Chidbirth)
Hauptmann Englande (Nazi Captain Britain)
Haurvatat (Zoroastrian Water God)
Havanner (The Special Executive)
Haven
Havok
The Hawk God
Hawkshaw
Hawkeye I (Clint Barton)
Hawkeye II (Kate Bishop)
Haywire
Hazard
Hazmat I (Avengers Academy)
Hazmat II (Ubiquitor's Emissaries)
Hazmat (Imperfects)
Hazzerd (Mercenary)
---
The Head Hunters
Headgear
Headhunter
Headlok
The Headmen (Defenders Foes)
Headmistress
Headpool
The Headshop (Leader's Minions)
The Headsman
Headtrip (True Believers)
Healer (Morlocks)
Healer (New Universe)
Heart Attack
Heat-Ray (aka Blockbuster I)
Heather Glenn
Heavy Metal (Animals in Armor)
Heavy Mettle (Blackwing's Group)
Hebe
Hecate
Hecat'e (X.S.E.)
Hector (The Pantheon)
Hedy De Vine (Teen Comedy Book)
Hedy Wolfe
Heimdall
Hela
Helio (Maelstrom's Minions)
The Heliopolitans
Helium (Elements of Doom)
Helix
The Hellbent
Hellcat
Hellcow
Helleyes
Hellfire (The Elementals)
The Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club Mooks
Hellgate's Crew
Hellion
The Hellions I (Emma Frost's)
The Hellions II (Emplate's)
The Hellions III (Bedlam's)
The Hellions IV (Young X-Men)
Hell's Belles
Hellrazor
Hellspawn (DD Magus Clone)
Hemingway
Heml of the Myriad Visages (Tetrarchs)
Henrietta Hunter (X-Statix)
Henry Peter Gyrich
Hephaestus
Hepzibah
Her (Kismet/Ayesha/Paragon)
Hera
The Heralds of Galactus
H.E.R.B.I.E.
Hercules
Los Hermanos De La Luna
Hermes
Hermod
Les Heroes de Paris
Heron (Death's Head II Ally)
Hex (The ClanDestine)
---
The Hidden Man
The High Evolutionary
The High Lords (Externals)
Highlander (The Kinsmen)
Highnote (The Young Gods)
The Hightowers (Gladiators)
The Highwayman I (UK)
The Highwayman II (Archer)
The Hijacker I (Mitchell)
Him (Adam Warlock)
Hindsight Lad
Hip-Hop
The Hippo (Redeemers)
Hippolyta
Hiroim the Shamed
Hiro-Kala
Hiro Takachiho
The Hitmaker
Hitman I (Kenyon)
Hitman II (Pierce)
Hit-Monkey
The Hive (Inhuman)
---
Hob (Marvel UK Helper Bot)
Hobgoblin I/Shapeshifter
The Hobgoblin II (Kingsley)
The Hobgoblin III (Arnold "Lefty" Donovan)
The Hobgoblin IV (Ned Leeds)
The Hobgoblin V (Macendale)
The Hobgoblin VI (Unknown One-Off)
The Hobgoblin VII (Daniel Kingsley)
The Hobgoblin VIII (Phil Urich)
The Hobgoblin IX (Claude, One-Off)
Hoder
Hodiak (Inuit Skyfather)
Hoggoth the Hoary
Hogun the Grim
Hollow II (Penance)
Hollow II (NuHuman- Lash's Crew)
Hollowpoint Ninja (Livewires)
Holly-Ann Ember
Holmium (Elements of Doom)
Hollywood
Holocaust
H.O.M.E.R. (Stark A.I.)
Honcho (Team America)
Honest John (S-Men)
Honey Badger (Gabrielle Kinney)
Honey Lemon
The Hood
Hoodwink (Sister Dream)
Hook (The Hellbent)
Hope (Liberteens)
Hope Summers
The Horde (Strikeforce: Morituri Foes)
Horde I (Space Villain)
Horde II (Gestalt)
Horizon (Undergrounders)
The Hornet I (Scotty)
Hornet II (Eddie)
Horns (Gladiators)
Horus
Hotamintanio (Anasazi Warrior God)
Hotei (Shinto God of Happiness)
Hotshot
Howard Stark
Howard the Duck
Howitzer
The Howling Commandos
---
Hub (Chimere's Teleporter)
Huitzilopochtli (Aztec Sun God)
Hulk (Puny Banner)
Hulk (1960s)
Hulk (Grey)
Hulk (Savage)
Hulk (Professor)
Hulk (Green Scar)
Hulk (Guilt & Devil)
Hulk 2099
Hulk Foes (One-Offs)
The Hulkbusters
Hulkling
The Human Cannonball (Circus of Crime)
The Human Cobra (King Cobra I)
The Human Fly I (The Fly)
The Human Fly II (Stuntman)
The Human Meteor (Golden Ager)
The Human Robot
The Human Top I (Bravelle)
The Human Top II (Mitchell)
The Human Top III (Golden Ager)
The Human Torch I (Jim Hammond)
The Human Torch II (Johnny Storm)
Humanity's Last Stand (MLF II)
Humbug
Hummingbird
Hump (Morlocks)
Humus Sapien
Hungyr
Huntara
Huntress (Mockingbird)
Huntarr
The Hunter in Darkness
The Huntsman
Hurricane I (Potter)
Hurricane III (Dark Rider)
Hurricane I (Cowboy)
Husk
Hussar
---
Hybrid I (Marks)
Hybrid
The Hydra
HYDRA
Hydrogen (Elements of Doom)
Hydro-Man
Hydron I (The Elementals)
Hydron II (Salem's Seven)
The H'ylthri (race)
Hyperion I (Milton)
Hyperion II (Evil)
Hyperion III
Hyperion (King Hyperion)
Hyperstorm
The Hypno-Hustler



