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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
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The Black Knight (Sir Percy)

Post by Jabroniville »

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THE BLACK KNIGHT I (Sir Percy of Scandia)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Joe Maneely
First Appearance: Black Knight #1 (May 1955)
Role: Arthurian Knight
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (162)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Athletics 4 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Singing & Lute-Playing) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Medieval Knight) 9 (+11)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack 2, Equipment (Knight Stuff), Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Minion 3 (Horse), Ranged Attack 2, Takedown

Powers:
"The Ebony Blade" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [56]
Immunity 80 (All Damage) (80)
Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (13)
-- (93 points)

"Ensorcerelled Armor" (Flaws: Removable) [10]
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 7) (12 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ebony Blade +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Enemy (Mordred)- King Arthur's evil nephew is the Black Knight's arch-enemy.
Secret (Identity)- Sir Percy pretends to be an incompetent, clumsy night by day.
Relationship (Lady Rosamund)- The two are eventually wed after Sir Percy retired.
Power Loss (Similar Weapons)- Sir Percy's abilities will not work against weapons made from the same meteorite-based metal that makes up the Ebony Blade.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 8 (162)

-The original Black Knight is the star of an unlikely series from the mid-50s, a Stan Lee-written book that only lasted five years. It was probably inspired by the Knights of the Round Table movie from a couple years earlier, or the popular Prince Valiant comic strip (remember, this was back when comic strips were a HUGE deal), which itself inspired a film one year before Sir Percy appeared. He would gain mention ten years later, during the Silver Age of Comics, as his descendants Nathan Garrett, and then Dane Whitman, took on the mantle.

-Sir Percy is a tad obscure, but is basically a Superhero in Medieval times- he is recruited by Merlin to defend King Arthur's realm, and does so by adopting a double identity. He pretends to be incompetent, but then changes into the Black Knight, wielding a sword forged by Merlin from a meteorite. He is eventually killed by his arch-nemesis, Mordred the Evil, during the fall of Camelot- stabbed in the back before Mordred himself dies by Arthur's sword. Sir Percy's spirit has since appeared several times as a counsel for Dane Whitman- the modern Knight- and his children led to a variety of descendants.

-Sir Percy wields a slightly different set-up than the other Black Knights- he's apparently invincible when wielding the Sword, which makes him WAY-overpowered, especially for a Swords & Sorcery setting. Better disarm him quickly...
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Davies
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Davies »

There's also more than a bit of the Scarlet Pimpernel (real name: SIR PERCY Blakeney) in the mix of the Black Knight.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Zephrosyne
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Zephrosyne »

I first started collecting comic books in the 80's a little before Dr. Druid joined the Avengers. Strangely enough, I stared collecting comics because of role-playing TSR's Marvel Adventures and Mayfair's DC games. Yeah, I know: I totally did that in reverse. I absolutely hated Dr. Druid. I am pretty sure that if I made a list of the Top 10 Comic Books Characters I Hate, he would have a spot. Definitely, the worst Avenger ever! Unless someone even worst showed up since I bounced from comics in 2011.
greycrusader
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by greycrusader »

Huh. The M&M rules really need an Extra to handle powers like REALLY high speed flight or running; those are the kinds of powers where the benefit gets less and less in comparison to the point cost. The Hero System/Champions had rules which allowed characters to accelerate to multiples of their normal flying or super-speed running when outside combat, for only a few more build points. I guess at a certain point, it could just be a long-range Teleport in an array, with a few odd limitations on the power.

All my best.
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Goldar
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Goldar »

Zephrosyne wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:11 am I first started collecting comic books in the 80's a little before Dr. Druid joined the Avengers. Strangely enough, I stared collecting comics because of role-playing TSR's Marvel Adventures and Mayfair's DC games. Yeah, I know: I totally did that in reverse. I absolutely hated Dr. Druid. I am pretty sure that if I made a list of the Top 10 Comic Books Characters I Hate, he would have a spot. Definitely, the worst Avenger ever! Unless someone even worst showed up since I bounced from comics in 2011.
Ah, yes, those great old RPGs!

