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Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

GI Joe

Post by Jabroniville »

G.I. JOE complete roster:

First team:
Hawk (Missile Commander)
Scarlett (Counter Intel)
Rock 'n' Roll (Machine Gunner/PT Instructor)
Snake-Eyes (Commando/Uzi)
Grunt (Infantry/Artillery)
Zap (Missile Specialist/Demolitions)
Flash (Laser Rifle/Chem Bio & Radioactive Guy)
Short-Fuze (Mortar Soldier)
Breaker (Comm.)
Clutch (VAMP Driver)
Grand Slam (Laser Artillery)
Stalker (Ranger/Translator/Medic, SMG)
Steeler (Tank Commander)

Cobra Commander
Cobra Blueshirts

Comics:
Dr. Venom
Kwinn

Second series:
Ace (Skystriker Pilot)
Airborne (Copter Assault)
Cover Girl (Wolverine Driver)
Doc (Medic)
Duke (First Sergeant)
Gung-Ho (Marine, Grenade Launcher)
Snow Job (Arctic Trooper)
Torpedo (SEAL, martial arts, harpoon)
Tripwire (Mine Detector)
Wild Bill (Copter Pilot, .45 Colt Pistols)

Destro (Iron Grenardier)
Major Bludd (Mercenary)

Third series:
Blowtorch (Flamethrower)
Cutter (Hovercraft Pilot, Coast Guard)
Deep Six (SHARC Diver)
Mutt & Junkyard (Dog Handler)
Recondo (Jungle Trooper)
Rip Cord (HALO Jumper)
Roadblock (Heavy Machine Gunner)
Spirit (Tracker, Psychology, Eagle)
Thunder (Slugger Driver, Artillery)

The Baroness (Baroness)
Copperhead (Water Moccasin Pilot)
Firefly (Saboteur/Demo)
Scrap Iron (Anti-Armour)
Storm Shadow (Ninja, 2 Katana, Nunchuku)
Wild Weasel (Rattler Pilot)
Zartan (Disguise)

Fourth series:
Airtight (Hostile Enviro)
Alpine (Mountaineer)
Barbeque (Firefighter)
Crankcase (Striker Driver)
Bazooka (Missile Specialist)
Dusty (Desert Trooper)
Footloose (Infantry)
Flint (Warrant Officer, Shotgun)
Frostbite (Snow Cat Driver)
Heavy Metal (Mauler Tank Driver)
Keel-Haul (Admiral, USS Flagg)
Lady Jaye (Covert Ops, Javelin)
Quick Kick (Silent Weapons- Sword, Nunchuku)
Sgt. Slaughter (Drill Instructor)
Shipwreck (Sailor, Parrot)
Tollbooth (Bridge Layer Driver, Sledge Hammer)

Buzzer (Chainsaw, Nunchuku Axe)
Crimson Guard
Ripper (Power Jaws, Metal Splitter Rifle)
Eels, Lampreys, Snow Serpents, Tele-Vipers
Torch (Blowtorch)
Tomax & Xamot (CG Commanders, Executive Enterprises)

Fifth series:
Beach Head (Ranger, Instructor, SMG)
Cross-Country (HAVOC Driver)
Dial-Tone (Comm.)
Iceberg (Snow Trooper)
Leatherneck (Marine)
Lifeline (Medic)
Lift-Ticket (Tomahawk Pilot)
Low-Light (Night Spotter, Sniper)
Mainframe (Computers)
Sci-Fi (Laser Trooper)
Slip-Stream (Conquest Pilot)
The Fridge (PT Instructor, Football on Chain)
Wet-Suit (SEAL, Sea Sled)
Claymore (Covert Ops)

B.A.T.S. (Android)
Dr. Mindbender (Scientist)
Monkeywrench (Harpoon)
Motor Viper, Strato-Viper
Serpentor (Emperoror, Snakes, Sword)
Thrasher (Thunder Machine Driver)
Vipers (Infantry)
Zandar (Grenades)
Zarana (Spur Cutting weapon)

Sixth series:
Back-Stop (Persuader Driver)
Chuckles (Undercover, Criminal Investigations)
Falcon (Green Beret)
Crazylegs (Assault Trooper, Parachuter, Organist)
Fast Draw (Mobile Missile Specialist)
Hard Top (Crawler Driver)
Jinx (Ninja, 2 Swords, Naginata)
Outback (Survivalist)
Law & Order (Military Police, K-9)
Payload (Defiant Pilot)
Psyche-Out (Deceptive Warfare)
Rumbler (Crossfire Driver)
Sneak Peak (Advanced Recon)
Starduster (Jetpack Trooper)
Steam-Roller (Mobile Command Center Operator)
Tunnel Rat (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
Dodger (Marauder Half-Track Driver)
Avalance (Dominator Snow Vehicle Driver)
Blaster (Vindicator Hovercraft Driver)
Blocker (Eliminator 4-Wheeled Driver)
Maverick (Vector Jet Pilot)
Knockdown (Sky-Sweeper Driver)
Slaughter's Renegades: Red Dog (NFL), Taurus, Mercer

Big Boa (Cobra Trainer)
Croc Master (Reptile Trainer)
Crystal Ball (Hypnotist)
Gyro-Viper, Ice Viper, Sea Slug, Techno-Viper
Zanzibar (Dreadnok Pirate)
Raptor (Falconer)
WORMS (MAGGOT Driver)
Golobulus (Ruler, Laser Gun)
Royal Guard (Battle-Axe)
Nemesis Enforcer (Wings)

Seventh series:
Armadillo (Rolling Thunder Driver)
Blizzard (Arctic Attack)
Charbroil (Flamethrower)
Budo (Samurai, swords & sais)
Ghostrider (Stealth Fighter Pilot)
Hit & Run (Light Infantry)
Hardball (Grenadier)
Lightfoot (Explosives)
Muskrat (Swamp Fighter, Shotgun, Machete, Skimmer)
Repeater (Machine Gunner)
Shockwave (SWAT Specialist)
Skidmark (Desert Fox Driver)
Spearhead & Max (Point Man & Bobcat)
Super Trooper (Shield & Machine Gun)
Wildcard (Mean Dog Driver)
Windmill (Skystorm Chopper Pilot)
Skystriker (Tiger Rat Pilot)

Astro Viper (Astronaut)
Ferret (DEMON Driver), Hydro-Vipers, Iron Grenadiers
Nullifier (AGP Pilot)
Road Pig (Spiked Shield, Cinderblock Hammer, Crossbow)
Secto-Vipter (BUGG Driver), Star-Viper (Stellar Stiletto Pilot)
Toxo-Viper (Hostile Enviro)
Voltar (Destro's General)

Eighth series:
Backblast (Anti-Aircraft)
Countdown (Astronaut)
Dee-Jay (Battleforce CommTech)
Hot Seat (Raider Driver)
Dogfight (Mudfighter Pilot)
Downtown (Mortar Man)
Long Range (Thunderclap Driver)
Payload (Astronaut)
Recoil (Long Range Recon Patrol)
Scoop (Combat Info Specialist)
Windchill (Arctic Blast Driver)

Alley Viper (Urban Assault), Annihilator (IG Trooper)
Darklon (Evader Driver), Night-Viper, Frag-Viper (Grenades), TARGAT (Trans-Atmospheric Rapid Global Assault Trooper)
Track Viper (HISS II Pilot)
Gnawgahyde (Dreadnok Poacher w/ Boar)
HEAT Viper (Bazooka)

Ninth series:
Ambush (Concealment, later Dinosaur Camouflage Specialist)
Bullhorn (Intervention/Hostage Negotiation)
Captain Grid-Iron (Hand-to-Hand)
Major Storm (General Commander)
Freefall (Paratrooper)
Cold Front (Avalanche Driver)
Pathfinder (Jungle Assault)
Rampart (Shoreline Defender)
Salvo (Anti-Armour, Mines)
Rapid-Fire (Fast Attack Expert)
Topside (Naval Assault Seaman)
Stretcher (Medic)
Sub-Zero (Winter Ops, Mortars)
Updraft (Retaliator Pilot)
Sky Patrol:
Airborne II (Parachute Assembler)
Airwave (Audibel Frequency Specialist/Comms)
Altitude (Recon Scout)
Drop Zone (Weapons Specialist)
Static Line (Demolitions)
Skydive (Leader)

Decimator (Hammerhead Driver)
Laser-Viper (Laser Trooper), SAW-Viper (Semi-Auto), Range-Viper (Wilderness), Rock-Viper (Mountains), Undertow (Frogmen w/ Barracudas), Vapor (Hurricane Pilot)
Night Creeper (Ninja)
Metal-Head (Anti-Tank)
Overlord (Dictator Driver)

Sonic Fighters:
Dodger (Heavy Ordnance Operator)

Tenth Series:
Big Ben (Special Air Service British Trooper)
Dusty & Sandstorm (Coyote)
Cloudburst (Glider Pilot)
Heavy Duty (Heavy Ordnance)
Major Altitude (Battle Copter Pilot)
Mercer (Mercenary)
Red Star (Oktober Guard Officer)
Skymate (Glider Pilot)
Tracker (Navy SEAL, Raft)

Eco-Warriors:
CessPool (Chief Environmental Operative)
Toxo-Viper, Sludge Viper

Clean-Sweep (Anti-Tox Trooper)
Ozone (Ozone-Replenisher)

Desert Scorpion (Desert Troops, Giant Scorpion pet), Incinerators (Flamethrowers), Interrogator (Battle Copter Pilots), Night Vulture (Air Recon), Snow Serpent
Sky Creeper (Air Recon Leader, career crook)

Eleventh Series:
Barricade (Bunker Buster)
Big Bear (OG Anti-Armour)
Wet-Suit (SEAL)
Air Devil (Acrobatic Aerial Assault)
Dojo (2 Sickles, Sword)
Nunchuk (Samurai Sword)
T'Jbang (Hook Sword)

Cobra Eel (Shark Missile Launcher, Underwater Demolitions), Flak-Viper (Anti-Aircraft), Heli-Vipers
Dice (Bo Staff Ninja)
Slice (Sword)
Ninja Viper
Overkill (BAT Leader)

Drug Elimination Force:
Bullet-Proof (DEF Leader, Missile Launcher)

Headhunters (Narcotics Guard)
Headman (Drug Kingpin)
Toxo-Zombie

Twelfth Series:
Colonel Courage (Strategic Commander)
General Flagg (General)
Long Arm (First Strike Specialist)
Mace (Undercover)
Snow Storm (Snow Trooper)

Gristle (Urban Crime Commander)
Nitro-Viper (Detonator Driver)
Bio-Vipers (Undersea Monster), Monstro-Vipers (Gen-Enhanced Monsters)

Mega-Marines:
Blast-Off (Flamethrower)
Mirage (Bio-Artillery)

Ninja Force:
Bushi-Do (Snow Ninja)
Banzai (Rising Sun Ninja)
Red Ninjas (Battle Ax Operators)
T'Gin-Zu (Pile Driver Operator)

Countdown (Combat Astronaut)
Payload (Astro-Pilot Star-Brigade)

Street Fighter II:
Balrog, Blanka, Chun-Li, Guile, Dhalsim, E. Honda, Ken Masters, Ryu, Sagat, M. Bison, Vega, Zangief

Thirteenth Series:
G. I. Joe
Action Team (Action Marine, Pilot, Sailor, Astronaut, Soldier)
Star Brigade:
Blackstar (Cobra Space Pilot)
Carcass (Alien Destroyer)
Effects (Explosives)
Gears (Invention Technician)
Lobotomaxx (Stellar Explorer)
Predacon (Alien Bounty Hunter, Four Arms)
Space Shot (Combat Freighter Pilot)


G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO

G.I. Joe has a really strange history if you get into it. It started out as Hasbro's classic 12" toy-line from way way back, but it's the '80s toyline that everyone remembers. The toyline spawned both a comic book and a cartoon series to "hype" it (back when that was the normal way to play the game- you create a toy, THEN create a show to hype it), both of which went very different directions, giving you three distinct "concepts" of the Joe-verse. And in addition to all this is how kids took it- I specifically recall being a big Joe fan (though the episode with the nightmares of the Giant Cobra attacking scared the CRAP out of me as a kid), but me and everyone I knew all admitted that Transformers was way better, and I was also secretly a bigger fan of Jem (no way was I admitting that to my friends, though).

Retrospect (ie. actually watching all the old shows) reveals G.I. Joe was probably the superior of all three- Transformers is awesome for nostalgia, but really doesn't hold up and has FAR worse animation (constant mistakes and ugly spots), worse continuity ("We can fly!" "Oh crap now we can't!"), guys showing up for absolutely no purpose, and much blander characters; and Jem had a much sillier concept (there's no rational reason why Jem & Jerrica Benton have to be separate people to the rest of the world) and re-used plots ("The Holograms go to xxxx, and the Misfits try to screw with them!"). I mean, I love Jem way more than the other two, but objectively it's only second-best. The Joe writers seemed to have a great handle on things. First off was Larry Hama, a Vietnam veteran and comic book writer who created all of the Filecards for the toys. Initially just a bunch of self-notes to keep all the characters straight, the Filecards ended up in the hands of Hasbro, who eventually placed them on the toy's card-backings. Ron Friedrich, head writer of the TV series, would also go his own way.

This created two VERY different continuities- the goofier cartoon series, and the more "true to life" comic book, which often only begrudgingly accepted the weird sci-fi trappings demanded by Hasbro.

What we ended up with at first was a small thirteen-man squad of guys up against Cobra Command (Vietnam was still a bitter memory in the early '80s, so the Joes were a counter-terrorist force rather than an army squad). Looking like a cartoon version of the real-life Delta Force, each Joe had one major specialty, and one minor one (since the group was so tiny, there were fewer precision-guided specialists). Funny thing was, the early squad was ridiculously plain- aside from Scarlett (Token Chick), Stalker (Token Black) and Snake-Eyes (wears all black), every guy was a generic white dude in green fatigues- only the shade of green changed. This would change rapidly as the "series" went farther- it's notable in the comic book when Gung-Ho (pastel blue outfit with an open shirt), Snowjob (white camos), Torpedo (SCUBA suit), Roadblock (huge black guy) all show up, looking much more cartoony and different than the prior crew.

When ended up happening was that most of the early crew got forgotten (Zap, we hardly knew ye), and the new guys took control. Curiously, Hawk was the Joe Leader at first (in the comics & toys), but got replaced on the field by Duke (the only leader we saw in the show during the first season). The two were blatantly the same character (made REALLY obvious in the comics, when they even looked identical), but Hawk showed up as a brown-haired guy in the cartoon later, and all versions of Hawk became a "Base Command" guy giving orders, but not actually fighting. A few other later characters were important (Scarlett got major play in the comics, and was a big toon character, Snake Eyes speaks for himself, and Stalker was another big comic guy), but for the most part, the core cast was made up of 2nd & 3rd-series guys.

The Three Versions:
The Toy Line- The reason behind it all, with a new cast coming out each year. The first handful of groups were small and fairly self-contained, but the latter groups grew to INSANE proportions. Popular characters like Snake-Eyes, Roadblock & Duke would get a few new versions over the years (especially towards the end of the line, desperate for more stuff), but it was mostly new guys and new vehicles coming down the pike. Only the first half of the series was really that good character-wise, though some neat toys came out later- the Sixth (of thirteen) Series had the Serpentor/Cobra-La crew, and that saw a shift towards more sci-fi/fantasy-based stuff compared to what was a more realistic series to that point.

The Joes were mainly "real military" guys with standard real-life gear, while Cobra was a bit more fiction (Zartan "The Master of Disguise"), but later years saw the addition of space aliens and other weirdness. And of course the ninjas- initially Snake-Eyes was just a "Commando", but Storm Shadow came in at the Third Series (making Snake-Eyes a ninja too), and eventually by the Eleventh we'd see a dozen ninja characters overwhelm the line and dilute the core concept.

There were some EPIC toys, too- the U.S.S. FLAGG Aircraft Carrier was the Holy Grail of the entire line (it was like six or seven feet long! Seeing it in real life is a major eye-opener), but there was a Mobile Command Base (I had that one!), Skystrikers, bases, and all sorts of good stuff. About half of the toys were EXCELLENT, and they are still the most detailed and moveable ("points of articulation" is the right term in Toy-Lingo, I guess) action figures of their generation. I certainly played with them a lot- though I came into the toy line later than a lot of other children of the '80s (I was born in 1981, and so I was only two when the line debuted- I was nine by 1990, and Ninja Turtles had already supplanted G.I. Joe in most kids' eyes, so it was always a third-string toy to me, behind TMNT & Transformers.

When the Toy Line died, the rest of the line died with it. Both the comics & cartoon only existed to serve the toys, after all.

The Comic Book Series- Larry Hama took the reigns here, and produced a fabulous and in-depth comic book, using lots of real-life military lingo (remember, Hama was in 'Nam), and with a lot of cool characters based off of Hama's past (Stalker & Snake-Eyes were both based on real people, but Hama wouldn't say much about them). It featured the original group at first (though only Hawk, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Clutch and Rock 'n' Roll had really distinct personalities and stood out), and they had some fun "gritty" real-type missions (usually rescue and stuff like that) before the toy line increased and we got a bunch more "cartoonish" looking folks. Most of the early crew disappeared as things became the Snake-Eyes Show. The "Ninja" aspect was first featured and REALLY played with here (they were just becoming cool in the '80s- Daredevil & The X-Men had played with the concept, and the TMNT would eventually parody it and then play it straight), and Storm Shadow got involved, and we got issue after issue based off of Snake Eyes' past.

It lasted for more than a hundred issues, and even had a spin-off, G.I. Joe Special Missions (based around more one-off adventures, and often featuring some newbie cast members who'd never show up again), that lasts for four Trades' worth of issues.

Hama actually pleaded with Hasbro once to settle down on the new characters, or maybe re-use the old gang (Footloose had the same role as Grunt as Infantry Soldier, and Hama suggested that this could really just be Grunt with a new name and more training), but he was quietly ignored, and a horde of new Joes kept arriving. To Hama's credit, he gave each character something to do in their debut issues (Recondo helps Stalker's crew on a rescue mission in the jungle. Shipwreck leads a defense on a mobile ocean base. Spirit tracks down Snake-Eyes with Airborne), and then they get shuffled into the "regular" crew, and maybe show up a few more times. Characters get seriously under-used of course (you pretty much never see Grand Slam do anything, and a lot of these debuts add up to nothing- Snow Job & Cover Girl got Demoted to Extras after doing comparatively little), but for such a huge cast, there was a good recurring set.

The main cast goes: Hawk, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Roadblock & Stalker on the hero side, with the Cobra side featuring: Cobra Commander, Destro, The Baroness, Storm Shadow , and Zartan with his Dreadnoks as Mooks/Troublemakers. A whole horde of subordinate characters recurr, though most only for a few issues at a time (Spirit, Rip-Cord and others). Hell, eventually even DUKE doesn't mean anything to the book- as Hama had started with Hawk in charge, you could really tell he viewed Duke as little more than an "extra". Gung-Ho appears a LOT at first, but after the fifth Trade essentially disappears, and even Clutch (initially a huge "Antagonistic Hero") vanishes after a point. Generally, what'll happen is that you'll meet a few characters at once on a mission, they'll do some stuff, then you won't see them again (Shipwreck & Sgt. Slaughter- HUGE characters in the cartoon- get this treatment).

It's really quite good- I was surprised. I was kinda cynical about it at first (a lot of books don't live up to the hype), but it's REALLY good at points. There are some fantastic action scenes (one features an entire issue of Ace & Wild Weasel dog-fighting in the skies- they salute each other and break off once both expend their entire inventory of weapons on each other to no avail; another has the Joes and Oktober Guard firing on each other while driving the gap over a giant canyon), the military jargon is great, and it's awesome watching guys like Stalker calmly explain all the "little things" in a military mission than most superhero books would just skip (burying the 'chutes after landing, the right way to dig and defend a trench, the proper way to cross a river -you use two ropes and cut 'em down when you leave, etc.). The characters are funny, there's tons of gags and jokes that don't damage the plot (it's sorta like Shakespeare using a funny character to break up all the seriousness- one issue features an old British war plane crashing down on a beach while an old retired veteran sits with his wife and reminisces about the same kind of planes he used to see, talking about the war, all while the plane is bearing down on him.

You can really tell that Hama was in the army, too- largely through the sentimentality of the book. The army isn't glorified and worshipped like it is in a lot of American media and politics- he takes a more real view (I've heard that actual soldiers are the LEAST-likely people to go into the "Soldiers are HEROES!" bandwagon- they've met more than enough men who weren't). The Joes are as often as not forced to go out there and do B.S. missions to keep someone in Washington from being embarrassed. A ton of things involve making sure that no blame ever reaches anybody of real importance- all evidence gets trashed. Frequently, the heroes leave their missions feeling used, and often good men die (especially in the later Trades, once Hama's finally allowed to kill off some of the extra characters he wasn't using). The treatment of veterans even gets some mention- one vet, a hermit living in the sewers- proclaims that "The Romans were the only people to ever treat their soldiers right- and that's because they were AFRAID of them!"). An overall theme is that a soldier's life is basically to do a bunch of thankless B.S.

And yet... it doesn't overly DWELL in this Post-Vietnam cynicism- the book is at once uplifting as it is cynical- the men are heroes, doing brilliant things to save each other. There's comraderie and respect, with even deadly adversaries admiring each other. There's philosophy and even some downright POETIC things being said. And in the very final issue, Snake-Eyes himself writes a letter to a boy who wants to join the army, confessing that he's seen some of the most-horrible things imaginable, and faced some true monsters... yet says he's also met the greatest HEROES of all, and that he would do everything all over again.

It starts off okay, but picks up steam REALLY quickly- Trades #2 through #6 are some of the best comics of the '80s, with some great characters and phenomenal dialogue. Really recommended. Though it starts faltering badly later on, as they get too obsessed over Snake Eyes' backstory (often adding wrinkle after wrinkle, including throwing Zartan, Cobra Commander, Firefly and others into the mix), over-use the Ninjas (it is eventually titled G.I. Joe- Starring Ninja Force!), and play up the concept that Cobra never gets along WAY too much (frequently there are secret plans to betray each other).

This series also had some A-CLASS "Monsters of the Week" when Cobra wasn't involved. True scumbags in every sense of the term. Just give a sample reading of these pricks:

Setting: Sgt. Mosiev is watching the White Clown and a Circus Dwarf perform at their tiny travelling Circus.
The White Clown: (gives speech introducing those to the circus)
Sgt. Mosiv: "Boring speeches! Bring on the Bareback Rider!"
White Clown: (shocked and horrified) "B-Bareback Rider?"
Sgt. Mosiev: (steps into the ring) "There was once a Borovian bareback rider, a real beauty-- her name was Magda!
She spoke out against the government and disappeared into the Gulags... I have noticed that this circus makes a tour of Borovia every season. Always playing the outlying districts.... the Hinterlands where all the Gulags are located. Could it be that the white clown is searching for his long lost love? Could this be a Don Quixote in whiteface, on a quest for his Dulcinea and tilting at the windmills of state security?"
(the White Clown looks down in abject sadness)
Sgt. Mosiev: "Ohh!! Such a sad face! More like Pagliacci than the Man of La Mancha!"
Circus Dwarf: (runs in, pointing at the Sergeant) "You know about the White Clown and Magda! You know what became of her! What harm would it do to tell him wehether she lives or not? Isn't the world cruel enough as it is?"
Sergeant Mosiev: (backhands the Dwarf down) "It is a state secret, you little demented freak! It is also for the sake of art, that I, Sgt. Mosiev, keep the secret!" (walks away, hand on his belly, laughing uproariously) "Is it not internal sorrow that makes the great clowns what they are? Who am I to deprive the world of laughter?"

That is ALPHA-LEVEL dick-headery right there. You want to jump up and cheer when Stalker snipes the bastard's brains out the back of his head in a Rifle Duel.

There are so many great moments: Storm Shadow's adoption of Cobra Commander's son. Stalker's helping his team escape the gulag. Stalker repeatedly explaining to newer Joes (and thust he audience) military tactics and traditions. An entire issue of Special Missions that details the "little things" men in the field have to know (like that established crews always hate newcomers, that you have to drink your WHOLE bottle of water lest the remainder slosh around and make noise, that you need to check all your bullet casings because weapon manufacturing deals are always dealt to the lowest bidder and so your equipment is often crap, etc.). Duke & Flint watching as every man under their command is gunned down by a SAW Viper. The SAW Viper's eventual fate when Snake Eyes jumps into his helicopter. The long arc with Snake Eyes, Kwinn & Dr. Venom. Cobra hijacking a Joe Death-Satellite for a one-off shot for no apparent reason... until we see that he's aimed it at the ship of a powerful Drug Lord who's been victimizing the Cobra-controlled town of Springfield. Cobra Commander literally kicking a small dog in the ass as he walks down the street.

The Cartoon Series (by Sunbow)- A whole different ball of wax, using a sci-fi type of world and rules (The comics were strict realism with SOME sci-fi, like weird weapons or Zartan's morphing suit)- one episode involves dinosaurs, there's a parallel universe two-parter, and another has actual Egyptian Gods. It gets crapped-on a lot by people who loved the comics more, but to me, both hold up. The toon was actually really well-made (surprising, considering how little of that era REALLY holds up on close inspection- some shows are mainly good for nostalgia like He-Man. She-Ra is actually pretty good. Others just SUCK in retrospect- ThunderCats is unwatchable crap), had fun voice acting, some of the best animation of the era (no cheapy Filmation animation, and no constant mistakes like Transformers, though some eps are better than others). There's a surprising amount of Fanservice (I had no idea that Lady Jaye stripped down into skimpy outfits so often, to say nothing of The Baroness' episode-long bikini), the jokes actually hold up (an entire episode is spent waiting for "The Viper" to show- he'd called an announced his arrival, sending the Joes scurrying around the globe following hints, trouncing Cobra's secret plans at every turn... it turns out he's a guy who's "coming to vipe your vindows". That's the ENTIRE PLOT), and the characterization is rather solid.

The 'toon also surprises me with it's choice in cast. Duke is seemingly the main character, but he swiftly gets trumped on most away missions and focus-stories with Flint, who had more natural repartee with Lady Jaye, as they romantically-bickered and flirted all the way. Scarlett also takes a back seat to Jaye most of the time- the latter actually shows up in more episodes than ANY OTHER CHARACTER. Snake-Eyes of all people gets demoted quickly- he's a major force in the two five-parters that opened the series, but his non-talkative nature got him replaced BIG-TIME by others- Quick Kick ends up getting a rivalry with Storm Shadow instead, and features in way more episodes (watching the series now, I notice that Snake-Eyes literally goes about thirty episodes without appearing except in backgrounds). SHIPWRECK of all people features in a huge number of episodes, including a two-parter all to his Jack Nicholson-impersonating self where Cobra tries to get a secret formula out of his mind by constructing a fictional future and family for him.

The only major flaws I pick up on in the show is the villains- they're just incompetent. It's kind of a thing with 1980s cartoons to make every villain a blubbering boob (to quote Skeletor), and Cobra Commander, a lethally-manipulative cult-leader in the comics, ends up as a cowardly buffoon who screws up and orders screaming retreats the second things go bad. Destro has a bit more credit, but still gets tossed around. Tomax & Xamot appear WAY too much considering how much they sucked as villains (Evil Businessmen is a good gimmick, but when one feels the other's pain, it makes them a pushover, and their "talking for one" gimmick is annoying), and everyone else explicitly offers no resistance to the Joes in a fair fight. The Baroness is arguably the only truly-effective villain, with Destro a close second. In any case, it ruins a lot of the potential drama.

The movie was controversial, as it retconned Cobra Command from a terrorist organizaton to a "bring the world back to the reptiles" conspiracy involving Cobra-La. The ham-fisted way they tried to write out the old guard (Duke was going to die, but fan revolt over Optimus Prime's death nixed that- curiously, the Joe movie was to come out FIRST, but it was delayed, and Prime's death was a rip-off of DUKE's death!) combined with a silly plot, weird stuff (Cobra Commander turns into an actual snake- "oncccce a man..."), goofy villains, and much weaker new characters (Big Lob? Chuckles?) combines to make for a much weaker impression than the AWESOME Transformers movie left on everyone. The series never really recovered (much like TF didn't- the post-Prime episodes were pretty rough and never held up), and it didn't last much longer. The more immature, but more inventive, toy-friendly (giant animal people!) and wild & whacky cartoon series & toy line totally overwhelmed Hasbro's stuff by that point, and we had a new era in kids' cartoons.

Season 2 (basically episodes 66-95) goes HARDCORE into "New Toys" mode. See, Transformers, She-Ra and the like were MUCH more blatant about the toy selling than G.I. Joe ever was, in that every other episode would feature a new character and everyone was basically all "you should buy THIS toy now!" Until this point, our heroes were comparatively immune to that (Season 1 is more or less the same recurring cast), but all of a sudden it's all "OMG! B.A.T.s! Quick! Send in Sgt. Slaughter, Beach Head, General Hawk, Dial-Tone, Lifeline & Leatherneck!" It was kind of embarrassing. Oddly, THIS is the season I most remember as a kid (though I definitely recall some DiC episodes as well, especially involving Tiger Force)- I can't recall any episodes prior to it, but all my childhood memories from watching this show involve the Battle Android Troopers as Mooks, Dr. Mindbender at the Cobra base inventing stuff, etc. And yes, the Joes get a new leader in General Hawk (the same one who started out leading the comics), and Duke basically appears in NO episodes other than as a background character! Flint & Lady Jaye are two of the only "original" cast members still around in a major context, as it's essentially a whole new group.

There was a DiC series starting in 1989 that operates slightly differently from the Sunbow one (basically using the movie's continuity- and it features Lt. Falcon and others, as well as Storm Shadow on the Joes' side). I own the first season of it, and let me tell you, it is hands-down the WORST cartoon series I own on DVD! And I own The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3!

A handful (15-20) of Joes will get Original Builds, while others will be fitted to certain Templates, placed by Power Level. Joe Greenshirts (and Cobra Blueshirts) are mere PL 4 or 5 Mooks, and go down accordingly. Standard Joes are PL 6, and then we have Strong Joes at PL 7 and Elite Joes at PL 8. Only the best of the best get to PL 9, and those are all Originals. Cobra will be statted up accordingly.

Notes about Stats:

Physical Stats:
You'll note that most Joes & Cobra guys are limited to Strength 2- even the elite guys. The only exceptions are the true powerhouses, and perhaps the most elite physical specimens (Gung-Ho, Roadblock, etc.). This is deliberate. See, one of the bigger shifts (for a stat-junkie like me anyways) between 2e and 3e is the lengthening of the gap between the "Strong For a Human" guys and the "Super-Strong" characters. This is something I wholeheartedly APPROVE of (it was silly that Captain America was only one or two notches below Spidey on the old Unarmed Damage chart, and that his score was like half of Thor's), but it carries with it some issues. On one hand, it's easier to stat up variables between Animals (like making a Moose a FAIR bit stronger than a Deer instead of making it only one notch higher, and keeps both animals as stronger than almost any human, whereas in 2e they'd be almost the same. Horses were even WORSE for this) and supers, but it leaves most human beings log-jammed in at lower levels.

You'll note that the official DCA stats are harsh as well- guys who are pretty physically strong and good fighters like Hal Jordan, Green Arrow and Black Canary, are left at Strength 2, with only Nightwing & Prometheus at 3, and Batman himself at 4. Therefore, Strength 2 (able to lift and throw 200 lbs.) seems a solid limit for virtually every Joe (it's a major plot-point that Roadblock can heft an 85-lb. Machine Gun as a HAND-HELD weapon and suffer not ill-effects.

It's a bit unfortunate to have to log-jam EVERYBODY (I mean, Flint should probably be stronger than Lady Jaye or even someone like Snowjob or Alpine in real life, but they'd both be left within the 200-lb. limit here), but I don't see any of those guys hefting 400 lbs. of weight around EVER. After all, the Joe series is fairly "true to life", especially in the comic book. In a game that needs to reflect guys at strength-levels from Green Arrow to The Thing to SUPERMAN, you've kind of got to draw the line somewhere, and the only alternative was to make the gap EVEN HIGHER, which I think would wreck the game balance-wise, and make it more silly. Similarly, Stamina is limited, but I'm not as harsh as DCA- Stamina 3 and 4 are fairly regular (versus DCA's 2 for Hal, Ollie & others), as I don't like sticking endless "Defensive Roll" on everyone to make them tougher- it's kind of a broken ability anyways (costs as much as Protection and is worse while having the same bonus), and only makes sense in a "fluff" manner (ie. Daredevil ALWAYS "rolls with the shots").

Skills in the Joe-verse:
Skills are kind of a weird thing in 3e, in that they got twice as expensive, and a few of them got consolidated. This means that guys can get more pricey when they're particularly skilled, but I would also argue that you can get a LOT more bang for your buck as long as you take some ground rules into consideration, and when you modify them a bit to fit the Joe-verse.

Basically, most guys will have set ranks of "Soldier" and then another Skill for their "Military Operational Specialty", with a few exceptions. Take Grunt, our "Infantry Soldier". As basically the most generic dude of all generic dudes, he's expected to be decent at everything that a Soldier does- he can survive for a while in the wilderness, he knows how to set up camp, he knows general tactics (like how to flank the enemy, and when to lay down cover, etc.), he knows the inner workings of most guns and can fix his own hardware, and he'd be expected to be able to handle most of the guns he gets his hands on. He can even drive a tank or something. "Infantry Soldier" covers a wide spectrum, and so he just has more ranks of "Soldier". Now take Snowjob, the "Arctic Trooper". He's got a lot of the same general skills than Grunt would have, but specializes in Arctic stuff. Therefore he would be expected to be better at surviving in severe climates, whereas the GM could penalize Grunt in a similar situation ("oh, you're -6 to a Survival check because of the weather conditions"). He can probably do a lot better on skis and the ski-doo. By contrast, Grunt is probably better at general tactics and weapons, and Snowjob would be weaker automatically at driving a tank because he'd almost never get to drive one. This means that Grunt might have 8-10 ranks of "Soldier" alone, but Snowjob would have 5-6 ranks of "Soldier" and 8-10 ranks of "Arctic Trooper", differentiating the two. Gung-Ho, a "Marine" from Louisiana, is likely better in the water, but not as much as Shipwreck, the "Sailor". Note that these guys may also have the Movement (Environmental Adaptation) Power if this goes far enough (nothing really keeping you from using Powers in a Joe-campaign, despite them all being human).

Certain guys almost fulfill the same role, but there could be slight differences. Stalker is one of the most well-rounded Joes in the comics as a "Ranger", but he's trumped twice over by Recondo the "Jungle Trooper" when it comes to jungle-based stuff. In this case I would give Stalker ranks in "Soldier" and "Ranger", but he'd have less points in "Ranger" than Recondo would in "Jungle Trooper" to reflect the difference.

More experienced guys like Duke & Flint have a different set of issues. They're basically generic soldiers, but a lot better overall. I would reflect this by taking their Expertise "First Sergeant" and "Warrant Officer" to basically be the same thing Grunt is (a general-Army guy), but give them more ranks in it, to make their knowledge of tactics, military jargon and a who's who of Army Brass more complete. They would also have more Skills in general, thus becoming more well-rounded anyways.

Regarding "Weapon Proficiency" and "Vehicles": This is important, especially for the Joes. In most comics, it's generally a given that anyone who's a martial artist is therefore automatically good with all weapons. Similarly, The Punisher, a classic "Soldier", is extremely multi-talented with hardware. Basically, if bullets come out one end of it, he's a pro. He's also good with grenades, launchers, missiles, bombs, etc. In his case, "Soldier" covers an even wider spectrum than the Joes, because he'd suffer no penalties. I wouldn't charge a guy extra points for "Weapon Proficiency" in a comic-book world. However, the Joes live in a slightly-more-realistic world, where someone like Rock 'n' Roll specializes in Heavy Machine Guns, something that Zap or Shipwreck would have a harder time operating, as it's nowhere near their specialty. In a G.I. Joe campaign, certain guys would be at a penalty to operate more complex or specialized weaponry, while others would automatically have no penalties because of their chosen career (Tripwire would automatically be good at laying mines, f'rinstance).

Vehicles are another big one. The "Arctic Troopers" would have the winter vehicles down pat, but the "Tank Driver" types would be at a penalty, and vice-versa, even though both guys would just have a "Vehicles" Skill (likely Limited to Ground Vehicles). There's an interesting situation in the comics that reflects the differences- Snake-Eyes and Kwinn the Bounty-Hunter, pretty much the #1 and #2 most-well-rounded Skillmonkeys in the ENTIRE SERIES, are stuck with Dr. Venom the Evil Backstabbing Cobra Bastard, simply because he's the only one who can fly the twin-engine World War II plane that they're forced to flee in. It's a MAJOR ISSUE that only he could handle the plane. Ace the "Skystriker Pilot" is easily the best Joe pilot, to the point where almost nobody else can even come CLOSE to handling the thing while he's around.

Note: This situation doesn't show up as much in the cartoon, where each and every character can pilot every vehicle, including the Skystrikers. Feel free to ignore such things in that case. I prefer the comics in this instance, since it's actually important to note what a guy's SPECIALTY is.

Standard Equipment in the Joe Universe:
-Most Joes alternate equipment, as befitting the advantage "Benefit (Joe)". They usually have automatic rifles (some have machine guns, Snake-Eyes has his iconic Uzi, and there's Roadblock with his .50 cal death weapon), and most have access to a vehicle or two. Usually it's just tanks and jeeps, but there's the occasional jet and stuff. The Cartoon goes completely off-the-wall, with both sides having like 80 jets flying out for every little mission, whereas in the comic you only see Ace & Slip-Stream being flyboys and nobody else really knows how to use the gear. Most guys have their PL set-up as if they were using Automatic Rifles.

Guns & Ammo (From my Design Diary on Weapons):

FIREARMS:

-Guns are ubiquitous in all forms of fiction, and pretty much changed all warfare once they were reliable. The ability to basically negate all armour, and let untrained people do Bow & Arrow-level damage easily, wiping out SO MUCH of military theory. Armoured knights, spears, pikes, armour-piercing weapons, the bow & arrow, and even the crossbow, all eventually went away, and once they started attaching blades to the ends of rifles, there was almost nothing else left from "regular" weaponry.

Guns in comics (and most fiction in general) are a bit tricky- they either exaggerate the threat of guns significantly (the Instant Death Bullet, where Mooks fall down like flies to a single shot and die the second they’re hit), or turn them into minor threats that don't kill unless they hit a sweet spot (ie. taking a bullet through the shoulder and being fine, instead of slowly bleeding to death). Mook Accuracy is pretty legendarily-bad as well, meaning that most super-heroes are NEVER, EVER shot (unless they're invulnerable to bullets, at which point every Mook turns into Bullseye and aims right for the chest). To reflect this, I actually prefer a system that just gives Mooks TERRIBLE accuracy- I mean, hitting someone who's running around is pretty damn difficult ANYWAYS, so generally having low Ranged Attack is justifiable.

A lot of stuff about guns is mixed up in the media, though it has little effect on M&M games because the rules are MEANT to reflect the media. For example: there is no such thing as "shooting to wound" for pretty much anyone with a gun. If you're shooting them, you are committed to killing them- no exceptions. That is the FIRST RULE they learn in police training. All shots are supposed to be directed as the centre of mass- aiming at individual body parts is almost guaranteed failure (shooting a moving target is MUCH harder than you would think), could hit someone behind the target, and is too risky considering someone you're shooting at probably has a gun. Only Snipers (who generally aren't under live fire and can take their time on an unsuspecting target) generally avert this. It can be done in the comics because guys all have super-aiming, but not in real life. Also, most Pistols have terrible accuracy at longer ranges- you need a Rifle to hit a target from further away.

So M&M had a bit of a decision to make regarding Guns, and they ended up going with Blast 3-6 for most varieties. And I think this kind of fits. I mean, a bullet isn't more dangerous than most arrows- the gun only replaced the bow because you can train someone to shoot straight in 1/100th the time it takes to make a quality archer. Modern rounds are a bit more dangerous, so what I've done is basically set up a generic Gun design you can add stuff to at-will if you need it.

Firearm Stats:
Blast 4-6 (Pistols do less, Rifles do more) (8-12 Equipment Points)

-These little bonuses reflect the various things you can add to a gun-

Bonuses:
"Rifle Range" Extended Range 1-2 (1-2 Points)
- Rifles add range to the shots.

“Automatic Setting” Multiattack Extra (Inaccurate -1) (3-5 Equipment Points)
Automatics fire more quickly, though note: in real life this is meant as covering fire or “blind fire”- it sends your accuracy COMPLETELY to Hell, and should only be done in short, controlled bursts. You also run out of ammo pretty much instantly while doing it. M&M players can probably get away with firing off like this whenever, though, since people rarely run out of ammo in fiction.

“Sniper Rifle” Improved Critical, Extended Range 3-5 (Flaws: Distracting) (Plus 4-6 Minus 4-6 Equipment Points)
-Snipes do a lot of damage at range, though generally have to be sitting there silently, and not be in the middle of a fight while doing it. The extra damage and range thus comes with the price of making the shot Distracting. Also note that real-life Snipers are basically master mathematicians, calculating stuff out and making little charts to adjust for wind, distance, and THE CURVATURE OF THE EARTH for some of the more extreme shots. Modern snipers have access to a ton of Equipment for this, whereas in the old days, it was more experience and guesswork. Snipers are also often chosen more for their minds than their accuracy- it’s easier to teach a guy to aim than it is to teach a good shooter to directly shoot dozens and dozens of people in the face.

"Silencer- Fictional Version" Subtle (1 Point)
"Silencer- Real World Version" Features 1: Alters Where is Sounds Like the Shot Came From (1 Point)
-Silencers in fiction generaly make the bullet a little tiny “pew” that is hard to discover. In real life, silencers are meant to dull the sound of the bullet and make it harder to tell where the shot came from. I mean, bullets travel fast enough that they’re loud no matter what you did.

“Shotgun” Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (6 Equipment Points)
-This is basically an Alternate Effect to the main gun’s damage- Shotguns can fire out a spray of “buckshot” and damage a small patch of area. Most comics just use it as a super-big awesome gun.

Old-Timey Guns:
-Guns from older time periods (around the invention of guns to World War I) were quite similar, but typically only at lower Blast values. They were also a lot more gribbly and harder to work, and malfunctioned a lot more. They held only a handful of shots, some had to be manually reloaded EVERY TIME, and more.

Tasers:
Affliction 4-6 (Strength/Fortitude; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reach 2) -- (10-14 Equipment Points)
-Tasers are a (generally) non-lethal way of dealing with a threat, and often used on a knife-wielding assailant if you have the option. Several officers actually reject the weapons these days, because ironically you will get more public scrutiny and pressure on the seeming over-use of tasers than you will if you just shot a guy who had a knife. My cop friend has personally used a taser on someone actively trying to commit suicide/slash up his son (who was trying to take his dad's knife away), and pointed out that the only other alternative would have been to just shoot the guy. So they DO save lives, though people who are out of shape/in a state of excited delerium (more common than you'd think- they exhibit borderline superhuman strength and energy, and then suddenly drop like a rock when the reserve runs out) could react badly and die from them.

My Taser uses Strength OR Fortitude as a resistance, rather than Fortitude, namely because said cop friend and I once got into a debate over whether or not Zombies can be tasered :). I was about to say "but Zombies don't have a Fortitude Save" until I realized that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THAT in real life, and he pointed out that if a Zombie can move, then it has muscles, and therefore can be Tasered. Though if its running on some kind of animating force rather than muscles, it could still be un-Taserable. But essentially, in my world Zombies can be Tasered :). Tasers also use a tiny hook/needle thingie to relate the charge, and so anything with even rudimentary protection or thick skin will be immune.

Lasers:
-Lasers are basically treated like Guns, but generally even MORE non-fatal. Some can have a “Stun” setting (Ranged Affliction- Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) as well. Oftentimes, their Multiattack setting isn’t Inaccurate. They make a lot of noise, light and kickback despite being made of weightless energy as well- some fictional settings make note of this, stating that soldiers claimed the weapons “don’t feel right” without said attributes, and they were artificially-added.

Super-Sized Weapons:
-The firearms you'd see attached to vehicles and tanks are a whole different ball game, and can be upgraded to basically be at nearly any level. Many do Penetrating damage, while others are Multiattacked and have Area Effects tacked on. Something like a Tank could have separate guns that fire separately from the main ones, and a Battleship will have dozens of guns firing independently, at different targets if need be.

---

Vehicles- Identical to their Rulebook counterparts, but Jets have Limited- 4 Uses on all their Missile-type weapons. It is a MAJOR issue in Joe comics that Jets can't just fly around and unload their entire clip.
Armour- Kevlar gives a +1 bonus to Toughness, and that's it. It's not really used a lot in the Joe-verse anyways (and when Hawk wore a bulletproof vest, he was STILL nearly killed by a close-range gunshot wound).

Complications (ie. things GMs can do to dick over their players- this happened A LOT in the Joe-verse):
Power Loss (Ammo)- Guns have limited rounds, and you don't have a never-ending supply. Using single shots or Semi-Auto settings, you could be OK, but Full Auto will wipe out your supply in NO TIME, which is a full-on Flaw instead. Still, it happens.
Power Loss (Vehicles)- If a vehicle takes a single shot, it's liable to accumulate damage. The GM could decide, or just roll on some Random Damage table (think "Rifts"- Kevin Siembieda is IN LOVE with that idea), and certain parts of the vehicle will falter. Engines on a plane won't work, it might lose some access to weaponry, or it's Toughness will just Fade with each use, chipping away and leaving holes everywhere. Speaking of holes, imagine the results if one gets blown INTO a plane- it's happened.

Re-Watched the movie after a number of years:
* Lt. Falcon is our "Hot Rod"- the young upstart who learns responsibility as time goes on. However, Hot Rod was a likeable, if dumb, kid. Falcon is openly-disrespectful and shirks his duty, damn-near getting court-martialed. Both characters screw things up and get others hurt, but Falcon does so out of laziness and wanting to bang some Southern girl (actually Zarana).
* Falcon's "Character Arc" is a big one, but really not worth much. He just... shirks his duty, gets sent off to Sgt. Slaughter's for a day of training, then turns up all heroic and saves the day, attempting to avenge Duke. There's no real CATALYST for him turning one way or the other. He just turns out to be responsible and we're told so.
* The "Push the new toys!" drive includes the Cobra-La villains, Falcon, Sgt. Slaughter and his crew, and Beach Head's new recruits.
* Oddly, the "New Toys" only get one or two things to do over the course of the movie, and the older characters are very prominent (especially the villains). In the Transformers movie, the new guys were basically 90% of the film. Slaughter's posse of three giants do some training to show off their physical skills, then just kinda stand around blasting for the rest of the movie.
* At least the new recruits get to show off a bit more- letting out their Quirky Ethnic Personalities during training (Beach Head is easily-annoyed, making it at least a bit fun when Order almost blows them up with a bomb he "retrieves", or Chuckles THROWS a missile at an oncoming tank drone). But WOW some of the outfits are horrible. Law & Order are alright, and Jinx & Tunnel Rat look pretty sharp, but the tall Big Lob, dressed like a BASKETBALL PLAYER? Or Chuckles and his Hawaiian shirt? That's dumb. Humorously, Big Lob didn't receive a toy until the 2000s, making him completely pointless here.
* The new guys' introductions takes long enough that most of the established characters are more or less "Backgrounders" that are easily-captured by Cobra-La early on. Even SNAKE-EYES is a jobber here! SNAKE-EYES! Him, Quick Kick, Lady Jaye, Shipwreck and other major cartoon characters are just captured, then captured again, then come out for the final brawl.
* Almost all of the best line are Sgt. Slaughter's. Actually, almost nobody else gets to say anything cool.
* Lt. Falcon/Jinx is the weirdest 'Ship ever. They have an adversarial argument first (he even slaps her ass!), then all of a sudden when he saves the day she's kissing him and they're cuddling! What the frick? Talk about "A Prize To Be Won"-style writing!
* It's continually-weird how
* The Cobra-La Mooks are classic Goons- they rampage through the Joes at first (even taking out Snake-Eyes in melee combat with ease), but immediately after that they go down to a single shot each.
* Cobra-La... is a massive suckpile. Goofy pastel pink colour schemes, and a very "out there" origin for Cobra, which used to be a standard-issue terrorist/Rule the World organization. Now they're the minions of a bunch of snake people. Nemesis Enforcer is an unspeaking brute, Pythona matters to the first five minutes of the plot and then never does anything again, and Golobulus is just "Standard Bad Guy" with no actual character traits or reason to care about him. Also more than a little bit like Emperor Palpatine.
* Serpentor's "Cobra-LALALALAALALLALALALALALA!" cry is about the stupidest thing ever witnessed in any 1980s cartoon.
* Duke is supposed to be "in a coma" in the movie, but it's VERY clear that all the "Duke will live" stuff is over-dubbed dialogue, as the stuff on-screen makes it VERY clear he's dead.

All in all, it's a fun little romp (with a great opening sequence), but just doesn't hold my interest like Transformers: The Movie can. Too many goofy new characters, too many people without real characterization, and the Cobra-La thing is still pretty stupid.

DUKE (Conrad S. Hauser)
Military Specialty:
First Sergeant/Infantry Senior Sergeant (ie. he's in charge), Cannon Crew, Artillery/Small-Arms Repair
Role: Field Leader, Generic Leader Guy, The Perfect Soldier
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level (appears a lot, then vanishes)
Cartoon Role: Main Character (Season 1 only)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 9 (149)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+11)
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (First Sergeant/Soldier) 14 (+17)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 9 (+13)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+12)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit 2 (G.I. Joe Team, Commander), Diehard, Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed, Rifle 2), Improved Initiative, Inspire, Languages (German, French, Many Southeast Asian Languages), Leadership, Luck 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Sergeant), Teamwork, Ultimate Aim, Ultimate Soldier, Well-Informed

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +12 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)- As the First Sergeant of the Joes, it is Duke's responsibility to complete all missions, and to maintain the safety of all his men.
Relationship (Scarlett)- In the cartoon, the two are sort of an item.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 22 (149)

-Duke was basically the leader of the Joe team for the first 65 episodes of the cartoon, but the comic had him come in as a replacement for the "Hawk" character, who was now promoted to being the overall commander (Duke was supposed to lead field missions). During Season 2 of the cartoon, Duke was "demoted" in a way, as Hawk made his debut and was now a combo Base/Field Leader guy, and Duke frankly shows up like twice after that, getting the total shaft as a character. He's kind of a... dull, regular leader-y character in most forms of the canon, being a somewhat-funny, brave, unwavering, smart leader guy with no real flaws or deep character moments aside from a sense of duty. He's pretty much the typical "1980s Cartoon Leader" character in most respects, and in fact he basically codified most of those tropes himself. He's sorta like Optimus Prime without the grandeur or bad-ass death scene to his name (one writer declares that Duke was "Big Daddy", to go along with Scarlett's "Big Momma" and Gung-Ho's "Crazy Uncle"). As a result, he kinda gets left behind in the "characterization" sector, with Flint & others taking on larger and larger roles as things go on. Granted, that probably makes him the best overall PERSON and HERO of the team.
-Duke was supposed to die in G.I. Joe: The Movie, but this was reversed once Transformers: The Movie did the same thing with Optimus Prime and got some backlash for it. It's funny to watch the movie now, as Duke is CLEARLY screwed (the Snake-Spear Serpentor throws goes RIGHT INTO HIS CHEST), and he acts super-fatalistic, tells Lt. Falcon to be a better man, and then fades away, with everyone around him crying and acting like it's the end. Only Scarlett's over-dubbed "He's gone into a coma!" lets you know he's not dead. And there's an over-dub later, during the victory, when the Joes are all "Hey, I just heard from base! Duke's come out of his coma! YOOOOO JOE!!" It's like that scene in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie where Tatsu'o beats that Cobra kid to death, but you hear off-screen that the kid is coughing and "you'll be okay", even though it's plain to see from everyone's reaction that the kid is DEAD.
-And curiously, despite clearly being meant as a replacement for Hawk in the comics, Duke BARELY APPEARS after his first arc. At one point, he vanishes for several Trades, only appearing to train some new Joe recruits at the base- he's reduced to being a DRILL SERGEANT while everyone's off being a hero! The fact that Hawk & Duke were given pretty identical designs (generic blonde dues in regular fatigues) didn't help his chances, as Hama was clearly more taken with the Hawk character he'd started the series with, and only gave "lip service" ever-so-briefly to the new guy. And there's this odd bit in his first appearance (he & Roadblock show up at the same time as new recruits, gunning down a Fighter Jet with their side-arms) when he meets the Joes and then insults them, saying that "It's my job to turn you all INTO SOLDIERS!" This is never brought up again, and he's never shown training them. Duke & Flint also have the misfortune of being in charge for the Joes' lowest moment- all of the men under their command (basically Quick Kick and a ton of no-names) are coldly-executed by an unnamed Cobra SAW Viper.
-Duke is a pretty good example of what I'm going for with the G.I. Joe characters here, but he's at the highest-possible level. He's skilled, smart, good at fisticuffs, and he has great aim, and he's charismatic enough to lead the Joes anywhere. +17 to Soldier puts him in a rare group indeed, and he's among the most capable guys around. Duke is the biggest & best of the Joes (aside from a certain ninja), being PL 9 on offense, and PL 8 on defense. The rest of the Joes basically scale down from here.

