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

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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

Post by Ares »

M4C8 wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:58 pm
Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:01 am Metallo, Computo, and Magneto are really the only ones that can pull it off. I think mostly due to the fact that one was voiced by Malcolm McDowell in the popular cartoon, one scored one of the only perma-death kills of a main character in the Silver Age, and the last is friggin’ Magneto, ‘nuff said. These guys are able to overcome the inherent (to modern wars) silliness of their Something-O names.

Mind you, I personally feel like most of the Something-O names, the Whaterver-Man names, and even the Legion’s Lads, Lasses, Kids, Boys, and Girls... They have aged far better than the Nineties (Grim Noun) + (Gritty Verb) era of names.

Gimme a “Mysterio” or a “Element Lad” any day of the week over a “Bloodstrike” or a “Battlestone.”
Personally I've always hated superhero names with 'kid' 'girl' 'boy' 'lad' or 'Lass' in them, they have always and will always sound stupid to me. I know attaching real world 'logic' to comic books is mostly pointless but I could never really believe any teenage superhero would pick a name using those words. Also, at some point, due to their ages, they're all going to have to change their names anyway, again I can't see many experienced adult heroes being happy to be called 'Lad' or 'boy' (I don't read DC so I don't know the typical age of the LOSH characters)
I'll admit, I grew up in the 80s and reading a lot of older Silver Age comics from decades earlier, so the Kid/Boy/Lass thing never bothered me. And it actually works for a Legion setting, since, well, it's 1000 years into the future. What is "cool" can change radically in just a few decades, let alone several centuries. I also figure by that time, since lets people live well into their 200's or 300's. Even in the 70's we had folks in their late 20's/early 30's calling folks in the early 20's "kid", so in that era, you could see someone even in their late 20's being called "kid" or "boy" by other folks. 100 is the new 50, etc.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

Post by M4C8 »

Ares wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:10 pm
M4C8 wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:58 pm
Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:01 am Metallo, Computo, and Magneto are really the only ones that can pull it off. I think mostly due to the fact that one was voiced by Malcolm McDowell in the popular cartoon, one scored one of the only perma-death kills of a main character in the Silver Age, and the last is friggin’ Magneto, ‘nuff said. These guys are able to overcome the inherent (to modern wars) silliness of their Something-O names.

Mind you, I personally feel like most of the Something-O names, the Whaterver-Man names, and even the Legion’s Lads, Lasses, Kids, Boys, and Girls... They have aged far better than the Nineties (Grim Noun) + (Gritty Verb) era of names.

Gimme a “Mysterio” or a “Element Lad” any day of the week over a “Bloodstrike” or a “Battlestone.”
Personally I've always hated superhero names with 'kid' 'girl' 'boy' 'lad' or 'Lass' in them, they have always and will always sound stupid to me. I know attaching real world 'logic' to comic books is mostly pointless but I could never really believe any teenage superhero would pick a name using those words. Also, at some point, due to their ages, they're all going to have to change their names anyway, again I can't see many experienced adult heroes being happy to be called 'Lad' or 'boy' (I don't read DC so I don't know the typical age of the LOSH characters)
I'll admit, I grew up in the 80s and reading a lot of older Silver Age comics from decades earlier, so the Kid/Boy/Lass thing never bothered me. And it actually works for a Legion setting, since, well, it's 1000 years into the future. What is "cool" can change radically in just a few decades, let alone several centuries. I also figure by that time, since lets people live well into their 200's or 300's. Even in the 70's we had folks in their late 20's/early 30's calling folks in the early 20's "kid", so in that era, you could see someone even in their late 20's being called "kid" or "boy" by other folks. 100 is the new 50, etc.
Of course you're right, it's just a personal annoyance of mine, I even dislike the old west cowboy heroes using the word 'kid' despite knowing that some real outlaws did used the word.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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I'd have an issue with the Legion's first death also being their first black member, but it eventually led to his more popular sister joining the team, so it works out in the end. It's just weird that even in the future, "black guy dies first" is still a trope. Maybe they should have had another Legionnaire die on that same mission as well, make it a real disaster that explained why they didn't go that route.
Better than having him live on “Apartheid Brigadoon,” yeah?
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