They allowed us to compare, contrast and see which character is stronger, faster, more powerful etc.
sirjolt
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by sirjolt »

I can only remember a single instance of Doctor Druid. In an issue of Power Man & Iron Fist Danny is artificially aging and so they need some magic-y way to travel to K'un Lun. They go see Druid because, as Luke Cage puts it, "We couldn't find Dr. Strange."
greycrusader
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Photon! Quasar! Jarvis! Machine Man! Dr. Druid!)

Post by greycrusader »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:47 pm
greycrusader wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:37 pm Rather clearly, Gruenwald took out a bit of his dislike for Roger Stern on Druid; while the character suffered from a costume that looked silly and boring (he really did resemble a SCA wizard/D&D cosplayer more than a superhero), and was intended to be a bit manipulative and secretive, Druid wasn't an uber-loser until Gruenwald hung that on him. He then was used as a lame substitute for Dr. Strange in the Secret Defenders books, which was short-lived and filled with D-listers.
It’s really weird- nobody speaks ill of Gru since he died, so this era often goes unremarked upon. But this seems quite petty and adversarial.
The character actually worked really well in the Monster Hunters mini-series; he was the team's occult/ancient lore expert, along with using his mentalism to facilitate their travels, provide useful distractions, and so on. He was helped immensely by being redesigned, wearing a pinstriped dark grey business suit, and being drawn as paunchy but also broad-shouldered and strong looking. And he just fit better into a 1950s/1960s milieu, which also suited another Monster Hunters member, Ulysses Bloodstone.
Never heard of it- who else was on the cast?
Aside from Bloodstone, it also had the Golden Age speedster Hurricane (who got ret-conned as actually the Eternal Makkari), Namora (Namor was still MIA during the era), and Zawandi, a new character who was a Wakandan female warrior, or Dora Milje.
Jabroniville
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The Black Knight (Nathan Garrett)

Post by Jabroniville »

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THE BLACK KNIGHT II (Nathan Garrett)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Dick Ayers
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #52 (Feb. 1964)
Role: Forgotten '60s Villain
Group Affiliations: The Masters of Evil
PL 8 (127)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Power Lance) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+13)
Expertise (Criminal) 2 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+13)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Minion 6 (Hellhorse), Ranged Attack 7

Powers:
"Power-Lance & Gear" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [15]
"Steel Bolas" Snare 7 (21) -- (24 points)
  • AE: "Draining Discs" Affliction 8 (Toughness; Impaired & Vulnerable/Disabled & Defenseless/Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited to Technology) (16)
  • AE: "Beams" Blast 8 (Feats: Variable Type- Heat, Electricity or Force, Improved Critical) (18)
  • AE: "Lance Stab" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)
Equipment:
"Knight Armour" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 3) (7)
"Nerve Gas Pistol" Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Paralyzed) (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited to 4 Capsules) Linked to Damage 7 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Fortitude Save) (Flaws: Limited to 4 Capsules) (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Power Lance +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+6 Armour), Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 13 (127)

THE HELLHORSE
Role:
Awesome Mounted Beast
PL 7 (73)- Minion Rank 6
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+3 Size)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Diehard, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]
"Natural Weapons- Hooves" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hooves +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

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

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- The Hellhorse cannot speak to humans, nor use his hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 10 (73)