GENERAL HAWK (Clayton M. Abernathy)
Military Specialty:
G.I. Joe Commander, Artillery, Radar
Role: Overall Leader, Generic Leader Guy
Comic Book Role: Main Character
Cartoon Role: Main Character (Season 2)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 9 (152)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+11)
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (First Sergeant/Soldier) 14 (+17)
Expertise (Politics) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 9 (+13)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+12)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit 3 (G.I. Joe Team, General), Diehard, Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed, Rifle 2), Improved Initiative, Inspire, Languages (German, French, Many Southeast Asian Languages), Leadership, Luck 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Sergeant), Teamwork, Ultimate Aim, Ultimate Soldier, Well-Informed

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +12 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)- As the First Sergeant of the Joes, it is Duke's responsibility to complete all missions, and to maintain the safety of all his men.
Relationship (Scarlett)- In the cartoon, the two are sort of an item.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 72--36 / Advantages: 38 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 22 (152)

-Like I said, Hawk & Duke are almost comically similar. Duke's action figure is basically the Hawk one with a new shirt, and in the comics it's impossible to tell which is which without their uniforms on. It wasn't until the cartoon where they looked different, as "General Hawk" was a brown-haired guy with a pilot's helmet on, and he tended to lead as many field missions as anybody else. I still remember the scene as a kid where Flint lectures Beach Head about the "Chain of Command"- "General HAWK is in charge, THEN Duke, THEN me, THEN YOU!" I think myself and all my friends became obsessed with having this concrete "Chain of Command" in our made-up stories from then-on. Hawk stats up identical to Duke (despite being a pencil-pusher at one point- he rarely sees duty- he's ever bit the commander & leader Duke is), with some bonuses to glad-handling Politics and a higher rank (Benefit).

ELITE JOES
Military Specialty:
Various
Role: Various
Comic Book Role: Minor (Beach Head gets the most use)
Cartoon Role: Major (Lt. Falcon, Beach Head & Low-Light are major recurring characters in Season 2. Captain Grid-Iron is a top-level guy in the DiC series)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (122)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+11)
Expertise (Specialty) 9 (+11)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 7 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 2 (+4)
Treatment 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon) 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Specialty), Teamwork, Ultimate Specialty Skill

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 18 (122)

-The Elite Joes are the rarest overall group, but they're all PL 8 ass-kickers who go slightly over-cost. In general, they're easy to notice compared to other Joes- they show up in more episodes, their gear is more awesome, and they're more recognizable overall. Many of them will be recieving their own builds, but a few just use this basic template. They're still PL 5.5 unarmed, and PL 6.5/7 defensively, which showcases the more realistic nature of their world.

Joes Following Template:
Falcon (Green Beret)
-Lt. Falcon was played by Don Johnson in the movie, and was much different than his toy-bio implies: an irresponsible relative of Duke who kept screwing up and got court-martialed, but was whipped into shape by Beach Head and later Sgt. Slaughter, and he eventually became the full-on hero of the picture, intended to replace the deceased Duke.
Beach Head (Ranger, Instructor)
-Expertise (Instructor) 6 (+8), Intimidation 2 (+9)- PL 8 (126)
-Beach Head was a grumpy, stinky ("Beach Head, I want to talk to you about your deoderant" says the guy stuck in a tomb with him for several hours, "But I don't wear deoderant." "That's what I want to talk to you about!"), miserable cuss, treating everyone like crap and insulting them all along the way. Nonetheless, he looked cool with his green facemask and fatigues, he was clearly bad-ass (one of many guys to carry a Sub-Machine Gun), and he had plenty of great lines (especially in the movie, where he was stuck training Lt. Falcon, Jinx, Chuckles, Big Lob, Law & Order, and Tunnel Rat). He's the Fourth-In-Command, behind Hawk and the Power Duo of Duke & Flint. Like Clutch, you kind of need antagonists on the same side in a huge cast like this.
Red Star (Oktober Guard Officer)
-Red Star replaced Commander Dragunov of the Oktober Guard, the Soviets' always-losing answer to the G.I. Joe team, but he's pretty much the same character. A gruff, cigarette-smoking leader, he's the typical fatalistic, egotistical Russian.
General Flagg (General)
-Rank 3 (G.I. Joe team, General)- PL 8 (123)
-This guy was in the comics briefly at the beginning as Hawk's Commander, but he was killed by Major Bludd. They eventually made a figure out of him.
Low-Light (Night Spotter, Sniper)
-Uses Sniper Rifle (Blast 6- Increased Range 4- 1,600 feet- Flaws: Distracting), Perception 11 (+14), Intimidation 5 (+8), Improved Critical (Sniper) +3, Precise Attack (Ranged/Concealment)- PL 8 (128)
-haha, this guy was voiced by ERIC RAYMOND from Jem! Awesome! Low-Light was really cool and collected, and was a pretty great character in Season 2 of the cartoon. Your classic "Cold Sniper" character, in the episode where all the Joes were afflicted by nightmares (in an ep that SCARED THE LIVING CRAP out of me as a kid- seriously, a Giant Snake and a dream where everything you touch turns to snakes? And they showed this TO KIDS?), he was the only one unaffected. He just coldly explains: "I ALWAYS have nightmares" He eventually pulls a Freddy Krueger and starts kicking Cobra ass all Dream-Warrior-style. His mostly-black outfit and red goggles make him stand-out. He also has a Complication- Relationship (Sister), as the fashion model chick gets kidnapped by Cobra once in a while.
Wet-Suit (SEAL, Sea Sled)
-Wet-Suit had a lot of play in Season 2, mainly bickering with Leatherneck over the SEALs vs. Marines debate. Both were, of course, very much good friends.
Captain Grid-Iron (Hand-to-Hand Combat)
-Move-By Action, Power Attack- PL 8 (124)
-Surprisingly, Grid-Iron (I had his toy, but it is UGLY- white leggings with a puke-green shirt- ugh) was a Field Leader of-sorts on the DiC cartoon, beneath Sgt. Slaughter & General Hawk. Replacing Duke, he was himself dropped in the latter half of the DiC run. He used... lots of football puns.
Bullet-Proof (Drug Elimination Force Leader, Missile Launcher)

STRONG JOES
Military Specialty:
Various
Role: Various
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level to Nothing (Rock 'n' Roll, Snow Job, Recondo, Dusty & Chuckles all appear a lot, in supporting roles)
Cartoon Role: Mid-Level (Rock 'n' Roll, Snow Job, Mutt, Dusty, Heavy Duty & Alpine are all constant recurring characters)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 7 (107)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Specialty) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 1 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Specialty), Teamwork, Ultimate Specialty Skill

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (107)

-There's plenty of "Strong Joes". Anyone who's not uber-elite or a huge name, but nonetheless gets a lot of airplay is gonna end up here. They lose out to the Elites defensively, but still do the fisticuffs aspect just as well (almost no Joe will ever make his PL caps in melee anyways- the Joe-verse is very realistic and anyone trying to punch his way out of a gunfight is gonna lose BAD). Since there's only a handful Elite Joes, most of the guys you'd recognize fit- the Environment Specialist guys (Snow Job, Dusty, Alpine, Recondo, Torpedo, Wet-Suit), recognizable guys (Rock 'n' Roll, Chuckles) and a few others who bring in some cred (Big Ben is a nobody in Joe-canon, but an SAS-trained Brit has GOT to be hardcore).

Joes Following Template:
Rock 'n' Roll (Machine Gunner/PT Instructor)
-Expertise (Physical Training Instructor) 4 (+6), Expertise (Musician) 6 (+8)- PL 7 (112)
-Rock 'n' Roll is the OTHER "Original Joe" to get a ton of airplay. He is EVERYWHERE in the cartoon, usually in background scenes, since he's got a more distinctive look than the other "one-colour" originals- his blond beard sticks out like a sore thumb, plus he's the MACHINE GUNNER of the original team. He even got a singing finale in the episode where the Dreadnoks tried to take over America using a rock band as their cover- playing a horrific Real American Hero cover with Duke and the three female Joes as part of his band.
Snow Job (Arctic Trooper)
-Favoured Environment (Arctic/Cold)- PL 7 (108)
-The fabled "Aquaman" of the Joes, poor Snow Job kind of gets crapped on. Hell, IN THE CARTOON he's made a fool of, as he openly whines about being too cold in Alaska. THE ARCTIC TROOPER IS WHINING ABOUT BEING COLD. That's like Aquaman going "Gee guys, can we get a move on? This water we're in is just TOO WET, you know?" Meanwhile, the newbie Iceberg in the same episode is happy as a clam. Yes, they one-upped Snow Job at his own career to make the new toy seem better. Hell, Snow Job didn't even really get to do much in the comics, as Gung-Ho & Doc totally one-upped him in the debut issue for the three men. His biggest appearance is probably as one of the captured trio of Joes stuck in a gulag for months- he & Quick Kick are led through the experience by Stalker.
Torpedo (SEAL)
-Replace both Expertises with Expertise (Navy SEAL) 11 (+13), Fighting 7, Athletics 4 (+10- Limited to Swimming), Favoured Environment (Underwater)- PL 7 (109)
-Torpedo showcases the largest problem with having such an ENORMOUS supporting cast as the Joes have- despite being a pretty cool guy with a unique look (a full-on wetsuit), he got stuck into a minor role and was mostly redundant on team with a deep-sea diver/submarine pilot (Deep-Six) and a sailor (Shipwreck), so he pretty much disappeared. Hell, my only memory of anything he did was in the comic, where during a mission in a Cobra base that ISN'T underwater, you see Torpedo running around like a goof-ball WITH HIS WET-SUIT AND FLIPPERS ON. He's also apparently a martial artist, AND he uses a cool Harpoon as a weapon. He was totally replaced with Wet-Suit in Season 2 of the cartoon, but I don't remember seeing him in the comics.
Mutt & Junkyard (Dog Handler)
-All-Out Attack, Sidekick 8 (German Shepherd)- PL 7 (116)
-Mutt's pretty crazy. In SEVERAL instances, the Joes remark that the dog is more controllable and likeable than the handler. One guy even points out "Look which one's got the MUZZLE", regarding Mutt's mask. He's omnipresent in the early episodes of the cartoon, owing to his distinctive "Gimmick" of having a dog.
Recondo (Jungle Trooper)
-Stealth +6 (+12), Favoured Environment (Jungles & Woods), Well-Informed- PL 7 (112)
-Recondo had a great issue in the comics when he teamed up with some Tucaro Indians to sneak up on Stalker & his team, then help them out on their mission. He was so good at his Jungle Trooper job that he even left STALKER in the dust. There's also a hilarious incident of "Sherlock Scan" when some "Banditos" show up during an investigation of a Nazi war criminal's hide-out, and Recondo immediately goes "no way! You're a Moroccan Jew if I've ever seen one!" and then goes on to describe the racial make-up of the guys with him, all being Israeli agents. He's probably most well-known to fans for his distinctive cap, with the side of the brim pinned up.
Keel-Haul (Admiral, USS Flagg)
-Now THIS was the G.I. Joe line's centrepiece- the U.S.S. FLAGG was SEVEN FEET LONG, and held the entire collection (to that point) on its upper deck. It came with Keel-Haul (who didn't do too much in any continuity, despite his high rank- he's an old man on the cartoon), a smaller vehicle, and enough easy-to-lose pieces to make this thing worth upwards of THREE-THOUSAND DOLLARS Mint-in-Box. It showed up a lot in background scenes in the cartoon (though they didn't pimp it out too much- this is definitely one toy that sold ITSELF- despite its then-astronomous $100 price tag), but actually got SUNK once, thanks to a falling Cobra Flying Platform thingie.
Dusty (Desert Trooper)
-Favoured Environment (Deserts), Well-Informed, Ultimate Jungle Trooper- PL 7 (108)
-Dusty is the "Young Kid" of the Joes, and his main showcasing was a two-parter where he "Betrayed" the Joes to Cobra (his mother was sick and needed medicine). It was a very good episode, though, and I loved his character's decision: When Cobra comes to him and says they'll cure his mother if he aids them against the Joes, what does he do? Most characters would tell Cobra to F-off. Another typical resolution would be for the hero to accept their offer, only to realize how horrible his actions were, then fight back and beg forgiveness from his allies. Dusty? Dusty immediately TELLS HIS COMMANDING OFFICER what's going on, and lets THEM make a decision. Now THAT's a proper soldier! Duke & Flint come up with the "pretend to be a traitor, then help us out" bit. Dusty's actually one of the more iconic Joes, packing camouflage all over, as well as his cool desert headdress. He eventually picks up a Coyote named Sandstorm, gaining Minion 2. Probably one of my favourite Joes in the end, combining and distinctive look with a cool personality (in one issue of the comic, he carries the dead body of a friend for HOURS because he made a promise to the man's mother to bring her son's body back, allowing him proper burial and closure for the family).
Alpine (Mountaineer)
-Athletics 8 (+10)- Flaws: Limited to Climbing- PL 7 (109)
-Alpine got a LOT more play on the show than you'd expect for a guy who's just a Mountaineer, but he paired off with Bazooka and they became a recurring thing.
Footloose (Infantry)
-Replace both Expertise Skills with Expertise (Infantry Soldier) 9 (+11)- PL 7 (104)
-Footloose was portrayed as kind of a low-stress hippie burn-out, man. He only ever featured in one episode, a two-man show with Dusty where they both competed over some hot scientist lady who ended up going after an Arab rebel leader.
Chuckles (Undercover, Criminal Investigations)
-Deception 10 (+14)- PL 7 (112)
-Chuckles was a total fool in the movie, being a mostly-mute weirdo in a loud Hawaiian shirt, but in the comics he became a Field Leader-type who knew tons of stuff, and came up with the best strategies. Still, he looked like an idiot with his outfit, regardless of how well he commanded people. Plus, with his blonde hair, he looked too much like Duke & Hawk.
Law & Order (Military Police, K-9)
-Sidekick 8 (Rottweiler)- PL 7 (115)
-A wacky Latino guy in the movie, Law just kind of makes snarky jokes that aren't very funny. Order is your standard German Shepherd-like dog.
Tunnel Rat (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
-Stealth 11 (+14)- PL 7 (111)
-Tunnel Rat was based visually off of Larry Hama (and carries Hama's own military designation), specialized in sneaking underground and through small tunnels (as you might expect, given the name), and had a REALLY cool toy. Just TONS of gear, and all the camo was great.
Ambush (Concealment, later Dinosaur Camouflage Specialist)
-Not making that later part up. The series got REALLY silly later on.
Heavy Duty (Heavy Ordnance)
-Expertise (Chef) 4 (+6) - Half-cost- PL 7 (108)
A cousin of Roadblock, Heavy Duty appeared in the DiC cartoon, and was actually in the Live-Action Movie. I have no idea why they didn't just use Roadblock. After all, Adewale-whatever, aka "Adebisi" from the awesome OZ, was certainly big enough to play either guy, and the HUGE weapons of Roadblock would've been very well in-character.
Shockwave (SWAT Specialist)
-This. Toy. Was. AAAAWWWESSSOOMMMEEE. I find that nearly all the "Camo"-style figures were among the best. Makes me wonder why they didn't do it more often. Even blue camo looked pretty bad-ass, as this ninja-esque good guy would prove. He really only shows up in the comic once, helping out on a great mission saving a war veteran from some terrorists.
Slaughter's Renegades: Red Dog (NFL Player), Taurus, Mercer
-Essentially a big, tough trio of guys who were loyal to Slaughter, who got a TON of toys in this era. Mercer was an "Ex-Cobra Viper who's seen the light!"
Outback (Survivalist)
Major Storm (General Commander)
Skydive (Air Patrol Leader)
Big Ben (Special Air Service British Trooper)
Mercer (Mercenary)
Barricade (Bunker Buster)
Big Bear (OG Anti-Armour)
Colonel Courage (Strategic Commander)

STANDARD JOES
Military Specialty:
Various
Role: Various
Comic Book Role: Minor (Occasional One-Offs and Stand-Outs)
Cartoon Role: Minor (Occasional One-Offs and Stand-Outs)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 6 (99)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Specialty) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Specialty), Teamwork, Ultimate Specialty Skill

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (99)

-Standard Joes (the weakest type) are just a TINY bit worse than Strong Joes (coming later), as they're the least-used characters. This makes them the most numerous group (there are a LOT of side-characters in this series, as you'll notice), and they're all expensive PL 6s. Better than the common Grunt (except for the Joe NAMED Grunt), and not too much worse than the others, but they have the least amount of cool stuff to their name.

Joes Following Template:
Grunt (Infantry/Artillery)
-Replace both Expertise Skills with Expertise (Infantry Soldier) 9 (+11) & Expertise (Artillery) 4 (+6)- PL 6 (99)
-Grunt, a guy in regular grey army gear and a funny round helmet, was the plainest of the plain, and it's for good reason that he was basically written-out of the show (along with Clutch & Steeler). Larry Hama actually expressed disappointment to Hasbro that Grunt's job was being taken by newbie Footloose (see "Strong Joes"), and recommended that maybe Grunt just took a new code-name, but he was out-voted, and the fans seem to take Hasbro's side- the more the merrier in this franchise. In the comic, he retires from active duty to become an engineer (Hawk congratulates him- "the world needs more builders than guys who can crawl through a swamp with a knife between their teeth!"), but helps out the Joes when they're outlawed. As you can see, most of the Original Joes have a second specialty of some kind.
Zap (Missile Specialist/Demolitions)
Flash (Chem Bio & Radioactive Guy)
Short-Fuze (Mortar Soldier)
Breaker (Communications)
-One of the more-generic guys, he ends up staying with fellow "First Series" toy Clutch in an alternate universe. Was one of the Joes who died in that desert issue.
Grand Slam (Laser Artillery)
Steeler (Tank Commander)
-Got written out along with Breaker & Clutch in an alternate universe. I don't recall him ever actually doing anything.
Airborne (Copter Assault)
-Unique in being a non-stereotypical Native American. He came from a rich family, didn't act particularly spiritual, and was just a normal soldier. I wonder what Hama thought when he created this guy, then took a look at the "Beads & Buckskins" tasseled-up Spirit toy that Hasbro then produced.
Tripwire (Mine Detector)
-Tripwire ends up with a Complication (Klutz)- when not working with Mines (a very, VERY delicate kind of work), he's an Archie Andrews-level screw-up.
Blowtorch (Flamethrower)
Deep Six (SHARC Diver)
-Fearless, Will +9- PL 6 (103)
-Deep Six was the ultimate "Cold Fish"- a guy who would get shot, burned, etc., but just kinda shrug it off and go sit down calmly.
Rip Cord (HALO Jumper)
-They made him a black guy in the movie. I still have no idea why they took one of the most minor characters in the series and made him the Black Best Friend protagonist, though I guess they needed a pilot... except a HALO Jumper is less of a pilot than any of the vehicle pilots & drivers. And the sequel film DOESN'T EVEN USE HIM.
Airtight (Hostile Environments)
-Airtight only had one major episode, but it was a doozy- a giant super-creature is created after a biological experiment, and Airtight's the guy who's gotta go fly into it and destabilize the creature.
Barbeque (Firefighter)
-A firefighter who's afraid of fire (because he's seen the damage it can cause), Barbeque was victimized by "The Viper" who wanted to "vipe his vindows". That was mostly it for him.
Dial-Tone (Communications)
-AWA 1, PRE 0, Technology 6 (+8)- PL 6 (96)
-Heh, this guy was voiced like Maxwell Smart. He basically replaced Breaker, and carried around a HUGE backpack full of gear with him. He was depicted as the kind of over-eager nerdy character that nobody really wanted to be around, and it was actually believable that the Joes would fire him (of course, it was a secret plot by them to get him into a Cobra plot now that he was "fired").
Iceberg (Snow Trooper), Snow Storm (Snow Trooper)
-Favoured Environment (Arctic/Cold), Environmental Adaptation (Cold)- PL 6 (102)
-Iceberg is... a black Texan who's in love with the cold? Well, you can't say the Joe crew wants to conform to stereotypes.
Mainframe (Computers)
Sci-Fi (Laser Trooper)
-Sci-Fi is one of the more... bizarre-looking Joes in the middle of the run. He's basically living up to his name with a giant neon-green suit. A "Laser Trooper" is really just a "Guy who shoots Lasers" as far as I can tell.
Claymore (Covert Ops)
Crazylegs (Assault Trooper, Parachuter)
-Expertise (Music) 6 (+8)- PL 6 (102)
-Crazylegs and his cool red jacket add up to a sharp figure, but his bio is the most-interesting, despite being a Rip Cord-like Assault Trooper, he's a classical musician at heart. One of those killed in the desert.

Fast Draw (Mobile Missile Specialist)
Psyche-Out (Deceptive Warfare)
-AWA 3, Insight 11 (+14)- PL 6 (105)
-Psyche-Out was one of the more colourful, science-fictiony designs, and catches a lot of flak for it. He did a lot of leading about and bossing around in the comic with his know-how of people's reactions (verging on Precognition, actually), but he really wasn't very interesting.
Sneak Peak (Advanced Recon)
-Stealth 6 (+11)- PL 6 (103)
Starduster (Jetpack Trooper)
Blizzard (Arctic Attack)
-Favoured Environment (Arctic/Cold)- PL 6 (100)
Charbroil (Flamethrower)
Hit & Run (Light Infantry)
Hardball (Grenadier)
Lightfoot (Explosives)
Muskrat (Swamp Fighter, Shotgun, Machete, Skimmer)
-This guy was pretty decked-out for someone who never really "made it" as a character. He even had a shotgun AND a machete. Machetes were REALLY big in the '80s. I remember every kid on the playground was obsessed with them.
Repeater (Machine Gunner)
Shockwave (SWAT Specialist)
Spearhead & Max (Point Man & Bobcat)
-Minion 5 (Max the Bobcat)- PL 6 (104)
-I had this toy! Though I don't remember the Bobcat... I must've got him at a garage sale. I have no idea why a "Point Man" would need big orange camouflage, or a bobcat as a Minion. Hilariously, in his one appearance in the comic, the artist had absolutely NO IDEA how to draw a Bobcat, and so it was a small Housecat-sized creature with a cartoonish angry face.
Super Trooper (Shield & Machine Gun)
Backblast (Anti-Aircraft)
Countdown (Astronaut)
Dee-Jay (Battleforce CommTech)
Downtown (Mortar Man)
Payload (Astronaut)
Recoil (Long Range Recon Patrol)
Scoop (Combat Info Specialist)
Bullhorn (Intervention/Hostage Negotiation)
-Persuasion 10 (+12)- PL 6 (104)
Freefall (Paratrooper)
Pathfinder (Jungle Assault)
Rampart (Shoreline Defender)
Salvo (Anti-Armour, Mines)
Rapid-Fire (Fast Attack Expert)
Topside (Naval Assault Seaman)
Dodger (Heavy Ordnance Operator)
Tracker (Navy SEAL, Raft)
Sub-Zero (Winter Ops, Mortars)
-Favoured Environment (Arctic)- PL 6 (100)
Clean-Sweep (Anti-Tox Trooper)
Ozone (Ozone-Replenisher)
Air Devil (Acrobatic Aerial Assault)
Long Arm (First Strike Specialist)
Mace (Undercover)
-Deception 10 (+12)- PL 6 (104)
Big Lob (Grenadier)
-Powers: Features 3 (Ignores Diminished Range on Thrown Weapons, Extended Range 2- 400ft. on Thrown Weapons)- PL 6 (102)
-Yes, the BASKETBALL guy. He was an odd choice in the movie, considering there WAS no Big Lob toy (until 2010, long after the fact), and he was completely ridiculous in every way. Sure, I GUESS playing B-Ball would help you throw grenades, but... c'mon, this is just stupid.

Mega-Marines (just another "set" of figures):
Blast-Off (Flamethrower)
Mirage (Bio-Artillery)
Countdown (Combat Astronaut)
Payload (Astro-Pilot Star-Brigade)
Action Team- a bunch of guys who were set up as sort of generic characters, like the original "Joe" toys (Action Marine, Pilot, Sailor, Astronaut, Soldier)

Sky Patrol is a group of extra guys, themed around being airplane dudes:
Airborne II (Parachute Assembler)
Airwave (Audible Frequency Specialist/Comms)
Altitude (Recon Scout)
Drop Zone (Weapons Specialist)
Static Line (Demolitions)

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BAZOOKA (David L. Katzenbogen)
Military Specialty:
Missile Specialist
Role: Team Moron, Blow-It-Up Guy
Comic Book Role: Minor (I can't remember him ever showing up)
Cartoon Role: Mid-Level (recurring, constant presence)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (104)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 1 (+1)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+8)
Expertise (Missile Specialist) 9 (+8)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Missiles) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Missile Launcher) 2, Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Missiles), Teamwork, Ultimate Missile Specialist

Equipment:
30 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Usually a Missile Launcher: Blast 8- Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst or Blast 10- Inaccurate -2)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Missiles +6 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Exploding Missiles +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Reputation (Dumbass)- Bazooka is... of lower intelligence compared to the other Joes, and does foolish things quite a bit. He's usually made to look like an idiot more than any other character (and at least Gung-Ho does it because he's a crazy bad-ass, not a moron).

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (104)

-Bazooka provoked a funny outburst from Larry Hama in the planning phases, as he was called a "Bazooka Soldier"- Hama pointed out that Bazookas are as obsolete as flintlock muskets, and haven't been used for "over THIRTY YEARS!" (emphasis his- this is apparently his Berserk Button) and so they should give him a new "specialty", but could keep the code-name. He was depicted as the Team Moron in the cartoon (most '80s toons had at least ONE guy who was a simple-minded buffoon who broke things and acted like he belonged under constant supervision rather than on a heroic squadron of fighters- MUCH LESS being the guy with the massive Area Effect Weapon). He was usually paired up with the more stable, specialized Alpine.
-Bazooka uses an Area Effect Weapon (much more powerful than the standard Grenades most Joes use), but has far less skill than most in his class level possess. Because he's a dumbass.

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"Look, ALL Marines is crazy. They're the assault troops, right? They're a hairy, scary, crazy outift! So the big brass decide that the G.I. Joe team needs a representative from the esteemed USMC. They tell us they sending us the best the Coprs has got. Well, all that means to me is that they sent us the hairiest, scariest, craziest jar-head that ever scratched, kicked and bit his way out of that hole in the swamp they call Parris Island!"
-- Zap, speaking about Gung-Ho


GUNG-HO (Ettienne R. LaFitte)
Military Specialty:
Marine, Recondo
Role: The Crazy Uncle, Boisterous Bruiser
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level, then Minor (appears a lot at first, then vanishes)
Cartoon Role: Major, then Minor (huge recurring character; supplanted by Leatherneck)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe, The United States Marine Corps
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Knife) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Marine) 12 (+12)
Insight 3 (+3)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Perception 7 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+2)
Treatment 3 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 5, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed 2, Rifle), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improvised Weapon, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Marine), Startle, Taunt, Takedown 2, Ultimate Marine

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Knife +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Responsibility (The U.S.M.C.)- Gung-Ho is so proud of the Marine Corps that he wears an open shirt in the ARCTIC WINTER so everyone can see his USMC tattoo.
Relationship (Gigantic, Insane Family)- Gung-Ho's entire family is just as nuts as he is- when Cobra tried to kidnap them to blackmail G.I. Joe, the Lafitte Clan overwhelmed them and captured THEM instead!

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (125)

-Gung-Ho RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULES!!
-Okay, so he was my favourite Joe as a kid (I just thought he looked COOL, what can I say?), despite never having his toy. Depicted in both the cartoon and comic books as a loud-mouthed, brash, violent, crazed jarhead, Gung-Ho was always the first guy to go flying into combat. One writer explicitly called him the "Crazy Uncle" of the TV show, and he was actually based off of the father & uncle of series producer Daniel Rudat, both of whom were marines. There's also some funny bits of Cajun in him, and there's a great scene in an episode where Cobra kidnaps seven Joes' surviving family members, and later goes after Gung-Ho's. The Baroness leads a huge force towards some shanty huts in the Louisiana Bayou, but gets a rude awakening as the ENTIRE GROUP is captured by Gung-Ho's equally giant & crazy clan!
-It's funny how the part of me that loved this series as a kid comes through while reading and watching Joe-based stuff nowadays. In the comic, when Storm Shadow jumps out of a tree and slashes Gung-Ho before getting taken out by Roadblock, I was actually MAD that my favourite guy got jobbed out! I normally don't even care if that kind of thing happens to my favourites now that I'm a grown man- just goes to show you the power childhood fandoms can still hold over you. Heck, I was even annoyed when he, Stalker & Roadblock got snuck up on by some Tucaro Indians in another issue!
-Gung-Ho appears in a LOT of comic book issues at first, as a Marine is ideal for a lot of intense, behind-enemy-lines types of battles. But after a point he vanishes, while frequent teammates Roadblock, Stalker & Snake-Eyes take off and get used more and more. In the cartoon, he's completely replaced by Leatherneck in Season 2.
-Gung-Ho costs about the same as his fellow Elite Joes, but he gets it in entirely different ways. Gung-Ho is MUCH stronger and tougher at his core than regular Joes (in one scene, he RIPS THE HOOD off a "Cobra" sports car and promptly TOTALS THE ENTIRE THING using the hood as an Improvised Weapon), sacrificing smarts, Awareness and some Skills to do it. He's basically an entirely-crazy jarhead to the max, and is one of the better ass-kickers around because of it. He's also one of the few Joes to make PL 8 with a melee attack, but only with a knife (or an Improvised Weapon- in his comic debut, he rushed THREE armed men, while shirtless and in the snow I might add, and used a RIFLE BUTT to wipe out all three guys). Gung-Ho is nuts. And crazy-awesome.

Use the Same Stats for:
Leatherneck (Marine)

-The second season of the show was less kind to Gung-Ho, as he was replaced as "Resident Marine" by Leatherneck, a more arrogant, hard-to-like character who was always arguing with Navy SEAL Wet-Suit, and replaced as "Team Strongman" in a BIG way by Sgt. Slaughter. Similarly, he all but vanishes for several trades' worth in the comics, as the never-ending supply of new characters results in an almost-entirely new crew every single mission. By contrast, Gung-Ho still mostly becomes a Background Extra in the comics, but Leatherneck fails to replace him -- he just kind of goes on one or two missions and then disappears.

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(The Joes are staking out the home of a hidden Nazi who was making a deal with the U.S. Government for a code to stop a doomsday weapon Hitler left behind)
Roadblock: "You've gotten past tougher'n this, Clutch... what's eatin' you?"
Clutch: "It's like seeing demons from my childhood, Roadblock. My grandmother lived with us when I was little... she had little blue numbers tattooed on her arm. She came into my room one day while I was watching TV. A sitcom about POWs during WWII-- you know, the one with the funny Nazis... She started screaming... she never stopped screaming. It was as if she had been on "hold" for twenty-five years and the horror finally caught up with her."
(note: the Nazi totally got what was coming to him in the end. Gunned down while he begged like a coward.)


CLUTCH (Lance J. Steinberg)
Military Specialty:
VAMP Driver
Role: Team Driver, Team Pervert
Comic Book Role: Major, Then Minor (he appears a LOT in the early issues as the "Team Sexist", then disappears)
Cartoon Role: Nothing (practically forgotten, then written-out)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 7 (94)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+5)
Technology 5 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+6)
Vehicles 8 (+14) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Vehicles), Teamwork, Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Reputation (Lout & Lecher)- Clutch will hit on just about anything, up to and including unavailable female teammates who are disgusted by him. Everyone on the Joe team knows he's a jerk, but he's the best driver they have.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (94)

-Clutch was a hoot in the comics, by sharp contrast to his dull-ass cartoon self (replacing the trademark stubble for a full beard since it was easier to animate). Clutch was one of only five Original Joes (Hawk, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Rock 'n' Roll and Breaker until Dial-Tone replaced him) to get any kind of characterization and push, and he was the token "Chauvinist Pig" of the team. You kinda need things like that to keep inter-team conflict and debate going, and Clutch was great at it (he once suggested Scarlett & Cover Girl mud-wrestle to settle an argument). He was snarling, filthy and gross, but the team respected his driving skills (however suicidal he was when he went stunting). There was a great issue where the team was stuck protecting a Nazi war criminal from the Mossad, and Clutch (whose last name was "Steinberg") reminisces about the day his WWII-survivor grandmother saw a clip from Hogan's Heroes and "never stopped screaming", after 20 years of pent-up fear let loose. It's good, well-rounded characters like that which make any series great.
-He was so minor that the cartoon actually wrote him, Grunt & Steeler out of the show, staying behind on a Cobra-ruled alternate reality. It's funny watching these three utterly drab, plain characters in single-colour uniforms being left behind, while the more colourful Flint & Lady Jaye are all "Uh, OK, good luck!" and head away.
-Clutch is a top-flight Driver character, and actually fits in with the rest of the team on ground missions. He loses some smarts & Presence to the "typical" characters, but it's part of what makes him interesting.

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G.I. JOE DRIVERS & PILOTS
Military Specialty:
(Insert Vehicle Here) Driver/Pilot
Role: Team Driver/Pilot
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level to Nothing (Ace & Wild Bill were omnipresent, but not really focused-on. Everyone else was a one-off, for the most part)
Cartoon Role: Mostly-Nothing (Vehicles were often the centrepieces of plots, but just about everyone could pilot them)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 6 (78)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+8)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+5)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+4)
Vehicles 9 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Specific Vehicle Type (Ground or Air)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Ranged Attack 4, Skill Mastery (Vehicles)

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (78)

-This template fits the typical "Driver" or "Pilot" character, of which there were A LOT. As a military-themed toyline, the G.I. Joe franchise had a TON of vehicles to sell, from the elite, centrepiece-quality Sky-Striker to the lamer end-of-the-line pieces. And each of these vehicles came with a fairly run-of-the-mill figure, often with weaker gear than the other Joes, but occasionally with a pretty good personality. They're less-skilled in combat, being "Generic Joes" in most ways, and have lesser amounts of the Skills that the more elite guys possess, but they can get it done on the field in a pinch. It's just that the specialize in the air, and go WAY beyond any standard troop as far as piloting goes.
-Ace & Wild Bill were omnipresent in the comic book, as Ace was the signature flyboy, and Wild Bill was "Team Transport". Neither got a lot of focus as CHARACTERS, but they were all over the place. The other "Pilot Guys" appeared infrequently, but the occasional issue (usually in Special Mission) would focus on ALL the pilots going into action, so you'd see the sky chock-full of all sorts of weird fliers (some of which looked downright Sci-Fi-ish). A lot of the plots went on to explain that the Joes & Cobras were equal in skill, but that the Joes complimented each other and were a team, while the Cobras were more selfish. One particular Cobra was piloting an elite vessel, but treated his pit-crews like crap, and so they half-assed their jobs, resulting in the pilot's death when the screws holding his cockpit together were too tight or too loose or something.

Joes Following Template:
Ace (Skystriker Pilot)
-Ranged Attack 2, Ultimate Pilot Skill- PL 7 (81)
-Ace was the team's ONLY Pilot for the first stretch, wearing a distinctive flight-suit and flying the elite Sky-Striker, one of the toy line's first big "signature" pieces. There was a TERRIFIC issue of the series that had Ace & Wild Weasel go on a full-issue dogfight, using every dirty trick in the book (setting off flares to distract heat-seeking missiles, flying between houses to avoid radar, loops and dodges, etc.), culminating with the two of them expending their entire set of ammunition. And in one final stretch, the two "buzz" each other while saluting out of respect, the way old-school pilots are supposed to have behaved. Awesome stuff. Ace got a bit of play in the cartoon (he led a mission into space!), but was totally replaced by Slip-Stream in Season 2. He didn't show up that much in the comics after a point (plenty more pilots around by that time), and EVERYONE could pilot the Sky-Strikers in the cartoon, so he could be a bit redundant, but he was always the best pilot around.
Wild Bill (Copter Pilot)
-Expertise (Cowboy) 4 (+6), Ranged Attack 2, Seize Initiative, Ultimate Pilot Skill- PL 7 (82)
-Wild Bill is probably the single-most recognizable Joe in the air, with his iconic cowboy had and handlebar mustache, along with those .45 Colt Pistols. He's higher-level than most Pilots, being a sharp-shooting gunfighter with Seize Initiative, and he shows up the most in the cartoon AND the comic as far as "Background piloting" goes. It helps that he was piloting a HUGE Transport thing, so there were often jeeps & tanks and whole crews of Joes travelling along with him. You can fit surprisingly little in an F-14.
Slip-Stream (Conquest Pilot)
-Ultimate Pilot Skill- PL 7 (79)
-Slip-Stream replaced Ace in the cartoon as the Main Pilot, and even got his own episode (playing Enemy Mine with a hot Indian-looking female Cobra pilot, trapped in Dr. Mindbender's island lair). He flew a fixed-wing jet (where the wings point forward and don't move, which apparently allows for greater control and specific movements).
Steam-Roller (Mobile Command Center Operator)
-Strength 3, Stamina 4- PL 7 (83)
-Hey, I owned this guy's toy! Heck, I had the COMMAND CENTER! My parents still tell the story of the Christmas Eve my dad spent three or four hours putting the damn thing together. I loved that toy, too- it's not as sweet as some of the earlier Base-type gear in the line, but it was still HUGE, and held way more Joes than I actually owned. I pretty much never had the thing folded-up, though- it's three levels were fairly detailed, so I usually didn't haul the thing around on all it's wheels. Steam-Roller was HUGE, too- one of the most muscular G.I. Joe toys I've ever seen- so of course he was a big favourite of mine. As a result, he's a bit stronger and tougher than the typical Driver, but more or less the same.
Cutter (Hovercraft Pilot, Coast Guard)
-Expertise (Coast Guard) 8 (+10)- PL 6 (83)
-Cutter was a rather silly-looking fellow, but piloted the huge Killer W.H.A.L.E. toy, so I'm sure a lot of kids had him. The Boston Red Sox cap and lifejacket made him look like a goof compared to the more high-tech Deep-Six, or more combat-ready Torpedo, that's for sure.
Cover Girl (Wolverine Driver)
-Strength 1, Attractive- PL 6 (78)
-Humorously, Cover Girl debuted as kind of a bitch, mocking Scarlett's looks right off the bat (Larry Hama would do the same thing with Zarana & The Baroness- I think he had a feeling that women in the same workplace rarely get along. Most dudes I know- and plenty of women, too- actually agree with that sentiment). She's supposedly an ex-model who goes out of her way to much up for her good looks by acting as tough and manly as possible, which just made the guys like her more. Unfortunately, as a distant, DISTANT third female Joe behind Scarlett & Lady Jaye, she's doomed to background roles and nothing else. Even in the "Girl Show" parts of the series, she would do very little compared to the other two.
Crankcase (Striker Driver)
-One of those killed in the desert.
Frostbite (Snow Cat Driver), Windchill (Arctic Blast Driver), Cold Front (Avalanche Driver), Avalanche (Dominator Snow Vehicle Driver)
-Favored Environment (Snow & Ice), Expertise (Arctic Trooper) 4 (+6)- PL 6 (82)
-A series of Arctic-themed drivers. And JEEZ, the Joe series LOVED its arctic guys. I must admit, the whole "stark white" design is pretty cool on a lot of them, but FOUR of them? Well, they were running out of ideas by the end, so I supposed it had to happen.
Tollbooth (Bridge Layer Driver)
-Haha, this guy drove a BRIDGE LAYER. They really pushed that toy, too, as I recall, despite it being kind of silly-looking. His toy is kind of oddly cool, though- he's got a SLEDGEHAMMER as a weapon! Plus the slightly-uneven hardhat- he makes for a unique figure.
Armadillo (Rolling Thunder Driver)
-Strength 3, Stamina 4- PL 7 (83)
-The Rolling Thunder was a cool-ass toy as well. I'm pretty sure my brother had it (to counter-act my X-Mas Command Center- parents of two boys often had to "equal" the cool-ass toys of one for the other), though the specifics escape me. Armadillo was very much like Steam-Roller as well, being a bigger, bulkier guy.
Thunder (Slugger Driver, Artillery)
-Expertise (Artillery) 2 (+4)- PL 6 (80)
-One of those killed in the desert.
Skidmark (Desert Fox Driver)
-Who the hell would name a guy SKID MARK? Was that not the term for poo-stains back in the day?
Heavy Metal (Mauler Tank Driver)
-One of those killed in the desert.
Back-Stop (Persuader Driver)
Cross-Country (HAVOC Driver)
Lift-Ticket (Tomahawk Pilot)
Hard Top (Crawler Driver)
Payload (Defiant Pilot)
Cloudburst (Glider Pilot)
Rumbler (Crossfire Driver)
Dodger (Marauder Half-Track Driver)
Blaster (Vindicator Hovercraft Driver)
Blocker (Eliminator 4-Wheeled Driver)
Maverick (Vector Jet Pilot)
Knockdown (Sky-Sweeper Driver)
Ghostrider (Stealth Fighter Pilot)
Wildcard (Mean Dog Driver)
Windmill (Skystorm Chopper Pilot)
Skystriker (Tiger Rat Pilot)
Long Range (Thunderclap Driver)
Hot Seat (Raider Driver)
Dogfight (Mudfighter Pilot)
Updraft (Retaliator Pilot)
Major Altitude (Battle Copter Pilot)
Skymate (Glider Pilot)

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SPIRIT (Charlie Iron-Knife)
Military Specialty:
Tracker
Role: Magical Native American, The Healer, Ethnic Stereotype
Comic Book Role: Major
Cartoon Role: Mid-Level (gets appearances in a few arcs)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe, Taos Pueblo Tribe
PL 8 (138)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Native American/Tracker) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Psychology) 4 (+7)
Insight 5 (+9)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+6)
Perception 10 (+14)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+10)
Technology 1 (+4)
Treatment 4 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Animal Empathy, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5 (Knife, Rifle), Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Rifle), Precise Attack (Ranged/Concealment), Quick Draw, Minion 4 (Freedom the Eagle), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Tracker), Teamwork, Ultimate Tracking Skill

Powers:
"Stereotypical Native American Healing Powers" Healing 4 (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Others, Concentration) [1]

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Knife +1, Rifle +6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Knife +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Rivalry (Storm Shadow)- In the cartoon, Spirit was a bit of a recurring foe for Storm Shadow at first, until Quick Kick took over that position.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 16 (138)

FREEDOM
Role:
Elite Sky Hunter
PL 5 (60)- Minion Rank 4, Sidekick Rank 12
Normal Version:
PL 3-4
STRENGTH -1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+5)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 12 (+6 Size)
Perception 9 (+9)

Advantages:
Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Hold, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Extended, Ultra & Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Natural Weapons- Talons & Beak" Strength-Damage +4 [4]

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Natural Weapons +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +0, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Birds cannot speak to humans, nor use their talons to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 15 (60)

-Spirit is a Shaman according to Hama's bio. One Joe delicately notes that "He's not a healer or a priest or a witch doctor -- In fact, there isn't any equivalent in our culture for what he is unless we had shrinks that could actually help people." Take THAT, Psychiatry!
-Spirit was an interesting case in the G.I. Joe canon- it was a rare group indeed that had TWO Natives on it (Airborne, who came first, was a more non-stereotypical parachuter with a unique story), but of course at least one had to be a total stereotype. One with nature, animal sidekick, magical healing powers, the works- he got it. Not that he was a BAD character- he did some neat stuff in a few comics (but, like most newly-introduced Joes, he didn't show up much thereafter), but he was a MAJOR character in the cartoon. In fact, it was HE who got the big rivalry with Storm Shadow the ninja at first, as they brawled in a cavern and came to a mutual level of respect. Quick Kick later supplanted that role. Speaking of QK, he & Spirit had a HILARIOUS moment in the 'toon, when Spirit uses his Magical Native American powers to heal QK's broken leg, and of course QK goes into a standard "Hollywood actor imitation" and starts dancing around. All you get is a close-up of Spirit's blank expression with the voiceover: "...next time, I'll heal his BRAIN".
-Things I remember of him in the comics- he helped out on a mission in the wilderness where some Joes & Destro had to fight off a bear (they blew it up with a grenade), and later he aided another Joe and some common street kids in fighting off Cobra as guerilla fighters within the Cobra-controlled town of Springfield (Spirit coldly notes that some of the kids are TOO eager to commit acts of violence, while another has the "Hundred-Yard Stare" going, and appears to already be exhibiting signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
-Spirit uses a modification of the Elite Joe template, but he's a vastly smarter, wiser and more-skilled variant, with a Tracker set-up. He's got an Eagle Minion (it never did enough to be a Sidekick- it often didn't show up AT ALL), Animal Empathy, and some more advanced fighting skills than the common Joe, making him a bit pricier, but still a PL 8.

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ZARTAN (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty:
Master of Disguise
Role: Creepy Guy, Master of Disguise, Manipulative Bastard, Sub-Group Leader
Comic Book Role: Major (recurs as a villain, the turns good! Becomes Billy's running buddy)
Cartoon Role: Major (constantly-appears)
Group Affiliations: Cobra, The Dreadnoks
PL 8 (157)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 6 (+9)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 2 (+12)
Stealth 7 (+12)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+11) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit (Secret Identity), Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle), Improved Defense, Languages 2 (Several), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery (Deception), Tracking, Ultimate Deception

Powers:
"Ventriloquism"
Illusion 2 (Auditory) (Flaws: Limited to Voices) [1]

"Holographic Disguise" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Zartan) [14]
Morph 3 (Any Humanoid) (15 points)

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Bow & Arrow +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Zartan is greedy to the max, along with his Dreadnoks.
Responsibility (The Dreadnoks)- Mostly cowardly and stupid, the Dreadnoks are a constant headache to the more orderly Zartan.
Rivalry (Destro)- The two hate each other- Zartan is Cobra Commander's "insurance" against treachery from the metal-masked one.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 14 (157)

-Zartan is a true Cobra icon- a "third party" of sorts, since Cobra Commander & Destro were often feuding with each other- Zartan had a loyalty ot Cobra Commander, but only as far as his dollar went. As leader of his own band of Mooks, Zartan showed up A LOT, and he had a pretty creepy echoing voice, in addition to his disguise powers. Zartan was omnipresent in both comic book & cartoon: in the 'toon, he was the boss of Cobra's most-frequently-appearing Goons, The Dreadnoks, and always feuded with Destro. In the comics, he actually had a really long, meandering arc: he was initially just the Dreadnoks' boss, but turned out to be the mysterious figure who murdered Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow's master! Then it turns out he was hired by Cobra Commander to carry out the assassination (but, in classic "okay that's enough plot twists now, Hama" moment, it turns out that Zartan was aiming for SNAKE EYES, but the Hard Master was mimicking Snake's own heartbeat and movements, causing Zartan- who was using a Sci-Fi Bow & Arrow that detected people via heartbeats- to strike HIM dead instead of his intended target!), and was trained by a mysterious mentor who then killed himself out of shame for what Zartan did. Guilt-ridden, Zartan repents and eventually saves the son of Cobra Commander (Billy), becoming his mentor out on the road. But eventually both he & Destro are brainwashed into being loyal Cobra Goons in the final months of the book.
-He's much pricier than most Joes OR Cobras, thanks to his abilities coming from a Powered Device, as well as his Ventriloquism. And hell, this guy offed SERPENTOR in the comics- doing a classic jerkwad move by sniping him from God-knows-how-far-away, piercing his eye with an arrow. He's still not quite as good with the bow as Storm Shadow, since he has to "cheat" with a sound-enhancing device to pin-point guys Blind-Sight-wise, but he's still damn good with it. He's still only got +10 to his defenses, since I've seen him lose to a generic Joe in melee once.

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ZARANA (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty:
Zartan's Sister (?)
Role: Bad Girl, Master of Disguise, Manipulative Bitch, Scheming Leader-Type
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level (appears often)
Cartoon Role: Mid-Level (appears often)
Group Affiliations: Cobra, The Dreadnoks
PL 7 (124)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 6 (+9)
Stealth 6 (+11)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Secret Identity), Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle), Improved Defense, Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Deception), Ultimate Deception

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Zarana is in it for money. Also a bit of thrills.
Relationship (Mainframe)- Zarana had to pretend to fall for Mainframe in order to seduce him and get a Macguffin Device (actually, I think it was literally called that). She ended up falling in love with him for real, and her loyalties would be divided whenever a situation came up involving him.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (124)

-Zarana is Zartan's sister, and wore her hair in typical '80s Punker (I hate punkers) fashion, sporting hot-pink short hair. That and the pink half-shirt thing makes her one of the most dated characters in the Joe-verse BY FAR. Out of the new villains, she got a great deal of focus, frequently subbing for Zartan as Dreadnok leader, and she even had a "Dating Catwoman" arc with Mainframe of the Joes in the `toon. In the comics, she feuded constantly with the Baroness (I'd blame the "Women can't get along" thing, but EVERYONE in Cobra acted this way). She's basically a mini-Zartan in stats, relying on sheer Deception over an actual Morph power- her disguises were second to none. Even in the Movie, she manages to walk right into Joe Headquarters on a date with Lt. Falcon, fooling him, Duke & Jinx with a fake Southern Belle accent.
-Her best scenes? The huge catfight with Lady Jaye, in which all the Cobra soldiers and Joes stop what they're doing and just watch them go at it; and when she gets into a verbal match with The Baroness, calling her an "Astigmatic sow!"

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THE DREADNOKS
Military Specialty:
None, Really (they're just violent sociopaths)
Role: Big, Dumb Goons
Comic Book Role: Major (constantly-recurring as goons)
Cartoon Role: Major (constantly-recurring as goons- pretty much the "Bebop & Rocksteady" of the series)
Group Affiliations: The Dreadnoks, Cobra
PL 6 (64)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 8 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 2 (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork, Ultimate Biker Thug

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- The Dreadnoks all like money, but most of them like breaking things even more. In a few of their cases, it's a virtual all-consuming obsession. In one issue of the comic, the Dreadnoks are just there to leave an opening for Cobra, but they end up going crazy and demolishing an entire airfield's worth of equipment because it was all RIGHT THERE and they had chainsaws and junk. Totally magnificent stuff.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (64)

-The Dreadnoks were great. Initially a potentially-franchise-ruiningly bad idea, they were supposed to be little fuzzy Ewok rip-offs (Dreaknok=Ewok), but Larry Hama basically went "nobody wants to see the heroes shooting little teddy bears" and make them Mad Max rip-offs instead. And they were very entertaining, and sort of the Cobra equivalent to wrestling's "Jobbers To The Stars"- the guys who weren't jobbers (ie. Cobra Blueshirts), but they were nonetheless there to lose every single show (or comic), to make the Joes look better. In the cartoon, they were INCREDIBLY-stupid and very incompetent, and were typically used as that ever-popular character archetype known as "The Incompetent Henchmen". He-Man had Beast-Man & Trap-Jaw, TMNT had Bebop & Rocksteady, and G.I. Joe had these doucheknockers.
-Statistically they're a bit weird, as you'd expect them to be super-strong (they're REALLY well-built), but they're giant wusses compared to the Joes, and get easily KO'd every single time. Hell, one episode features Ripper throwing a huge combo at Gung-Ho, whose concept of "defense" is to STAND THERE WITH HIS ARMS AT HIS SIDES WITH HIS CHEST STICKING OUT, and it totally works and Gung-Ho just kicks his ass. Even in the comics, the Dreadnoks can't catch a break, and easily lose in melee. So they lack fighting skill, and are more dumb thugs.

Dreadnoks Using Template:
Ripper (Metal Splitter)
-Power Jaws/Metal Splitter (usually on a Rifle's end)- Strength-Damage +3, Improved Critical
-Ripper was my favourite as a kid... him or Monkey-Wrench, I can never remember. I always thought black-haired people were cooler back then (I was seven or eight- I have no clue why), so it might've been him. He was clearly voiced in the unique screechy vocal stylings of Chris Latta, but not in the same way that Cobra Commander was. He was more of an Aussie crazed berserker, who would nonetheless show Latta's trademark cowardice the second things turned against him.
Torch (Blowtorch)
-Blowtorch (Damage 6, Reach 2)
-A pretty generic guy, usually appearing with Ripper & Buzzer as the "Dumbass Trio".
Buzzer (Chainsaw, Nunchuku Axe)
-Fighting 6, Intelligence 3, Awareness 1, Ranged Attack 3, Expertise (Psychology) 4 (+7), Insight 2 (+3)- PL 6 (76)
-The other guy in the "Motley Trio" of Dreadnok Goons, Buzzer actually had a lot more characterization in the comic book, which explained that he was a psychiatrist who was doing a study on biker gangs, but "went native" and eventually became what he was studying. As a result, he's pricier than the other Dreadnoks, but I balanced it by making him slightly worse at combat. And yes, Axe Nunchuku.
Monkeywrench (Harpoon)
-Monkeywrench debuted when Thrasher did, and essentially became just another one of the common Dreadnok goons- being a big, dumb, incompetent muscular guy. He appears REALLY big, though- you'd think he'd be a lot stronger than his pals.
Thrasher (Thunder Machine Driver)
-Thrasher was a REALLY obvious case of "Buy this toy!" in the cartoon- in the same episode that debuts the Season 2 Joes (Sgt. Slaughter, Beach Head & others), Zartan decides to hold Dreadnoks Try-Outs. Thrasher comes in late, but insists that "I come with my own vehicle" which he then drives around, trying to make it look cool for the kids. He does NOTHING- he's just a green-tinged hair-having loser.
Zanzibar (Dreadnok Pirate)
-Replace Biker Thug with Pirate Thug.
Zandar
-Deception 10 (+10), Features 2: Unmemorable Features- PL 6 (70)
-Another dumb idea, Zandar actually has "Zartan's Brother" as his Military Specialty. He doesn't actually DO anything in the cartoon, other than a HILARIOUS incident in which he uses an ALLIGATOR as a melee weapon in a debate over whether or not Certs are a candy or a mint (what kind of Exotic Weapon Proficiency is THAT?). But seriously, he barely even has a speaking role, and is just there as window-dressing. In the comics, he was shown as being one of those guys that you just fail to recognize or notice ("now what did that guy look like again? I totally forget"), giving him a bit of a boost.
Gnawgahyde (Dreadnok Poacher w/ Boar)
-Expertise (Poacher) 8 (+7), Favoured Enemy (Animals), Minion 2 (Boar)- PL 6 (71)
-My friend tells a funny story about this one- he bought it for his brother for a Birthday one year. The guy opens the package, looks at it, turns to my friend and says "I hate this guy."