Post by M4C8 »

Jabroniville wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:27 am
Batgirl III wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:23 pm If you think about it objectively, “Cosmic Boy” is probably one of the better names for magnetic characters in comics. I mean, at least originally, it was meant more to speak to his nature as a space-traveling vistor from the future. He was “cosmic,” because he operated in the cosmos, just like Aquaman operates in the water. There’s not that many magnetic characters out there. They’re all kinda lazily named...

Magneto is a truly epic villain, so his rep has kinda obscured how lazy his name his: Magnet + O. It’d be like Parker calling himself “Spidero” or Banner transforming into “Angryo.” (I mean, we all make fun of “Mysterio” and it’s essentially the same thing as “Magneto.”)

C-List X-Woman “Polaris” and D-List DC jobber “Doctor Polaris” both have names that refer to a star and not magnetism. Yes, Polaris is the North Star but the North Star doesn’t actually have anything to do with the magnetic pole.

Z-List DC Jobber “Magenta” has magnet powers, but her name is a result of her energy aura being pink... and possibly a creative team that didn’t spellcheck “magnet.”

“Polestar” is actually a pretty cool name, it’s too bad it’s forever attached to the Legion’s attempt at an Nineties Anti-Hero Grimdark storyline.
I really hate the "Something + O" names. They were really common in the '60s, though Marvel had fewer than DC. Magneto, Mentallo & Mesmero were all kicking around, but I DC has as many guys just from the LEGION's Rogues Gallery- Universo, Computo, Prince Evillo (yes, EVILLO)...
It's kind of weird how these naming trends mostly died out in the comic book industry back in the 60's, being regarded as silly and even old fashioned by the end of the decade and yet they were a huge part of the animated shows that I watched as a child in the 80's (MOTU, Thudercats etc.)
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:22 pm
I'd have an issue with the Legion's first death also being their first black member, but it eventually led to his more popular sister joining the team, so it works out in the end. It's just weird that even in the future, "black guy dies first" is still a trope. Maybe they should have had another Legionnaire die on that same mission as well, make it a real disaster that explained why they didn't go that route.
Better than having him live on “Apartheid Brigadoon,” yeah?
ANYTHING is better than having him live on Apartheid Brigadoon.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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It also occurs to me that it’s a little weird to say “We don’t allow technology based super-powers. Now, here’s your Flight Ring, transparent life-support suit, and telepathic communication ear plug. Please report to the upside-down rocket ship for briefing on your first mission.”
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:39 pm It also occurs to me that it’s a little weird to say “We don’t allow technology based super-powers. Now, here’s your Flight Ring, transparent life-support suit, and telepathic communication ear plug. Please report to the upside-down rocket ship for briefing on your first mission.”
Heh. Though to be fair, the Flight Ring is the only really unique piece of gear there, and even it's just a more advanced version of the rocket packs and anti-grav belts that are either commercially available to everyone or owned by the police. It'd be the equivalent of going to the Justice League and expecting to get in because you've got a motorcycle, a SCUBA tank, and a cellphone.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

Post by M4C8 »

Ares wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:47 pm
Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:39 pm It also occurs to me that it’s a little weird to say “We don’t allow technology based super-powers. Now, here’s your Flight Ring, transparent life-support suit, and telepathic communication ear plug. Please report to the upside-down rocket ship for briefing on your first mission.”
Heh. Though to be fair, the Flight Ring is the only really unique piece of gear there, and even it's just a more advanced version of the rocket packs and anti-grav belts that are either commercially available to everyone or owned by the police. It'd be the equivalent of going to the Justice League and expecting to get in because you've got a motorcycle, a SCUBA tank, and a cellphone.
Yeah, or a car, a grapple line and a glider cape....er...wait...
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:30 am
Bladewind wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:48 am The comic was Teen Titans Spotlight on Magenta. They felt odd saying Teen Titans Spotlight on Francis Kane and wanted a supername. In trying to come up with something, they went with her suit being magenta and it almost being a play on magnetic.
In what universe does /məˈdʒɛntə/ sound anything like /ˈmæɡnət/ ?
None to my knowledge, but it almost an anagram. :mrgreen:
(And thanks BTW - I was trying to remember that word something fierce. The whole subconscious/ not thinking of it thing came to me when I read your post.)
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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M4C8 wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:55 pm Yeah, or a car, a grapple line and a glider cape....er...wait...
Hey! I resemble that remark!
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

