Jab’s Builds! (Beaker! Sam Eagle! Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
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Davies
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Re: The Parkers

Post by Davies »

Jabroniville wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 7:58 pm -The whole "Peter Parker has spies for parents" thing is always a bit weird- like they were pushing too hard for him to have this big, cool backstory that goes against his "Ordinary Guy" thing. The fact that this was Stan Lee writing it makes it even weirder.
Nnnnot really. I suspect that he did this to buttress his claim that he'd created Spidey, rather than Jack Kirby. Mr. Leiber was not a particularly nice person to work for.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
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The Rhino

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

THE RHINO I (Aleksei Sytsevich)
Created By:
Stan Lee & John Romita
First Appearance: The Spectacular Spider-Man #41 (Oct. 1966)
Role: Dumb Muscle (the DUMBEST), Donated Villain (to The Hulk), Reformed Villain
Villain Ranking: B-List
Group Affiliations: The Sinister Six, The Sinister Syndicate, The Emissaries of Evil
PL 10 (122)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 3 (+1)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+1)
Intimidation 14 (+12)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Horn) 3, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage for 1 Round w/ HP Spent), Power Attack, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Power Charge" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Thick Hide- Unremovable Costume" 
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 15) [17]
Immunity 2 (Heat, Cold) [2]

"Rhino Horn" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) [14]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Horn +7 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +13 (+8 Impervious), Fortitude +13, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Enemy (Spider-Man, The Hulk, The Rhino II)- Though a recurring Spidey foe, Rhino's gone up against ol' Jade Jaws even more, since The Hulk has such a crappy Rogues Gallery. Also, the new Rhino decided that to ascent to legitimacy, he had to kill the original, and he's been hunting Alexei ever since.
Reputation (Moron)- The Rhino is dim even by Dumb Muscle standards, being unfathomably stupid for a non-handicapped human being. This is well-known in the hero community. "Why are the strong ones always so stupid?" "He fought The Hulk and walked away. God help us if he was smart."
Motivation (Reformed)- The Rhino has recently tried to reform, but was opposed by a new Rhino.
Relationship (Oksana)- The Rhino married a cranky waitress and found love, but it was not to last.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 14 (122)

The Rhino- A One-Note, Yet Classic, Dumb Powerhouse:
-The Rhino's a classic, and proof of Spidey's greatness as a hero. They say a hero is judged by the quality of his villains- well Spidey's got so many that he's able to pawn them off to other, lesser heroes! The Hulk borrowed the Rhino on layaway, but wasn't always able to keep up payments, as ol' Aleksei (he's Russian apparently- out of nowhere he started talking like he was, too) still shows up every few years or so in the Spidey books. And oddly enough, The Rhino is one of the few characters to be SIGNIFICANTLY better in the modern era than he ever really was in prior times- they've added a lot of depth and sadness to a guy who used to pretty well define "Dumb Muscle".

-Pretty much my entire run as a reader in the mid '90s didn't involve him, but he's unique as Spidey's only big-league Brick of a foe. Almost everyone else is either around Spidey's strength-level, a gimmick-user, or an energy-themed guy. Rhino's the only one I can think of who can lift over fifty tons- making him the one guy Spidey can NEVER overpower (which creates some powerful scenes in the modern era- sure, the guy would have to study up to be a half-wit... but Spider-Man is 100% helpless if the situation calls for outmuscling the Rhino). Of course, he's not TOTALLY on his own- the "Animal Motif" thing is Spidey's most-recurring villain concept (aside from "Flying Goblin"). He debuted during the Stan 'n' Romita era, as an unnamed goon who was given a fancy costume by some scientists who wanted to kidnap Col. John Jameson. Spider-Man managed to melt his suit off using help from Curt Connors, then KO'd Rhino. He almost immediately went on to fight The Hulk, but appeared in a handful of episodes of the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon (oddly, I pretty much remember zero episodes featuring Kingpin or Doc Ock, but remember a TON of Rhino episodes).

-He goes on to fight The Hulk several more times (I wonder if Stan just didn't care for the one-dimensional brute, and didn't feel like using him), but eventually sort of shifted back to Spidey, often alongside The Sinister Syndicate (a low-rent Sinister Six). I recall Peter David musing openly that despite the fact that Rhino could never beat The Hulk in a fair fight, Hulk fans consistently wrote letters asking for Hulk/Rhino battles- he figures that despite the one-sided nature of the brawl, fans just liked to see Hulk "almost challenged". At some point, his suit became permanently-attached to him, but as far back as I can remember, he had no real name given. It was only in recent history that he was revealed as a Russian guy.

The Rhino... Gets Characterization!?!?:
-His role as "Spidey's Dumbest Foe" has actually given him some surprisingly great stories over the years, chief among them being Flowers For Rhino a Flowers For Algernon take-off that saw him briefly become a super-genius, before willingly giving it up, realizing that genius made him miserable and bored. Then there's the recent run, where he nearly got replaced by a new, more bad-ass-looking Rhino, but the guy made the mistake of challenging the old guy- Aleksei figured he'd have to fight and kill the new guy, but Spider-Man talked him out of it, telling him to enjoy his normal life. Then the new guy killed Aleksei's new wife. Word of advice to aspiring bad guys... killing the love interests of SUPER-HEROES guarantees you an ass-kicking. But... super-VILLAINS? That's just a death warrant, right there. There's a pretty bitching scene where Rhino is making a beeline towards his helpless foe, with Spider-Man just DESPERATELY trying to hold him back, and failing. His feet are literally tearing off chunks of sidewalk, as Rhino's strength and Spidey's sticky-feet overwhelm the concrete. Spidey's forced to watch helplessly, begging all the way, as the new Rhino dies alongside the man who was "Aleksei Sytsevich", once and for all.

