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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
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Basilisk (Gifford)

Post by Jabroniville »

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BASILISK III (Wayne Gifford)
Created By:
Len Kaminsky & Ron Garney
First Appearance: Morbius The Living Vampire #5 (Jan. 1993)
Role: Jobber Villain
PL 8 (130)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Religion) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Serial Killer) 5 (+5)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 2, Startle

Powers:
"Hypnotic Stare" Mind Control 8 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range -2) [24]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Impervious Toughness 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Mind Control +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8 (+2 Impervious), Fortitude +8, Will +2

Complications:
Weakness (Reflection)- Basilisk will become Stunned if he views his own reflection- it is a reminder of his original human form.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 15 (130)

-The second Basilisk was created as a temporary foe for Morbius during his VERY short-lived solo book- he was a serial killer who undertook a Satanic ritual to become a reptilian monster who killed people. Morbius wiped him out by draining all the blood out of him, but after throwing up all the blood, it "congealed" back into Basilisk once it went down a sewer drain. The character has apparently not reappeared.

-Basilisk had a hypnotic stare, a weakness against his own reflection, and a tendency towards jobbing to a D-List Character. As such, he's a PL 8 guy who's good at a few things, but not REALLY good, ya know? A simple Reptile/Hypnotist Build, I guess.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 10, 2022 1:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Sidious
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Sidious »

I just have to say... I've always hated Bishop. I'm so happy he went bad.
Jabroniville
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Black Swan (The Pretentious One)

Post by Jabroniville »

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BLACK SWAN II (Yabbat Ummon Turu)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Steve Epting
First Appearance: New Avengers #1 (Jan. 2013)
Role: Sorta-Exposition Character
Group Affiliation: None
PL 11 (68)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+14)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 10 (+14)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 6 (+14)

Advantages: 
Benefit (Cipher), Ranged Attack 6, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Lasts Through the Incursions" Comprehend 3 (Languages) [6]
"Sees Incursions Coming" Senses 4 (Dimensional Awareness- Acute & Analytical) [4]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]

Energy Blasts 12 (Feats: Split) (25) -- [27]
  • AE: "Holograms" Illusion 8 (Visual, Hearing) (24)
  • AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 2 (Feats: Subtle 2) (9)
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blasts +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications: 
Obsession (Saying Pretentious Shit)
Obsession (Being Vague)
Hatred (Magic)- The Black Swan apparently hates Mages, reacting negatively to Doctor Strange. This is perhaps because she watched the Black Priests (who wear a symbol similar to Agamotto's) destroy the world of her birth.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 53 / Defenses: 8 (68)

-The Black Swan is a character that was both central and completely superfluous to Jon Hickman's pretentious, overwrought, ultra-confusing Infinity/Secret Wars storyline, in that she outlined a lot of the history and exposition of what was going on, but was so utterly vague and prone to tossing out random names ("Rabum Alal", "The Black Priests") years before they'd become important that she added almost nothing to the story. She was the survivor of one of the early "incursions" (when two parallel universes collide with each other), and was raised by three Black Swans, who turned her into another of their kind.

-Figuring that destroying Earth (the focal point of every incursion) would save things, she ended up on Marvel's Earth (616) and tried to blow it up- she is instead captured by The Illuminati, who operate in secret to solve the incursion problem, because well, why ask any OTHER superheroes for help, right? She gives them small bits of help and advice, helping them commit genocide against billions (this was... not a great story arc, if you wanted to LIKE any of the characters involved), but remains imprisoned, until broken out of her cell by Namor, who also unleashes Thanos, Terrax and others in order to take down worlds in a way that the other Illuminati couldn't (Namor was disgusted with the hesitancy of his colleagues, who would PLAN the deaths of worlds, but falter at the last moment). Namor eventually trapped his allies on another world.

-Black Swan and her allies were released during the Secret Wars Event Story, and assaulted the new "Battleworld" created by God Emperor Doom (who'd used the incursions to take total power and slay all the Cosmic Beings). She assaulted Star-Lord, but he turned the World Tree into Groot, who beat her. She has since allied with Thanos and his Black Order, for purposes unknown.

-Really, this is a garbage character. A look that's neat yet totally rips off what Illyana Rasputin looks like now, a completely cryptic manner of speaking, and no purpose at all in the story except to say pretentious things about mysterious guys with weird names. Her powers are the classic vague "snapshots of fight scenes" thing that makes all modern characters ridiculously-hard to stat, and she appears to add absolutely nothing to any story of which she is a part. I don't even know what the hell she's really doing these days- WHY is she allying with Thanos? If the incursion problem is solved, what is her motivation?