Old Builds (with some New Commentary):
Huntara
Hellcat
Humbug
Howard the Duck
Humus Sapien
Harness
The Hood
Havok
Hellcow

New Builds:
Huntarr
Heat-Ray
Hurricane II
The Hidden Man
Helix
Haven
Hitmaker
Hardcase & The Harriers
Harrier
Horde
Hellbent
Hellrazor
Hybrid (Marks)
H'ylthri

Marvel- The Letter "H":
-"H" is a bit of an annoying letter in English, because it changes the pronunciation of letters place in front of it, except when it doesn't. It makes the "sh" and "ch" sounds, among others ("gh" and "ph" both make an "f" sound for some reason), but is very often also completely silent. And sometimes THAT's not even consistent, as some people will pronounce the "h" in "herb". Most Romance Languages lost the sound completely, but Spanish picked up the sound with the letter "J" of all things. The letter is pronounced "aitch" pretty much everywhere, but apparently "haitch" is picking up steam in England (who are THEY to change the language?). An "H" that starts a word might be dropped over much of England's regional dialects, too. And you can leave it off if you're saying something like "an historian", because why not add MORE rules?

-Marvel doesn't have so many "H" names, but some of the ones they do are real doozies- quite a few big names throughout. The HULK, first of all, is one of their top-tier characters (though his solo movies just never seem to work). There's also Hank Pym, which is the accepted name for a hero with many identities these days. And Hercules- Lion of Olympus and character who gets a push here and there (a great solo run once, and a run on the Avengers currently). The Human Torch, Golden and Silver Age, is a big name, too. Many Hobgoblins, too, as well as The Hood, Hyperion, Hydro-Man, Hope Summers and the infamous Howard the Duck. Hera of the Olympians and Hela of the Asgardians are powerful beings, with the latter being a villainess with an increasingly-big name (mmm... movie Cate Blanchett...). There's also Heimdall and Hellcat, and the High Evolutionary. After that, it's mostly losers- a lot of guys named "Hammer"-something, a lot of "Hard" names (Hard Drive, Hardcore, Hardcase, Hardball I & II)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Jan 01, 2024 7:29 pm, edited 33 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Howard the Duck

