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! (Mr. Majestic! T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash!

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 7:28 am Backlash was a character I actually liked quite a bit. I don't think it's fair to compare his design to Deadpool, unless you say it's some weird hybrid of Deadpool and Symbiote Spider-Man. The single stripe along one eye is actually kind of striking, it was apparently supposed to reference the Image "I" logo. The white hair with the white and black outfit actually worked, and I think the worse thing you could say is that the outfit is very generic and "early Image" with the useless stripes, bandoliers and such. I think it'd be possible to keep the military look while making it look more appropriately superheroic, but it'd take a little effort.
To me, it's the fact that his mask is nearly identical to Pike's, in that it has the "plain mask with an eye stripe" thing, only the stripe is over ONE eye instead of two, and it shows his hair. It's all very similar to Deadpool's visual aesthetic (which, at the point, was the primary thing people found awesome about Deadpool).
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Taboo

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image
Image

TABOO (Amanda Reed)
Created By:
Jim Lee & Brett Booth
First Appearance: Backlash #1 (Nov. 1994)
Role: Hooker Anti-Hero
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: Mantis (this one is ALSO a hooker with super-powers), Venom (attached to a symbiote), Morbius (vampire)
'90s Ratio: 10/10 (A LITERAL GODDAMN HOOKER-TURNED-SUPERHERO! Also a vampire with a symbiote)
Group Affiliations: WildCore
PL 8 (98)
STRENGTH
1/6 STAMINA 2/7 AGILITY 2/4
FIGHTING 5/9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 2 (+9)
Expertise (Prostitute) 6 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Move-By Action, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Bonded to Vampire-Based Symbiote"
Enhanced Strength 4 [10]
Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]
Regeneration 6 (Flaws: Source- Damage on Others With Claws) [3]

"Hypnosis" Mind Control 5 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (15) -- [16]
  • AE: "Claws" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 4) (6)
Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Symbiote-Boosted Strength +9 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Claws +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2 (+7 Symbiote), Fortitude +2 (+7 Symbiote), Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Backlash I)- Taboo and Backlash are in love, but appear to have a messed-up relationship (he cheated on his girlfriend with her).
Involuntary Transformation (Bloodlust)- Taboo can be overcome with bloodlust when her enemies bleed- she can be possessed with the desire to drain them.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 7 (98)

-Well, I mean, points for truth in advertising- while most Image Comics heroines merely DRESSED like hookers, Taboo actually WAS one. With a dead mother and a substance abuser father, Amanda Reed didn't have much of a chance growing up, and ended up selling her body on the streets. She ended up recruited by the Daemonites (of WildC.A.T.s fame) and their "Cabal", who bonded a metal symbiote to her, which also turned her into a VAMPIRE. Jesus, this is like some kind of super-90s hurricane. Combat would soon leave her falling to bloodlust, and she was framed by her old bosses when she wanted to leave the Cabal- Backlash freed her from prison after five years of captivity, and she used her knowledge of the organization to help Backlash fight them. The two ended up in bed together, which left Backlash feeling guilty (he had a girlfriend at the time; the two had in fact worked together to SAVE her), but they ended up growing closer, especially when Backlash's girl dumped him for cheating.

-Taboo would learn the origins of her symbiote- Helspont had tried to cure people of vampirism in return for bodies to possess, but he failed and instead used the vampires' bodies to make symbiotes. Taboo later befriended Backlash's daughter Jodi, joined WildCore with Backlash, then got a power-upgrade when the vampire used to create her symbiote was reformed by combining her suit with another's, but chose to empower Taboo instead, so that she could fight an enemy of his. WildCore was wiped out during a prison riot, but Taboo & Backlash managed to survive- she hasn't been seen in years, however.

-Taboo, all in all, seems like she'd actually not be a bad character if she wasn't so damn cliched. Having constant bloodlust, a hooker backstory, a symbiote AND one of those super-90s names was just too much to overcome, and makes both her and the Backlash title seem even sillier.