Post by Ares »

M4C8 wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:55 pm
Ares wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:47 pm
Batgirl III wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:39 pm It also occurs to me that it’s a little weird to say “We don’t allow technology based super-powers. Now, here’s your Flight Ring, transparent life-support suit, and telepathic communication ear plug. Please report to the upside-down rocket ship for briefing on your first mission.”
Heh. Though to be fair, the Flight Ring is the only really unique piece of gear there, and even it's just a more advanced version of the rocket packs and anti-grav belts that are either commercially available to everyone or owned by the police. It'd be the equivalent of going to the Justice League and expecting to get in because you've got a motorcycle, a SCUBA tank, and a cellphone.
Yeah, or a car, a grapple line and a glider cape....er...wait...
:roll: Right. Because some average guy showing up with a VW Beetle and the grappling hook/hang-glider he picked up from Academy is equivalent to a person with peak human physical abilities, a super-genius IQ, mastery of most athletic, combat, detective and scientific skills and gear that combines bleeding edge technology with silent martial weapons making it on the team.

Actually, it makes one wonder if Batman COULD get into the Legion, assuming he somehow managed to get all of his skills by age 16-18. He's something like 80% of Brainiac 5's intelligence, 80% of Karate Kid's martial arts skill, comparatively stealthy as Invisible Kid, and a better detective than anyone on the team. He could even claim his super-power is "Super Competence" or "Super Deduction".

Then again, the logic of "superpowers only" is one of the Legion bits that DOES fall apart pretty quickly with even a casual thought. As others have mentioned, technically almost half of the Legion only has superpowers by the standards of a human. Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Matter-Eater Lad, Duplicate Girl, Element Lad, Dream Girl, Chameleon Boy, Mon-El, Superboy, Supergirl and a few others just happen to come from planets where everyone has their abilities. Brainiac 5 and Karate Kid don't technically even have powers, one's just really smart and one's a REALLY good martial artist. Going that route, Batman should technically be able to get in, he'd just need to spin that his power is being a great detective.

Also, just once I'd like to see some fictional setting where humans have some abilities that aliens don't have (besides all those 1950s sci-fi films where humans are unique in being "able to love"). I think John Carter of Mars might have been one of the only times where a normal human is actually a Superman compared to the other aliens around him.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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While a part of me understand's the reasons behind the No-tech only ban the Legion has(it'd cut down on possible casualties due to weapon/item malfunction),i'm of the mind that any Gadgeteer worth their skillmonkey license would have almost instant backups with backups of them,add nauseum.....
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

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MacynSnow wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:08 pm While a part of me understand's the reasons behind the No-tech only ban the Legion has(it'd cut down on possible casualties due to weapon/item malfunction),i'm of the mind that any Gadgeteer worth their skillmonkey license would have almost instant backups with backups of them,add nauseum.....
True, but I think the idea was more for folks like Kid Quantum, who are of the "I have a really weak power, but I have a gadget that makes said power useful" variety. Those people tend to not be the ones who invent their power-boosting device, so if something does go wrong, they can't fix it themselves.

I'd like to think that someone like Tony Stark could have potentially made it on the Legion, barring the whole "power duplication" issue. His argument could be that he's roughly as smart as Brainiac 5, it's just that instead of relying on a force field belt and various pocket gadgets, Tony has a suit of power armor. Since he built and maintains the armor himself and without the armor he'd still have his "power", he could make a strong case for being let on.

