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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
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Scanner (Ryall)

Post by Jabroniville »

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... girl pretty.

SCANNER II (Sara Ryall)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, Walking Plot Device
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Alive, De-Powered following M-Day
PL 5 (144), PL 10 (144) vs. Astral Forms
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills: 
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Acolyte) 2 (+4)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+9)

Advantages: 
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Evasion, Ranged Attack 4, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Psionics & Bio-Electrical Abilities"
Senses 3 (Detect Mutants- Ranged 2, Detect Astral Forms) [3]
Nullify Psionics 12 (Flaws: Limited to Astral Forms, Touch Range) [3]

"Electro-Transitional State" (Standard Action) [-2]
"Light-Speed" Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
Insubstantial 3 [15]
Concealment (All Senses) 10 [20]
Mental Communication 1 [4]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Nullify Astral Forms +8 (+12 Nullify, DC 22)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +1 (+2 Suit), Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications: 
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")
Reputation (Wimp)- Scanner is picked on by the other Acolytes, because she is not as brave or strong-willed as they are.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 83 / Defenses: 15 (144)

-Scanner's entire concept is around detection and recon work, making her one of those characters only useful for a couple things. I get the feeling that Marvel just tossed her on the team to negate the advantage of Professor X or Jean Grey or something. Surprisingly, she's still alive, having been lucky enough to survive the Genoshan Sentinel Massacre, and get De-Powered on M-Day.

-She can Nullify the Astral Forms of others, move at Light Speed, go Insubstantial, and is undetectable by all but psionic senses, making her very useful for such a weak character. Since it used to be a projection of her normal body, you could use the old "Projection" Flaw from 2e for her various powers- her body was helpless when she threw her "Electro-Transitional State" out there (it makes her a 106-point character then). Currently, they powered her up so that it's a true Alternate Form, though. She's pretty handy if your enemies have an Astral Traveller on their squad, too.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ken
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Re: Exodus

Post by Ken »

Ares wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:20 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 6:51 am Image

VOGHT (Amelia Voght)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, Professor X Girlfriend, Teleporter
So of all the Acolytes to go for obvious fanservice, it's Xavier's ex-girlfriend with a custom cleavage cut-out? You know, the portrayal of Xavier by James McAvoy makes a LOT more sense. I mean, I figure Xavier is suppose to be in his 50's or 60's, so how old is SHE suppose to be?
32. Just because Xavier banged her in the past doesn't mean it had to be a real long time ago in the past.

Were you expecting Orator to be the fanservice?
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: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Projector

Post by Jabroniville »

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PROJECTOR (Zachary Williams)
Created By:
John Ostrander, Joe Edkin & Ivan Reis
First Appearance: Quicksilver #9 (July 1998)
Role: Crappy Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Still alive and on the team.
PL 9 (105)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills: 
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+7)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Acolyte) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Force Strike) 2 (+7)

Advantages: 
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Interpose, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Force Field & Object Generation"
Force Field 8 (Feats: Increased Mass 6, Dynamic) (Extras: Impervious 7, Affects Others, Perception Range +2) (46) -- [50]
  • AE: Create 8 (17)
  • AE: "Force Strike" Blast 8 (17)
Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Force Strike +7 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+11 Force Field), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications: 
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 9 (105)

-Projector's got a pretty cool power-set, especially for a team guy, and he's actually shown up here and there after M-Day and all that junk, so Marvel must seem to think he's worth something (of course, he jobbed quickly to Wolverine and then did nothing afterwards, so who knows?). He was hanging out with the Acolytes team circa Messiah Complex, which is VERY recent for this group of characters (most of whom died in Genosha)- they were hiding out in a band of Ex-Acolytes, but Wolverine threatened him for information on the whereabouts of the active members.

-Projector's gimmick is creating a big shapeable force field around himself and others, that he can project onto other people, making him a good team Shield Guy (especially with Perception Range). Unfortunately, Unuscione of the Acolytes has a much BETTER hurty-field thing going on, and now Armor of Whedon's X-team has the same abilities as well, making him redundant. He's PL 9 only defensively, being a pretty sad PL 8 on offense.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Unuscione

Post by Jabroniville »

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It's weird that I find the genocidal maniac hot, right?