-Taboo can fly, hypnotise others and use claws, generally being a variant of the Vampire concept- apparently combining two symbiotes together empowered her even further, but this is a PL 8 variant- a solid sidekick to the PL 9 Backlash. I added an additional power that lets her regenerate health when she slashes people with her claws.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:27 am, edited 3 times in total.
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash! Jet! Taboo!)

Post by Ian Turner »

Despite loving the character, I had no idea she was a hooker. I missed her introduction, and I guess it didn't come up much after that (or I'm just great at compartmentalizing problematic content)...

Taboo's one of the rare builds that might make sense to have the amazing Vampiric extra added to her Strike, since the armor seemed to heal her wounds and to feed off of the blood she spilled in combat. (Yuk!)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash! Jet! Taboo!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ian Turner wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 11:46 pm Despite loving the character, I had no idea she was a hooker. I missed her introduction, and I guess it didn't come up much after that (or I'm just great at compartmentalizing problematic content)...

Taboo's one of the rare builds that might make sense to have the amazing Vampiric extra added to her Strike, since the armor seemed to heal her wounds and to feed off of the blood she spilled in combat. (Yuk!)
huh, I didn't know she could do that. I don't think I've seen an extra named "Vampiric" but that'd definitely a Source-flawed Regeneration power. I'll add that in.

I think I recall an image of Taboo way back when, now that I think about it. My friend Jordan was OBSESSED with the name Backlash because of a sexy cover of some chick in a thong, and I realize now that was probably Taboo in Backlash the comic. When I created a girlfriend for his OC in our mutaul superhero team, he wanted her to be named "Backlash" SUPER-BADLY.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Wildcore

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

WILDCORE:
-Wildcore is like if WildC.A.T.s took out all the complexity and nuance, and had an even dumber name. The group was formed out of side-WildStorm characters such as WildC.A.T.s's Zealot, the solo character Backlash, and his girlfriend Taboo. Then they added in some absolute nobodies and called it a day. The team was the brainchild of Sean Ruffner & Brett Booth, who were both working on Backlash at the time. Booth was always someone whose art I disliked- he took all of the "Jim Lee Wannabe" tropes and for some reason looked as if he'd changed the resolution of his drawings to reduce the pixels on the horizontal axis, "squishing" the characters into these odd, elongated stick-people.

-Wildcore started when Backlash, working for the government group Department PSI, picked up a bunch of superhuman coworkers. Their mission was to fight the alien D'rahn, who were ancient enemies of both the Kherubim & Daemonites, and declare war on both- Backlash, a Half-Kherubim, is naturally a target. The group hires Zealot, a full Kherubim, to help out, against Backlash's wishes (the two of them frequently argue over leadership). The D'rahn have the power of "Enlightenment", which can transform people into a more powerful version- they power-up some Daemonites to fight Wildcore. Styrran is killed and Zealot quits shortly afterwards, but they add Geist & Alea to the team... only to have the team try to quell a super-prison riot in Antarctica, get separated from each other, and mostly slaughtered- Azrum, Geist and Alea are definitely killed, and we never see Brawn or Vigor again either. Like, they wiped out everyone they weren't gonna use anymore, like when Larry Hama was allowed to kill off characters in G.I. Joe and what happened to the Mighty Mutanimals! DARK!

-The book only lasted about a year- starting in Nov. 1997 and lasting until Dec. 1998- the series was cancelled and the story was followed up in another one-off book, Gen-Active.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:30 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! (T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash! Jet! Taboo!)

Post by Ares »

Yeah, Wildcore felt like in some ways they wanted to have something akin to a more traditional superhero team . . . but it was filled with the most generic, do nothing characters apart from Backlash, Zealot, Taboo and Majestic. I mean, if they hadn't fundamentally changed WildCATs, there was nothing Wildcore was doing that WildCATs couldn't have done.