-The Rhino is utterly-broken by his wife's death, and wishes to see the world burn. During the "Octopus' Last Stand" arc (ending with Ock replacing Spider-Man), The Rhino, blaming Spider-Man for Oksana's death (which, technically, is true), decides he wants to cause Spidey pain at any cost- he grabs Silver Sable and holds her underwater as everything falls apart around them- saying it's all Spider-Man's fault. Presumably, he and Sable both drown- and there was nothing Peter could do- Rhino's ten times stronger and tougher than he is.

-Rhino reappears as part of the Clone Conspiracy story arc, with a revived Oksana at his side- his mysterious benefactor (Jackal) having focused on cloning people and implanting them with memories to make them "true" versions of their predecessors. However, Oksana once more turns to dust thanks to the Carrion Virus that plagues clones- Rhino's rampage is only halted by Spider-Man (who convinces him to move on with his life), and the two agree to meet up once in a while to share their pain.

Rhino's Stats:
-Rhino's a PL 10 Powerhouse, but a bit on the cheap thanks to his REALLY low Mental Stats. Rhino's on the Big Moose level of stupidity, so it's a good thing he hits harder than any other Spidey-foe, matching The Thing in hitting-force, but not accuracy. See, Rhino's usually the guy who favors hitting power over anything else, which means he ALWAYS misses Spider-Man, but by contrast he absorbs all the punishment sent his way. He gives Spidey problems mainly because he's so unstoppable- it's nigh-impossible for ol' Web-Head to bring The Rhino down. You can see this when Rhino murders his replacement, then Silver Sable- on both occasions, Spidey is DESPERATE to stop him, but there's simply no way for a Class 15 guy to hold back a Class 50 physically- he lacks the strength or the versatility to do so.

-The Rhino's all about hitting hard, and eating damage. He's got Penetrating damage and Impervious Toughness. Good luck, accuracy/defense-focused Spidey. My initial 3e Rhino Build has actually proven quite popular, as I've had a handful of people PM me (plus Tevourious's ongoing Battle Royal) that they've used the guy as a "test" for their characters. And generally, he lives up to his comic book rep- he never WINS the fights, but he requires a TON of hits to bring down, especially for Accuracy-heavy characters. I think it's his status as the "Powerhouse Villain who isn't quite THAT strong" that does it- someone like The Juggernaut or The Abomination is just too tough for a Starter P.C., but The Rhino is the perfect level.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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danelsan
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Kingpin! Hammerhead! Puma! The Rhino!)

Post by danelsan »

Heh. The early days of Invincible had this funny bit in which Invincible flat out said the Elephant was just a Rhino knock-off. The pastiche is obvious, but I was surprised to see it called out in-universe.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

The Rhino (Temporary Newbie)

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

THE RHINO II (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Joe Kelly & Javier Pulido
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #617 (March 2010)
Role: Temporary Replacement Villain
Villain Ranking: D-List
Group Affiliations: Mr. Negative's Organization
PL 9 (89)
STRENGTH
2/11 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+6)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+5)

Advantages: 
Improved Critical (Horn), Startle

Powers:
"Rhino Armor" (Flaws: Removable) [50]
Enhanced Strength 9 (18)
"Power Charge" Speed 2 (8 mph) (2)
"Thick Hide" Protection 9 (Extras: Impervious 13) (22)
"Rhino Horn" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (20)
-- (62 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Super-Strength +6 (+11 Damage, DC 24)
Horn +5 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +11 (+7 Impervious), Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Rivalry (The Original Rhino)- The new guy figures he HAS to kill the original to prove his name.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 12--8 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 9 (89)

-The new Rhino was an unnamed thug who gained the costume, and immediately went gunning for the old guy. Aleksei acquiesced to fighting him, but instead went into hiding with his wife, Oksana- the new guy found out and challenged him, with Oksana dying in the process. This was... unfortunate for Rhino II. Because while he was pretty tough in the new outfit, an enraged Rhino is nothing to sneeze at- his fancy new armor was disintegrated with a single shot, and the helpless fool was left to be brutally-murdered while he begged for mercy.

