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

[Jabroniville]

re: Diamondback- I'm always reminded of Horsenhero (I think) making the comment that "the magenta hair is why Attractive was invented".

[Tattooedman]

That sounds like something he said. I miss reading his comments.

[drkrash]

Add me to the pile of people who are big Diamondback fans. Though I'm reading Gru's run right now and the dialogue is a bit corny.

I'm pretty sure Ares disagrees with me on this, but I enjoyed the recent mercenary Domino series. I liked it because it reminded me of Birds of Prey, another of my all-time faves. No surprise that they were both written by Gail Simone, the only contemporary female comics writer who seems to be ok with hot chicks looking like hot chicks and embracing it.

On the other hand, the characterization of Diamondback was really off, so much so that she seemed like a different character. In fact, if you took the names and pictures away, I could probably have assumed it was Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress talking.

[Jabroniville]

BLACK MAMBA (Tanya Sealy)
Created By: Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio & George Perez
First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One #64 (June 1980)
Role: Jobber Villain, Journeyman Villain, Femme Fatale, Complicated Power-User
Group Affiliations: The Serpent Squad, The Serpent Society, The Masters of Evil, B.A.D. Girls, Inc.
PL 8 (135)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 3 (+4)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Call Girl) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+6)
Insight 4 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Darkforce Trance) 3 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Improved Defense, Power Attack, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Dig Up Deepest Desires" Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Limited to Loved Ones & Desires) [8]

"Darkforce Powers"
"Trance-Like State & Darkforce Choke" Affliction 8 (Will & Fort; Entranced, Hindered & Vulnerable/Stunned, Immobile & Defenseless/Incapacitated & Unaware) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition +3, Concentration) (Flaws: Feedback, Incapacitated Limited to Half-Effect on Those Who Make Will Saves -1/2) (37) -- [38]

• AE: "Darkforce Disguise" Morph 2 (Flaws: Concentration Duration) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Trance +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Relationship (Diamondback)- Black Mamba is a good friend of Rachel, and has risked her life and career for her in the past, leaving the Serpent Society over it.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 46 / Defenses: 16 (135)

Black Mamba- Backgrounder to Heros' Buddy to Journeyman Villain:
-Black Mamba was an original member of the third Serpent Squad that later got turned into the Serpent Society, having been a Roxxon agent who was given Darkforce-related super-powers. Oddly, she was a pretty heavy-duty killer at first (her Darkforce images would strangle people while showing them images of their deepest desires, meaning they'd die in ecstacy, but still...), but later grew into a role as a Cap-helper and friend to his girlfriend, Diamondback, then became a VERY commonly-seen Journeyman Villain!

-On the Society, she formed a relationship with Sidewinder, their leader, and also acted as a mercenary, ensuring that Hercules was too drunk to adequately fight in the classic Avengers story Under Siege, setting him up to get beaten by the Masters of Evil. She nearly strangled Captain America during a fight against him, but Asp accidentally KO'd her, not realizing her "Darkforce Tendrils" were part of Mamba's own body. Her link to Sidewinder resulted in her being one of the few members to not turn on him in favor of Viper, but she stuck with the group when King Cobra took over. She was beaten by Havok in the X-Men/Atlantis Attacks story, and finally turned into a nicer character, being Diamondback's main confidante in her relationship with Cap, often helping out (ensuring a date went well), rescuing her when the Society tried to execute her, or comforting her when she was nearly killed during The Superia Stratagem. She, Asp & Impala helped Cap survive Superia's cruise ship full of super-villainesses, and later carried on as B.A.D. Girls, Inc., having left the Society behind. Alas, Mark Gruenwald died, and the character kind of took a side-role from then on.

Black Mamba the Mercenary:
-However, Mamba seems to have the most "side appearances" of the Society, short of Anaconda. She was in a New Warriors arc that dealt with all of the Darkforce users going crazy at once, on the Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil squad in Thunderbolts, and was even in Deathlok, being asked to rejoin the Society by Puff Adder- she declined, but helped him out after Deathlok kicked his butt. She then takes on a series of random appearances, either with the Society (in a 2004 Cap issue), or as one of the B.A.D. Girls (in a Cable/Deadpool arc, they fight then team up with The Cat- Mamba's powers notably reveal that Deadpool's fantasy is to give Cable a backrub). She's on the Society in Nova, beaten beaten by his new Nova Corps., but then on the Women Warriors "Initiative" team alongside Asp, Diamondback, Skein & Quicksand! And then all of a sudden she's in an X-Force arc that sees her as one of many of Bella Donna's hired assassins out to kill Domino- teaming up with Razor-Fist and others! She is grievously wounded by X-23, but is healed by Elixir at story's end. She & Constrictor are hired to take out Daredevil in his own book, but are tied to a lightpost by the hero, and then she's in Elektra with a small Society team, getting beaten by HER. Finally, she reappears with the Society in its "Serpent Solutions" form.

-So all in all, Black Mamba's been used a LOT, in part because of the awesome name (one of the better snake names, really) and semi-unique powers that can be trouble while also being non-lethal (most heroes merely START to choke). Her powers also have an important "character" component, as the hero will see their fondest desire or their greatest fear, giving writers a lot to work with- a simpler version of the old "Nightmare and D'Spayre" one-off stories Marvel used to have all the time. I mean, comics is a pretty un-subtle medium, so it's often good to just throw someone's deepest feelings out there in the real world like that. But all in all, it leaves her as an odd Journeyman Villain- she's on the Society more often than not, but also randomly appears as an Assassins Guild hand in some issues, as a generic mercenary in others, and then she'll also be with B.A.D. Girls! Of the rest of the Society, only Anaconda bounces around like that.

Black Mamba's Powers:
-Mamba was a tough one to figure out, and a GREAT test of the Power-creation system (and the Affliction uber-power- remember, I first built these characters as my inaugural set of 3rd Edition builds- it was the first time I'd ever USED Affliction!). At heart, she's a good fighter (but on the weak side) with a big trick: her Darkforce tendrils, which appear to people as the object of their desire, which then strangles and holds them while they're under a hypnotic trance. This is fundamentally THREE separate Afflictions- a Will-based Entrance/Stun/Unaware effect, a Snare (Hindered & Vulnerable/Immobile & Defenseless, no third level), and Suffocation (Daze/Stun/Incapacitate), combined into one (I'd initially had them Linked, but it's easier if they're all at the same level- Affliction at Rank 4 is basically worthless). So she's dangerous, but the damage is limited (the damaging ones are at 4 ranks strong), making her an effective team player, but not somebody who can kick ass with ease.

-This makes them rather expensive, though striking the Darkforce gives her the Feedback Flaw (as Asp found out, Venom Blasting a trapped Cap and KOing Mamba as well). The Suffocation is basically worthless if the victim breaks free from the Trance (the usual result, both Cap & Havok have done this). There's also an Alternate Effect for Morphing, as Mamba can copy appearances as long as she concentrates (a Flaw). I was thinking of going with an Affliction 8 (4 separate effects) to be cheaper, but that fails to take into account the multiple kinds of saves required (Will, Dodge/Strength and Dodge/Fort), which would be game-breaking for the cost, so Linked Powers it is.


Based on: The fastest snake in the world; also Africa's longest venomous snake

[Ares]

I'm pretty sure Ares disagrees with me on this, but I enjoyed the recent mercenary Domino series. I liked it because it reminded me of Birds of Prey, another of my all-time faves. No surprise that they were both written by Gail Simone, the only contemporary female comics writer who seems to be ok with hot chicks looking like hot chicks and embracing it.

You are quite correct, I hated the recent Domino series. Because it kind of shows that Gail doesn't actually write "characters", she really just has a board personality type that she slaps on to whatever female character she's writing. The characters all sound alike, with the rare exception of the cowgirl who gets the Claremont-esque "Ah" in place of "I" type dialogue. None of the people she wrote were remotely in character, and then she had to throw Shang Chi into the book.

Gail honestly should do some creator owned stuff. She got lucky with Birds of Prey where she could basically re-imagine Barbara and Dinah from the ground up, since they weren't being used at the time, but if I had to trust her to write any established characters . . . well, I wouldn't.