-The Black Swan is powerful, but not enough that most serious heroes can defeat her. She's basically a PL 11 Blaster with PL 9 defenses.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 10, 2022 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Black Swan (The Pretentious One)

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:57 pm Image

BLACK SWAN II (Yabbat Ummon Turu)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Steve Epting
First Appearance: New Avengers #1 (Jan. 2013)
Role: Sorta-Exposition Character


-Really, this is a garbage character.
Yep. I wonder sometimes what Hickman's story would have been like with a solid editor and co-writer to help reign him in, because what we got was a bloated, character derailing mess of a story that made me actually indifferent to something that SHOULD have made me more excited than ever.

A new Battleworld, born from chunks of alternate realities, ruled over by a God Emperor Doom, with an army of Thor's acting as his police force? Each chunk of Battleworld essentially operating as its own kingdom? Crossover potential galore? A desperate fight with the heroes against Marvel's #1 Bad Guy? It should have had me eagerly awaiting every issue. Instead, the lead up either bored me or made me actively hate what I was reading, and only a few of the spin-off books around the main event proved to be any good.

Still, that "Misty & Danny are married with a little girl named after Luke" and "Renew your Vows" was pretty much worth the price of admission.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
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Jabroniville
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Assorted Beetles

Post by Jabroniville »

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Image

THE BEETLE I-VI:
-There have been six different Beetles in Marvel Comics. The original, Abner Jenkins, is now far more well-known as MACH-III through VII, a classic example of a villain-turned-straight. Jenkins was The Beetle for decades, debuting in the '60s and giving up the identity only in the 1990s. In Thunderbolts, he was a hero, and eventually encountered a new Beetle in Leila Davis, the widow of dead super-villain The Ringer. Initially going as Hardshell, she became Beetle II, but was viciously and disturbingly killed by Graviton, who crushed her inside her own shell.

-The next three Beetles debuted at once- they were a trio of unnamed college students (well, one was called "Joaquim" once- MC48 says they're Joaquim Robichaux, Elizabeth Vaughn & Gary Quinn, wearing Marks 1 through 3 armor) who temporarily flew the armors. They briefly defend Dallas, Texas, but are believed to have been killed by The Overmind, though they appeared on that 2007 The Initiative cover of potential recruits for the post-Civil War squad.

-The sixth Beetle is Janice Lincoln, shown as a Jobber in Captain America, but being given real backstory in the fantastic Superior Foes of Spider-Man. Despite her existence, the armor has been "loaned out" to an unnamed crook as a result of The Hobgoblin's new schtick- selling "Villain Franchises" out to criminals. This had led to innumerable Background Villains, making ascertaining the true numbers of baddies to be impossible.

-Beetles are typically heavily-armed, but generic- they wear PL 8-ish suits of armor that are probably Toughness 8-10 in total, with +8 Blasts and Strength 8. Basically, a lot of 8s. Even Abner was a huge jobber back in the day- primarily dangerous only due to planning.

The Beetles Worth Statting:
MACH-I-VII/The Beetle
The Beetle V (so hot, right?)
Leila Davis
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Davies
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Davies »

But what about the Beetles that the Thing and the Human Torch met in Strange Tales 130 and were invited to Reed and Sue's wedding?
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Yojimbo
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Yojimbo »

So her name is Black Swan?

The only Hickman I ever read was the Infinity trade. I remember her appearing in it, but she is never named, nor is it ever explained who she is or what she is doing in the book. There's like twenty issues or something compressed into that trade, and not one single editor's note providing context for this weird photo-negative lady and why she is talking to Iron Man.

It's little things like that which keep me from reading anything else from Hickman or Marvel these last few years.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Arkrite »

Davies wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 2:27 am But what about the Beetles that the Thing and the Human Torch met in Strange Tales 130 and were invited to Reed and Sue's wedding?
Beatles Of Unusual Fame? I don't think they exist. ;~)
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Davies »

Yojimbo wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:32 am So her name is Black Swan?
Yes, apparently the story goes that Hickman tried to use his status as the Fantastic Four's writer to hit on Natalie Portman around the time she was cast in Thor, and she shot him down and so he came up with this villain named after her Oscar nominated role to show her what a big man he was.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Ares »

Davies wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:01 am
Yojimbo wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:32 am So her name is Black Swan?
Yes, apparently the story goes that Hickman tried to use his status as the Fantastic Four's writer to hit on Natalie Portman around the time she was cast in Thor, and she shot him down and so he came up with this villain named after her Oscar nominated role to show her what a big man he was.
God, that's just depressingly petty enough to be true.