-Rhino II could have maybe been something, but was basically a Goon in heavy armor- +11 Toughness is a lot, but the original Rhino can dish out +18 on a Power Attack if he needs to- and he was going into "Dead Loved One" mode at the time, so this guy was RIGHTEOUSLY screwed.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Brother Power

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

BROTHER POWER (Achmed Korba)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Sal Buscema
First Appearance: The Spectacular Spider-Man #4 (March 1977)
Role: Forgotten Villain, Evil Hippie
Villain Ranking: E-List
Group Affiliations: Brother Power & Sister Sun
PL 8 (93)
STRENGTH
1/8 STAMINA 2/8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Expertise (Restauranteur) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+6)

Advantages: 
Daze (Persuasion), Equipment 1 (Helmet- Communication Link With Man-Beast), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Cult Powers"
Enhanced Strength 7 [14]
Enhanced Stamina 6 [12]
Chest Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate) (Flaws: Limited to When In Contact With Innocent Being) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Enhanced Strength 6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Chest Blast +6 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+8 Enhanced), Fortitude +2 (+8 Enhanced), Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Brother Power is a Cult leader.
Enemy (Spider-Man)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 37 / Defenses: 9 (93)

-Achmed Korba was a Saigon restaurant owner who made a deal with The Man-Beast, gaining power in exchange for loyalty to the villain. The caveat was that his powers only worked when he was in contact with an innocent and pure being- he led the cult The Legion of Light (meant to recruit more pawns, but used a hippie commune as a "cover"), and got Sha Shan, aka Sister Sun, as his wife and innocent partner. Their cult gained converts, eventually moving to Manhattan, where Flash Thompson, a war vet by this point, recognized her as his Vietnamese girlfriend. Flash soon recognized her voice as this "Sister Sun" (the only civilian in comic book history to actually recognize the voice of someone he knew that was in costume), which got Peter involved.

-Spider-Man teamed up with Razorback (whose sister had gotten caught up in the Legion of Light), and they ended up in a big conflict with The Man-Beast and his Legion. They end up fighting in Yankee Stadium, Sister Sun tries to save the assembled crowd, and Man-Beast removes the limitation on Power's "Chest Blast" ability. Brother Power was killed by overloading his own power in an attempt to kill her.

-A PL 8 Cult Leader, he's got to have some kind of personal charisma, but is mostly a limited Blaster.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Sister Sun

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

Boy howdy.

SISTER SUN (Sha Shan)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Sal Buscema
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #108 (May 1972)
Role: Vietnamese Girlfriend
Group Affiliations: Brother Power & Sister Sun
PL 7 (86)
STRENGTH
0/7 STAMINA 1/7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Waitress) 2 (+4)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Treatment 4 (+6)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Cult Powers"
Enhanced Strength 7 [14]
Enhanced Stamina 6 [12]
Chest Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate) (Flaws: Limited to When In Contact With Evil Being) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Enhanced Strength 3 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Chest Blast +4 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +1 (+7 Enhanced), Fortitude +2 (+8 Enhanced), Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Flash Thompson)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 37 / Defenses: 10 (86)

-Sha Shan befriended Flash Thompson while he was stationed in Vietnam, married another man when he left (under her father's orders- your average Wise Old Asian, he had determined that she must marry the evil Brother Power to "preserve balance"), and ended up coming to the United States as part of The Man-Beast's "Legion of Light" cult. Refusing to go along with his and her husband's plans to rule the world, she watched Brother Power incinerate himself. The newly-single Shan hooked up with Flash (this was when "American G.I. gets Vietnamese Girlfriend/Baby Mama" was a VERY common trope, this being the post-Nam era in fiction). They didn't last long- Flash ended up cheating on her with Betty Brant. She's only been seen periodically over the years (I'd never even heard of her until a year ago), only in the background.

-Sha Shan used to have similar powers to Brother Powers as his "Sister Sun", but she lost them all once The Man-Beast was defeated.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ken
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Location: Sycalb, Madiganistan

Re: Sister Sun

Post by Ken »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 28, 2017 3:09 pm ImageImage

-Sha Shan used to have similar powers to Brother Powers as his "Sister Sun", but she lost them all once The Man-Beast was defeated.
So, the hot chick in red, in the second picture, and the chick in white with the 'stache in the first picture are the same person. I'm glad she waxed her lip.
My Amazing Woman: a super-hero romantic comedy podcast.

When the most powerful super hero on Earth marries an ordinary man, hilarity ensues.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Hydro-Man

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

HYDRO-MAN (Morris "Morrie" Bench)
Created By:
Dennis O'Neill & John Romita, Jr.
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #212 (Jan. 1981)
Role: Elemental Guy, C-List Recurring Villain
Villain Ranking: C-List
Group Affiliations: The Sinister Syndicate, The Masters of Evil, The Frightful Four
PL 10 (147)
STRENGTH
3/7/9 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Ship Crewman) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Water Cannons) 8 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages: 
Improved Critical (Water Cannon), Improved Hold, Power Attack

Powers:
"Water Form" Alternate Form (Drawbacks: Action -1) [-1]
Enhanced Strength 4 [8]
Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) [7]
Protection 3 [3]
"Improved Doding/Turning to Water" Enhanced Dodge 5 & Parry 4 [9]
"Merge With Water" Concealment 2 (Visual Senses) (Flaws: Limited to While in Water) [2]

Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Swimming 8 (120 mph) [8]
"Watery Arms" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

"Giant Form- Merged With Water"
Elongation 4 [4]
Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) -- (8 feet) (Flaws: Requires Water) [2]
Strength-Damage +2 (Flaws: Requires Water) [1]