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Amazingly, this was all conceived without the help of psychedelics. “He was one of those guys who was militant about not altering his consciousness,” said Steve Englehart. “Gerber’s weirdness came directly from his id.” In his early twenties, in St. Louis, Gerber had been on the sidelines of hippie culture, an observer. “I was always too academic, too conscientiously critical, to throw myself into it totally. There seemed to be a certain shallowness of philosophy, somehow, and beyond that, even, there was a lot of violence associated with that culture.” This outsider perspective meant that no ideology, left, right, or center, was safe. The Foolkiller, religious-nut vigilante with a “ray of purity” gun; Holden Crane, an obnoxious, rhetoric-spewing student radical; and F. A. Schist, a money-grubbing industrialist — they each met an early doom at Gerber’s hands. Where McGregor’s writing was passionately serious, Gerber was a born satirist, almost helplessly lampooning every segment of the population. Filling in on an issue of Captain America, he created the Viper, a bad guy whose day job in advertising had left him bitter. “For years,” shouted the Viper, “I labored in anonymity, selling other men’s products, making other men’s fortunes — laying waste to the values and environment of a nation from the privacy of my office … now I’ve left that grey flannel world behind!” After all the relentlessly earnest civic lectures of the past few years, readers encountering Gerber’s weird societal critiques were inclined to do a double take — was this for real?
-Marvel: The Untold Story, regarding Steve Gerber


HOWARD THE DUCK
Created By:
Steve Gerber & Val Mayerik
First Appearance: Adventure into Fear #19 (Oct. 1973)
Role: Cynical Cartoon Character
PL 5 (66)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6)
Expertise (High Cultured Reading) 5 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 1 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed)

Powers:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Beverly Switzler)- Bev is Howard's closest compaion- a sexy human on-and-off girlfriend.
Motivation (Living a Normal Life)- Howard is irritable and cynical, and wants no part of the life of a superhero or adventurer. However, he is "trapped in a world he never made", and adventure just seems to FIND him.
Prejudice ("You're- you're a DUCK!")- People treat Howard differently because he is a talking, anthropomorphic duck.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (66)

Howard the Duck- Mainstream Sensation:
-It's hard for someone like me, born in 1981, to understand how BIG Howard the Duck got in the 1970s, and very quickly. But let's face it- how many freaking Marvel Comics characters appeared in their own FEATURE FILMS until that became the movie craze du jour of the 2000s and current decade? Howard was a HUGE fad, created by Steve Gerber, one of the token "Weird New Writers" of Marvel's Auteur Period, alongside Jim Starlin & Steve Englehart- Gerber was the NON-drug user of the crew, yet came up with some of the weirdest ideas. Howard was a cigar-smoking, snide anthropomorphic duck, and his irritable, sarcastic manner contrasted with this Disney-esque appearance (before that itself became a cliche)- it was something completely new, and instantly made him a ton of fans. Gerber had Howard run for President (he got thousands of write-in votes in real life), spun the character off into his own book (he'd appeared in some Man-Thing-based books) and even a newspaper strip (1977-78). Howard was so big they even announced a MOVIE, and Disney's lawyers even forced Marvel to change his design! In short, Howard was mainstream, and he was huge.

Gerber Flakes Out; Marvel Screws Up:
-Gerber, being the creator and singular voice, got a lot of creative control, but clashed with Marvel over just HOW much (he was writing issues featuring nothing but rants about his difficulties as a writer, and like a lot of the Auteurs, was chronically late and confrontational with any attempts at controlling his stuff), and soon we had the first big "Creator's Rights" case in comic history. The industry split down the middle- publishers on one end, and creators on the other, and Gerber quit Marvel and sued them. As a result, creators everywhere started arguing for rights (which Marvel & DC invariably win, having more money at their disposal- Copywrite Law usually sides with the richer competitor in my experience, at least in the comic book world), which sent shockwaves through the industry. This is the reason why creators started hording their own creations and only using older characters in Marvel & DC books- if they weren't getting any money for handing Marvel money-making ideas, then why bother? This also basically led to the creation of Image Comics years later. If ya ever wondered why the most popular characters in comics all seemed to debut before the early 1980s, that's a big part of why.