I'm against too much editorial oversight (see Countdown to Final Crisis for that), but MAN, hearing about how some folks in the industry are such petty primadonna's that I suddenly sympathize much more with the editors.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Davies »

Ares wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:14 am
Davies wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:01 am
Yojimbo wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:32 am So her name is Black Swan?
Yes, apparently the story goes that Hickman tried to use his status as the Fantastic Four's writer to hit on Natalie Portman around the time she was cast in Thor, and she shot him down and so he came up with this villain named after her Oscar nominated role to show her what a big man he was.
God, that's just depressingly petty enough to be true.
Yep.

But I made it up out of whole cloth. :twisted: If there's an actual connection, I'm unaware of it.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
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Blaquesmith

Post by Jabroniville »

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BLAQUESMITH
Created By:
Jeph Loeb & Ian Churchill
First Appearance: Cable #21 (1995)
Role: The Yoda
Group Affiliations: The Askani Sisterhood
PL 7 (123)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (History) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+6)
Technology 7 (+15)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages: 
Equipment 5 (Assorted Gear), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Lots of Stuff"
"Telepathy" Mind-Reading 6 Linked to Communication (Mental) 3 (24) -- [26]
  • AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 6 (12)
  • AE: Movement 3 (Time Travel 3) (Extras: Affects Others) (9)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Walking Stick As Staff +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Guns & Stuff +8 (+4-6 Ranged Damage, DC 19-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Cable)- Blaquesmith was a young Cable's mentor, and still tries to boss him around nowadays.
Enemy (Apocalypse)- Blaquesmith hails from a dark future where Apocalypse rules.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 10 (123)

-Blaquesmith is a little-known Background Character in the Cable book- he's a weird little dude from Cable's dark future; the only male inducted into the Askani "Sisterhood". His job? To mentor a young Nathan Summers- the man who would become Cable. Years later, when Cable goes to the past (his original timeline), Blaquesmith eventually follows him. He attempts to help Cable with gear, but Cable often mistrusts his old mentor, while Blaquesmith thinks Cable isn't doing enough to stop Apocalypse. Cable leans on Blaquesmith slightly more when Graymalkin and "Professor" blows up, but the old man is killed during the "Onslaught" crisis.

-Blaquesmith later returns NOT dead, having been captured by Rama-Tut (the time-traveling early version of Kang)- he later partners up with Cable again, but they don't get up to much before he may or may not have been killed again. An imposter showed up for a bit, but then the REAL deal showed up again, and this whole mess seems like multiple writers who were basically stuck with the character and tried various methods to get rid of him. Blaquesmith appeared briefly in Cable's attempts to stop the Weapon X program, and during Avengers (vs) X-Men, but didn't do much (merely saying some vague stuff that implied Hope Summers had died).

-Blaquesmith is more of a Mentor and Inventor than a front-line fighter, but nonetheless appears capable in some pictures I've seen of him.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Ares »

Davies wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:34 am
Ares wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:14 am
Davies wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:01 am

Yes, apparently the story goes that Hickman tried to use his status as the Fantastic Four's writer to hit on Natalie Portman around the time she was cast in Thor, and she shot him down and so he came up with this villain named after her Oscar nominated role to show her what a big man he was.
God, that's just depressingly petty enough to be true.
Yep.

But I made it up out of whole cloth. :twisted: If there's an actual connection, I'm unaware of it.
:|
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Builds! (The Blob! Brass! Blackout! Bishop! Trevor Fitzroy!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Davies wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 2:27 am But what about the Beetles that the Thing and the Human Torch met in Strange Tales 130 and were invited to Reed and Sue's wedding?
Never heard about that. I don't believe they were listed.
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Re: Black Swan (The Pretentious One)

Post by Sidious »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:57 pm Image

BLACK SWAN II (Yabbat Ummon Turu)
Created By:
Jonathan Hickman & Steve Epting
First Appearance: New Avengers #1 (Jan. 2013)
Role: Sorta-Exposition Character
Group Affiliation: None
Isn't it a real pain trying to stat up these characters? At least in the 80's you would have long exposition on how they would get their powers and what they were. Now, you get fight scenes with a new power every issue.

I love how they were like "but you can't use X character. We killed them off over a year ago." and Hickman is all "Alternate universe, bitches!" Still the guy needed a firm editor to keep him on track. The Story jumps alone are confusing, throw in the Legion (see what I did there) of characters and people get lost.

Would have loved to see him and Wolfman work out the story , maybe with Perez for art. but now I'm just fan-boy dreaming.

Back to Black Swan, She was a member of the Black Swans (it's an order or something), The Cabal, and now the Black Order (Thanos' team of nihilists. Which doesn't make sense, but whatever.)
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