[Ares]

Seeing this outfit makes me remember the icon of Set from the Conan franchise. "Two snakes, staring at each other in conflict . . . but they're one!"

It also kind of vaguely reminds me of the old Aztec Earth Mother goddess who had her head cut off, only to have two giant snake heads erupt from the stump.

Makes me think that look could work for a more evil villain. Her more recent cleavage and zippers outfit is more practical, but also a bit more boring visually.

[drkrash]

I'm pretty sure Ares disagrees with me on this, but I enjoyed the recent mercenary Domino series. I liked it because it reminded me of Birds of Prey, another of my all-time faves. No surprise that they were both written by Gail Simone, the only contemporary female comics writer who seems to be ok with hot chicks looking like hot chicks and embracing it.

You are quite correct, I hated the recent Domino series. Because it kind of shows that Gail doesn't actually write "characters", she really just has a board personality type that she slaps on to whatever female character she's writing. The characters all sound alike, with the rare exception of the cowgirl who gets the Claremont-esque "Ah" in place of "I" type dialogue. None of the people she wrote were remotely in character, and then she had to throw Shang Chi into the book.

Gail honestly should do some creator owned stuff. She got lucky with Birds of Prey where she could basically re-imagine Barbara and Dinah from the ground up, since they weren't being used at the time, but if I had to trust her to write any established characters . . . well, I wouldn't.

I don't disagree with you. I see the same problem with Bendis and I used to enjoy reading him.

It may be superficial, but I really do appreciate female-written female characters that look like female comics characters should look and lean into it instead of apologizing for it. This is one of the things I like Gail Simone for. I have a female player in my group - I have GM'd for her for literally 32 years - and she *always* wants to be the hot chick who enjoys being the hot chick.

But re: the Domino series in particular, I totally get your critique.

[Goldar]

I like Black Mamba's new look as an update.

I also like the head snake better too........as I always used to wonder how/where that other head snake was since only the face was visible.

[Ares]

I don't disagree with you. I see the same problem with Bendis and I used to enjoy reading him.

It may be superficial, but I really do appreciate female-written female characters that look like female comics characters should look and lean into it instead of apologizing for it. This is one of the things I like Gail Simone for. I have a female player in my group - I have GM'd for her for literally 32 years - and she *always* wants to be the hot chick who enjoys being the hot chick.

But re: the Domino series in particular, I totally get your critique.

I definitely don't want to imply that I've got any problem with female writers, especially writers who write fun, hot, badass female heroes. There's definitely a power-fantasy aspect to heroic fiction and women want to be attractive and powerful just as much as the men do. I don't begrudge Gail that at all, and if the Domino stuff had been completely original characters in their own setting doing stuff, I probably would have had a blast with it.

But when I see Domino basically acting like Harley Quinn, and Gail doesn't seem to know how Dominio's powers work, well, the book lost me.

[Goldar]

Happy Howl-er-ween to all!!!

May it be even scarier than 2020, lol!!

[Woodclaw]

Ah Diamondback. With the exception of MCU Peggy Carter (I mean, my God, Hayley Atwell . . . ) I think Diamondback is my top choice for a Cap love interest, followed closely by Bernie Rosenthal.

Funny, for me it's the opposite, I usually rank Bernie just a tad over Rachel, but that's just because I really the idea of "dating the person" over "dating the mask". Bernie was in love with Steve, not with Cap, which pushed just a bit higher in my eyes.

Bernie was fun because she was a normal girl who wouldn't put up with Steve's moping and wouldn't let the drama of his superhero life bother her. She managed to be fun and supportive in a way that didn't make her feel like a Mary Jane clone.

What made Bernie really different from Mary Jane is that she arrived (roughly) in the same spot from a completely different direction. For a really long time, Bernie had no idea that Steve was Cap and, in fact, she had to come to terms with it but she was never negative about it. In actual fact her decision to say "fuck it, I don't care" came in one of the most hilarious issue of Stern's run (#289) when she dreams of a reversed reality, where she was the superhero and Steve was just a regular guy. So while MJ knew that Pete was Spidey from the beginning and had to deal with the consequences later, we saw what Bernie had to go through.