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ROAD PIG (Donald DeLuca)
Military Specialty:
Dreadnok
Role: Crazy Giant Goon
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level (recurring baddie)
Cartoon Role: Minor (I don't recall much)
Group Affiliations: The Dreadnoks, Cobra
PL 8 (65)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2/3 AWARENESS -1/3 PRESENCE -3/0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+7)
Expertise (Biker Thug) 7 (+5/+10)
Intimidation 6 (+11)
Perception 2 (+1/+5)
Vehicles 3 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+9) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Benefit (Uses Strength instead of Presecne for Intimidation Checks), Close Attack 2, Equipment 5, Improved Critical (Sledgehammer) 2, Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Biker Thug

Equipment:
"Donald Personality"
Enhanced Intelligence 5 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [5]
Enhanced Awareness 4 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [4]
Enhanced Presence 3 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [3]

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (includes Giant Cinderblock Sledgehammer- Strength-Damage +3, Penetrating 6)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Sledgehammer +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +5, Fortitude +9, Will +1/+4

Complications:
Relationship (Zarana)- Road Pig is obsessed romantically with Zarana, sister of Zartan. His obsession allows him to be easily controlled by her, and he will do whatever she asks, no question.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 10 (65)

-Road Pig stands out amongst the Dreadnoks as a super-strong behemoth of a man with two personalities -- he's got an intelligent side, and a stuttering moronic one, and switches between the two frequently, often in mid-conversation. So he'll come out talking like Marvel's Thor, and then all of a sudden switch to someone who'd make Big Moose look like Dilton Doiley. He stats up as a PL 8, and he's by far the most dangerous of the non-Zartan Dreadnoks, packing +8 damage with his huge Sledgehammer. As far as weapons go, it's pretty kick-ass: A CINDERBLOCK attached to a metal rod. In terms of sheer melee damage, no other character in the Joe canon comes near him.

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Aiming: YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

COBRA MOOKS
Military Specialty:
Jobbing in the Background
Role: Mooks
Comic Book Role: Background Mooks (omnipresent losers, though the "Fred Series" Crimson Guard are in a few arcs as major characters)
Cartoon Role: Background Mooks (just Jobbers)
Group Affiliations: Cobra, Destro's Iron Grenadiers
PL 4 (41)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+2)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 3 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+5) or Expertise (Specialty) 2 (+2) for non-Drivers

Advantages:
Equipment 4, Ranged Attack 3

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Weapons +3 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2 (+3 Kevlar), Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (41)

-Cobra had a lot of "Mook" toys- basically just a series of Jobbers for you to build their armada with. Personally, I would have felt shafted as a kid if I'd gotten one toy out of nine billion Blueshirts in the show, but some of these guys honestly looked about the coolest of the entire line. Their accuracy SUCKS, and for good reason- I can't think of a single instance of these guys hitting anything. Hell, if placed across the broad side of a barn, they might in fact kill a few of their own to friendly fire. The Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy put out a LOT of these guys.

Mooks Using Template:
Generic Cobra Guys
-The fabled "Blueshirts". The Mooks of all Mooks, even worse in combat than Stormtroopers (who at least killed some Rebel Mooks and wounded Han Solo that one time).
Crimson Guard
-Ranged Attack 2- PL 6 (43)
-The elite Red guys who were much cooler looking- oddly one of the best designs of the entire series. Here I just made them better shots than Blueshirts, so they're PL 5 Jobbers instead of PL 4 Jobbers. In the comics, there was a "Fred Series" of guys who were all made physically-identical to act as hatchet-men for Cobra Commander- one of them even ends up stealing the boss' identity, living on as Cobra Commander for several months (with only Baroness and a few others in the know) before he's found out and killed. Another Fred turns to the Joes' side, and adopts the family of his Fred predecessor.
Eels, Lampreys, Snow Serpents, Tele-Vipers
Motor Viper, Strato-Viper
Vipers (Infantry)
Gyro-Viper, Ice Viper, Sea Slug, Techno-Viper
Royal Guard (Battle-Axe)
Astro Viper (Astronaut)
Secto-Vipter (BUGG Driver), Star-Viper (Stellar Stiletto Pilot)
Toxo-Viper (Hostile Enviro)
Alley Viper (Urban Assault), Annihilator (IG Trooper)
Night-Viper, Frag-Viper (Grenades), TARGAT (Trans-Atmospheric Rapid Global Assault Trooper)
Track Viper (HISS II Pilot)
Laser-Viper (Laser Trooper), SAW-Viper (Semi-Auto), Range-Viper (Wilderness), Rock-Viper (Mountains), Undertow (Frogmen w/ Barracudas), Vapor (Hurricane Pilot)
Eco-Warriors: Toxo-Viper, Sludge Viper
Desert Scorpion (Desert Troops, Giant Scorpion pet), Incinerators (Flamethrowers), Interrogator (Battle Copter Pilots), Night Vulture (Air Recon), Snow Serpent
Cobra Eel (Shark Missile Launcher, Underwater Demolitions), Flak-Viper (Anti-Aircraft), Heli-Vipers
Toxo-Zombie
Hydro-Vipers, Iron Grenadiers
WORMS (MAGGOT Driver)
Headhunters (Narcotics Guard)
-The Headman's goons in his drug trade.

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(Stalker, Quick Kick & Snow Job return to Joe HQ after five months in a Gulag)
"Dag! Look at all the long faces! Did something bad happen while we were gone? Is Nixon President again?"


STALKER (Lonzo R. Wilkinson)
Military Specialty:
Ranger
Role: Away-Team Leader, Experienced Mentor, Captain Exposition (for Snake-Eyes' past)
Comic Book Role: Major (one of the Top Five characters, actually)
Cartoon Role: Minor (Hardly appears at all after the first arc)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (146)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Street Thug) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Ranger) 8 (+12)
Insight 6 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 7 (+11)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 2 (+6)
Treatment 2 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Diehard, Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Languages 2 (German, French, Many Southeast Asian & European Languages), Leadership, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Ranger), Teamwork, Ultimate Aim, Ultimate Soldier, Well-Informed

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Relationship (Mother)- Stalker was once the urban warlord of a massive army of criminals in his hometown. When his two older brothers were killed in gang violence, he abandoned that way of life for the army. He know goes out of his way to ensure that his mother never knows of the dangerous missions he undertakers- he cannot understand why anyone would tell their families the kinds of horrible things soldiers get caught up in. In Vietnam, he, Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow would invent great stories about the meaningless "File Clerk" stuff he'd get up to in some European country, rather than inform her of the dangers he faced from the Viet Cong.
Relationship (Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow)- Stalker was close with both men in Vietnam, and has remained so. He feels a sense of responsibility towards the former, having ordered his men to leave without him during one mission, thinking Snake-Eyes was doomed- he didn't know at the time that Snake was invincible. He's felt a bit guilty about it ever sense.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 74--37 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 18 (146)

-Among the biggest differences between the Comic Book & Cartoon versions of the characters was Stalker- a rarely-appearing backgrounder in the Sunbow Cartoon, he was one of the most-important recurring characters in Larry Hama's book!
-Stalker was a seriously awesome character in the comic- in fact, I'd consider him my single favourite character there. He's knowledgeable and skilled, and a major bad-ass, but doesn't come across as a Mary Sue like Snake-Eyes can- he gets injured plenty, he got snuck up on by a group of Tucaro Indians easily, and a lot of his plans go sideways really quickly and require a lot of work to make up. Hell, in several issues, his missions are out-and-out FAILURES (in one case, they were sent by the Central Bureacracy to rescue a diplomat that had already been saved, and he had to get captured just to save two of his fellow injured Joes). Another time, he's countered by Serpentor at every move ("This guy in command is too good! Every time I redeploy, he's changed his own troop movements to counter me!"), and the debut mission of the goofy Joe with the camera is also scrubbed, as the enemy outnumbers them by too much.
-He is the full-time Field Leader of the Joes, leading guys like Snake-Eyes, Scarlett & the others on missions- he's basically General Hawk's "Eyes on the Ground", and can pull rank with just about everyone. Duke & Hawk both outrank him, but usually sit at base and GIVE orders, often leaving Stalker to lead tiny squads into hostile territory on secret missions (Hama and others note that Special Units like G.I. Joe often don't follow strict chain of command- the most-experienced and skilled person is often in command, PERIOD). Based off of a Commanding Officer of Hama's in 'Nam, Stalker is so knowledgeable, and willing to share that knowledge with his subordinates, that he's effectively our Captain Exposition for nearly all military tactics, lay-outs, politics and philosophy- during one Special Missions issue, he elaborates on many things, such as why you don't always go with the most-obvious choice for your deployment (the reason? The enemy has read the same "Tactics" articles YOU have, and will expect you to deploy that way).
-Even more of a Skillmonkey than Duke or Flint, Stalker costs about the same as Duke overall, but is PL 8 like the other Elite Joes. He's smart as hell and knows a little bit about everything (more Languages than any Joe other than Lady Jaye as well), and he's an elite survivalist (Ranger AND Soldier).

Awesome things Stalker's done:
-When a team he was leading was owned by Kwinn the Eskimo Mercenary and left stranded in the arctic, he came up with a plane to salvage parts from a broken-down airplane, fashioning a SNOW-GLIDER out of its seats and tarp and junk.
-Killed a frickin' Orinoco Crocodile using only a knife, while going into a description of it's scientific name, WHILE he was bobbing up and down in the water.
-Woke up from unconsciousness (from aforementioned attack), and got angry at Ripcord for building a fire to warm him up ("tightly-packed mud is just as good, and doesn't draw enemies to your location!") and cook the Crocodile ("raw meat goes down just as easy to a hungry man!"), then showed the team how to build a proper trench (zig-zagged to defend multiple sides), then puts two dummies in it and lays traps around the whole camp for hostiles. The general who went after them basically got scared the SECOND he saw the trench, having seen "a few too many of them" end his friends' lives.
-Ordered Outback to leave him with two injured Joes (to protect them) in a Ruritania-style foreign country, and kept them alive through five months in a Gulag, THEN sniped the evil Sergeant holding them captive once Snake-Eyes sprung the whole gang. Refused to accept Outback's apology for abandoning them (the other Joes were shaming him for it), pointing out that he was the only one who could send word back and explain what had HAPPENED out there (Outback's survival was the only thing keeping them going- it let them know rescue might come).
-Led an impossible mission into hostile territory to rescue a diplomat.
-With Storm Shadow, scared the living shit out of a handful of gang-bangers who were out to rob them ("Me, I'll mess ya up" he says, with a crazed look in his eyes, "but this guy? He'll BREAK YOUR MOMMA'S HEARTS!!"- the punks tear off, stating "Man! Those dudes were BAD!" "Yo- did you see their EYES?").
-Gets shot numerous times. Pretty much always cracks jokes about it, while wincing in pain.
-Is so awesome that Snake-Eyes casually refered to him alongside Storm Shadow as "off the charts on the Badness Scale".

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"Hmph! Fashion snobbery from someone who still wears a gold chain with an open shirt"
-Cobra Commander, verbally-pwning Destro

---

"In my old life, I was a used-car salesman! You might say that international terrorism was a step towards honesty for me!"


COBRA COMMANDER (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty:
Terrorist Leader
Role: Commander, The Hitler, Dirty Coward
Comic Book Role: Major (the main villain, despite a few hiccups, like being presumed dead)
Cartoon Role: Major (the main enemy of Season 1- a "Starscream" in Season 2)
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 8 (130)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 7 (+11)
Expertise (Terrorist) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 10 (+14)
Expertise (Used Car Salesman) 3 (+7)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Commander of Cobra), Daze (Deception), Equipment 6, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Pistol), Inspire, Leadership, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Terrorist), Ultimate Deception, Ultimate Terrorist, Well-Informed

Equipment:
30 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+4 Armour), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- The Cobra Commander turned his Used Car Dealership into a pyramid scheme, and eventually took over his entire hometown, followed by a large terrorist organization.
Rivalry (Destro)- Though Destro was hired to be a Cobra stooge, he soon came to despise much of what the Commander stood for, and immediately started planning to murder and replace him. Even when the two ally again (which is often), they distrust each other.
Reputation (Cowardice)- In the cartoon, Cobra Commander is a worthless coward. The second the tide turns against him, he will order a general retreat.
Relationship (Billy)- Cobra Commander's son Billy turned against him, and this often tortures the man.
Enemy (Snake-Eyes)- Cobra Commander blames Snake-Eyes for the death of his brother, mostly due to psychosis (Snake-Eyes' family died in a car crash caused by the Commander's brother).

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 19 (130)

-The Cobra Commander had a pretty cool look to him, especially with the bad-ass blue hood, but unfortunately, the character never quite lived up to the grandeur you'd expect. See, his cartoon version was the dirtiest and most cowardly of all dirty cowards. Whereas someone like Megatron in Transformers was epic and nasty as hell, not to mention being the best fighter on his side, and Mumm-Ra of ThunderCats was a frightening ever-lasting evil force, Cobra Commander was just a sissy. He couldn't beat anyone in a fight -- ANY Joe could beat him one-on-one, and the second-most-common phrase uttered in the entire series (after "YOOOO JOE!", of course) was "Cobraaa!! Retreat! RETRREEEEEEEEAT!!". It was no wonder his own subordinates opted to go behind his back and create a super-leader that would oust him (Serpentor). He would then be demoted to Serpentor's goon, but he would of course perform his OWN under-handed traitorous tactics to match what his own goons did to him.
-The comics version was a bit different- he was as manipulative and charismatic as you'd expect a terrorist mastermind to be, having built-up Cobra over years from a Pyramid Scheme into a globe-spanning terrorist organization, but he was still frequently victimized by his own henchmen -- he was nearly murdered by a Crimson Guardsman (Fred VII, after other "Freds" had died or run off), his own suggestion created Serpentor, who betrayed and usurped him, and more. Even his background was kind of undignified: A used car salesman? Evil, sure. But GLOBAL THREAT evil? It was meant to be a little amusing, but it kind of took some of the epic flavour out of things. He made a few inroads towards reforming (thanks to meeting his long-lost son, Billy), but by the end, had fallen COMPLETELY into evil, making alliances with Megatron (during a Transformers crossover), brainwashing Destro & Zartan into being loyal stooges (both had reformed by that point), and set up dozens of bad guys, loyal minions (poor Raptor & Croc Master) and even HIS OWN SON to die of starvation in an entombed ship! The only survivors were Billy & Zartan- everyone else died of horrendous poisoning from a bad batch of canned food.
-Cobra Commander is PL 8 like your standard Joes, but could be argued as being even lower-level, especially in the cartoon, where he was a giant wussy. He's manipulative and deceptive to the point of having several Advantages based entirely around the latter.

Use similar stats for:
Fred VII- Fred would have lower stats than Cobra Commander all-around (especially Awareness & Presence), but packs a suit of Powered Armour (they were selling a goof-looking Sci-Fi Cobra Commander suit, see), giving him Strength 6 and Toughness 7.

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DESTRO (Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV)
Military Specialty:
Weapons Supplier, Terrorist
Role: Second-in-Command, Rival Leader/The Starscream
Comic Book Role: Major (major recurring Bad Guy/Rival to the Main Villain)
Cartoon Role: Major (Cobra's #2)
Group Affiliations: Cobra, The Iron Grenadiers, The Clan Destro
PL 9 (142)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 5 (+9)
Expertise (Terrorist) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Weapon Supplier) 10 (+14)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 9 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+12)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 6 (+10)
Treatment 1 (+4)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Wealth, Cobra/Iron Grenadier Leader), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Languages (German, French, Many Southeast Asian Languages), Leadership, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Skill Mastery (Terrorist), Ultimate Aim, Ultimate Terrorist, Well-Informed

Equipment:
30 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment
"Destro Armour" Protection +2 (2)
"Wrist-Rockets" Blast 8 (Flaws: Unreliable- 4 Rockets) (Diminished Range -1, Inaccurate -1) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +12 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+5 Armour), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Profit)- Destro is in it for money, plain and simple. If it will bring in cash, Destro's in. He will even ally with G.I. Joe if it suits his purposes.
Rivalry (Cobra Commander)- Though Destro was hired to be a Cobra stooge, he soon came to despise much of what the Commander stood for, and immediately started planning to murder and replace him. Even when the two ally again (which is often), they distrust each other.
Responsibility (Honour)- There are some things with which Destro will not abide. Among them is patricide- he prevented Billy from carrying out the assassination of Cobra Commander (something he actually WANTED to happen), because he knew that Billy was the man's son.
Relationship (The Baroness)- The two were once lovers, and still worship each other. When he thought her dead, Destro was beside himself with grief, becoming catatonic.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 76--38 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (142)

-Destro kind of took the role of the "Cooler" villain, being more serious and methodical than the crazed Cobra leader, Cobra Commander. Supposedly being Cobra's "Weapons Supplier" (Weapons Dealers were considered to be major-league dickbags in the 1980s- of course, most people didn't know that AMERICA was usually the Weapons Dealer to people like the Taliban at that point...), he was eventually just turned into a disloyal #2 to Cobra Commander. The two immediately carried on a relationship of betrayal, mistrust, denial and more. Personally, I liked Cobra Commander more (the hood was cool, and that was the basis for my decision, I believe), but plenty of other kids seemed to prefer the D-Man and his cool mask. His costume eventually got a lot cooler, as he came up with the Iron Grenadier concept, forming a "secondary group" that was allied with Cobra, but a separate faction also attempting to gain power. But again, I always found it odd that Destro was basically a Cobra stooge (sure, he'd betray him countless times when he gained TOO much power and it threatened Destro's own interests, but still), despite the fact that he was supposed to be their Weapons Supplier, and just an ally.
-Destro is akin to Duke in overall PL and capabilities, being an elite soldier in his own right, and capable of taking on any Joe on an even level. He's slightly worse at fighting than Duke, but still +10 (in the cartoon's opening sequence, he suffered the indignity of being pulled out of his pilot's chair, and then THROWN like a medicine ball between all the strongest Joes, but let's not hold that against him). He's charismatic (even moreso than the Commander, as the comics would show- Destro commands respect. The Commander, disloyalty), smart and very dangerous. In the cartoon, Destro is likely even smarter -- he's responsible for the creation of the Weather Dominator, a device powerful enough to alter global weather patterns. Of course, he never did anything close to that AGAIN (nor did he actually, y'know, BUILD ANOTHER ONE, which may have come in handy), so who knows?

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MAJOR BLUDD (Sebastian Bludd)
Military Specialty:
Mercenary, Terrorist
Role: Jobber Leader
Comic Book Role: Minor (appears a bit, but is quickly-forgotten)
Cartoon Role: Mid-Level (a constant face, but no real characterization- a glorified Mook)
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Mercenary) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Mercenary), Ultimate Mercenary

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.
Obsession (Poetry)- Major Bludd loves poetry, and he writes a lot of it... badly. Most others consider suicide as a welcome alternative to hearing any of it. "When you're feeling low and woozy/slap a fresh clip in your uzi/assume the proper firing stance/and make those suckers jump and dance".

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 59--24 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (108)

-True story: My old roommate was in the reserves, and one of his Majors actually had the last name of "Bludd". Spelled the same and everything. He was a HUGE Jobber in the cartoon, basically being used every time they didn't want Cobra Commander or Destro soaking up a loss, and so he was there leading tons of Cobra brigades towards their inevitable retreats. He probably has more losses than just about anybody, actually. At least in the comics, his short-lived run allowed him to kill General Flagg, which was... glossed-over really quickly, though it bridged the gap between the Hawk-led first Pit, and the Hawk & Duke-led second Pit. But yeah, he vanished after that, only showing up a couple times, as Larry Hama started focusing far more on Serpentor/Commander/Destro, as well as the Baroness, the fake Cobra Commander, and the Dreadnoks. You could tell Bludd just wasn't a character he gave a crap about, especially as he was forced to use a succession of new characters.

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TOMAX & XAMOT
Military Specialty:
Crimson Guard Commanders, Executive Enterprises
Role: Jobber Leader
Comic Book Role: Minor (almost never appear)
Cartoon Role: Secondary Characters (constant foes, often being the Main Villain in some episodes)
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Business) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Mercenary), Ultimate Mercenary

Powers:
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Other Brother) [1]

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.
Weakness (Feels Others' Pain)- Striking one twin will injure the other with the same effect. Basically, you kick two asses for the price of one.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 59--24 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 11 (111)

-I hated these guys. Always have, always will. They're tough in some regards, but also go down like giant jobbers any time they actually go against a real Joe in hand-to-hand. They also have the worst weakness EVER, as one twin immediately feels whatever happened to the other. I mean, who includes a Drawback like that? You get to kick TWO asses for the price of one! The twins appeared a LOT in the middle of the cartoon's run, as they were a never-ending source of money for Cobra, and they were the Corrupt Corporate Executives, constantly trying to buy everyone out and bribe people. They were behind a lot of Cobra's get-rich-quick schemes, and were enormously over-played. Yup, I still hate them. In the comics, they pretty much almost never show up, except for background stuff.

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The Baroness: "For COBRAAAAA!"
Firefly: "For personal survival, and the promise of riches!"
-Firefly, making me a lifelong fan


FIREFLY (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty:
(Watch it y'all it's) Sabotage, Demolitions, Terror
Role: Cool-Looking Jobber
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level (appears infrequently, but kills some important people and features as the main villain in one arc)
Cartoon Role: Mid-Level (seen occasionally as a named bad guy)
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 8 (115)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Saboteur) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Skill Mastery (Saboteur), Ultimate Saboteur

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +9 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (115)

-Firefly was basically a cool design and little else- looking like a ninja dude, but he was a "Saboteur" in Cobra's charge. He actually jobbed pretty hard in his debut, getting his butt kicked with Wild Weasel, and didn't fare much better in the 'toon, but every kid I knew thought he was both rad AND tubular. In the comics, he got roped into the never-ending "Who is betraying whom in Cobra?" storyline, but nothing every really came of it, and he was demoted quickly. In an odd twist, HE was added to the endless "Ninja Flood" going on in the comic's later years- he ends up brainwashing some Cobra Ninjas into following him, and is revealed to be a Ninja HIMSELF, but he's found out, and it's implied that he's sliced and diced by... Slice & Dice.
-Firefly gets boosted a bit over Major Bludd and the twins, but only by a bit- he did kill Soft Master and Ripcord's girlfriend in the comics, and was VERY resourceful, so he's got some skills beyond being a simple Merc-type. Eventually, he would reveal that he had the power to disguise his face via... Hypnosis? Apparently some hypnotic trick that made his face blurred, but could also be used for disguise. More or less a "Morph" effect used just on his face. Honestly that last part was really stupid, and a showcase of how far the comic was falling. Firefly was way better off as the greedy, sneaky bastard.

STANDARD COBRA EMPLOYEES
Military Specialty:
Jobbing
Role: Named Jobbers
Comic Book Role: Nothing (a few had some dialogue and things to do, but rarely for more than one issue)
Cartoon Role: Nothing (I don't recall any of them saying anything)
Group Affiliations: Cobra, Destro's Iron Grenadiers
PL 6 (70)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Specialty) 8 (+9)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 5, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Ranged Attack 4

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +6 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Cobra Goons are driven entirely by profits, and so they'll run easily at the first sign of trouble. Can't collect paychecks while you're in jail, or dead.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (70)

-The Joe line was mainly sold for Joes, but Cobra, as the official enemy, had it's fair share of guys. They tend not to have much characterization, or even much ability, as they're more or less "Named Jobbers" like the Dreadnoks above, but some of them looked pretty cool.

Cobras Using Template:
Wild Weasel (Rattler Pilot)
-Replace Specialty with Pilot 6 (+12 Total)- PL 6 (69)
-Wild Weasel wasn't used often, but he was almost as good as any Joe in the air. He & Ace have a FANTASTIC dogfight during one issue, resulting in them deploying every trick in the book, ultimately saluting each other out of respect when they both fail.
Scrap Iron (Anti-Armour, Bug-Planter)
-This guy showed up only briefly in any continuity, and is generally a "Tech-Guy". I think he may have been a major character in the DiC series, actually.
Croc Master (Reptile Trainer)
-Minion 10 (two Alligators)
-Yes, his name was CROC Master and he had Alligators for pets. Don't ask. Died alongside Raptor and others in the comics (see below).
Crystal Ball (Hypnotist)
Raptor (Falconer)
-Perception 9 (+10), Minion 3 (Falcon)- PL 6 (76)
-This guy looked so out of place it wasn't even funny. He was basically a comic book superhero design mixed in with militaristic Cobra designs. He helped out Cobra Commander for one arc, but was then killed off when the Commander buried a freighter full of people on Cobra Island.
Voltar (Destro's General)
-Ranged Attack 2, Fighting 7- PL 7 (74)
-The General of the Iron Grenadiers was probably a bit tougher than the standard goon.
Headman (Drug Kingpin)
-Intelligence 2, Awareness 2, Presence 2, Benefit (Wealth), Ranged Attack 2- PL 7 (79)
-The Headman was an evil druglord, evil even by COBRA's standards (since in the '80s, drugs were considered worse than terrorism or murder), and I think Cobra hated him as well. Basically just an attempt to get on the "Anti-Drug" bandwagon). And I just realized... they were attempting to sell children... a toy of a DRUG DEALER. How did THAT go over with parents?
Scarface (Mook)
-Scarface was a hapless Cobra Mook who was recognizable by a large wound across his face, and he came to be a target by both Joe & Cobra by means quite beyond his control (it was a bit convoluted and confusing, so I forget what it was about). In any case, he was killed after spending a few issues as a Living Macguffin. Kind of a pathetic, unfortunate figure, really. You almost felt bad for him (he didn't even get to SAY anything during his final issues).
Copperhead (Water Moccasin Pilot)
HEAT Viper (Bazooka)
Darklon (Evader Driver)
Decimator (Hammerhead Driver)
Metal-Head (Anti-Tank)
Overlord (Dictator Driver)
CessPool (Chief Environmental Operative)
Big Boa (Cobra Trainer)
Sky Creeper (Air Recon Leader, career crook)
Nullifier (AGP Pilot)
Gristle (Urban Crime Commander)
Nitro-Viper (Detonator Driver)
Ferret (DEMON Driver)
Blackstar (Cobra Space Pilot)

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SHIPWRECK (Hector X. Delgado)
Military Specialty:
Sailor
Role: The Lecher, The Spotlight-Stealer, Snarky Guy
Comic Book Role: Nothing (gets a one-off appearance; never does anything else
Cartoon Role: Major (one of the most-seen guys)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (116)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Athletics 2 (+9) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Sailor) 11 (+11)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 1 (+9)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+3)
Treatment 2 (+2)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Firearm), Improved Initiative, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Minion (Polly the Annoying Parrot), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Sailor), Teamwork, Ultimate Sailor

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +9 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Reputation (Lazy Lecher)- Shipwreck likes to avoid work, and he likes to make time with the ladies, and everyone knows it. Most of the Joes make fun of him.
Relationship (Mara)- Shipwreck fell deeply in love with an ex-Cobra agent named Mara, who was unwillingly turned into a permanent mer-woman, forced to spend her life in the ocean. When Cobra stuck him in a fictional town to convince him that it was the future (long story), they knew this, and made "Mara" his future-wife.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (116)

-Ahh Shipwreck. A character I'd totally ignored as a kid, and one Larry Hama barely used. But in the CARTOON? This guy was EVERYWHERE. As the token lazy, lecherous jerk voiced like a bad Jack Nicholson impression on a team full of upstanding boring guys, Shipwreck was EXTREMELY useful for the writers as a "friendly antagonist" (think Wheeler on Captain Planet), and so he was a supporting character in dozens and dozens of episodes, and even got five or six where he was the MAIN character (most other Joes only got one or two- at best). He even got a TWO-PARTER, in which Cobra found out he had some secret code, and so they dragged him to a fictional town called Springfield (an homage to Cobra's base in the comics), told him it was five years in the future and that he'd just come out of a coma, and that he was married and had a daughter, oh, and that he needed to tell everyone what the code was. It was NUTS- it must have cost Cobra billions (but the formula was a serious Macguffin anyways- REALLY important), and all the people & teammates Shipwreck met ended up MELTING because they were semi-sentient globs, so it was Nightmare Fuel at that.
-There was another funny episode where Shipwreck, Lifeline & Dial-Tone ended up getting promoted to the highest level of command while General Hawk was away, in a plot by Cobra to destabilize the Joes. The full explanation: Lifeline had the ability, but not the desire (he was smart, but a pacifist who actually DISARMED ALL THE JOES' WEAPONS); Dial-Tone had the desire, but not the ability (he tried, but was uncharismatic and too nervous to lead properly- "don't feel bad son, not everyone has the ability to be an officer" was Hawk's response); and Shipwreck? "You have neither the desire NOR the ability!" Shipwreck (who nearly ruined everything by forgetting to do stuff and nearly costing everyone the base), trapped under debris, was left there by the humorously-vengeful Joes.
-Honestly though, I felt he was a bit over-done. Shipwreck in the cartoon was like Snake-Eyes in the comic: you couldn't get away from him. Eventually I was just "COME ON! ANOTHER Shipwreck episode!?"
-Shipwreck actually costs LESS than some standard Elite Joes (since he's not officer material), but he's still in a rare class up there. I figure him for a PL 7.5, being a tiny notch beneath guys like Grid-Iron & Beach Head.

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FLINT (Dashiell R. Faireborn)
Military Specialty:
Warrant Officer
Role: Field Leader, Second-in-Command
Comic Book Role: Mid-Level (Gets a few good appearances, but isn't a major factor)
Cartoon Role: Major (one of the most-seen guys)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 9 (138)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+11)
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 11 (+15)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+11)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 1 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Diehard, Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed, Shotgun 2), Improved Initiative, Inspire, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (German, French, Many Southeast Asian Languages), Leadership, Luck 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Warrant Officer), Teamwork, Ultimate Aim, Ultimate Soldier Skill, Well-Informed

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +11 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)- As the Warrant Officer, Flint is second in command after Duke, it is Duke's responsibility to complete all missions, and to maintain the safety of all his men.
Relationship (Lady Jaye)- In both comics and cartoon, Flint is in love with Lady Jaye, though he tries to be stoic about it. The two flirt near-constantly, though Lady Jaye likes to screw with his head sometimes.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 56--27 / Advantages: 35 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (138)

-Flint is surprisingly a bigger character than Duke during most of the cartoon's existence (in sharp contrast to the comics, where he's a supporting character, and the Live-Action Movie, where he's just Brendan Fraser's cameo)- sure, Duke's in charge, but the flirty Flint/Lady Jaye dynamic makes up a HUGE portion of episodes after the first couple five-parters. The writers admit, however, that Duke & Flint are more-or-less interchangeable during the course of the show, as they're both stoic, reserved, somewhat-jokey Leader-guys, and that Flint/Jaye and Duke/Scarlett were basically the same Power Couple type of deal in various episodes. I think Flint's snide, jealous nature is a bit more interesting, though, so count me in as a big Flint fan (there's a fun episode where he's INSANELY jealous over some old friend of Lady Jaye's coming by, but the guy admits in the end that Lady Jaye loves Flint best). His voice is also cooler (it got Bill Ratner cameos in Family Guy and Robot Chicken), making Flint more distinctive. Actually, I think pretty much every kid thought Flint was way cooler than Duke- the more dynamic uniform and attitude helped out a bit.
-Comic book Flint was a fair bit different, being a snide, trouble-making guy who put the moves on Lady Jaye immediately (compared to the cartoon's flirting), and the two hooked up. Flint was actually kind of annoying here, badgering his teammates about stuff, and even harassing Snake-Eyes pretty regularly. In one funny moment, he lectures Snake about how he shouldn't feel sorry for himself (he just got deformed AGAIN after being "fixed") and about how he can't go through life regretting that he never confessed his love for Scarlett, at which point an impatient ninja grabs Flint, turns him around, and aims him at makeout-partner Lady Jaye, and then strides off. Flint is confused, but Lady Jaye gets that "you should practise what you preach".
-Flint is basically Duke minus a bit, plus a rank of Intellect and Beginner's Luck/Jack-of-All-Trades, thanks to his Card backstory as being a Rhodes Scholar and super-genius before he joined the army. But yeah, PL 8 is the standard for all non-Duke Elite Joes. Flint has a lot of the same capabilities, being the Second after Duke (Third, once General Hawk comes along). He's PL 8.5 to Duke's PL 9.

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B.A.T.s (Battle Android Troopers)
Military Specialty:
Robot Mooks
Role: Elite Mooks, G-Rated Killable Mooks
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 5 (30)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -- AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+7)
Perception 4 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3, Improved Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Android Body"
Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 5) (Flaws: 2 Ranks Limited to Ballistics/Lasers) (Weak Point- Chest Array) [10]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +4 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+6 Ballistics), Fortitude --, Will -2

Complications:
None

Total: Abilities: -14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 2 (30)

-The Battle Android Troopers were the sign of a new kind of Mook- killable robots, allowing the Joes to *gasp*! Actually HIT THINGS with their lasers for once! Shocking, I know. They were remarkably powerful in their first appearances, getting the "buy these toys now, kids!" push, but they ended up being a little more vulnerable as things went on. Hell, my only memory of them as a kid was them getting blown up with EVERY SHOT, having their glass chest covering shattered easily (and in the comics, they go down easily enough- they just take plenty of shots since a moving torso can still aim and fire). The cartoon features a funny instance where the Joes' lasers are useless against the B.A.T.s, at which point Sgt. Slaughter & company just run up and start PUNCHING THE CRAP OUT OF THEM. So yes, apparently in the cartoon-verse, lasers do less damage than human fists. Good to know. This is reflected slightly in their stats, as the B.A.T.s are PL 5 Elite Mooks, lacking accuracy, but they're pretty tough and can hit hard (they have full Power Attack, a rarity in this 'verse. B.A.T.s have been shown to bust through metal or stone, and can carry single Joes helpless with one hand).

Use Similar Template For:
Overkill (BAT Leader)
-Strength 6, Fighting 6, Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8), Ranged Attack 8, Dodge +6 (DC 16)- PL 7 (41)
-Overkill is just an elite B.A.T. Nothing fancy, really.

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DR. MINDBENDER (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty:
Head Scientist
Role: Mad Scientist, Evil Doctor
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 5 (66)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 6 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+15)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Technology 9 (+15)
Treatment 1 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6, Ultimate Science Skill

Equipment:
10 points' worth of Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Cobra)
Motivation (Self-Interest)- Mindbender goes with the winds. Where the prevailing wind blows, he will make an alliance.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (66)

-Doctor Mindbender came about because the cartoon needed a Mad Scientist- in the comics, he effectively replaced Dr. Venom, a Hama-created character. A very... curious design to this guy (I mean, when was the last time you saw a scientist with six-pack abs and huge biceps?), what with the huge muscles, the monocle (what century was he born in?), the giant flowing cape, etc. The cartoon used the HELL out of this guy, and even in the comics he was usually underfoot causing problems. At least with him, the show's writers had to use another plot besides "Cobra kidnaps a famous scientist and forces him to build stuff for them", since now MINDBENDER could create some of the stuff (not that they still didn't recycle that idea). He was massively disloyal to Cobra Commander, having created Serpentor to replace him (this was his debut episode, by the way- he in fact first appeared as a disloyal lieutenant), but then became the latter's toady. In the comics, he died, but got cloned by Cobra.
-Mindbender is very Sci-Fi, with enough smarts to create some insane 1980s-style comic book weaponry, like Nightmare Machines, living beings created with the DNA of dozens of long-dead world leaders, etc. He's also physically tougher (look at that build! Even the Dreadnoks weren't bigger!).

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LIFELINE (Edwin C. Steen)
Military Specialty:
Medic
Role: The Medic/Doctor, Literal Pacifist, The Butt-Monkey (for the others)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (83)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 10 (+10)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Treatment 10 (+13)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 3, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Skill Mastery (Treatment), Teamwork, Ultimate Treatment

Equipment:
15 points' worth of Equipment (usually medical gear or a vehicle)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+3 Kevlar, +4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Responsibility (Pacifist)- Lifeline is a resolute pacifist- he will not aid an action that results in someone else being hurt. He will not touch weapons (even to lift himself up). He will not allow harm to come to others. His "Attacks" are not kicks and punches- they are redirecting the force of anothers' blows with his Aikido skill, resulting in them hurting themselves- as such, he cannot throw the first attack, and may only harm others that have already attacked him.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (83)

-Lifeline was a curiosity- he's probably the only TOTAL Pacifist I've seen in all the '80s cartoons- a guy who so despises violence that he won't touch weapons, and often puts himself into danger to save even the most minor of lives. It was a bit wall-banging sometimes (he wouldn't grab the end of a rifle to pull himself up from a hole), and it made him look like a total wussy, but he was sure holding to his convictions. One issue of Special Missions saw him hand Horrorshow of the Oktober Guard his ass just by avoiding all of his attacks with Aikido, sending him through boards and walls and stuff (personally, I would consider "allowing a man to kick his own ass" to be violent, but most obsessives have their own contradictions).
-I found it a bit funny that the cartoon made him out to be a bit of a dope with his non-violence (when put in command of G.I. Joe, he actually took away all their weapons!), but Larry Hama, an ACTUAL SOLDIER, was a lot more sympathetic to his cause (making teammate Leatherneck out to be an asshole for repeatedly berating and insulting Lifeline over his choices). It makes sense when you consider that Hama has probably seen ENOUGH violence and ugliness in his life, and would be more understanding as to WHY somebody would refuse to commit to violent actions.
-Lifeline is a different kind of Joe- PL 8 defensively, but much weaker offensively. His Complications set off his attack style (not that his attack is all Unarmed- no weapons, so he has a 0 in Fighting)- it's all "allowing the other guy to injure himself", which is basically an unarmed attack, but with some modifications and a different style of descriptor.

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JOE MEDICS
Military Specialty:
Medic
Role: The Medic/Doctor
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 6 (82)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+7)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Treatment 10 (+13)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Defensive Attack, Equipment 3, Evasion, Improved Defense, Skill Mastery (Treatment), Teamwork, Ultimate Treatment

Equipment:
15 points' worth of Equipment (usually medical gear or a vehicle)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (82)

-The more common medics were more generic than Lifeline, but had their purpose. I only ever saw Doc, and he was rather bland- an obvious early design, he was all plain, compared to Lifeline's dynamic red & white uniform. He was the first Joe shot by the Cobra SAW Viper in that desert issue, but soon six more Joes joined him.

Joes Using Template:
Doc (Medic)
Stretcher (Medic)

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SNAKE-EYES (Real Name Unknown)
Military Specialty:
Commando/Ninja
Role: The Bad-Ass Supreme of the Universe, Spotlight Stealer, The Ninja, Voiceless Guy, Mysterious Past Guy
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe, The Ninjas
PL 10 (188)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Close Combat (Sword) 2 (+14)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+10)
Expertise (Commando/Ninja) 11 (+14)
Insight 7 (+11)
Intimidation 9 (+9)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 12 (+16)
Stealth 8 (+14)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Animal Empathy, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 2 (G.I. Joe Team, Secret Identity), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 5, Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed, Sword 2), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (Many Southeast Asian Languages), Last Stand, Luck 2, Precise Attack 2 (Close/Concealment, Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 10, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery 2 (Ninja, Stealth), Tracking, Ultimate Ninja, Ultimate Stealth, Ultimate Will Save, Well-Informed

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Usually Sword +3- Improved Critical, Twin Uzis- Blast 6- Multiattack, Inaccurate -2)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +14 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +12 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +8, Will +12

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Relationship (Scarlett)- In the comic, the two were extremely devoted to each other and in love, in spite of Snake-Eyes' deformity.
Relationship (Stalker)- Snake-Eyes' commanding officer since Vietnam, Stalker is held to a high standard in Snake-Eyes' mind, and he will do anything to save him, including things that may bring on court-martial.
Disabled/Prejudice (Mute & Scarred)- Snake-Eyes is mute thanks to an accident in the field (an explosion to his face), and is badly scarred when he's not wearing his rubber mask.
Enemy/Rival/Relationship (Storm Shadow)- The two were Sword Brothers in Vietnam, and the best of friends. When Snake-Eyes thought Storm Shadow eliminated their master out of jealousy for Snake-Eyes' achievements, they became enemies. Later, they made up when the truth was revealed (it was Zartan).
Enemy (Cobra Commander)- The Commander became obsessed with Snake-Eyes when his brother was killed, along with Snake-Eyes' family, in a car accident. Consumed by pointless revenge, the Commander hired Zartan to assassinate the man (the Hard Master died instead).

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 90--45 / Advantages: 52 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 22 (188)

-Snake-Eyes is a great case of a character created off-hand (an all-black toy so they could save money on paint) that ended up being the symbol of the entire franchise. Lord knows everyone's "Favourite Joe" was nearly always Snake-Eyes, both in commentaries, documentaries, and pretty much with any kid I ever met. While in the cartoon, Snake-Eyes was a relatively minor guy (he was the third-most important character in the first couple sets of episodes after Duke & Cobra Commander, but then promptly vanished for entire seasons at a time, despite a redesign to fit his later toy), since, well... the guy couldn't TALK. This meant that he couldn't really play off of the other characters that well- non-verbal cues and guys reacting to him play off much better in a static medium like comics (though with some imagination, you can pull off some Samurai Jack-style stuff with him).
-But with the toys, Snake-Eyes was ALWAYS the top seller (he easily has the most re-dos, especially once they turned his all-black sunglass-wearing version into a dark grey guy with a medieval knight's visor- this would become his iconic design), and in the COMICS... well he took over entirely. You'd get issue after issue featuring Snake-Eyes and his never-ending cast of allies, as Larry Hama used the ability to communicate silently in this medium (something far harder to do on TV) to it's maximum effect. It got to the point, however, that he was EVERYWHERE, absurdly-dominating the festivities (even as Hama refused to change the book's title to Snake-Eyes). His push became so extreme that he was by FAR the most-capable and powerful member of the G.I. Joe team, able to wipe out entire warehouses full of bad guys by himself. He was such a better fighter compared to even Storm Shadow (a big part of their backstory is that Snake was better at almost everything) that the only way the bad guys could stop him was by cheating. Eventually you just gotta roll your eyes.
-Snake-Eyes was an American soldier based off of a squad-mate of Larry Hama's in 'Nam (a quiet guy with sunglasses). He was on a Long-Range Recon Patrol unit alongside the future Storm Shadow, and under the command of the future Stalker- upon leaving the force after a run of major heroics in Vietnam, he returned home to a rude awakening- his entire family had been killed in a car accident. Broken, he went off with Storm Shadow to join his secret Ninja Organization, the Arashikage Clan.
-Later, when their master was murdered, and Snake suspected Storm Shadow, he joined the Joe team at Stalker's request, but got brutally injured on an early assignment when a crashing Helicopter sent a fireball into his face while he was attempting to rescue Scarlett. He became a masked figure from then on- mute and imperceptible. He'd fallen in love with Scarlett, but his moodiness and general mystery sent him off on his own countless times. He thought Storm Shadow murdered their ninja teacher, The Hard Master (Beavis & Butt-Head would've had a field day with that guy), and was always hunting him in the early days, before it was discovered that SS was innocent. Things went on an insane loop with the guy in the comics, as he'd get his face fixed up, have it wrecked again, hook up with Scarlett, nearly lose her (his only spoken word in the comic is her name, when he thinks she's going to die), have her "betray" the Joes to join Cobra, etc. Frankly, they put up with a hell of a lot in that relationship.
-Snake-Eyes is a pretty moody, serious individual (he points his gun at anyone attempting to remove his mask), but not without a sense of humor- he giggles silently when the dealer rolls "Snake Eyes!" during a dice game, and some of his written diaries are pretty entertaining in a dry sort of way (he observes Hawk and someone else pretend to be slow and clumsy in order to infiltrate an Anti-Government Militia as fresh recuits, and his notations are funny). His sense of honor and his close relationships with his partners is arguably his most-prominent character trait- he loves Scarlett dearly (but feels unworthy of her, I think), respects Stalker absolutely, considers Storm Shadow a blood brother, and grew very close with Kwinn (and was shattered by his death).
-He represents every kid's dreams in the '80s. A NINJA (back when that was becoming more and more prominent thanks to Frank Miller, You Only Live Twice (the first major Western cinema to feature ninja), Chris Claremont and others. A black-clad silent commando. He was explicitly better than the entire Joe team at any given thing. They state in one of the DVD sets that he was blatantly designed so that kids could imagine themselves as the character (he never talked and he wore a mask all the time- the comics made it less ambiguous what he looked like- if you weren't a blonde-haired white kid you were S.O.L.).
-Snake-Eyes is unquestionably the best Joe in combat, and he's the highest-PL guy overall. It's just... you can't imagine this guy any other way. Of all the Joes, he's the one guy you could transplant entirely into Marvel & DC Comics and have him fit right in, as he seemed the least-bound by reality (he was stealthy, tough, and impossible to hit, while everyone else was "merely human"). Of course, he needs the Sword to be PL 10, and he's PL 9.5 defensively and PL 9 with his Uzis, but still, he's in a class by himself. He's a mix of Soldier, Skillmonkey, Combat Guy (TONS of Advantages), and all-around the best guy possible. Just look at his points-cost- I was taken aback at first, but Ilethryl Knight came to nearly the same result I did on the old ATT forum- he's just TOO GOOD to shrink back any further. Snake-Eyes rules, 'nuff said.

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Storm Shadow: "Punishment and revenge simply continue the cycle of of ignorance and violence that created the problem in the first place. We, of all people, must abhor violence in all it's forms..."
Billy: "How can you say that? We're martial artists and warriors!"
Storm Shadow: "The only logical and rational purpose for mastering a martial art is to become non-violent. If we deny that violence is inherent to the universe, we surrender to it... we must instead strive to master it, and put it aside. We take no joy in it. We must love the goal, not the means.
Doesn't the warrior face the same paradox? Does the Doctor love the disease? Does the pious man love the sin? Nobody hates war as much as the warrior, for he has seen the ugly face of it. But in the end... he fights."
Billy: "Then no matter what we do, we're wrong?"
Storm Shadow: "Absolutely. We are always in the wrong. Politicians and lawyers spend all their time apportioning out the blame, being careful to avoid any themselves... We are guilty. We are guilty in believing in something as obsolete, forgotten and despised as... honor."


STORM SHADOW (Thomas S. Arashikage)
Military Specialty:
Ninja
Role: Mirror Image Villain (to Snake-Eyes), Spotlight Stealer, The Ninja
Group Affiliations: Cobra, G.I. Joe, The Ninjas
PL 9 (173)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 7 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Ninja) 10 (+13)
Insight 5 (+9)
Intimidation 7 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 10 (+14)
Ranged Combat (Bow) 2 (+14)
Stealth 7 (+13)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 6, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Unarmed, Sword, Bow & Arrow), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Languages (Many Southeast Asian Languages), Luck, Precise Attack 2 (Close/Concealment, Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 10, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery 2 (Ninja, Stealth), Tracking, Ultimate Ninja

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Usually Sword +3- Improved Critical, Bow & Arrow- Blast 4, Shuriken- Blast 3- Multiattack)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +12 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Bow & Arrow +14 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +9, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (G.I. Joe/Cobra)
Responsibility (Honor)- Storm Shadow values honor above all else, and hates it when he feels compromised.
Motivation (Discovering The Cause of the Hard Master's Death)- This caused Tommy to follow Cobra Commander, sacrificing his personal honor for the answer.
Enemy/Rival/Relationship (Snake-Eyes)- The two were Sword Brothers in Vietnam, and the best of friends. When Snake-Eyes thought Storm Shadow eliminated their master out of jealousy for Snake-Eyes' achievements, they became enemies. Later, they made up when the truth was revealed (it was Zartan).
Rivalry (Spirit, Quick Kick)- Storm Shadow had an issue with the former, then the latter, in the cartoon series.
Enemy (Zartan)- In the comics, Zartan is responsible for the death of the Hard Master, Storm Shadow's uncle. The two men are now blood enemies.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 82--41 / Advantages: 43 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 17 (173)

-Storm Shadow is Snake-Eyes' eternal rival, and nearly everything to come after the comic has reverted them to adversaries (they eventually made nice in Hama's book, but became enemies in the IDW continuity again). A Japanese-American, he allied with Snake in Vietnam, and brought him into his Ninja Clan, where the American soon outpaced him. Eventually, he saw his master die, and became devoted to hunting down the killer- Cobra Commander offered him a deal: be Cobra's own personal assassin (and thus sacrifice his honor), and Cobra would tell him the killer's name. Eventually, he'd find out that Cobra Commander ORDERED the death in the first place (but Snake was the intended target- not the ninjas' mentor).
-After he turns good, Storm Shadow becomes one of the most-philosophical characters in the canon, taking Cobra Commander's son Billy under his wing to teach him the philosophy of warriors, giving us some of the series' best quotes. He & Stalker ally frequently (as Snake-Eyes is prone to wandering off by himself), and though many Joes don't trust him overly-much (he DID try to kill them), he's pretty hardcore.
-Storm Shadow was equally as cool as Snake-Eyes in the minds of many kids- the White Ninja to Snake-Eyes' Black, he was all dressed-up like the video game character Shinobi, and he looked bad-ass as all hell (seriously- that outfit is SHARP). His cartoon self was similarly-awesome (he once slashed up a tank with his sword, then casually tapped it to make the ENTIRE THING crumble to pieces!), but was a rival of the more-talkative Quick Kick instead. His voice acting was pretty bad, though, as he talked in this weird Japanese accent that would slowly raise in volume with each word he said.
-Storm Shadow is worse than Snake-Eyes at most things (it's part of their backstory, after all), but is superior at archery. He's still more elite than almost any other character, though. Hell, in one issue, he sneaks into The Pit, casually KO's both Stalker AND Barbeque simultaneously with a double-kick, grabs a pair of Crossbow Bolts out of mid-air, then uses them to duel Quick Kick, a "Martial Arts"-focused Joe... and wins. EASILY. He straight-up embarrasses QK and wipes him out! Storm Shadow is a pretty clear #2 Bad-Ass in the universe of G.I. Joe.

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STANDARD NINJAS
Military Specialty:
Ninja
Role: '80s Trend-Hoppers, Secret Warriors
Group Affiliations: Cobra or G.I. Joe, Ninja Force
PL 7 (117)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+9)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 7 (+10)
Stealth 5 (+10)
Treatment 1 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Weapon of Choice), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Skill Mastery (Ninja), Tracking

Equipment:
15 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Sword +3- Improved Crit, Staff +2- Reach, Shuriken Blast 3-Multiattack or Paired Weapons +2- Split)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +9 (+4-5 Damage, DC 19-20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe or Cobra)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (117)

-The Joe line eventually became OVER-RUN with these guys. When Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow hit huge, it was inevitable, but the Joe line is arguably the single franchise most-overdone with Ninjas. Tons of toys, and even the comic book, got a ton of these dudes on it. A few of the toys were cool (Slice was a cool minimalist ninja, Nunchuk was actually a really good design- a green Storm Shadow-ish look). And of course, we got the most elite versions of Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow with the whole "Ninja Force" concept.
-Generic Ninjas are all PL 8 defensively, but many are PL 7 offensively (not everyone has the most powerful weapons), and none of them really possess powerful Ranged Weapons, which is VERY dangerous in a world where EVERYONE is armed with +5-6 Multiattack Weaponry. They're all minor versions of Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow, in any case. Both the Joes & Cobra had Ninjas, and they're all pretty much the same.

Characters Using Template:
Joes:
Budo (Samurai, swords & sais)

-This guy looked like an enormous tool. One pretty cool issue featured the training process of the Joes (where Duke cruelly whittles down all potential recruits with Gunner Sergeant Hartman-level sadism), and then immediately looks silly as one of the green Joes turns up wearing a SAMURAI HELMET and packing a katana with his military fatigues.
Nunchuk (Samurai Sword)
-Probably the coolest-looking of the "Ninja Crew" overall- he wore green camo with black splotches.
T'Jbang (Hook Sword)
-I liked him the best because I had his toy- white tiger-stripes on his facemask made him look like a pro wrestlers, especially combined with that ridiculous muscle mass.
Bushi-Do (Snow Ninja)
-Favored Environment (Snow)- PL 7 (118)
T'Gin-Zu (Pile Driver Operator)
-Vehicles 9 (+9)- Flaws: 6 ranks Limited to Ground Vehicles- PL 7 (118)
Jinx (Ninja)
-Fighting 10, Evasion, Senses 2 (Accurate Hearing)- PL 8 (121)
-Jinx was by FAR the most-used of all the Ninjas, as she joined the Ninja crew in the comics, and her toy came with awesome paired Swords and a Naginata. The Movie used her a lot, as she was Lt. Falcon's girlfriend by the end (you didn't get a lot of interracial relationships in cartoons in the '80s either, I should add). Her trademark attack was to put on a blindfold and THEN kick ass- she could effectively fight without vision thanks to her advanced ninja training. Thusly, she's a PL 8 character (+12 Unarmed, +10 with a +3 Sword).
Red Ninjas (Battle Ax Operators)
Banzai (Rising Sun Ninja)
Dojo (2 Sickles, Sword)

Cobra:
Night Creeper (Ninja)
Dice (Bo Staff Ninja)
Slice (Sword)

-Slice & Dice were major characters for one of the last arcs of the comic book (when it was called G.I. Joe: Starring Ninja-Force), having been brainwashed by Firefly into doing his personal bidding. As members of the same Clan as Storm Shadow & Snake-Eyes, they were brought out of their trance by Snake-Eyes doing some fancy "Ninja Symbol". They then commenced to murdering Firefly.
Ninja Viper

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mmm.... short-haired hotty....