-The Silver Age Black Knight is actually a relative of Sir Percy, a character Stan Lee created in 1955 as the ORIGINAL Black Knight. He's very much just "one of those guys", part of the never-ending horde of half-assed random villains created by any member of the Stan/Jack/Steve Triad of Awesomeness, as even THOSE guys were just throwing crap at the wall to see what would stick (ya gotta do that to match their output in that era- for every Dr. Doom or Green Goblin, you've gotta throw a half-dozen Melters, Porcupines & Black Knights out there). You never know what will hit it big... but Nathan Garrett sure didn't. He got a handful of appearances with his Hellhorse before Marvel realized that the guy wasn't working (even the Masters of Evil couldn't save him), and so they offed him. The '60s were rather odd in that some guys WOULD die because they weren't working- Marvel Limbo hadn't yet been fully-formed. On his deathbed (following injuries sustained from falling off his horse while fighting Iron Man), he pleaded with his heir Dane Whitman to carry on the Black Knight legacy, but to fight as a HERO, and earn back Nathan's honour.

-As a Silver Age guy, The Black Knight is a PL 7.5 and likes it- most guys in this era were much weaker, from the heroes to the villains. And unlike most, he never MADE IT OUT of that era- dying in the late '60s. As such, he's barely a threat for Giant-Man or Iron Man, both of whom were likely PL 8 or 9 for most of the Silver Age. He's got the same minion The Dreadknight has (in fact, it's the exact same horse), some smarts (Technology & Science), and some Ranged capabilities, but he'd never last in the modern day.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Davies wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:05 am There's also more than a bit of the Scarlet Pimpernel (real name: SIR PERCY Blakeney) in the mix of the Black Knight.
oh, I never knew that, lol. Good ol' Stan. Probably did that so he could remember the name :).
Zephrosyne wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:11 am I first started collecting comic books in the 80's a little before Dr. Druid joined the Avengers. Strangely enough, I stared collecting comics because of role-playing TSR's Marvel Adventures and Mayfair's DC games. Yeah, I know: I totally did that in reverse. I absolutely hated Dr. Druid. I am pretty sure that if I made a list of the Top 10 Comic Books Characters I Hate, he would have a spot. Definitely, the worst Avenger ever! Unless someone even worst showed up since I bounced from comics in 2011.
Nice, lol. A LOT of people get into comics from side-sources like that, I think. I personally got into comics entirely from Marvel Cards, where the stats were the draw for me. I still remember thinking Gambit & Sue Richards were weaklings because their Power Rating were so low in the old system :)!
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Jun 09, 2020 8:22 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Jabroniville »

greycrusader wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:17 pm Huh. The M&M rules really need an Extra to handle powers like REALLY high speed flight or running; those are the kinds of powers where the benefit gets less and less in comparison to the point cost. The Hero System/Champions had rules which allowed characters to accelerate to multiples of their normal flying or super-speed running when outside combat, for only a few more build points. I guess at a certain point, it could just be a long-range Teleport in an array, with a few odd limitations on the power.

All my best.
Flight is one of those things that's kinda weird because the lower ranks are too cheap (2 pp to avoid any Ground-Based power in the game and potentially wipe out anyone who doesn't have a ranged attack?), and the upper ranks are soooooooo pricey- dropping 30-40 points for something that's probably pointless if you go more than 20 points' worth. But it's difficult to modify it without just ignoring your "speed table" entirely, or making an odd "Base 5-10 points, plus 1 point per rank after that". M&M doesn't really have well-defined "rules for racing" anyhow.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Goldar wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:07 pm
Zephrosyne wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:11 am I first started collecting comic books in the 80's a little before Dr. Druid joined the Avengers. Strangely enough, I stared collecting comics because of role-playing TSR's Marvel Adventures and Mayfair's DC games. Yeah, I know: I totally did that in reverse. I absolutely hated Dr. Druid. I am pretty sure that if I made a list of the Top 10 Comic Books Characters I Hate, he would have a spot. Definitely, the worst Avenger ever! Unless someone even worst showed up since I bounced from comics in 2011.
Ah, yes, those great old RPGs!

They allowed us to compare, contrast and see which character is stronger, faster, more powerful etc.
And obsession that's carried me through my thread/s for 13+ years at this point :).
greycrusader
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by greycrusader »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 8:20 pm
greycrusader wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:17 pm Huh. The M&M rules really need an Extra to handle powers like REALLY high speed flight or running; those are the kinds of powers where the benefit gets less and less in comparison to the point cost. The Hero System/Champions had rules which allowed characters to accelerate to multiples of their normal flying or super-speed running when outside combat, for only a few more build points. I guess at a certain point, it could just be a long-range Teleport in an array, with a few odd limitations on the power.

All my best.
Flight is one of those things that's kinda weird because the lower ranks are too cheap (2 pp to avoid any Ground-Based power in the game and potentially wipe out anyone who doesn't have a ranged attack?), and the upper ranks are soooooooo pricey- dropping 30-40 points for something that's probably pointless if you go more than 20 points' worth. But it's difficult to modify it without just ignoring your "speed table" entirely, or making an odd "Base 5-10 points, plus 1 point per rank after that". M&M doesn't really have well-defined "rules for racing" anyhow.
Growth is another example-I mean, for a player character, 2-4 levels of Growth gives a great price break for the bonuses to STR, STA, Reach, etc,, with minimal inconveniences. But as you go higher, the Defense penalties and limitations on where you can fit, not causing floors to collapse, unable to use normal sized equipment, no chance at surprising anyone in combat really start to mount up. But doing some kind of staggered point cost per rank ends up getting complicated, and doesn't really fit the system very well.
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Goldar
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Quasar! Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning!)

Post by Goldar »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 8:22 pm
Goldar wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:07 pm
Zephrosyne wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:11 am I first started collecting comic books in the 80's a little before Dr. Druid joined the Avengers. Strangely enough, I stared collecting comics because of role-playing TSR's Marvel Adventures and Mayfair's DC games. Yeah, I know: I totally did that in reverse. I absolutely hated Dr. Druid. I am pretty sure that if I made a list of the Top 10 Comic Books Characters I Hate, he would have a spot. Definitely, the worst Avenger ever! Unless someone even worst showed up since I bounced from comics in 2011.
Ah, yes, those great old RPGs!

They allowed us to compare, contrast and see which character is stronger, faster, more powerful etc.
And obsession that's carried me through my thread/s for 13+ years at this point :).
Yes, I perfectly understand, my friend!! :D
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

The Black Knight (Dane Whitman)

Post by Jabroniville »

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DAMN YOU, Dane Whitman! I! HATE! YOU! DANE! FREAKING! WHITMAAAAAAAAAANN!!"

THE BLACK KNIGHT III (Dane Whitman)
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #47 (Dec. 1967)
Role: Permanent C-Level Hero, Evil Weapon Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Ultraforce, Excalibur, M.I.-13, The Heroes For Hire, The Masters of Evil, Euroforce
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (147)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Swords) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+12)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Armor & Laser Lance), Improved Critical (Swords) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Interpose, Minion 6 (Aragorn), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"The Ebony Blade" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Summonable by Magic Ceremony) [20]
"Redirect Energy" Deflect 12 (Extras: Redirect) (24) -- (27)
  • AE: Nullify Magical Powers 7 (Extras: Sustained +2) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Shields) (14)
  • AE: Nullify Energy Powers 7 (Extras: Broad) (Flaws: Touch Range) (14)
  • AE: "Sword Slash" Strength-Damage +5 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Penetrating 7) (14)
"Deflect Attacks" Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 (2)
-- (29 points)

"Pendragon Training" Senses 1 (Vision Counters Illusion) (Flaws: Limited to Magic) [1]

Equipment:
"Armor" Protection 3 (3)
"Laser Lance" Blast 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ebony Blade +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Nullify +12 (+7 Nullify, DC 17)
Laser Lance +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (+11 Blade, DC 20-21), Parry +11 (+12 Blade, DC 21-22), Toughness +4 (+7 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Ebony Blade's Curse)- The Ebony Blade enacts various curses at various times, either Mind-Controlling Dane, injuring him, or other various things. It hungers for blood.
Relationship (Sersi)- For a number of years, Dane & Sersi were together. Eventually they split up, for reasons largely unknown.
Relationship (Dr. Faiza Hussain)- The two hooked up while members of M.I.-13.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 14 (147)

Dane Whitman- Unexpectedly Popular:
-What's funniest to me about Dane Whitman is how this character I consider fairly-forgettable ends up being a VERY common "Red Guardian Character" to so many people. I remember one time in an old e-mail RPG (is that still a thing?), where I had to come up with some Future Hellfire Club characters, and just threw some names together. One of them was ol' Dane (I mean... they have chess names... Black Knight... makes sense, right?), and a bunch of people were like DANE WHITMAN! AWESOME!!!" It happens a lot.

-Dane Whitman's had it pretty rough for a "Classic Avengers" era character. His brief initial run led to decades of near-obscurity, and his '80s & '90s runs with the Avengers weren't much better. He actually had a big, solid run in the '90s on the team, but sadly, this was the "Brown Bomber Jacket" phase of the team, where the entire squad was desperately trying to be as much like the Jim Lee X-Men as possible, in an era that mostly gets made fun of these days. Particularly egregious was Dane's giant '90s mullet and perma-stubble, surefire signs of a terrible design. After that, he basically has a running gag where he absolutely HAS TO show up in any book that combines forgotten characters. He was in Heroes For Hire in its short-lived run, farted around in an Excalibur version, and of course joined Captain Britain & M.I. 13 because... he has sort of an Arthurian link. And he's just contractually-obligated to show up on a "D-Leaguers Combined" series that will get rapidly cancelled.

Dane Freaking Whitman's Debut:
-Dane Freaking Whitman is the latest in a long line of descendants of Sir Percy, the original Black Knight (a 1950s character), who was slain by King Arthur's enemy/son Mordred. Dane's uncle Nathan Garrett became a short-lived super-villain The Black Knight, but after being fatally-injured during a fight with Iron Man, he confessed his crimes to young Dane, and asked him to restore honor and dignity to their family legacy. Dane, a scientist, created a flying horse (!), and infiltrated The Masters of Evil to prove himself to The Avengers, who let him join as a provisional member. He gained a Cursed Sword that he'd be bitching about for decades, and was instrumental in beating Kang, who'd been given power over death for the Avengers by the Grandmaster (for winning a game against him)- since he wasn't a full Avenger, he was immune, and thus bested Kang easily. This earned him full membership... but he quickly left the squad.

-Dane became one of the Defenders and spent some time in the 12th Century while his body was petrified in our timeline, because comics. He finally returned, using a winged horse named Valinor. He would soon learn that the Ebony Blade was cursed- every time it drew blood, it drove him closer to madness and evil. He purged the sword in THAT VERY STORY, but you know how comics is... the character rejoined the Avengers and participated in much of their late '80s stuff, such as the fight against Magneto in New Mutants, and Roger Stern's Under Siege, in which the Masters of Evil invaded Avengers Mansion. Namor used the Blade to kill his wife Marrina, who'd become a monster, and the "Blood Curse" returned. Stern wrote a lot of stuff around that, though having read a ton of that run, I can honestly say that Stern gave him absolutely ZERO personality- he appears to be the "odd man out" in terms of the team, as everyone ELSE got plenty to say and do. Dane was just... that extra guy who was there. Finally, he, Dr. Strange and Sir Percy were able to blank out the Blade's curse again. Dane then immediately left the Avengers, so I think Stern just wrapped up that story arc on his way out.