UNUSCIONE (Carmella Unuscione)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & Brandon Peterson
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #298 (March 1993)
Role: Field Leader, Force Field-User
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Still alive and on the team
PL 10 (156)
STRENGTH
1/9 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 2 (+3, +8)
Expertise (Acolyte) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Psionic Exoskeleton"
Enhanced Strength 8 [16]
Force Field 9 (Feats: Increased Mass 3) (Extras: Affects Others, Impervious 15) [36]
"Mind Shield" Enhanced Will Save 8 (Flaws: Limited to vs. Mental Attacks) [4]
Enhanced Skills 8: Close Combat (Exoskeleton Strike) 1 (+9), Intimidation 7 (+13) [4]
Enhanced Advantages 10: Crushing Pin, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Exoskeleton Strike), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown [10]

"Bio-Electric Stun" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (10) -- [11]
  • AE: "Exoskeleton Strike" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (7)
Elongation 2 (30 feet) [2]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Exoskeleton Strike +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Bio-Electric Stun +9 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+12 Exoskeleton, +8 Impervious), Fortitude +6, Will +5 (+13 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 83 / Defenses: 11 (156)

-Unuscione is the field leader of the Acolytes to this day, as whenever Magneto or Exodus aren't there (which is alot, as they're unbalancingly-powerful), she's telling everyone what to do. The daughter of forgotten, deceased Silver Age villain "Unus the Untouchable", she's also got the best/most interesting power of the bunch, a massive force field "Exoskeleton" that looks like a giant beast thing with teeth and claws. But X-Men writers never really bothered to give her a personality beyond "Magneto worshipper", so she's never really been a positive influence on X-books, which is too bad. Total waste of a character. She's generally just seen leading her crew in fights, and doing okay in battle before her team squirrels away to do whatever. Most-recently, she was seen on Exodus's Acolytes squad, before Professor X convinced them to give up- Unuscione (and just WHAT THE HELL KIND OF NAME IS THAT ANYWAYS?) and Frenzy both joined up.

-Yeah, really. This is the FIELD LEADER of the team and this is all the bio I could put up.

-Putting together her powers was pretty simple once I decided she was going to have an actual force field vs. a Summoned Minion (too much of a pain to stat 'always around her' in it's nature): She's got a powerful Force Field (combined with a Mind Shield that boosts her Will Save) that has remarkable defenses, and the Exoskeleton has remarkable strength and size (I gave it higher Strength plus Elongation and a Strike with Reach to denote it's weapon creation and general size- actual Growth wouldn't fit, because Unuscione herself doesn't grow). There's also a weird Stun effect that doesn't get used much, but is just there as an extra Alt-Effect. She's among the most costly and effective of The Acolytes, being a rare PL 10 character, and she's VERY hard to actually injure. Not a bad Acolyte all things considered (ie. how much the rest of them suck). 
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:37 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
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Spoor

Post by Jabroniville »

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SPOOR (Andrew Hamish Graves)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, The Guys Whose Name Means "Poop"
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Died during the Sentinel Massacre on Genosha
PL 8 (118)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+3)
Expertise (Acolyte) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 5 (+4)
Perception 3 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Mood-Altering Pheromones"
"Claws" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area- 30ft. Cloud, Reaction +3, Sustained +2) (Flaws: Scent-Dependent) [56]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Claws +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Pheromones +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +5 (+6 Suit), Fortitude +6, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")
Secret (Hates Himself)- Since his name means poop and all, Spoor clearly hates himself and wants to die. He often leaves enemies enraged while in his immediate vicinity, so that they will attack and kill him.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 9 (118)

-Ah, Spoor. Only in the Acolytes could someone whose name also means "poop" (okay, TECHNICALLY it means "animal tracings when you're following them, but most people assume it to be "poop") only have the second or third-worst name of the lot. His emotion-altering powers are pretty advanced, but usually he kind of sucks otherwise. What's funny is that he'd often use his powers on his enemies, hoping they'd attack and kill HIM, since he hated himself and being a mutant and such. A fairly bizarre personality- his father apparently fed him garbage and abused him (sort of like those famous instances of parents keeping their children locked in basements). Since his powers are olfactory in nature, they earn a small discount, and I don't think he can affect more than one person at a time.

-Uncanny X-Men.net says he has the animalistic power-set of claws, strength, senses, etc., but Wikipedia & ComicVine just lists the pheromones. Anyone else know for sure if he's used the other animal powers? In any case, he's got a very pricey +8 Affliction that adds up over time and goes off every single round in an Area of Effect, which would be TERRIFYING if he wasn't so lame, and didn't also affect his own teammates. He's only PL 7 without his Pheromones either, so he's pretty sad altogether.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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HalloweenJack
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Aggressors of Dark Kombat! Undergrads! The Acolytes!)