LADY JAYE (Alison R. Hart-Burnett)
Military Specialty:
Counter-Intelligence, Personnel Clerk, Armament Repairs
Role: The Chick, Team Mom (in cartoon), Action Girl, Flirty Chick, Master of Disguise
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (131)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 8 (+11, +13 Attractive)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+12)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+7)
Investigation 8 (+11)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 5 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Javelins) 2 (+12)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 1 (+4)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Rifle, Javelin), Languages 2 (Several), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Deception), Teamwork, Ultimate Soldier Skill, Ultimate Deception

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (usually uses Javelins)
"Javelin Toss" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 5) (Diminished Range -1) (6)
"Exploding Javelin" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Diminished Range -1) (14)
"Net Javelin" Snare 4 (Diminished Range -1) (11)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Javelins +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Relationship (Flint)- In every continuity, Lady Jaye & Flint are a pair. They're exceptionally flirty and goofy about it, with the Lady often teasing poor Flint, who's forced to get all jealous whenever he thinks she's paying too much attention to another guy.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 19 (131)

-Lady Jaye... this is odd. I remember not liking her on the original cartoon, and I thought Scarlett was way hotter. She's just more feminine (long hair, ponytail, skin-tight uniform, girlier weapon), and had red hair (which I was major into as a pre-pubescent kid for some reason). But looking at the cartoon NOW? Oh, my. Lady Jaye was SMOKING. Slightly-messy short hair, an Audio-Erotica-designed raspy voice, a flirty attitude with Flint (compared to Duke & Scarlett, who were basically like watching your grandparents flirt), and the army-regulation cleavage. The show's creators recognized this as well, as Lady Jaye surprisingly delivered just as much Fanservice as The Baroness (and keep in mind The Baroness once spent a whole episode in a bikini, and two others in giga-cleavage dresses) -- she was forced to hang over a pit while wearing a pink nightie, she wore skimpy dresses, she implied she had a dream where she sang... well it was like "that doesn't sound so bad." *cue sexiest voice ever* "I don't know, I wasn't exactly wearing military regulation *blush*". Lady Jaye was totally hot. 'Nuff said.
-Her best moment in the comics is when the Joes invade a refuelling plane to take out some terrorists (they're planning on flying the plane into something... this was 1988, mind you). Their biggest threat is a suicide bomber with his finger on a release-trigger -- if he lets go of the trigger, it goes boom (and the plane is now in flight), so they can't just shoot him). The solution? Lady Jaye hits him with a taser, siezing up his muscles so he CAN'T release the trigger, and then blows the door off the plane with a satchel-charge, sending the poor bastard flying OUT THE DOOR, at which point his finger finally comes off the trigger in mid-air. G.I. Joe Special Missions was an awesome side-series that way.
-Lady Jaye is sort of an Elite Joe, but a bit weaker (unlike Scarlett, she didn't kick a lot of melee ass, even in the comics) and packing different weapons- her famous Javelins. She's an elite Counter-Intelligence/Disguise artist, as the cartoon was FULL of instances where *whoosh!* the hair & false-face falls away, revealing LADY JAYE was secretly there the whole time (a similar thing occured with The Baroness & Zarana). Her Filecards showcase her Disguise powers- rather than using fakery and make-up (like her cartoon self), she was all about ACTING and playing the part like a method-actor would. Not that her comic self ever did this. In general, Lady Jaye's kinda like Scarlett, but lesser across the board, if not for Deception.

Just got back from the Edmonton Comic Expo, which was interesting.

It was a way smaller (and less-important) Guest List than the last year, which was odd. Stan Lee was the central guest, which is weird since he's been at the Calgary Comic Expo twice in a row, and I believe at least one Edmonton one (though he cancelled last year). Probably the biggest stars after Stan (and his line was MUCH bigger) were Eliza Dushku & James Marsters. Once again, there was a ton of people I didn't recognize (I generally assume they're all from Doctor Who, but there's a ton of Voice Actors & Professional Cosplayers as well).

The prices for autographs & pictures was INSANE this year, though! Last year, I remember getting a signed pic from Dante Basco (which was AWESOME, as he's both Rufio AND Prince Zuko), and it wasn't nearly so bad- every single person here was charging at LEAST $40, which is way too much for say, Billy the Blue Power Ranger. I would've loved to have chatted with him & Zack the black Black Power Ranger, but there was no way (and I hate being a cheap-ass and just walking up to talk without buying anything). Even the Cosplayers were charging that much! Friggin' GARRETT WANG, aka "Never worked since Star Trek Voyager and only does this for a living" was charging that much!

Hilariously, Yondu from the Guardians of the Galaxy movie was charging more for autographs than CAREY ELWES. Though I never saw ol' Westley anywhere. Nor Eliza Dushku, actually. Jenna Coleman has the face of a young child, despite being probably around my age (okay, five years younger). Michael Dorn had an oddly-tiny line considering how well-remembered I'd imagine he'd be amongst nerds. Though now the average nerd is like 25 and was probably in diapers when Star Trek: TNG ended (God I'm old).

Observation: Almost everyone who works on the "Whedon Shows" pretty much has a career that's entirely made up of going to Comic Cons now, don't they? That's all I ever see of Summer Glau, Dushku, Marsters, Amy Acker and others. A few of them have been in too many failures to be deemed "worth it" to put them in real movies (ie. ones who are too uptight to feature people from the "Sci-Fi Ghetto" shows), which is probably why you never see Dushku & Glau in anything. Both seem to have had their reputations messed-up by failed TV shows. Only Sarah Michelle Gellar & Alyson Hannigan ever do other work that I can see. Unless you count Charisma Carpenter and her gigantic new implants in that nudie flick where they rip of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Seeing Amber Benson was weird, because she looks absolutely nothing like Tara from Buffy- wearing normal clothes, she looks 100% like just some person. James Marsters looks old up close.

The same old booths were up (many also go to the much-larger Calgary Comic Expo). Many people selling awful art, and a few selling great stuff. Locals like Laurie B! were there, as well as Sakimichan, which made me laugh, because it reminds me of how every time she posts stuff on her DeviantArt account now, she gets a shitload of people complaining about her putting up NSFW alternates of her work (basically the same image as her SFW pic, but with holes for the naughty bits, such as dongs or breasts). It's funny, because DA is generally a repository for such dirty stuff in the first place, and who the frick are THEY to criticize somebody for selling out and going "Hellz yeah I'll draw some nipples to make some dollahz, yo"? It's like... just unfollow someone. Don't throw an Internet Bitch-Fit on their page over it, drawing all this attention to how offended and bothered you are.

Finally bought the Battle Beast Shark Battle Station thing. I was never going to get a better price than $90.00 (even on eBay, thanks to the costs of shipping to Canada, which is a BITCH I can assure you), and the thing is a great centrepiece since I finally got all 76 of them. And a Gung-Ho figure, because he's the best G.I. Joe ever.

Observation: There are a hundred "classic" Transformers toys at every Con, AND about a thousand "re-issues" of the originals, to the point where you can't tell one from the other. Every one is disgustingly-expensive, of course. People were charging 200 bucks a pop for individual Dinobots and even re-issues of the Combiners' sets.

COSPLAY STUFF: Always an interesting thing to look for, I was immediately made curious this year, because this is the first time I've ever gone to a Con and not been able to pinpoint the most-commonly-Cosplayed character. This is usually readily-apparent, because usually you'll spot a half-dozen of them. But this year, there was a lot less replication- seeing more than TWO of anything was practically-unheard-of, and I didn't see anything more than four times.

In previous years, it's always been Deadpool for the men, and Queen Elsa for the women- ever since Frozen came out, you could have thrown a rock and hit someone in a platinum-blonde wig and a sparkly blue dress at these things. THIS year? Totally not there- I was all ready to be like "Huh- I guess Frozen fanaticism is finally scaling down..." until I realized that I'd seen FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE dressed as Princess ANNA of all people! And no Elsas! That was totally bizarre, as Anna was the "plain" one that kind of got forgotten in the movie (which is too bad- as Clare Redfield/whichever other name she had on here noted, Anna was a REALLY funny, delightful character). So to see so many Annas (in fact, she was the most-represented character) was strange.

Note: Actually did see two Elsas at the end. But not "Blue Dress" Elsa- it was CORONATION DAY Elsa! And one didn't wear a wig, so I mistook her for Anna at first.

Other replicated costumes:

* Four Carol Danverses- two in the "Warbird" costume, two in the modern costume (which looks better in real life than on the comics page- I think without the stupid-looking mask, they can pull that off easily on-film). If only they could translate that character's popularity to sales...
* Three Auroras from Sleeping Beauty.
* Three Cinderellas- two from the Animated, one from the Live-Action.
* Three BELLES- two women in the PEASANT DRESS variant (probably easier to move around), and one in the Princess Dress. But that one was a man.
* Three Deadpools- two men and one woman. Generally always popular.
* A handful of Harley Quinns & Black Canaries, though it can be tough to tell the former apart, and the latter can sometimes be mistaken for ANY chick in black leather & fishnets. Hard to tell.

PANEL STUFF:
* Only attended two by Tom DeFalco, the former Editor-In-Chief of Marvel when I got into comics. One was just him, on how to write for comics- there was actually some good stuff there- he complained about how nowadays nobody has a supporting cast, and that those characters are meant to reflect various things of the MAIN character. I'd never actually thought about that before, but it made perfect sense- Aunt May was Peter Parker's compassionate side; the part that worried. Flash Thompson was who Peter COULD have become, especially with his powers. J. Jonah Jameson was an example of someone who used their power selfishly.

The other one was him, Arvell Jones (an artist I'd never heard of, mostly active in the '70s & '80s), and Steve Englehart talking about the antics of the Marvel Bullpen, which was always more active and less button-down than DC's. Apparently DeFalco & Mark Gruenwald actually built the bullpen of their '80s offices once they moved the company to another building. All three were like "Nah, the comics of our day were better", but actually gave solid reasoning why- in all three cases, it was because in THEIR day, they were expected to fill a comic to ensure that the fan got their money's worth- and TIME's worth, as DeFalco pointed out. You wanted to make sure that the book couldn't be read in five minutes (something I notice a LOT nowadays, especially compared to the '80s Teen Titans stuff- one of WOLFMAN's books would take you half an HOUR to read!

Nobody could really say what their most FUN assignment was, as they all pointed out that you have to make your current assignment your "fun" one. DeFalco naturally gravitated a bit towards Spider-Girl, as he had way more freedom (and wasn't forced to include Cross-Over stuff).

Oddly, Tom actually CHARGED for any Autographs after the first, blaming people going onto eBay immediately with stacks of comics. When I got him to sign his Archie- The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. issue, he was like "Please tell me you actually READ it!" I had to tell him about my giant closet-full of Archie Digests :).

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QUICK KICK (Ito S. MacArthur)
Military Specialty:
Infantry, Intelligence
Role: The Martial Artist, Movie Buff, The Funny/Whacky/Annoying Guy
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 9 (132)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 1 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Acting) 2 (+4)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 7 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 2 (+4)
Treatment 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 2 (G.I. Joe Team, Ambidextrous), Damaging Escape, Equipment 4, Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 4 (Unarmed 3, Nunchuku), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork, Weapon Bind

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (usually Melee Weapons like Nunchucks & Throwing Stars)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Weapons +11 (+4-5 Damage, DC 19-20)
Weapons +8 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Obsession (Hollywood Movies)- Quick Kick annoys the CRAP out of his teammates with his incessant rambling and quotations from Old Hollywood. Especially common impersonations are John Wayne ("pilgrim") and James Cagney ("you dirty rat...").
Rivalry (Storm Shadow)- In the cartoon, Quick Kick is the rival of the Arashikage Ninja instead of Snake-Eyes.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (132)

-Quick Kick alarmed me greatly watching the old cartoon -- here's a guy I'm pretty sure I never even HEARD OF before this. A secondary Joe Martial Artist who never got much play... and yet he's in like HALF the frickin' episodes! Seriously- it's QUICK KICK who gets the big feud/rivalry with Storm Shadow (after a tease with Spirit), and he's in a dozen other episodes as a major character! At one point, he gets a girlfriend at the local college and it's a whole episode deal. The cartoon even introduced a "he loves acting and old movies" character trait that made him extremely annoying to watch (though he's definitely a unique character- a Hollywood obsessed guy of Japanese & Korean descent who is a martial artist). But honestly, I could barely stand Quick Kick sometimes- at least the other Joes gave it to him for being so annoying.
-This is in SHARP contrast to the comics, in which he only shows up for a bit, and it's a much worse series of events- he gets shot on a mission and Stalker has to stay behind to care for him & Snowjob, resulting in a six-month stay in a Gulag. Another time, he ends up fighting Storm Shadow using his Nunchucks, and the Arashikage Ninja is using fricking CROSSBOW BOLT HALVES as weapons, and EASILY defeats Quick Kick with one shot! He beats THE MARTIAL ARTS SPECIALIST at his own game! Then he actually gets KILLED in a later issue, alongside a dozen other mostly-nameless Joes (Crankcase and Crazylegs were not exactly major stars). Seriously weird dichotomy between the two here- near as I can tell, Larry Hama just didn't give a crap about the guy- maybe he thought the idea of a shirtless & barefoot dude alongside all the fatigues-clad soldiers & ninjas was stupid- at least the others were thematically-linked to military organizations.
-Quick Kick is one of the few PL 9s in the G.I. Joe-verse, but this is only for the cartoon, in which he was able to defeat Storm Shadow pretty regularly in melee combat. Comic Quick Kick is probably PL 7-8, with much worse Fighting & Parry, as he was just a minor character who got handily beaten against the same guy. Even his advanced version is "just" PL 8.5 though, so don't throw him against Daredevil or somebody yet.

SCARLETT (Shana M. O'Hara)
Military Specialty:
Intelligence, Classified Covert Ops
Role: The Chick, Team Mom (in cartoon), Action Girl, Long-Suffering Girlfriend (to Snake-Eyes in the comics)
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (145)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+12)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Law) 2 (+5)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+7)
Investigation 10 (+13)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Crossbow) 2 (+12)
Stealth 6 (+11)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 1 (+4)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Crossbow 2, Unarmed) 3, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Precise Attack 2 (Close/Concealment, Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Soldier), Teamwork, Ultimate Soldier Skill, Ultimate Investigation Skill

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (usually uses a Crossbow- Blast 4, Snare 4 "Net", Movement 1- Swinging)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Crossbow +12 (+4 Ranged Damage or Affliction, DC 19 & 14)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Relationship (Snake-Eyes/Duke)- Scarlett truly loves the unemotional, mute ninja, which causes her no end of stress. They go through more crap that Colossus & Kitty Pryde (though neither of them ever merged with a bullet). In the cartoon, she is basically dating Duke, though the two are about as sexy together as your grandparents.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (145)

-Scarlett was a pretty bland character in the G.I. Joe cartoon- she was supposed to be "Big Mama" (to go with Duke's "Big Daddy") but didn't really have much personality beyond being a proud woman and all that jazz. Her & Duke were pretty boring together as well, and she wasn't even used that much overall (Lady Jaye took a MUCH bigger role). By contrast, comic book Scarlett got as much action as ANY other character, got to pal around with Snake-Eyes thanks to a long-term love affair (where they rarely actually HOOKED UP, but went through all kinds of crap together anyhow). Larry Hama actually flat-out stated in the DVD set that Scarlett was his favourite character. Comic book Scarlett is one of the most through-and-through Action Girls ever- female readers gave a lot of credit to Hama for basically writing her as he would any other character.
-She gets talked up a bit in the canon, but in Hama's book at least, she's not really a stand-out bad-ass compared to the Ninjas, Roadblock or Stalker- one time, she was casually shot down and put into a near-fatal coma by Cobra MOOKS! In this sense, she was just "one of the gang"- tough, but not superhuman. But yeah, her gender rarely came into play- her Filecard was more interested in how "someone who was so deadly could still have such a great sense of humor". The only Joe who ever judged her for it was the pervert horn-dog Clutch, and he usually got humiliated for it.
-Scarlett's on the upper-level of the Joes in various stats, and is a fair bit more elite than the average Elite Joe is. At +12 Unarmed, she's the best fighter aside from Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow, she's better at Stealth and Investigation (her Primary Military Specialty is "Intelligence", which is basically just that very Skill, so she doesn't need another "Expertise" for it), a total hottie (it's a plot point sometimes- and c'mon, she's a blazing hot redhed who kicks ass with ninja skillz and a crossbow. It's a testament to the hottie-designing of this universe's creators that she's really only the THIRD-hottest girl around), and all around one of the better Skillmonkeys (only Snake-Eyes & Stalker trump her for the Joes). Basically, if you want covert operations done, you send Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and at least one Driver or Environment Specialist, and you put Stalker in command.

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DR. VENOM (Dr. Archibald Monev)
Military Specialty:
Head Scientist
Role: Mad Scientist, Evil Doctor, Supreme Douchebag
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 5 (60)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+12)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+3)
Technology 7 (+12)
Treatment 1 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 5

Equipment:
10 points' worth of Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Self-Interest and Research)- Venom likes to experiment, and live subjects are the best for that. He is true scum, and torture means nothing to him.
Reputation (Supreme Douche)- Even his bosses at Cobra don't like or trust him.
Enemy (Snake-Eyes & Kwinn)- Venom betrayed the two of them and tried to murder them both several times. A more dangerous pair of enemies you're unlikely to find.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (60)

-Venom's an interesting story -- one of those characters unique to the comic books (alongside Billy as Cobra Commander's son, Kwinn the Eskimo Bounty-Hunter and Scarface the Cobra Mook with a Name), essentially taking role of Resident Mad Scientist, which is what would eventually become Dr. Mindbender's job in all major continuities (Mindbender wasn't created yet). He was a generic-looking guy in a lab-coat, but he was as vile as they come. He was traitorous, amoral and vulgar, frequently trying to murder people even as they were helping him (he escaped death with the help of Snake-Eyes & Kwinn, then immediately started trying to betray them). The only reason they kept him alive was that he was the only one of the three who knew how to pilot a WWII-era plane.
-In the end, he murdered Kwinn in cold blood, basically to be a dick... only to discover that the Inuit had taken the pin off a grenade, which roled to the Mad Doctor's feet. "From a dead man's hand" indeed, and *poof*, Cobra needed a new Mad Scientist. Venom was a great example of a villain so slimy and dickish that they pretty much HAD to kill him to make things right with the universe- I'm reminded of fellow Hama villain Sgt. Mosiev (who taunted The White Clown over his lost love), Jesse's family in Preacher, and that awful Amazon leader in Y The Last Man.
-It was kind of a neat thing in the series that certain skill-sets would actually be useful. As the only person around who could pilot the large World War II-era two-engine plane, Venom was necessary to the survival of Snake-Eyes & Kwinn, and so they left him alive, despite the fact that he'd tortured the former and betrayed the latter to certain death. This gives him a fairly-good Vehicles score, along with +12 to Science & Technology, high Intelligence, and reasonable combat skills for what would normally be an aimless NPC. Despite being "hamstrung" by being forced to use whatever toys Hasbro wanted to sell, Hama got the freedom he wanted by creating ORIGINAL characters at the same time.

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Yes, this man just disarmed Stalker, Gung-Ho and SNAKE-EYES all at once. The dude is a bad-ass.

KWINN
Military Specialty:
Mercenary
Role: Recurring Foe, Big Bad-Ass Foe, Honorable Foe
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 10 (158)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Knife) 4 (+12)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Mercenary) 12 (+15)
Expertise (Survivalist) 10 (+15)
Insight 7 (+12)
Intimidation 9 (+12)
Perception 9 (+14)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Attack (Firearms) 2 (+14)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 1 (+4)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Rifle), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck, Precise Attack 2 (Close/Concealment, Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Arctic Origins" Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Arctic & Cold) [2]

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Knife +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +14 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5, Fortitude +10, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibilty (Honour)- Kwinn must follow his code as a mercenary to the end. He will complete his mission regardless of his own morals. He will, however, choose to hamper his foes if he finds them courageous and worthwhile, rather than kill them, and even leave them the means to accomplish their own missions.
Obsession (Revenge)- Having been betrayed by Dr. Venom several times, Kwinn has grown obsessed with vengeance towards the man.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 78--39 / Advantages: 32 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 17 (158)

-Kwinn was a part of the fantastic early portion of the Joe books -- a mercenary hired to hamper the Joes, he spares their lives out of respect after they chase him across the Arctic. He disarms them of their weapons' firing pins, but then taunts the villainous Russians who hired him, while maintaining his mercenary honour- he left the firing pins attached to a religious icon he'd left "as an offering to the Gods!", out in the wilderness- the Joes could still find it! The Russians are angered, but the honourable Merc replies "I have hampered them in every possible way, and left you the means to gather their weapons! They are four miles away to your one! However, they are trackers... and you are not!" The last shot of the issue is the Joe team stoically marching forwards... Snake-Eyes wearing Kwinn's "offering" around his neck.
-Kwinn shows up again, this time teaming with Cobra, and the unlikely trio of himself, Dr. Venom and the "Shadow Man" Snake-Eyes, end up flying from South America to Florida, and engage in countless antics, most of which involve Venom trying to have the two of them killed. Kwinn, obsessed with revenge against Venom at first, finally comes to realize the hollow-ness of his goal, and gives it up... just in time to be gunned down by the evil dick, who cowardly shoots him from behind. Kwinn promises Venom on his honour to "not kill you while I still live", and then drops dead to the ground. At which point a grenade, sans pin, rolls out from beneath him.
-"From a dead man's hand..." is all Venom can muster with incredulity, and you can scratch one evil bastard from the Joe-verse. It's kind of a shame that both guys only existed in the comics, and we never got the huge Eskimo/Inuit or the Mad Doctor in the cartoon, or at least cool action figures.
-Kwinn is a BEAST, and easily the equal of any G.I. Joe member whatsoever, INCLUDING Snake-Eyes with his sword (and he often didn't use one, remember, so Kwinn tops his PL normally). Kwinn is so good at so many things (especially Perception and Survival stuff) that he effortlessly hampers an entire G.I. Joe squad consisting of Stalker, Breaker, Scarlett and frickin' Snake-Eyes himself. I mean, this guy anticipates their arrival and threatens them with T.N.T. to make them give up their weapons. Then he sees them lay their elite trap (using Stalker's best inventiveness), "falls" for it, then kicks their asses anyways. At one point, Scarlett, using full-on martial arts powers, drop-kicks him in the back of the head, and his only response is to laugh her off and backhand her into a snow-drift. Then he points out that he took the pins out of all their weapons once they triumphantly grab them. AGAIN he leaves them behind, at which point you get the situation I mentioned above. This guy is GOOD, but not quite super-human. He's good enough to beat a Polar Bear in hand-to-hand (he claims to have done such), he's a 6'10" 260-lb. MONSTER of a man, and he's got as much military skill as any Joe short of Hawk or cartoon-Duke.

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(Roadblock & co. are in the American Embassy of a rioting foreign country, and actively watching rioters loot & pillage the Embassy. Their mission is to rescue the Ambassador, nothing more)
Roadblock: (spotting an arsonist about to set fire to the American flag) "Gotta stop the guy with the lighter..."
Psyche-Out: "Let him slide, Roadblock--"
Roadblock: "No way." (looks to guy) "Sir, would you kindly desist in your actions and leave the premises?"
Guy: (spits on Roadblock's head- the gob drizzling down the side. Then he moves his lighter inches from the flag. Roadblock loads up his .50 calibre machine gun)
Roadblock: "I am obliged to be courteous... and persistent. Sir, you are wilfully attempting to destroy United States property. If you persist in doing so, I SHALL reduce your head to a fine mist."
Guy: "You're crazy! There are people walking out of here with IBM typewriters! Why don't you shoot some of them?
Roadblock: "Nobody ever died for a typewriter."


ROADBLOCK (Marvin F. Hinton)
Military Specialty:
Heavy Machine Gunner, Cook
Role: Scary Black Man, Team Powerhouse, Big Blaster, Black Best Friend
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (128)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+3)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+11)
Expertise (Chef) 8 (+10) -- Half-Cost
Expertise (Heavy Weapon Operator) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 7 (+10)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Machine Gun) 1 (+11)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+4)
Treatment 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Browing .50 cal) 2, Improved Hold, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Soldier), Teamwork, Ultimate Soldier, Withstand Damage

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment
"Browning .50 calibre Machine Gun" Blast 9 (Feats: Restricted to Freaky-Strong People) (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -2) (26)

Powers:
"Sheer Size & Strength" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Machine Gun +7 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4 (+5 Kevlar), Fortitude +9, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 19 (128)

-Roadblock got a TON of play in both cartoon and comic, what with all the inventive things they gave the Team Strongman. The comics made him a bit of an intellectual snobbish-type, prone to egotism regarding cooking (having fallen in love with Anthony Bourdain's work, I now see this in a whole new light), but showcased him more than almost any non-ninja Joe (like when he broke free single-handedly when he, Hawk & their boss were all arrested under false suspicion, then used a CAR DOOR as a Captain America-style shield and melee weapon, then led the "resistance" when the other Joes were also rounded up). In the cartoon, he was a goofy, stereotypical "rhyming" character, but was still a heavy feature in many episodes. He was still a chef here, oddly enough, but less of a snob about it.
-Roadblock is even scarier than Gung-Ho (a fellow Powerhouse), but packs a slightly different skill-set, namely packing a HUGE Machine Gun (so large that it usually requires two other Joes just to hand it to him- it's normally a gun for a VEHICLE, and operated by TEAMS of men) with which to do grievous damage to anything he encounters. Note the unusually-low Parry. Roadblock doesn't dodge punches. He eats them. This guy took down STORM SHADOW in hand-to-hand (OK, so Arashikage sliced up Gung-Ho earlier and was unprepared for a dive-bomb... he still did it, and this series perscribed legendary magic powers to the Arashikage Clan). He's so tough he has a full-blown "Strike" Power built into him. And that GUN... a huge +9 damage (and remember, he has Power Attack), made slightly-less-inaccurate due to his capabilities with firearms (especially big ones- I just added 1 point to basic "Ranged Combat- Firearms" for it), and it'll take down nearly any man, animal or vehicle. Hell, in his first appearance, he & Duke gun down A FIGHTER JET using hand-held weapons!

THE FRIDGE (William "The Refridgerator" Perry)
Military Specialty:
Physical Training Instructor
Role: Scary Black Man, Team Powerhouse, Celebrity Cameo
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+2)
Athletics 4 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Close Combat (Football on a Chain) 3 (+9)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+4)
Expertise (PT Instructor) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Defensive Lineman) 8 (+12) -- Uses Strength
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+10)
Perception 3 (+5)
Treatment 1 (+1)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 2, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Football on a Chain), Improved Hold, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Defensive Lineman), Teamwork, Ultimate Defensive Lineman, Withstand Damage

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Football on a Chain- Strength-Damage +3, Reach)

Powers:
"382-pound Defensive Lineman"
Enhanced Strength 3 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) [3]
Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 5) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Weapons +5 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Football on a Chain +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +5 (+6 Kevlar), Fortitude +9, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)
Responsibility (The National Football League, The Chicago Bears, His Quarterback)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 17 (109)

-Everyone loved The Fridge in the 1980s. As the biggest and baddest defensive lineman in the NFL (I think- I don't watch Football), he was all over the place. He showed up on A-Team, he was in the 20-Man Battle Royal at WrestleMania 2 (he did the Hulk Hogan Bitch Elimination on Big John Studd after he'd already been eliminated, dragging the taller guy out), and here he was in the G.I. Joe line, after a deal to get Rocky Balboa (yes, THAT Rocky) on the team fell through (humorously, Balboa appears on the team's "Bio Book", but the next issues all feature disclaimers that "Rocky Balboa has never been a member of G.I. Joe"). His toy was some mail-away thing, and it was OK, if a bit goofy. But it's just SO "80s" to put a real-life figure into an action figure line, with a silly weapon based off of his job (A Football on a Chain). Ya gotta love it.
-The Fridge is a PL 8 powerhouse, but a bit less of a soldier than the other Joes. He's really at his best when he's standing there, eating damage and Interposing, then overrunning people. And can he EVER overrun -- he's got the equivalent of the old Immovable power, in addition to Impervious Toughness. And he's PL 8 with his Football on a Chain, PL 7 defensively. And his Dodge is pretty low for a Joe-type because, let's face it, a 382-lb. main ain't gonna be doing a lot of dodging.

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"You're going to work till you wish you were dead! And then KEEP GOING, because you're afraid if you DON'T, I won't let you DIIIIIIIIE!"

SERGEANT SLAUGHTER (Robert Remus)
Military Specialty:
Drill Instructor
Role: Team Powers, God Mode Sue, Drill Sergeant Nasty, Spotlight Stealer
Group Affiliations: G.I. Joe
PL 9 (140)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 4 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+12)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 11 (+13)
Expertise (Drill Instructor) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 11 (+12)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 7 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Firearms) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 3 (+5)
Treatment 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (G.I. Joe Team), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Soldier), Skill Mastery (Intimidation), Teamwork, Ultimate Soldier, Withstand Damage

Equipment:
30 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment

Powers:
"Sheer Size & Strength" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5, Fortitude +10, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibilty (G.I. Joe/The U.S. Government)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 21 (140)

-Sgt. Slaughter is the other official major celebrity induction into the Joe franchise. This was always odd to me as a kid, since Sgt. Slaughter was always associated with his brutally-offensive "American Traitor" gimmick in the WWF, in which he pledged allegiance to Saddam Hussein to give Hulk Hogan the Jingoistic American Hero someone to feud with (in Vince McMahon's desperate attempt to stave off lowering ticket receipts), But see, Slaughter had left the WWF for years, but was still in the AWA, at which point Hasbro came to him and made him the Joes' Drill Instructor. He got a TON of play in the movie (single-handedly beating the Nemesis Enforcer in close combat), and even MORE in the cartoon. In fact, the cartoon's second season essentially comes across as a Fan Fic written BY Sgt. Slaughter, as he tears through all adversaries, beats up EVERYONE, and generally shows close combat skill unknown to anyone else in the franchise, except for Comic Book Snake-Eyes. In fact, everything Snake-Eyes was in the comics, Slaughter was in the cartoon, just about. In the DiC series, he was even above Grid-Iron in command, and seemed to trump DUKE.
-Sgt. Slaughter was given such a short role in the comic book that I can only imagine that Larry Hama hated the very idea of him (even though the real-life Robert Remus was actually a Sergeant in the Marine Corps)- he appears as a new addition to the team, but the older Joes taunt him, doubting his story. When they attempt to go through his bags, Slaughter annihilates the ENTIRE SQUAD OF GUYS, taking out a half-dozen Joes, who then go "yeah, I guess you could have seriously-injured us all with ease if you wanted, so you must be good if we're still alive". And then after this giant "this guy is a bad-ass" push, he vanishes forever after one arc, and you never see him again.
-Slaughter is crazy good in melee, being a match for Quick Kick or anyone else. His strength is so ridiculous that he once responded to being trapped in a room by PUNCHING THROUGH A BRICK WALL. Didn't even look like he was having a hard time of it, too. This guys is NUTS. He's also easily the most-intimidating of the Joes. Even so, he's "only" PL 9 because that puts him in line with Duke & Snake-Eyes in the cartoon. Comic Book Slaughter only did a couple things before disappearing (he didn't even really look like the real-life character that much... not that Cartoon Slaughter's freakishly-built physique was anything like the somewhat-flabby Robert Remus in real life either), and was likely yet another standard Elite Joe (PL 8).

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... my brain just exploded.

THE BARONESS (Anastasia Cisarovna, aka DeCobray)
Military Specialty:
Intelligence, Fixed-Wing Pilot
Role: The Baroness (Trope Namer), The Seductress, The Revolving Door of Loyalty, Miss Fanservice
Group Affiliations: Cobra, The Iron Grenadiers
PL 7 (125)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+9)
Deception 4 (+9, +14 Attractive)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+8)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+7)
Investigation 9 (+12)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 4 (+9, +14 Attractive)
Stealth 5 (+9)
Technology 2 (+6)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit (Cobra Leader), Equipment 5, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery 2 (Deception, Persuasion), Ultimate Deception Skill, Ultimate Persuasion Skill

Equipment:
25 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (usually uses a Crossbow- Blast 4, Snare 4 "Net", Movement 1- Swinging)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Weapons +10 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 Kevlar), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- The Baroness craves power above all else -- she will gladly play all the men under her power against each other.
Responsibilty (Cobra, The Iron Grenadiers)
Relationship (Destro, Cobra Commander, Fred VII)- The Baroness is desperately in love with Destro, despite her cold exterior. She also hooked up with Fred VII romantically when Destro was thought dead, in order to further her way through Cobra, but she really cared little for the man.
Rivalry (Zarana)- The two share an instant dislike of each other, as they were the only two people in Cobra with lady-parts. It was just natural. Larry Hama LOVED the "girls go instantly catty when introduced to another woman" trope.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (125)

-The Baroness is pretty much the living embodiment of a fetish-tastic character, made all the more curious by her existence in a multimedia-covering world designed for children. A leather-clad sex-kitten, Baroness seduced, decieved and manipulated her way through the Joe world, first with Destro, then with Fred VII, and she constantly played Destro, Cobra Commander & Serpentor against each other, all in order to further her own power. Curiously, Larry Hama never wrote her with an accent ("I never watched the cartoon" he said, and he just figured her as an American who went abroad and was radicalized by European Terrorist movements). But I can't stres the Fanservice aspect enough- Lady Jaye was trotted out in sexy outfits a lot, too, but SHE never spent an entire episode in a bikini (the famous "Gamesmaster" episode), nor did she wear giga-cleavage dresses on two separate occasions. The comics were a little more shy about it (which is odd, since they were by far the most "Adult-oriented" of the three aspects of the Joe-verse), but a few artists managed to have her take "catwalk" poses.
-Personally, I found the whole "The Baroness/Destro/Major Bludd/Firefly/Serpentor/Mindbender/Cobra Commander Plot Against Each Other" thing to be REALLY REALLY played out over the course of the G.I. Joe comic book. It was a hallmark of the series, sure, AND it made sense (the one thing holding Cobra back is that nobody in charge could ever agree, whereas the Joes were a solid TEAM, despite being agents of a corrupt and foolish American government), but MAN did it get tired. Larry Hama just kept having everyone wheel-and-deal, to the point where I'm pretty sure every single villains switched allegiance at least once (Destro turned on Cobra Commander like five issues after getting introduced as "our version of Hawk").
-The Baroness is a liar & persuader supreme, focusing on those two Skills, complete with Skill Mastery & Ultimate Skill to both. She's an elite disguise artist, and not a bad fighter, though she managed to job and get captured A LOT over the series' run. She's an elite Cobra agent, but she never really seemed to be a challenge to the stronger Joes out there. She's at the same level as Major Bludd (ANOTHER person she schemed with against Cobra Commander), Tomax & Xamot, and Zarana.

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NEMESIS ENFORCER (aka Nemesis Immortal)
Military Specialty:
Soldier
Role: Giant Foe, Big Dumb Thug
Group Affiliations: Cobra-La
PL 9 (124)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Arm Blades) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+4)
Intimidation 14 (+12)
Perception 6 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Throwing) 8 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Die-Hard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Arm Blades), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Giant Bat-Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
Power-Lifting 1 (6 tons) [1]

"Blinding Acid" Dazzle Visuals 8 (Extras: Progressive +2, Area- 15ft. Cloud) (Flaws: Touch Range, Unreliable- 5 Uses) (24) -- [25]
AE: "Arm Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Arm Blades +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blinding Acid +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +7, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Golobulus' Will)- The Nemesis Enforcer has no soul, and Golobulus' will is his own.
Disabled (Mute)- The Nemesis Enforcer is mute, and cannot communicate with anyone. He seems to be able to understand orders, however.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 31 / Defenses: 18 (124)

-The Nemesis Enforcer (later called "Nemesis Immortal") appeared in G.I. Joe: The Movie as the giant henchman of Golobulus, ruler of Cobra-La. He didn't speak, he kicked ass, and he got a MAJOR "New Bad Guy" push immediately, devastating the Joes in their first battle (at one point, he LIFTS UP a tank, piercing the bottom and dragging Snow-Job out for an ass-kicking), and then breaking into their H.Q. to badly-hurt Bazooka, Alpine & Gung-Ho!
-Thus set up as a major threat, in CLASSIC Pro-Wrestling Style, he began "giving back" those wins to put OTHER guys over, as he jobs first to Roadblock (who blocks a punch and then elbows the Enforcer down before running off), and then to Sgt. Slaughter, who ANNIHILATES him in melee combat, breaking his wings, kicking his ass with impunity, and then chucking him down into a spiked pit. He's popular amongst Joe fans for his size and physical presence (also maybe his thong), but of course didn't have much personality.
-Nemesis Enforcer seemed to be a PL 10 at first, but "settled" into his PL 9 roll later on, without the New Villain Stink. He's an absolutely huge, dangerous monster with super-strength and great grappling power, but isn't that defensive. He didn't dodge a whole lot, either. Generally, he's powerful enough to kick any Joe's ass in hand-to-hand, which is why it was such an epic feat for PL 9 Sgt. Slaughter to beat the hell out of him.

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"Cobra-LALALALALALAALLALALALALALALALALALALALA!!!"

SERPENTOR
Military Specialty:
Cobra Emperor
Role: Fresh New Leader, Supreme Monarch
Group Affiliations: Cobra
PL 9 (163)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier/General) 14 (+17)
Expertise (Dictator) 12 (+15)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+10)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 1 (+4)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 3 (Cobra Emperor), Daze (Intimidation), Fascinate (Intimidation), Equipment 6, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Throwing Snake), Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck, Minions 3 (Assorted Poisonous Snakes), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle

Equipment:
30 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Flying Platform w/ +7 Lasers, Javelins, Lasers)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +12 (+5-6 Ranged Damage, DC 20-21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +6 (+7 Armour), Fortitude +10, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibilty (Cobra Emperor)- Serpentor is the man in charge, and has to deal with Cobra's failures as well as it's successes.
Rivalry (Cobra Commander, Destro)- Though Serpentor easily displaced the Commander, finishing him off was another matter, and he keeps his predecessor around as a scapegoat for his failures. Even so, Cobra Commander actively attempts coups. Eventually, even Destro joins in, as he had more power under the Commander than he does under Serpentor.
Involuntary Transformation (Personalities)- Serpentor has the personalities of various dictators and rulers across the world in his head. Sometimes, their personalities shine through, and Serpentor becomes obsessed with some strange thing, like an old pet (ie. giant frickin' snake) or a weapon an old "self" once wielded.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 17 (163)

-Serpentor (created by Dr. Mindbender from the DNA of dozens of ancient generals: Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, Vlad the Impaler, Attila the Hun, etc.) is what the Joe-team eventually came up with as a replacement for Cobra Commander -- much like the Transformers, they decided a new changing of the guard was needed, and so Serpentor arrived to kick out the Commander and lead Cobra anew, along with the new cast of characters like Dr. Mindbender (the Joes would get Lt. Falcon, who completely failed to "get over" as a successful concept). Personally, I thought Serpentor looked neat, but he's REALLY out of place in the Joe-verse (much like "Raptor", he looks like a superhero character in a world of guys with fatigues and berets), and he STILL didn't look as cool as the dictatorial Commander with his regal hood. It didn't help that he was a ridiculously bland Large Ham in the cartoon, always going "THIS I COMMAND!" and hollering about aimlessly. Cobra Commander was a Ham as well, and a Dirty Coward, but at least he was an INTERESTING one. He had various facets, from greed, avarice, lust for power, etc. Serepentor was just a generic Big Bad who wanted to rule and that was it. A totally flat character.
-In the comics, Serpentor was an interesting bit. Larry Hama liked his gritty realism with a few sci-fi trappings, and was known to use cloning even in later issues, without being forced to (I presume), but Serpentor was so way-out: he has the same origins as the Cartoon Serpentor, but is a bit nicer overall. He's actually shown as very clever and good with people, as well as a master tactician: when he & Stalker are set against each other using massive troop movements (Stalker has the Joe team; Serpentor has Cobra Mooks), Stalker just replies "he's too good!", because he's countering everything so quickly! And there's this great scene where Cobra is using their Mooks to rebuild a fortress on Cobra Island, at which point Serpentor gladly doffs his shirt and begins helping the men like a "Father To His Men", earning the gratitude and respect of the rank & file- a point that is not lost on Cobra Commander, who is generally unlovable.
-This made it all the weirder that Hama got rid of the guy as soon as he possibly-could- after a small arc in which he takes command of Cobra, and the Commander himself is thought-dead, he's shot through the eye by an arrow fired by Zartan from a mile away (thanks to his Super Sci-Fi Arrow). And just like that, you never see nor hear from Serpentor again!
-Serpentor's a PL 9 bad-ass with great accuracy and PL 8.5-level fighting skills- in the cartoon he brawls with Sgt. Slaughter of all people and pretty much has the upper hand (!), in addition to having authentic super-powers with his Strength, and the memories and abilities of dozens of old generals. He's got various Skills, the Beginner's Luck/Jack-of-All-Trades combo, and more. He's pretty much as bad-ass and lethal as it gets for Cobra, and only Snake-Eyes or maybe Storm Shadow & Sgt. Slaughter would ordinarily take him in a fair fight.

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Ya wouldn't think a chick with most of her head shaved and reptilian features would be hot, but there you have it.

PYTHONA
Military Specialty:
Infiltration
Role: Sexy Reptile Chick
Group Affiliations: Cobra-La
PL 8 (139)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 11 (+13)
Expertise (History) 2 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Acid Touch, Bio-Weaponry), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Bio-Weaponry" (Flaws: Easily-Removable) [12]
"Shell Ribbons" Snare 6 (Diminished Range -1) (17) -- (19 points)
"Face Huggers" Affliction 6 (Strength; Impaired/Disabled/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (Diminished Range -1) (11)
"Gas Attack" Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Ranged, Area- 15ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (17)

"Acid Touch" Weaken Toughness 4 (Extras: Affects Objects) Linked to Damage 4 (Extras: Secondary Effect) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Acid Touch +12 (+4 Damage & Weaken, DC 19 & 14)
Shell Ribbons +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Face Huggers +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Gas Attack +6 Area (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Cobra-La)

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 28 / Defenses: 12 (139)

-Pythona gets a big debut in G.I. Joe: The Movie, entering Cobra's Secret Lair, assaulting numerous guards, breaking through security, and arriving to meet Serpentor... at which point she's all "Hey you're awesome, dude" and announces her allegiance. After that, she basically vanishes from the plot in favor of Nemesis Enforcer & Golobulus- during the movie's final brawl, she is pretty handily-trounced by Jinx, who throws on her trademark blindfold and kicks some Sexy Reptile Ass.
-Pythona's an interesting, Comic Book-style chick with an Acid Touch and some Bio-Weapons that act like a Device, but isn't supremely-amazing or anything. Since Jinx beats her pretty easily after the New Villain Stink wears off, she's really only PL 8-worthy.

GOLOBULUS
Military Specialty:
Wannabe Ruler of the World
Role: The Big Bad
Group Affiliations: Cobra-La
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (History) 4 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+9)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit (Ruler of Cobra-La), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Flight Pod" (Flaws: Removable) [5]
Flight 3 (16 mph) (6 points)

"Geokinesis" Move Object 10 (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Earth) [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Geokinesis -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +2

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Cobra-La)
Motivation (Power)- Golobulus wishes for Cobra-La to once again rule the world.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 15 (145)

-Golobulus is the weird, oddly-named character who is technically the Big Bad of G.I. Joe: The Movie, though he gets no real characterization beyond wanting to turn all of humanity back into primordial beasts, so that Cobra-La can once again take over the world. Voiced by Burgess Meredith (The Penguin from the 1960s Batman series, as well as Mickey from the Rocky pictures), Golobulus essentially takes command of the entire operation, reveals that he was COBRA COMMANDER'S boss, and that Cobra was always meant to allow for the return of Cobra-La to prominence. He sentences Cobra Commander to be transformed into a common cobra, begins his plan, and nearly succeeds- his only opposition is Lt. Falcon, who takes a level in "Bad-Ass", fights Golobulus in hand-to-hand (though it's an oddly low-end fight, compared to Pythona/Jinx and Slaughter/Enforcer- the two just kind of grapple and slap-fight... well, until Falcon IMPALES GOLOBULUS IN THE EYE with a piece of debris!). Eventually, Falcon shoves off his foe with enough time to turn the Broadcast Energy Transmitter to its highest setting, destroying Cobra-La's spores. Golobulus and his crew are never seen again.

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BILLY (Last Name Unknown, aka William Kessler)
Military Specialty:
Ninja, Teenage Boy
Role: Kid Apprentice, Fan-Insert Character (kinda)
Group Affiliations: Cobra, G.I. Joe, The Ninjas
PL 7 (105)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Ninja) 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 5 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Treatment 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 4, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 4

Equipment:
20 points' worth of Arsenal Equipment (Ninja Stuff, Usually)

Powers:
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Short Sword +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Storm Shadow, Zartan)- Billy takes on the two men as mentors at different times. He's even pretty cool with Destro & The Baroness.
Relationship (Cobra Commander)- Billy is the son of the head of Cobra, but he pretty much acknowledges that the old man is nuts.
Disabled (Lost a Leg and an Eye)- Billy was left crippled by an exploding car, but makes do.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 16 (105)

-I wasn't gonna stat Billy, who as often as not is just a repository for the exposition of other characters, but what the hell. He was introduced as an odd bit of Cobra Commander's backstory- it turns out he has a SON, who has joined an Anti-Cobra underground movement in Springfield (the town that the Commander has taken over). He is brainwashed by The Baroness & Major Bludd to assassinate the Commander, but Destro puts a stop to it- revealing that he be an accessory to a LOT of evil things, but "Patricide is not one of them!" Soon, the hooded D-Bag arrests and TORTURES his own son, to the point where Storm Shadow, impressed by the boy's tenacity and strength of will, steals him away to teach him the art of ninjitsu.
-This, of course, makes Billy a great respository for exposition and the kind of cool philosophical stuff Larry Hama could add to the series. When Billy was badly-injured by Scrap-Iron, the Commander repents, taking responsibility for Billy's condition, and promises to become a better father. However, he was later "killed" by Fred VII, who took his place, leaving Billy alone once more, but soon a bunch of OTHER convoluted stuff would happen, as Billy would start hanging out with Zartan as a mentor instead (Zartan having reptented after killing ANOTHER Arashikage master), and the Commander would return, more maniacal than ever. He soon buries Zartan, Billy and dozens of others inside a ship, killing most of them (Billy just shrugs at the murderous intent of the Commander with "That's my dad, alright!" Billy & Zartan later escape, but soon all of the Cobra Villains are captured and brainwashed by the Commander at the end of the series- despite being told (presumably) that the book was ending, Larry Hama more or less ended it where it began- Cobra Commander leading Destro, Zartan, and others.
-Billy is young and a bit small compared to any of the Joes, but he's got some good training. Storm Shadow gives him the brilliant speech about being non-violent, and Billy uses the advice to fend off some thugs out to hurt him- he simply stares them down with a nasty look, and they leave, unnerved by him. Storm Shadow congratulates him for learning than one of the secrets of great power is never having to use it (Billy was a good enough fighter to take the men out, and he KNEW it, therefore his scare tactics worked). Overall, Billy is Storm Shadow Lite, packing a PL 7's statline, but only PL 6 unarmed.



TOP THIRTEEN JOES & COBRAS:
1) Stalker- Captain Awesome himself, being a great field leader, and the all-around Skillmonkey and Experienced Guy of the team, without being a flawless Mary Sue because he was left in the dust alot. A great, well-rounded character, and totally awesome.
2) Gung-Ho- F********* YEAH MARINES BITCHES!! Crazy, bald and awesome. Gung-Ho was the ultimate Boisterous Bruiser character.
3) Lady Jaye- Haaaaaaaawt. 'Nuff said. Wildly entertaining on the cartoon by flirting with Flint all the time, and her snide comic book version was still pretty cool.
4) Storm Shadow- Ninja-cool while still having a multi-faceted nature. I actually liked him more than Snake-Eyes, because he didn't have that Wolverine-Aura of invincibility and super-popularity all around him. Plus his philosophy was deeply interesting.
5) Flint- Mostly in the cartoon, where he was the Leader, but with more personality than Duke. The way he kept getting jealous of Lady Jaye's paramours all the time was funny.
6) Scarlett- A killer character in the comics.
7) Roadblock- Carrying a frickin' ARTILLERY PIECE as a hand-weapon makes him pretty much awesome as all hell, but he got some of the best lines in the comics, instead of an asinine rhyming gimmick ("nobody ever died for no typewriter").
8.) Snake-Eyes- As well-rounded as you can get for someone with no dialogue or even thought-balloons.
9) Destro- I never cared for him in the cartoon, but when he became the worthy, honourable foe type in the comics, I was sold. He refused to be a part of Patricide, and he admired the Joes deeply, despite the fact that they had to be enemies.
10) Beach Head- Enertaining because he was antagonistic and a jerkwad. Big teams need characters like that. The fact that he looked awesome (ninja-esque fatigues) and was a bad-ass were just icing on the cake.
11) Recondo- He was great in his short comic book appearances. He was like Stalker's Skillmonkey but with more sarcasm.
12) Dusty- He looked awesome as a toy. Had a great TV episode set (where he "betrays" the Joes to Cobra), and a great scene in the comics where he drags a dead man for miles because he made a promise to his mother to bring her son's body back.
13) Clutch- Amusingly perverted and sexist. He was like the Horsenhero of G.I. Joe :P.

WORST TEN JOES & COBRAS:
1) Those stupid aliens and crap they invented during the last years of the franchise. (didn't even bother trying to stat them)
2) Chuckles- Sucks. Stupid in the movie (a mute fighter in a Hawaiian shirt), and even though he was better in the comics, he was leading missions for no apparent reason, while still wearing that damn shirt.
3) Tomax & Xamot- A tiresome gimmick, they got REALLY old REALLY fast in the cartoon (especially the dialogue). Plus their weakness is horrible- two ass-kickings for the price of one.
4) Captain Grid-Iron- A poor excuse for Duke. Football puns and he was in charge for no reason.
5) Budo- A SAMURAI G.I. Joe? With the goofy helmet over his fatigues and everything.
6) Dojo- Looked like a bald old man with a Fu Manchu and a big ponytail.
7) Zarana- Just over-used and over-played. Took the same role as the Baroness, but looked stupid while doing it.
8.) Psyche-Out- Ridiculous outfit, and he got to do way too much leading considering. Plus "I totally predicted all of this" is an annoying, Mary Sue-type character trait.
9) Grunt- As generic as generic could be- no wonder the franchise left him in the dust. His bio is hilariously-barren of any real information besides "he's a soldier". No wonder Hama retired him and made him go to college.
10) Gnawgahyde- Stupid-looking toy.

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Jem

Post by Jabroniville »

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JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS:

Behold, the embodiment of the entire 1980s.

-The Transformers is the mightiest toy-selling cartoon of all time, and G.I. Joe is probably the best overall, but Jem will always have my heart. See, where alot of these shows come from the epitome of animation that was the '80s, very few of them actually LOOK "'80s". Sure, there's Ghetto Blasters (better known as Boom-Boxes these days.... or iPods or something), and there's instances of hair scrunchies and ugly pastel and neon colours everywhere- NONE of those shows really EXEMPLIFIED that era. Jem does. Want multi-hued punks? Giant mowhawks? Pastel mixed with zebra print mixed with FREAKING NEON? This show had RELENTLESS barrages of '80s music and dress, this show freaking WAS the '80s. And of all the '80s toons, it's the one that's most critically underappreciated (I think because it was targeted towards girls, most of whom had the nerve to actually grow up and not obsess over their childhood) in the modern era.

But rest assured, this show was GREAT. There was fighting, attempted murder (The Misfits, in a truly '80s concept as an EVIL music band, literally did things every episode that would be illegal in every country in the world), uber-peppy '80s synth-pop from the Jem gang, awesome (and actually kinda modern) selfish punk-rock anthems from the Misfits, hot chicks (Kimber and Jem were BABES in every sense of the word. Kimber was gorgeous and cute, but Jem was unimaginably hot), overly dramatic outbursts from characters just to get certain plot points across, etc. Everything wonderful exists in this show. It's just over-the-top dated nonsense and crazy plotlines.

The show was created by Hasbro to sell their new Jem & the Holograms line of fashion dolls, in an attempt to mimic both Barbie AND the success of the boys' toy-line cartoons (He-Man, G.I. Joe,, The Transformers, etc. made money like GANGBUSTERS- all were inspired by Kenner's success with Star Wars toys). She was originally going to be called "M", and she was the secret identity of a normal music executive (giving girls both the "Rich Boss" fantasy life, and the "Famous Rock Star" fantasy life)- naturally, Secret Identities were still big at the time (He-Man also features a character with a Secret ID for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON). Once they realized that you couldn't trademark a LETTER, they switched it to "Jem", and figured on a concept of holograms being her gimmick. They got Christy Marx, a well-thought-of writer of boys' cartoons (mostly G.I. Joe), to work on the entire cast and concept from that point- Marx actually did some research on holographic technology (naming the characters after eminent scientists in the field), and constructed a show that would appeal to girls (romance, adventure, travel, rich people, etc.), while also keeping the boys interested (attractive girls, action & excitement).

The line-up of characters itself is something. You had your classic Superman/Clark Kent/Lois Lane love triangle going with uber-babe Jem, plain alter-ego Jerrica Benton (one of my favorite TV names ever), and the Lois-inspired dolt Rio Pacheco, the purple-haired guy who almost never saw Jerrica & Jem together (despite Jerrica being Jem's MANAGER), and yet never put two and two together- sure they projected a Jem hologram once in a while, but COME ON, they never even SPOKE to each other. Jerrica was a bit "Everygirl" even though she was rich and owned a record company. Jem was pure fantasy fulfillment for girls; this perfect woman was the idol of millions and the target of romantic attention from scores of men... though she had all kinds of identity problems and was always busy in real life (an oddly realistic bend on the idea, much like say, Spider-Man). Kimber was great as an impetuous foil in the Holograms team, always screwing things up and moving the plot along as only an overacting 18-year old kid can do. Aja, Shana and Raya... were basically just add-ons to make it a group. I mean, Aja didn't even DO anything till the end of the second season!

But the Misfits... Eric Raymond was the slimiest, dirtiest '80s-era corporate slug of a villain EVER. Pizzazz was a bad girl straight to the bone, almost pure evil and selfish, except when absolutely necessary (such as showing a rare moment of love for her uber-rich father, and a sad backstory of her own). Her extreme tantrums and levels of violence are still hilarious today, especially when she reacts to guys shooting her down by trying to kick their asses. Roxy was perhaps even worse than Pizzazz because she was BORN into a bad life, but that ended up giving her more sympathy. And Stormer... ah, Stormer. Reluctant blue-haired villainesses with hearts of gold are the best. Most of the funny moments in this show came from Stormer saying one thing that was really sweet and the other Misfits lambasting her. And Jetta, the new Misfit? Well she was just hilarious because angry British punk women are hilarious.