It does sort of beg the question of why Brainy DOESN'T have some kind of power armor, but I think even the Legion might have poked fun of that at some point. It basically gets away from Brainiy being a supersmart gadgeteer. Though him eventually using his Force Field belt to be sort of Invisible Woman lite was a good call.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Saturn Girl! Timber Wolf! Cosmic Boy!)

Post by Woodclaw »

Ares wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:07 pm
M4C8 wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:55 pm
Ares wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:47 pm

Heh. Though to be fair, the Flight Ring is the only really unique piece of gear there, and even it's just a more advanced version of the rocket packs and anti-grav belts that are either commercially available to everyone or owned by the police. It'd be the equivalent of going to the Justice League and expecting to get in because you've got a motorcycle, a SCUBA tank, and a cellphone.
Yeah, or a car, a grapple line and a glider cape....er...wait...
:roll: Right. Because some average guy showing up with a VW Beetle and the grappling hook/hang-glider he picked up from Academy is equivalent to a person with peak human physical abilities, a super-genius IQ, mastery of most athletic, combat, detective and scientific skills and gear that combines bleeding edge technology with silent martial weapons making it on the team.

Actually, it makes one wonder if Batman COULD get into the Legion, assuming he somehow managed to get all of his skills by age 16-18. He's something like 80% of Brainiac 5's intelligence, 80% of Karate Kid's martial arts skill, comparatively stealthy as Invisible Kid, and a better detective than anyone on the team. He could even claim his super-power is "Super Competence" or "Super Deduction".
I'd file him under "scaring the living shit out of anyone, anywhere" a.k.a.

Image

Also, Nightwing has mastered it, as well.

Image
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Kid Quantum (Jazmin)

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Image
Image
Image

KID QUANTUM II (Jazmin Cullen)
Created By:
Tom & Mary Bierbaum & David A. Williams
First Appearance: The Legion of Super-Heroes #82 (July 1996)
Home Planet: Xanthu
Origin of Powers: Scientific Experiments
Eras: Reboot Only
Relationships: Cosmic Boy
Role: Plucky Rookie
PL 9 (140)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+2)
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (History) 4 (+5)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Defensive Roll, Equipment 10 (Legion Gear), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Time Stop" Affliction 9 (Strength/Speed Rank; Dazed, Fatigued & Hindered/Stunned, Exhausted & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Can Freeze in Mid-Air) (Extras: Extra Condition +2, Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Instant Recovery) Linked to Deflect 10 (47) -- [48]
  • AE: "Quantum Bolts" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (31)
Equipment:
"Legion Gear"
"Telepathic Ear Plug" Comprehend 3 (Languages) (6)

"Legion Flight Ring"
Flight 7 (250 mph) (14)
Immunity 7 (Hot, Cold, Vacuum, Pressure, Radiation, Suffocation 2) (7)
Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) (2)
Communication 5 (Flaws: Fifth Rank is only towards Legionnaires) (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Time Stop +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Quantum Bolts +8 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications: 
Responsibility (Living Past Brother's Shame)
Relationship (Cosmic Boy)

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 48 / Defenses: 17 (140)

-The next Kid Quantum, the first's angry sister, pulled off membership a little bit better, ending up becoming a pseudo-icon of that version of the Legion (since she was one of the most popular Reboot types). Jazmin Cullen underwent surgery to gain the Quantum powers innately, then joined the team. Despite her initial hostility towards them, she proved herself and became a resolute member, even being elected leader thanks to Cosmic Boy recommending her. She entered into a relationship with Cos as well. Of course, she's pretty much unknown to much history since her continuity only lasted 10 years, in one single book. Kind of a shame.

-Quantum II is much better than her brother, costing more while lacking his Device flaw, having little "Stun Bolts" of Quantum Energy, more Advantages & Skills, and higher Combat bonuses.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 25, 2022 11:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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