DIAMONDBACK II (Rachel Leighton)
Created By:[/b] Mark Gruenwald & Paul Neary

PL 8 (134)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

If I'm not mistaken, after being kidnapped by Crossbones, Rachel was used as a guinea pig to see if the blood bags she stole from the Avengers Base did contain Cap's blood. As a result she got the "safe" version of the Supersoldier Serum, resulting in her getting much larger and stronger during the final part of Gruenwlad's run.

[Jabroniville]

ASP (Cleopatra "Cleo" Nefertiti)
Created By: Mark Gruenwald & Paul Neary
First Appearance: Captain America #310 (Oct. 1985)
Role: Jobber Villain, Femme Fatale, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Serpent Society, B.A.D. Girls, Inc., The Woman Warriors
PL 9 (138)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Exotic Dancer) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+6)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Venom Bolt) 4 (+9)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Animal Empathy, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Daze (Exotic Dancing), Fascinate (Exotic Dancing), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Venom Bolt), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Venom Bolts"
Affliction 9 (Fort; Dazed & Impaired/Stunned & Prone/Incapacitated & Paralyzed) (Extras: Extra Condition, Cumulative, Ranged) (Diminished Range -2) (34) -- [35]

• AE: "Neural-Delaying Bolt" Affliction 9 (Fort; Fatigued & Impaired/Exhausted & Disabled) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (Diminished Range -2) (25)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Venom Bolt +9 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Neural Bolt +9 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Prejudice (Mutant/Exotic Dancer)- Asp is a mutant, and thus an unfavourable minority in society. She is also an unrepentant exotic dancer.
Relationship (Diamondback)- Asp is a good friend of Rachel, and has risked her life and career for her in the past, leaving the Serpent Society over it.
Power Loss (Venom Bolts)- Asp's energy is heavily depleted after full uses of her Venom Bolts, and must rebuild using her dancing or other physical activity, otherwise her blasts will get periodically weaker. Using Power Attack will outright deplete them.
Responsibility (Constant Venom Emissions)- Asp gives off low levels of energy at all times, making prolonged physical contact potentially lethal. So no Tantric stuff.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 17 (138)

-An Egyptian girl named Cleopatra Nefertiti? Are you kidding me? That had BETTER be a pseudonym, or else Mark Gruenwald has the worst imagination for real names EVER. In any case, Asp is an exotic dancer-turned-supervillain (actually more of those around than I'd care to admit- at LEAST three, and that's just in MARVEL- Asp, Dansen Macabre & Pretty Persuasion) with mutant powers, and she's been seen in many a group pose of the Society. She was one of the first recruits when Sidewinder created a formal "Society", and quickly formed a trio with Diamondback & Black Mamba. Most of her missions used her as a generic Blaster, though her first big hero fight saw her zap Captain America while he was shrouded by Mamba's Darkforce- the feedback knocked out Mamba, and Cap tossed Diamondback into Asp, KO-ing both. She knocked out Dazzler in the X-Men/Atlantis Attacks story, but was herself taken out by Wolverine. Later, she used her powers to zap Jackhammer & Poundcakes because their quarrel was interfering with DB's date with Cap. Later, Cap lectures her over her job, which she refutes by saying she enjoys it, likes the reaction from men, and it's good exercise- she's thus one of the few supervillains with a regular side gig.

-She would later quit the Society with Mamba when Diamondback was booted out, and the trio formed B.A.D. Girls, Inc., which became a recurring element of the Cap book. She helped Cap & Paladin out during The Superia Stratagem (zapping Whiteout & Ferocia), but the Girls (with new member Impala) were easily defeated by Sersi when they set off an alarm that alerted the Avengers HQ. After Diamondback went her own way, she & Mamba were rarely used, and they ended up disappearing from comics for about ten years- she later reappeared with the Society again, zapping Captain America and an LMD of Diamondback. Then the B.A.D. Girls team was used in a Cable/Deadpool arc, fighting The Cat and interfering with one of Deadpool's missions- it eventually turned out that Cable had hired them all. Then the B.A.D. Girls were made part of the Woman Warriors, the "Initiative" team of Delaware, alongside Skein (Gypsy Moth) & Quicksand- all villains who'd "reformed". They were only backgrounders at this point- she was later just on the Society again, being drawn excellently by Frank Cho in a fight against Hope Summers. Her latest appearance has been as part of "Serpent Solutions", again as a window-dressing.