And out of all the '80s shows, this one really holds up in terms of actual episodes quite well (Transformers, He-Man and Thundercats are all far dumber in retrospect, while this show was only KIND OF dumb beyond the core concept). Sometimes you don't even have to rely on nostalgia to lift the sometimes-goofy plots up. The drug episode (every '80s show had one of THOSE, something I well and truly miss) was one of the most realistic and yet the most insane, in that the girl who takes them just takes a few at first, but then keeps needing more and more, until she's stealing from her friends, just like a real addict... and then she hallucinates like crazy and has a five-alarm freak-out and tries to jump off the roof). And the episode was SO DEPRESSING. She had been recently orphaned, and loved music but was too shy and uneasy to share it with anyone. And her VOICE!!!... it was the most sad, lonely sounding thing I've ever heard a voice actress do. She just sounded SO depressed, not reacting to ANYTHING. I actually felt BAD just watching the episode. Listen and be SAD... And HOW THE FRIG DID THEY ANIMATE THAT HAIR?!? Jem had some SERIOUSLY pretty animation for some of it's videos (peak Jem animation in the Music Videos is actually the best animation on TV cartoons PERIOD in that decade).

And the "Father's Day" one is almost unspeakably awesome as well. Circling around some Father's Day special for their friend Video (all the secondary characters are helpfully named after their jobs, like Danse and Video...), we're left with Kimber being mortally depressed because she misses her father (whose funeral was in the first episode of the series), with her sister Jem and the others not getting why. Someone who helps her deal turns out to be PIZZAZZ' own father, who gives us the first glimpse of why Pizzazz is such a controlling bitch. This gives us TWO payoffs in the end, as Jem & the Holograms perform, and their music video shows Jerrica & Kimber's memories of their beloved dad (they walk with him through the seasons, ending in winter, as they pass by a tree without him at their side suddenly, and they turn to each other for comfort), and Pizzazz and HER dad having a reunion of sorts (She was LESS than impressed that he led the Holograms to the concert-- they were sidetracked of course by the Misfits). This kind of crap you just DON'T GET in modern animation.

The ending season with the Stingers was OK as well. The typical army brat turned relentlessly charismatic singer boy Riot led the furiously hot Minx (sexually-aggressive chicks are TOTALLY awesome, especially in '80s toons. See Frosta from She-Ra), plus Rapture (who was more one-note), were a bunch of good add-ons to a show that had an already overflowing cast. But still, everyone got their episodes to shine. Jetta met her family (not a bunch of rich royals as she'd claimed, but the British version of white trash), Shana was mistaken for Jean Lafitte's bride, Aja fell in love with Stormer's nice-guy brother, Danse met her long-lost father in Yugoslavia, Video did stuff- EVERYONE got SOMETHING. And out of all the '80s toons, this is one of the few that actually got a final episode (even He-Man really only got one that was MEANT as a finale, though it wasn't aired last): with Ba Nee, the Vietnamese orphan, FINALLY meeting her long-lost father, a 'Nam vet with no memory, in a payoff from an episode in the FIRST SEASON, giving us a happy sendoff with the main character wishing us well. I'd kill to get the rest of this on DVD, and I'd also love to see a non-bastardized new version of it coming out, though they'd probably screw it up like so many other '80s shows I loved so very much- this one is PARTICULARLY set in its era.

A pretty good Cast List is featured here.

The Core of the Show:
-Essentially, Jerrica Benton is left as the owner of her father's company, Starlight Music, and runs Starlight House, an orphanage for young girls (just in case you didn't know she was a GOOD GUY). When co-owner Eric Raymond (her father's old business partner) schemes to take it all over, and uses a new band, The Misfits, as his big stars, Jerrica takes the secret identity of "Jem" (no reason is ever given for this, nor why she's apparently an amazing singer and her friends are all musicians) and forms "Jem & The Holograms" with her pals Aja & Shana, and her sister Kimber. Jerrica's boyfriend Rio is their all-purpose roadie-type, and soon becomes attracted to Jem (why Jerrica never told him in the first place is never mentioned).

They win a big contest, get a fancy Mansion, and go on to a successful career. Meanwhile, Raymond and the Misfits frequently scheme to take Jem down a peg- they have the merciless, egotistical leader Pizzazz, rotten Roxy, and sweet-natured by weak-willed Stormer. Every episode features the Holograms going on some tour, entering some contest (Fashion, Music, etc.), or doing some big one-off concert (usually for charity)... and the Misfits tag along to wreak havoc and steal thunder. Frequently taking EXTREMELY ILLEGAL MEANS to do so! Raymond's henchman Zipper downright threatens lives at various points. Raymond also uses the genius inventor Techrat for his schemes. Meanwhile, the Holograms engage in tons of charitable events, teach children about the Magic Of Reading, rescue failing Radio Stations, etc.

The Starlight Girls show up frequently, and are the focus of many stories- many are attention-grabbing nuisances, and a few are a bit punkier and rebellious. Ba Nee is the innocent one (searching for her American G.I. father), the black one is the responsible one (OF COURSE), there's Ashley (attention-seeking) and Dierdre (rebellious)- both blondes, etc. Marx would openly-regreat creating SO MANY girls in a DVD Commentary- they just filled the house with a HUGE cast (there's at least twice as many characters as they could possibly use- some take up nearly the same role).

Partway through the show, the Holograms add Raya (completing a Task of Tokens with a Latina), and the Misfits add Jetta in response. After this new Status Quo's been around for a while, the STINGERS arrive- a bad-ass act of blondes, they're headed by the sexy piece of man-ass Riot, the manipulative Minx, and the con-woman Rapture. This throws a wrench into things- the Stingers become Raymond's headlining act, Minx lusts over Rio, and Riot lusts over Jem.

Some of the episodes are COMPLETELY insane: this site features an incredible commentary on some of the most insane ones[/i]. Roxy overcoming illiteracy, men trying to murder the girls over a music feud, TIME TRAVEL, a Lost City in the Himalayas, Jem saving the President of the United States, and more. The fact that they equaled G.I. Joe and The Transformers in insane episodes despite having a MUCH more grounded concept is impressive in and of itself.

So What Happened?:
-Despite being quite popular as a TV show, Jem was done in by that ancient enemy of everyone: it didn't earn enough money. See, while people dug the show, the DOLLS were another matter. Mattel, the dominant doll-maker in the industry, responded to this threat (Jem, being Girls' Dolls, competed directly with Barbie) by releasing Barbie and the Rockers to COMPLETELY steal Jem's thunder. And it worked. As a result, Jem only survived for a couple of years, releasing 65 episodes (which is a pretty solid number, equaling most popular shows) and then vanishing off the face of the Earth. By contrast, G.I. Joe and The Transformers, Hasbro's OTHER Cash Cows, lasted for a veritable eternity- the Joes eventually faded away until 2000 or so, but there's been a TF reboot every couple years since the 1980s, and Japan started making their own, which transfered over here quite often, too!

Meanwhile, Jem was hard to come by- it was one of the last big '80s toons released to DVD, and they didn't even finish releasing it! The distribution company lost the rights, and they sat aside for HALF A DECADE before someone else picked them up- the series has only been fully-available for about four or five years by this point! As it's not an action franchise, and Mattel was too powerful an opponent, they never got a Reboot Toyline (I've seen toys for every other big '80s franchise in stores for years- even Thundercats got a short-lived reboot!), never got an updated modern-day series, and never got a Movie. However, a trailer for an upcoming Jem feature film has been released. Alas, it looks like hot garbage, and rips the entire plot from the Josie and the Pussycats movie (another failed reboot that lost a huge amount of money, and resulted in Dan DeCarlo being fired from the company right before he died). You can't even see any Misfits in it!

The Modern-Day Comic:
A pretty great new comic has recently come out, drawn by Sophie (formerly Ross) Campbell, based off of her Jem Redesigns from a DeviantArt account that excited a lot of fans a couple years ago. She gave them "diverse" body types, excusing some fan complaints (about half of the girls are now noticeably-chubbier than your standard musician- Stormer is straight-up fat, while Roxy, Aja & Shana are plump) with "well there are different body types in real life". Though really, any observation of Campbell's work reveals a pretty diehard fetish for fat chicks- sometimes it's best just to be honest and go "I think fat chicks are hot- sue me". She made Jetta black, based off of Christy Marx's intention to make a black Misfit (she was told by a horrified executive that she couldn't make a black person villainous). The art is REALLY good (the HAIR!), and I like most of the redesigns (Kimber is a bit too punk-y, though), and there's an actual explanation for the Secret Identity thing (Jerrica is stage-shy and can't perform without a big "mask"). Also Kimber is a lesbian. Though her being AT LEAST bi is pretty obvious to anyone who WATCHED the cartoon, they dropped her "boy crazy" tendencies and switched her target gender entirely.

The Cast:
The Holograms:
Jerrica Benton/Jem- Business executive and famous rock star all in one. Major identity crisis.
Kimber Benton- Jem's idiotic, impulsive kid sister. Boy-crazy.
Aja- The Asian One.
Shana- The Black One. Also very timid and shy.
Raya- The Latina One. Was added in Season Two.

The Misfits:
Pizzazz- Psychopathic drama queen.
Roxy- Pizzazz Junior. Illiterate.
Stormer- The single-greatest example of a character on the side of the villains who wasn't all that bad (aka "Minion With an F in Evil").
Jetta- New member. British punk rocker and pathological liar.

The Stingers:
Riot- Handsome, heterosexuality-threatening master manipulator.
Minx- Flirty user of men.
Rapture- Con-woman with a pseudomystical bent.

The Supporting Cast:
Rio Pacheco- Jerrica's purple-haired love interest. Also loves Jem. Despises liars and hates deception. And potted plants.
Danse- Ballerina who runs a home for runaways.
Video- Acclaimed music video director.
Eric Raymond- The Misfits' evil, conniving, greedy manager. The instigator of most of the awful things in the show.
Techrat- Raymond's own personal Tech-Genius.
Zipper- Raymond's personal goon.
Clash- A Misfits fan usually roped into doing their dirty work.

There's an assorted cast of young girls at Starlight House, too. Generally speaking, there are four types of girls:
Ashley & Deirdre- Blonde and impulsive, usually getting into trouble by running away or causing mischief.
Lela & Krissy- Black and Positively-Discriminated against by being smarter and more level-headed than every other girl.
Ba Nee- The daughter of a Vietnam Vet and a Vietnamese woman who died soon after escaping to America, she longs for her lost father ([url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J9kc3KB ... re=related]"A Father Should Be"
is her trademark song, and this video is BEAUTIFULLY animated for a 1980s cartoon). One time, she thought that a Bruce Springsteen parody's drummer was her father, and I like to imagine that it's The Boss' real drummer, Max Weinberg, in the role :). The series' final episode features the Holograms actually managing to track the amnesiac ex-soldier down.
The Others- Girls who are mostly-meaningless, one-note, or just background characters. They include Terri (supersticious), Anne, Marianne, Joellen, Becky, Nancy & Dellaree. Christy Marx has stated that she kinda regrets making SO MANY of the girls, because it left most of them as nobodies, but honestly I think it works- I hate it when TV shows use a ridiculously-tiny cast for what should be a fairly big place (The Facts of Life did this by reducing its cast to four girls quickly- many TV shows feature very small families, or businesses operated by a skeleton staff- how in the hell did Cheers get away with having only four workers for ten years?), just because it makes for easier casting.


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JEM (Jerrica Benton)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Main Character, Daddy Warbucks-Type Spender
Voice Actor: Samantha Newark, Britta Phillips (singing)
PL 8 (105)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+6, +11 Attractive as Jem)
Expertise (Business) 7 (+11)
Expertise (Rock Star- Singer) 12 (+16)
Expertise (Acting) 4 (+8)
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +11 Attractive as Jem)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 2 (Wealth), Fascination (Rock Star), Inspire 2, Leadership, Ranged Attack 2, Ultimate Rock Star Skill

Powers:
"The Jem Star Earrings" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [26]
Illusion 8 (Sight & Hearing) (Extras: Continuous, Independent) (40)
Enhanced Advantages 2: Attractive 2 (2)
(42 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +8

Complications:
Secret (Identity)- Jerrica must remain hidden as Jem. There was no reason for this at first, but now that Rio loves both women, she must remain hidden to avoid embarassing and infuriating him.
Enemy (The Misfits, Eric Raymond)- Raymond gained a controlling interest in Jerrica's father's company before he died, and he never forgave Jerrica & Jem for ruining his chances to make millions there. He and his goon squad, The Misfits, are obsessed with destroying Jem & The Holograms and Jerrica alike. The Misfits, Pizzazz in particular, are devoted rivals in the music business, and will counter-act every Holograms act with a copycat motion.
Rivalry (The Stingers)- When Riot and the Stingers arrive in town, there's yet ANOTHER rival band on the docket. Riot is obsessed with Jem, and she has some romantic feelings for him as well- especially once she sees his lighter side.
Responsibility (Starlight House & Starlight Music)- Jerrica inherited her father's businesses, including an home for orphaned girls, and a music business. So much of her money is wrapped up in the House and other charities that the companies are almost worthless, monetarily.
Motivation (Charity)- Jerrica will gladly join any charitable venture.
Relationship (Rio Pacheco)- Jerrica & Rio have been together since they were children. However, Rio is also increasingly-obsessed with the mysterious Jem.
Honor (Will Help Out Enemies In Trouble)- Seriously, she's risked her life to save The Misfits before.
Fame- Jem is ridiculously famous, and will get mobbed whenever she goes out in public.
Relationship (The Holograms)- Jerrica/Jem is a devoted musician, and loves her bandmates like sisters. In fact, Kimber is her biological sister, and Shana & Aja are adopted sisters. Raya has become like such.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 12 (105)

-Jerrica Benton, the heroine of the show, is like a lot of '80s Team Leaders- generally the kindest, smartest and best of her group. As Jerrica, she's the stoic, conservatively-dressed businesswoman in charge- taking care of a mansion full of orphans, desperately-trying to control her insane sister, and trying to keep an expensive business afloat while throwing all of her money to charity. As Jem, she's the flashy, sexy Idol of millions, going to awesome events and being a superstar. Her boyfriend of several years, Rio, was never told about her "Jem" identity, and when he falls in love with her (Jerrica's fault- she flirted with and kissed him as Jem), he's thus torn between two women. Who are the same woman.
-For her stats, I used common sense based off of the 65 episodes I've seen of the series. She's physically weak, but quite tough Stamina-wise (she's survived some VERY dangerous situations; boat crashes, animal attacks, etc.), very dextrous, and her mental stats... well. She's the competent owner and operator of Starlight Music, a girls' orphanage, and a manager in several bands' careers (we only ever see one, though- the Fifth Avenue Boys), in ADDITION to being about the most famous single singer in the ENTIRE WORLD, and the master moral-speaker for the gaggle of orphans (and a certain younger sister) under her charge. It should be noted she downplays her Presence a bit in her Jerrica identity (or rather, she only lets it out when she's playing the rock star Jem), but she's still got ungodly scores in most Presence-based checks (she's regularly and repeatedly had to talk down angry mobs thanks to the Misfits' latest schemes).
-Skills are self-explanatory. Pretty much the most popular singer alive, so her Expertise is nuts when combined with her Presence. High Expertise Skill, Deception (oh, MAN has she had to use that), etc. Her Inspire Advantage is so high because she's had to convince a LOT of people they weren't rotten, and drawn the best performances possible out of every bandmate at LEAST once. Other Feats are just boosts for her skills mostly, with a lot of 80s-esque happy fun moral Feats as well (Teamwork, etc.).
-The Jem Star Earrings are pretty expensive for something that's only really good at fooling people. Thankfully, the people in the Jem universe are REALLY DUMB (shown in most of my later stats), so they can be fooled by things like a torrential downpour that couldn't actually GET THEM WET and assume Jem & Jerrica are different people despite only being seen together like twice, even by the boyfriend of both girls. She can make some BIG illusions (giant eagles, flash floods, etc.), but those are quite rare. It's usually just Synergy the Computer Lady doing everything
-Now, despite coming to over 100 points, Jem's pretty useless in a fight unless she's JUST being a distraction, as most of her skills are life-based in the real world and not for combat. Not to say she hasn't seen a LOT of danger, because she has, but I don't think I've ever seen more violence out of her than a sharp kick to the shins.
-Her Complications were fun. Pretty much every episode of that show was devoted to SOME kind of charity for the orphans she took care of, she also had to run the business, keep Rio from finding out BOTH of his main squeezes were the same person and thus losing him, keep the Misfits from KILLING her, compete with the Stingers and avoid Riot's attention, honor her father, keep her identity secret, all the while being a fair and compassionate person to her enemies. So it's no wonder she always won. Chick can activate like six Complications at once.
Note: The "Jem" identity is completely illusory. She differs from Jerrica enough that even close friends (ahem, Rio Lane... I mean Pacheco) have NO IDEA they're the same person, and dresses a whole lot fancier than Jerrica (who was relatively plain for the 80s, merely devoting herself to garish pastels and giant bows). Also note that because of the Illusion power, Jem has an Attractive Feat of at LEAST 1, and I went with two ranks (she's made like three or four men fall in love with her just by LOOKING at her, without even trying).

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AJA LEITH
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Driver, The Angry One
Voice Actor: Cathianne Blore
PL 5 (68)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+7)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Rock Star- Guitars) 10 (+13)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 7 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Wealth), Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Inspire, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Secret (Jem's Identity)- The other Holograms must help keep Jem's secret.
Enemy (The Misfits, Eric Raymond)- What goes for Jem, goes for the Holograms.
Rivalry (The Stingers)- When Riot and the Stingers arrive in town, there's yet ANOTHER rival band on the docket.
Responsibility (Starlight House & Starlight Music)- All of the Holograms are as committed as Jerrica to the Starlight Girls.
Relationship (Craig Phillips)- Aja is in love with Craig, who is actually the brother of Stormer, one of The Misfits! Craig is bolder and more confident than his sister, though.
Fame- Aja is pretty famous, and will get mobbed whenever she goes out in public.
Relationship (The Holograms)- Aja grew up with Jerrica and the others, and does not like being apart from them.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (68)

-Aja is possibly the blandest of the original Holograms, personality-wise. While Jem was the Main Character and generally flawless, Kimber was impulsive and (let's face it) stupid, and Shana was shy and underconfident, Aja was "The Lancer" of sorts, being a more angry, sarcastic individual who would take people to task for their screw-ups and actually yell at and/or threaten The Misfits. However, since she was also a GOOD GUY, and a member of the Moral Guardian Holograms, she was reined in quite a lot, and it took any potential "edge" off of her. They could have really gone somewhere by making her kind of Misfit-like in personality. As it stood, she ended up in the background more often, and had fewer "focus" episodes than the others. Even episodes in which she was shown with recurring boyfriend Craig "brother of Stormer" Phillips did not feature her as the main plotline- they were always a subplot to the main deal (Royal English lineages, searching for Ba Nee's father, etc.). In a show with SIXTY-FIVE EPISODES, having one of the core 4-5 characters have this little to do is rather inexcusable.
-Physically, Aja is the most impressive Hologram, with the highest Strength & Toughness, though she's still weaker than your average Mook. Her physicality was played up a bit, as she was the "drill instructor" when the Holograms were excercising. She's also the group's main Driver.

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SHANA ELMSFORD
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Shy One
Voice Actor: Cindy McGee
PL 4 (56)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Rock Star- Guitars & Drums) 10 (+13)
Expertise (Fashion Designer) 8 (+11)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Wealth), Improved Defense, Inspire 2, Ranged Attack 1, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Secret (Jem's Identity)- The other Holograms must help keep Jem's secret.
Responsibility (Timid)- Shana is very non-confrontational and shy. She doesn't like approaching others, and usually has to be goaded into doing it.
Enemy (The Misfits, Eric Raymond)- What goes for Jem, goes for the Holograms.
Rivalry (The Stingers)- When Riot and the Stingers arrive in town, there's yet ANOTHER rival band on the docket.
Responsibility (Starlight House & Starlight Music)- All of the Holograms are as committed as Jerrica to the Starlight Girls.
Relationship (Anthony Julian)- No sooner does a male black supporting character show up, than the Holograms basically throw Shana at him ("Your genitalia is the same colour! It's a perfect match!"). They're exclusive to each other, but he only exists to give her advice about her relationships with her career or the Holograms.
Fame- Shana is pretty famous, and will get mobbed whenever she goes out in public.
Relationship (The Holograms)- Shana grew up with Jerrica and the others, and does not like being apart from them.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (56)

-Shana is the sweetest and shiest of the Holograms, which led to her being a bit of a wallflower and non-confrontational in nature. Actually, she's a rather unique character in animation, being so shy and timid, ESPECIALLY when you consider that she's the black girl of the team, and seemingly would have to be the "Sassy Black Woman" stereotype, given what we see in animation these days. When you think about it, most cartoon characters are all ACTION and flying off the handle, so it's unusual to see someone who authentically cries when she thinks someone's being mean to her, rather than the anime-style "Fountain of Tears" effect or comical-shyness. Even when she was a teenager (and the proto-Holograms were all orphans, save Jerrica & Kimber), she had to be coaxed into opening up by Jerrica and the other girls.
-The writers worked a bit to give her more to do, as she became the group's Fashion Designer (a role partially-given to side character Regine DeCesare later on), and switched off the Drums for a Guitar once the group got a new member. That episode set was kind of funny, since Shana offered to go to this fancy dream-job in fashion, and the Holograms were happy for her, even suggesting they'll have a talent search to temporarily replace her. Cue the tears, and "You mean you... you WANT me to go?"- not much of a Willful individual, this one. Thankfully, she recovered from that silliness pretty quickly, though the job turned out to be pretty sucky (her boss was a bitch), and she was back with her bandmates before long. Also she is the reincarnation of Jean Lafitte's bride, so got mixed up with some hoodoo in New Orleans.

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SO MUCH HAIR.

RAYA (Carmen Alonso)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Newbie
Voice Actor: Linda Dangcil
PL 4 (50)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Rock Star- Drums) 11 (+13)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 1 (Wealth), Inspire 2, Ranged Attack 1, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Secret (Jem's Identity)- The other Holograms must help keep Jem's secret.
Enemy (The Misfits, Eric Raymond)- What goes for Jem, goes for the Holograms.
Rivalry (The Stingers)- When Riot and the Stingers arrive in town, there's yet ANOTHER rival band on the docket.
Responsibility (Starlight House & Starlight Music)- All of the Holograms are as committed as Jerrica to the Starlight Girls.
Relationship (Family)- Raya is the only member of the Holograms not to be an orphan- she loves her parents dearly, though only her father really supported her decision to become a rock star.
Fame- Raya is pretty famous, and will get mobbed whenever she goes out in public.
Relationship (The Holograms)- As the newbie, Raya still openly looks up to her bandmates.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (50)

-Raya is essentially the "New Toy" character from the second season of the show. The quartet gained a fourth member when Shana temporarily-left to work on her fashion career, and a Talent Search was organized. The two finalists were Carmen Alonso (nicknamed "Raya") and Craig Phillips, the brother of Stormer from The Misfits. A climactic concert was performed with the two rival drummers, while at the same time Eric Raymond was bribing Raya into giving up Jem's real identity. Coincidentally, Raya had accidentally stumbled INTO said identity only a little while before! Needing the money for her father's wrecked flower shop (guess who was responsible?), Raya nonetheless did the right thing and rejected Raymond, uncovered the Misfit plot to wreck her dad's shop, and won the contest. She was eventually invited to join the Holograms full-time.
-Sadly, after that point, there was nothing for Raya to do. She was given less personality, and her biggest personality traits were taken up by others: too shy to confront the group and perform at first, she was out-done in the "shy" department by Shana already, and she couldn't even do the "gullible rookie" bit, since KIMBER had that role locked up! And honestly, in the ENTIRETY of the Post-Raya Episodes of the series, she doesn't do a single thing. She kinda flirts with a Mexican tour guide, but that's the extent of it. She barely even had any lines! Kind of disappointing.

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oh, the crushing Young Jab did on Kimber...

KIMBER BENTON
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Shy One
Voice Actor: Cathianne Blore
PL 4 (47)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 1 (+5)
Expertise (Rock Star- Keyboards & Songwriting) 10 (+14)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Wealth), Daze (Deception), Inspire, Luck, Ranged Attack 1, Taunt, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Secret (Jem's Identity)- The other Holograms must help keep Jem's secret.
Responsibility (Immature)- Kimber is flighty, irresponsible and very much an in-the-moment kind of person. She'd get married just to "have a big party!", set two dates up for the same time, quit the Holograms the second she felt unappreciated, and more. She's also the easiest of the group to fool by FAR.
Enemy (The Misfits, Eric Raymond)- What goes for Jem, goes for the Holograms.
Rivalry (The Stingers)- When Riot and the Stingers arrive in town, there's yet ANOTHER rival band on the docket.
Responsibility (Starlight House & Starlight Music)- All of the Holograms are as committed as Jerrica to the Starlight Girls.
Relationship (Two Guys)- Kimber loves both an actor and a stuntman, and has trouble choosing between them. She often plays them against each other, and impetuously wanted to marry one when the other wanted to wait.
Fame- Kimber is pretty famous, and will get mobbed whenever she goes out in public.
Relationship (The Holograms)- Kimber is devoted to the band, unless something distracts her ("ooh, shiny!"). While she loves her sister dearly, Kimber finds Jerrica boring, and often gets annoyed at the focus Jem receives. Aja is a taskmaster, and Shana is too much of a pushover for her, as well.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (47)

-Kimber is probably the most dynamic and drama-crazy member of the main cast, with her legendary impetuousness and infantile behavior. Not to mention her own boy problems (various crushes and paramours came and went, including one hilarious fight scene during an "Archie Moment" on Kimber's part when she set two dates for the same time). Kimber's impulse control was basically non-existant, and she caused a huge chunk of the group's problems by storming off after a random fight or something- generally speaking, if a protagonist got the group into trouble, it was either Kimber or a Starlight Girl.
-Kimber even QUIT the Holograms at one point (when they were insisting on a fast beat when she wanted a slow ballad for her new song), which revealed just how important she was to the rest of the group- not only is she the Songwriter for the band, but she set up all of their cues and timing, so they were a MESS in concert without her. And of course she hooked up with Stormer, changed her look to be more punk-ish, and they had Harley & Ivy-levels of sexual tension between them. Seriously, despite the singing in their "Duo Song" I'm Okay being unlike either of their normal speaking voices, they were an immediate hit, and started becoming inseparable pals. And you don't need the Yuri Goggles to see the ULTRA-gay nature of this hook-up, either. When one girl starts DRESSING more like the other, it practically looks identical to all those "Coming Of Age" sexual-awakening tales featuring young lesbians (not that I... uh, watch those... or anything...)
-I also had a pretty big crush on Kimber back in the day, and since I was probably six or seven or something, that probably makes her my first crush ever. So yeah, here's to hottie cartoon characters :). But like I said, Kimber was the driving force for a lot of the show's drama- quitting the group, storming off, getting engaged before she's ready, being mistasken for the Princess of a kingdom (The Princess and The Rock Star, and you can pretty much guess the entire plot just from that), managing to survive TWO hundred-plus-foot falls into water without a scratch, etc. She even once had a breakdown over her father's death- she'd been carrying the burden with her for a long time (Jerrica had dealt earlier in the series, in a more mature manner- Kimber was just acting tempermental during Father's Day), only to come to terms with it thanks to PIZZAZZ's father! By adding so many negative traits to one character, the writers actually managed to make her the most interesting one of the bunch, in my opinion.
-The modern comic Kimber is... a bit odd. She's openly interested in girls, like six feet tall, and has a bunch of her head shaved. At least she's still a giant, crush-happy nut.

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PIZZAZZ (Phyllis Gabor)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Villain, Rich Bitch, Drama Queen
Voice Actor: Patricia Alice Albrecht, Ellen Bernfield (Singing)
PL 3 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Rock Star- Singer) 12 (+14)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Daddy's Wealth), Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Fame & Attention)- Pizzazz has been "uncontrollable" ever since her mother walked out on the family when Phyllis was a young girl. Craving attention from anyone and everyone (especially her mostly-distant father Harvey Gabor, or the handsome Sean Harrison & Riot), Pizzazz needs to be the centre of attention.
Enemy (Jem and the Holograms)- As the most-famous and successful band in the world, The Holograms are standing in the way of Phyllis' fame.
Relationship (Riot)- Pizzazz fell for Riot instantly, and he's the only man able to really tell Pizzazz what to do. She fawns over him like a lovesick fool.
Relationship (Father, Harvey Gabor)- Phyllis' father Harvey is exceptionally wealthy, but quite emotionally distant from his daughter. Craving attention, Pizzazz always acts out and begs for things from him, especially when it involves money.
Relationship (The Misfits)- Pizzazz mainly uses her band as a stepping-stone for fame. Though she laughs at her friends' antics, and they're general partners in crime, the girls are not really all that close.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (47)

-Pizzazz is the main villain of the show, and the leader of The Misfits. What drives Pizzazz is her unrivaled ego and demand for attention- she wants everything the world has to offer ("I'm Taking It All"), from money to fame to men, and she's not shy about admitting it. She's extremely hostile, and has few truly loving relationships in her life- she teases her band-mates mercilessly, puts down people who were helping her the second they cease to become immediately useful, and generally drives everybody away from her. She has the Freudian Excuse, though- her mother ran out on the family years ago, and she's been "uncontrollable" ever since, according to her father, who could only show affection by showering her with whatever she wanted, creating a truly screwed-up kid (her dad ends up bonding with KIMBER BENTON more, but confesses to his own failures).
-Pizzazz was great fun, in that she acts entirely on impulse- the most flawed characters tend to be the most fun, and the most interesting- and Pizzazz is ALL FLAW. When Techrat gives her an experimental laser and a hang-glider, Eric Raymond is astonished- "You have PIZZAZZ a LASER WEAPON??" She has practically zero good qualities- she bullies and taunts her CLOSEST FRIENDS, begs and whines to her father, and is belligerent and violent to pretty much everybody else. They didn't even make her a "Sexy Bad Girl", either- Pizzazz is straight-up SCARY, looking like a menacing freak of nature (despite having a standard "attractive female body and face", she's got harsh make-up that makes her look like an old drag queen). The only thing I think was a shame was her obsession of Riot- once The Stingers show up, the "edge" goes off Pizzazz, and she ends up following Riot around like a sad, begging puppy. Pizzazz should have FREAKED the second he turned her down.
-Pizzazz is scary. Her stats aren't THAT great, but she's built almost entirely to be big and scary and intimidate weak-willed men into doing what she wants (one particularly-funny video has her knock some big dude off his chair, then do the universal "Take a hike!" signal, sending him scurrying off in fear). Thanks to a rich daddy who gives her what she wants to keep her out of his hair, Eric Raymond the Evil Record Executive who puts up with her crap, and her own sense of entitlement. A good musician too, as she's not one of those "angry because she can't compete" villains; the woman can SING, and Misfits songs ironically have held up about ten times better than any Holograms songs ever did. What drives her of course is her incredible ego and desire for more. She can't just be a great musician who wins awards- no, she's gotta crush Jem at every opportunity, even when it damages her OWN career in the process.
-In fact, her ego and attitude are so out of control that I almost hesitated to give her a decent Presence score, as almost everyone in contact with her for more than ten minutes tends to go crazy and try to hide. But the fact that she still manages to fool just about everyone at least once seems to support such high statistics. What's curious is that she's no Femme Fatale either- she actively chases men away, and her vampishness comes across more as terrifying than sexy, much like Sensational Sherri from the WWF in the '80s & '90s.

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Some people are just REALLY good at sneering.

ROXY (Roxanne Pellegrini)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Number Two Villain (to Pizzazz), The Hanger-On, The Delinquent
Voice Actor: Samantha Parris
PL 2 (42)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Rock Star- Guitar) 11 (+13)
Expertise (Street Rat) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth) 1, Daze (Intimidation), Taunt

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Fame & Attention)- Roxy's ego is just like Pizzazz's, though less all-consuming in it's intensity.
Enemy (Jem and the Holograms)- As the most-famous and successful band in the world, The Holograms are standing in the way of Roxy's fame.
Secret (Illiterate)- Roxy dropped out of High School, and thus never learned to read. Because that's where we all learned to read- High School.
Relationship (The Misfits)- Roxy's only friends are The Misfits, and though she puts up a facade of uncaring, she is very insecure about her place in the group- she immediately rejects the notion of bringing in a new member, and she was lost without her bandmates.
Rivalry (Jetta)- Her insecurity led her to reject the new Misfit instantly, and Jetta's bitchines didn't help matters.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (42)

-Roxy is a pretty flat character for most of the show's run- she's effectively "Pizzazz Lite" in almost every way, being a hanger-on who simply joins in the antics while acting like a juvenile delinquent. We only really see more to her when Jetta joins the group and makes an ass of herself (showing Roxy's impatience and insecurity about her own place with the group), and the ludicrously-Aesop-heavy "Illiteracy" episode where she quits The Misfits after they openly laugh at her for her inability to read a teleprompter. It's revealed then that Roxy's an ex-street gang member who dropped out of High School- when she quits the team, she IMMEDIATELY wins the lottery and gets a huge influx of cash... but her illiteracy means she can't read the contracts she signs for some new stuff, and as a result she's taken for everything almost immediately. And Roxy still has a Pizzazz-like craving for attention.

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STORMER (Mary Phillips)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Villain With an "F" in Evil (defining example), The Shy One
Voice Actor: Susan Blu
PL 2 (31)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Rock Star- Keytarist & Songwriter) 12 (+13)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth) 1

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Fame)- Though far less so than her bandmates.
Enemy (Jem and the Holograms)- As she's a Misfit, Stormer is honor-bound to fight against The Holograms, however nice they are.
Responsibility (The Nice One)- Stormer is the only kind-hearted Misfit, and genuinely wants to help those in need, and feels sympathy for others. The other Misfits pester her endlessly about it, and she has been known to betray them in secret to help out a Starlight Girl or a Hologram.
Relationship (The Misfits)- Stormer's only friends are the other Misfits. Even when they mercilessly tease her to the point of quitting, she feels she has to stick by them in the end, because they're hopeless without her.
Relationship (Brother, Craig)- Stormer is very close to her brother. When he starts dating Aja

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (31)

-Stormer is a pretty sure bet for almost everybody's favourite character of the show. I can think of NOBODY who better defines the "Villain Who is Actually Good" trope. See, while The Misfits were conniving tricksters who craved fame and attention, and nearly killed The Holograms several times over it, Stormer was ACTUALLY NICE, and often wanted to make friends, talk about problems, or help people. But she was always bullied by the other girls into toeing the line, and couldn't speak up for herself. This made her a GREAT character, and she ended up being one of the most dynamic personality types on the show- you can get a lot of mileage out of a person acting against their own true nature. It can be both funny AND heartbreakingly-sad. Eventually, it's revealed that she's the TRUE genius of the band, and most of The Misfits' songs come from HER head.
-And I would be remiss in not once-again mentioning The Bands Break Up, the infamous episode in which Kimber & Stormer dump their respective bands at the same time, and do an unanticipated jam session at a club in which they both JUST HAPPEN to be hanging out. The session turns into a terrific song (Kimber had been working on one, and Stormer was just making stuff up), and the girls form their OWN band, complete with Kimber adopting some Misfit-type fashions and the girls being all super-palsy and stuff. And that's pretty much the DEFINING way to set off all those guys who love it when chicks make out (if you're not one of them, then YOU CAN NEVER BE MY FRIEND), and it's since known as "Kimber & Stormer's Lesbian Adventure". There's some chicanery (Eric Raymond gives them a contract promising him Kimber's shares in Starlight Music if they don't produce a Gold Record), some attempted reconciliations and more. The girls DO make their hit record after all, but they both end up back in their respective groups. A totally great, lesbariffic episode.
-Susan Blu, a really iconic voice for 1980s cartoons (you can still hear her once in a while in some things), did her best work as Stormer. She was also Lady Jaye in G.I. Joe (much better and more fun that Scarlett), and Arcee in The Transformers, making her an '80s Goddess. She's gone on to become a respected Voice Director in various animated series, as well. In the comic book series, Stormer is authentically-fat (not just curvy), but in a way that kind of makes her look like a BBW archetype (ie. fat, but actually kinda makes it work). This is partially due to the artist's obvious sexual fetish for rolls of flesh, but I'll be dipped if it doesn't fit the character quite a bit- it justifies her easily-led, wallflower personality compared to her bold, svelter bandmates.

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JETTA (Sheila Burns)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: Patholigal Liar, Consummate Thief
Voice Actor: Louise Dorsey
PL 2 (44)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+3)
Expertise (Rock Star- Saxophone) 11 (+13)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth) 1, Daze (Deception), Fascination (Deception)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Fame)
Enemy (Jem and the Holograms)- As the most-famous and successful band in the world, The Holograms are standing in the way of Jetta's fame.
Secret (Poor)- Coming from a poor family, Jetta habitually makes up a lie that she's actually wealthy, and that her family is close to the Royal Family. Even to her closest "friends" this comes out.
Relationship (The Misfits)- Jetta is a Misfit, but barely seems to care about it.
Rivalry (Roxy)- Jetta and Roxy often compete for Pizzazz's attention.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (44)

-When Jem introduced a new member, The Misfits were to get one, too. Writer Christy Marx attempted to make one of them black, but she was greeted with a HORRIFIED response by her producers, who flat-out said that you couldn't make evil black people in the show. Marx laughed in shock ("which I think embarassed them a bit"), but she conceded to making the new member a Brit. Marx goes into detail on the DVD sets about the casting decisions going in to Jetta- she was given her pick of four actresses. Three had embarassing Dick Van Dyke-style fake Cockney accents (though I swear to God I've heard people use Cockney accents in real life that sound EXACTLY like Van Dyke as the chimneysweep), while the fourth was *gasp* ACTUALLY ENGLISH. Thankfully, that one got the job.
-Jetta was discovered when The Misfits went member-hunting (naturally, to counter-act The Holograms' publicity for their own Talent Search). After rejecting various ideas, Stormer heard a "Wicked Sax!" coming from a club where The Tinkerbillies (British slang for "wannabe rockers" more or less) were playing. Jetta reacted to a rowdy crowd by threatening to beat every single one of them senseless, and sure enough, we had our new Misfit. Now, while Stormer was kind-hearted, Pizzazz was attention-grabbing to appease her childhood self, and Roxy was acting out to impress others, Jetta was pretty much established right away as a patholigical liar who made up a history for her poor family (I've actually met several people who are kind of like that). One episode actually has her trying to bilk Pizzazz- ostensibly one of HER CLOSEST FRIENDS- out of millions of dollars.
-I always thought it was funny that an '80s group would have a devoted SAXOPHONIST. They're the f***ing punk-rocking MISFITS, not the Dave Matthews Band! Never mind that most Misfits songs never HAD a sax in them in the first place. Though Sax Solos could be pretty common back in that era, I suppose. And I can't BELIEVE the show's writers failed to capitalize on an easy "No Sax, Please- We're English" joke. The Comic Book Jetta is actually black, as Marx had inquired about at first (though the creators seem to be exaggerating Marx's point and said she INTENDED for Jetta to be black), effectively only changing the colour of the character's skin. And I mean that- she looks almost identical to Cartoon Jetta, but has a darker hue. It kind of doesn't "go" with her outfit and make-up, actually. And she just looks like a white chick who's been dipped in tea.

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RIO PACHECO
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Love Interest, Angry Boyfriend
Voice Actor: Michael Sheehan
PL 4 (61)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Musical Engineer) 6 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Attractive, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Inspire, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Jerrica Benton)- Jerrica & Rio have been together since they were children. Rio loves her deeply, but...
Relationship (Jem)- Rio is also becoming increasingly-obsessed with the mysterious Jem. He can't decide between either woman, and BOTH know that he cares for the other as well.
Enemy (The Misfits, Eric Raymond)- As Jerrica's boyfriend, Rio is similarly-wrapped-up in the schemes of The Misfits.
Rivalry (The Stingers)- When Riot and the Stingers arrive in town, there's yet ANOTHER rival band on the docket. Riot specifically wants Jem for himself, earning him Rio's ire (and punches).
Hatred ("I despise liars, and I HATE deception!")- Rio flies off the handle if he finds out somebody is lying to him- he once tore Kimber apart for making two dates at the same time. This is why Jerrica has never told him that she is also Jem.
Temper- Rio likes to punch people in the face, especially if they do something to Jerrica or Jem.
Hatred (Potted Plants)
Responsibility (Starlight House & Starlight Music)
Relationship (The Holograms)- Rio is the Hologram's Stage Manager/Engineer, and he cares for each of them.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (61)

-Rio is the Official Love Interest of Jem, and he was introduced as the Stage Manager of the Holograms- a catch-all term for "whatever it is that a band needs that the band themselves can't do". This meant he worked on their equipment, set up tours, did stuff in the studio, etc. Seriously, I'm pretty sure that all the work involved in starting up a band would normally be done by like THIRTY people, and Rio did it all himself. Dude's got a habit for multi-tasking, you see- must take after Alfred Pennyworth (seriously, Alfred cleans that ENTIRE HOUSE by himself, and still has time to make quips to Bruce).
-Because yes, Rio is also the "Lois Lane" of the series. He loved Jerrica Benton AND her alter-ego, Jem. Now, there was NO REASON for Jerrica to keep this fact from Rio- she trusted him as much as her foster sisters in the band. The show justified it later by showing that Rio was a hard-ass because "I DESPISE liars and I HATE deception!", and that's TRUE and Jerrica wisely hides the fact, but... ther was NO REASON why she didn't tell him immediately. She kept him in the dark, and just jumped all over him while in Jem form one day, and the dumbass (who didn't recognize that Jem had the SAME VOICE as Jerrica... nor that her HOLOGRAPHIC HAIR couldn't possibly stand up to the "touch test", as Jerrica had short '80s hair) was all "hey woah this chick is hot and is into me OH CRAP WHAT DO I DO?!?" Seriously, at no point did they explain why Jerrica never told Rio immediately.
-This left Rio looking like a cad, except that BOTH GIRLS knew that he was into the other (I mean, obviously they did, but BOTH of them pointed out to him that they knew about the other... Rio must have been driven insane by all this), so he really wasn't sneaking around on them. There was a hilarious episode where Jerrica tests Rio's love for her by creating a THIRD persona, and MAKES HIM FALL IN LOVE WITH THAT ONE, TOO!! Then she smiles, because this PROVES to her that his love for her is real! JERRICA BENTON IS INSANE! RIO PACHECO IS IN LOVE WITH A CRAZY PERSON!
-Rio's OTHER character traits are that he's got a hair-trigger temper (a frequent occurence is him taking a slight at something another dude said and just punching him square in the face- though sometimes the guy deserves it, like when Eric Raymond slapped Jerrica... another time he just cold-cocked a dude for kissing Jem IN A MOVIE SCENE), and he's really defensive of his friends. But mostly just the temper- the infamous "Rio has an argument with Jerrica, then kicks a potted plant in a huff" scene has been replayed in the fans' memories for years- even Christy Marx (who points out that Rio is her only creation that she's authentically lusted over) points out in a DVD commentary that that scene was RIDICULOUS ("I just want everyone to know that I did NOT write that into the script!"), and made him look like a goober.

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ERIC RAYMOND
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: Corrupt 1980s Businessman
Voice Actor: Charlie Adlon
PL 2 (34)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+7)
Vehicles 1 (+1)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Wealth), Daze (Deception)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Raymond is just a greedy corporate executive, and will do just about anything for money. He tolerates people only so long as they bring him profits.
Reputation (Asshole)- Raymond is TOTAL scum.
Enemy (Jem and the Holograms)- As the most-famous and successful band in the world, The Holograms are standing in the way of Raymond's fortunes- in particular, Jerrica cost him controlling interest in Starlight Music, which lost him a TON of money.
Relationship (The Misfits)- Raymond's biggest money-makers are The Misfits. Unfortunately for him, they are uncontrollable, prone to trashing things (that Raymond had to pay for), and untrustworthy. He can't stand any of them on a personal level, actively insults them to their faces (and receives the same), and yet is forced to do their bidding, as he can't make money without them.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (34)

-Eric Raymond has got to be up there in the top ranks of the greatest assholes in all of fiction. See, for the most part he's no worse than any OTHER 1980s Businessman archetype, what with his blatant greed and vindictiveness ruling his emotions, willing to lie, cheat and steal his way to the top of the Music recording world. However, he has ONE true dick-headed moment of sheer, unadulterated evil, that truly puts him into the elite ranks.
-See, Jerrica/Jem uncovers knowledge of demo tapes recorded by her late mother many years ago- her mother is long since dead, going back at least a decade. She becomes desperate to find these tapes, so that she can release her mother's album as a tribute. After an exhaustive search with a public appeal (which Eric sees). Turns out, Eric has the master tapes (through fleecing Jerrica's company years ago after he was fired, he found them in a warehouse). So what does he do? Demand $1 million up front for them, or she'll "never see them".
-Dickhead, right? So Jerrica goes up to him, and instead of paying him (she can't afford it), desperately pleads to any sense of decency he has, telling him how much getting those songs would mean to her. She's basically got TEARS in her eyes as she's begging him. So what does Eric do? Is he so moved by her tearful outcry that he gives in? Does he have a heart after all?
-Motherf*cker just coldly THROWS THE TAPES INTO A FIRE while Jerrica watches in horror. And then he LAUGHS about it while she cries. In a freaking EIGHTIES CARTOON. Freakin' Megatron & Cobra Commander should BOW before that level of unbelievable evil. Thank God that they got the songs in the end (turns out the super-computer her daddy built before HE died allowed Jerrica to get the songs after all). This kind of unadulterated exceptional evil is to be APPLAUDED in a villain- and best of all, it's semi-grounded so the evil just seems so much MORE excessive by comparison! Ares has compared it to an evil act of Skeletor's... but Skeletor is an evil dictator who wants to KILL He-Man & Company! He's over-the-top, cartoonishly-evil, and is a giant super-villain murderer. Eric is a RECORD EXECUTIVE. And his only beef with Jerrica involves money and competition in the music business. He has NO REASON to be such a dick, and he's never unleashed cartoonish supervillainy before. His act isn't even this grand scheme, or particularly-manipulative or anything- this is easily something a real person could do. That's why the scene resonates so much with me- it's just pointlessly nasty, and paints him as this vicious piece of slime. Beautiful.
-Eric Raymond only has a few major advantages, and he uses them well. A wheeling, dealing, greasy-as-all-hell record executive, he managed to fool Emmett Benton into giving him half-power in his company, and nearly took the whole thing if it wasn't for his classic ego, and his lack of Awareness enough to reign in Pizzazz and the other Misfits enough times. His business sense is pretty nasty, as is his Deception (how he makes his deals, as we've seen AGAIN AND AGAIN on the show... he's nearly inked a whole lot of nasty iron-clad contracts, only to fail at the last moment). Unfortunately, unlike almost every male character in the history of '80s cartoons, he's a COMPLETE wuss in combat, as one punch from Jem's boy-toy Rio is enough to flat-out K.O. him, and he fears Pizzazz's wrath more than almost anything in the world. Spineless in every way, but oh-so-greasy, he's one of the central characters in Jem & The Holograms for good reason; almost no conflict would happen without him.
-He gets some of the best lines and moments, too, like when he's trying to gain sales for Misfits records to win a contest, and he starts literally pulling money out of his own pockets to force old ladies to "buy a Misfits record" (she buys a Holograms one instead, because "these look like such NICE girls!"). And when Techrat is getting the girls to test out a new laser device he created, Eric just looks at him sternly and goes "you gave PIZZAZZ a LASER weapon?"

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My Heterosexuality cannot withstand sexiness of THAT magnitude!

RIOT (Rory Llewellyn)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: Sexy Man-Beast, The Manipulator
Voice Actor: Townsend Coleman, Gordon Grodey (singing voice)
PL 5 (68)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 6

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 2 (+8, +13 Attractive)
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Rock Star- Singer) 8 (+14)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+9, +15 Attractive)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Persuasion), Fascination (Persuasion), Ranged Attack 3, Ultimate Persuasion Skill

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

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

Complications:
Motivation (Greed, Fame & Attention)- Riot is a pure gloryhound, masterminding his own "Stingers" empire.
Reputation (Asshole)- Most who know him realize that he is quite selfish. He once casually dumped a cartoon company into bankruptcy because he didn't like their suggestion that they make his character more likeable ("... No. Cancel the project!" "But if you back out now, the animation company will go bankrupt!" "*shrugs*").
Relationship (Jem)- Riot fell instantly in love with the mysterious, cool Jem, and chases her endlessly around the world. No one may tell him that he cannot have her. He cares little for boring ol' Jerrica (this is how Jem sees through him), and suggests Rio just go with his original girl.
Relationship (Mother & Father)- Riot is devoted to his mother, and joined the army to impress his father. However, he hated the lifestyle, and went A.W.O.L. to form a rock band, shaming his dad. Riot's father punched him on-sight later, and booted him out of their lives. Only the sickness of Riot's mother brings the two closer together.
Relationship (The Stingers)- Despite his selfishness, Riot, Minx & Rapture formed a close bond during their years struggling to make ends meet (playing on the streets for money), and they are very devoted.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (68)

-When Jem began its third season, a new band was created, primarily to sell new toys (which never actually came out, as the line itself failed). Christy Marx & Co. created The Stingers, a THIRD band, featuring Riot, Minx and Rapture. Riot was the main guy, and immediately fell in love with Jem at first sight. This created a HUGE conflict, as Jem was KINDA interested (Riot is basically the hottest dude in the universe), Rio was upset, Riot pointed out that Rio was dating Jem AND Jerrica, and then PIZZAZZ fell in love with Riot at first sight, chasing him around and doing anything she could to impress him (Misfits-fans get upset at the thought of this- it really altered Pizzazz's character).
-Riot was cool, collected, and seductive, using his insane crowd-control to start his namesake riots almost casually. The Holograms (minus Aja, who immediately saw through his exterior to find the slime underneath) were a bit infatuated, but he soon revealed that he was conniving as hell, greedy, and didn't care about anyone other than himself and his band. He merely ASSUMED that Jem would fall for him, and became increasingly-obsessed when he realized she belonged to another. He was an ass, but they actually gave him some depth- he ran away from the army (and his military dad) to become an artist, in a storyline that touched a LOT of people who had similar arguments with their parents about taking their lives in that direction. Their fights almost caused his mother's death (by stress, I suppose), but they made up thanks to Jem, in one of the few episodes NOT to portray Riot as a giant douchebag. He would eventually get his father to help Jem find Ba Nee's father.

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TECHRAT
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: Weird Scientist
Voice Actor: Charlie Adlon
PL 2 (36), PL 8 (36) Scientist
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Perception 2 (+3)
Technology 10 (+18)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Ultimate Technology Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Science)- Techrat really just kinda does stuff for the sheer hell of creating it.
Responsibility (Doesn't Like to be Touched)- Techrat will have a five-alarm freak-out if somebody touches him. The only one to break through his anti-social exterior is Minx- a kindred soul.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (36)

-Techrat was kind of a means to an end in Jem. He's an anti-social ("Don't TOUCH ME!") super-genius working out of a garage, and Eric Raymond has hired him on to be his resident go-to guy for high-tech stuff. Initially he was to give The Misfits "A Gimmick" (like a flying platform or a laser weapon), but occasionally the show delved into COMPLETE weirdness, such as when he built a TIME MACHINE (in his GARAGE, no less), sending The Holograms through the ages to meet various famous acts in music history (like a Jimi Hendrix Expy), and eventually brought a dinosaur back to our timeline. And that's the funniest thing about his whole deal- the guy can BUILD A TIME MACHINE (in a CAVE! Out of SCRAPS!), and his job is specifically to harass a popular rock band.
-Techrat's goofy exterior was good for a laugh as well- he talked kind of like Peter Lorre, had one of those "Mohawk/Bangs" combo things, and generally looked like an '80s-style punk.

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MINX (Ingrid Kruger)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Seductress Extraordinaire
Voice Actor: Kath Soucie, Vickie Sue Robinson (singing voice)
PL 2 (47)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Deception 1 (+6, +11 Attractive)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Rock Star- Keyboards) 8 (+13)
Insight 1 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+7, +12 Attractive)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Persuasion), Fascination (Persuasion), Ultimate Persuasion Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed, Fame & Attention)- Minx loves the things that come along with wealth and respect.
Responsibility (Stunning)- Minx can have literally any man she wants but one (see below), and as such, has a constant throng of admirers, which can be some bother if they have nothing to offer her.
Relationship (Rio)- Rio DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH MINX, something which is completely astonishing to her. The very fact that there's a man out there that she can't have is all she needed to fall desperately into lust with him.
Relationship (The Stingers)- Despite their selfishness, Riot, Minx & Rapture formed a close bond during their years struggling to make ends meet (playing on the streets for money), and they are very devoted.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (47)

-Minx is the manipulative Female Sex Symbol of her group, easily controlling the many men in her life- getting them to do whatever she wants. She's so good with men that TECHRAT allows her to touch him! It helps that she's a natural with technology. The only man who didn't fall head over heels for Minx was Rio (who has his plate full with babes, thank you very much), which of COURSE sends her into pangs of lust for him. Minx was usually a hanger-on of Riot when she wasn't chasing Rio around, though her one episode of focus is quite great. If only because it has EXACTLY the wrong morals. See, Minx is rescued from drowning by Rio, and in return, she basically offers to change her entire personality to be more helpful. However, she overdoes it by giving the kids too much ice cream, noisy and annoying toys, etc., and so the ENTIRE HOLOGRAMS set out to talk her down from doing "Just Too Much". This of course sets her off on the path of suicide, but she recovers enough to dump the Holograms and her new philosophy to join The Stingers once again. Nice job breaking it, HOLOGRAMS.

