CLOUD 9 (Abigail "Abby" Boylen)
Created By: Dan Slott & Stefano Caselli
First Appearance: Avengers: The Initiative #1 (March 2007)
Role: The Good Girl, The Reluctant Soldier
Group Affiliations: The Initiative, Freedom Force (Montana)
PL 8 (115)
STRENGTH 1
STAMINA 2
AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5
DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1
AWARENESS 1
PRESENCE 1
Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Aerobatics 3 (+7)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Perception 3 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+5)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Pulse Rifle, Armour), Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Defense, Move-By Action, Precise Attack (Ranged/Concealment), Ranged Attack 7
Powers:
"Gaseous Cloud" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Platform) [10]
"Suffocation" Affliction 7 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Sustained +2) (Inaccurate -1) (27) -- [28]
- AE: "Cloud Cover" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Affects Others, Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Independent- Fades on Its Own) (10)
Equipment:
"Pulse Rifle"
"Standard Shot" Blast 5 (10) -- (11 points)
"Sniper Shot" Blast 6 (Feats: Extended Range 2) (Flaws: Distracting) (8)
"Body Armour" Protection 2 (2)
Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pulse Rifle +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Sniper Shot +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Suffocation +8 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +4
Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2 (+4 Body Armour), Fortitude +4, Will +5
Complications:
Responsibility (The Avengers Initiative)
Motivation (A Normal Life)- Abby was just a normal girl who wanted to have fun with her cool, quirky powers. Instead she was attacked and forced into being a soldier, a move that has dehumanized her.
Guilt (Killer)- Abby was made a sniper thanks to her high accuracy, and has killed many people since then.
Relationship (MVP)- Abby had a crush on her new teammate, who was immediately killed.
Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 13 (115)
-Cloud 9 is probably my favourite Initiative character- she's just so CUTE! And I mean that in a "cute kid" sort of way, not an "I want to bang her" kind of way, honest (it's not that I think creepily-lusting over fictional images is WRONG... I just want to save it all for Cyclone. And Kitty Pryde. And Songbird. And Elsa). She starts off as a shy, awkward newbie (she averts the Most Common Superpower shared by Ultra & Thor Girl, for example) who just wants a Powers License so she can fly un-harassed by S.H.I.E.L.D. & War Machine, but upon witnessing M.V.P.'s death first-hand (as in FROM ONE FOOT AWAY), she shuts down a lot. She becomes the best shot using long-range weapons on the team, and starts becoming an active sniper for the Initiative. Eventually, that becomes her "thing" -- blasting people under cloud cover, and it starts to gnaw at her (the real military tends to make the least-emotional members snipers, rather than the best shots- they're among the few people in the army who know EXACTLY who and when they kill), especially as she's one of the few decent people left once Norman Osborn takes over. So it's kind of like a "Break the Cutie" in full-effect, though her subplot takes a backseat most of the time, especially with that awful skier-looking costume they gave her (replacing the ultra-cutesy "baggy fatigues with silly goggles" look). Thankfully they gave her a happy ending in her send-off, as she freely quits The Initiative post-
Dark Reign and flies where she wants to, when she wants to. The look of joy on her face as she tears up her registration card and simply flies away is perfect.
-The character has popped up here and there in background shots, saving lives but refusing to be a full-time hero. She helped out during
Fear Itself and
Secret Empire, in fact.
-Cloud 9's actually pretty handy in a fight, but definitely can't take a punch (+4 Toughness may even be pushing it)- she effectively blinds many people (the effect will last without her say-so, fading like an Independent effect), guarding her allies as well, and she's a very good shot, making PL 8 in multiple ways. She's also used a Suffocate effect a couple of times, allowing her to bring down Elloe Kaifi of The Hulk's Warbound (who kicked Spider-Man & Iron Fist's asses, for comparison) one time, and nearly take out K.I.A. as well, so she's not totally limited.