-Asp overall was not used as often as you'd think, given how she was a big part of the life of Cap's girlfriend- Black Mamba tended to speak for the B.A.D. Girls and had more interesting & complex powers, and seemed closer with Diamondback, who was the major character. Asp was really their... grey-skinned buddy (Egyptians & Black/Cambodians both seem to be colored with grey palettes in comic books of the early 1990s, for some reason, judging by Cap and The New Warriors).

-Asp is a bit of a Glass Cannon, being an Afflicter-type who has only basic human durability. However, she seems particularly competent in terms of hitting people with her paralytic blasts, if you think about it- countless stories feature her attack as a handy "So this character is knocked out" trick, perhaps because it's easily believed as non-lethal. She's taken out numerous Background Villains (Jackhammer, Poundcakes, Whiteout, Ferocia), CAPTAIN AMERICA, the Falcon (as Cap), and more. Just kind of a funny recurring thing I notice- a plot convenience that writers STILL lean on.

-Asp can either do a double-whammy type of Affliction (paralysis-based), or one that slows the targets, and she's got some martial arts know-how as well. Notably, she has way more Advantages than most of the Society, and more Skills, given that she does a lot of trickery and breaking & entering, as opposed to just brawling the crap out of people.


Based on: Antiquated name for snakes (from Greek); Also European viper with painful bite

[greycrusader]

I rather liked that Gruenwald gave a number of the Serpent Society more mundane backgrounds, such as steel worker for Anaconda and exotic dancer for Asp, rather than everyone being a scientist, ex-solider/mercenary, or life-long career criminal. Even "careers" such as call girl for Black Mamba, as presumably criminal organizations would recruit from less respectable professions.

(And I'm sort of surprised neither "Cleo" (which I figure is a stage name) or Tanya Sealy got the Attractive advantage, given their past roles depended largely on their sex appeal).

Ares, what did you see as a break from character in the Gail Simone book? I ask because I honestly had very little familiarity with the characters, except for Diamondback. I pretty much avoided all of Liefeld's X-Men work, and while I've enjoyed the odd Deadpool issue or three, I don't know much about Outlaw either. And its honestly been so long since the old Cap days that I couldn't really say how much different Diamondback is supposed to be from her time as Steve's girlfriend (it doesn't help that she's popped up so rarely since then).

All my best.

[Ken]

Nice Asp.

Here Nefertitties aren't bad either.

-An Egyptian girl named Cleopatra Nefertiti? Are you kidding me? That had BETTER be a pseudonym... In any case, Asp is an exotic dancer-turned-supervillain

Seriously, asked and answered. "Cleopatra Nefertiti" is exactly the kind a name woman with any middle eastern heritage might take as a stage-name as a
stripper.

[Jabroniville]

I rather liked that Gruenwald gave a number of the Serpent Society more mundane backgrounds, such as steel worker for Anaconda and exotic dancer for Asp, rather than everyone being a scientist, ex-solider/mercenary, or life-long career criminal. Even "careers" such as call girl for Black Mamba, as presumably criminal organizations would recruit from less respectable professions.

(And I'm sort of surprised neither "Cleo" (which I figure is a stage name) or Tanya Sealy got the Attractive advantage, given their past roles depended largely on their sex appeal).

Ares, what did you see as a break from character in the Gail Simone book? I ask because I honestly had very little familiarity with the characters, except for Diamondback. I pretty much avoided all of Liefeld's X-Men work, and while I've enjoyed the odd Deadpool issue or three, I don't know much about Outlaw either. And its honestly been so long since the old Cap days that I couldn't really say how much different Diamondback is supposed to be from her time as Steve's girlfriend (it doesn't help that she's popped up so rarely since then).

All my best.

Ah, the age-old “Attractive” debate- it’s hard to say, in this case. Neither ever appears to use their looks on the job. And, if anything, their interpersonal skills are higher among women than men. Though Asp is unapologetic about her job, enjoying the way men fawn over her. Who knows?