-Howard the Duck soon faltered badly as a series, with the non-Gerber issues selling more and more poorly before a cancellation in the early 1980s. Bill Mantlo wrote a bunch of them, and Gerber HATED them- considering Howard his most-beloved creation and Magnum Opus (along with Omega the Unknown, which was similarly screwed and ruined by Marvel), he railed against Marvel publicly, releasing a scathing comic book called Destroyer Duck, with him & Jack Kirby satirizing Marvel using and murdering his character. In it, Destroyer Duck's best friend is teleported away, where a godless corporation ruins and abuses him, dumping his dying body off at Destroyer's feet, leaving him seeking vengeance. So you see, a very subtle dig.

The Fad Dies:
-It didn't help that the feature film (released eight years after Gerber left Howard- in 1986) became a notorious bomb of epic proportions (making back only a third of its budget), probably ruining several careers- as a kid I wanted to see it because I knew he was a Marvel character, but my parents (probably recalling a scene with puppet duck boobs) refused. Gerber actually returned to Marvel afterwards (probably money-based, after their non-public settlement), writing some Howard stories, but a few ended up never-published because Jim Shooter considered it an insult to Mantlo (whose work was satirized), but it's just as likely that Shooter took issue with the insults to his own character and abilities as a writer in those books, and put the kibosh on them.

-Finally, Gerber took his character to Image Comics sneakily, announcing that the Howard in a Marvel book was an "empty shell" and clone of the real Howard, who dyed himself green and changed his name as he went into Witness Protection in a Savage Dragon issue (thus fitting through legal lines). In 2001, Gerber wrote a Marvel MAX version of Howard (most of the people who'd pissed him off had long-since left the company), but I've never heard of it. Though in actuality, despite his relative amount of fame, I have NEVER, in my ENTIRE LIFE, read an issue of any book featuring Howard the Duck. Which is crazy, but when you think about it, he was a bit of a headache, and only Gerber ever really seemed to have the character's voice. Personally... I can see both sides in this. The Auteur-writers of the '80s actually seem pretty hard to get along with by all accounts, and their weirdness led most of them to various states of poverty when they should have really tried to play ball with the big boys. ah, Artistic Integrity... how you hamper careers.

Howard's Actual Biography:
-Howard's one of those characters whose real-life backstory is way more twisty and turny than his in-story one. He was a duck-like alien abducted from his home planet by Thog the Nether-Spawn and dumped in the Florida Everglades, joining the supporting cast of the Man-Thing. He makes friends with an artists' model named Beverly Switzler and engages in a series of bizarre adventures, involving stuff like the vampiric Hellcow, the Band of the Bland (a series of the goofiest Morts in comics), Doctor Bong, and more. Dr. Bong marries Beverly against her will, which was "fixed" by Bill Mantlo, returning the book to its old status quo. The book was eventually cancelled, leading to Howard merely making cameos in other books for the most part- stuff like meeting Ben Reilly as Spider-Man, or appearing in Generation-X. A large gap in stories would eventually lead to him becoming a private eye for She-Hulk's law firm. His relationship with Beverly is pretty on/off, with many writers just ignoring her entirely.

-Humor writer Chip Zdarsky was given the reins to a new Howard the Duck comic in 2014, owing to his appearance in the Guardians of the Galaxy film's Post-Credits scene. This vaguely turned the character into a "thing" again, but he still has nowhere near mainstream recognition.

Howard's Stats:
-Having never read Howard, I can glean that he's a bit of a "normal guy in an unreal situation", but eventually learned enough Quack-Fu (really) in his books to defend himself adequately against larger opponents.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Ares
Site Admin
Posts: 4963
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:40 am

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by Ares »

I want to say there is some kind of incentives program for creators at Marvel and DC, where they get paid some kind of commission every time a character they created is used. It's just that it's a small fee compared to wholly owning your character and getting all of the funds from their use.