Post by HalloweenJack »

MacynSnow wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 5:34 pm
HalloweenJack wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:17 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 5:59 am Y-y- You DARE make a positive remark about Exodus in MY THREAD!?!? HOW DARE YOU MACYNSNOW!!! YOU ARE NOW MY ARCH-NEMESISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!


No. No. I am calm. I can take it.

But yeah, Exodus has a solid IDEA- old-school religious sort brought into modern times and gaining a new crusade. BUT, the issue wasn't really his origin story, it was his "Generic '90s Boss" look and uber power level. I mean, cycle him down to a PL 11 and he's okay. But his dialogue style was pretty crap.
*jumps over rail*

I agree with Fezzik...er Macyn
*gives HalloweenJack a high five & Acolyte uniform*

Welcome,fellow member of all things Black Knight related...... :D

glad to see my membership is not....belated...
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
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Barnacle

Post by Jabroniville »

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"People say I eat too many chocolate BARS..."

BARNACLE (Mortimer Everett)
Created By:
Fabian Nicieza & Alan Davis w/ Lee Weeks
First Appearance: X-Men: The Magneto War #1 (March 1999)
Role: Crappy Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Killed during the Sentinel attack on Genosha
PL 8 (106)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills: 
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Acolyte) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Fast Grab, Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Moisture Solidification into Scaled Substance"
"Barnacle Shell" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 7) (Extras: Continuous) [15]

"Barnacle Snare" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered, Vulnerable & Vision Impaired/Immobile, Defenseless & Vision Disabled/Visually Unaware & Paralyzed) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Extra Condition +2, Cumulative) (29) -- [30]
AE: "Bio-Matter Blast" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (12)

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Snare +8 (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Bio-Matter Blast +6 Area (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+7 Barnacle Shell), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications: 
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 9 (106)

-Oh, Barnacle. Truly one of the great forgotten characters, whose awesome power-set went ignored. In a fair world, he would've pulled a Venom and become one of the greatest anti-heroes of his time, living on to this day as a great X-Man. Oh wait, never mind, Barnacle was stupid as balls. He jumped on people and "snared" them by making gross barnacle crap grow on their skin, in addition to coating his own skin in the stuff. One of the sillier ideas for that "middle era" of The Acolytes, Barnacle pretty much disappeared, and was killed on Genosha, as revealed during Necrosha.

-Barnacle has an interesting little power to build, in that he has a semi-permanent Protection effect (Continuous because he can presumably stunt it, and it doesn't just turn off if he's KO'd), and a really really good Snare... well, it'd BE really good if he had it at really high levels. As it stands, it's basically an Affliction Effect that runs along three different lines- both of the Snare-related lines (Hindered/Vulnerable/Immobile/Defenseless) as well as the Visual Impairment line. And the Snare portion doesn't end at the second-degree like most do- he can fully wrap someone in a shell, making it a Paralyze (basically- you can't really do anything in it). Plus it's Cumulative. So if he had it at higher than +7, he'd be more than a PL 7.5 character. But since he's an Acolyte, he sucks, so he's that level all-around. Good to make Storm have a claustrophobic fit, but not much else.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Ares
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Re: Exodus

Post by Ares »

Ken wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:34 pm
Ares wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:20 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 6:51 am Image

VOGHT (Amelia Voght)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, Professor X Girlfriend, Teleporter
So of all the Acolytes to go for obvious fanservice, it's Xavier's ex-girlfriend with a custom cleavage cut-out? You know, the portrayal of Xavier by James McAvoy makes a LOT more sense. I mean, I figure Xavier is suppose to be in his 50's or 60's, so how old is SHE suppose to be?
32. Just because Xavier banged her in the past doesn't mean it had to be a real long time ago in the past.