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RAPTURE (Phoebe Ashe)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Con-Woman
Voice Actor: Ellen Gerstell, Vickie Sue Robinson (singing voice)
PL 2 (56)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 7 (+11)
Expertise (New Age Crap/Stage Magic) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Rock Star- Guitars) 10 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+5)
Perception 2 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 5 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Deception), Fascination (Deception), Ultimate Deception Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed, Fame & Attention)- Rapture loves the things that come along with wealth and respect. She ESPECIALLY likes wealth.
Obsession (Cons)- Rapture simply LOVES running Cons on people- telling them that gemstones have magical properties, that she can help them lose weight, or that she's the reincarnation of Houdini.
Relationship (The Stingers)- Despite their selfishness, Riot, Minx & Rapture formed a close bond during their years struggling to make ends meet (playing on the streets for money), and they are very devoted.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (56)

-Rapture is the least-developed of the Stingers triad, being a simple Con-Woman who rips off the rich. Her sole episode of focus came when she was conning an old woman about being Houdini's reincarnation or channelling his spirit or somesuch thing, and as a result, she nearly drowned doing an Escape Artist trick because the electronic locks she had Minx put in malfunctioned. It took the Holograms' friend (and potential new doll) Astral, a fellow musician, to uncover her scheme.

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This show is like hardcore pornography to hair fetishists.

DANSE (Giselle Dvorak)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Ally
Voice Actor: Desiree Goyette
PL 2 (61)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 6 (+6)
Expertise (Dancing) 10 (+14)
Expertise (Runaway Children) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +8 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Fascination (Dancing), Ultimate Dancing Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Helping Wayward Children)- Giselle runs Haven House so that young runaways have a safe place to be.
Responsibility (Lost Parents)- Giselle is searching for her lost mother and father, who disappeared years ago.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (61)

-Danse is one of the more interesting side characters of the show, despite using their usual dull "Stage Moniker" naming convention (Danse, Video, it's a wonder that Linsey Pierce wasn't named "Reporter" instead). Like the Holograms, she runs her own charity- Haven House, a home for wayward teens and other kids that run away from home or need somewhere safe to stay (you didn't need to force morals & "Very Special Episodes" on the Jem writers- Christy Marx was a HUGE proponent of this stuff, and put it through tons of episodes). She's also some extraordinary ballerina, and she even gets a few episodes of focus. One time, she got her leg injured, and had to go through intense physiotherapy, while falling in love with some blind guy (who had his eyes fixed at episode's end, and Danse hilariously asked, when he finally saw her for the first time, that "I hope you're not too disappointed" in her nigh-flawless visage). In another, the former-blind guy was gone, and she'd hooked up with some dancer in her native Yugoslavia, where it turns out her lost mother was a famed ballerina, and her father was some government rebel who was fighting the guy who tried to split him from his wife (Danse's mother). It was a weird little episode, all devoted to political upheavals and stuff. In a show about day-glo neon musicians competing.

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ZIPPER
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Goon
Voice Actor: Charlie Adler
PL 3 (30)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +0

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (30)

-Zipper was utilized in the early seasons as Eric Raymond's personal hired goon. He was responsible for burning down the first Starlight House (they later got Starlight Mansion, which had a lot less character to it, really), and actually tied Kimber up in an ACTIVE VOLCANO once- an act of sheer criminal malice that resulted in him being beaten down by Rio, arrested, and then gone from the series. The show was relatively careful to make sure the Misfits never ACTUALLY tried to commit murder, despite often endangering them- at one point they actually warned The Holograms about a bomb that'd been placed under their stage (during "The Princess and the Rock Star"), and pointed out that they may HATE Jem, but killing them is too far. Of course, there was the time they trapped them in the timestream, but that's what happens when you have multiple writers on one series.


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VIDEO (Vivien Montgomery)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Director
Voice Actor: Noelle North
PL 2 (39)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Rock Video Director) 11 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth), Ultimate Director Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Music Videos)- Video is a perfectionist to a T, and always seeks to top herself.
Rivalry (Clash)- Video's cousin is a constant thorn in her side.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (39)

-Video was more often than not a means to an end on Jem, in that the Holograms needed Music Videos, and Video was there to direct them. She's sort of a generic "Positive" character with few real flaws, and only showed up for six episodes.

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CLASH (Constance Montgomery)
Created By:
Christy Marx
Role: The Dumb Henchman
Voice Actor: Noelle North
PL 2 (39)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 10 (+11)
Technology 3 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Ultimate Deception Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Becoming a Misfit)- Clash idolizes The Misfits, and follows them like a lapdog trying to gain their favour. She desperately wants to join the band, despite having little talent for music.
Rivalry (Video)- Clash was doted on by her father, and became extremely competitive with her cousin Vivien.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (39)

-Clash was actually much more interesting than Video, in that she was a hanger-on of The Misfits who did all their dirty work, and idolized them completely. By contrast, they barely cared for her, and kept her around only as long as she was useful. Once she screwed up, or they got bored of her, she would be brutally rejected in a hurtful manner. The best "Clash" episode that really focused on her (Father's Day was more Kimber's episode, as I stated in the preamble) was the one where she went undercover as "Sarah" to film The Holograms at their worst to appease Pizzazz. She actually discovered that the Holograms actually CARED for one another, and were actually NICE to "Sarah", which was a huge contrast to The Misfts' behavior. Still blind to their flaws (even after Pizzazz royally tore her a new one in Father's Day, claiming you had to be BORN a Misfit), she still betrayed the Holograms- only Video's intervention saved the day (the classic "Tape-Switch" led to some Misfit embarassment).

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+2: Barracudas,
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist, Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills,
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm,
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangs,
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker,
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Hydro Man,
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Killer Whales, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro,
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail),
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, The Thing, Colossus
+14: Sasquatch
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh,
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Giant-Man (Max Size), The Kraken,
+18: Thor (Hammer)
+20: Red Ronin
+21: Red Ronin's Blade
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

King of the Hill

Post by Jabroniville »

"Dad? How come if a guy sleeps with a whole lot of girls, he's a player; but if a girl sleeps around, she's a slut?"
"*sigh* It's called a 'Double Standard', Bobby. And don't knock it- we got the LONG end of that one!"


KING OF THE HILL:
-King of the Hill is one of those shows that kind of sneaks up on people. I was guaranteed to be a fan, thanks to Mike Judge being involved in the show's creation, having just wrapped up the social satire of Beavis & Butt-Head. But to a lot of people, the weird combination of subtle jokes and broad humor, character-based humor, and the fact that satire goes over a lot of people's heads (there are people on the internet who hate the show because Hank is a close-minded person. Even though that is THE JOKE), gives the show a bad rap. I've actually read some funny rants from both sides of the political spectrum, assuming that the show holds one viewpoint or the other- Liberals who smirk knowingly and act like the show is 100% liberal (it ain't), and Conservatives who act like the show always represents THEIR side (it doesn't).

The trick is, KOTH is complete satire, and it cuts deeply into both liberals AND conservatives. Judge based the show off of his upbringing in New Mexico (the voice of B&B's Tom Anderson and Hank Hill was based off of a thick-drawling redneck who lived on Judge's childhood paper route), and sets it in central Texas, where the characters are super-Christian, vote Republican, love Big Oil, and act like sticks in the mud about their "proper morals". But while it takes frequent aim at these die-hard conservatives, it ALSO draws both barrels of their satire at wussy, government-regulations-rule-all, whiny hippie liberals! Hell, half the time, Hank is shown to be IN THE RIGHT, and the lefties are the ones who look ridiculous (such as when Hank is forced to re-hire a DRUG ADDICT because it's illegal to fire someone for incompetence due to drug use. And yes, that's a real thing). As someone who's voted on the left in pretty much every election since I turned eighteen, even I'LL tell you that egotistical liberals can stand to be taken down a peg or two.

This, I think, is ultimately the best kind of satire. South Park exists on the same level- while there's a lot of Libertarian-esque stuff from Matt & Trey, they understand perfectly that BOTH sides have their share of idiots, and that going too far over to one or the other is foolish behavior.

---

The Show:
-It's a pretty simple set-up: your standard Family Sitcom, with a by-the-book, old-school father, a standard-issue housewife, a goofy son, another live-in relative, wacky neighbors, etc. And the show's so laid-back and low-key that it barely even needs to be ANIMATED- short of the Voice Actors not matching their characters- VAs frequently do double-duty (and Bobby Hill is one hell of a sexy chick), you could easily pull this show off as Live-Action. Mike Judge formed most of the early characters, but it was fellow Show-Runner Greg Daniels (The Simpsons, The Office) that added more depth to things- making Dale a Right-Wing Conspiracy Nut, giving him a cheating wife and a biracial son, adding Luanne (to focus Hank's distaste of sexuality), etc. He also gave the world Cotton Hill.

But then the show goes all-out in creating this hilarious supporting cast- and in an unusual twist, the characters don't simply become more-exaggerated and Flanderized, like in most long-running series- they get NEW facets as well! John Redcorn, for example, starts off as a parody of the "Wise Native American" who speaks in myth while the wind rustles his hair... but he's banging Dale Gribble's wife. But then the show turns him into this '80s rocker loser who's possibly suicidal and also a complete hypocrite. Nancy Gribble goes from a one-note joke (cheating on her husband and passing off her lover's child as Dale's) into one of the more-complex and funny characters, adding numerous new facets (ego, scheming, guilt, and then oddly GENUINE LOVE for her husband).

Running gags are used frequently- Hank's narrow urethra and love for propane are the most famous, but some of them go insanely-complex to the point where only long-time viewers even GET half the jokes in later seasons- such as why it's funny that Dale thinks that the new neighbors' kid sharing a father with his son involves aliens. Other gags include Bill's history as an all-star athlete, Peggy's big feet, her inability to speak spanish.

The show isn't afraid to make jokes out of uncomfortable subjects, either (the "Dethroning Moment of Suck" page on TV Tropes is classic for people crying about "you shouldn't JOKE about that!".. it's also a den of hilarity for people who are so thick-headed they can't get the joke in ANYTHING)- one of the biggest running gags involves Bill's suicidal tendencies (which are played FOR LAUGHS) and the hell that his life has become. Dale being a cuckold and victim of years of cheating is almost NEVER taken seriously. Joseph being a complete basket-case teen pervert as he gets older is also there. Making fun of fat people is an omnipresent thing. The gang finds out that Khan is manic-depressive, and actually KEEP HIS MEDICATION FROM HIM because they find he's a more-cheerful, hard worker in his "manic" phase. Hank is as bigoted against gays as Homer Simpson used to be, and it's played for laughs.

And the show can become GENUINELY TOUCHING, as well. Poor Bobby getting dumped by an older girl, and not understanding why, is heartbreaking ("I just wanna KNOW... why you were DANCING with those other guys!!"). Bill finally coming to terms with his divorce was a great moment, not diminished by the fact that it was usually just a running gag before that. Boomhauer, more of a gag than a real character, has a huge tour-de-force when he finds out his ex-girlfriend is marrying his philandering brother. Luanne's conversations with Buckley's angel are great, even though we're talking about a stereotypical Slacker Teen who died by his own stupidity. Bobby willing to "play through the pain" to dance with Connie at school, despite his gout. Cotton teaching Peggy how to walk again- and coming through on his promise to let her dance on his grave. And man- that episode where Bobby nearly becomes a Lama, and is forced to choose between his girlfriend, and becoming an important religious figure? The culmination of that one is a masterwork.

Acceptable Targets: Nerds. People who own animals other than dogs (this fits the "Proper Man" attitude Hank has). Teenagers, who are viewed as lazy slackers who only want to party and hang out (and bully younger kids). Pagans (depicted as utter losers). Overly-religious people. The elderly (even sympathetic portrayals comment on their insanity, their horrible smell, and constant verbal-abusiveness). Bureaucrats and government regulations on things. Overly-right-wing Conspiracy types. Gun nuts. College students (shown to be know-nothing liberals who are sure they have all the answers). The police (usually viewed as lazy, incompetent or aggressive. Athletes (shown to be idiots as a general rule). Medical professionals (often shown to be straight-up incorrect or just out to make a buck. A FEW are shown positively, if a bit annoying).

The Flaws:
-The worst part about the show, for me, is the lack of continuity in later episodes, and the way some characters kind of go over the edge. EASILY the most-annoying thing to the show's fanbase was the revelation about Luanne's father (more on that with her family's builds). The whole "Luanne marries Lucky" thing annoyed EVERYBODY, as a huge part of her Character Arc involved getting out of that hole. That stupid episode where a meat company owner losers his mind is beyond-ridiculous, too- it's revealed that he's delusional and wants to re-create the image on his company's packaging... with HIM as the pig. Then he shocks himself sane just before he's messily-killed by the meat-packing assembly line. And Peggy & Luanne WATCH THIS, and just basically blow off the fact that they just saw a man torn to pieces in front of them. The whole episode just doesn't WORK with the more low-key element of the show.


The Cast:
Hank Hill- The stoic, impeccably-old-fashioned Assistant Manager of Strickland Propane. Very much believes in the "proper way of doing things", to the point of parody. Worships propane, the Republican party, Jesus, and tears up at the mere mention of a convoy.
Peggy Hill- Stereotypical housewife who soon shifts into a narcissist who constantly over-estimates her own abilities- she automatically assumes she's a genius, declares even gorgeous college-age girls as "equally pretty" compared to her (and this is at her most-mournful, low-self-esteemiest), and imagines herself to be a fluent Spanish speaker.
Bobby Hill- Hank & Peggy's son. Rather than act like a Big Strong Texan like his dad, Bobby's a natural jokester, extremely-lazy, and showcases numerous effeminate tendencies, horrifying Hank.
Luanne Platter- Peggy's fanservicey niece- airheaded and bubble-bodied, but dreams of Something More.

The Alley:
Dale Gribble- Hank's Conspiracy Nut friend. Anti-government and a gun-worshipping nut.
Bill Dauterive- A former High School Football star turned into a fat, whiny slob. Ruined over his divorce, he longs for his ex-wife and constantly cries and has to be kept from committing suicide.
Boomhauer- Hank's fast-talking, and wisest, friend. The ultimate ladies' man.

The Neighbors:
Nancy Hicks-Gribble- Dale's wife. Cheated on him constantly for years. Vain, selfish and scheming, even in her best moments.
Joseph Gribble- Bobby's best friend. Initially a wacky, more-streetwise kid, but morphs into an awkward ball of hormones once puberty hits.
Khan Souphanousinphone- Hank's biggest rival- a grouchy, elitist, success-seeking, status-loving, social-climbing Laotian.
Minh Souphanousinphone- Khan's screechy, but somewhat more level-headed (in that she knows to restrain her elitism in front of others- merely coming off as condescending instead of violently-rude) wife.
Connie Souphanousinphone- Khan's daughter. Has a relationship with Bobby for a long time, despite being very different- she's hard-working, smart and capable; and resents her parents' manipulations and lecturing.
John Redcorn- A stereotypically-wise Native American who is also a giant hypocrite (he's sleeping with Dale's wife, and fathered her son), and later turns into a pathetic figure.

Strickland Propane:
Buck Strickland- Hank's boss- a wealthy, hedonistic fool. Hank appears blind to his flaws for years.
Jo-Jack- Alcoholic, lazy sort.
Roger Sack- Stand-up comic turned Propane worker.
Enrique- Attention-seeking, overly-eager loser.
Donna- From Accounting. Really, REALLY wide hips.

The School:
Principal Moss- A by-the-book pencil-pusher with no backbone in fighting policies. Turns into an even MORE pathetic figure with time.
Clark Peters- Standard-issue bully.
Doolie- Standard-issue bully. Voiced like Butt-Head, and gets some of the greatest one-off lines.

Others:
Lucky- Luanne's eventual love interest. A stupid, but good-hearted, redneck. One of the fandom's most-hated characters.
Cotton Hill- Hank's assholish, abusive father. A War Hero who nonetheless turned into a violent grouch. A long arc is his disappointment in raising Hank, and his comparative love for Bobby.
Jimmy Wichard- A "Village Idiot" type.
Monsignor Martinez- Running Gag. A TV show character who kills people.
Chuck Mangione- A musician who's forced to work for Megalo-Mart.
Ted Wassonasong- A wealthy Laotian whom Khan worships. Affable, but every bit as status-obsessed and snobbish as Khan.
Octavio- Dale's "Go-To-Guy" for nefarious (but usually harmless) activities.

Hank tearing into Cotton over his behavior towards Hank's mom, pointing out that he's afraid of strong women, AND convinces everyone in the focus-group room to reject the fancy new mower in favor of the old one (even KAHN takes Hank's side in the end- as the zero-turning-radius flips it over- "iiiiii HATE this mower!").

Luanne having to deal with slack-ass, lazy roommates who call everyone who tries to enforce rules a "Nazi". Cotton & Lucky come to visit, at which point the jackass calls COTTON a Nazi. Cotton then teachers him the flaw in calling a World War II veteran such a term... but headbutting him in the stomach, then leading Lucky in to do presumably-horrible things to the kid.

*Hank walks into Bobby's bedroom, ready to scold him for being in Home Economics. Bobby is holding a dirty cheerleader uniform.* "... There better be a naked cheerleader under your bed."

Connie: "But Bobby, what about your gout?"
Bobby: "My DAD always says, when you want something bad enough, you play through the pain..." (the emphasis he puts on the last phrase KILLS me)

Kahn angrily finding Bobby Hill half-dressed in Connie's room, kicking him out, and ratting on him to Hank. Hank is not only NOT angry, but TOTALLY RELIEVED, and then conspires to help them talk to each other.

Bobby, choosing among all of the items in front of him, to determine whether or not his is the reincarnation of Lama Sanglug. Worried over a life of celibacy, he chooses Connie's reflection in a mirror that's been placed on the blanket.
"But that was Sanglug's mirror!"
"He did not pick it."
"But he USED it!"
"Hm. Tough call. But it was mine, and I made it."

Hank: "Bobby, I never thought I'd need to tell you this, but I would be a bad parent if I didn't. Soccer was invented by European ladies to keep them busy while their husbands did the cooking."
Bobby: "Why do you have to hate what you don't understand?"
Hank: "I don't HATE you, Bobby!"

Dale finally telling Bill what he REALLY thinks of the Harmonaholics. "Bill!! Bill, you have to be the stupidest man on the planet to think this is a good idea! Have you seen what you're wearing?! That outfit makes you look like a sequined train wreck! Look at you!! You're part of a twelve-headed jackass! This chorus is the feces that is produced when shame eats too much stupidity! You people make me envy the deaf and the blind!" He goes so hard that he exhausts himself, finally clawing towards Bill while his energy flags, muttering "Underwear! ...Money! ...Fat!"

Peggy: "I actually let myself believe that these [her feet] were beautiful. Can you imagine? Peggy Hill, that's stupid."
Bobby: "I can imagine, Mom. I'm fat."
Peggy: "Oh, no, honey, you're husky! It says so on your jeans."
Bobby: "Mom, I'm fat. But big deal. I don't feel bad about it, and you never made me feel bad about it. And just because there are people out there who want me to feel bad about it doesn't mean I have to. So Bobby Hill's fat. He's also funny, he's nice, he's got a lot of friends, a girlfriend. And if you don't mind, I think I'll go outside right now and squirt her with water. What are you going to do?"

When Hank rescued Buck from a bunch of lowlife gamblers, he gets so upset over Buck (who'd put Bobby in danger in order to gamble) taunting the men that he slows down JUST enough to allow one of them to punch his boss in the face.

Hank's showdown with the pimp from Alabaster County. "I'm the Mack Daddy of Heimlich County! I play it straight-up, yo!" Though my favorite part is a hooker warning Hank that "he's small, but he's SCRAPPY!" and Hank just sadly informs her "um, no offense, but... he's from OKLAHOMA." Just perfect delivery from Mike Judge.

Hank, upset over a false-charge of a porno video showing up at the rental store, refuses to pay the fee, and instead TAKES THEM TO COURT, where he finally proves once and for all that he could not have rented the video. The best part is Hank watching porn for research and shaking his pen to get the ink flowing again... at which point Peggy walks in and can only see him from behind.

Peggy slowly training herself to say the names of private parts out loud, in order to teach Sex Ed. Probably the first time I've ever heard a cartoon character scream out "VAAAAAA-GINA!"

Cotton: I was 14, just a little older than Bobby. But I knew Uncle Sam needed me, so I lied and signed up. We had beat the Nazzys in Italy, and they shipped me to the Pacific theater. A Tojo torpedo sent our troop ship to the bottom. I could only save three of my buddies: Fatty, Stinky, and Brooklyn. They were kind of like you fellas [to Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer], only one of them was from Brooklyn. Out of the sun came a Tojo Zero and put fitty bullets in my back. The blood attracted sharks. I had to give 'em Fatty. Then things took a turn for the worse. I made it to an island, but it was full of Tojos! They were spitting on the U.S. flag! So I rushed 'em, but it was a trap. They opened fire and blew my shins off. Last thing I remember, I beat 'em all to death with a big piece of Fatty. I woke up in a field hospital, and they were sewing my feet to my knees.

"Gentlemen, the crap has literally been scared out of me."

The four men carrying Chet Elderson's coffin at his funeral... only for Dale to trip them up, causing all four of them to tumble into the grave... while Dale pantses Chet's corpse. In front of his widow.

(Patch Boomhauer attempts to blame Hank for the hiring of ladies of ill repute for his bachelor party)
"Nawm... Hank, man! Hank LOOOOVES hookers!!"

Dale: "Hey, tell you what, the dang ol' detector, man. Talkin' about government take away freedom of smoke, man. Tell you what, dang ol' yo, man."
Hank: "Hey, man, I'll tell you what, man that dang ol' boy ain't right, man. Talkin' 'bout gonna kick that dang ol' ass, man."
Boomhauer: "For God's sake, Hank. Act like an adult, man. And keep it down, guys, will you? I'm trying to get through an article on vintage Camaros and I've been on the same dang page for 20 minutes."
Bill: "Dang ol', pretty pretty pizza, I'll tell you what."
-Boomhauer's recollection of the events at the firehall.

*Hank's going on about the High School football game again*
Hank: "We've got a game against RUSHFORD next week!"
Bobby: *not part of the conversation* "CRUSH RUSHFORD!"
Hank: *earnestly* "... You're a good son, Bobby."

"He's already got the BLACK vote... EARL. And the GAY vote... EARL."

"Well your mother is so ugly- it AFFECTS HER SELF-ESTEEM."

"The only woman I'm pimpin' is Sweet Lady Propane. And I'm tricking her out ALL OVER TOWN..."



(Hank has injured his back, and his doctor suggests Workers' Compensation to take time off and heal)
"WORKERS' COMP!?!? Do I look like a HOBO to you?!?"

---

(to a Christian Rocker) "Don't you realize? You're not making Christianity BETTER- you're just making rock & roll WORSE!"


HANK HILL (Hank Rutherford Hill)
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Main Character, Upstanding Moral Citizen
PL 4 (67), PL 6 (67) Propane
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Acoustic Guitar) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Propane) 15 (+16)
Expertise (Football Player) 2 (+2) -- (uses Agility)
Expertise (Lawn Care) 12 (+13)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+5)
"I'll Kick Your Ass!" Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+5)
Technology 1 (+2)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Multi-Tool, Ride-On Mower, Pickup Truck), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill (Propane)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Relationship (Peggy)- Hank loves his wife and son dearly, though cannot bring himself to SAY SO openly.
Relationship (Bobby)- "That boy ain't right"- Bobby's effeminate tendencies are a constant source of worry. Hank has been forced to learn about 150 times that Bobby
Relationship (And Luane, to a Lesser Extent)- Hank usually feels put-upon by the niece who's forced to stay at his house, and often only barely tolerates her. However, he will occasionally find himself defending her.
Relationship (Dale)- Dale is one of Hank's oldest friends, but also a giant idiot and a pain in the ass. Hank sees nothing wrong in calling him out on this.
Relationship (Bill)- Bill used to block for Hank on the Football team, and as a result, Hank feels he constantly owes him a debt of gratitude. However, Bill is a tiresome, whiny, self-absorbed, and thus a constant source of annoyance.
Relationship (Boomhauer)- Hank deeply-respects Boomhauer, and considers him the most level-headed and quotable out of their group.
Hatred (Emotions)- Hank does not deal well with emotions- people showing excessive joy, love or sadness will make him deeply-uncomfortable (unless it involves Football). Even his closest friends' crying will send him fleeing for the hills.
---
Responsibility (Integrity)- Hank always tries to be upstanding and righteous in his actions- though insightful at times, he can be gullible in thinking that everyone ELSE is as moral as HE is (such as paying sticker-price for every vehicle he's ever bought, simply because he assumes the salesmen wouldn't cheat him). He will not record a football game "Without the express written consent of the NFL and the network".
Responsibility (America)- Hank is a true patriot- he won't even buy Japanese *TVs*!
Responsibility (Texas)- Hank is a proud Texan, and refuses to see any problems with his native state. All stereotypical Texan industries & obsessions are held in high esteem- the beef industry, beer (Hank admonishes Peggy when she surprises him, "I ALMOST spit out BEER..."), gas, Big Tex, ranching, pickup trucks and High School Football among them.
Obsession (Propane)- Hank worships Propane so much that he and Peggy "have an understanding about that". Insults against it are taken seriously, and things like electric grills and butane (a "bastard gas") are abhorrent.
Responsibility (The Republican Party)- Hank is a devout Conservative.
Responsibility (Ronald Reagan)- "I MISS voting for that man..." Hank even angrily looked at Bobby when the boy even ASKED which President he should write a report on- the answer should have been obvious, naturally.
Responsibility (Old-Fashioned Ways)- Hank is so old-school that the AMISH consider him extreme. He is shaken to his core when a Presidential nominee he respects gives off a limp handshake. Holding hands in public is excessive. Homosexuality is to be feared as "horribly wrong", as are any effeminate tendencies. He considers boy band music and Disney Radio to be hyper-sexual perversions.
Responsibility (Easily-Embarrassed)- Hank is easily-humiliated when any personal things are mentioned. Anyone seeing his underwear (even a niece like Luanne), being affectionate in public, and just about anything else, will draw a "Bwaaaaahhhh!" and fill him with shame. Therefore, the Universe will always seek to humiliate him- culminating when a group of family members and young med students watch a camera video of his colon during a bout of severe constipation.
---
Relationship (Buck Strickland)- Hank feels that he owes Buck dearly for bringing him to Propane, and still admires his boss, but finds himself growing tired of constantly bailing Buck out of his poor decisions as the seasons go by.
Relationship (His Truck)- Hank loves pickup trucks so much that he begins weeping openly (an astonishing act for him) when his begins to break down.
Disabled (Narrow Urethra)- Hank's narrow urethra prevents him from having children successfully (Bobby's conception being a bit of a miracle), and kept him from the army- it was thought he would be unable to urinate easily, "especially with others WATCHING..."
Disabled (No Ass)- Hank requires a gluteal orthotic to sit down properly, lest he end up with severe back pain.
Responsibility (His Lawn)- Hank will brook no insult of his lawn, and mourns openly anytime something bad happens to it. Tire marks, broken bottles, anthills and Garden Gnomes will all fill him with horror.
Obsession (Football)- Hank worships the Dallas Cowboys, and is obsessed with High School Football... despite having no son in High School.
Responsibility (Strickland Propane)- Hank is a hard worker, and defends his workplace strenuously. Moreso than any of his lazy co-workers.
Responsibility ("I'll Kick Your Ass!")- Hank has a hostile temper when crossed, and often threatens those who annoy him. This was worse in earlier seasons.
---
Rivalry (Kahn)- Kahn is Hank's arrogant, xenophobic next-door-neighbor. The two disagree on almost everything.
Rivalry ("Thatherton!")- The corrupt, untrustworthy Thatherton is a big rival to Strickland Propane, and in fact used to work for Buck and quit, making Hank question his tactics and loyalty forevermore.
Relationship (Cotton Hill)- Hank has a mixed-up relationship with his father. His Texas upbringing means that "Father Knows Best", except Cotton is a racist, hostile, abusive old man who openly-disrespects his son in front of others, and is a constant source of worry.
Secret (New Yorker)- Hank is a native New Yorker, having been born in the ladies' washroom at Yankees Stadium. He doesn't take this well.
Rivalry (Oklahoma)- Hank despises the Sooners, and finds the notion that an Oklahoman could be good in a fight absurd.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (67)

-Hank is the main character of the show, and we usually see things through his eyes- he's old-school, by-the-book, and utterly-devoted to Propane, God and Texas. Though a bit of an extreme case (which gets pushed forward in some episodes more than others), the show's writers carefully ensure than everyone else around him is even MORE nuts, thus making Hank come off more normal by contrast.
-The joke with Hank Hill is just HOW "By-The-Book" and old-school he is, and how perfectly he matches the Stereotypical Texan. When his boss declares a fake propane emergency to get Hank to show up and bail him out, Hank is aghast at the breach of rules, and says "we're in for a fine once I report us!" Because OF COURSE HE WOULD. Hank refuses to hold hands with his wife in public, rarely shows affection to anyone (Peggy is still annoyed over his proposal- "Gosh you know I shore am fond of you, Peg- I tell you what!"), is ashamed of his inability to shoot straight (Peggy reacts perfectly- being horrified, then mournfully declares "I STILL LOVE YOU!"), and goes on a long soul-searching quest over his horror at George W. Bush having a weak handshake, thus shaking the diehard Republican's faith in the then-Presidential nominee (in one of the show's best bits, Hank is caught speeding back to the polls, and when the cop goes "You haven't VOTED YET?" they immediately clip to both of them speeding down the highway, with the cop's lights & sirens clearing the path to the voting booth).
-And Hank's Voice Acting is a thing of BEAUTY- his co-workers describe him as being the kind of guy who can make every line funnier than you'd have ever imagined it to be "on paper"- it's so good that just READING Hank's lines can't give you any sense of how funny they are. Like that time the truckers offered to guide Hank's ruined big-rig by driving along him in a big line, and Hank just chokes up and goes, "You mean like-- a CONVOY??" Sound okay just looking at it, but the fact that Judge LITERALLY does the "choke up" effect just nails it- Hank is beyond-overjoyed at getting to live every little boy's dream (especially every SOUTHERN little boy's), and you don't even need to know what happens in the rest of the episode- it's like Hank's whole life story was reflected in that line delivery. It's Judge's skills that basically make Hank a "Fountain of Memes"- from his famous "BWAAAAAHHHHH!!" of shock
-Hank is kinda funny to stat out, because he's ridiculously skilled. Not so many high ranks in most things (his Football career is way past him), especially to super-hero levels, but in terms of selling propane, and making propane-based things? Well then Hank is basically Reed Richards. Not to mention his skills at lawn care- his lawn is the envy of the neighborhood, and he's so proficient with grass-themed science that he could cut Arlen High's field in JUST SUCH A MANNER as to sabotage the other team's attempts at playing (leaving the grass too long right where the kicker makes his Punts... or whatever the football term is).
-He's fairly big and strong, but is well past his physical prime, so he has high Strength but low Dex. He can be scary when he needs to, and the rest of him is pretty basic civilian stuff. Still, check those Complications. Only comedy-themed characters (and Spider-Man) end up with THAT many.

ANTHONY PAGE
Played By:
David Herman
Role: Obstructive Bureaucrat
PL 0 (1)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Social Services) 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit (Rank- Social Services)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Obsession (Self-Righteous Moral Crusader)- Page frequently interjects when he sees injustice. He fights vociferously for those whom he feels are victims, even if they're not.
Responsibility (Obstructive)- Anthony invades Strickland Propane and DEMANDS they hire back an incompetent drug addict, since they have a responsibility to take care of him.
Hatred (Rednecks)- Page looks down on Southerners.
Disabled (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (1)

-Seen in the very-first King of the Hill episode, Anthony was our first sign of what this show was going to be like- it'd make FUN of rednecks, sure, but they'd knock disrespectful Big City Folk all the same- even those on the left. Anthony Page is a bureaucrat with Social Services, and gets word through a rumor mill than the famously-temperamental Hank has been beating his son, and decides to invade the Hills' home life and becomes a general nuisance, unwilling to listen to reason. A big part of the problem is that he hates "rednecks", and comes off like a self-righteous twit who hates old-fashioned types like Hank. His design, while basic, is perfect for the character- a skinny little "twig boy" with tiny eyes, glasses and a wrist-brace for carpal-tunnel syndrome, you immediately realize that he's wimpy and twerpy without him having to speak a word.
-Anthony returns in the second season (for some reason, I assumed it was MUCH later), after Hank fires a new hire because he keeps showing up for work while high. The employee runs back to Strickland Propane the very next day with Page in tow- Page (whom nobody recognizes) informs everyone that "It's against the LAW to fire this man!" because of laws & regulations that state that drug addicts have a "disability" and therefore their employers have a responsibility to keep them on and pay for their rehab and all of that- and must now do basically whatever they say so long as they stick to rehab. This sounds like a hilarious example of government overreach, but I can assure you that THIS IS COMPLETELY ACCURATE, and businesses are often forced to pay out the nose to keep addicts on the payroll. I've seen it as a Union Steward, and a friend who works in Human Resources has also- despite no medical professional worth their salt calling addictions a "disease", they can be argued as being disabled people. It's like... I'm sympathetic to the causes of the truly-disabled, but the guy shoving his whole paycheck up his nose because he MADE A DECISION to use drugs is a whole different animal than the employee who gets hurt on the job, or needs a chair to get around because he has cancer, y'know?
-In the show, the other employees of Strickland Propane take this to its logical conclusion, inventing various "disabilities" for themselves (one employee says that he has Priapism, and thus needs a roomier workspace with an inrestricted view of Debbie), until Hank is able to make up a condition- that he cannot abide by people not willing to work their hardest. Page is disgusted at Hank's attempt to compare himself to the truly-disabled (then points to his carpal-tunnel wrist-guard), and Hank is forced to quit his job to allow Strickland to bypass the law around keeping addicts on the payroll and fire the employee once and for all. Hank is then re-hired.
-Page has nothing really going for his statistically, save for the fact that as an agent of the law (of sorts), he wields power over others- he has the power to take Bobby from his home, and can fine Strickland Propane for firing their incompetent drug addict of an employee. Curiously, he's not even GOOD AT HIS JOB- his boss (himself a Southerner who doesn't appreciate Page's "redneck" cracks) points out that Page should have, you know, INTERVIEWED THE WITNESSES to Hank's supposed "assault" of Bobby. Basically he's an educated idiot- the kind of character you'd see a LOT in Arlen over the years.

(sobbing after she watches Hank talk on-end with two young female nudists)
"*gasp*! You don't want ME!... You want OTHER women! YOUNGER, EQUALLY PRETTY WOMEN!"


(able to give Bobby his birthday cake in front of his friends like she does every year, as promised, despite his objections)
"That's right, in your face BO-EEEEEE!! My name's Peggy! Pull your leg-y! Kch-Kch-Kch-Kch! Kch-Kch-Kch-Kch! (record-scratch noises)"

Leanne: I kicked your brother's ass and I will kick yours too, sissy!
Peggy: Well, there is one thing that you did not count on! My brother has got size six feet! BUT I DON'T! HO YEAH!!!
Peggy: I hope someday you can live without alcohol, but until that day we can all live very nicely without you.

PEGGY HILL (Margaret Hill, nee Platter)
Played By:
Kathy Najimy
Role: The Housewife, Know-Nothing Know-It-All, Incompetent Egomaniac
PL 2 (36), PL 4 (36) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Softball) 4 (+4) -- Uses Dex
Expertise (Substitute Teacher) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Real Estate) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Sculpture) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Bagging Groceries) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Boggle) 8 (+9) -- Costs Half-Points
Perception 1 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Big Feet" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Hank)- Peggy loves Hank deeply, but tires of his obsession with Propane, his lawn, his inattention to her needs (and hobbies- he ignores her Boggle & Softball activities), and his inability to have fun with his life.
Relationship (Bobby)- Peggy is much more supportive of Bobby than Hank is, and frequently has to defend the boy to his father.
Relationship (Luanne)- Peggy becomes a maternal figure of sorts to Luanne after her family life falls apart- she becomes protective and defensive of the girl, even when everyone else is sick of her.
Relationship (Mother & Brother)- Peggy's mother is a stern, overbearing figure who never gave her any love (though initially, she was basically a Generation Xerox version of Peg). Her brother Hoyt was intially a coward, then got Retconned into a lifelong crook.
---
Obsession (Herself)- "*chuckles* Oh, Peggy!"- Peggy is a true narcissist, often thinking only the best of herself. She thinks herself a genius, a fluent Spanish speaker, and a Jill-Of-All-Trades, when she is none of those things. Peggy is almost always unable to see her own faults, and can barely acknowledge the fact that she could be incorrect.
Reputation (Braggart)- Worse still, Peggy CONSTANTLY reminds others of her own imagined attributes, to the point where people don't believe her when she's actually correct (such as Randy Travis actually stealing her song lyrics). She also tries to make may situations all about her, and tries to draw attention to herself at inopportune moments, and try to cut down others who are enjoying some measure of success. Even members of her OWN FAMILY (such as when she gets jealous of Bobby's Home Economics skills, or when Hank became a popular substitute Shop teacher).
Hatred (Disrespect)- Peggy will NOT allow a member of her family to be disrespected, especially by another member of the family. She defends Bobby to Hank, Luanne to Hank, and once humiliated her son by wrestling him to the ground in front of the entire neighborhood after his constant-disrespect of an injured Hank.
Secret (Hank's Not Her First)- Peggy's first sexual encounter was with a gay friend who wanted to see if he could "turn straight". When Hank finds out about this, he is disgusted and feels betrayed.
---
Responsibility (Giant Feet)- Peggy feels self-conscious about her giant feet, and is humiliated when it's pointed out (such as at the bowling alley). She cannot buy shoes from normal stores (she has a special cobbler at first, and when he retires, she has to go to a store that sells shoes to DRAG QUEENS.
Enemy (Cotton Hill)- Cotton despises "Hank's Wife", and the feeling is mutual. Peggy considers him a horrible influence on her husband and son, a violent chauvinist pig, and a degenerate psychopath. This is all true.
Hatred (Bill)- Peggy is disgusted and disdainful of Hank's friend Bill, who both openly loves her and makes stupid, ill-timed flirtacious comments ("Bobby may be unathletic, but can you imagine if WE had a child...?").

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 6 (36)

-Peggy is one of my favorite "Wife" characters on TV. Many, if not most, characters who are "The Wife" (that is, the wife of a male Main Character) end up playing either smug "Women Are Wiser" types who constantly have to correct their buffoonish husbands (Jill from Home Improvement is a great example), or shrill harpies (I love Debra on Everybody Loves Raymond, but that character type became REALLY common after a point). It led to an odd thing where there was Positive Discrimination making women out to be inherently-smarter and more-superior (especially as TV shows, even ones targeted at CHILDREN, went out of their way to make dads seem like idiotic man-children)... but also BORING CHARACTERS. Peggy, who MIGHT be more Book-Smart than Hank, is nonetheless a giant loon and much less put-together than her husband. Essentially, like Hank, she's a ball of flaws, which makes her a lot more interesting and fun than your typical "TV Wife" character. This of course took a few seasons to fully-form- she used to be just a quirky housewife who had to lecture Hank, but she started getting more off the wall pretty fast.
-However, she probably gets the lion's share of the hatred most people give characters on the show, as her know-it-all tendencies make her extremely unlikeable. However, as THAT'S THE POINT, it's a case of people wanting to see Peggy get her comeuppance more often (like Hank, she's often not kicked in the teeth by the universe over her tendencies- it's more of just a running gag that goes unanswered), or just not liking it when a WOMAN does it. Both Ted Baxter from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Cliff Clayvin from Cheers are beloved characters like this- the only differences are that they're males, and that they're often joked about over their incompetence.
-Peggy, for all the hate sent her way, is also responsible for some of the show's best moments- like when she kicks her sister-in-law's ass ("well by BROTHER wears a Size Twelve. BUT I DON'T!! HOO-YEAH!!" *boots Leanne across the lawn*). Or when she's temporarily-crippled, and can only re-learn to walk with the cruel taunts of her hated father-in-law. This episode is an absolute masterwork of great moments, with Peggy learning to walk more out of spite than anything (contrasting the wimpy, "you can do it" Physical Therapist at the gym). When Cotton repeatedly taunts her inability to hoist Old Glory ("You've got her at HALF-MAST! Well WHO DIED? WAS IT YOU?"), she punches him square in the nose (true to form, he observes the blood trickling from his nostrils, then smiles and says "Well, there's hope for you yet!"), then proves herself by dancing on his grave (literally). Or when she humiliates Bobby for disrespecting an injured Hank. And when Hank hurts Bobby's feelings by building a new Ventriloquist Dummy that's a smart, confident football player, it's Peggy who realizes what's going on and scolds him with "and when you're done, you can build the WIFE you've always wanted, too."
-Peggy is reasonably-physically-fit, but not so strong that lifting her son in a fireman's carry can't result in a "HUMILIATING groin pull!" She's also not as dumb as you'd think for someone who's so frequently incorrect- she merely overreaches her intellect and pulls off a lot of bone-headed, naiive decisions (for example, she is one of the ONLY PEOPLE IN ARLEN who doesn't figure out that Joseph is John Redcorn's son). For example, she fooled the Con Man (played by Jeff Goldblum) with a Con that was hidden inside another, dumber Con that he figured out, and required the Xanatos-like forethought of recognizing what HANK would do when their fake-Con didn't work out (the Con Man, fearing Hank's wrath, hides all the money he conned in a safe deposit box... in a motel chain that didn't HAVE safe deposite boxes). And she was a pretty good Substitute Teacher (she's shown getting the class to laugh, and makes a few subjects more interesting (though she loses control at one point when Doolie acts out, and terrifies everyone by SPANKING HIM after he yanks her pants down).
-She's also more of an ass-kicker than she looks- she hands a violent, drunken Leanne Platter her ass, and once kicked Lucky HARD when Hank refused to do so as part of a "shotgun wedding".

STRICKLAND PROPANE:
-A near-constant source of amusement on the show is Hank's obsession with something as low-key and banal as selling propane for a living. Something so mundane is taken for granted by most, but Hank WORSHIPS Propane, hating all other forms of heating and power. Some early episodes make a joke out of Hank's lack of ambition and inability to see his own stagnation- he's the Assistant Manager of Strickland Propane for YEARS, and never moves forward (usually at Buck's beck and call), but later it's treated as decent a job as any. Hank is of course dependable, never sick, and never even takes VACATION time, while his wacky co-workers act out, misbehave and cause constant problems. So once again, while Hank is treated satirically, he's STILL the most-normal person in a sea of lunatics.
-The cast at Strickland was initially JUST Hank & Buck, with a couple backgrounders saying a word or two. But eventually, Enrique & Jo-Jack got greater characterization, and then all of a sudden DONNA had a few episodes of focus! I guess when you go for more than ten seasons, you can get a bit funny with your side-characters.

"Aw, Hank- Miss Liz (his wife) could tolerate my drinkin', and my gamblin', an' my adulterin'... but all three at once?"

BUCK STRICKLAND
Played By:
Toby Huss
Role: Bad Boss, Hedonistic Asshole
PL 0 (17), PL 2 (17) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Gambling) 1 (+3) -- (Uses Awareness)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude -1, Will +2

Complications:
Addiction (Philandering)
Addiction (Alcohol)
Addiction (Gambling)
Reputation (Corrupt Alcoholic, Gambler & Philanderer)
Disabled ("I'm havin' an INFARCTION!")- Buck is in poor health, and has frequent heart attacks.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (17)

-Buck Strickland is the source of a lot of running gags on the show- one is Hank's constant defense of him, in spite of being pretty clearly the antithesis of all that is Hank (he follows trends & fads, he cheats, he steals, he philanders, etc.), out of some bizarre sense of loyalty for bringing him to Propane all those years ago. One feature was his constant adultery, as he's lavish his mistress (an incompetent worker at Strickland) with gifts and get her out of the tough assignments. Buck appreciates all Hank does, but still takes constant advantage of the fact that Hank can run the business properly, and work hard enough to make up for Buck's inattentive practices. Over time, however, Hank slowly tires of the old man (early-on, he actually tells Buck "I LOVE you!"- disgusting everyone present; later, he insults Buck in front of everyone at a Propane conference, and only a conspiracy of blackmail by Peggy and a few others get Hank out of being barred from selling propane), and he eventually resigns himself to "putting out Strickland fires".
-Buck is superficially-charming and charismatic, earning a lot of friends with his spendthrift ways, palm-greasing, and happy-go-lucky hedonistic attitude. Many are taken in quickly (such as Bobby Hill, who admires Buck more than Hank in one episode), but pretty soon his multiple vices become too much to handle, and Buck's general lack of trustworthiness comes to bite him in the ass. While Bobby treated Buck as a father-figure, he was soon horrified to be left in a dark alley alone as Buck's "lifeline" should he lose his shirt gambling, and switches back to his dependable father.
-Stats out as a pretty useless, fat old man, despite some business savvy (but not too much- his businesses tend to barely make do). Not much good in a fight, either, and he's always having "infarctions", nearly dying on the spot.

ENRIQUE
Played By:
Eloy Casados & Danny Trejo
Role: Abhorrent Friendly Admirer
PL 1 (2)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Propane Worker) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Reputation (Emotionally-Dependent)- Enrique is a classic whiner, always wanting a confidante and someone's shoulder to cry on. This becomes extremely-annoying over time.
Relationship (Wife)- Enrique is needy with his wife too, and this eventually drives her to kick him out of the house for a while.
Relationship (Daughter)
Responsibility (Bad With Money)- Enrique spends most of his money on parties and funerals. He doesn't even own his own house, despite being in his forties and having a steady job.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (2)

-Enrique was intially just "some guy" at Hank's work- a Mexican immigrant co-worker who had a couple lines here and there, largely for somebody to be saying something. But they hit on something in later episodes- making him an over-eager, cloying, annoying guy who always wanted to be someone's friend and confidante. I actually know a couple of people like this, and can attest to how annoying it is when somebody you don't like always wants to hang around and talk (this is the worst result of being an introverted person: people who are indifferent to think you're being deliberately rude and nasty; people who actively-dislike assume you're being friendly and want to hang out)- one particular kid was AWFUL. He was part of our College Sci-Fi Club, and was a nerdy (duh) know-it-all who liked to talk smack and draw attention to himself, while constantly making up lies (like saying he hung out with Matt Stone & Trey Parker a couple years before South Park came out, and doing all the voices with them). This kid assumed that, since I didn't actively insult him, that I REALLY wanted to be his pal, and so he'd occasionally call me up wanting to hang out. It took like a year of this for him to finally stop trying.
-But in any case, Enrique would get kicked out of the house by his wife, and basically start bawling at Hank's feet like a classically "Emotionally Needy" individual. Hank, of course the LAST person in the world who can be that caring, would get deeply-uncomfortable and try to run. Eventually, he and his family (who all learned to hate Enrique's constant-crying, too) had to give him "tough love" by locking themselves in the Hill family home while he cried outside for hours. Eventually, Enrique grew a pair and made up with his wife, not needing the assistance of the others after all. Another, later episode features him asking Hank to speak at his daughter's "quinceanara", leading to an adorable running gag where Hank actually learns to bond with his fifteen-year-old girl and see just how hard it is for a teen. Hank then fights to save Enrique's neighborhood from falling to hipsters (King of the Hill, naturally, was one of the first shows to describe them by name.
-Statistically, he's a low-end Regular Joe at work, seemingly doing cleaning, grunt-work, or upkeep on the lot- he doesn't appear to work in sales (with Hank) or the trucks (with Jo-Jack). He lacks much in the way of social skills and even skills PERIOD.

JO JACK
Played By:
Toby Huss
Role: Fat Slob
PL 1 (3)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Addiction (Alcohol)- Jo Jack isn't constantly-drunk, but is a known binge-drinker who gets wasted when he's nervous.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (3)

-Jo Jack started out as just a fat co-worker of Hank's with a funny name, but eventually gained some further characterization. Sometimes, however, his job is random- he goes from a truck driver to a Salesman at one point, conning customers with magic tricks and a lot of flash (along with Bobby, who naturally gravitates to ANOTHER male mentor figure instead of Hank, as per his norm), but ending up losing most of his sales after his lies catch up to him. He was a member of the Propaniacs alongside Bobby & Luanne, but ruined things by getting drunk before a big show (he's a binge-drinker, and got nervous), dropping his baby diaper during a sketch. He always calls people "honey", regardless of gender.
-Jo Jack, like Enrique, is more of a Bystander.

DONNA, FROM ACCOUNTING
Played By:
Pamela Adlon
Role: Curvy (And THEN Some) Woman, Office Skank, Attention-Grabber
PL 0 (8)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Accounting) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Social Networking) 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Attractive 2 (Flaws: Limited to Middle-Aged Men)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Reputation (Gets Around)- Donna's slept with a lot of people at the office, and in Arlen. She's known to use men for their money (even if they're, like, a middle-manager).
Responsibility (Self-Absorbed)- Donna likes attention.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (8)

-Donna started out as a regular background nothing, but like the others, soon developed a character. Donna gets around a bit, but is most-notable for her attention-seeking behavior. During an episode based around MySpace (which unfortunately came out once that fad had been replaced by Facebook), she became the centre of attention after working on the Strickland Propane MySpace page, drawing a lot of fans from the men in the area due to her lewdness and flirting (Donna, though spacey, is extremely-curvaceous and acts on it- the EXACT kind of thing that turns on a ton of middle-aged men). When her laziness towards the rest of her job gets her canned, she eggs on all of her fans to invade Strickland and assault the others.
-Donna, like the others, isn't much good at her job, but knows how to B.S., and is exactly what a lot of older guys go for. Also, even though she's drawn a bit chunky and has age lines? OH MY GOD THOSE HIPS.

DEBBIE GRUND
Played By:
Reese Witherspoon
Role: The Mistress
PL 1 (7)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 0 (+2, +7 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive 2

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Buck Strickland's Mistress)- Debbie only stays afloat because of her relationship with her boss.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (7)

-Debbie was initially just a running gag as an incompetent employee, then became a Miss Fanservice mistress to Buck- a moving prop to show his own hedonism and lack of moral character. However, the show went all-out when it came time for her to speak, getting Reese Witherspoon to play her in a Season Four episode that culminated with her attempting to seduce Hank (he becomes Strickland Propane's owner after Buck goes into divorce proceedings with Miss Liz), then turning up dead. This sets Buck off in trying to set up Hank for the murder, but it turns out she accidentally shot herself while attempting to crawl into a garbage container while holding nachos and a shotgun. The best scene, however, is when Hank plays along to set her up, announcing over the phone "YES- WE ARE GOING TO DO IT." in the most-stilted manner possible, then disgustedly-putting down the phone going "UGH. I just had PHONE SEX."
-Debbie is incompetent- a classic example of a pretty young employee getting by on her looks.

"I'm ASIAN, for God's sake. More expected of me- you're someone's WORKER BEE."
(Kahn, explaining why he cannot simply take some regular job like Hank)

"MINH!! Come quickly! It finally happen! Hillybilly neighbor finally marrying trailer trash cousin! You owe me five dollars! In your face!"
-Kahn, witnessing the pretend wedding of Bobby and Luanne


"It's like this. You want to play a round of golf at Nine Rivers? Give me a call. You want someone to feel guilty about the way they live their life? Call someone else!"
-Kahn, to Ted Wassonasong, who's been guilting him and calling him "a Banana"- ie. white on the inside.

KAHN SOUPHANOUSINPHONE
Played By:
Toby Huss
Role: Asshole Neighbor, Walking Stereotype
PL 2 (31)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 5 (+4)
Expertise (System Analyst) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 2 (+4)
Expertise (History) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Karaoke) 6 (+3) -- (Flaws: Only "The Morning After")
Perception 2 (+2)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Status)- A classic stereotype, Kahn is looking to be important and be "important". He desperately wishes to become a member of the Nine Rivers Country Club, become pals with influential Laotian businessman Ted Wassonasong, and pushes his daughter on Ted's son Chane. Even his own daughter despises his "empty-headed materialism!"
Reputation (Asshole)- Minh even scolds him in his debut episode- "Please, for once- try not to piss off neighbor". People, at-best, "grudgingly-accept" him and his family. Kahn is overbearing, verbally-abusive, arrogant, bigoted and close-minded.
---
Rivalry (Hank Hill)- Kahn constantly-argues with his "hillbilly" neighbor. Though in times of trouble, he confesses that "You're my best friend, Hank".
Rivalry (Bobby Hill)- Though Kahn admits that Bobby is "a good boy", he despises the "Fat White Lump" dating his daughter, finding him both lazy and
Hatred (Other Races)- Kahn only appears to like Laotians, and pushes his daughter upon Chane Wassonasong over anyone else.
Disabled (Manic-Depressive)- Kahn's medication causes him to act like a jerk sometimes- it's considered better than being manic one day, and suicidally-listless the next.
---
Relationship (Minh)- Kahn loves his wife dearly, often getting weepy about her in the presence of others, making them uncomfortable.
Relationship (Connie)- Kahn is your stereotypical "A+ Only!" Tiger Dad to his daughter. Though he worries about her and cares for her over anything else, he is overbearing and strict beyond reason.
Rivalry (The General)- Kahn's Father-In-Law is dismissive and hurtful of Kahn. He wanted his daughter to marry a Standard Asian Businessman type.
Relationship (Laoma- Mother)- Kahn dotes on his mother, and his horrified beyond belief when she turns up dating BILL DAUTERIVE.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (31)

-Ah, Kahn. I love this character. Just a hostile, racist, image-obsessed unrepentant ass. Avoiding the tendency of a lot of comedies to low-ball the minority and make them the least-flawed of the cast, he hits on a lot of Asian stereotypes that you don't often see so much, while also attempting to explain them- you see a lot of "Martial Artists" and "Uptight Asian Businessmen" in the movies, but not so much with the status-obsessed guy or the Tiger Mama/Dad personality ("ONLY A+!"). A friend pointed out "he doesn't just want his daughter to marry an Asian. She has to marry the RIGHT KIND of Asian- that's a very Inside Hollywood thing to know". There's a lot of interesting stuff in cracking open this common stereotype and seeing how it operates- it's mostly a generational thing, for example. Notably, a lot of Asian columnists reacted to Amy Chua's Tiger Mama book with revulsion, having been tortured by cruel parents. And people in Asia don't even DO IT that often any longer- it's considered mainly a relic that those who've left their homelands kept. And the younger generations spent enough time over here to adapt to our culture (like Kahn's daughter Connie, another great example of the accuracy of this show). And really, what's WRONG with expecting success and status? It's not WORSE than our culture- just different.
-Kahn gets some of the show's best lines, too- Hank: "So his joke goes- in America, we use paper money. In Soviet Russia, we HAVE no money!" Kahn: "HAHAHA!! That's funny!" *angry face* "I HATE RUSSIA!". Or when he goes on a rant to Hank, sadly capping it off with a weak "I make more money than you...". And his empty-headed search for material wealth is a great source of humor, too. And adding Ted Wassonasong in later seasons was even BETTER, as now Kahn had a successful, influential Laotian to look up to- his sycophantic ass-kissing was hilarious. And he got a Crowning Moment of Awesome when he basically throws Ted's lecturing of Kahn's lack of Laotian culture back in his face, and tells him to quit lecturing him over the way he chooses to live his own life.
-Kahn's reasonably competent at his job, and more well off than his neighbors. Not that it makes him any less of a prick. Nothing truly fancy about this build, save his Karaoke singing, which tends to only apply to just the one song.

