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

[Jabroniville]

MIRACLE MAN (Zachary Zambini)
Created By: Joe Blair & Ed Wexler
First Appearance: Pep Comics #2 (Feb. 1940)
Role: Magic Hero, Zatara Rip-Off
Incarnations: Golden Age, Silver Age
PL 7 (130)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Golden Age Magic" Variable 5 [35]

"Magic Boomerang" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [14]
Deflect 8 (Extras: Reflect) (16)
Senses 5 (Detect Energy- Ranged 2, Accurate, Tracking) (6)
-- (22 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (Nazi Germany)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 49 / Defenses: 11 (130)

-One of the sub-genres of Magic Superheroes (usually Mandrake the Magician knock-offs) was guys who dropped the "Suit" look for turbans. Most of them were minor names like Sargon the Sorcerer & Ibis the Invincible, but there were a bunch of forgettable turban-wearing magic-men back in the '40s. A turban was kind of a quick shorthand to explain that someone was "exotic" and had learned stuff abroad. Just mysterious enough to be enigmatic, I suppose. This guy, with almost the same name as Zachary Zatara, wielded a magic "Boomerang" amulet that could send any attack back to its source- effectively a powerful Deflect/Reflection effect. Using this, he could track black magic back to its source. Zambini could also Teleport and use "Whatever the story calls for" magic.

-Zambini the Miracle Man was featured for three years in Zip Comics, but was phased out alongside Blackjack for some comedy strips. Zambini actually lasted longer in Zip than anyone but Steel Sterling. Surprisingly, he actually showed up in the huge group of super-heroes in 1966's Mighty Crusaders #4, but unlike everyone else there, he didn't show up for later revivals.

[Sidney369]

INFERNO II (Private Lance Stern)
Created By: ???
First Appearance: ??? (Impact Comics- 1990s)
Role: Blaster

-The Impact Comics Inferno was an All-American boy growing up in the mid-west. Extremely patriotic, he manages to get into the army despite only barely meeting the entrance requirements thanks to his recruiting officer being impressed by him. He was soon told he had a neurological disease that would slowly render him immobile but alert- in order to serve his country Lance Captain America'd into a secret project called "Inferno", having much of his body replaced by cybernetics. He was also given a power-suit. For some reason he was the enemy of the Comet.

He first appeared in the Comet #4, and latter appeared in the Crusaders series, where he fought the team along side of two other cyborg villains, Mann-X and Maxx-14.

Cool, thanks! I guess he was a standard-issue bad guy, then?

Not when he first appeared. The A.I. evolved beyond what it's creators believed was possible, and when they tried to disable it, it took control of the unit from Stern and fled. It battled the Comet, with Stern fighting the A.I. for control. It eventually lobotomized Stern so it could take full control, but was still defeated by the hero. The Inferno that appeared in the Crusaders was a second one, this time female and in control of the unit. The Crusaders fought her and her teammates (referred to as the Cyberpunks) went they attacked a former Soviet state.

[Jabroniville]

BOB PHANTOM I (Walter Whitney)
Created By: Harry Shorten & Irv Novick
First Appearance: Blue Ribbon Comics #2 (Dec. 1939)
Role: Two-Fisted Superhero
Incarnations: Golden Age, Archie Digests, 90s (Legacy)
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Crusaders
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH 8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Expertise (Broadway) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Writer) 5 (+7)
Deception 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Takedown, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
Teleport 6 (Feats: Increased Mass) (13) -- [14]

• AE: "Yellow Smoke" Concealment 2 (Vision) (Extras: Affects Others, 15ft. Cloud) (8)

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

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (Ah-Ku)- The Chinese femme fatale was an initial recurring foe.
Enemy (The Cops)- For some reason, the Police view Bob Phantom as a villain, and frequently shoot at him.
Relationship (Jinx Friday)- Bob Phantom had many interactions with a sidekick who was also a girl reporter and his secretary.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 7 (125)

-Bob Phantom may just win the record for worst single superhero codename in existence. I mean, BOB PHANTOM? Called "The Phantom" at other times, Bob was Walt Whitney (WALT WHITNEY!? I! HATE! YOU! WALT! FREAKING! WHITNEY!), a theater columnist who also reported on his own adventures (that's an ethical conundrum in reporting for sure! Never mind why a THEATER COLUMNIST is going on about superheroes). His name was almost certainly a riff on Walt Winchell, a highly-vicious and nasty man who invented the idea of a gossip column with potshots taken at modern celebrities. While "nasty rumors about the famous" has been a thing as long as there have been famous people, this hit a particularly big strip when newspapers became regular features and most of the populace had learned to read. Offended ladies and high-and-mighty men clucking at the perverse misdeeds of rich actors was and remains big business.

-In a classic bit of "Ugh- I just gotta crank this out and it's for kids- who cares?" bit of half-assedness, Bob Phantom not only has no origin story or reason why he has powers, and often showed various powers that would soon be ignored (he could fly once and then never again)! So it's not explained how he could avoid bullets, control windstorms or have different hair colour between issues! ah, the Golden Age. Bob appeared in twenty-five stories back in the day (a LOT more than most of his contemporaries, though he got no cover appearances), switching from one book to the Wizard's Top-Notch Comics book, but was mostly-ignored when they updated him to the modern Crusaders team, and was only a random face in the two times Archie used mini-comics featuring its old heroes. A new Bob Phantom briefly appeared in the Impact Comics run of the '90s, but Bob has been relegated to obscurity otherwise.

-Bob Phantom has a great deal of powers, making him a pretty-powerful PL 8 hereo- he once defeated a trio of Lions by himself (!), but could still be KO'd by the usual baton to the head.

[Jabroniville]

BOB PHANTOM II (Bob Brooks)
Created By: Mark Waid & Turner Allen
First Appearance: The Comet #7 (Jan 1992)
Role: Two-Fisted Superhero
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Crusaders

-In the '90s Impact Comics run, Bob Phantom was Bob Brooks- a TV reporter who had some gadgets- a Wirepoon, goggles and a paint gun (not really an effective combat weapon, but it would hurt like the dickens, I bet), since that was the best thing he could throw together in a hurry. He'd only disguised as a superhero to get an interview with The Comet, but of course in superhero comics, when you DRESS like a superhero, you are automatically pressed into a violent life-or-death situation. So he ended up roped into a super-battle, using his paint gun to gum up a villain's powered armor (which was designed to be bulletproof, not paint-proof).

[Davies]

First appearance was in The Comet #7 (Jan 1992), creator was Mark Waid and Turner Allen.

-In the '90s Impact Comics run, Bob Phantom was Bob Brooks- a TV reporter who had some gadgets- a Wirepoon, goggles and a paint gun (not really an effective combat weapon, but it would hurt like the dickens, I bet),

... <takes notes>

[Jabroniville]

First appearance was in The Comet #7 (Jan 1992), creator was Mark Waid and Turner Allen.

-In the '90s Impact Comics run, Bob Phantom was Bob Brooks- a TV reporter who had some gadgets- a Wirepoon, goggles and a paint gun (not really an effective combat weapon, but it would hurt like the dickens, I bet),

... <takes notes>

Where are you guys finding this stuff? I can’t find ANYTHING on the wiki sites.

[Davies]

Here, and Here will be more generally helpful. There's not a lot of biographical information to be found, but there's bibliographical stuff.

[Sidney369]

I've read the majority of the Impact line, and still have most of them. I also have all 3 of the looseleaf Who's Who and also the MLJ Companion that was published by TwoMorrows.

[Jabroniville]

MISTER JUSTICE (Prince James of England, aka Paul Morse)
Created By: Joe Blair & Sam Cooper
First Appearance: Blue Ribbon Comics #9 (Feb. 1941)
Role: Scary Hero
Incarnations: Golden Age, Silver Age, Impact Comics, Archie Digests
Group Affiliations: N/A
PL 9 (198)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Royalty) 4 (+6)
Expertise (History) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Soul-Destroying Blast) 2 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Soul-Destroying Blast), Improved Hold, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Spectral Powers"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 4 [4]
Flight 5 (60 mph) (10) -- [11]
AE: "Flows Through Water as Easily as Air" Swimming 7 (60 mph) (7)

"Soul-Destroying Blast" Blast 8 Linked to Blast 8 (Extras: Will Save) (40) -- [41]

• AE: "Astral Form" Remote Sensing (Vision & Hearing) 10 (Flaws: Physical Body is Defenseless) (20)

"Ethereal Form" Insubstantial 4 [20]
"Immortal Things of Evil Are Near!" Senses 3 (Detect Evil- Ranged, Radius) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Soul-Destroying Blast +10 (+8 Ranged Damage & Will Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Injustice)- Murdered in England centuries ago, Prince James' Spirit has returned, and fights crime in America.
Enemy (The Dictator)- The embodiment of all evil has turned into a being not dissimilar to Adolph Hitler.
Power Loss (Insubstantial)- Mister Justice's body is affected normally by fire, even while ethereal.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 109 / Defenses: 12 (198)

-Mister Justice is the spirit of Prince James, unjustly murdered by rebels centuries ago in England, but his spirit rose when his castle was destroyed by German U-Boats en route to being rebuilt in America. Deciding to help capture some criminals, he hears a cop say "Mister Justice caught up with THESE guys!" and takes on a new name. His spirit foils injustice in all its forms (such as killing the King of the Vampires). His powers are pretty interesting, and he's one of the more cool-looking MLJ heroes, but he isn't there for most incarnations of "Mighty Crusaders" lore. He is a backgrounder in Too Many Super Heroes! and joins the Terrific Three with Steel Sterling & The Jaguar, and was a backup in the 1980s Impact Comics stuff in The Fly. Since the 1980s, he hasn't appeared AT ALL save for the "Group Pics" that Archie Digests published ("Ho! I am Mister Justice!"). There, he was given a modern redesign, his "place face with a blue hood" outfit giving him more pastel coloring and a strange shape on his head.

-Actually, Mr. Justice's only real effect on any story since the 1980s was that his name featured in the "Archie Marries Betty" portion of Archie: The Married Life- when Archie & Betty moved to New York and tried starting their lives there, Betty found success much more quickly than her struggling musician husband did- she was an executive and even got paid well writing a Mr. Justice movie as part of a committee of writers, and frequently brought it up, inadvertently shaming Archie. Humorously, I don't think they ever even really shared an image of the character in those tales.

-The Blast of Mr. Justice is apparently able to destroy bodies AND souls, making it a sort of Linked Toughness & Will-Affecting Blast. He can also fly, float in water, pass through things, and Detect Evil.

[Davies]

-Mister Justice is the spirit of Prince James, unjustly murdered by rebels centuries ago in England,

This might be referring to King James I of Scotland, who did in fact die in a coup attempt. (Probably not, though.)

[Jabroniville]

THE WEB (John Raymond)
Created By: John Cassone
First Appearance: Zip Comics #27 (July 1942)
Role: Two-Fisted Hero
Incarnations: Golden Age, Silver Age, Red Circle, Impact (Legacy), Archie Digests, New Crusaders (Legacy), Dark Circle
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Crusaders
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Professor of Criminology) 7 (+10)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Chokehold, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Takedown, Ranged Attack 4

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Tim- Brother)- John's brother is a crook.
Motivation (Fighting Evil)- After Tim was caught in a web on his own deception (he cut John's phone line to prevent him from calling for help, which led the police to John's door when he didn't answer an evacuation warning), John became obsessed with the concept of criminals and "webs".
Relationship (Rose Wayne)- Rose learns of John's secret identity early, and once they're married, henpecks him relentlessly to get him to give it up.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (108)

-The Web was a guy who wa fascinated with what makes criminals bad- becoming a psychologist & criminologist after his brother was basically a childhood nuisance turned real criminal "caught up in his own web of crime". He had one of the more interesting costumes of the Crusaders, but only lasted around a year before disappearing. His update was done by Jerry Siegel of all people (his son, John Jr., took the role in the '60s). In the 1960s, he was married to his Golden Age girlfriend but still joined the Ultra-Men with Captain Flag & The Fox. A recurring element comes up where he's being henpecked by his wife, who is angered over his decision to remain a superhero. Eventually, Rose decides to dress as the super-heroine "Pow-Girl" to act as his crimefighting partner- he is unaware of her dual identity. This was apparently meant to capture the "Marvel Comics Style" of Heroes With Day To Day Problems, but was just way too comedic and the fans hated it. Per Wikipedia, the MLJ Companion describes it as "a conceit lifted straight out of the day's inane TV situation comedies," and said that The Web was "reduced to playing straight man to mother-in-law jokes".

-The Web returned for the Red Circle revival in the 1980s, but in DC's Impact Comics, "The Web" was actually a group of agents who wore powered armor. He also appeared in group-shots in Digests. In the New Crusaders revamp, the new Web is Wyatt Raymond, the son of John & Rose. DC's 2000s revamp features John as a wealthy slacker womanizer, but is shamed when his father gives the family fortune to him instead of his social worker brother David, who has always been unselfish. John thus sets himself up as a super-hero, using his profile as a cover. When David is later murdered by loansharks, and confesses to John in his dying moments that he was too proud to ask for help, John reassesses his goals and now vows to only help those who can't ask for help anywhere else. He eventually forms another "group of Web agents" like the Impact version, but with Oracle & Batgirl's help. He finally captures David's killer.

-The Golden Age & later Webs are usually just two-fisted adventurers. This, despite an Archie story depicting a guy wearing a Web costume with real Wall-Crawling powers as part of the plot (he was a criminal who used the suit to steal the world's first comic book, drawn by Chuck Clayton's ancestor). The DC version has a Powersuit that gives him Flight, Bulletproof Armor, a GPS Tracker and enhanced Strength, and is a computer whiz using the "web" to keep his suits and allies updated with information.

[greycrusader]

I believe the name “Bob Phantom” was likely inspired by the the phrase “bobcat phantom”, an Ozarks term for the predatory feline, derived from its shy and elusive nature.

So it would be more appropriate for a camouflage/stealth-based hero, or one with feline abilities.

All my best.

[Jabroniville]

THE WEB II (Wyatt Raymond)
Created By: Ian Flynn & Ben Bates
First Appearance: ??? (May 2012)
Role: Potential Flagship Hero

-The "New Crusaders" version of The Web is the son of Web I & Pow-Girl, given a super-suit to enhanced his physical abilities and give him Web-like stuff.

[Jabroniville]

THE WEB III (Jane Raymond)
Created By: ????
First Appearance: ??? (July 2015)
Role: Potential Flagship Hero

-The "Dark Circle" version of The Web was a female Korean-American high school student who gains her powers in an accident. A series about John was announced, but never materialized.

[Jabroniville]

GREEN COBRA (Jerry Burton)
Created By: Marv Channing & Gray Morrow
First Appearance: Red Circle Horror #8 (Aug. 1974)
Role: Detective Hero
Incarnations: Bronze Age
PL 7 (87)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+7)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (Nazi Germany)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (87)

-A weird one, Green Cobra is a Green Hornet knock-off with near-identical gear. He was a collector of Golden Age & Pulp comics, but when he meets an author, the man tells him the "Cobra" will now take over his mind- and when he spots a mugging, he is indeed possessed to kill the criminals with a .45 handgun. This was in some 1970s Red Circle Horror book, as Archie was apparently expanding to include other genres. this is apparently Green Cobra's only appearance.