Were you expecting Orator to be the fanservice?
From what Jab mentioned, she left Charles right when Scott was brought in, which was when he was in his early teens. Scotts at least in in late 20s/early 30s these days.
"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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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Aggressors of Dark Kombat! Undergrads! The Acolytes!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Voght was first drawn by JR, so she looked about 65 at first.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Mellencamp

Post by Jabroniville »

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MELLENCAMP (Seamus Mellencamp)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, Goofy-Named Guy
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Died during the Sentinel Massacre on Genosha
PL 10 (161)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills: 
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Expertise (Acolyte) 4 (+6)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Close Combat, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Combat 3, Startle, Takedown, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animalistic Physiology & Immense Durability"
"Prehensile Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Immunity 17 (Fatigue Effects, Energy Drains, Falling Damage, Visual Dazzles) [17]
Senses 6 (Darkvision, Extended & Analytical Hearing, Scent- Acute, Extended & Tracking) [6]
"Armoured Scales" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 21) [23]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +13 (+10 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +7

Complications: 
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")
Motivation (The Noble Knight of the Acolytes)- Seamus is a kind, devoted man, and acts nobly and wisely. He worships Magneto, but treats his enemies with respect. He abhors torture, and tries to talk foes out of attacking. This is in part due to Mellencamp's upbringing, where he was brutally abused by his parents.
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- Nobody could possibly mistake a seven-foot, reptilian monster for a normal human being.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 8 (161)

-Cripes. Mellencamp, despite having a ridiculous name and being a minor forgotten character, was freakishly dangerous. A mixture of Super-strong Brick, Scrapper and Sensory Guy, he had a crapload of powers, was nearly invincible to harm (Madrox had to teleport a clone INSIDE his body to kill him- the next writer forgot this of course, and he showed up within a few months), and could wreck a ton of mutants just by himself. He was apparently the "Noble Knight of the Acolytes", being a basically nice guy who was friendly and cordial to people, despite being fanatically devoted to Magneto, following a childhood of abuse from his parents. But that name... I mean, a lot of The Acolytes used their real names (Unuscione, Cargill, etc.) as kind of a gimmick (which goes against the awesome idea from X-Men 2 that their super-names ARE their "Real Names"), but why would they choose the real name of a FAMOUS SINGER? Who ELSE is named "Mellencamp" out there? Mellencamp was killed in Genosha with the other Acolytes, after coming back that one time.

-Mellencamp is a beast, and one of the most dangerous Acolytes. He's smarter than he looks, but combines the Animalistic Power-set with a huge amount of strength (usually Rogue-ish levels, but apparently once he knocked over a building) and durability (three-mile falls don't hurt him, Rogue can't drain him, and as I mentioned, it took a "put a Duplicate inside of him" stunt to off the guy one time. He is TOUGH. He's still PL 10 since he's fairly easy to hit but still, yikes.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Aggressors of Dark Kombat! Undergrads! The Acolytes!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:27 pm The Acolytes also show off something else I got annoyed with when it came to superhero comics: powers that were WAY too complicated. That whole joke about the guy whose atmospheric powers were too complicated to actually show them being used was a prime example.

There's just some point where the powers get weird, especially for mutants whose powers are ostensibly based on science and genetic evolution. I think mutants would probably be the folks whose abilities fall into definite categories with some variation (psionic, energy absorption/generation/manipulation, physical mutation, transformation, teleportation, etc.) with about a 3rd of the mutants having some kind of physical oddity that makes them stand out.
Well, I think the Acolytes were one of those squads where writers and artists just kinda threw all their "half-finished" ideas in. Like, Katu's powers wouldn't work on a superhero, so why not just throw this weird idea onto a background guy?

Honestly, I prefer a "no limits" approach to Mutant Powers. My MAIN problem is that some power-sets are repeated WAY TOO OFTEN: Claws, especially "Claws + Healing". Telepathy AND Telekinesis at the same time. Omega-Level Reality Warping, which should be the rarest power-set in the universe, yet is held by like five goddamn people WHO LIVE ON EARTH.
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Re: Exodus