*Joseph is being cared for by Minh. Honry and hormonal, he's transfixed by her cleavage, then misinterprets her mothering for affection, and kisses her*
Minh: *Shocked* "HAH- Kahn definitely like you for sure!"
Joseph: "I'm sorry! I just... I thought you liked me."
Minh: *dismissive laugh* "Oh YEAH, baby- you rock my world!"

MINH SOUPHANOUSINPHONE
Played By:
Lauren Tom
Role: Slightly-Less Awful Neighbor, Tiger Mama
PL 0 (16), PL 2 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Asian Housewife) 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Status)- A classic stereotype, Minh, like Kahn is looking to be important and be "important". She desperately wishes to become a member of the Nine Rivers Country Club, and more. Even her own daughter despises her "empty-headed materialism!"
Reputation (Annoying)- Minh has a better reputation than Kahn, but only barely.
---
Relationship (Kahn)- Minh loves Kahn dearly, but is often annoyed by his inability to go five minutes without pissing someone off.
Relationship (Connie)- Minh is an Education Mama through and through. Not as bad as Kahn, but close.
Rivalry (Laoma)- Minh feels diminished and hated by her mother-in-law.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (16)

-Minh is quite similar to Kahn in many respects- a status-seeking social climber, but is more-capable with others (in that her comments are insensitive and rude, but only ACCIDENTALLY). And apparently a hell of a shot.

"My dad has a joke- 'how did the Asian girl get to perform at Carnegie Hall? PRACTICE!!'... well, it used to be a joke. Now he just screams it."

CONNIE (Kahn Souphanousinphone, Jr.)
Played By:
Lauren Tom
Role: Straight-A Student, Love Interest
PL 0 (13), PL 2 (13) Saves
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Violin) 5 (+6)
Insight 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Success in Life)- Connie is a hard-worker, obsessed with getting Straight-As and getting into a good college.
Relationship (Bobby Hill)- Connie cared deeply for Bobby for a long time, but they eventually drifted apart.
Relationship (Parents)- Connie hates her parents' "Empty-Headed Materialism!", and is usually disgusted by their attention-seeking, ladder-climbing behavior.
Relationship (Joseph Gribble)- She finds him creepy.
Prejudice (Asian Straight-A Student)- Despite her genius, Connie is hampered by Positive Discrimination- Racial Quotas at the good colleges actually HURT HER, thanks to the sheer amount of Asian students who are good at school (this is actually a real thing, by the way).

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (13)

-Connie is a fairly-sterotypical Asian Straight-A Student, and the show delves into the realities of this- she's constantly pressured by Education Mama & Papa, expected to get only Straight-As AND to perform a musical instrument at a perfect level. She actually ENJOYS school and being smarter than others, but still chafes under this pressure, and finds enjoyment in the "simple things" with Bobby. When she & Bobby drifted apart later on, she sort of vanishes from the show's important episodes. Oddly, she's now leaped over in importance by her MOTHER (possibly because the crew liked Lauren Tom, who voices both characters).

TED WASSONASONG
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Evil-er Counterpart (to Kahn), Smug Jerk
PL 2 (26)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Wealth)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Status)- Ted enjoys high status as much as Kahn does.
Relationship (Kahn)- Ted considers Kahn annoying and detestable, and only keeps him around when he needs something.
Responsibility (Smug)- Ted assumes he can handle things others can't.
Relationship (Cindy & Change Wassonasong)- Ted's wife is a minor character, but Chane is a bully he seems to tolerate.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (26)

-Ted was introduced to the show as kind of a foil of sorts for Kahn- a more-extreme version of Kahn himself, who was rotten in a slightly-different way. While Kahn was openly a rude asshole, Ted was superficially-charming ("you wife is SUPER-hot!"), but was manipulative, secretly condescending, and nasty to others. His first episode shows him manipulating Hank into being the Nine Rivers Country Club's "White Guy" so they could get a PGA deal (including giving him a twenty dollar charge on a disgustingly-expensive course fee), but later ones show him as MUCH worse- he leads a charge to have trans-fats banned from Arlen on a health initiative, then eats from an illegal food truck, smugly declaring that "I have the discipline to handle it." He also nearly sends Kahn to fight in an invasion of their homeland (while of course staying behind himself), pawns off his wife's Cooking Utensil Pyramid Scheme on others, and eagerly allows the Porn Awards into Arlen after making money off of its past as a "Harlot-town" full of hookers.
-He's kind of a snake-in-the-grass who hides behind his charm, while smugly being sure that he could do anything. A REALLY annoying villain with a great voice- Mike Judge doing an overly-straight-laced "American Accent" from an Asian person trying to underscore his ethnicity.
-Ted is one of the richest, most-powerful figures in Arlen, and has more charm and Deception than is ordinary.

CHANE WASSONASONG
Played By:
Pamela Adlon
Role: School Bully, Egotistical Jock
PL 3 (18)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Music) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Rivalry (Bobby Hill)- Chane picks on the weaker Bobby, in part because Bobby's dating Connie.
Relationship (Connie Souphanousinphone)- Chane was initially after Connie, but as she has nothing but disdain for him, Chane instead becomes a rival, often picking on her & Bobby out of spite. That Connie excels over him at scholastics only makes this worse.
Power Loss (Intimidation)- Chane's Intimidation will only work on other youngsters.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (18)

-Chane is a pretty standard-issue bully character, but is a bit different since he's a Laotian kid who also tries to act as a scholastic type, since his parents both expect him to succeed, much like Connie's do to her. Generally though, he's a dumb smart-ass, and frequently gets insulted by the smarter Connie. His PL's a bit "inflated" thanks to his high Agility- Chane's one of Tom Landy Middle School's best athletes.

"THAT'S MY PURSE!! I DON'T KNOW YOU!!!" (kick to the groin)

BOBBY HILL
Played By:
Pamela Adlon
Role: Wacky Jokester, Effeminate Boy
PL 0 (31), PL 2 (31) Saves, PL 5 (31) to Men
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 12 (+11)
Expertise (Dancing) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Prop Comedy) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Golfer) 4 (+3)
Expertise (Plus-Size Model) 3 (+2)
Persuasion 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Rifle) 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Aim, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"I DON'T KNOW YOU!!!" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Accurate 2) (Extras: Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited to Males) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Kick to the Testicles +4 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Connie)- Bobby found Connie super-hot, and the two were together for a long period of time, despite their opposite personalities (Bobby is lazy and "kinda dumb"; Connie is a hard-working Straight-A student). He was willing to do anything for Connie- from "playing through the pain"
Relationship (Hank- Father)- Bobby looks up to his dad and seeks his approval, but also finds him tiresome and boring. As Hank is openly-disdainful of most of the things Bobby likes, Bobby is often left alone.
Relationship (Peggy & Luanne)- Bobby is often a co-conspirator with his female relatives, and also sometimes a rival, as they all are equal in maturity.
Reputation (Effeminate Fat Kid)- Most people are aware by now of the weird things that Bobby does.
Enemy (Clark Peters, Chane Wasanasong & Other Bullies)- Bobby is short and chubby- thus an easy target for bullies.
Enemy (Kahn Souphanousinphone)- Kahn despises the "Fat White Lump" that's going after his daughter.
Motivation (Becoming a Prop Comic)- "I wanna be the first chubby comedian to live past thirty-five!"
Disabled (Kid)- Bobby is young and short- he cannot use Intimidation on anyone larger than him.

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 4 (31)

-Bobby may be the most complex kid character on television, barring perhaps one of the two main Simpson children. A funny & charismatic little kid, he's nonetheless a poor student, lazy, unfocused and prone to extremely effeminate hobbies (it takes all of two seconds for him to start copying Bill's cousin Gilbert- a Tennessee Williams-esque dandy). But deep down you see the intense loyalty & kinship he has to every other character, making him one of the best characters to do "solo" runs on in an episode. He's one of the few also that plays excellently off of every single other character (many have problems bouncing off of Boomhauer, Peggy or Luanne, but not Bobby), which makes him the most versatile cast member aside from Hank.
-Initially, Bobby was played as being a bit "slow" and stupid (an early episode has him controlled by ANT PHEROMONES), but soon morphs into a wannabe Prop Comic. This ends up becoming a MUCH better thing for the character, as it lets him be funny, and give him something else that Hank can disapprove of. And when he starts picking up "those THINGS that Bobby does", they created a fun running gag where Hank freaks out over something Bobby does that's either quirky (wanting to wear a cape while a football coach) or effeminate (Bobby finds it "interesting..." that men can shave their legs- Hank shouts at Peggy, who shouts at Bobby, who gulps).
-Some of his relationships are great, too. The one with Connie drove a lot of the early seasons, and created some of the show's best moments, like the lazy Bobby, crippled by gout from eating at a Deli, realizing his error and fighting his way to the school dance- vowing to "play through the pain". Choosing her reflection in the mirror, thus rejecting his quest to be the reincarnation of the Lama Sanglug (actual story). And some of his non-Connie relationships were great fun, too. You can watch him break down and cry because he's too immature to handle his vegetarian "older woman" ("WHY WERE YOU DANCING WITH ALL THOSE OTHER GUYS?!?"), then gain revenge by spitefully eating a 70-ounce steak in front of her. Or that time he played with a girl's emotions, leading to her STALKING HIM until Hank is able to prove that working on a truck makes EVERYTHING better.
-Bobby's got a swack of Skills (that'll happen when your shown runs thirteen years), but is physically abysmal to the point where he's useless. As Hank said, "Sometimes it takes him more than one try to get up on the couch". He's so bad at running that it took a HUGE lead AND all the other players tripping & falling before the finish line for him to win a Relay Race. That said, he's one of the easiest characters to get along with, and relatively likeable to adults (except a certain Laotian girl's father). His Pop Cultural knowledge is so great he took his School Jeopardy Team all the way to the top just on that, he can dance, he's a crack shot with a Rifle (unlike poor Hank), etc. However, he possesses a LETHAL Groin Kick, which has shown to disable men as large & tough as Hank himself. However, it is completely ineffective against women- apparently getting kicked square in the vagina doesn't hurt in the slightest.

Also, that Bobby Hill? One hot piece of...


Never mind.


CLARK PETERS
Played By:
Pamela Adlon
Role: Big Fat Bully
PL 1 (2)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Bully) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 2 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Enemy (Bobby Hill)- Clark likes to pick on Bobby, even after the boy makes friends.
Reputation (Idiot)- Clark is considered pretty dumb- one Sub even says "the Clark Peters I KNOW likes to BURN things..."
Disabled (Kid)- Clark is young and short- he cannot use Intimidation on anyone larger than him.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 6--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (2)

-Clark Peters is a minor recurring character- a big fat bully voiced with a nasal tone by Pamela Adlon.

*The nerdy kid tells the Substitute Teacher, Peggy Hill, that Dooley was the one speaking up in class.*
"You're DEAD."
"ah-ah-ahhhh!! En Espanol, por favor."
"Tu eres MUERTO."

---

*Dooley observes Bobby plant a Valentine's Flower on Joseph*
"... That took COURAGE."


STUART DOOLEY
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Butt-Head Homage, Bully
PL 0 (-6)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Bully) 4 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Reputation (Idiot)- Dooley is considered a slow-witted moron and an obnoxious brat. When Peggy spanks him, he is horrified, but becomes controllable enough that even his PARENTS support Peggy's decision.
Disabled (Kid)- Dooley is young and short- he cannot use Intimidation on anyone larger than him.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (-6)

-Dooley really exists for only one reason- for Mike Judge to get to use his hilarious "Butt-Head" voice to state things to other characters. Usually the things are true, but nonetheless his exact tone makes casually-hurtful dialogue hilarious (*to Bill* "Your wife DIVORCED you."). Like Beavis, Butt-Head and other useless individuals, he actually earns NEGATIVE POINTS (after all, a Bystander is 0 Points- Dooley is WORSE than a Bystander).

JIMMY WHICHARD
Played By:
David Herman
Role: Village Idiot, Raving Lunatic
PL 0 (-10)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
None

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Temper- Jimmy is prone to random freak-outs and rages.

Total: Abilities: -12 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (-10)

-Jimmy Whichard is meant to be a "Raving Lunatic" kind of character. He comes off as "slow" immediately, but sort of becomes full-on "HAHA YOU GUYS, LOOK AT THIS RAVING LUNATIC!!". In his debut, he was basically a blustering idiot who ran the food stands at the race track, including Bobby. However, Hank assumed that Bobby was simply shirking hard work, and demanded he stick with the job... until he realized that Jimmy was actually putting his son IN DANGER, at which point Hank gave him a literal ass-kicking. He shows up in later episodes more as a general "shows up and says crazy things" type of guy. Dale alleges that he burned his brain by "staring at the sun" for too long.
-Like a lot of "Ambiguous Disorder" characters, the character can become more or less funny depending on how amusing you think it is to make fun of someone who might have a legitimate disability. STUPID people are one thing, but this guy appears to have at LEAST Autism, and possibly more things than that- his mental faculties are child-like, and his hair-trigger temper could mean any number of things. It's like how some people get offended by the jokes tossed at Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, whose selfishness and lack of self-awareness could mean that he's on the spectrum, too. But really, the character is more of a "HA HA LOOK AT THAT IDIOT!" type, and no Disorder is given. So feel free to make fun.

PRINCIPAL MOSS (Carl Moss)
Played By:
Dennis Burkley
Role: Spineless Bureaucrat, Creep
PL 0 (0)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Job)
Reputation (Coward)- Moss will follow any stupid policy or regulation, and refuses to fight them. Most of the teachers know this, and his inability to actually fight for anything.
Addiction (Alcohol)- Apparently he's a functional addict, at least.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (0)

-Carl Moss first shows up as a bit of a weak-willed middle-man- despite being the Principal of Tom Landry Middle School (naturally, the school in Arlen is named after a legendary Football Coach), he will mindlessly back any policy (firing Hank as Substitute Teacher because he allowed a student to walk the halls with a "weapon"- a tool for Shop Class). He's kind of a way for the show to poke fun at pointless rules and regulations, and the weak individuals who'll enforce them regardless of how much sense they make. AND he's good when you want to poke fun at the education system in the States- he's apathetic and lazy, unwilling to do anything unless his job is threatened (at one point, he pretends that his lowest-scoring students are mentally-disabled so that he won't get in trouble). Later, the show adds some more facets to him, making him EVEN WORSE- he's a big fat slob whose personal hygiene upsets EVEN BILL.

"VAYA... Con Dios!"

MONSIGNOR MARTINEZ
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Running Gag, Killer
PL 7 (115)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Deception 7 (+10)
Disguise 3 (+6)
Expertise (History) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 7 (+10)
Expertise (Police Officer) 5 (+8)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 5 (+9)
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 2 (Pistol +5), Fascination (Deception), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Makeshift Weapons), Improvised Weapon, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Pistol +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Job)
Reputation (Coward)- Moss will follow any stupid policy or regulation, and refuses to fight them. Most of the teachers know this, and his inability to actually fight for anything.
Addiction (Alcohol)- Apparently he's a functional addict, at least.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (115)

-A running gag on the show, Monsignor Martinez is a TV character, apparently a priest-hero/undercover cop who has numerous evil enemies amongst Mexico's underworld. He's about as good as a PL 7 guy is going to get with just a gun, and he's a master of laying traps.

BILL (William Fontaine De La Tour Dauterive, aka The Billdozer)
Played By:
Stephen Root
Role: Fat Moron, Former Cool Kid
PL 1 (12)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+2)
Expertise (Barber) 12 (+11)
Expertise (Accordian) 6 (+4)
Perception 3 (+2)
Vehicles 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"The Billdozer"
Protection 2 [2]
Enhanced Strength 4 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement, Fades) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Obsession (Lenore)- Bill was married to the attractive, controlling Lenore for years, but she left him after growing tired of his drinking, laziness, and weak will. This left Bill emotionally-shattered, and desperate to reconnect. Eventually, he hits "rock bottom" and begins cross-dressing and pretending to be Lenore.
Obsession (Peggy Hill)- Bill is deeply-attracted to Peggy, often making uncomfortable, forward remarks towards her. Sometimes it's just weird asides; sometimes he's keeping her body cast and pretending to hang out with it.
Obsession (Finding a Woman)- Lenore's leaving him left Bill a desperate, weak man obsessed with finding a woman. Women can sense his desperation, and are usually repulsed.
Obsession (Junk Food)
Reputation (Let Himself Go)- Bill was once a superstar athlete and very charismatic. His friends and acquaintances are disgusted to see what he's become.
Reputation (Fat Slob)- Even his closest friends make cracks about how filthy his house is.
Responsibility (Power Goes To His Head)- Normally a powerless individual, on those rare occasions when Bill is afforded a high position, he almost immediately becomes a giant asshole, lording it over others and ordering people around.

Total: Abilities: -8 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 3 (12)

-Oh, poor Bill. Only in a REALLY brilliant show could something SO SAD be played for laughs. Hell, they've done entire episodes over him going insane because of his ex-wife Lenore, and him trying to repeatedly commit suicide because of the hell his life has become. He's not just a fat slob, but he's self-absorbed, creepy, selfish and often goes power-mad. This is in stark contrast to what he used to be- a muscular, athletic, long-haired Super-Jock. But he has his moments, like his occasional romances (with Kahn's mother, for one, and Former Texas Governor Ann Richards), his skill with cutting hair, and his sudden boost of confidence while driving around with his friends in a tank.
-And then there's the "Billdozer" incident. When it's revealed he never finished high school, he's allowed to take a loophole and join the Arlen High Football Team to match the Touchdown Record of the new kid who was given a 'freebie' because he was injured. Bill, despite the disgust of both teams and most of the fans, actually wins everyone over by sheer determination, pushing EIGHT opposing football players across the goal line, tying his old record. But, as Hank points out, "Don't look down at your leg". Or the time he hits "rock bottom" and begins dressing as, and pretending to BE, Lenore- Hank can only snap him out of it by dressing as Lenore HIMSELF, and insulting Bill for being a worthless loser... this finally causes Bill to LOSE IT in a glorious tirade where he points out that Lenore dumped a perfectly-good man for nothing, and that he IS worth something. Little things like that are all the sweeter because of all the times that the universe has set out to humiliate him.
-And despite his status as a giant loser, Bill actually hooks up with a LOT of women over the course of the show. Some are old and/or ugly, of course (Ann Richards, Laoma Souphanousinphone, Reverend Stroup), but some are drawn QUITE attractive, as the show seemed to produce a lot of MILF designs after a certain point.
-Bill is a giant bag of personality flaws, addictions and general uselessness, making him a very cheap build to stat out. Most of his Skills are just to even out his negative scores to slight positives, and his only good one is his ability to Craft Hair in a brilliant manner. Bill as a young man is arguably the best athlete of the entire group, being strong, tough, agile and charismatic. Which makes it all the sadder to see what's become of him now.

Hank: "So, uh, ZHEEL-BEAR. How do the Saints look this year?"
Gilbert: "A-heh!... I am more familiar with SINNERS than saints, my deah. And sinners ALWAYS look good..."

GILBERT (Gilbert Fontaine De La Tour D'Haute Rive)
Played By:
David Herman
Role: Stereotypical Cajun, Southern Dandy, Tennessee Williams Parody
PL 0 (7), PL 1 (7) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (History) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Poet) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Prejudice (Well, YOU KNOW)- There's a reason why he's the end of the family line. And a reason why Hank reacts so poorly to Bobby's copying him.
Responsibility (The Last Dauterive)- Gilbert is protecting what's left of the family name.
Hatred (Humid November Weather)- It gives him the horribles.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (7)

-One of the best Guest Star characters, Gilbert is Bill's "Southern Dandy" Cajun relative, and the only other male of the family line (as neither Bill nor Gilbert will breed, this will finish the Dauterives for good). He speaks in a stilted manner, constantly appears hedonistic and exhausted by life, and always over-acts in this manner that's hilarious for reasons I can't even quite define ("How long have you been sitting there?" *takes a long drag of a cigarette* "THIRTY-FIVE YEARS..."). He helps Bill get acclimated to New Orleans, and warns him of the deep, mournful past of his family, most of whom have died of excessively-tragic means. The whole thing is an elaborate parody of Tennessee Williams, a playwright of great repute (A Streetcar Named Desire being his most-famous work).

DAVID KALAIKI-ALII
Played By:
Brendan Fraser
Role: Dumb Student Athlete
PL 4 (30)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Football) 4 (+7) -- Uses Agility

Advantages:
Improved Initiative

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Reputation ("He's like a WALL...")- David is considered "unteachable". His writing is at a third-grade level at-best, and he's generally lazy about scholastics, focusing entirely on football and girls.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (30)

-Another recurring element of King of the Hill is an obsession with athleticism- particularly Football- that exists in our society. As this is Texas, it's a natural (watch some online videos of just how into the game even HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL announcers are- it's truly hilarious, frightening stuff). And as satire, the show can study this in greater depth- there's an episode featuring Joseph & Bobby rejecting the pressure of Football for the Soccer games at the next field, another where a one-shot-wonder former Dallas Cowboy moves next door and makes everyone's life a living hell while escaping justice thanks to his fame ("hey, you're the guy who blocked that kick!"), and THIS ONE. David Kalaiki-Alii (whose mother is a one-scene character from the SECOND Season) is "The Flyin' Hawaiian", a Football prodigy who plays for Arlen High. Peggy ends up being his Substitute Teacher, at which point she discovers that he's considered "unteachable" and "like a WALL..."- a standard-issue stupid athlete who's never focused on school.
-Now, I've known people like this- we all probably have. My school had a lot of Junior Hockey Players in it, and as a general rule, they're idiots. My sister and a friend of a friend both went to High School with NHL player Dion Phaneuf (he's married to Elisha Cuthbert), and both agree that he's SO STUPID that "if he wasn't a pro hockey player, he'd probably be in a HOME". The issue of course is that once these kids show promise, at a VERY YOUNG AGE they're put into the biggest sports programs, which means their scholastic careers suffer while they travel all over the country. So by the time they're 18, they're basically under-educated morons who know NOTHING but sports... which is why you have situations where so many of them flame out mentally, unable to spend money properly or behave in public.
-Back to the episode: Peggy flunks David out of principle, resulting in him being TAKEN OFF THE TEAM (he'd been naturally coasting from the teachers, who passed him regardless of his poor work). This makes her a pariah (and affects Hank as well- all of Arlen is obsessed with the Football team, and he's punished by proxy). Hank is able to wrangle an "A" for the kid with some After-School Program (where the borderline-illiterate kid manages to write a single sentence), and FINALLY they're able to convince Peggy to go easy on him... by convincing her that David has special needs (ie. he literally has the mind of a child). David, to his credit, is DISGUSTED when he arrives home and sees that his mother has decked out his room with letter-magnets and other childlike teaching lessons, and resolves to actually work a bit ("I'm not STUPID", he pridefully declares, and when Peggy later asks him "What do you need? Did you poop yourself?" he just admits "I earned that."). Ultimately, he does okay. After all, the chances of him getting into the NFL are "What? Fifty/Fifty?"
-David is a super-athlete, but lacks intelligence, never having had to focus on it.

M.F. THATHERTON (Milton Farnsworth Thatherton)
Played By:
Burt Reynolds (first appearance), Toby Huss
Role: The Rival (To Hank & Buck)
PL 0 (18), PL 1 (18) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Fuel Sales) 4 (+5)
Insight 3 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Reputation (Dishonest)
Rivalry (Buck Strickland, Hank Hill- Thatherton used to work for Buck, but split off to form his own business.
Obsession (Weezer)

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (18)

-Thatherton (always given a specific-sounding greeting by Hank- once mimicked by Bobby- "THATH-er-ton!") is introduced as a rival to Strickland Propane, having quit years ago, betraying Buck Strickland to start "Thatherton Fuels". Hank actually suggests the "M.F." stands for "Mother-Fu--" before being interrupted as Thatherton starts courting a "Yankee" client of Hank's- an annoying Bostonian who's interested only in Texas stereotypes (big cars, cars with horns on the hood, giant cowboy hats, etc.). Hank is annoyed at the condescending behavior (he's called "JAY-AAAAAHHHH!" by the thickly-accented client, after J.R. Ewing from Dallas), and the fact that he can't even get his stereotypes right ("Get me a mint julep!"). Thatherton is contrasted to Hank by his dishonesty and lack of moral fibre (though oddly this makes him a good fit for Buck).
-Thatherton isn't so impressive, but is at least a good charmer, able to deceive people easily. He can read people a little better than Hank can, and more easily woo clients like the Yankee who wanted to live the stereotypes of the south ("I'll fight ya, partner!").

"It’s like this man. It’s like a butterfly flapping his wings deep down in the forest man and it goes cause a tree fall over like 5000 miles away man. And there nobody see it it don’t know it even happen. A baby born into this world and it got no dang ol friends. It got no nothing but go come in find out all about it, ol evil man. Man, see like it you don’t even know man. It’s like he’s born into this world man. And you got like, it’s like this man, dust in the wind man. Or like dang ol candle in the wind man it don’t matter it’s all oldies all the time man. You know what I think man, like I dang ol think therefore you are man."
"Well, that's what we tell ourselves, Boomhauer."

Bobby: "Wow, that's really good! No wonder my dad's always quoting you, Mr. Boomhauer!"

"Hey man, tell you what man, I got that dang ol' internet man. It's got them naked chicks just go click-click-click-clickclick-clicksreal easy man."


BOOMHAUER (Jeff Boomhauer)
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Unintelligible Guy, The Stoic Friend
PL 2 (43), PL 3 (43) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Electrician) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Texas Ranger) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Art) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Singing) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Surfing) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive, Equipment 3 (Dodge Coronet, Ride-On Mower, Tanning Bed, Leopard Print Briefs)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Obsession (Women)
Reputation (Ladies' Man)- Even Hank doesn't trust Boomhauer around his niece.
Secret (Dyes His Hair)
Secret (His Success is Because He Just Hits on Every Woman He Sees)

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (43)

-Yes, his name is really Jeff; it was a late reveal. Boomhauer's a great supporting character, being the hard-to-understand fast-talker (using a thick Appalachian accent) who nonetheless is often shown as the most level-headed non-Hank member of his group, and arguably the most culturally astute (he's aware of both Dadaism & the meaning of Kahn's story about "The Tiger and the Strawberry"). There's some fun moments with the guy, where we get gags over how LITTLE we really know about him, like when Hank pointed out "even BOOMHAUER was impressed, and you KNOW what a music snob HE is!", or things like Hank pointing out his "doe eyes". I think my personal favourite episode featuring him is the one with Brad Pitt playing his brother "Patch", a low-life who's marrying the girl Boomhauer dumped way back at Arlen High. Poor Boomhauer goes through remorse, decides he loves the girl, but falls short of sabotaging the wedding himself because of the stern eye of Hank. And in a great moment, Hank IMMEDIATELY BELIEVES HIM when Boomhauer says he didn't actually hamper the wedding.
-Boomhauer's more savvy than most of the gang, being very good with the ladies (Attractive & Presence) despite using the "Shotgun Approach" to dating.

Peggy Hill: "Teach me to walk! (she'd been crippled following a skydiving accident)"
Cotton Hill: "Are you ready to hate me more than you've hated anyone in your entire life?!"
Peggy: (sneers) "I already DO."
Cotton: (smiles) "Good! Then we're halfway there!"

---

(explaining to Hank his good qualities) "Well hell, you're a better father than I EVER was! After all, you made BOBBY. All *I* made was *you*."


COTTON HILL
Played By:
Toby Huss
Role: Asshole Father
PL 2 (17)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+3)
Intimidation 8 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Expertise (History) 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Perception 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Powers:
"Headbutt" Damage 1 (Feats: Improved Critical) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Headbutt +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness -1, Fortitude -1, Will +3

Complications:
Relationship (DiDi & Good Hank)- Cotton argues with, and bosses around, his young wife (she's Hank's age). He does approve of his son G.H., openly prefering him to his older brother.
Guilt (Made Hank)- Cotton considers it shameful that he made someone as weak and pathetic as Hank. One time, it took Jimmy Carter to bring them together.
Enemy (Hank's Wife)- Cotton despises Peggy, and openly-disrespects her.
Relationship (Bobby)- Oddly, Cotton loves his grandson Bobby, despite Bobby being much more effeminate than Hank.
Reputation (Killed Fitty Men)- Cotton openly-brags about his wartime exploits, which are probably/possibly mostly-B.S.
Disabled (No Shins)- Cotton is much slower than a normal person after the Japanese blew his shins off in Dubya-Dubya Two.
Disabled (Shell Shock)- Cotton has many of the hallmarks of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder- he often has flashbacks, and imagines the Japanese he killed appearing in the faces of others.
Secret (Had a War Bride in Japan, Who Had Junichiro)

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 5 (17)

-Cotton Hill rules the world. With his exagerrated tales of WWII heroism, his racism, his misogyny, his abusing of his family, his hatred of his own son, etc., he may just be the most hateful character in all of fiction. Such great writing. The very fact that he would name his second infant son "Good Hank" to spite adult Hank says it all, really. He was deliberately-created to give Hank the "least-nurturing father ever", though their intial relationship was that Hank couldn't quite REALIZE how messed-up their relationship really was (Hank would laugh while Cotton broke dinner plates and started fights). Cotton eventually became full of disdain for everyone on Earth but Bobby and Good Hank, and his backstory would look more and more abusive (emotionally more than physically, but he ruled through terror- using his wife as an ACTUAL FOOTSTOOL). And despite Cotton's hatefulness, they give him plenty of little "heroic" moments here and there- he teaches Peggy to walk with his sheer hate, he takes the blame for the "terrible smell" so that Bobby won't have to live with it, and he eventually finds himself unwilling to spite in the face of the Emperor of Japan.
-Despite numerous heart-to-hearts, and a bit of mutual respect here and there, Cotton dies as hate-filled as ever, having more flashbacks about the Japanese and getting hurt. Peggy taunts him on his hospital bed about the hell he's made of his life, and how she hopes he'll live miserably forever... and Cotton dies. Out of SHEER SPITE. I hope my eventual death can be as meaningful.
-Cotton's an old man, but a dangerous old man. His Headbutt is lethal, and he can get very angry, very fast. Not someone to trifle with. And if a whiny college boy calls him a "Nazi"... well, shit.

DIDI HILL (Dierdre Hill)
Played By:
Ashley Gardner
Role: Giant Airhead
PL 0 (-8)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Candy Striper) 4 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Cotton Hill)- DiDi found Cotton "cute like a baby", and thus hooked up with him. Eventually, however, she appears to have divorced him.

Total: Abilities: -12 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (-8)

-A running gag with Cotton was that despite his hideous appearance and personality, he'd managed to marry an attractive, if dimwitted, second wife. And DiDi was dumb even by THIS show's standards, speaking in very few, stilted lines, and generally having no opinions of her own. An early season even sees her give birth to Cotton's second son, Good Hank. Now, this was an interesting subplot, because there was a HUGE focus on Hank & Peggy trying to conceive again, and the fact that an old fossil and his dingbat of a wife could do so easily was meant as a sick irony, and a fulcrum of conflict for the other characters. And, as a kid, I actually thought it would lead to Hank & Peggy adopting the baby as their own. However, the show didn't go that far- Peggy injured herself while skydiving, and that and her subsequent recovery effectively wiped out the "Peggy Wants a Baby" running thread, even though she delivered much more maternal affection than did DiDi. Though really, as Peggy & Hank had trouble conceiving, it's likely they just gave up.
-Eventually, DiDi showed up less and less (most threads ran around Cotton & Good Hank- sometimes ignoring the latter), and in one appearance, she was seen driving off to "visit her folks". They were presumably divorced, and she only reappears after Cotton's death, mentioning she's marrying a professional wrestler. DiDi's weak-willed and weak-minded, making for a build into the negative points.

REVEREND STROUP (Karen Stroup)
Played By:
Mary Tyler Moore (first appearance only), Ashley Gardner
Role: Weird Backgrounder
PL 0 (3), PL 1 (3) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Religion) 3 (+3)
Insight 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Religion)

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (3)

-Cartoons really love giving older female characters Minnesotan Accents- I can recall a fair bit (Bobby's mom from Bobby's World being another notable one), probably owing to the fact that it's pretty funny-sounding (by contrast to the proud and noble Canadian accent, which is the result of endless winters fighting polar bears and arctic wolves). Comedians get a ton of mileage out of the similar accent of Sarah Palin, don'tchaknow.
-Reverend Stroup finally gave the show a permanent "Church" character, as a lot of Arlen is seen regularly attending (it is, after all, a religious part of the world). Though friendly, Stroup's a bit off-putting, overly-huggy, and kind of doesn't know a lot about her own religion (Methodism is NOT a "rejection of Calvinism", apparently). Though she's humorously-upbeat about Bobby's possibly becoming a Lama, seeing no problem when he admits that he still has faith ("Bobby, do ya love Jesus?" "With all my heart, ma'am")... much to Hank's annoyance. A later episode sees her hook up with Bill.

Hank (answering the phone): "Hello?"
Harsh Voice: "You don't know who I am, but I know where you live and if you teach that sex-ed class so help me I..."
Hank: "Dale?"
Dale: "Oh, hey, Hank. Is Peggy there?"
Hank: "Peggy, it's for you. It's Dale."
Peggy: "Yello, Dale."
Dale (harsh voice): "YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM, BUT I KNOW WHERE..."

DALE GRIBBLE (aka Rusty Shackleford)
Played By:
Johnny Hardwick
Role: Conspiracy Nut, Gun Nut, Raving Lunatic
PL 2 (31)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Behavioral Sciences) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Civics) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Tactics) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Keyboard) 4 (+3)
Expertise (Amateur Militia) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Exterminator) 8 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Treatment 1 (+1)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Guns, Panic Room/Bomb Shelter, Poisons, Pocket Sand- Touch Range Visual Dazz 4- Reach 2), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"SQUIRREL TACTICS!!!" Enhanced Advantages 2: Evasion, Improved Defense [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
"Pocket Sand!" +0 (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Relationship (Nancy- Wife)- Dale loves his wife dearly, but spends most of his time on his schemes, thus ignoring her. And also he kept himself from sleeping with her for years, in order to conserve his sperm.
Relationship (Joseph- Son)- Dale admires his athletic son, even if he IS Dale's son via aliens impregnating his wife (though Dale IS terrified of Joseph's strength).
Enemy (Aliens)- Dale believes that aliens exist in America, and that they impregnated Nancy so that Dale would be too busy to properly oppose them.
Enemy (The United States Government)- Dale is a high-end Conspiracy Buff and Anti-Government type. He thinks that the govnernment seeks to control every aspect of human life, and has been covering up everything from aliens to assassinations.
Obsession (Conspiracies)- Dale tends to automatically believe in any conspiracy he's heard, and invents new ones when old ones are challenged.
Secret (Identity)- Dale never puts his own name onto anything (except Hank's "Block Charter"), instead using the identity of a Rusty Shackleford, who died as a child decades earlier.
Responsibility (Hatred)- Dale is an asshole, and tends to automatically insult people or bring them down.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 7 (31)

-Dale is another example of greatness on King of the Hill, being a stereotype of an anti-government gun-nut conspiracy theorist, which, MY HAND TO GOD, I thought was an exaggeration of those sorts of things. The internet has greatly let me down in that regard- hilariously though, ACTUAL conspiracy theorists are completely unable to get along, with each accusing the others of believing in the wrong conspiracies. And I've seen cartoonishly-stupid Truthers, Anti-Zionists, Essential Oil Cultists & Anti-Vaxxers accuse EACH OTHER of acting like cartoon characters in order to "devalue" the Conspiracy movement to the public, and thus enforce the will of our One World Government Illuminati Masters.
-Despite all the nonsense and exaggeration, Dale actually has more depth to him than most TV show characters, live action or otherwise. He LOVES his family, for example... probably more than he should, trusting them blindly. He's proud of all his knowledge, but fails to see things right in front of his face- there's a huge amount of obvious irony in "The Man Who Sees Conspracies In Everything" being unable to see that his wife is having an affair with John Redcorn. It gets so bad that when Dale catches John Redcorn sneaking into his house to meet Nancy, he thinks that the man is out for his MOWER ("He's kind of taking some of the fun out of this" John Redcorn sadly points out to Nancy). And there's the way he often disrespects his friends (often ratting out Hank and favoring Cotton; he also plainly-disrespects Bill), but trusts them implicitly to do the right thing when he wouldn't, and will gladly put his life in their hands.
-There's other fun bits, too. Like when Nancy fears that he'll carry on an affair with an attractive Exterminator, he is SHOCKED when the girl comes on to him, and immediately tells his wife- "That's weird- SHE knows I'm married!". And of course that great episode where he plans on suing Manitoba Cigarettes for making Nancy "ugly". Dale spends an entire episode lying to convince a jury that his smoking habit has ruined his wife's looks, so that he can sue the cigarette manufacturer for his ruined marriage. It goes as far as to ruin Nancy's self-esteem and get her to leave him... until Dale realizes what he's done and how much he's hurt her, and stages a giant courtroom debate featuring himself interrogating HIMSELF- "Mr. Gribble, are you a HOMOSEXUAL?!?" *runs back into chair* "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"), only to reject his entire lawsuit (Manitoba was offering him several times his asking-price just to settle out of court) and confess that, despite his IMPOSSIBLE standards of beauty (he finds Jennifer Aniston and all of the People Magazine's Fifty Most Beautiful People merely passable at-best), that Nancy is the most-beautiful woman in the world to him.
-Dale's no stronger than Peggy (he's 5'10" and he can bench 35 pounds), but he's rather quick and limber, and very evasive ("SQUIRREL TACTICS!!!"). He's a worse fighter than either of the Hills, being a weak, ineffectual, childish baby who just slaps and runs, and his skill-set is totally different. Though he fashions himself a man of action, a military specialist, etc., he has one single rank in most of his skills, having just enough knowledge to ALMOST seem like an expert, and very low Mental Stats, befitting someone who's known as a giblet-head amongst his friends. And you'd NEED -2 to your Awareness to not be able to tell that Joseph wasn't his own son, and that John Redcorn was boinking his wife.

"Huhh... I like her. She's so TALL..."

JOSEPH GRIBBLE
Played By:
Brittany Murphy (pre-puberty), Breckin Meyer (post-puberty)
Role: Horny Teen, Sidekick (to Bobby)
PL 3 (22)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+2)
Expertise (Quarterback/Athlete) 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Fast Grab

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

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +0

Complications:
Obsession (Girls)
Relationship (Parents)- Joseph seems to mostly ignore his mom, but tends to act like his dad.
Relationship (Bobby Hill)- Joseph was Bobby's partner-in-crime (and a bit more of a troublemaker and trash-talker), but soon develops into more of a Clueless Sidekick, being a bit awkward and dopey. He still comes to lean on Bobby, even after he gets more popular.
Relationship (John Redcorn)- Joseph finds John Redcorn to be a bit creepy, especially when he always wants to hang out and talk.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (22)

-Joseph is pretty much a horrific example of what growing up is like for a lot of pre-teens. While Bobby is still chubby & boyish, Joseph gets hit HARD by puberty, growing massive overnight, and has all the classic signs that the King of the Hill writers REALLY remember their post-pubescent years. He's awkward, clumsy, overly-tall, skinny, ugly, has acne, and has the worst classic "wispy 'stache" look ever. And he's hilariously-awful around girls- he stares a bit too long, makes the wrong comments, and tearfully-confesses to Bobby that "I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM!!"
-His popularity gets a boost once his natural athletic side (he is, after all, the son of John Redcorn) takes over and he starts playing good football, but he's still an emotional mess of a person, and taking his mental side from his father doesn't help matters. In fact, it's a rather sweet story that despite obviously not being Dale Gribble's actual blood, he's more like him than any other cast member, believing in his stupid alien stories & stuff about the government.

NANCY HICKS-GRIBBLE
Played By:
Ashley Gardner
Role: Cheating Housewife, Miss Fanservice
PL 0 (9), PL 1 (9) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (TV Host) 2 (+2)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Obsession (Bitchiness)- Though charming and sweet to most people, Nancy has a VERY cruel side (acting like a stereotypical Head Cheerleader, despite being in her forties). In fact, it is later learned that this is only curtailed by her spending a lot of time reining in her husband.
Relationship (Dale- Husband)- Nancy appears to have been into Dale at first, but tired of him and fell into the arms of John Redcorn. When that affair ended, she began devoting more time to her husband, even recognizing his caring nature.
Relationship (John Redcorn)- The two carried on a torrid affair for years- he even fathered her child. It appears to have been mostly-sexual in nature. And Nancy was QUITE put out to discover that he had been sleeping around on HER.
Secret (Hair Loss)- Nancy started losing her hair when her affair ended. This is apparently genetic to the Hicks women.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (9)

-A huge early running gag on King of the Hill was the fact that the supreme Conspiracy Nut Dale is completely-unable to see the obvious in his own home life- his wife is carrying on a long-term, torrid affair with John Redcorn- even father his child! Nancy was pretty much just this, plus a TV Weather Girl, with occasional signs of hanging around with Peggy (the two eventually hang out with Minh a lot more, as the only women in the neighborhood who get along with each other on an even semi-regular basis). The only other bit was the occasional sign that she's a giant hypocrite- seen judging others harshly, even while John Redcorn is standing RIGHT NEXT TO HER. However, in a later season, she ends up being charmed by Dale after an unexpectedly-fun night out, and SLEEPING WITH HIM. This shocks John Redcorn (who, humorously, acts like HE'S been cheated on), but actually serves as the end of their relationship- Nancy basically goes back to her husband, and John Redcorn rejects her advances in the future because he comes to respect Dale as a friend.
-Nancy is actually a great case of the show maturing and growing out its cast- she was just a one-note joke until she got back together with Dale, at which point they started doing a LOT of episodes focused around her, and her other attributes. It turns out she's a giant conniving bitch, who often tries to make her co-workers look bad (and specializes in pointing out their physical imperfections in a manner that will break them as people). And her OWN scheming nature is only held in check by DALE, whose own schemes require her work to fix. She eventually becomes the Co-Host of Channel 42 news after her Weather Girl career dries up (turns out that an ACTUAL METEOROLOGIST is ideal), because despite her ambition nearly killing her and all of her friends, the "showy" experience of covering a wildfire that blows up the news van proves to the station that she can actually DO THE NEWS.
-Also, the show REALLY ramps up the Fanservice with her after a point- though Luanne is more-obviously there for such purposes, Nancy will occasionally show up in the world's skimpiest bikini for no other reason than to show that the animators have a liking for some MILF. I concur.

CHUCK MANGIONE
Played By:
Himself
Role: Running Gag, Hateful Celebrity
PL 2 (23)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Music) 4 (+6)
Stealth 6 (+6)
Technology 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Equipment (Fugelhorn), Power Attack

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Obsession (Bitchiness)- Though charming and sweet to most people, Nancy has a VERY cruel side (acting like a stereotypical Head Cheerleader, despite being in her forties). In fact, it is later learned that this is only curtailed by her spending a lot of time reining in her husband.
Relationship (Dale- Husband)- Nancy appears to have been into Dale at first, but tired of him and fell into the arms of John Redcorn. When that affair ended, she began devoting more time to her husband, even recognizing his caring nature.
Relationship (John Redcorn)- The two carried on a torrid affair for years- he even fathered her child. It appears to have been mostly-sexual in nature. And Nancy was QUITE put out to discover that he had been sleeping around on HER.
Secret (Hair Loss)- Nancy started losing her hair when her affair ended. This is apparently genetic to the Hicks women.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (23)

-A funny, and weird, running gag in the early seasons of King of the Hill was that minor celebrity Chuck Mangione was the spokesman for the Megalo-Mart chain of stores. Megalo-Mart being an early villain of the series, representing how the Wal-Mart chain had invaded small towns across America, gobbling up the business of Mom & Pop Stores ("I hate that Megalo-Mart- people shop there to SAVE a couple bucks, and end up puttin' half of ARLEN out of business."), and selling cheat stuff with an armada of barely-trained, lazy, inadequate teenagers. Hank, as a "Good Old-Fashioned Boy", hates this concept (and having to visit a store where once-respected local businessmen are now mere low-tier employees). The store actually EXPLODES in a Season Finale, resulting in the death of poor, worthless Buckley.
-Chuck's support of the chain is actually a great disappointment to Hank, who apparently expected better ("*sigh*... oh, CHUCK..."), but it turns out that his contract was terrible, and the chain now dictates his life (he has to be there for EVERY NEW OPENING). In one episode, he's shown LIVING in the Arlen store so that he can avoid detection (Dale gets called in to exterminate what is thought to be an animal). In another, he's shown in an Anger Management Class, failing the final exam by smashing the instructor upside the face for getting his name wrong on the Completion Award.

OCTAVIO
Played By:
Danny Trejo (first appearance), Mike Judge
Role: Running Gag, Sidekick
PL 2 (11)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 2 (+2)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Responsibiltiy (Dale)- Octavio apparently works for Dale. How much money he makes is unknown.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 8--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (11)

-The peculiar Octavio is seen assisting Dale in many later episodes, only doing minor things like busting up Dale's own fender. Generally, given that Dale is a harmless crackpot, Octavio doesn't do a lot of truly criminal things. He's mainly an animated version of his original Voice Actor, the intimidating-looking Danny Trejo.

(to Hank) "I wrote a song about killing myself that I can turn into a song about personal hygiene!"
(later, in front of a crowd of small children)
"Woke up this morning/wanted to (Hank looks worried)... WASH myself. CLEAN my wrists; SCRUB my brains out!"

JOHN REDCORN
Played By:
Johnathan Joss
Role: Running Gag, Man-Whore, Basket Case
PL 3 (43)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 6 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 2 (+2)
Expertise (History) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Massage Therapist) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Treatment 2 (+2)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +1

Complications:
Addiction (The Ladies)- John Redcorn is horribly-lascivious, not only engaging in a long-running affair with Nancy Hicks-Gribble, but scoring with other women on the side. As a children's music star, he arranges for numerous "meetings" with the kids' moms.
Guilt (The Affair With Nancy)- Though he loves her, John Redcorn feels guilty over the way he played around behind Dale Gribble's back, after becoming true friends with Dale.
Secret (Fraud)- John Redcorn fakes the whole "Spiritual Native American" thing for the ladies)
Obsession (Big Mountain Fudgecake)- John Redcorn puts a lot of focus on his stupid '80s-style rock band.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (43)

-Another great example of Character Development on the show, John Redcorn of all people got a huge boost in characterization the longer King of the Hill went. Originally just a running gag, sleeping with Nancy while Dale (and nobody else) was clueless, he was eventually revealed as a psychotically-dependent basket case, faking his originally played-straight Mystical Native schtick to get women, and repeatedly brought to a wailing fit by the mere mention of his sweet "Nan-Nan". Then they added the "Big Mountain Fudgecake" piece of crap '80s hair-metal wannabe band he was in, adding MORE depth to the guy. Eventually he was one of the saddest stories on the show, though he was still picking up tons of women using his new schtick as the "Native American Raffi".
-John Redcorn is unsurprisingly the strongest & toughest guy in Arlen (though is never seen fighting as far as I can recall), with a smattering of skills based around his deception of people, his pop cultural knowledge, and just enough to get by at his job without being jobless.

TicketMaster Lady: "Um, sir, those seats you want are obstructed view!"
Lucky: "Yeah, little lady, but when (guitarist from band he likes) gets up on the big speaker for his gee-tar solo, they's the best seats in the ENTIRE HOUSE..."


LUCKY (Elroy Kleinschmidt)
Played By:
Tom Petty
Role: Dumb Hillbilly, The Scrappy (to the fans)
PL 2 (23)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Close Combat (Stick-Fighting) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Gee-tar) 4 (+3)
Expertise (Cat-Fisting, aka catching catfish with bare hands) 5 (+3)
Expertise (Stumping) 5 (+3)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+3)
Perception 2 (+0)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Sweet Truck With Jack Under The Hood)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Obsession (Truck Racing)
Obsession (White Trash-Rock)
Responsibility (Luanne & Child)

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (23)

-Lucky has some mixed opinions on him in the King of the Hill fandom. Played by Rock God Tom Petty (who makes the best damn music videos ever), he's a foolish, simpleton redneck who was just a background character in an episode where Kahn becomes a redneck after giving up on the troubles in his life. Catching on with the writers, Lucky showed up again and again, hooking up with Luanne of all people, which had the unfortunate side effect of cutting her character growth and drawing her "back to the trailer park" as Peggy put it. The writers soon proved that despite his stupidity and low goals (he wins about $75,000 from "sleeping on the pee-pee at the Megalo-Mart", and now considers himself SET FOR LIFE), he was actually a nice guy, and willing to sacrifice anything for his family, but... well, it was a shame for Luanne.
-Despite not being very popular with the fans, I found Lucky kinda funny, especially since it let the writers use all the redneck humor they typically didn't show with the more "normal" main cast (King of the Hill, in fact, was quite NOTABLE for not simply delving into the most-obvious Southerner stereotypes).

"A football player told me that all Alpha girls were SLUTS... Is that true? (whispers) Because I can't join if that's true!"
-Luanne, while auditioning to joint he Alpha sorority house.


LUANNE PLATTER
Played By:
Brittany Murphy
Role: Blonde Airhead, Miss Fanservice
PL 1 (11), PL 3 (11) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Hair Care) 6 (+4)
Expertise (Christian Puppet Theatre) 5 (+5)
Persuasion 5 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Technology 4 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Reputation (Trailer Trash)- Luanne was raised in the trailer, and fears going back.
Responsibility (Lucky & Child)

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (11)

-Luanne had the potential for great growth on the show, and damn near got it. She was initially shown to be an Idiot Savant with automotive repairs, something that was dropped after the first season when they realized that her being a dumb bimbo and doing dumb teenager things was more entertaining (and probably easier to write). But still, she was shown to be the kindest of the characters in spite of her stupidity, and she got many episodes showing she had potential. The car repairs, finally doing well at Beauty School, finally quitting the go-nowhere Beauty School for Community College, etc. But then the writing just stalled, and despite her "Manger Babies" show doing well (it was an Arlen Public Access cable show about the baby animals in the manger where Jesus was born), she got stuck with trailer trash Lucky (though he's played well by TOM PETTY of all people), dropped out of the College after years of nothing, and went back to cutting hair professionally. Kind of disappointing, especially for a show that is the absolute pinnacle of character evolution, but what can you do?
-Luanne was introduced by Greg Daniels as a foil of sorts for Hank- a huge part of his character was being uptight and tense, particularly about sexuality. And so he was given a scantily-clad, sexually-active niece who LIVED IN HIS HOUSE- all the better to reflect this part of his persona. Because most of the best Supporting Cast members out there define something about the main character.
-Luanne's not spending a lot of points, but that'll happen when you're explicitly shown to be the dumbest thing walking on two legs. She's easily fooled, doesn't know much about anything, and generally hopeless in a lot of social situations (getting by on her looks, though she doesn't often understand that). Even her Skills aren't that advanced. Just an average dumb-ass young adult.

LEANNE PLATTER
Played By:
Pamela Adlon
Role: Trailer Trash, Absentee Mom
PL 2 (11)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Intimidation 6 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Improvised Weapons), Improvised Weapon

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Reputation (Violent Skank)- Leanne is openly-lascivious to almost every male around, and everyone in the area knows her pattern of behavior.
Addiction (Alcohol)
Temper- Leanne has a hair-trigger temper, and insults targeted towards her will provoke a violent response.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (11)

-Luanne was created to showcase something about Hank's personality- LEANNE was created to showcase things about Luanne. Leanne is Luanne's alcoholic mother, and she was initially only spoken of in-absentia, having physically-assaulted her husband (Luanne's father), knocking over their trailer, and stabbing him with a fork. The message was simple: Luanne came from trailer trash. That Luanne was a nice person in SPITE of this spoke wonders for her, ESPECIALLY once we finally met Leanne for real. Superficially charming (but not enough so that most adults can't immediately see through her), she links herself closely to Luanne (who is desperate for both a mother and a sister-figure in her life, casting off her Aunt Peggy in the process) and to Bill, who's naivete and desperation to find a woman makes him an easy victim. Especially once she finds some booze hidden away. She immediately shifts to her old, abusive patterns of behavior (the kind that led Luanne's father to hide away on an oil rig, promising never to return unless he got a faxed copy of Leanne's Death Certificate). In the end, her actions humiliate and upset Luanne, who SO wanted things to work out this time... necessitating Peggy to come in and WHUP SOME ASS, in a glorious case of revenge for hurting both her brother ("I whupped your brother's ass, and I'll whup yours!"), and for hurting Luanne. She is told never to return until she can live without alcohol.
-Leanne is largely-unskilled (she was likely very Attractive in her youth- she resembles Luanne greatly, but has the leathery, boozy features of a lifelong smoker & drinker by this point), but is a nasty scrapper. And numerous people call tell you the nasty results of physical abuse from a FEMALE aggressor- pummeling a helpless male who knows damn well that one punch back, and he'll put a black eye on her that'll land him in jail.