But yeah, it's hard to feel sorry for Gerber when, by all accounts, he was chronically late, difficult to work with, hated any kind of editorial interference, and knew going in that when you worked for Marvel and DC, and characters you created where owned by the company unless specified otherwise in a legally binding document. I understand him being upset with the interference from Disney, and I'm sorry his legal battle with Marvel was a financial burden for him, but in the latter at least was something he did to himself.
"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)

Want to support me and Echoes of the Multiverse? Follow this link to subscribe or donate.
User avatar
HalloweenJack
Posts: 1270
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 8:50 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by HalloweenJack »

......

............


........................


I LIKE THE MOVIE! There....I said it.
User avatar
Jack of Spades
Posts: 370
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:20 pm
Location: Top of the deck
Contact:

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by Jack of Spades »

Damn it, now I have the closing song from the Howard the Duck movie stuck in my head.
I have no license. My name is not Jack.
Jack's Deck build threadFantasy Geographic Society campaign web site
User avatar
Davies
Posts: 5080
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by Davies »

HalloweenJack wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:13 pm ......

............


........................


I LIKE THE MOVIE! There....I said it.
Comrade! Brother!

(The novelization of the movie is pretty awesome, too.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
User avatar
Ares
Site Admin
Posts: 4963
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:40 am

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by Ares »

HalloweenJack wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:13 pm ......

............


........................


I LIKE THE MOVIE! There....I said it.
Jab's going to think you're intentionally trolling him if you keep this up. :D
"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)

Want to support me and Echoes of the Multiverse? Follow this link to subscribe or donate.
User avatar
HalloweenJack
Posts: 1270
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 8:50 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by HalloweenJack »

Ares wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:50 pm
HalloweenJack wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:13 pm ......

............


........................


I LIKE THE MOVIE! There....I said it.
Jab's going to think you're intentionally trolling him if you keep this up. :D

who says I'm not? ;)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Hellcow

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

HELLCOW (Bessie, aka Bovine, Blood-Beast, Cowled Cow, Farm Killer, Recreant Ruminant)
Created By:
Steve Gerber & Frank Brunner
First Appearance: Giant-Size Man-Thing #5 (1975)
Role: Joke Character
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (101)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+6 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fearless, Improved Critical (Horns), Improved Initiative, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent)

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]

"Super-Strong Vampire"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]
Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Not versus Wood, Fire, Silver or Holy Weapons) [5]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) (Flaws: Source- Blood) [6]
Immortality 4 (Flaws: Not if Staked, Beheaded or Dealt With in Mystical Ways) [4]
Senses (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]

"Mist Form" Insubstantial 1 Linked to Concealment (Visuals) 2 [9]
"The Vampire's Bite" Strength-Damage +0 Linked to Weaken Stamina 6 (Flaws: Grab-Based, Limited to 1 Rank Per Minute) Linked to Affliction 8 (Fort; Entranced/Compelled/Transformed to Vampire) (Extras: Cumulative) (Flaws: Grab-Based) [10]

"Flying Cape" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [3]
Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) (5 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Horns +6 (+8 Damage, DC 24)
Vampire's Bite +6 (+8 Damage, +6 Weaken & +8 Affliction, DC 24, 16 & 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Bulls cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Garlic, Sunlight)- Both are anathema to vampires, and will cause horrible pain. Direct sunlight will kill a vampire of any power level.
Weakness (Holy Symbols)- Witnessing or touching a Holy Symbol is painful to vampires, but only if the wearer belives. Wolverine wielding a cross caused Dracula no pain, but Nightcrawler definitely did. Kitty Pryde's Star of David also burned his had when he grabbed her.
Weakness (Lack of Blood, Home Soil)- Though Immune to Fortitude Effects, Hellcow can effectively starve to death if deprived of blood- she is even addicted to the substance. Hellcow must also presumably spend some amount of time in contact with her native soil.
Quirk (No Reflection)- Vampires do not cast reflections in any mirrored surface.