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:20 pm The Acolytes are pretty much as Jab said: a solid concept ruined by a lack of focus. They would have made an interesting faction in the Mutants scene in Marvel. While the X-Men are the good guys and there are numerous villain groups, Magneto's Acolytes could have been a somewhat "grey" faction, one that could be enemy or ally depending on the situation. Unfortunately, since no one really gave them the time and attention they would have needed, they basically became the next big thing in Marvel.
I think a big issue is that the multiple X-writers were essentially allowed to each include "their guys" on the team, resulting in the bloated roster of varied weirdos we see today. If you look at the "Created By" section for each guy, there's the Claremont/Lee guys and the Lobdell/Peterson guys. The first set were throwaway on purpose, so that was fine. The first "permanent" batch of Acolytes were even okay (basically Unuscione, the triplets-turned-twins, and established minor villainess Frenzy). But then Lobdell added a ton more with John Romita, Jr. (Milan, Spoor, Neophyte, etc.). Then Fabian Nicieza added a bunch in (Vindaloo, Barnacle, REM-RAM, Static). Then X-Factor added a couple, like Rakkus. Then friggin' Quicksilver, a D-List book, nonetheless features the Son of Magneto, and so the Acolytes make natural enemies... except the creators (John Ostrander & Ivan Reis) INVENT THEIR OWN ACOLYTES, giving us Projector, Gargouille & Decay.

So the group really had no focus, and got shopped around. That this was also the era of Nicieza dogpiling "Sketchpad Characters" like the Dark Riders & MLF into tons of books didn't help, so the Acolytes even failed to stand out. Hell, the writers never even bothered to keep their THEME NAMING intact- you had Unuscione, Mellencamp, Milan, Voght and the Kleinstocks all going by real names (Cargill even dropped "Frenzy" to go by hers)... and then their teammates, created by the SAME PEOPLE, Spoor, Barnacle, Static, Neophyte and others.

But you're right- the Acolytes would have been fine as "Religious-like Zealots Following Magneto". The problem is the execution... which really went wrong on every level. It was so bad it's hard to just pick one aspect that sucked particularly hard.

Professor X's age is hard to determine. His backstory showed him working with Holocaust survivors as, like, a CONTEMPORARY of them- I think Gabrielle Haller (the mother of Legion) was a survivor, too. This made more sense in the 1980s, where she could be 50-ish and Charles around 60. But that timeline kept getting pushed back. He also survived in a clone body after one died from Brood-stuff, so his "real age" was fudged, much like Magneto's was (reduced to a baby, then aged to "generic Jim Lee-drawn adulthood"). Now? We're almost better off not thinking about it. Like all those SHIELD guys taking Infinity Formulas or whatever.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Rakkus

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

RAKKUS (David Anthony Rice)
Created By:
Bob Harras & Mike Deodato Jr.
First Appearance: The Avengers #380 (Nov. 1994)
Role: Crappy Villain, One-Shot Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Unknown- Marvel forgot he existed
PL 9 (127)
STRENGTH
0/9 STAMINA 1/9 AGILITY 0/3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 7 (+8)
Expertise (Acolyte) 3 (+3)
Insight 4 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Blast) 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Transform into DNA Virus with Mutagenic Properties"
"DNA Strain"
Concealment 2 (Visuals) [4]
Insubstantial 2 [10]

Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed & Entranced/Compelled & Stunned/Transformed to Rakkus & Controlled) (Extras: Extra Condition, Cumulative, Sustained +2) (Flaws: Possession Only) [32]

"Rakkus Transformation" (All have Flaws: Source- Requires Affliction Victim)
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (24 feet) [8]
Enhanced Agility 3 [3]
Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 11) [7]
Blast 8 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Infection +9 (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Unarmed as Rakkus +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0 (+3 Infection)

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +4
"Rakkus Transformation" Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +12 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 72 / Defenses: 11 (127)

-God, what a weird power. The guy's essential gimmick is that he can possess people as a DNA Strain, then transform them into a super-strong monstrous creature with a fire blast. He fought Quicksilver & Crystal, and left the body of the person he was infecting after being killed by The High Evolutionary, and then never really showed up again. So yeah, Marvel forgot he existed, along with along with Orator, another "side book" created-character.

-Rakkus' powers are EXTREMELY strange- a combination of Possession along with Transformation, along with his "DNA Strain" form (Insubstantial plus Concealment oughta cover it). However, the limits of Transform are clear in that you cannot INCREASE a person's power points- therefore he requires the giant "Rakkus Form" boosts as a separate stream of powers, all Limited to requiring a Source (the infected victim). This is all very pricey, but since he's an Acolyte and therefore totally sucky, he still doesn't end up broken. The "Possession" thing is essentially a combo of the Mind Control thread at Touch-Range with the Possession Flaw (something I had to kinda invent- it's generally a negative to lose your OWN actions and disappearing while controlling another- 2e's Sustained Possession power is 3 points/rank, which is one below the Sustained Mind Control effect, so I think that's how they dealt with it), with the Transformed thread of Affliction combined to it. As Rakkus, he's a PL 9 super-strong combatant, and quite durable. Some bio-sites claim he can alter the form however he wishes, which would add up to a Variable 11 (Flaws: Source- Requires Affliction Victim) effect, and be MUCH more expensive character- he'd be 167 points in that instance.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Milan