"Water Snare" Snare 8 (24) -- [35]
  • AE: "Water Cannon" Blast 10 (Feats: Split) (21)
  • AE: "Wide-Blast Cannon" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)
  • AE: "Streaming Cannon" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
  • AE: "Water-World" Environment (Impede Movement) 4 (2 ranks, 240ft. Radius) (8)
  • AE: "Water Torrents" Move Object 5 (10)
  • AE: "Forced Drowning" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (20)
  • AE: "Mass Drowning" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20)
  • AE: "Water Control" Move Object 10 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (20)
  • AE: "Ice Form" Protection 5 (5), "Ice Objects" Create 5 (10)
  • AE: "Ice Weapons" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
  • AE: "Absorb Moisture" Affliction 10 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (20)
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Hydro Man Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Water Cannon +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Area Cannons +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Water-World +4 Area (+4 Impede Movement)
Water Snare +8 (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Drowning/Moisture Absorbing +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Mass Drowning +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Ice Weapon +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Growing +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Growing & Ice Weapon +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+13 Water Form, DC 18-23), Parry +9 (+13 Water Form, DC 19-23), Toughness +6 (+8 Ice Form), Fortitude +6, Will +3
"Large Size" Dodge +7 (+12 Water Form, DC 17-22), Parry +7 (+12 Water Form, DC 17-22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Weakness (Water Man)- Being made of water has it's flaws. Morrie is brutally-vulnerable to various forms of attack that can affect water. Dirt will leave him muddy and slow-moving. Extremely cold temperatures may freeze him. Incredible heat will evaporate him. Cement can harden him so he can't move, and fire extinguishers & chlorine make him feel sick. Touching a power line or other electrical source will wipe him out completely. Since he is a moron, he often walks into these situations.
Enemy (Spider-Man)

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 83 / Defenses: 11 (147)

-Hydro-Man's a great example of an awesome concept that just isn't done properly. With his incredibly-unique power-set (Water is the least-used of the Four Elements in comic book super-powers), he should be a big stand-out character, but he's just written as a generic thug who falls into all his weaknesses, since most heroes can't hurt him without cheating. Essentially, he's just like Sandman, but without all that characterization and "I want to be a super-hero" stuff- he's just a Mook with powers. And yeah, every time they manage to build him up as a threat (he IS functionally unstoppable with his power-set), the next writer comes along and has him walk into a freezer or touch an electrical wire or something, and he's beaten in seconds. He's so bad that he's now in the "beaten off-panel" crowd with frickin' Boomerang & Lightmaster, being beaten up by the Scarlet Spider Initiative team and other heroes WHILE TEAMED UP WITH OTHER VILLAINS. Kind of sad.

-Hydro-Man gained his powers in the ultra-generic "Fell into something that was in X element, and got X Element's powers" sort of way. He was angry at Spider-Man for knocking him into the experimental generator that gave him his awesome powers, but was beaten. In his very next story, he got merged with The Sandman to become "The Mud-Thing" (a creature of limited intelligence- basically a lumbering mud-monster). After that, he ends up in the "Journeyman Villain" ranks of mooks, joining The Sinister Syndicate, The Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil, and The Frightful Four- like Swarm, he exists as a "defeat the threat" kind of villain- since you can't PUNCH him to death, you actually have to THINK and come up with a solution. Not that this helps him- he pretty much just shows up in Villain Teams, with a generic "Evil Greedy Guy" persona. And he's STILL the most-iconic Water-Powered Guy in comics!

-His biggest story actually takes place in the CARTOON of all things, in the '90s Spider-Man series, he's used in a couple arcs, and given an obsession with Mary Jane (despite her ugly yellow sweater). Though one time he ends up being a clone, because even THAT story gets mixed into that show.

-Hydro-Man's a fun power-set to come up with- Alt-Form guys are always a blast. He's got TEN effects in his Water-Stuff Array, packing three types of Blasts (two Area Effects), Environment, Move Object (moving stuff with torrents of water), Water Control, an Ice Form, Solid Weapons, and Drowning (single & Area). Add to that varying other effects that come from being made out of water- Swimming, Immunity to Drowning, being able to hold guys and pummel them simultaneously with other parts of his body, Growing (since Growth is just an array of powers, I used the Reach bonus with a small amount of the base power to reflect added size, requiring extra Water to work), invisibility in water, Insubstantial, and a bit of Enhanced Defenses to reflect his ability to see attacks coming and then shift quickly to water, then popping back to solid to get a hit.

-This sets Hydro-Man up as a PL 10 Area-Attacker with his Drowning & two Water-Cannons, but a PL 9 guy the rest of the time, at range or in close. This seems about right, as he's never been a truly capable opponent on a consistent basis, and reflects how he's good, but limited. He's tough, but his huge array of weaknesses hampers him badly.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:54 am, edited 3 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Swarm

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

A Nazi made of bees. I love comics.