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 86 / Defenses: 7 (101)

-Hellcow is the creation of the sick mind of Steve Gerber, who wanted to write about what he thought would happen if Dracula bit a COW instead of a normal human being. A bit more beef than I want in my Giant-Size Man-Thing, Hellcow was slain by Howard the Duck, until (naturally) Deadpool revived her. An insane scientist, Dr. Kilgore, had brought her back in order to collect her "vampire milk", which he thinks will cure his tuberculosis. Hellcow & Deadpool (who'd also been railroaded into helping the doctor) join forces and kill the Doctor. Hellcow is unfortunately disintegrated by sunlight as soon as they travel outside, but Deadpool manages to go back to the previous comic book panel and "revive" her.

-Hellcow is mightier and faster than the average Bovine, and packs a few Vampiric powers on top of the standard "Bull" Template, but isn't enough of a threat that Howard the Duck cannot defeat her.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares had this to say a while back, when I statted Hellcow:
Steve Gerber is a f***ed up man.

Which tells me that Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas are even MORE f***ed up. When Gerber was invited back to Marvel to do a MAX line book about Howard the Duck, Joe Quesada demanded that Gerber write a story to essentially audition for the right to write Howard. You know, the guy Gerber created and who had written for most of Howard's existence.

Well, to say Gerber does not respond to that kind of thing well is like saying the Sun is warm. To him, this was a slap in the face, and he decided he had only one appropriate response, one that he was certain would stop the project from ever happening, but he just didn't care. So Gerber wrote what he described as "The most offensive thing I have ever written. Something so wrong on every conceivable level that no one could possibly publish it".

Joe and Bill read it, and said, "We love it! When can we make this book?"

Gerber claims it was one of the only times in his entire life that he was actually stunned into silence.
A retrospective on Steve Gerber & Howard: http://rsmwriter.blogspot.ca/2016/04/al ... arvel.html
User avatar
kreuzritter
Posts: 203
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:37 am

Re: Jab's Builds! (Undergrads! The Acolytes! Howard the Duck!)

Post by kreuzritter »

Davies wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:45 pm Comrade! Brother!

(The novelization of the movie is pretty awesome, too.)
Case in point, the first few pages quickly becomes an argument/debate between the book's narrator and the movie's narrator, which quickly drags howard himself into the discussion while en route to earth
Hoid
Posts: 3556
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 7:52 pm
Location: The Forever Tree

Re: Hellcow

Post by Hoid »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:23 pm ImageImage

HELLCOW (Bessie, aka Bovine, Blood-Beast, Cowled Cow, Farm Killer, Recreant Ruminant)
Created By:
Steve Gerber & Frank Brunner
First Appearance: Giant-Size Man-Thing #5 (1975)
Role: Joke Character
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (101)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+6 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fearless, Improved Critical (Horns), Improved Initiative, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent)

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]

"Super-Strong Vampire"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]
Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Not versus Wood, Fire, Silver or Holy Weapons) [5]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) (Flaws: Source- Blood) [6]
Immortality 4 (Flaws: Not if Staked, Beheaded or Dealt With in Mystical Ways) [4]
Senses (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]

"Mist Form" Insubstantial 1 Linked to Concealment (Visuals) 2 [9]
"The Vampire's Bite" Strength-Damage +0 Linked to Weaken Stamina 6 (Flaws: Grab-Based, Limited to 1 Rank Per Minute) Linked to Affliction 8 (Fort; Entranced/Compelled/Transformed to Vampire) (Extras: Cumulative) (Flaws: Grab-Based) [10]

"Flying Cape" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [3]
Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) (5 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Horns +6 (+8 Damage, DC 24)
Vampire's Bite +6 (+8 Damage, +6 Weaken & +8 Affliction, DC 24, 16 & 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Bulls cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Garlic, Sunlight)- Both are anathema to vampires, and will cause horrible pain. Direct sunlight will kill a vampire of any power level.
Weakness (Holy Symbols)- Witnessing or touching a Holy Symbol is painful to vampires, but only if the wearer belives. Wolverine wielding a cross caused Dracula no pain, but Nightcrawler definitely did. Kitty Pryde's Star of David also burned his had when he grabbed her.
Weakness (Lack of Blood, Home Soil)- Though Immune to Fortitude Effects, Hellcow can effectively starve to death if deprived of blood- she is even addicted to the substance. Hellcow must also presumably spend some amount of time in contact with her native soil.
Quirk (No Reflection)- Vampires do not cast reflections in any mirrored surface.