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

MILAN (Fransisco Milan)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Devoured alive by Holocaust
PL 6 (86)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Acolyte) 4 (+6)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment (Acolyte Gear), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Convert Brainwaves to Electronic Transmissions"
Transform 1 (Brainwaves to Electronic Transmissions & Vice-Versa) [2]
Mind-Reading 6 [12]
"Mentally Interface With Machinery or Project Thoughts as Images" Communication (Visual) 2 (8) -- [9]
  • AE: Communication (Technology) 2 (8)
Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Suit), Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 13 (86)

-Milan's one of those guys whose descriptions tend to leave out exactly what his battlefield purpose is, and he was casually eaten by Holocaust after being assigned sole guard duty of the mysterious character when the Acolytes captured him. He ponders the wisdom of Exodus as team leader just before he's consumed from the feet upwards. Since his powers are mainly communicative in nature, I'm gonna theorize that he's sort of the low-end tech-guy and communications expert of the Acolytes, and not really a fighter. He's a REALLY pathetic combatant- being PL 4.5 on offense, and PL 6 on defense. Holocaust did away with him, Rusty Collins and Isaac Javitz, saving us all from a chunk of the crappier villains out there. The most interesting thing about Milan seems to be his design- John Romita Jr. actually gave him a look beyond "normal person in same uniform", with weird facial tattoos.

-OK, reading Uncanny X-Men #300, I can see that Milan's key focus in MIND READING, allowing him to project someone's thoughts onto technology (ie. a Viewscreen for someone's mind).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Neophyte

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image
Image

NEOPHYTE (Simon Hall)
Created By:
Scott Lobdell & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #300 (May 1993)
Role: Crappy Villain, "The Stormer"- Token Good-Natured Villain
Group Affiliations: The Acolytes
Fate: Still alive and on the team
PL 6 (79)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+9)
Deception 1 (+1)
Expertise (Acolyte) 4 (+5)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Defensive Roll, Equipment (Acolytes Gear), Evasion, Improved Defense, Redirect

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Phase-Morphing"
Movement 3 (Permeate 3- Full Speed) (Quirk: One Continuous Medium Only) [5]
Speed 12 (8,000 mph) (Flaws: Limited to When Permeating) (Quirk: One Continuous Medium Only) [5]
Insubstantial 2 (Flaws: Limited to With Particulate Substances) [8]

Equipment:
"Acolytes Gear" Communications, Protection (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+3 Suit, +4 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation ("Mutant Power!")
Responsibility (Peaceful One)- Neophyte is the Acolyte most mindful of common morality aside from Mellencamp, but is very confused and in need of something to believe in. He does not entirely reject Xavier's words, and does not believe the Acolytes should treat humans the way humans have treated mutants.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 18 (79)

-Neophyte has the gimmick of "The Stormer"- the Acolyte who gets made fun of by the others for not being as bloodthirsty or evil as the others, and he's always the first one to show mercy. A big part of his debut story features Colossus having to go to bat for the kid as the other Acolytes are plotting to throw him out for excessive kindness. He actually survives the various stories in which a LOT of Acolytes die (Holocaust, Genosha...), and has most-recently been seen with the Acolytes during Messiah Complex, and aiding Cyclops against a Sentinel attack upon Utopia.

-Neophyte's power is FAR from easy to stat, essentially being able to phase through matter, but in a bizarre way that lets him pop in from anything that's still part of the object he's phasing through (such as the wall of a French castle allowing him to phase out of ANY other portion of the castle connected to that wall, as long as it was still the same substance/medium). I figured Permeate plus Speed would handle it- he can move into something, and travel at a HUGE speed, essentially allowing him to come out of any attached piece almost instantaneously. Teleport doesn't work, as he's not really TELEPORTING; nor does the "Medium" Flaw, unless you got cheap and made it Limited to Contiguous Mediums & gave it Variable to mean it could be ANY substance at any given time. He can also "disperse" himself via travelling through rain or something like that, so I gave him Insubstantial with a limit. He's not much good in a fight, but he's handy for certain "out of combat" activities.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 24, 2022 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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