I mean, a genuine superhero team existing alongside all of the military ones and the Authority could have worked. Though honestly, they should have just had Backlash re-start Stormwatch, get some of the other surviving members of that book, some new members and have it be under his leadership.
"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.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Ferrian

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

FERRIAN
Created By:
Sean Ruffner & Brett Booth
First Appearance: Wildcore #1 (Nov. 1997)
Role: Anti-Hero
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: None
'90s Ratio: 5/10 (Visor! Pointless bandolier!)
Group Affiliations: WildCore
PL 8 (112)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+10)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+10)
Expertise (History) 8 (+12)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+9)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Equipment (Energy Sword +1- Split), Jack-Of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Kherubim Physiology"
Immunity 4 (Aging, Disease, Poison, Radiation) [4]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Psychometry" Senses 4 (Postcognition) (Flaws: Limited to History of Objects) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Energy Sword +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Being Extreme and Looking Cool)

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 11 (118)

-Ferrian was a Kherubim who was Marc "Backlash" Slayton's guardian during his youth. Highly intelligent, he was the strategist for Wildcore, and was a "capable warrior" with psychometric powers.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Davies
Posts: 5080
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: Jab’s Builds! (T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash! Jet! Taboo!)

Post by Davies »

In his youth.

Which was thousands of years ago.

... <deeeeeeeep sigh; shakes head>
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash! Jet! Taboo!)

Post by Jabroniville »

LOL, looking at my "To-Watch List", which is only BARELY less imposing than even 3-4 years ago...

So tonight, I FINALLY got around to watching the Season 2 Finale of Duck Tales, which aired in friggin' October 2019. Why the delay? Well, while entertaining at points, this show never quite "grabbed me" save for all of the references to other Disney stuff (the Stand Out scene was amazing). Certain aspects of the characters was done very well, but then they'll speed through stuff like Della meeting her children for the first time (even making a joke about her botching the meeting) or Della & Donald finding each other after ten years. Plus there's a lot of episodes that would qualify as "Filler".

So when Tangled: The Series finalized its run at the same time as Elena of Avalor was kind of winding down with bigger stories, I watched those two shows instead, then watched more of my Sailor Moon DVDs, hoping to hit the end of that show as well.

In any case, watching this one finally took my DVR, previously at a consistent 19-22% for the past year or so, down to 18%. Truly glorious! Primarily, it did so because I had two "recordings" of it on the DVR, for fear that one might be incomplete. Turns out this weird quirk of mine is beneficial, as the first recording cut off most of the epilogue (a teaser for Season Three). So I watched this one, then finished it off with the other recording, then was able to take out what was at least two recordings of the second half of this episode, wiping out three hours of shows now that I'm FINALLY done.

So now, of course, the rest of my list:
* 17 episodes left of Sailor Moon!
* Assorted PBS stuff. Two episodes of Royal Secrets by that British MILF with the lisp! Independent Lens! A Best of Celtic Woman special (SHUT UP THEY'RE PRETTY!)!
* Three new Elena episodes (they release about one new episode a month- a truly bizarre release process)
* Duck Tales- seven episodes of Seasons 3.
* 26 frickin' episodes of The Zoo, about the day-to-day operations of the Bronx & San Diego Zoos (a show that's fine, but more "background noise" as it's rarely dramatic or that interesting, so I watch it only rarely).

And then, of course, OTHER DVDs I have! I've still yet to watch the first couple seasons of Once Upon A Time (back when it was supposed to be at its best, according to the fans), plus a few sets of Maison Ikkoku (one of my favorite animes).

This all, of course, assuming that I don't end up buying MORE stuff as time goes on! Never mind that I tend to pause shows while doing builds, meaning it takes me an hour to watch a half-hour of regular TV.

This concludes another episode of "Jab watches way too much shit" :).
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Wildcore

Post by Ian Turner »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 1:57 am Booth was always someone whose art I disliked- he took all of the "Jim Lee Wannabe" tropes and for some reason looked as if he'd changed the resolution of his drawings to reduce the pixels on the horizontal axis, "squishing" the characters into these odd, elongated stick-people.
He *loves* drawing dinosaurs and animal people, so when he started drawing for DC's Teen Titans during the Nu52 nonsense, I told my roommate, ooh, there'll be dinosaurs or animal people soon! And three issues later, the Titans end up on an island with some dinosaurs, for literally no reason at all. It was great. :)

And yeah, like 80% of Wildcore were nobodies. Vigor, Styrian, Ferrian, just, blah. Any of them perhaps could have been developed into something interesting (*), but... this was not that book.

