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

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Sidious
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm!)

Post by Sidious »

Grats on 2K!!!!
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm!)

Post by Ares »

What's weird about Firehawk is one of my first encounters with her was Crisis, where an explosion shreds her original purple outfit. So she uses her Firestorm like atomic restructuring powers to whip herself up a new costume (and somehow change her skin color from yellow to orange and turn her fire hair blue?).

And that was the only time she ever did something like that, because apparently she doesn't actually have atomic restructuring powers, she's mostly just a flying blaster. So Wolfman and Perez apparently gave her a one-shot power usage solely for a costume update.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm!)

Post by Ken »

Ares wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:23 pmWhat's weird about Firehawk is one of my first encounters with her was Crisis, where an explosion shreds her original purple outfit. So she uses her Firestorm like atomic restructuring powers to whip herself up a new costume (and somehow change her skin color from yellow to orange and turn her fire hair blue?).

And that was the only time she ever did something like that, because apparently she doesn't actually have atomic restructuring powers, she's mostly just a flying blaster. So Wolfman and Perez apparently gave her a one-shot power usage solely for a costume update.
She used a hero point to negate the fatigue from the Power Stunt.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm!)

Post by catsi563 »

Ken wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 12:28 pm Mayfair's DC Heroes game gave her a STR 7, which pretty much is a STR 6 or 7 in M&M.
Strength 7-8 actually which is listed at 3-6 tons respectively

but yeah spot on so she should be strength 7 or 8 in M%M
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Firestorm (Jason Rusch)

Post by Jabroniville »

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FIRESTORM II (Jason Rusch)
Created By:
Dan Jolley & Chris Cross
First Appearance: Firestorm #1 (July 2004)
Role: Kid Hero, Minority Legacy
Group Affiliations: The Justice League
PL 11 (194)
STRENGTH
2/8 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Nuclear Blasts) 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Nuclear Man"
Protection 4 [4]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Himself) [6]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

Nuclear Blast 14 (Feats: Split) (29) -- [33]
  • AE: "Shapeshift" Morph 3 (Anything of Equal Mass) (15)
  • AE: Insubstantial 4 (20)
  • AE: "Absorb Radiation" Weaken Energy Powers 12 (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Radiation) (12)
  • AE: Enhanced Strength 6 (12)
Transform (Anything to Anything Else) 10 (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Continuous) (Flaws: Side-Effect- Limited to When Altering Organic Substances) (Drawbacks: Must Know Chemical Make-Up of Change -2) [53]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Enhanced Strength +7 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Nuclear Blast +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Weaken Energy +8 (+12 Ranged Weaken, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4 (+8 Firestorm), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Leaving Detroit)- Jason really wants to leave his crappy hometown, and his abusive father.
Drawback Explanation: Transform- Firestorm can only create objects that are "understood" by himself- Jason isn't the scientific genius Prof. Stein is.
Relationship (Gehenna)- His girl got turned into salt.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 126 / Defenses: 13 (194)

-Firestorm was soon revived in 2004, but with a Minority Legacy Hero instead, as teenager Jason Rusch was merged with the "Firestorm Matrix". He lived with an abusive father, as his mother had walked out on the family. He was briefly merged with Ronnie Raymond, too (Ronnie was kind of trapped within the thing). Jason would also merge with a buddy (Mick Wong), and then with Prof. Stein when Mick was killed. THEN he merged with FIREHAWK post-One Year Later, and his girlfriend Gehenna got shoved into the Refrigerator by a Black Lantern Ronnie. After that, Jason and a resurrected Ronnie had an uncomfortable partnership, as anger between them might cause a new Big Bang, and they had to deal with "Deathstorm", who was sorta the Black Lantern Ronnie. Ultimately, this Firestorm book only lasted 3 years, being cancelled after 35 issues. He shows up on a few short-lived Justice League teams and manages to defeat the Shadow Thief, winning one for Ronnie.

-I figure Jason's got the same powers Ronnie does. I can't find anything that says otherwise. He doesn't seem as thick-headed as Ronnie was, but lacks Stein's knowledge in most incarnations.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm!)

Post by Jabroniville »

catsi563 wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 6:16 pm
Ken wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 12:28 pm Mayfair's DC Heroes game gave her a STR 7, which pretty much is a STR 6 or 7 in M&M.
Strength 7-8 actually which is listed at 3-6 tons respectively

but yeah spot on so she should be strength 7 or 8 in M%M
If anyone's seen her actually showcase super-strength or the like, please let me know, because the past several pages of Mayfair stats have proven to me they also had no clue how strong anyone is, either :P.
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Re: Firehawk

Post by Shock »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:16 am Image
This is a really snazzy costume, aside from the weird energy glow.
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm!)

Post by Orbiter »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 7:09 pm If anyone's seen her actually showcase super-strength or the like, please let me know, because the past several pages of Mayfair stats have proven to me they also had no clue how strong anyone is, either :P.
As has been noted, the game had the misfortune to be released right around the time of The Crisis on Infinite Earths. They pretty much scaled the game around Superman, even says so in the designer's notes. The idea was that if it could acomodate him, it could handle anybody. But of course, Supes got scaled back big time with the Crisis, which in turn whacked-out the scale for everyone. Consider that no one had every really tried to put any of this kind of thing into objective, measurable terms before, and you realize they didn't too badly.

Except for on Geo-Force.
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Re: Firehawk

Post by Jabroniville »

Shock wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 10:28 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:16 am
This is a really snazzy costume, aside from the weird energy glow.
Perez was the master. I love how he was just like "Hey, this outfit could be cooler- let's change it" in a character who has like, zero other stuff to do in that entire story, lol.
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JSA Rundowns- The Next Age

Post by Jabroniville »

"JSA: The Next Age" (#1-8)- written by Geoff Johns, art by Dale Eaglesham
JSA line-up: Green Lantern I, Flash I, Wildcat I, Hawkman II, Dr. Mid-Nite III, Mr. Terrific II, Power Girl, Jakeem Thunder (not present), Stargirl, Sandman II, Hourman II, Liberty Belle II, Mr. America II (recruit), Obsidian (security system)

-Boo-yah! It's the new series, complete with new numbering for no really good reason! Poor us, we never got to see JSA #100 get printed. Stupid comics and their obsession with re-boots and #1s....

-We come into the wake of "World War III" from "52", and the Trinity of The Only People DC Really Cares About insists that it's the JSA's job to train the next generation of heroes, since they're the originals and all. Me, I'd just have the Greatest Detective, Greatest Hero, and Greatest Chick do it, since they're apparently so damn great, but the Justice League writers never see it that way.

-New stuff right away, as a new Mr. America (ancient Golden Age hero with a whip, occasionally showed up in later continuity as a secret government dude, then vanished) walks into a murder scene, then reveals that HE's the 'missing husband'.

-The JSA begins recruiting their 'new team', since the old one kinda petered out. The members from the last group are pretty much immediately sworn in as no-brainers. Wildcat wants no part of the festivities, he just wants to beat the rookies up in the ring.

-Cut to Phillie, where Damage, in a new Atom-Smasher-esque costume & mask, is losing a fight to "Rebel", who's pretty clearly Alex Ross redoing his Von Bach design from Kingdom Come in a racist Southerner dude with the Confederate Flag. I should point out that Alex isn't the co-creator at this point, but his hand is still clearly all over the designs of the new characters. Hourman & Liberty Belle come in to recruit him, and he gives them and the cops on the scene attitude, which becomes his recurring theme. Since he's Al Pratt's biological 'long-lost' son (LOTS of those in the JSA, I should point out), he gets a JSA spot, but he seems unwilling to go along with it.

-Mr. America beats up Catalyst, last seen in JSA books during the "Kobra" arc, who leads him to the man who ordered the hit.

-OH MY GOD, IT'S MAXINE HUNKEL!! FANBOYGASM!! Okay, anyone who thinks I worship Stars or Al too much, turn away now. This is my favourite new character ever (lol that was written when she WAS a new characteR). The 'teenaged' (well she's in HARVARD, so she's obviously at least 18 or 19), genius (she lectures her PROF), granddaughter of Ma "Red Tornado I" Hunkel has apparently developed wind-controlling powers after a childhood incident with Dr. T.O. Morrow (they don't really follow that plot thread up ever), so Power Girl & Mr. Terrific come along to recruit her. She's just so... so CUTE here. All tall, busty and beautiful, with big ol' ladybug earrings. And she's a WICKED fan! Joy! And of course we see her big social problem, as her first three panels of existence are spent in a staccato burst of dialogue with no pauses or breaks whatsoever.

-When PG & Mr. T ask her to join, she FREAKS, giving me my favourite single page in the history of comic books.

-Seriously, how cute is this?:

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-I can't even CONCEIVE of how hard that last panel would be to draw. Giddy excitement in her smile, tears of joy in her eyes, and hands covering her mouth, all at the same time? Eaglesham pretty much cements himself as a master of characterization in art right here. Her wild stream of meaningless dialogue in that one panel is funny as shit, and makes her the best newbie on the team by far- she actually REALLY WANTS to be there, and has a completely new personality for the JSA series, and DC in general.

-I should note that she gets a little less beautiful & busty later on, as he & Alex Ross kinda 'meld' their variants of her down to a skinny, gawky girl with a big mouth. Apparently Johns came up with the character, then Alex Ross told him about his Red Tornado III in KC, which led to them mixing the characters into one, which is why she looks like she does.

-Next newbie is a new Starman (about the eighth, I believe), also in a Kingdom Come uniform. And apparently he's crazy and NUTTY. Oh dear lord. I've long held a hatred for characters who act like this, having been forced to play RPGs alongside players who played every character as a 'whacky, goofy, nutty' guy. So I hate him. Funny bit as Dr. Mid-Nite ignores a doctor lady's come-ons, despite Stargirl egging him on.

-Maxine joins the big group of newbs at the rebuilt Brownstone, and hey, it's Ma Hunkel, now designed as a tall Mrs. Doubtfire type in glasses, a business suit and make-up, rather than a stout matronly grandma in an apron. Awwwww and Maxine implies she has no friends. Sniff. And she apparently has a complete fangirl obsession with Stargirl, who politely seems to deal with it, because she's Miss Super-Nice and Kind.

-Hourman & Liberty Belle are annoying together, pretty much hanging all over each other and flirting the whole time. Dear Lord. I guess Rick IS addicted to his wife. You wouldn't think giant side-pockets on a woman would be hot, but there you go with Libby's costume.

-Final moments of the first issue see Alan & Jay tell Wildcat that this mystery kid they're looking at is his SON, and Mr. America ends up being tossed, broken and bloody, through the JSA's skylight, dying on their table without getting vengeance on his family's murderer.

-Next issue debuts Nate Heywood, grandson of the inserted Golden Age character Commander Steel, and brother of the failed JLA's Steel (the patriotic one), having lost a leg to an infection, ending his promising athletic career, while the JSA deals with Mr. America's murder. Starman acts like an idiot again, foreshadowing the Dream Girl/Dr. Destiny thing in later issues.

-Ted talks to his son Tommy about things. Turns out he's the result of a one-night stand and doesn't hate Ted for it. The "I haven't been in a fight since the Eighth Grade!" "... Did ya win?" stuff is hilarious, and it's great characterization to see Mr. I Don't Wanna Be No Damn Father actually be DISAPPOINTED that his son has no interest in his life.

-Maxine nearly walks out of the JSA then and there, and wonderful lil' Stargirl gives her the ultimate pep-talk (which makes no sense given the continuity of what really happened to Wesley Dodds; they were at his funeral when they found out he'd been murdered, and she showed no signs at all of nervousness or 'freaking out' about it- I guess it could've been hidden and off-camera, though), convincing her to stay, and getting to her make a costume. Boy, Dale's a great artist, but he's drawing these two super-cuties like they'll break in the middle, they're so skinny!

-The JSA discovers that the whole Thompson bloodline (Mr. America's) is gone, just as the Heywood Family Reunion is broken up by an attack by the Fourth Reich, a bunch of super-nazis out to kill them all! They wipe out the whole family while kicking Hawkman's ass, and Reichsmark, a bit metal dude, murderes Nate's little brother right in front of him, using a 'steel statue touch', which is one of those terrible super-villain powers because it can NEVER BE USED against an important character. The whole Fourth Reich team is pure Alex Ross, as it's big metal Reichsmark, Captain Nazi (old super-villain of Captain Marvel's turned scrub against everybody else), Swastika (another KC guy), Baroness Blitzkrieg (a yellow super-speedster), and White Dragon (Dragon-riding dude).

-Great moment, as Maxine & Stars debate code-names, while Maxine uses her "Theater Major" talents to make... the ugliest superhero costume in history. Hah. It's just a big green floppy sheet with giant candy-cane stockings! That's AWFUL! And according to Alex Ross' pictures, she wears NO UNDERWEAR, despite having a skirt on. What the HELL, Alex? Still funny how it has Wizard of Oz references in the stockings in addition to looking a bit like the KC Red Tornado's leggings.

-Back at the Reunion, Hawkman gets beaten badly, and Nate stabs his crutch through Reichsmark's MOUTH, spraying liquid metal goo all over him. And then they just LEAVE to exterminate more families, without even killing Hawkman! Dumbasses!

-Hey, it's Sanderson Hawkins! Johns DIDN'T forget he existed! And now he's in an ugly-ass trenchcoat costume with a creepy insectoid mask, talking funny and obsessed with his "nightmares" again. Boy, Johns sure forgot about THAT aspect of him in his earlier run, huh? Turns out the Heywoods & Thompsons weren't the first- ALL the patriotic heroes have been wiped out. Of course, most of them were retroactively added to DC's Golden Age by modern writers who apparently failed to see the NINETY FREAKING GUYS in the All-Star Squadron. General Glory and Minute-Man are thus wiped out... you'd think the JSA would have HEARD about an "entire family being dismembered at a wedding" if it happened days ago, but I guess they live in a crazier world.

-Good ol' Sandman II lets the team know that, oh yeah, Liberty Belle I & Stripsey are being targetted right at the end of the giant explanation. Y'know, I'd tend to think that should be the FIRST thing you tell everyone, and go their IMMEDIATELY, explaining things on the way, seeing as how both teams BARELY make it to the targets in time to save their lives.

-So one team goes in to save Libby, and another to save Pat & Mike Dugan, while VANDAL SAVAGE reveals himself to be the cause of the JSA's woes, punching out Wildcat. But turns out Tommy has a secret of his own, as he morphs into the black panther seen in Kingdom Come, and goes in to attack!

-Tommy/Wildcat goes nuts against Savage, while Power Girl leads Flash, Stargirl, Starman & Cyclone against Baroness Blitzkrieg & White Dragon. Maxine shares a personal story about how she formed a Junior JSA Club in High School, but everyone bailed after the first meeting because all she could talk about was Stargirl for three hours- but she STILL came every day to talk about her favourite hero. This is being told as if it's an UPLIFTING story, when it is in fact the saddest thing I've ever heard. Well, not as much as that dog in Japan that waited every day for his dead owner at a Subway station (yes, just like that Futurama episode), but still pretty sad. Cyclone actuallys says "Oh, my gosh!" with a straight face. I love her.

-A bigger team (Jesse, Hourman, GL, Damage & Hawkman) come in to save Liberty Belle I (doing her thing as a curator for the actual Liberty Bell) from Captain Nazi & Reichsmark. Damage the Cockbite sets off a HUGE explosion that nearly wipes out Jesse along with the big metal dude. The fights run together, as Flash easily takes out Baroness, PG wipes out Dragon. Nazi is actually powerful enough to take out GL AND Hawkman, but Belle & Hourman toss the Liberty Bell into him, which is somehow enough to take him out (weird power levels on these guys). Hourman realizes the extent of Damage's facial scarring.

-The two Wildcats recover and brawl with Savage, while Ted lectures Tommy on how to fight. Ted leads him into the path of a FIRE TRUCK, which is enough to take him down (I should hope so). Wow, Savage actually failed against two of the WEAKEST JSAers. Guess he's further down the ladder than Sorrow and the others after all.

-The elders ask Power Girl to become new Chairwoman, since Mr. Terrific's busy in the soon-to-be-cancelled Checkmate, since she's DC's newest major hero. She accepts, while Tommy goes to see the JSA, having I guess been convinced by his dad. And Nate Heywood grows a STEEL limb (not that Alex Ross' cover of JSA #1 would leave ANY DOUBT to what's happening here...). Ted describes why Savage's plan was stupid- the JSA's not just about their own kids, because half of the "legacy" characters aren't related to the originals. This happens while Jeffrey Graves, Mr. America's 'contact' in the FBI, puts on the mask to become the third one.

-We end things on a cliffhanger, showing Dr. Destiny screwing with Dream Girl's mind. But she's a LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES CHARACTER!! Next up... The Lightning Saga.

-The TPB concludes with a bunch of drawings by Alex & Dale. Dale does the cutest Stargirl picture EVER, and I'm still wierded out by Alex's near vag-shot of Cyclone. The previously-mentioned line-up picture with Captain & Mary Marvel plus a bunch of others who didn't make the cut make we wish for an FAQ on that by Johns.

Roster Changes: Mr. America II dies before being fully recruited. Cyclone (Maxine Hunkel), Damage (Grant Emerson), Starman VIII (Thom Kallor) & Wildcat III (Tom Bronson) join the team.

Review: The new JSA series is apples and oranges with the old one. While the concept is the same (old school guys & legacies), it takes a MUCH bigger turn, with a HUGE roster coming in, to the point where side-guys like Sandy & Obsidian end up doing NOTHING while a giant recruitment drive of various people goes on. This one's also MUCH more about the characters than the Events, as the story is a minor family-based one. The series now lives or dies essentially on character interaction, which is still does very well... most of the time. I LOVE the new Cyclone, and how cute and dorky and funny she is, because every single panel where she talks is just hilarious to read, and her bizarre facial expressions are gloriously funny. Tommy/Wildcat is amusing as well, being all snarky and sarcastic. But Damage? WHAT A TOOL. Ignorant, angry and nasty, he comes across as a putz, despite having Injury Angst. Starman is just annoying as hell, like an RPG player obsessed with his 'crazy hero' archetype, and his dialogue is just a mess? No schizophrenic ever talks that way either, so even THAT comes across bad. I wasn't as big a fan of the new Mr. America as the guy doing the foreword was, since he looks like an ass-clown with that costume, but it was a nice 'BANG!' moment to start things off when he came through the skylight.

The new Liberty Belle is great, despite being pretty dime-a-dozen on this squad, Hourman & Hawkman fit in as antagonists (Rick to Damage, Hawkman to everyone who's polite), and most of the old-school people are excellent. Dale Eaglesham as an artist makes the whole thing at least TWICE as good, too, because he draws the best facial expressions in the business these days. His men are HUGE and ripped and scary, his women are either sexy (Liberty Belle) or adorable (Stargirl & Cyclone), he draws violence well, his costume designs are mostly good (taken from Ross obviously, but not everyone can pull of Ross' work in regular art form for some reason), etc.

A good start, but not as epic as the prior series' first arc. Much better character work, though.

Best Moment: I already said Cyclone's debut was my favourite thing in comics basically ever, and it still holds. The youthful exuberance and hilarious dialogue is just done absolutely perfectly, and made me a giant fan of Maxine Hunkel for forever.
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Geo-Force

Post by Jabroniville »

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GEO-FORCE (Brion Markov)
Created By:
Mike W. Barr & Jim Aparo
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #200 (July 1983)
Role: Flying Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Outsiders, The Justice League of America
PL 10 (150)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Markovian Royalty) 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Lava/Earth Powers) 2 (+10)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 6 (King of Markovia), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Improved Critical (Lava Blasts), Leadership, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
Lava Blast 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (21) -- [35]
  • Dynamic AE: "Null Gravity" Affliction 8 (Strength; Impaired & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) Linked to Move Object 5 (19)
  • Dynamic AE: "Null Gravity Objects" Power-Lifting 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Affects Others) (Feats: Dynamic) (19)
  • Dynamic AE: Environment 4 (Impede Movement 2) (Feats: Dynamic) (9)
  • Dynamic AE: Flight 7 (250 mph) (Feats: Dynamic) (15)
  • Dynamic AE: "Plus Gravity" Features 10: Increased Mass 10 (Flaws: Affects Others Only +0, Limited to Objects) (Feats: Dynamic) (6)
  • Dynamie AE: "Move the Earth" Move Object 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Earth) (21)
  • Dynamic AE: "Plus Gravity Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
Immunity 1 (High & Low Gravity) [1]
Immunity 2 (Drowning & Suffocation) (Flaws: Limited to Within Earth) [1]
Regeneration 8 (Flaws: Source- Buried in the Earth) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Plus Gravity Punch +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Lava Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Null Gravity +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Temper)- Brion is quite hot-headed at times.
Responsibility (Markovia)- Brion is Prince, then King, of a fictional Eastern European Country. There's always stuff going on there (insurrections, supervillain takeovers, y'know- the usual).
Weakness (Antaeus Syndrome)- Brion requires contact with the Earth in order to utilize his full capabilities- he will grow Impaired & Disabled the longer he is not touching solid ground.
Relationship (Denise Howard)- Brion eventually married his long-suffering college girlfriend, but she went nuts and turned into Geode after trying to mimic his powers.
Relationship (Tara Markov)- Brion's half-sister was revealed to be a murderous savage. He still struggles with this revelation.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 41 / Defenses: 14 (155)

Geo-Force- The Forgotten Flying Geokinetic Guy:
-There are few parts of comics history I know less about than Batman and the Outsiders- it seems like such a zany concept now. The grouchiest, loneriest, outsideriest superhero out there, willingly taking on a TEAM of largely-untrained weirdos in horrific 1980s costumes involving bright colours and pastel pink? SO STRANGE. And one of them is a PRINCE and the brother of the insane bitch from Teen Titans? And the guy vanished from comics for eons (hopelessly overshadowed by Terra's legacy in the Titans' section of the DC lore), only to suddenly reappear in the JUSTICE LEAGUE of all places! And of course I've never read much of anything featuring the guy (to the point where I coudln't hope to guess any of his power levels) but he's other people's Red Guardian Character for whatever reasons :).

-Brion Markov is the Prince of Markovia, and half-brother of Tara "Terra" Markov, who was pathologically insane and a mole on the Teen Titans. Both siblings were given geokinetic powers, and Brion teamed up with Batman and the future Outsiders (Katana, Halo, Metamorpho & Black Lightning). He butts heads with the Bat on a number of occasions, and leads the team when Batman inevitably quits the squad. He has to deal with a whole bunch of stuff in his homeland, since naturally fictional countries are always in much greater danger of being overrun by evil (Silver Sable, Namor & The Black Panther can all relate to the ugliness of that particular kind of Complication), then the Outsiders split up after numerous tragedies and trials (ie. the book was cancelled and they needed to write everyone out of the DCU). A revival in the 1990s didn't go anywhere, and he was next seen dealing with the NEW Terra, sent from another Earth (turns out she's actually his blood relative, but he lies and convinces her she isn't in order to spare her the baggage).

-Brion spent most of the '90s on the shelf, before all of a sudden getting called up to the Justice League. He was forced to be a mole on the JLA for Deathstroke (Terra's old bedmate), but secretly spies on Slade for the heroes, and tries to commit Suicide By Super-Villain against him before ending up on the Outsiders again. He has to deal with his wife turning into an insane super-villain (don't we all?), and Markovia erupts into a civil war while being devastated in the fight between Brion and his wife.

"What- he's HOW Powerful?":
-Brion is, of course, my example for just how bad DC fans are at writing bios for characters. The first time I built him, I had him set up as a PL 9-10 guy in the Spider-Man tier, only to discover people Power Geeking out over sequences of him brawling with SUPERMAN (!!) and lifting thousands of tons with his powers or some shit. Which, of course, no online bios indicated anywhere near that, because DC bios tend to just read "Geo-Force had Super-Strength, Flight and Geokinesis!". I mean, Marvel guys it's usually pretty easy to place someone on a tier from a bio or a single comic, but DC dudes can go anywhere from Darkhawk-tier to Superman-tier without much mention at all.

-Geo-Force was an odd type of character stats-wise, packing Lava Blasts alongside Dynamic Flight (he has to use his Blasts & Gravity on himself to use it properly), and a combination of Light Lass & Star Boy's Gravity Manipulation powers. And at one point, he turned a Black Lantern Terra to stone, something he's never done before or since as far as I can tell (Power Stunt). Peculiarly, he later picked up a variation of his sister's Earth Manipulation powers, but dropped his durability at the same time- this was around his JLA debut, as he was QUITE strong and tough in the Outsiders series. At one point, he even apparently brawled with SUPERMAN. Though he basically defaulted into "Somewhat Mid-Level Strong Guy", which DCA translated as ST 13, but the images I've seen (I'm largely unfamiliar with his power showings) show him as a more Spidey-ish level guy who can modify things with Null Gravity (a power I swiped from DCA, as it's actually pretty ingenious for describing how you can make stuff lighter.

-In Justice League, he gained some of Terra's powers, which presumably upgraded his powers a HELL of a lot, making him PL 11-12. They were:
"Suffocating Snare" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered, Vulnerable & Dazed/Immobile, Defenseless & Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative, Extra Condition +2) Linked to Blast 6 (Extras: Concentration Duration) (59) -- [84]
  • Dynamic AE: Snare 12 (Feats: Obscures Senses, Reversible, Dynamic) (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (Drawbacks: Requires Earth -1) (50)
  • Dynamic AE: "Area Snare" Snare 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (45)
  • Dynamic AE: "Earth Control" Move Object 13 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Earth) (27)
  • Dynamic AE: Borrowing 8 (Feats: Dynamic) (9)
  • Dynamic AE: "Toss Sand" Dazzle Visuals 8 (Feats: Dynamic) (17)
  • Dynamic AE: "Earth to Mud" Environment 5 (Feats: Dynamic) (Impede Movement 2) (11)
  • Dynamic AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 12 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Ranged, Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Grounded Targets) (39)
  • Dynamic AE: "Shockwave" Damage 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Target Must Be Grounded) (11)
  • Dynamic AE: Earth Blast 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Feats: Extended Range 2) (25)
  • Dynamic AE: "Flinging Boulders" Blast 8 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Multiattack) (25)
  • Dynamic AE: "Stone Shape" Transform Stone to Stone 12 (Feats: Dynamic) (25)
  • Dynamic AE: "Stone Shield" Create 10 (Extras: Continuous) (30)
  • AE: Magma Blast 11 (Feats: Indirect) (Extras: Perception Range) (35)
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Black Canary! Blue Devil! Firestorm! Firehawk!)

Post by catsi563 »

He had an interesting run in YJ where he became a meta after his parents deaths along with Terra they made a run at the Judas contract but subverted it at the end with Brion taking the throne under "circumstances"
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Geo-Force

Post by Ken »

Geo-Force and Terra
Mike W. Barr has said he was working on the character of Brion/Geo-Force and he started talking to Len Wein, who was going to be the editor on "Batman and the Outsiders" but was also the editor of "The New Ten Titans". He's the one who noticed that DC would have two new Earth-powered characters debuting just seven months apart. So he brought in Marv Wolfman, so Mike and Marv could work out the details of them being siblings.

I'm also pretty sure this is a)why Terra received a new costume just 4 issues after her debut (so it would look more like Geo-Force's) and b)why Geo-Force got a new costume so soon after Terra was killed. I suspect that the green and yellow costume was what Aparo had planned on BEFORE the Brion-Tara think was developed, and the tan-and-brown variant was done, again, to drive home the point about the two being related (cross promotion.)

Superman vs Geo-Force
Krypton was a high gravity world. And in many of the pre-Crisis stories, some of Superman's powers came from Earth having lighter gravity as well as the yellow sun thing. This was used in the Superman/Geo-Force fight. Brion used his plus-gravity powers to weaken Superman. He didn't make Superman human, but he lowered Superman's powers enough that the two could brawl without it being ridiculous.

Geo-Force and the League
This was the work of uber-hack Brad Meltzer, who strained to put two Outsiders (Brion and Jeff), a Titan (Roy), and a member of the Detroit League (Vixen) for whatever reason. He also wrote a story where Brion didn't understand the Markovian language in a showdown between Brion and Deathstroke the Marysue.
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JSA Rundowns- The Lightning Saga

Post by Jabroniville »

"JLA: The Lightning Saga" (JLA #0, 8-12 and JSA #5-6)- written by Brad Meltzer & Geoff Johns, art by Shane Davis, Fernando Pasarin, Dale Eaglesham, Ed Benes, Gene Ha & Eric Wright
JSA line-up: Green Lantern I, Flash I, Wildcat I, Hawkman II, Dr. Mid-Nite III, Mr. Terrific II, Power Girl, Jakeem Thunder (not present), Stargirl, Sandman II, Hourman II, Liberty Belle II, Obsidian (security system), Cyclone, Damage, Starman VIII, Wildcat III
JLA line-up: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Black Canary (leader), Flash III, Red Arrow (Roy "Arsenal" Harper taking his Kingdom Come name), Red Tornado II, Black Lightning, Vixen, Green Lantern II (Hal Jordan), Geo-Force, Hawkgirl

-Kind of a new thing this time around, as it's primarily a JLA trade paperback, but it has two JSA issues in it, and it pertains to the team a bit, so here goes.

-OK, JLA thoughts: This is an awesome line-up for the team, featuring enough of the 'big league' guys (the Trinity, Hal, Wally, Canary), with some up-and-coming faces (Lightning, Arrow), and some guys who've been on the outs for years and could maybe become big some day (Vixen, Geo-Force, Tornado). It's great to see such a crew, and it'll be interesting to see if the lower-calibre guys on the squad can get "Catmanned" and move on up. Plus, Brad Meltzer wrote Identity Crisis, which was awesome and stuff, so I kinda had high hopes for this squad.

-Three things going on at once: a War Games thing, Mr. Terrific is playing Hal & Dinah at chess simultaneously, and Batman/Black Lightning are studying Val Armorr, aka the Legion of Super-Heroes' Karate Kid, who for some reason was dressed as loser villain Trident. But Armorr wakes up, takes out Lightning, and Bats talks about how Superman only classed Batman at 12 in Fighting, but this kid's a 15. Well, a martial arts master like Supes would know. They fight pretty much off-panel, and I think Lightning ends the fight with a blast since Bruce pulled the kid into the right position for it, but they're not clear on that.

-So the others are playing Capture the Flag, and it's Wildcat, Red Arrow & Geo-Force versus Hawkgirl. Roy goes all "I'm more experienced!" (which, y'know, he IS and DC writers & fans forget that he & the other Teen Titans first class have been at this since WAY before most of the DCU, and had the best in the world teaching them, to boot), fires the flag like an arrow and Kendra, but the Red Tornado makes his debut and knocks it away. Roy gets all uppity and takes Tornado's cape, but then he goes nuts with a full wind surge, nearly killing Roy, and Geo-Force uses null-gravity to save him. Nice job nearly getting someone killed in practise, Red Douche, what're you, the X-Men?

-Ooh, Michael was just TESTING Hal & Dinah, because they're really playing EACH OTHER, so Michael will always get at least one win or a full draw.

-The meat of the story finally starts, as Karate Kid sorta 'comes to', and the JSA guys figure that their Starman might know something about it. So it's a BIG TEAM TWO-PAGE SPREAD!! Wildcat III looks like a giant fuzzy dog/cat thing here, proving once again that he's by far the hardest JSAer to draw. Stargirl gushes over Wonder Woman like some rookie, apparently forgetting that they've met many times before. Hourman & Red Arrow bond over past drug use and sponsorship (I still wonder how releasing Miraclo into Rick's system is better than taking pills for it since it's practically an IV). Mid-Nite crushes on Dinah again (Oh god, LET IT GO, BUDDY- the fishnets are hawt, but come on...). Batman & Power Girl talk over some historical item she's found, which is a totally new side to her from my recollection-- I took her for one of those obsessive-hero types with no time for that kind of stuff. Kendra whines about never being 'part of the team' on either squad.

-First step once they find out the Legion Flight Rings' tracking signals is Arkham, where Dr. Destiny is messing with Dream Girl, the love interest of Legion Starman (in a scene we saw from the first JSA collection). Batman, Sandman, Geo-Force & Starman are there. Boy, Sandy looks okay normally with his Golden Age-type uniform on, but the second he starts using his powers in that civvie get-up, he looks ridiculous. Geo notes that he has Sandman AND Starman's powers combined, like a total douche. Boy, he just doesn't seem that great in this arc at all. They end up fighting Nightmare Batmans, since Destiny can make nightmares real, and who else are the Arkhamites afraid of? All it takes is the "Wake Up Word" which the Legionnaires are using, to wake up Dream Girl, and she tools Destiny with ease, saving the day. But since she's the Legionnaire with future sight, she knows ONE OF THEM WILL DIE.

-Next up is Superman, Stargirl, Red Tornado and CYCLONE~~!, up at the Fortress of Solitude. Awwww Maxine wants to talk to her grandma's successor, but is too nervous. Wook at her, all tugging on her dress! Her super-expressive face is just used to the nines by artist Fernando Pasarin here- this character is such an artist's wet dream. Her costume actually looks less ridiculous with this weird shiny-fabric effect the colourist is giving it, much better than Eaglesham's giant green velvet thing.

THIS pic, though... the dirty lines you could put in Stargir's mouth here just boggle the mind:
Image

-Seriously, I know Courtney is supposed to be looking mischievous, but DANG if that doesn't look perverted. So it turns out that Maxine was kidnapped by T.O.Morrow when she was six in order to lure Reddy to him (this is mostly new information). "... seemingly without any psychological damage"? THAT's a loaded statement. Is he talking about her depression or motormouth habits? "without any NEGATIVE reactions to Prof. Morrow's nanobytes"? Okay, it's pretty obvious this is how she got her powers, but other fans have noted that it almost seems like Morrow could've created ANOTHER android, and that Maxine just might not know it! They don't really delve too far into the whys of Maxine or Tom's powers at this stage, so who knows?

-Awwww wook at Maxine's widdle smile when Reddy smiles at her and agrees that being human isn't easy either!! SOOOOO CUTE!!
Couldn't find that pic online, but this one's adorable too:
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-Nice full line-up shot of the Legion of Super-Heroes statues by Pasarin. Good ol' Shadow Lass and her black bikini costume. Y'know, I guess I should lay out my thoughts on the Legion since not only is every writer in DC in LOVE WITH THEM, and this whole arc's about them, but they seem to represent the best and worst of comics at the same time. Idiotic codenames and costumes, occasionally worthless powers, redundant people & Flying Bricks... but there's something so entertaining and Silver Age about all of it. It's all futuristic and sci-fi, and it's great allegory for modern racism and all that crap. Plus it's a roster of like 30 people, so you can throw relationships, deaths and arcs all over the place, showcasing different guys. Hey, maybe that's where Johns got the idea for his new JSA....

-I picked up on the two Wildfires right away, and Maxine is the only one there (nice computer brain, Red Tornado...) to notice it too, and it seems that Wildfire's another Legionnaire in the present. I should also point out that the effects of Superboy-Prime's "Time punches" are becoming notable, as how Superman DOES remember his adventures with the Legion way, way back when he was SuperBOY, which invalidates the "Threeboot" Legion while it's still ongoing. But hey, Didio & Johns are Silver Age nuts, and they've decided THAT'S where the DCU needs to be headed.

-Next up, Jay, Hal, Vixen & Wildcat III end up in Gorilla City, meeting a friendly group following Solovar (aka that guy I say in Crisis on Infinite Earths). Ed Benes takes his own stab and Wildcat, making him look like a giant gibbon. Good lord. A white baby ape is born in the city, which is supposed to be all great, though as readers we recognize that, along with the earlier one-shot appearance of Dolores Winters, the Ultra-Humanite's first possessed victim, as meaning something else entirely. Turns out Timber Wolf (aka the 1970s-styled Legion guy who ends up being turned into a Wolverine rip-off the more popular that character got) is in the City, feeling for once at home with all the animal-men.

-Red Arrow, Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Power Girl head to Thanagar. Red Arrow notes that super-teams ALWAYS fight when they meet up. It has a ring of truth to it, but I always get nervous when heroes get a little bit too Genre Savvy. They explain that Carter spent most of the "52" year on Thanagar helping out the police force, and we get a bizarre moment, where Power Girl notes Roy obviously flirting with Kendra, and points out that SHE was here trying to boink CARTER. WOAH. But... was the image of her kissing Carter in that panel a fantasy that didn't happen? Because Roy says "No!" and PG says he's right... what's going on here? Why is Meltzer writing everything in half-lines without explaining shit? Did she hook up with Carter and get shot down later? Or did he turn her away straight out? Did she do ANYTHING? Jesus, Brad, I know exposition is hard to write, but ya gotta give us SOMETHING.

-Big villain shot of Ultra-Humanite, Per Degaton and Despero (in lame-ass 60s form, not the giant muscle-monster we say later), but that's the last of them for this arc.

-Dawnstar was apparently on Thanagar, shacking up with some chick. HOT. Benes of course draws Dream Girl with a power-thong. Jesus dude, that costume's made of METAL or something- that would be PAINFUL. And then there's DAWNSTAR's costume, skimpy at the best of times, but Benes goes for the full near-vag shot V-neck. I think if I were to introduce a girl to comics, I would hide the existence of Ed Benes forever. Turns out the Legionnaires remember stuff now, and have their Lightning Rods to "bring him back", and teleport away from the two Justice Teams.

-Superman explains the Lightning Rods with an EXACT description of an old Legion story, where Lightning Lad is brought back to life by the Rods, in an event guaranteed to kill one person holding them- turns out Chameleon Boy's throwaway shape-shifting pet Proty took Saturn Girl's place and died. Geo-Force notes how COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS that is. "You were KIDS." "No, Batman. We were LEGION." hahahahahahahha Okay, that was supposed to be dramatic and epic, but WOW, cheesy.

-More stuff explained. Starman is crazy because in the future, schizophrenia is easy to cure. Everyone was under mental blocks to keep Saturn Girl from peering into their minds. And the future is apparently really bad in their time now (note: The Legion stopped hanging with Supes when they were still teens, so he missed out most of the Post-Crisis adventures). But the remaining heroes (Wonder Woman, Liberty Belle, Hourman, Damage, Black Lightning) are searching for the last Legionnaire. Heh, Liberty Belle trying to hook Wonder Woman up with dudes is pretty funny- CLASSIC 'married woman' behavior. They find Triplicate Girl in the old Secret Society/Legion of Doom swamp HQ.

-The base ("Computo" apparently) attacks the heroes, but the Legion helps out alongside all the other JSA/JLA guys. At least Eaglesham can draw Wildcat III properly. Red Tornado mentions she has "Wind Programming". Uh-oh, maybe she IS a cute and sexy robot! Or a nano-person. Whatever. But the whole fight was really an illusion to cover the Legion's escape, courtesy of Princess Projectra/Sensor Girl. Boy, this story is just kind of all over the place, huh?

-So the Legion guys are with their Lightning Rods, to bring someone back. The heroes try to stop them from sacrficing one of their lives. It's still not entirely apparent who they're bringing back until GASP! Bruce & Hal recognize these places as where they've seen Barry Allen before! The lightning strikes Karate Kid, and the Legion disappears... bringing back Wally West and his entire family- with the age-old comic book stand-by, SUPER-AGED KIDS!! Good Lord, does NOBODY in comics have kids who don't age 15 years in one, or introduce themselves as long-lost adults? And Jeepers, Benes draws Wally West INSANELY ripped and huge compared to most artists. And all his guys look like they're using the exact same template, like he's f*cking Jim Lee or JLU-era Bruce Timm or something. It's most notable when Wally, Hal and Roy are all standing in the exact same pose in one big line- same eyes, jawline, head-shape, muscle-mass, etc.

-Oh, but hey, Val Armmor is still alive, because he 'ducked' (why are they MAD at him? Wasn't one of them dying PART OF THE PLAN?), and he & Starman have to stay in our time period. Oh goodie, I was so enjoying Thom's whacky, crazy-guy ways.

-Final moments of the team-up bit sees the Legion remarking how odd it is that the 'wrong one' came out (they, along with Batman's whispered words, imply that Barry Allen was the one they expected), but Brainiac 5 says they "got WHO we wanted", looking at an electro-face in another Lightning Rod. This is so confusing....

-One-shot JLA issue is next, and it's an artsy-fartsy single-issue of Roy & Vixen being trapped in a building's wreckage, engaging in personal stuff and talking about nearly dying. Boy howdy, I appreciate the artistic style here, and the nature of the issue, but this is just SUCH a painful thing to read because they're trying SO HARD to be artsy. It really has no place in the giant heroics of a Justice League book, either. Gyst of it is that they're TURNED AROUND in the building (gasp!), and Vixen reveals she's only been stealing the powers of super-humans instead of animals, like that's somehow WORSE on a team with Superman & Wonder Woman on it.

-"Monitor Duty" has J'onn & Aquaman do a big narration about the history of the League, as Red Tornado angsts about his android body while everybody trades off on the monitors. It's revealed that Hawkgirl lost her daughter (though this got retconned later since it was needless and dumb), and she discovers Roy has a daughter, so she bangs him. Stupid man-whoring Roy Harper. At least it's not my precious Donna Troy he's befouling this time.

-AWESOME moment, as Ms. Useless (in this arc anyways) Black Canary calmly tells Kendra not to hurt Roy. "And he's still me boy. Don't hurt him." Jesus Christ, could Mama Bear-types be any hotter? Silver Ghost is acting as an informant to Black Lightning, who's pretending to still be allied with Lex Luthor. Since I don't collect JLA, this is meaningless to me. Same goes for Deathstroke making some 'deal' with Geo-Force, who goes all "Serious Mr. King Guy" and is actually taping the message for the League (which 'Stroke should TOTALLY already know by this point). Big Massive Line-Up Shot by Benes, which looks pretty awesome. I give him shit (and rightly so), but he's still one of the top artists of today.

-Next one is a GIANT mass artist collective from JLA #0, with the Trinity getting together over the years and discussing the current events of the DCU, drawn by a multitude of big stars. And some it's FUTURE stuff. Hal Jordan's wedding to a mystery woman! But WAIT! Bruce is still alive in this one! Does that mean that... HIS DEATH WON'T LAST?? Donna Troy's wedding to the late, lamented Stuffed into a Refridgerator Terry Long. They make light of the shitty "Vibe" era JLA. Pa Kent dies (hey, that happened recently, too!). Wonder Woman gives up immortality for a mystery guy (Nemesis? HAW.) They joke around about Bruce KOing Guy Gardner, back when EVERYONE reading comics hated the hell out of him. I miss seeing 'funny' Batman. Bruce & Diana cry when Clark died against Doomsday. And more stuff. Really nice issue, actually, showing how close these three really are.

Roster Changes: None

Review: Well, this cross-over is a big fat mess. The whole 'mystery' going through the whole thing just serves to make things confusing, especially once you stack Legionnaires sent into the PAST, with their memories wiped then fixed, then the big reveal of their plan, then a NEW swerve as a different guy comes down... plus all the REALLY forced characterization bits. Vixen's angst over her powers, Roy suddenly being IN LOVE with Kendra, Red Tornado pulling the "is this what humanity means?" bit, Kendra being grouchy around ANOTHER team (why can't they just bring in the cool JLU-ish Shayera Hol? Best. Hawkgirl. Ever.), Geo-Force being boring as hell despite this being his greatest chance at legitimacy ever, etc. The JSA was really just shoved on here for the hell of it it seems, since they barely do anything.

And hardly ANY Cyclone! Cyclone to JSA is like Cowbell to the Blue Oyster Cult- you always need MORE! And hey- where the hell was Alan Scott during all of this? The JSA's heavy hitter was like the only guy missing in this entire thing! More stuff... that "trapped in wreckage" issue was just artsy and out of place in my mind, and Monitor Duty was merely OK. The big retrospective of the Trinity conversing about DCU history was nice, but I always get nervous around "this is the future" stories, because it's constraining to current writers and so easily written out (just like when Stargirl & Atom Smasher got married in a future scene in JSA). Just... mediocre at best, and horribly confusing and shitty at worst. Failing grade here.

Best Moment: Cyclone's only two pages of major conversation. Especially that adorable gawky smile to Red Tornado.

Best Non-Cyclone Moment (because I'm going to have to start making this a regular title): Black Canary going all Mama Bear on Hawkgirl to not hurt "her boy". Growl.
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Metamorpho

Post by Jabroniville »

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METAMORPHO (Rex Mason)
Created By:
Bob Haney & Ramona Fradon
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #57 (Jan. 1965)
Role: Shapeshifter, Unsuccessful Silver Age Character
Group Affiliations: The Justice League of America, The Outsiders, The Seven Soldiers of Victory, The Doom Patrol, Stagg Enterprises
PL 10 (168)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (World Adventurer) 7 (+10)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 1 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Critical (Body Weaponry), Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Shapeshifting Elements"
Elongation 4 (120 feet) [4]
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [7]
Morph 4 (Any Form) (Flaws: Limited to Shapes & Objects, Not People) [16]

"Burning Mixture 3" Flame Aura 8 (32) -- [40]
  • AE: "Body Weaponry" Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Variable Descriptor- Slashing/Bludgeoning) (5)
  • AE: "Burning Mixture 1" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)
  • AE: "Burning Mixture 2" Blast 10 (20)
  • AE: "Clay Trap" Snare 10 (30)
  • AE: "Multiple Fragments" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
  • AE: "Liquid Form" Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Precise) (6)
  • AE: "Mist Form" Insubstantial 2 (Feats: Precise) (11)
  • AE: "Knockout Gas" Affliction 10 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) (30)
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Body Weaponry +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Aura +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Burning 1 +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Burning 2 +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Clay Trap +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Multiple Fragments +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Knockout Gas +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Metahuman)- Rex looks like a weird mish-mash of elements.
Relationship (Sapphire Stagg)- Rex loves his boss' daughter, and vice-versa. They have a son in Joey.
Enemy (Simon Stagg)- Stagg is a raging douche, and constantly tries to control or injure Rex. The feeling is mutual.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 10 (168)

Metamorpho- The Guy Stuck in the Sixties:
-Ugh, THIS guy. As I've said before, I dislike Metamorpho. He looks silly, he's dull, and he'll probably never be cool, despite his very unique and interesting power-set (seemingly designed to capitalize on how DC Comics back in the day used a lot of real-life science or fictionalized applications of science). So Metamorpho will always remain stuck in the Silver Age. He had some luck in Batman & The Outsiders in the Bronze Age, but that ultimately didn't lead to enduring success. Part of the issue might be that his leg is made out of poop.

-So Metamorpho is a mid-Silver Age character, debuting quite a ways after most of the "Big Seven" or the iconic JLA members. He was created by Bob "Metal Men/Doom Patrol" Haney, attempting to create another "Weird Superhero" of sorts, at the urging of some other editors at DC comics. He proved popular in his "test debut" in The Brave and the Bold (an Anthology/Team-Up book that could also be used as a "Try-Out" for new characters- something comics wouldn't be foolish to try again), and thus got his own ongoing series out of it. Alas, it only lasted 17 issues, right in the middle of the '60s- Metamorpho had SOME fans, but just not enough of them.

So What IS His Deal?:
-Rex Mason was an adventurer hired by Rich Guy Simon Stagg to find an Egyptian artifact called The Orb of Ra. Stagg disliked that Mason was dating Sapphire Stagg (his daughter), and set him up to be hit by the radioactive meteorite within the Orb, which of course gave him super-powers. Mason was rendered nigh-invulnerable, but Stagg discovered that he was weak when the Orb was near, and so controlled Rex into doing his bidding. As Metamorpho, Rex searched for a cure for his condition (he looked REALLY stupid, and considered himself a freak), and would go on to discover other Metamorphos, mutated by the Orb (they were intended to serve Ra in war against the god Apep). Sapphire married some guy, but he was killed and Metamorpho framed in a weird multi-step conspiracy that saw him executed by absolute zero temperatures but revived by a female sidekick (Urania Blackwell, who falls in love with him but has herself depowered after it proves to be one-sided... then promptly dies), and the series ended in mid-story. Metamorpho got a new back-up four years after his solo book's cancellation (mostly because his creators reminisced about how much they LOVED workign on the Metamorpho stories), then joined Batman's Outsiders in the 1983- he was killed during the Millennium event after being brainwashed by the team's scientific advisor Dr. Jace. He returned shortly in Invasion, got his own Limited Series in 1993, and even joined the Justice League, reuniting with Sapphire around the same time.

-Rex discovers that he & Sapphire have a son, whose touch is nigh-fatal to everyone but he & the Stagg family. Then he hooks up with Crimson Fox (was he still separated from Sapphire romantically or something?), who is then murdered for being a terrible character. He dies a second time in the opening arc to Grant Morrison's JLA, shielding his teammates' bodies with his own during a cataclysmic attack by the White Martian "Hyperclan", falling out of Earth's orbit. Though his teammates are saved, Rex is rendered "inert", for lack of a better term. Years later, Sapphire resurrects him with the Orb of Ra, and he joins the Doom Patrol during one of its short-lived series.

Shift- Metamorpho Jr.:
-His "son" Shift, is like Metamorpho, but more confusing, coming about on that crap Outsiders run that saw Black Lightning get a suddenly-added daughter and Nightwing start lipping on Arsenal for being an ex-junkie, because Judd Winick is a freaking hack who was trying his damndest to ruin comics sometimes. I mean, I liked his Exiles but GOD. ANYWAYS, Shift was thought to be a confused, amnesiac Metamorpho, but was discovered to be a "regrown segment" of Rex's body. Shift attempts a life of his own (hooking up with teammate Indigo), but after he accidentally kills some people, he merges back into Rex. He was thought-killed (this THIRD TIME, which is up there even for comic book characters) during a satellite explosion that Talia al-Ghul set off.

-Rex has an... uncomfortable position in the DC Universe. He's not a popular character, but appears to have SOME fans... but not enough within the industry to give him real traction. Gail Simone at one point indicated that Mark Waid was crazy about Metamorpho and was always trying to talk him up to disinterested people (like her, who says she just didn't get him). But since he was never on the JLA or in a big spot, he never quite "mattered", and the "Misfit Toys" book The Outsiders was his only real claim to fame. His bizarre Silver Age Monster appearance, with a chalk-white face, weird purple arm and poopy leg, also really hold him back, in my opinion. His busiest periods being in a third-tier team book and the '90s Justice League books didn't help.

-That said, his Justice League two-parter in the cartoon was decent, if only for the relationship between John Stewart and Rex, and each envied the other (John admired Rex's money, relationship and career, while Rex idolized John's heroics). It was pretty well-acted (and hey- it had Winnie Cooper as Sapphire!), but it all gets shot to hell the second this four-coloured idiot shows up with his goofy white face and purple body. And I guess Tom Sizemore was busy, because Metamorpho never showed up for JLU, even with its huge roster, despite Rex showing up in background shots, and once when he jobbed to Parasite.

Metamorpho's Powers:
-For stats, Metamorpho has a really solid mix, making him a dangerous threat in melee or at range. I've read very few of his appearances in the comics, so a lot of this is from the cartoon and Wikipedia. He can "Alt-Effect" a new chemical compound if he needs to by spending Hero Points- a science nerd could make him as effective as a Magic character.
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