SWARM (Fritz von Meyer)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & John Byrne
First Appearance: The Champions #14 (July 1977)
Role: Bizarre Villain
Villain Ranking: D-List
Group Affiliations: The Exterminators
PL 8 (182)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Arthropoda) 10 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+6)
Expertise (History) 4 (+8)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+3)
Perception 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bees) 10 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 2 (+6)
Treatment 4 (+8)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Body Made of Bees"
Enhanced Advantages 6: Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Bee Stings), Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover) [6]
Senses 4 (Scent, Ultra-Vision, Radius Sight 2) [4]
Flight 2 [4]
Elongation 3 [3]
"Bee Arms" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

"Difficult to Destroy"
"Fluid" Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Innate, Selective) [7]
Immunity 30 (Bludgeoning, Slashing Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [15]

Regeneration 6 (Flaws: Source- Requires Bees) [3]

"Bee Blasts"
"Bee Storm" Damage 5 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area +2, Cumulative) (24) -- [32]
  • Dynamic AE: "Bee Stings" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Multiattack, Cumulative) (24)
  • Dynamic AE: "Bee Line" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area, Cumulative) (17)
  • Dynamic AE: "Bee Wave" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area, Cumulative) (17)
  • Dynamic AE: "Stinger Aura" Aura 3 Linked to Affliction Aura 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative) (21)
"Summon Minions- Bee Swarm" Summon 3 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Active, Controlled) [13]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Bee Stings +10 (+5 R.Damage & +2 R.Affliction, DC 20-12)
Bee Areas +5 Area (+5 R.Damage & +2 R.Affliction, DC 20-12)
Bee Aura +10 (+2 Damage & Affliction, DC 17-12)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Insect Control)- Controlled by bees, Swarm is obsessed with destroying all humanity, leaving insects in charge of the Earth.
Weakness- Being made of Bees, Swarm is vulnerable to various effects. Intense cold or wind may affect his bees, slowing or killing him. Disabling a "Queen Bee" will also disperse his entire self, as will destroying the skeleton contained within (which sometimes reforms).
Enemy (Spider-Man)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 89 / Defenses: 14 (182)

-Swarm is just one of those crazy ideas that would totally work if he weren't dedicated to the "Jobber Leagues". Originally a foe of The Champions, Swarm was a Nazi scientist who got eaten alive by bees (that he later was able to psionically control), and later shifted to Spider-Man's Rogues Gallery once The Champions ended its failed run. He's shown up from time to time, but doesn't have much depth as a character ("I want to rule the world, USING BUGS!"), and is little more than a curiosity of "woah, a guy made of bees".

-He fought Spider-Man a few times, but also tangled with Dr. Druid, The Runaways, The Thunderbolts (Osborn's), Wolverine's X-Men School, and more- he actually gets used more often NOW than he ever did back in the '80s, owing to a distinctive, iconic, "Oh, COMICS" type of appearance and concept. He's rarely given much CHARACTER focus, however- he's more of a casual "Freak of the Week" for the characters to gawk at, and have a bit of trouble defeating (thanks to his semi-fluid nature). You never see him in a big Story Arc- he's effectively the ultimate "Journeyman Villain".

-Swarm is NOT an easy guy to stat out, but I finally have a concept around unhurtable guys with hurt-y attacks that I'm satisfied with. He's got Insubstantial 2 because he's immune to physical damage (otherwise a 60-point Immunity), but possesses a Quirk that only allows him the flow-through of a liquid, which an amorphous mass of bees basically is (rather than the "Tiny particles" of a gas). This, plus all his damaging effects, makes him a HUGE pain in the ass, much more than his lowly PL of 8 would imply. He can basically barely be injured, Regenerates, and attacks everyone in range with multiple variations of Blast (stingers) & Affliction (the low-level poison of bees, amplified through sheer numbers- this can be fatal to humans in real life, such as with the "Africanized Killer Bees"), usually in Area Effects, but also with a Multiattack. He's got a bunch of Bee-feats like Ultra & Radius Vision, Extra Limbs to 'pick up' stuff while he's also doing other things, a low-level Summon, Flight, Elongation and an Aura as well. It's complex, and doesn't do much damage, but he's a real pain for any hero who isn't packing energy attacks.

SWARM OF BEES
PL 4 (41), Minion Rank 3
STRENGTH
-- STAMINA -4 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -- AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Intimidation 8 (+4)

Advantages: 
Evasion, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Made of Bees"
Senses 4 (Scent, Ultra-Vision, Radius Sight 2) [4]
Flight 2 [4]
Elongation 3 [3]

"Difficult to Destroy"
"Fluid" Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Innate, Selective) [7]
Immunity 30 (Bludgeoning, Slashing Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [15]

Regeneration 6 (Flaws: Fades) [3]

"Bee Blasts"
"Bee Stings" Blast 4 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Multiattack) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Multiattack, Cumulative) (21) -- [29]
  • Dynamic AE: "Bee Line" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area, Multiattack, Cumulative) (17)
  • Dynamic AE: "Bee Wave" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area, Multiattack, Cumulative) (17)
  • Dynamic AE: "Bee Storm" Damage 3 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) Linked to Affliction 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area +2, Multiattack, Cumulative) (19)
  • Dynamic AE: "Stinger Aura" Aura 2 Linked to Affliction Aura 2 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative) (19)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Bee Stings +2 (+4 R.Damage & +2 R.Affliction, DC 19-12)
Bee Areas +4 Area (+4 R.Damage & +2 R.Affliction, DC 19-12)
Bee Aura +2 (+2 Damage & Affliction, DC 17-12)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness -5, Fortitude -4, Will --

Complications:
Weakness- Being bugs, the swarms are easily dispersed by wind, fog, dust, fire, smoke and other things. Obviously, insecticides and freezing will outright kill them.