(*Well, not Ferrian. Too much hype at the start, no way to live up to that nonsense.)
User avatar
KorokoMystia
Posts: 1402
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:42 pm

Re: Ferrian

Post by KorokoMystia »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 5:28 am Image
Image

FERRIAN
Created By:
Sean Ruffner & Brett Booth
First Appearance: Wildcore #1 (Nov. 1997)
Role: Anti-Hero
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: None
'90s Ratio: 5/10 (Visor! Pointless bandolier!)
Group Affiliations: WildCore
PL 8 (112)


I’m amused that he’s got a double bladed Energy Seord two years before Phantom Menace released.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Vigor

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

VIGOR (Richard Vincent)
Created By:
Sean Ruffner & Brett Booth
First Appearance: Wildcore #1 (Nov. 1997)
Role: Anti-Hero
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: Adam Warlock (the "Forehead Gem" look)
'90s Ratio: 7/10 (Hair-Showing Mask! Curly hair! Pointless straps and bandoliers around random parts of his anatomy!)
Group Affiliations: WildCore
PL 7 (87)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Government Agent) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Archaeologist) 8 (+10)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Power Attack

Powers:
"Forehead Gem" Energy Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate) [17]
"Limitless Stamina" Immunity 5 (Fatigue Effects) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Forehead Blast +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Motivation (Being Extreme and Looking Cool)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 9 (87)

-An archaeologist who was a friend of Ferrian's- Vigor had limitless stamina and shot energy from a Forehead Gem.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Ares
Site Admin
Posts: 4963
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:40 am

Re: Vigor

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 5:32 pm Image

VIGOR (Richard Vincent)
Created By:
Sean Ruffner & Brett Booth
First Appearance: Wildcore #1 (Nov. 1997)
Role: Anti-Hero
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: Adam Warlock (the "Forehead Gem" look)
'90s Ratio: 7/10 (Hair-Showing Mask! Curly hair! Pointless straps and bandoliers around random parts of his anatomy!)
Group Affiliations: WildCore

-An archaeologist who was a friend of Ferrian's- Vigor had limitless stamina and shot energy from a Forehead Gem.
"Superpowered Archeologist" is such an innately cool concept that it's a shame to see it wasted here. The outfit looks like Backlash's done up in red and gold with some minor tweaks, his powers are that he doesn't get tired (which rarely comes up in comics anyway) and he's got a headband with a gem laser. And in a universe like Wildstorm that centuries of aliens creating unique artifacts, mystics and gods, you could have had an archeologist hero find ANYTHING to empower them, or any number of things. Hell, Savant's whole schtick was that she had a bag of holding that had tons of unique items she'd found and used in her adventures. Bratty as she is, she's a better superhero archeologist than this guy.
"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
Goldar
Posts: 1229
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 2:10 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (T.A.O.! Nemesis! Backlash! Jet! Taboo!)

Post by Goldar »

Ian Turner wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 11:46 pm Despite loving the character, I had no idea she was a hooker. I missed her introduction, and I guess it didn't come up much after that (or I'm just great at compartmentalizing problematic content)...
(Yuk!)
Well, I guess..........even hookers need love too?

I was going to say more, but well, it is TABOO. :lol:
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Brawl

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

BRAWL (Drake Jones)
Created By:
Sean Ruffner & Brett Booth
First Appearance: Wildcore #1 (Nov. 1997)
Role: Anti-Hero
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: None
'90s Ratio: 5/10 (hair-showing mask; is named "Brawl", Team Strong Guy but it's as buff)
Group Affiliations: WildCore, The Chasers
PL 7 (76)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Government Agent) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Power Attack

Powers:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Being Extreme and Looking Cool)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (76)

-Brawl was the former leader of the "Chasers" group- he joined Wildcore to avenge their deaths at the hands of the alien D'rahn. He's your token "Strong Guy" character, then mandatory for X-Team knock-offs, but unlike many, he's not huge- he just has the "Jim Lee Hair-Showing Mask" look. He also died in the prison riot with the rest of the team.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply