Jab’s Builds! (Whomp 'Em! Plumbers Don't Wear Ties! ToeJam & Earl!)

[Ares]

My primary exposure to the WildC.A.T.s franchise was through the 1994 animated series. It only lasted one season, but from what you guys are telling me it had about as much character development packed into it as the entire run of the comics. The story editor was the late David Wise, who also had the same duty on the '87 TMNT cartoon and dozens of other classic animated series, so the characters came across as far more developed and likable than Lee's original take. And animation was pretty good as well, perhaps not so ironically similar to the '92 X-Men show. It was hardly the greatest thing ever, but it may very well have been the best take on the WildC.A.T.s.

The animated series definitely wasn't terrible, being about average for its time. But since they couldn't bank on blood, bullets and boobs like the comic, they had to focus on character. Some elements such as Spartan being a Kherubim soldier in an android body originated from the series. It also played with several elements, such as Lord Emp simply being a normal human aiding the cause, Void being the ship's computer, Majestic being a full on villain, Pike being possessed by a Daemonite, etc. And since they couldn't show Voodoo as a stripper, they opted to make Warblade the guy who is the POV character who has his life ruined by the Daemonites.

Though the intro song for the cartoon and several of the battle cries Spartan had were just super cheesy.

"Claws out CATs! It's time to ROAR!"

And oh my goodness, someone actually posted the theme song lyrics.

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We're good against evil

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We've got invincible power

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

The one and only WildC.A.T.S.

We're heroes, not zeroes
We got what they fear so
Here's the facts we got the power to the max
You know we're tough as nails
When all else fails call

WildC.A.T.S.
Nerves of steel
WildC.A.T.S.
Here's the deal
WildC.A.T.S.
You better watch out

Yeah

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We're good against evil

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We've got invincible power

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

The one and only WildC.A.T.S.

[Ken]

And oh my goodness, someone actually posted the theme song lyrics.

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We're good against evil

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We've got invincible power

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

The one and only WildC.A.T.S.

We're heroes, not zeroes
We got what they fear so
Here's the facts we got the power to the max
You know we're tough as nails
When all else fails call

WildC.A.T.S.
Nerves of steel
WildC.A.T.S.
Here's the deal
WildC.A.T.S.
You better watch out

Yeah

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We're good against evil

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S.
We've got invincible power

WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
WildC.A.T.S. WildC.A.T.S.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

The one and only WildC.A.T.S.

The X-Men cartoon theme had better lyrics.

[Grenzer]

Some people are still nostalgic for the show's theme*. I mean as hardcore 90's 'X-Treme" as this franchise is, you need to have a theme that embraces it wholeheartedly and holds nothing back. Youtube musician PelleK did a good metal cover of it years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krGq5bSzEC4

*I'm not one of them, but it does hearken back to a simpler time.

[Jabroniville]

MAUL (Dr. Jeremy Stone)
Created By: Brandon Choi & Jim Lee
First Appearance: WildC.A.T.s #1 (Aug. 1992)
Role: Growing Guy, Hulk Knock-Off
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: The Hulk (big, dumb, superstrong guy), Tusk of the Dark Riders (big dude with curved back-spikes)
'90s Ratio: 7/10 (has pointless big spikes on his back, Team "Strong Guy")
Group Affiliations: WildC.A.T.s
PL 12 (108)
STRENGTH 11/17 STAMINA 11/17 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5/-3 AWARENESS 0/-2 PRESENCE 0/-2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Insight 4 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+11)
Intimidation 8 (+8, +16 Size)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"The Bigger He Gets, The Dumber He Gets"
Growth 6 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) [12]
Growth +11 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) [11]
Regeneration 4 [4]
Reduced Intelligence 8 [-16]
Reduced Awareness 2 [-4]
Reduced Presence 2 [-4]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Huge Size +7 (+12-17 Damage, DC 27-32)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +11 (+17 Full Size), Fortitude +11 (+17 Full Size), Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Voodoo)- The two were a couple for a while, but he couldn't deal with her sleeping around.
Prejudice (Second-Class Citizen)- Titanthropes are considered second-class citizens on Khera.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 13 (108)

-Maul is probably the weakest design on the early WildC.A.T.s- I can see how the others might be toyetic or something, but this is just a Hulk Recolor with pointy things on his back. Pointy things that are oddly replicated from a throwaway design for the Dark Riders, whom Jim Lee also had a hand in- he greatly resembles Tusk. Maul is so Hulk-like that he actually gets dumber the larger he gets, and most of his early appearances depict him as a stupid, aggressive hot-head who always wants to get bigger and punch guys. He nearly gets everyone killed at the end of the first arc when he turns into a hundred-foot-tall giant and almost brings the entire base down until Voodoo reaches out with her mind and calms him. He jokes evokes that time period where every team had a "Strong Guy" on it- something that'd become a cliche even before this, with Guido Carosella calling himself "Strong Guy" in response to having it called out.

-Maul ended up on Khera with the rest of his team, and discovered his lineage were giant Titanthropes who were forced to live under the surface- he fell in love there, but his lover died fighting the Coda of that world. He quit the WildC.A.T.s and became a professor (huh?), and later devoted himself to science. He fell in love with Voodoo, and tried to remove her Daemonite nature, but failed. He and Voodoo were a couple for a while, but she apparently planned on being intimate with other men in order to use her powers, which he couldn't handle.

-Maul starts out as a PL 9 fighter with poor accuracy but high strength, and increases it further as he grows. Humorously, his mental deficiencies at full size actually result in him almost having NEGATIVE points to his Powers. At one point, he developed the ability to shrink, which he claimed INCREASED his intellect!

[JDRook]

Powers:
Growth 6 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) [12]
Growth +11 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) [11]

Officially, the non-STR/STA Growth is a -2p/rank Flaw, so this Maul is PL12 and 100p.

[Jabroniville]

The X-Men cartoon theme had better lyrics.

I mean, the second verse was a poetic masterpiece in particular.

[Jabroniville]

Powers:
Growth 6 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry) -- (48 feet) [12]
Growth +11 (+17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Str & Sta Increases) [11]

Officially, the non-STR/STA Growth is a -2p/rank Flaw, so this Maul is PL12 and 100p.

LOL, is it? I only saw one DCA build use that, and I don't think I checked that carefully. Was that updated in the "Power Profiles" book, or did I just miss it with the build of Giganta (or whoever it was used that variant)?

[HalloweenJack]

I always dug Maul actually.

Part of that may have been a drawing in Wizard Magazine where he was fighting Godzilla....

[JDRook]

Officially, the non-STR/STA Growth is a -2p/rank Flaw, so this Maul is PL12 and 100p.

LOL, is it? I only saw one DCA build use that, and I don't think I checked that carefully. Was that updated in the "Power Profiles" book, or did I just miss it with the build of Giganta (or whoever it was used that variant)?

Growth Limited to Increasing Size Only is used on ONE build in the Power Profiles, but strangely gets more detailed treatment in Hero Lab, specifically stating that Dodge, Parry, Intimidation and Size are still applied.

[Woodclaw]

So far I've not commented because I really never got into early Image stuff, especially WildC.A.T.s.
I don't know why. On one hand none of designs really appeals to me, which is really weird, but that's not the case. In the early 90s I was insanely into Valiant stuff... And sure as hell those designs were not good.

In the original Image line-up I read some of Cyberforce (which I loved, but doesn't hold up at all), Weapon Zero (great idea, mediocre execution) and Wetworks (a massive wasted occasion).

[Jabroniville]

Officially, the non-STR/STA Growth is a -2p/rank Flaw, so this Maul is PL12 and 100p.

LOL, is it? I only saw one DCA build use that, and I don't think I checked that carefully. Was that updated in the "Power Profiles" book, or did I just miss it with the build of Giganta (or whoever it was used that variant)?

Growth Limited to Increasing Size Only is used on ONE build in the Power Profiles, but strangely gets more detailed treatment in Hero Lab, specifically stating that Dodge, Parry, Intimidation and Size are still applied.

Ah, OK- my version still leaves the Dodge & Parry intact, so maybe mind is justified and I don't have to dig through every Growing Guy I've ever built and fix that power, lol.

[Goldar]

Wow. Never saw this Maul before. He looks like he should have a STR 50!

[Tattooedman]

Lol is Voodoo’s backside literally only covered in mesh?

Yes, yes it is Jab.

Again for reference.

So you do know she's a stripper turned superhero, right?

[Goldar]

Lol is Voodoo’s backside literally only covered in mesh?

Yes, yes it is Jab.

Again for reference.

So you do know she's a stripper turned superhero, right?

It must be the Voo-doo that she Doo-Doo (or Doesn't doo-Doo?)!

[Jabroniville]

Yes, yes it is Jab.

So you do know she's a stripper turned superhero, right?

Even for comics, that seems a bit extreme, lol. Like, you could see her butthole in real life! Though the notion of "Stripper Superhero" so '90s that I'm amazed it's only been used once at Image as far as I can tell, and never by Marvel & DC (only BAD GIRLS are strippers there- Dansen Macabre, Pretty Persuasions, etc.). Though Image DOES boast two "Ex-Prostitute Superheroes".