Total: Abilities: -34 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 65 / Defenses: 5 (41)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 30, 2017 5:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ken
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Re: Swarm

Post by Ken »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 2:29 am Image

A Nazi made of bees. I love comics.
Better than a Nazi made of WASPs.
My Amazing Woman: a super-hero romantic comedy podcast.

When the most powerful super hero on Earth marries an ordinary man, hilarity ensues.
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Slingers

Post by Jabroniville »

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SLINGERS:

-The Slingers came about due to a sales gimmick for the rapidly-failing Spider-Man titles in the mid-1990s (which were suffering BADLY due to the Clone Saga, which had ended only a couple years earlier, leading to the failed Ben Reilly run as Spidey). Spider-Man was wanted for the murder of somebody, and a million-dollar bounty was placed on his head, necessitating him disappearing for a time. However, unwilling to let people die and crime run free while he was away, Spidey came up with a solution- a handful of new heroic identities! He used a different type of power for each of the four- producing Ricochet (athletic Disc-thrower), Dusk (black-dressed nighttime attacker), Hornet (Powersuit designed by Spidey & Hobie "Prowler" Brown) & Prodigy (Paragon-esque suited guy). It was a cute, temporary sales gimmick, one I didn't really mind (I mean, it made sense in theory), and was over in a couple of months.

However, it must have been pretty popular, because soon, Slingers #0 came out- providing the origins of a quartet of new super-heroes, each one using one of the Spidey identities! A solid little idea, with some interesting teenage heroes (under the mentorship of the Golden Age hero, The Black Marvel), it lasted only a year (twelve issues), but had a very devoted little fanbase- one of the shining examples of a "Doom Patrol Fanbase", in fact. And I actually read a bunch of these issues when they came out and rather liked them. It was during my "stopped buying comics" phase, which started after I got tired of the mid '90s stuff (I'd started reading comics in the early 1990s, and stopped buying them near the end of 1994) and had a dwindling interest in the newer characters (like Generation X) and focus on Bad-Ass Anti-Heroes.

I'd stopped BUYING books, but still kept up on what was going on, using the shameful practise of "read 'em and leave 'em"- I'd go to the local London Drugs (drug store turned department-esque store, focusing on electronics, kind of), read the issues I wanted to keep up on, and then just didn't buy them. I mean, it was a big store, and the comics rack was a tiny little spinny thing and nobody really cared (compare this to some local Edmonton shops, which were downright draconian regarding people even reading a single issue, and were general assholes). Plus I was a teenager. I never saw an issue with "Rack-Reading", since I wasn't going to buy the issue had I NOT been allowed to read anyways. Hell, bookstores these days actually ACTIVELY CATER to that crowd, and I got into numerous book series (like Fables) because I was able to Rack-Read them at the local "Chapters" store without having to drop 30 bucks for a trade, sight-unseen.

It'd be another five years or so before I'd REALLY get into comics enough to start buying them (Rack-Reading stuff like Operation: Zero Tolerance was NOT gonna get me back into comics, and I'd basically stopped even Rack-Reading by that point, having given up on the books and only sorta flipped through Wizard Magazine once in a while). But holy HELL was that a time- I'd started actually REALLY reading Wizard at the time, as well as discovered the internet comics fanbase around the same time, and in between arguing about whether or not Wolverine could beat Batman in a fight, I discovered all of the "Must-Reads" in comics. It's hard to describe it, but here's the thing: I read, for the first time; Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Marvels, Kingdom Come, The Infinity Gauntlet and The Crisis on Infinite Earths, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. I mean, can you imagine? That much unrestrained awesomeness ALL AT ONCE? Totally an epic way to get reintroduced into comic books. And from that, we come to today :).

ANYWAYS (since that's way off-topic), Slingers was kind of fun and had some interesting characters (a suicidal-ish goth chick, a nerd, a plucky Spidey-like kid and an intense jock). It really lacked major villains, as a lot of the plot was based around character interaction (Hornet had a crush on Dusk, who liked Ricochet, who had a girlfriend. Prodigy was just an ass) until their mentor revealed himself to be crazy. They were very much heroes in the "New Peter Parker" mold, as part of the never-ending tide of Everyman Heroes designed to mimic the success of Spider-Man (other notables in this class include Richard "Nova" Rider & Kyle Rayner). The one issue I bought recently was actually REALLY bad, as it fails at Comics 101: Explain to the writer what in the hell is going on- it's the issue right after Dusk "offed herself", but there's absolutely NO good exposition about anything.

Alas, once it was canceled, they basically all vanished into the ether (sorta like Phil Urich, who was in a really neat Green Goblin Limited Series, then disappeared- reappearing years later an an insane new Hobgoblin). Prodigy was a minor part of The Initiative, Ricochet showed up in The Runaways trying to dissuade the kids from the super-lifestyle, Hornet & The Black Marvel died, and Dusk last showed up in the background being controlled by The Puppet Master. So basically: the fate of every single teen super-team in recent comic book history- mediocrity, ignorance and/or death. Marvel's since released at least six or seven other Teen Teams since then, each being forgotten once the next one came along.

But like I said, it's one of those perfect definitions of a "Doom Patrol Fanbase"- the comic was so minor that its twelve-issue run has never been reprinted, and its characters hardly ever used, but I know people who just LOVED THE HELL OUT OF IT. Apparently artist CrissCross is always getting people coming up to him and telling him how much they loved Slingers, as well.

Note: They were never called "The Slingers" in the book- it was just a name added on to the series because it was linked to Spider-Man. But other characters have since referred to them as "The Slingers", so it stuck. Very weird.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (The Kingpin! Hammerhead! Puma! The Rhino!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Here's a quote from Stormson (one of the old-school posters who disappeared over the years) the very first time I posted the Slingers:
There literally was no positive for Ricochet other than the fact I believe the character might have been an adrenaline junky. Everything that could have went wrong for that character, did, and I think he was obviously meant to be the "bad luck" parker of the group.

I'd once considered the 4 characters of the group were breakdowns of the core concepts of the Parker personality, with Ricochet being the joker/bad luck portion, Hornet the inventor/social inept portion, Dusk the depressed but never truly give up portion, and Prodigy the jerk, "Do things for yourself" portion that is less often displayed with Parker, but was fundamental to the origin of Spider-Man. He's essentially Parker without ever getting the "Power, Responsibility" lesson.

I tend to really overthink Slingers though. It's my number one comics obsession, right above Speedball and Darkhawk. (Gee, I have a liking for the Spidey analogues) 

That doesn't mean I think Slingers was a perfect book. There were multiple flaws that caused the title's demise, including obsessive ties to the flailing spider-man franchise at the time, as well as the fact that it was a team book where the team never assembled in full except for 2 of the 12 issues, and 1 of those was Prodigy versus the other 3. I think it would have actually worked out today because it was super decompressed and expanded, much like the popular writers today, but it didn't work for the time period it launched in. It is probably one of the most accurate examples of a rule of storytelling/gaming, "Don't split the party."

Seriously Jab, thanks for the builds though, I think my only suggestion is Prodigy would have a rank or 2 in investigation, because he was the one that took the Black Marvel's training most seriously, but they are great builds.
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Prodigy (Gilmore)

Post by Jabroniville »

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PRODIGY I (Ritchie Gilmore)
Created By:
Joseph Harris & Adam Pollina
First Appearance: Slingers #0 (Dec. 1998)
Role: Powersuit Guy, Popular Bully
Group Affiliations: The Slingers, The Heavy-Hitters (Nevada Initiative Team)
PL 8 (94)
STRENGTH
3/9 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+7, +12 Suit)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Prone Fighting

Powers:
"Prodigy Powersuit" (Flaws: Removable) [25]
Enhanced Strength 6 (12)
Power-Lifting (25 tons) (1)
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 7) (11)
Leaping 4 (120 feet) (4)
"Cape" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)
-- (31 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Powersuit +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Randian Arsehole)- Ritchie is moody and intense, and often drives his teammates to the extreme. He appears unmoved by Dusk's death or resurrection, and has left his teammates in near-death situations to force them to prove their worth and fight out of it.
Addiction (Alcohol)- Ritchie has done a lot of stupid things while drunk, such as openly proclaiming his independence from the Superhuman Registration Act, as well as acting out against The Initiative program.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 11 (94)

-Prodigy was a jock who found a mystically-empowered suit and used it to boss around his teammates, threaten them (he would leave Hornet & Ricochet in near-death situations in order to force them to prove their worth) and be an utter tool (even attacking Ricochet for taunting him at one point). Eventually he gave up the suit, and the book ended. Fast-forward an entire DECADE, and he's used as an opening shot in the Civil War, being trounced by Iron Man and captured as an early example of what happens to non-Registered heroes.

-From there, he sorta acts like a tool again, being angry and defiant, challenging people constantly, getting drunk and belligerent, and finally being attacked and captured by Norman Osborn's goons when he acts out AGAIN (he was one of the first to rage against Osborn hiring super-villains to act as American defenders), once he's Registered. It's kind of... interesting to see such an unlikeable hero, I will say. Using a D-league hero makes it easier to pull off, I guess- better than certain writers writing ALL of the heroes like that (MILLAR). Freed after the Dark Reign event, he went on a motivational speaking circuit (after all, he was one of Osborn's only public detractors for a while), and has tried to reform The Slingers- Captain America later asked him to head up a new Initiative. Naturally, this leads to him being "promoted" to running storage, and he's later used as a backgrounder in Avengers Academy.

-The Powersuit is pretty weak, putting him at Jobber Villain levels in spite of being Class 25 or so. Any reasonable Iron Man opponent would laugh at this- I mean, he can't even really FLY! He's a decently-balanced PL 8 regardless, but is REALLY cheap since he lacks most Mental Abilities and only has the most basic Powersuit-type stuff (Gliding, Leaping, Bulletproof, Semi-Strong). It kind of suits him, as he's been a complete pushover to every single hero that's come down the pike.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Ricochet

Post by Jabroniville »

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RICOCHET (Johnny Gallo)
Created By:
Joseph Harris & Adam Pollina
First Appearance: Slingers #0 (Dec. 1998)
Role: Agile Hero, The Young Punk
Group Affiliations: The Slingers
PL 8 (111)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Throwing Discs) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Equipment 4 (Throwing Discs), Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Throwing Discs), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Instant Up, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Superhuman Agility"
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]

Equipment:
"Throwing Discs" Blast 4 (Feats: Ricochet 4, Homing) (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range) (16) -- (17)
  • AE: "Exploding Discs" Blast 6 (Feats: Ricochet 4, Homing) (Diminished Range, Inaccurate) (16)
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Throwing Discs +11 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Exploding Discs +9 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Kathy)- Ricochet tries to keep his mutant powers secret from his girlfriend, but she soon finds him out.
Relationship (Father)- Johnny's father is cold and distant to him. He also looks hilariously like Ultimate Uncle Ben.
Enemy (Nanny & The Orphanmaker)- Magneto's former henchbots killed Johnny's mother when he was a boy, and tried to kill his father.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 11 (111)

-One of Spidey's identities during Identity Crisis was Ricochet, a very '90s-esque concept of an agile hero in a leather jacket and white mask who threw ricocheting dics at people. Actually, I thought he looked the neatest of the group and had by far the coolest super-hero name, so they could have really gone somewhere with this. The new Ricochet was a good-looking, charming joker, and his teammate Dusk had a crush on him, while he himself already had a girlfriend, and his best pal was Hornet, who liked Dusk instead. Like Stormson said, he's probably the most "Spidey-Like" of the kids, at least personality-wise.

-When Slingers was cancelled, Ricochet disappeared basically for YEARS, but showed up in The Runaways as part of Exceslior, a team of ex-teen heroes whose goal was to try and stop other kids from following in their footsteps- this continued the book's core concept of "Every superhero in the universe is an asshole, while these self-righteous, annoying turds are morally-correct". Despite this tiny role, he got to keep his powers after M-Day, and was later seen in Avengers Academy before it was turned into Avengers Arena. It's too bad he's so minor, because despite the dated (but kinda stylish) design, he seemed like a pretty good hero.

-Ricochet is a pretty-decent Starter Hero, being the team's resident quick-fighter, able to throw a bunch of little Throwing Discs at guys. He's got low-end Spider-Man capabilities with his tremendous agility & Danger Sense, meaning that he's the hardest of his team to land a hit on.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dusk

Post by Jabroniville »

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No, no, NO, Cassie... if you're going to make it as a sexy comic book girl, you have to make it so BOTH of your boobs are on-panel the same time as your butt!

DUSK (Cassie St. Commons)
Created By:
Joseph Harris & Adam Pollina
First Appearance: Slingers #0 (Dec. 1998)
Role: Goth Girl, Mysterious-Powered Kid, Darkforce User
Group Affiliations: The Slingers
PL 8 (154)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 1 (+1)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Undead Ghost-Spirit" Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Solid Form" Protection 4 [4]
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [7]
Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Shadows) [2]
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) [3]

"Bleenking" Teleport 14 (Feats: Increased Mass 4) (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (60) -- [64]
  • AE: Create Darkforce Objects 8 (Extras: Movable) (24)
  • AE: Darkforce Blast 10 (Feats: Split) (21)
  • AE: "Darkforce Spread" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (16)
Senses 7 (Detect Teammates- Extended 5, Analytical) [7]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Darkforce Blast +6 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Darkforce Spread +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Relationship (Ricochet)- Cassie has a crush on her teammate, though he is dating Kathy.
Secret (Dead)- Cassie is an Undead... something, and wants to hide this from a lot of people.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 117 / Defenses: 11 (154)

-Spider-Man had taken on the "Dusk" identity to portray a serious, cold, mercenary-type, and used it and its Darkforce-based powers (he'd gained the suit from a mission there) to clear his name from the murder investigation at the heart of Identity Crisis. A different suit ended up in the care of Cassie St. Commons, the shy, Goth daughter of a rich family. "Goth" was the "in" thing in the late '90s, you see, and became a big-time thing among would-be outcasts, ACTUAL outcasts, and nerdy males who crushed endlessly on black-eyelinered Skinny Puppy fans.

-Young Cassie was a surprise- possibly the first superhero to ever flat-out commit suicide (I guess Vigilante did in in DC, too). She did so during The Slingers' first appearance, falling off of a building (as in, stepping right off of it) after her teammates egged her on to leap the rooftops as part of their initiation. However, she was quickly reborn as a kind of Undead Teleporter.

-Dusk soon developed a crush on Ricochet, and Hornet developed a crush on her at the same time (I remember a lot of dialogue involving him noticing her body in "that little black thing"). She was one of the more useful and varied members of her team, and soon gained a fair bit of capability, helping out her team against Mephisto's army of demons by tapping into her full power. She was next seen in the captivity of The Puppet Master, who was controlling her and a few other D-list female superheroes (Arana, Stature, Silverclaw and Tigra, who was slumming it with these girls) to sell as "interactive art" (I hope that doesn't mean what I think it does). She has not been seen since (not even at the end of that storyline), and Mattie Franklin was shown in The Loners series to be hired by the St. Commonses to find their missing daughter.

-Dusk has a powerful grab-bag of abilities, complete with a Team Teleporting power (always expensive), Area Damage and a good Blast. She's still only PL 8, but implications were there that she could become MUCH more powerful (she apparently knocked around a TON of demons in Mephisto's realm), and could Regenerate from harm.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
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