Dane in the '90s:
-Dane quickly rejoined the Avengers in the dreaded "Bomber Jacket" era, and was now given '90s hair, '90s stubble, and a '90s bomber jacket, along with a Lightsaber, having dropped the Ebony Blade. Sean Dolan would gain that sword, becoming the Bloodwraith in the process. During this, the Leather Jacket Era, he started a relationship with Sersi, then a love triangle when he started falling for Crystal instead. He got mixed up in the ludicrously-complex, awful plot surrounding Proctor (an alternate universe version of himself that was in a relationship with HIS Sersi, but was now trying to kill every version of her in each universe), got his mind merged with Sersi, which caused more of a breakdown from her because he resented her for the mind-link, and then he got stuck with her in the Ultraverse when he decided to let Crystal & Quicksilver work out their marriage. After that (and the end of Malibu Comics), he went to the past again (being freed from the mind of another by Sersi, then finding Exodus back in his past state), then gained a suit of Magical Armor and some fancy Magic Weapons. Finally, his bond with Sersi was shattered and the two separated.

-This was in the Heroes For Hire, one of those well-meaning but doomed books that's all about C & D-League characters- Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Hercules Black Knight, etc.- all at the worst possible time to have a successful run. But of course, we all know what happens when a minor-league hero gets a major modification... That's right- it was BACK-TO-BASICS SYNDROME, and after H4H was cancelled, he soon lost his magical gear and started using the Ebony Blade again. But it turned out it was a fake (he uses it instead of the Blade anyways). Oh, and also he has a heart literally made of stone- a gift from Sersi help keep him "above it all" (ie. immune to the curse).

Modern Dane Whitman:
-Dane was briefly in New Excalibur with no mention of the Avaloran equipment, and he eventually turns up in Captain Britain & MI-13 alongside many other supporting characters. He hooked up with Faiza Hussain (the cute, quirky Muslim girl who wields the blade Excaliber), but has now most-recently been seen in Hickman's Avengers World, leading a new team of European heroes ("Euroforce"), plus an Original Sin story that featured him AGAIN trapped in the curse of the Ebony Blade, slowly going mad. Then, inexplicably, Marvel decided to make him one of the guys getting a solo book in the "All-New, All-Different Marvel". This was a HORRIBLE idea, as Dane is precisely the kind of character you should NEVER try that with- a Limited Series here or there is fine, but an ONGOING? This just leads to the immediate failure of the book, which hurts the character's name value badly- when the book fails, suddenly he looks bad and Marvel execs go "Oh, this guy is a failure". Better to leave them in team books or something.

-In any case, Black Knight got stuck on Weirdworld (yes, they expected an ALTERNATE DIMENSION story to sell well) and built up a nation called "New Avalon" while his mind was in disarray, and had to fight Captain America's "Avengers Unity Squad" (who wanted to arrest him for killing a criminal)- he opposes them with an army, but is beaten. As a truce, Cap returns to Earth with the Ebony Blade, while Dane lives in New Avalon. A HYDRA cel trapped since the 1940s forms opposition against him, but the Avengers return the Blade, realizing that his sanity has finally righted itself- the book thus ends on this light tone. His book dies, but he reappears with Euroforce, and shows up in many "Background Fights" across the world in subsequent Event Stories.

The Black Knight as a Whole:
-So just why IS Dane so... well, sorta popular? Well, I think it's the Sword & Sorcery Theme- comics is relatively-short on those type of guys in superhero stories, and the fact that he can be a Knight AND be an Avenger is a cool thing for many people. So despite the fact that he's an absolute tabula rasa in terms of personality, he gets a lot of credit from fans. I do admit, it's kind of a unique thing... though it's VERY weird that there's so little of a D&D/Conan influence on mainstream superhero comics, given the overlap between the two fanbases.

The Black Knight's Power:
-Dane's a well-balanced, but slightly under-pointed PL 10. Surprisingly, he's a fairly decent tech-guy as well (in upwards of 30 issues of Roger Stern's Avengers run, I've seen that come up exactly once, so it ain't a major thing), but his main ability is swordfighting. He's REALLY good at it (+13 Attack, nearly at Swordsman's level and the sword is a fair bit sharper), can modify many of his caps with his Combat Advantages, and the Ebony Blade itself is one of the most devastating weapons in the Marvel Universe. It's basically a super-elite Sword doing extra damage (most of it Penetrating, with more when he goes full-on Power Attack), and four combined ranks of Improved Critical (two from Dane's training, two from the Blade itself). It also has some weird sub-powers, including cutting through magical shields and absorbing energy, though the latter is at a low enough level he can't just do it all the time. He can spend Hero Points to showcase some other abilities (like nullifying all magical powers or something), but he's best as a Melee Fighter guy.

-Dane also has a pretty cool Flying Horse mount in Aragorn, though it's only a PL 7 6-point Minion. At one point, he dropped the Ebony Blade for a new Photonic Blade, which is either a Strike or a Stun in close. It's pretty good, but it's no Ebony Blade, and is much cheaper:

Image
Image

"Photonic Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [9]
"Stunning Blade" Affliction 7 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (14) -- (15 points)
  • AE: "Encasing Fist" Strength-Damage +3 (3)
Image

ARAGORN
Role:
Flying Mounted Beast
PL 7 (75)- Minion Rank 6
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Diehard, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]
"Natural Weapons- Hooves" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hooves +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Aragorn cannot speak to humans, nor use his hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 13 (75)


Image

THE BLACK KNIGHT III (Dane Whitman)- Arthurian Powers
Created By:
Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #47 (Dec. 1967)
Role: Permanent C-Level Hero, Evil Weapon Guy
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, Ultraforce, Excalibur, M.I.-13, The Heroes For Hire, The Masters of Evil, Euroforce
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (176)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Close Combat (Swords) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+12)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Equipment 1 (Armor), Improved Critical (Swords) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Interpose, Minion 6 (Aragorn), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Sword of Light & Shield of Night" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [32]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 4 (8)
Impervious Toughness 13 (Extras: Sustained +0) (13)
Absorption (Attack to Blast) 10 (Extras: Impact & Energy) (30) -- (31)
  • AE: "Sword Slash" Strength-Damage +5 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (11)
-- (52 points)

"Summon Strider" Summon 7 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Active) [22]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword Slash +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Absorption +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (+14 Shield, DC 20-24), Parry +10 (+14 Shield, DC 20-24), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Ebony Blade's Curse)- The Ebony Blade enacts various curses at various times, either Mind-Controlling Dane, injuring him, or other various things. It hungers for blood.
Power Loss- The Black Knight must touch a special amulet and say "Avalon" to gain all his powers & weapons.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 54 / Defenses: 14 (176)

-There's another variant of The Black Knight, featuring the Sword of Light & Shield of Night, increasing his cost by a ways, and gaining him the ability to summon Strider, a better mount also named after the Lord of the Rings super-handsome sexy-man. He's actually much more costly in this form, having some added defensive ability and the ability to absorb attack and fire them back.

Image

STRIDER
Role:
Flying Mounted Beast
PL 7 (93)- Minion Rank 7
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Diehard, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 [3]
"Natural Weapons- Hooves" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wings" Flight 8 (500 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [8]

Immunity 8 (Life Support -Starvation & Thirst) (Extras: Affects Others) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hooves +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Aragorn cannot speak to humans, nor use his hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 41 / Defenses: 13 (93)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:26 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Davies
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Machine Man! Dr. Druid! Living Lightning! Black Knights!)

Post by Davies »

I remember liking him as a relatively normal guy among all these extreme personalities in Stern's Avengers, like when he ruefully notes that he's a scientist with a magic sword, and how crazy that is. And the Arthurian thing is something of a draw.

EDIT: Remembered another scene that I thought was cool. Set's forces are attacking Hydrobase, so naturally the Knight goes out to fight them ... and then he's dumbstruck by the sight of Thor and the Captain fighting them back to back. It really presents him as a brave but very normal man walking among giants and trying to keep their pace. Such a one is admirable.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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