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 86 / Defenses: 7 (101)

-Hellcow is the creation of the sick mind of Steve Gerber, who wanted to write about what he thought would happen if Dracula bit a COW instead of a normal human being. A bit more beef than I want in my Giant-Size Man-Thing, Hellcow was slain by Howard the Duck, until (naturally) Deadpool revived her. An insane scientist, Dr. Kilgore, had brought her back in order to collect her "vampire milk", which he thinks will cure his tuberculosis. Hellcow & Deadpool (who'd also been railroaded into helping the doctor) join forces and kill the Doctor. Hellcow is unfortunately disintegrated by sunlight as soon as they travel outside, but Deadpool manages to go back to the previous comic book panel and "revive" her.

-Hellcow is mightier and faster than the average Bovine, and packs a few Vampiric powers on top of the standard "Bull" Template, but isn't enough of a threat that Howard the Duck cannot defeat her.
I actually have the issue Hellcow first appeared in! It is virtually a crime that it took a team-up with Deadpool to bring her back into the spotlight...

...along with a certain team of goofy cybernetic animal superheroes I was totally not obsessed with, as a kid.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Hitmaker

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

THE HITMAKER (Orlando Sinclair)
Created By:
Gerard Jones & Gordan Purcell
First Appearance: Wonder Man Annual #2 (1993)
Role: One-Shot Villain
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (55)
STRENGTH
-2/8 STAMINA 3 AGILITY -5/3
FIGHTING 0/5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills: 
Expertise (Streetwise) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Acting) 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Exoskeleton" (Flaws: Removable) [39]
Enhanced Strength 10 (20)
Enhanced Agility 8 (16)
Enhanced Fighting 5 (10)
Protection 2 (2)
-- (48 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Exoskeleton +5 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative -5 (+3 Exoskeleton)

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3 (+5 Exoskeleton), Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Finding Acting Success)
Responsibility (Doing the Bidding of His Brother)- Orlando is working for his brother's gang, in payment for the exoskeleton that allows him to walk.
Relationship (Brother)- Orlando is loyal enough that, despite thinking his brother deserves prison, he allowed him to escape justice at the hands of Wonder Man.
Disabled (Crippled)- Orlando cannot walk without the use of his exoskeleton.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 4 (55)

-This ludicrous doofus (check the "H" and "M" shoulder pads) debuted along with dozens of others in the 1993 Marvel Annuals, and his backstory matches his costume. He's a failed actor whose career may have been hampered by his multiracial background, much like Vin Diesel's was before his big break. He was crippled in a gang hit gone wrong- he had carefully avoided the gang life, but was mistaken for his gangster brother. He was then empowered with a special armored exoskeleton by his brother's gang- this allowed him to get hired on by a studio, but the gang demanded he pay them back, so he had to work for them. Discovering that the studio's association with Wonder Man had been causing them problems, he decided to just beat up Wonder Man and be done with it. After a few cheap shots, and being easily defeated and escaping each time, he saw Wonder Man & The Beast lured to the gang's hideout (in payment for the exoskeleton, he was working for them)- he helped his brother escape, blaming brotherly loyalty. He has never been seen again.

-His Marvunapp bio's writer suggests that this story was originally supposed to be about the Wonder Man villain "Splice", but had to be edited since the 1993 Annuals were all supposed to be debuting new characters. Which might explain how half-assed the costume is... though I'm as likely to blame the obvious "Annual problem" at Marvel, where the weak or try-out artists end up getting used for these throwaway projects.

-Hitmaker is an idiotic character who has little real effect beyond cheap-shotting Wonder Man a few times, and he ends up super-cheap on points because of it.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:54 am, edited 4 times in total.
scc
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 11:13 pm

Re: Unuscione

Post by scc »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:22 pm ImageImageImage

It's weird that I find the genocidal maniac hot, right?
I feel the same way. Plus I liked her powers. One of the cooler Acolytes....if you can use those two words in a sentence. ;)
Post Reply