HOYT PLATTER
Played By:
Johnny Knoxville
Role: Absentee Father, Living Retcon
PL 1 (20)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Reputation (Criminal)- Hoyt is a lifelong crook, and will go to jail permanently if he screws up again.
Secret (Jailbird)- Hoyt's time in prison has been kept a secret from many (including Hank & Luanne), but most of them can figure it out.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (20)

-AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS ONE!!! EASILY the most-legendary among the fandom is the revelation of Luanne's father. The backstory (given as a VERY RECENT OCCURENCE) was that Hoyt was a docile-looking, demure type who was set to "marry that nice pharmacist gal until Leanne danced at his bachelor party"- years of drunken hell ensued, until he left the country rather than face Leanne's abuse again. However, when it came time for us to finally MEET Hoyt, we got an entirely-different character: it was revealed that, unbeknownst to Hank, he was actually in PRISON the whole time, and has apparently almost never seen many family members- this goes against a HUGE amount of stuff from the early seasons, and ruined so much of that only for a single episode. Examples: It was a given that Luanne hadn't seen him in eons, despite her being a new arrival at the Hill home only about two-three years before. Hank has no idea about Hoyt's past, despite knowing about it before. The whole fight with Leanne is basically ignored (even LEANNE somehow kept this secret, apparently).
-This is, in effect, the WORST kind of Retcon. Many can be acceptable, or even lead to better stories. This one served no purpose other than to ruin what had come before, and tell a somewhat-mediocre story that's only good quality was some Character Development for Lucky (who recognizes where Hoyt's been- "so was that the FEDERAL oil rig, or the STATE oil rig?"), who offers to go up the river by taking the blame for Hoyt's crime so that Luanne can have her daddy back (as Lucky would likely only serve minor time, being a non-offender).
-Hoyt is a crook, but not a particularly successful one if he's basically been permanently-imprisoned in middle age. He's a half-decent liar & persuader, but usually not on sharper people like Hank.

"... Hey."

BUCKLEY
Played By:
David Herman
Role: Lazy-Ass Teen
PL 0 (-2)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Hopeless Slack-Ass) 4 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Luanne)- Despite Luanne being attractive and highly-sought-after by boys, Buckley does not appreciate her, and often treats her like dirt (once giving her "some CDs I don't listen to any more" for her birthday).

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (-2)

-Buckley was a fun recurring character- sort of like The Simpsons's Squeaky-Voiced Teen, he represented the legion of Service Industry drones, and was the physical face of Hank's displeasure with Megalo-Mart (remember what I said about Supporting Characters needing to reflect something about the other characters?- sure it's cheaper to shop there, but they also staff their store with lazy idiots like THIS. Buckley was incompetent, lazy and stupid, yet nonetheless was Luanne's sex partner on more than one occasion (Hank: *walks in on them under the covers* "Just keep kicking each other's asses until I get back!"). His frequent splits with Luanne would often cause the mournful wailing that Hank hated so very much (one time, he put on his buzzsaw just to drown out the caterwauling). Eventually, he would be killed very early on in the show's run, having stupidly been pulling the propane tanks Megalo-Mart now sold by the dials, which led to a gas leak that blew up the store (Hank, humourously, was made BUCKLEY'S subordinate, after having been let go from Strickland).
-In most shows, that would have been it- but in a nice twist, the writers brought him back a few times as "Buckley's Angel"- still with the same personality, but now being an Angel sent by Jesus to help Luanne out in her daily life. It was he who helped her get over his death (complete with the great strings of Life in a Northern Town puncuating his appearances on his beloved trampoline), and then convinced her to go to Community College instead of Beauty School (tragically, they dropped this subplot, rendering this episode pointless).
-Buckley, like a lot of King of the Hill characters, isn't just as bad as a Bystander- he's WORSE.

xxxx


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)

8) John Redcorn, Luanne, Leanne, Hoyt, Lucky, Buckley (DBEEDE)


Re-reading old New Mutants issues provides a lot of other great stuff:

The Hellions' debut actually isn't much of a character study of the group (they mostly get a few lines each), and focuses more on the New Mutants & Kitty Pryde. But when Cannonball wins the duel with Jetstream, and thus his team's freedom (as per their deal), all of a sudden Emma Frost walks in. Thunderbird is all like "yeah, we made a deal- I take responsibility" and the Queen's all "yeah, no". The Mutants try to fight their way free... only for the Queen & Sebastian Shaw to completely WRECK HOUSE and walk through the team in all of five panels (Dani's then-Game Breaking Fear Power is effortlessly turned on her by Frost). A nice signifier that the team was made up of amateurs- like I've said before, modern Teen Teams have the heroes tear through established villains in issue #2. You REALLY get the sense they're "just learning" here.

Magneto & Magik's heart-to-heart is great. Magik is struggling with her evil nature (she's literally missing parts of her soul, and is revelling in her dark powers), and Magneto confronts her about her disrespectful behavior. Illyana goes all "you have the power. You could force obedience" (which is really SAYING SOMETHING. Magneto being one of the few people on Earth who could force obedience from the Sorceress Demon-Queen of Limbo), and Magneto is all "does that make it right?" He points out that they both have "expectations" ("You, the demon sorceress. Me, the evil mutant") and that they have to overcome them. Illyana points out that she WANTS to get better... but you can see an evil smirk in white amidst the shadows over her face- she LOVES being evil. But this conversation actually works, and Illyana goes out to play with her friends.

Magneto realizes that Empath has not only manipulated HIS emotions, but forced two of his colleagues to rape each other for three days straight. Enraged, he immediately flies to the Massachusetts Academy with murder on his mind. Emma Frost discovers this, and realizes what's about to happen. She thinks of three options: call for the Hellfire Club, send the Hellions & brainwashed New Mutants, or send her troops. But she shoots down each one: Calling the Club would mean a loss of face, and make her owe them all favors in return. The Hellions aren't ready, and the Mutants shouldn't have their loyalties tested to this point just yet. And her troops would be massacred. So what does she do? *dials phone* "Hello, is this the Sheriff? I am Emma Frost, Headmaster of the Massachusetts Academy. I have reason to believe that the evil mutant terrorist Magneto is about to assault my school. Please call THE AVENGERS for help. Thank you." What a magnificent, ingenious bitch.

The Magneto/Avengers fight is a fun one, too. If only because Dane Whitman the Giant Idiot keeps on friggin' attacking from obvious angles, despite FLYING A MECHANICAL STEED, WEARING ARMOR and WIELDING A SWORD. Against MAGNETO. Magneto even COMMENTS on his stupidity while handing him his ass. Meanwhile, Hercules & Namor are considered enormous threats, and he gets the trademark "WOW Captain America is a super-awesome fighter!" inner-monologue that I'm sure Mark Gruenwald forced everyone at Marvel to write for their characters back in the 1980s. Magik shows up, and Cap is all "protect the children!"... then she grabs his Shield and teleports into Limbo. Hee. And with some distractions, Magneto has the Avengers dead to rights and could finish them... but doesn't.

And THEN we get the follow-up with the Hellions/Mutants thing, as Emma is forced to admit that the Mutants' troubles (they'd been murdered by The Beyonder, then resurrected with the MEMORIES OF THEIR DEATHS, leaving them emotionally-shattered) are beyond her capabilities, and requires Magneto's more personal touch with the students (while getting some neat character bits as she's impressed by the kids' passion). Magneto, himself helpless to fix the kids, is forced to accept HER help as well. They part as... not quite ENEMIES any more, but rivals with possibilities of both conflict and partnership in the future. Yet Emma STILL gets a win, as despite losing the students, she notes that now they've all seen her good side and magnaminity, and if Magneto tries to put her down to the students NOW, he'll come off as jealous. So now the kids think highly of her. EVIL BITCH.


(quitting his job as the Manager of Personnel at StickTech to go back to exterminating) "I'm sorry, ma'am. I enjoy firing... but it's a poor excuse for KILLING."

(in the interview process to join the Alpha Sorority) "A football player told me that all Alpha girls were SLUTS... Is that true? (whispers) Because I can't join if it's true!"
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 27, 2020 3:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Monster High

Post by Jabroniville »

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MONSTER HIGH:

"HEY- Frankie's got me fallin' apart (UH!)
Draculaura's stealing my heart (heart!)
Clawdeen Wolf you make me howl at the moon (OWWWWWWWWW!)
You're the finest fish in this Lagoon
Cleo De Nile, you so beguile
Even though you act so vile!
And Deuce has stone cold style!

These are my boos
My skeleton crew!
A little STRANGE- but so are you! (Who?)
Don'tchu wanna be a monster, too?"


If Disney has a rival for sheer capability in marketing catchy crap to young people in order to raise the next generation of consumers, it is unquestionably Mattel. The makers & owners of the famous Barbie line, they've branched out over the years in other facets (He-Man was an attempt at capturing the boys' market), but generally go back to fashion dolls for girls. And they are some MALICIOUS bastards when it comes to the competitive end of corporate life- when Jem and the Holograms came out in the 1980s as the only possible competition for Barbie, Mattel immediately came out with Barbie and the Rockers specifically to cover the "Girl Band" aspect. It worked, and the Jem line was soon cancelled. When Bratz became a HUGE thing in the Post-2000 era (even getting a Live Action feature film), the whorish-looking big-head dolls having been created by an ex-Mattel employee, Mattel immediately SUED HIM in order to prove that since his work was created while he was working for them, it was now THEIR property- the resulting legal battle ended up with Bratz being taken off the shelves, halting their threat for god. They finally reappeared years later with different names on the characters, but the fad was done.

So basically, Mattel knows what the hell they're doing.

With this in mind, I was forced to admire tremendously their giant Merch-based push for Monster High. Essentially a line of fashion dolls based around the Universal Monster line of characters, Mattel came up with an ingenious way of pushing the dolls- rather than create an expensive TV series, paying for distribution rights and getting a lot of network involvement, what'd they do? They released a bunch of FREE Animated Shorts featuring the characters on YouTube and other sites. This is essentially a new wrinkle on the formula all of us '80s children are VERY familiar with- Advertising Toys Via Shows; kids are more likely to want toys of characters they IDENTIFY WITH- as Tom Kalinske (Mattel exec turned Sega President, and architect of the Video Game Wars of the 1990s) noted- "The Story's The Thing".

The characters were initially just the Universal Monsters' daughters- they all have "Daughter of _____" under their name, save Deuce Gorgon "The Son of Medusa". They were designed by one of the co-creators of Chelsea Boys, a NYC-themed gay comic strip that I read years back in University (it was where I first sorta discovered there was this weird gay CULTURE out there, totally separate from everyone else. It was like reading National Geographic, but with way better abs. And also that gay-themed stuff makes comic books look positively tame in terms of fanservice); I know, a gay artist being a major designer for a fashion doll line- who knew? The dolls had CRAZY designs, essentially high fashion on the bodies of colourful monsters- a girl Frankenstein, a Werewolf, a green-snake-haired male Gorgon (complete with pouty lips and "Bad Boy" look), an aquatic Black Lagoon design, etc.

As such, the initial line of dolls, complete with Punny Names and insane fashions, did quite well on their debut in 2010- they're as strong as ever here in 2015, with two movies coming out per year, and even getting a SPIN-OFF line in the Ever After High series (a more esoteric one based around Fairy Tale characters' kids in High School- the Webisodes are more well-animated and feature better characters, but statistically they're more boring and less worth building). They're so popular that every OTHER toy company out there is producing rip-offs- Hasbro's Equestria Girls, plus Bratzillaz and Zombie Girls are all there to cash in on the "Insane Fashion" Trend of non-human dolls. I was only made aware of them when I went to Toys R Us in Times Square and looked around, finding a big rack of them, pointing out that the "Abbey Bominable" doll was limited to 1 per person (deliberate scarcity to create further demand? Oh yeah these guys know their business). I noted they were designed well, and moved on- it's not like Mattel's dolls are really visible to a man my age without children, anyways.

However, over the years, I'd notice them more and more, as the line would do increasingly-well, taking up more and more shelf space. The "Webisodes" are so prevalent that there are now HUNDREDS of them (despite my interest in the series, I haven't even come close to watching most of them). DOZENS of new Monsters were added, each debuting in a Webisode focusing on them and how gosh-darn collectible they are. A line of books came out, which kind of flamed out (apparently they had a very strong Twilight resemblance, complete with a "Normal Girl" rip-off of Bella whatever), then got replaced by another set that retconned those old ones away, and did much better. Then they started releasing DVD MOVIES in 2012. Sold for relatively-cheap as far as DVDs went, they were basically 75-minute advertisements for the dolls, replacing the advanced "Flash Animation" Webisode animation with "TV Quality" CGI- the characters looked more like the dolls, but had some awkward movements and weird facial-animation. They retained the Webisodes' voice actors.

The series is kind of fun, though not nearly high art. The animation and characters don't have a shade on the Disney Fairies franchise or things like it, but it's fun for what it is. I'm mainly into it because some of the character designs are INCREDIBLE- as an artist, it's incredibly-humbling to see people who can made costume design like THIS. The Mattel team certainly leaves Comic Books in the dust- you see countless poorly-designed costumes in comics in just about every era, but THESE? It's just on another level. And also- Horrible, Horrible Puns. This series REVELS in them, the cheesier and more groan-inducing, the better- Manny Taur is a bull-y, for example. Some of the dialogue practically makes fun of how modern teenagers speak- Draculaura constantly uses the word "totes" instead of "totally", and at one point, Frankie ACTUALLY USES THE WORD "ADORBZ"!

Part of the appeal is the fact that the humor is often rather DARK, especially considering this is a series marketed towards young girls. There are jokes revolving around blood, death, rotting flesh, and more! This is in STARK contrast to the television series I remember as a kid, many of which weren't allowed to even SAY words like "dead". The show's also actually pretty funny sometimes- it helps that most of the characters are either nutty, scheming, or stupid. There's a great one where the girls find out all the boys are preparing for some "fight" after school- instead they discover the seemingly-cool males playing a Magic/Axis & Allies-type board game. Funny bits include Cleo's disgust as their "NERD Game!" and Frankie finding it adorable to watch these near-adults pretend to shoot lasers at each other.

The Series Itself:

* The world of Monster High is essentially that a bunch of famous monsters all have kids (mostly daughters, since this is a Girls Line and the male characters are superfluous like chicks are in Boy Shows), and they all go to High School together- the girls are about 16-17 years old, all have the same elongated body type (they actually make BARBIE look chubby) with a big, round head, and bigger, rounder eyes. They live in a world of horrible, HORRIBLE puns, and cram monster-related names into everything, including their own names (Ghoulia Yelps, Draculaura, Lagoona Blue, etc.). Girls are called "ghouls", they celebrate "Boo Year's Eve", and the girls' favourite band is The Jaundice Brothers. Someone went to Entrail Park in Boo York City. Lagoona Blue speaks with an Australian accent because she's from "Down Under. Down under the sea, that is". GROANZ.

* Each character has a "Freaky Flaw" meant to humanize them and give them characterization. They run from things like clumsiness to an obsessive sense of melodrama.

* Every ghoul's shoes are high heels. And I mean HIGH Heels. The girls are literally walking around en pointe every day, with their feet essentially pointing straight down- the heel coming down pretty much right next to the toe of the shoe. This is probably part of why a lot of people think the girls are dressed like hookers (I still find them less whorish than Bratz).

* Many types of monster are well-known- not just the famous ones. The ghouls are usually the daughters of the FAMOUS ones (The Boogeyman, Dracula, The Mummy), but there are countless background students who are generic vampires, werewolves or zombies. Naturally, there were a lot of generic monsters using a "Standard Template" at first (including a girl that was often a lioness, had three eyes, or was an odd colour), but as the series went on, you saw a Simpsons-like increase of Recognizable Background Characters filling space. There are a few other schools mentioned, though Monster High is the only one that includes all Monster types- every other one is Vampires Only, Ghosts Only, Werewolves Only, Zombies Only or Gargoyles Only.

* The "Main Group" appear most-frequently, getting new dolls with each passing year (many have SEVERAL dolls), and are the major characters of the cartoon "webisodes", and the first few movies. However, as time has gone on, more Webisodes are about "Meet ______, The Daughter of _____", and more and more Movies now feature just a COUPLE of the main group, along with some of the more popular newer characters (2015's Haunted, for example, featured only Clawdeen & Draculaura of the Main Group, focusing on side character Spectra, plus newer popular characters Twyla, Rochelle Goyle & Sirena von Boo).

* Most stories are very Archie-esque- High School antics revolving around someone trying a new scheme or something. There's even a "Central High" anaologue in Gargoyle Prep, which is a rival school where everyone cheats. The teachers appear largely-superfluous, with Headless Headmistress Bloodgood being the only competent teacher. There's a dumb corpse-looking "unpopular teacher" and a few others seen, though. The episodes are only 2-3 minutes long, so there's not really much time for depth, though you'll get some recurring storylines (early on, there's a Fearleading Competition between rival schools, then Nefera schemes against Cleo, and then there's the Jackson/Holt thing).

* The initial group was quite small (Frankie, Draculaura, Cleo, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Ghoulia, Deuce), but soon expanded to see numerous other characters added in. Abbey Bominable would join the main crew, while others were outliers- Spectra would recur often as "The Ghostly Gossip", and Toralei took the role of "Most Evil Ghoul In School". Male characters were added to the series to basically fill space, and most of them got their own dolls (Manny Taur, Heath Burns, Jackson Jekyll/Holt Hyde), but much slower than the girls (since the rule of No Girls In Boys' Lines also works in reverse, just not to the same level). Eventually the cast would number into the dozens.

* The Movies have a few traits in common with each other- there's usually a Main Character or two, and some members of the Main Group are involved, plus a few others (usually everyone gets a new doll around this time). They solve the main plot, and in so doing meet an assortment of new Merch for kids to buy- in a story about the girls joining a Roller Derby-like team, we're introduced to Rochelle Goyle, Operetta & Robecca Steam; 13 Wishes brings in Howleen Wolf & Twyla, alongside Gigi Grant the Genie, plus Middle Eastern-themed designs for the Main Group. More-recently, there's a trend towards the ghouls going on an adventure that leads to them slowly meeting four new dolls along the way- this is handled in such a ham-fisted, obvious "Buy Our Merch!" manner that it's actually part of the fun! For Freaky Fusion, we're introduced to four new characters instantly. In Haunted, the group meets in order: River Styxx, Vandala Doubloons, Porter Geiss and Kiyomi Haunterly. In several cases, the characters don't even really DO ANYTHING- they just kind of pop up, state their names, show off their visuals, and then just kind of fall into the background because there's like ten characters on-screen now.

* Most characters are rather... light... on character traits. The initial crew differ in the way that Girl Shows often differentiate their characters (Jock, Popular Prissy Princess, the Blunt One, The Goofy One, The Brain), but after a point, every new character becomes "Generic Friendly Girl", as most of the characters are meant to be rather positive. There's like three actual VILLAINS in the series, and almost all of the other girls are friends. You're lucky if they have one obsession/character trait (Lorna McNessie, daughter of the Loch Ness Monster, loves Photobombing).

* There are normal humans in their world (called "Normies"), yet the relationship between Normie & Monster isn't explained all that well- only one movie focuses on it, and it doesn't even define WHY the two became enemies- all that's known is that Monsters can be attacked and hunted by Normies, and everyone can easily cross over into each others' worlds. Normies appear afraid of Monsters at times, but almost all the major cities are named more Monster-style than human style (Scareis, New Goreleans, Rotland, Direland).

* Oddly, despite the ENTIRE CONCEPT being made up of "Children of Famous Monsters", you pretty much NEVER SEE THEIR PARENTS. This is pretty bizarre, actually- some characters are given MAJOR BACKSTORY involving their parents (Lagoona & Gill's parents don't want them dating each other, for instance), but it's all off-screen. The reasons why are tragically-simple: They don't have dolls for those characters, so there's no point in creating a Flash Animation/CGI Model for a character that isn't for the Merch, and could in fact need to be replaced by real Merch later on. We've only barely seen The Mummy and Hexeciah Steam (Robecca's father/creator). Considering how many of the girls are in life-altering adventures, it seems COMPLETELY INSANE that their parents are never seen, nor barely mentioned.

* Despite there being Werewolves, you never see anyone's "Human Form". Similarly, Vampires never drink blood (you're aware they CAN, and the main Vampire character is a hemophobic vegetarian, but still... there are DOZENS of Vampires at the school, and it's never mentioned). Also, Zombies & Ghosts exist, but are basically a different species rather than something that happens to dead people, as far as I can tell. They can certainly BREED (Neighthan & Ghoulia have Zombie parents; Spectra and five others are descended from Ghosts).

* The ENORMOUS size of the cast becomes a bit of a problem, in my opinion- because the cast gets so big at one point, most of the new characters just kind of blend in to each other (differentiated only in appearance). Only a few are give notable character traits (Venus McFlytrap for example is pretty much ONLY seen walking around handing out flyers for environmental causes, for instance). Some of the voice acting is pretty bad, too- a few voices are nice (Twyla's voice is AMAZING), but with a giant cast, you have a handful of people doing 5-10 voices each, and in a non-Simpsons-level voice cast, that leads to some odd stretching and bad accents.

* A major recurring theme is "Prejudice" and not judging others based on appearance (this is why MH is the only High School for all monsters). This comes up in one movie and quite a few of the shorts (Normies vs. Monsters, Vampires vs. Werewolves, Freshwater vs. Saltwater Monsters). They're about as subtle as a jackhammer with it, but hey- kids show. Subtlety doesn't really work on children.

* Since the characters are 16-17, and usually drawn like it, there's not a lot in the way of Fanservice- Mattel isn't Disney, after all. A COUPLE of the girls, though? Spectra could straight up get it. Some of the others would look AWESOME if they were aged-up a bit. Lagoona needs to call me literally the MINUTE she turns eighteen.


THE CAST:
The Main Group:
* The first doll set, and the ones who most-often get remakes with each new "line".
Frankie Stein (Daughter of Frankenstein's Monster): The Main Girl and most-generically good of the cast, and heroine of the most features.
Draculaura (Daughter of Dracula): A goofy, wacky vegetarian Vampiress. Arguably the most-popular character, drawing attention away from Frankie.
Cleo de Nile (Daughter of The Mummy): A conceited, snobbish Popular Girl Alpha Bitch, who nonetheless enjoys the company of the other girls and becomes their friend & confidante.
Lagoona Blue (Daughter of The Creature From the Black Lagoon): An athletic, friendly girl from "Down Under" the sea.
Clawdeen Wolf (Daughter of the Wolfman): The Black One. Generally smart-mouthed and ultra-confident.
Ghoulia Yelps (Daughter of The Zombies): A nerdy-looking Science Genius who can only speak in droning moans.
---
The Next Group:
* Major characters in at least some stories- some eventually vanish.
Deuce Gorgon (Son of Medusa): A bad-boy looking cool kid with a stone-cold gaze. Oddly seems to feature dramatically early-on, but kind of disappears later on.
Abbey Bominable (Daughter of The Yeti): Brutish Russian-esque Ice-Powered character.
Jackson Jekyll/Holt Hyde (Son of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde): Personality-changing boy- going from a shy nerdy type to an action-loving weirdo.
Spectra Vondergeist (Daughter of The Ghost): An aspiring School Newspaper Reporter with a penchant for not checking her sources properly.
Clawd Wolf (Son of The Wolfman): Draculaura's boyfriend & Clawdeen's sister. The closest thing to a Big Man On Campus Monster High has.
Heath Burns (Son of a Fire Elemental): Smart-assed prankster who thinks himself The Fonz, but is actually just annoying.
Toralei Stripe (Daughter of a Werecat): The first werecat seen- just a bitchy bitch, to contrast Cleo's Nice Bitch persona.
Howleen Wolf (Daughter of The Wolfman): Clawdeen & Clawd's little sister. Popularity-obsessed.
Twyla (Daughter of The Boogeyman): Howleen's best friend- a shy wallflower who proved very popular with fans (even trumping Howleen in popularity).
Manny Taur (Son of the Minotaur): A big, stupid bull-y.
---
Remaining Cast Members:
* The lesser-used characters. Pretty much in order of appearance from here. After Gill, they're largely characters who show up in one movie/Webisode and then don't do much else.
Operetta (Daughter of The Phantom of the Opera): A ghost with extreme athletic potential. Hangs out in the cavernous basement of the school.
Purrsephone & Meowlody (Daughters of Werecats): Toralei's growly "Goldfish Poop Gang" Henchwomen. Non-speaking.
Nefera de Nile (Daughter of The Mummy): Cleo's older sister. Even more conceited and mean.
SloMo (Son of a Zombie): Ghoulia's moaning love interest.
Headless Headmistress Bloodgood (Daughter of The Headless Horseman): The only teacher with a doll. Generally seen making orders or needing things done, or just punishing the girls for their misdeeds.
Gill (Son of the River Monsters): Lagoona's love interest- a bit of a dorky sort.
Iris Clops (Daughter of The Cyclops): Manny's generic love interest.
HooDude Voodoo (Creation of Frankie): A voodoo doll Frankie brings to life. Acts like a hyper-dramatic love-obsessed dork.
Sarah Screams (Daughter of The Banshee): Telepathic Direland ghoul.
C.A. Cupid (Daughter of Eros): Uses Cupid's Arrows to make others fall in love, and runs a Call-In Radio Show. Leaves the series as a "Transfer" to Ever After High.
Rochelle Goyle (Daughter of a Gargoyle): French girl. Jock.
Venus McFlytrap (Daughter of the Plant Monster): Plant-esque Environmentalist Granola Girl.
Jinafire Long (Daughter of a Chinese Dragon): Pretty much just looks cool.
Robecca Steam (Creation of a Steampunk Engineer): Steampunk British Robot.
Skelita Calaveras (Daughter of Los Eskeletos): Captain Ethnic from "Hexico".
Catrine DeMew (Daughter of a Werecat): French artist.
Invisibilly (Son of The Invisible Man): A gag character turned into a stereotypical "cool kid" type.
Gigi Grant (Daughter of The Genie): Wish-granting genie.
Catty Noir (Daughter of a Werecat): Our FIFTH Werecat, Catty is a huge Idol Singer out for an "ordinary life".
Wydowna Spider (Daughter of Arachne): One-note character created from a Fan Contest.
Lorna McNessie (Daughter of The Loch Ness Monster): Photobombing Cryptid.
Marisol Coxi (Daughter of The South American Bigfoot): Abbey's cousin, determined to not let her "small feet" bother her.
Amanita Nightshade (Bloom of the Corpse Flower): Selfish, "borrowing" girl.
Honey Swamp (Daughter of The Honey Island Swamp Monster): Photographer.
Clawdia Wolf (Daughter of The Wolfman): Clawdeen's older sister- a high-end writer.
Viperine Gorgon (Daughter of Stheno): A relative of Deuce's- a Hollywood make-up artist.
Elissabat (Daughter of a Vampire): The long-lost Vampire Queen.
Valentine (Son of a Vampire): Out to steal the hearts of various girls.
Djinni "Whisp" Grant (Clone of Gigi): Gigi's "Dark Shadow", out for her own power.
Casta Fierce (Daughter of Circe): Idol Singer with transformative powers.

The Freaky Fusions:
* Hybrid kids with parents of different types.
Neighthan Rot (Son of a Zombie & a Unicorn): Clumsy nice-guy.
Avea Trotter (Daughter of a Harpy & a Centaur): Stand-offish ghoul.
Bonita Femur (Daughter of a Mothman & a Skeleton): Flying ghoul.
Sirena Von Boo (Daughter of a Ghost & a Mermaid): The only Fusion to show up in other media.

Ghosts:
* Kids from the Ghost World.
Vandala Doubloons (Daughter of a Pirate Ghost): Generally lives in pirate stereotypes.
Kiyomi Haunterly (Daughter of the Noppera-bo): A faceless ghost.
River Styxx (Daughter of The Grim Reaper): Wish-granting genie.
Porter Geiss (Son of the Poltergeist): A grafitti artist kid.

Late 2015 will see the release of Boo York, Boo York, which will introduce Elle Eedee (a futuristic Robot girl), Luna Mothews (a female Moth), Mouscedes King (daughter of The Rat King from The Nutcracker), and Astra Nova (an Alien).

-Statistically, most of the characters use a pretty-similar Template, since they're just High School Kids. However, some of them are actually rather capable- while Draculaura and, say, Toralei, aren't much good in a fight, Abbey Bombinable could join Avengers Academy or The New Mutants and stand out as THE MOST POWERFUL MEMBER. Operetta, Lagoona & Robecca are quite athletic, and numerous characters have authentic super-powers (Sarah Screams, Gigi, any Ghost or Werewolf).

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9) Vandala, River, Porter, Kiyomi, Casta, Principal Revenant
10) Gigi, Whisp

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FRANKIE STEIN (Daughter of Frankenstein's Monster)
Role:
The Main Character, The Archie
Played by: Kate Higgins
PL 7 (60)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Fearleader) 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+3)
Technology 5 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Shock Effect" Damage 10 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [5]
"Bolts" Immunity 10 (Electrical Effects) [10]

"Remove Hands" Summon Hands 1 (Feats: Communication Link) (Extras: 2 Minions +2) (Flaws: Leaves Her Without Hands) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Shock +3 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Accident (Falling Apart)- Frankie's limbs have an annoying tendency to fall off during important moments, as their stitching comes loose. If she kicks too hard, her foot will tear off, for instance. She is also quite clumsy in general, causing accidents.
Accident (Shock)- Frankie has a tendency to spark up and blow out electronics. She REALLY shouldn't be in the water.
Responsibility (Insecure & Naive)- Frankie was fairly insecure early on, and usually quite naive, taking the wrong advice (especially from Monster Beat magazine). That'll happen when your first day of school is when you turn sixteen... days old, that is.
Relationship (Her Ghouls)- Frankie is close to Clawdeen, Draculaura, Lagoona, Abbey & Cleo.
Motivation (Romance)- Frankie is a bit lovesick, and tends to develop crushes quickly. She pretends she's dating Deuce Gorgon (not knowing he's with Cleo), builds a pair of boyfriends (Hoodude & a gingerbread boy).
Motivation (Being Nice to Others)- Frankie's own history as an insecure "new kid" makes her relatively-likely to take to newcomers, helping her be the first to welcom the "Hybrids" to Monster High.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 19 / Defenses: 7 (60)

-Frankie Stein is sort of the main character of the Monster High franchise (seriously, she has THIRTY-FOUR DOLLS just to herself- 10% of the entire line! And keep in mind there are almost FIFTY Monster High characters!), and is an effective centrepiece: She's more "generic" than the other girls in the main group (who are all Goofy, Smart, Conceited, Athletic or Black), and has the most incredible, dynamic design. Seriously, this is an INSANELY-good look- it keeps enough of the original Monster Movie character to remain iconic (keeping the stitched-up look, green skin and even The Bride of Frankenstein's unique hair colouring!), yet translates it into Fashion Doll form thanks to the crazy outfits & "Model Physique" (skinny body, big head). The cool eyes of different colours helps, too. I could EASILY see a character like this in a more-typical uniform joining a Superhero Team, which you could say about a lot of Monster High characters, honestly.
-As the Main Girl, Frankie is often tossed about in various crushes or mini-relationships: In the initial Webisodes, she's seen crushing on Deuce Gorgon, and attempts to hook up with Heath Burns as well. In Freaky Fusion, she gets close to Neighthan Rot as well, but this doesn't lead anywhere (he doesn't appear in the Webisodes). This trait, combined with her accident-prone nature, basically makes her a mint green version of Archie Andrews.
-Frankie is a typical girl most of the time, but has a REALLY powerful "Shock" that has been shown KO-ing large Monsters, much less normal people. The only problem is that it's largely Uncontrolled (often going off unexpectedly when she's next to important machinery). She can also take off her hands and have them do things (they run around independently, and seem aware of what they're doing and where they're going), but this naturally has the Flaw that she's, well, without hands when she does this. She's also a bit bright, as she DID construct a pair of boyfriends out of random materials- HooDude has gone on to join Monster High as a student! Unfortunately, those relationships never worked out.

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JACKSON JEKYLL (Son of Jekyll and a Fire Elemental)
Role:
Nerdy Good Guy, Split Personality
Played by: Cindy Robinson
PL 1 (16), PL 2 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Deception 3 (+2)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Prejudice (Normie)- Jackson gets picked on sometimes for being a normal person, though the nicer characters don't discriminate.
Secret/Involuntary Transformation (Holt Hyde)- Jackson will transform into Holt whenever music is played.
Relationship (Frankie)- Frankie found herself attracted to both Jackson & Holt, and couldn't decide between them. She "took a break" so he could get his act together.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (16)

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HOLT HYDE (Son of Jekyll and a Fire Elemental)
Role:
Wild Child, Split Personality
Played by: Cindy Robinson
PL 1 (24), PL 2 (24) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+3)
Expertise (Disc Jockey) 6 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Prejudice (Normie)- Jackson gets picked on sometimes for being a normal person, though the nicer characters don't discriminate.
Secret/Involuntary Transformation (Jackson Jekyll)- Holt with transform back into Jackson (his default form) without music being present.
Relationship (Frankie)- Frankie found herself attracted to both Jackson & Holt, and couldn't decide between them. She "took a break" so he could get his act together.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (24)

-Jackson Jekyll really seemed like he was going to be a major character at first- he appeared heavily in the early book materials, and shows up fairly quickly in the cartoons. He was our first link to how the "Normies" were treated- school bull-y Manny picked on him mercilessly ("I fit in. I fit in lockers, I fit in garbage cans- you'd be surprised at the places I fit in."). His thing with his alternate personality Holt ran for a few episodes as well (dorky Jackson would turn into charismatic wild child Holt whenever loud music was played), as well as a relationship with Frankie Stein. However, fate was not kind to him- despite a relatively good concept (the nice-guy nerdy type who develops a crush on the main girl; who also turns into a Party Animal), he was soon ignored in favor of more-dynamic characters like Heath Burns & Manny Taur.
-He actually has quite a few dolls by this point (four; plus two more if you count his Holt Hyde persona), but hasn't gotten a new one in years. The only Movie featuring him as a character is Ghouls Rule, which gives him a subplot involving a relationship with a "Normie" Goth Girl. He was briefly seen on the Castketball team in some shorts, but isn't generally that athletic, and so vanishes in any story involving sports, which doesn't help his case. Of all the early character, he's actually the male with the LEAST amount of screen time.
-Another thing holding him back is the weird fact that his voice actor is clearly female (especially noticeable with the Holt persona). This is kind of off-putting in some bits, and makes the show look bush-league (though I guess Goku in Dragon Ball Z is a woman in Japan, and THAT never held the show back...). When Frankie broke up with him until he could get his act together (the two personae don't get along- Holt was horrified to find out that he was "Half-Normie... and half-DORK!"), it broke a lot of little fangirls' hearts. Personally, I found Holt to be a bit annoying, and a lesser version of what Sparrow Hood would become on Ever After High- if you're gonna make your character obnoxious, go all the way.
-Jackson & Holt are both pretty minor, but have very different stats thanks to Involuntary Transformation- Jackson is smart but uncharismatic, while Holt is fun but a bit nutty.

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HOODUDE VOODOO (Creation of Frankie Stein)
Role:
Love-Obsessed Oddball, The Melodramatic One
Played by: Cam Clarke
PL 5 (41)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Persuasion 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Living Voodoo Doll"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Saves) [30]
Protection 10 [10]
"Pain Effect" Affliction 5 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (Flaws: Limited to Proportion of Damage He Takes, Limited Degree, Uncontrolled) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Finding Love & Joy)- Hoodude is a melodramatic type, always out to find love- whenever he thinks he's been scorned, he begins openly weeping and railing against his fate.
Accident (Clumsy)

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 0 (41)

-Hoodude is a weird one, seemingly-created as a gag. When Frankie needed an emergency boyfriend (she was jealous and feeling left out that the other girls had boyfriend-drama and she didn't), she created a human-sized voodoo doll and zapped him with electricity, just as her grandfather had once done. When she realized that she wasn't ready for a relationship (and, you know, Voodude was just a doll), she cast him aside... at which point he SPRUNG TO LIFE, cried about her breaking up with him "after all we've BEEN THROUGH", and ran away bawling! Recovering, he ends up joining Monster High, becoming a bit of a love-seeking, melodramatic, squeaky-voiced weirdo. He appears sometimes in the background material and cartoons, typically to say something goofy as Comic Relief- to date, he's only had one doll, a two-pack with Sarah Screams. He does appear as one of the "Hangers-On" of the group in the Frights, Camera, Action! Movie- the only male to search for Elissabat.
-Hoodude is actually a bit pricey, owing to the fact that he suffers almost no damage (he basically laughs off being assaulted by a demonic kitty with rows and rows of teeth), and can injure anyone else around him by taking damage (the kitty actually caused leg pain to HEATH, who was standing on the ground floor while Hoodude was in the basement; another time he pounded his chest with sorrow and ended up hurting two boys BEHIND him).

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HEATH BURNS (Son of a Fire Elemental)
Role:
The Reggie Mantle of Monster High, Butt-Monkey
Played by: Yuri Lowenthal (Vol. 1), Cam Clarke (Vol. 2 and on)
PL 3 (36)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+3)
Athletics 5 (+5)
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Pranks) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+1)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Fire Elemental"
Immunity 5 (Fire Damage) [5]
Fire Blast 4 (8) -- [9]
AE: Flame Aura 2 (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Fire Blast +2 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Flame Aura +0 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Accident (Out of Control)- When Heath gets over-emotional, too excited, or too absentminded, his flames can go out of control, accidentally setting something on fire.
Reputation (Arse)- Heath was popular at first, but his personality quickly began to grate on others. He has a reputation for hitting on every woman he sees, setting things on fire, and playing pranks on people.
Relationship (Manny Taur)- Heath hangs out with most of the more athletic boys, but with Manny, his bullying & pranking instincts come out.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 4 (36)

-Heath Burns was a seemingly-minor background character at first (you can tell because he's not really the child of anyone famous), but his outgoing, antagonistic personality made him a great go-to character for random High School antics, and he soon became the most-commonly-seen male character in Monster High- trumping even Deuce Gorgon! Pretty good for a guy who took THREE YEARS to get a doll! He's basically Reggie Mantle- a good-looking kid who nonetheless thinks WAY too highly of himself, which leads him to flirt with everything in a skirt (Draculaura has a thing for him at first, and he's seen chasing around Jinafire, Sarah Screams, and others), and play pranks on just about everyone in order to amuse himself- in one story, Spectra has to crack the case of who framed him for taking a school statue (his personality pretty much made everyone blame HIM when it went missing).
-Many stories revolve around him saying something stupid, or playing a mean trick, and getting his swift comeuppance for it. There are only occasional bits where he shows a good side (protecting the girls' Fearleading team, and helping fix Rochelle's car once). This relatively-dynamic character proves to be one of the easiest ones to write for, and his fire provides a good visual- an important lesson for future storytellers out there: guys like Heath can swiftly become the most-popular characters.
-Like a lot of the boys in Monster High, he speaks with a very high-pitched voice- a squeaky, barely-pubescent one. I have a feeling that even semi-attractive girls growing up had to deal with a LOT of Heaths, as you see this type of character in girl-focused media a lot. The backstory gives hints that Abbey Bominable likes him, as she finds his pranks funny, and finds him no more stupid than any other boy- the more-blunt Abbey can appreciate that.
-Heath is a low-level Fire Elemental, more prone to burning stuff down by ACCIDENT than on purpose, but with some control, he could be a capable fighter.

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LAGOONA BLUE (Daughter of the Sea Monster)
Role:
Team Jock, The Level-Headed One
Played by: Laura Bailey
PL 3 (58), PL 5 (58) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 9 (+10)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 1 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +1, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Gil)- Lagoona & Gil are in love, but his parents are bigoted against Saltwater Monsters like her. They even go as far as to transfer him from Monster High in order to split them up!
Weakness (Lack of Water)- Lagoona needs to be in contact with water at least some of the time in order to remain properly-hydrated.
Responsibility (The Environment)- Lagoona is passionate about keeping the ocean clean.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 6 (58)

-Lagoona has one of the greatest names and designs in the whole Monster High universe- it just sounds cool! And she's got a great look for a sea creature- she looks nothing like the Creature From the Black Lagoon (aka Gill-Man), whom she's obviously sorta meant to represent, but it's one of the best mer-people designs ever. They made the weird decision to make her AUSTRALIAN of all things (apparently just for the awful, AWFUL pun that she's "From Down Under. Down Under the Sea, that is."), and made her a bit unique in the group- unlike most of the crazy ghouls in the Core Cast, she's pretty level-headed, and tends to give good, proper advice. Of course, this pretty much makes her the hardest character to WRITE FOR (many an author had noted that the better a person you make your character, the harder they are to write), and so she only really shows up to display angst about her relationship with Gil- they are Star-Crossed Lovers, kept apart by his nasty, anti-Saltwater Creature parents.
-Apparently her father is a Sea Monster, but her mother is an Ocean Nymph. She's one of the most-popular characters in the Merch, packing an amazing TWENTY-THREE figures. And like I said, she's one of the least-utilized members of the Core Cast. The movie 13 Wishes had one of the less-selfish wishes of Howleen's be that "Gil's parents like Lagoona"- this turned her into a Freshwater Monster, who was INSANE for Freshwater. It was SERIOUSLY creepy, as she constantly talked about freshwater, fawned over Gil like a lovesick buffoon, and at one point grabbed an 18 Litre bottle of water and DRANK THE ENTIRE THING. Really- it was horrifying. To Gil's credit, he was immensely creeped-out and didn't like the change.
-She's one of the better all-around members of the cast, being very well-suited to aquatic environments, and very athletic. And she uses weird words like "Drongos" a lot.

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Lagoona: "Now's our chance- let's hurry!"
Gill: "Great idea- I don't want to be in the sea any longer than I have to!"
*Lagoona gives him a "REALLY?" look*
Gill: "WHALES GO TO THE BATHROOM IN HERE, LAGOONA!"

GIL (Gillington Webber, The Son of the River Monsters)
Role:
Goofy Coward
Played by: Yuri Lowenthal (Vol. 1-2), Evan Smith (Vol. 3 and on)
PL 2 (29)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Insight 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 3 (4 mph) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Lagoona Blue)- Gil is in love with Lagoona, and is mortified that his parents don't want them together (they dislike saltwater monsters). They even go as far as to transfer him from Monster High in order to split them up!
Weakness (Lack of Water)- Gil is almost always seen with a big bowl of water over his head, though in some cases it's not on. It may be thus inferred that he usually needs to be in water, and may weaken without it.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 4 (29)

-Gil is an odd fit in Monster High. You don't normally see a "Secondary Character" like Lagoona with such a steady boyfriend, nor a long-running subplot (basically that his freshwater monster parents don't like saltwater monsters like Lagoona). But more importantly, I find it odd that a brave, noble, high-spirited jock like Lagoona hooked up with a kind of wimpy, cowardly, whiny, passive figure like Gil- he's just TOTALLY not what you'd expect for arguably the most-capable individual of the Main Group. And yet there he is- Gil has a warbly-voice and an odd look (very tall and Benedict Cumberbatch-y, actually, but with a big bowl full of water over his head), and comes off like a weakling compared to Lagoona. But he's a big part of the series, owing to his friendship with the main male characters (he's usually there in big groups with the others), and doing the On/Off thing with Lagoona (even semi-recently, there was a bit where Lagoona suspected something was going on between him and Lorna McNessie).
-Gil is willing to fight for what he wants in the end, and he DOES have a pretty bitching fashion sense, though- that shirt inspired by the famous Japanese woodprints of water scenes is pretty boss. His exact parentage is unknown- possible answers include the Kelpie, Jenny Greenteeth, the Merrow, the Rusalka, or various American River Monsters. And naturally, despite a HUGE portion of his & Lagoona's story revolving around their parents and their reactions to things... WE NEVER SEE THEIR PARENTS. I can get why, Merch-wise (the show-runners don't want to add new character designs that won't be used later, and may be rendered obsolete by later dolls), but it's a really weird thing to see in practice- essentially a ton of important stuff is happening OFF-SCREEN because you can't show adults.
-Curiously, while he has three dolls (not bad for a male character), he doesn't have one that depicts his "core" outfit.

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GHOULIA YELPS (Daughter of The Zombies)
Role:
The Smart One, The Unintelligible One, The Nerd
Played by: Audu Paden
PL 1 (40), PL 3 (40) Defenses, PL 4 (40) Skills
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 1 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Technology 7 (+14)

Advantages:
Inventor

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (SloMo)- SloMo is the only boy Ghoulia really has eyes for. She likes him for him- she was turned-off when he gained genius-level intelligence in Flowers For SloMo.
Obsession (Comic Books)- Ghoulia is a big fan of Dead Fast, and writes stories about her OC Ms. Dead Fast.
Disabled (Semi-Mute)- Ghoulia can only speak "Zombie", which is untelligible to those who cannot translate it properly (eventually, the main cast all learn how to).
Disabled (Zombie)- Zombies are quite slow-moving. Ghoulia is sometimes caught out in the rain as a result, and takes longer to get to the Maul.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (40)

-Ghoulia ends up being a pretty popular character, despite rarely factoring into stories. See, despite being a member of the Main Cast, as a Zombie, she's incapable of speaking English- all she lets out are vague, droning moans. But her pale skin and blue hair make her one of the more visually-dynamic characters in the early cast, so she gets a lot of dolls (twenty, almost as much as Lagoona). Most of her stories revolve around her genius, as she invents various things (such as an iCoffin app that translates someone's speech into that more-enjoyable to their love interest- it was necessary for the stupid, angry Manny Taur and intelligent, sweet Iris Clops to come to terms with their relationship). The others involve her being the team's biggest nerd, often being seen reading comics or writing FanFic about her OC. Ms. Dead Fast.
-Early on though, she was more like Cleo de Nile's assistant, usually following her around like a servant, making programs involving their Fearleading Routine and stuff like that. In general though, Ghoulia is one of the funnier characters- it's kind of neat to just hear this big "UUUUUHHHHHHHHHH!!!" in place of actual dialogue, especially when her mouth just hangs open and she looks all confused and dead- it's a cute contrast given her intelligence.

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SLOMO (Sloman Mortavich, Son of Zombies)
Role:
The Smart One, The Unintelligible One, The Nerd
Played by: Audu Paden
PL 1 (40), PL 3 (40) Defenses, PL 4 (40) Skills
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Casketball Player) 4 (+3) (Uses Agility)

Advantages:
Inventor

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Ghoulia)- SloMo likes Ghoulia tremendously, but occasionally feels diminished because she is so much smarter than he is.
Disabled (Semi-Mute)- SloMo can only speak "Zombie", which is untelligible to those who cannot translate it properly (eventually, the main cast all learn how to).
Disabled (Zombie)- Zombies are quite slow-moving. SloMo is sometimes caught out in the rain as a result, and takes longer to get to the Maul. Somehow, he still plays Casketball.
Rivalry (Don of the Dead)- The two have fought over Ghoulia's affections in the past, but are still close friends.
Responsibility (Student Disembodied President)- This is a difficult position for a boy who cannot improvise speeches.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (40)

-Part of the sense of humor of the series is in characters like SloMo, a zombie even SLOWER than Ghoulia, who generally spends most of his time staring forward and moaning unintelligibly. One of the funnier bits was the girls dressing him in drag as Lagoona's "Aunt Lantic" for a Parent/Creature Conference- he was quite unconvincing (his eyes point in different directions, and he can't close his mouth), but naturally the teacher was none the wiser. He's also on the Varsity Chess Club, despite is seeming Bizarro-level intellect.
-As a very minor character, he was actually Cartoon-only for YEARS. He debuted early on (in 2010), and Mattel didn't bother to trademark him until three years later, right when they finally came out with a doll (a Comic Con exclusive, then finally a regular one in a larger set). I'm willing to bet the designers just came up with the doll to match a character the toon-writers made just for fun.

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MANNY TAUR
Role:
School Bull-y, Big Stupid Guy
Played by: Audu Paden
PL 5 (32)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Intimidation 5 (+4)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Horns), Startle

Powers:
"Horns" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Horns +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +1

Complications:
Hatred (The Colour Red)- He feels compelled to charge at it. Even though he is clearly wearing a RED SHIRT.
Hatred (Mazes)- Manny is ashamed to be the only one in his family who can't handle mazes.
Relationship (Minnie- Sister)- Manny has a sister named Minnie Taur, and apparently fears her tremendously. Frankie once intimidates him just by threatening to tell her that Manny's been picking on Jackson Jekyll.
Hatred (Normies)- Out of the entire cast, Manny seems to have the biggest problem with Normies- he picks on Jackson Jekyll, and in Ghouls Rule, he leads the charge when some vandalize Monster High.
Relationship (Iris Clops)- His relationship with Iris is the only thing that can settle Manny down.
Reputation (Bull-y)- Manny used to get picked on in Middle School, but as he grew taller and more muscular as his body matured, he started lashing out at his former tormentors, and continued picking on lesser kids just for fun. He's now working to fix his reputation.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 2 (32)

-Manny Taur debuted as a cartoon-only character, and quickly became a recurring element- using a non-standard character design (he's not skinny like the other boys & ghouls at school) and a REALLY unpleasant personality, he was great as a wrench to throw into things. He is first seen picking on Jackson Jekyll for being a "Normie", and speaking in a low-pitched, cow-like voice. Later, he dropped the "School Bully" thing, and kind of just became a general dumbass- he's often seen paired up with the other male characters, like in 13 Wishes, when they appeared as contestants on a suicidal stunt show. His big, stupid nature makes him a great character for various gags, like when he's frightened by the mention of his sister's name, when he leads the charge against the Normies in Ghouls Rule ("If they won't give us respect, we'll have to take it back! By FO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-RCE!"), or when he's zapped by Cupid's Love Arrows and is seen dancing with SLOMO of all people, staring lovingly into the zombie boy's eyes :).
-Because of his villainous nature and non-fashion doll style, Manny was not made a doll for a REALLY long time- all the way until 2014, which is crazy for a character that debuted right after the Main Cast, in 2011. He stats up as one of the more-capable fighters, making PL 4.5 defensively. His low Mental Stats mean he's usually one of the first Monster High characters to get humiliated- only Toralei gets it as often as he does. His Flash Animated version sports a tail- his CGI model lacks one.

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IRIS CLOPS (Daughter of Cyclops)
Role:
Generic Background Girl
Played by: Paula Rhodes
PL 0 (5), PL 1 (5) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Astronomy) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Fearleading) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Weakness (No Depth Perception)- Iris cannot see in three dimensions. This causes her to be very clumsy.
Relationship (Manny Taur)- They care for each other deeply, but are VERY different monsters, creating issues between them.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (5)

-Iris Clops is one of the early characters in the cartoons, but was just a nothing Background Character. She would get an updated look years later, then get paired off with Manny Taur for a kind of funny on/off relationship (she's kind and sweet, while he's a simple-minded moron- an iCoffin app was required to translate their dialogue to each other, as her poetic response to his confession of love was translated to "... Ditto!"). She got a doll in a combo set with Manny. There are actually a number of Cyclops Background Students at Monster High, none being real characters (Simon Clops & Cy Clops). She's as close to a Bystander build as you're gonna get from these kids.

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LORNA McNESSIE (Daughter of The Loch Ness Monster)
Role:
Photobomber
Played by: Marieve Herington
PL 1 (17), PL 2 (17) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Stealth 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Fun)- Lorna likes to play little jokes on people- in particular "Photobombing": jumping up behind people to appear in their photographs.
Relationship (Finn)- Lorna's Rottish boyfriend.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 1 (17)

-One of the newer characters, Lorna is part of the "Exchange Program", bringing us monsters from other parts of the world. The daughter of the Loch Ness Monster (the famous image of the creature is said to be her grandmother, however), she hails from "Rotland", and in a cute twist, loves PHOTOBOMBING of all things. She is one of the few monsters whose father is seen on-screen (a stereotypical Scotsman... sorry, "Rotsman"), and was thought to hooking up with Gil behind Lagoona's back, but was in actually helping him get over the "Freshwater/Saltwater" dynamic- her OWN boyfriend, Finn, is a salty! With a single doll and a pair of webisodes based around her, I'm not seeing a BIG future for the character, but she's something.

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"Oh my RA!"

CLEO DE NILE (Daughter of The Mummy)
Role:
Rich Bitch, The Veronica Lodge
Played by: Salli Saffioti
PL 1 (31), PL 3 (31) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Expertise (Fearleading Squad) 6 (+8)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit 2 (Wealth & Servants)

Powers:
Comprehend (Speak To & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Reptiles, Limited to Snakes) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Repuatation (Egomaniac)- Cleo REALLY likes Cleo, to the point where even her friends kind of roll their eyes. It can be hard for her to make friends.
Relationship (The Ghouls)- Cleo is close with all of her friends, despite being the least-sentimental of the group.
Enemy (Toralei Stripe)- Toralie is a BITCH Bitch, instead of Cleo's more moderate level of bitch.
Rivalry (Nefera De Nile)- Nefera is a HUGE bitch, and often seeks to blackmail or torture her own sister for no apparent reason.
Relationship (Deuce Gorgon)- Cleo & Deuce are the Alpha Couple of the school. She seems to care for him deeply, to the point of getting insanely jealous every time a rumor is spread that he's seeing someone else.
Vulnerable (Lack of Wrappings)- The de Niles will disintegrate into nothing if they are not touching at least one piece of their funeral wrappings, owing to having been trapped in suspended animation for over a thousand years.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 5 (31)

-Cleo de Nile is an odd fit in the series- is seemed at first like she was meant to be a villainess, the Alpha Bitch of the school, but sort of became ENDEARINGLY conceited, selfish and self-absorbed (when tasked with forming a "Welcoming Committee" to new students, she welcomes them with giant pictures of HERSELF, to remind them who their queen is. When she's grateful to Operetta, she says "If I GAVE apologies, I would give one RIGHT NOW!"). This is a good example of how to make your "bitchy character" also super-popular- give them the best lines, and make their egotism part of the joke (see Galinda in Wicked).
-She's seen criticizing Frankie in the opening "Short Movie", feuds with Clawdeen in the early volume of webisodes, and is hyper-critical of the other ghouls on the Fearleading Squad, but is ALSO shown crying when she thinks Deuce has cheated on her (he hasn't), and so our sympathies sort of lie with her- she even helps her friends in any given situation, albeit with some occasionally-harsh (or misguided) advice. So basically she's Veronica Lodge- imperious, high-and-mighty, and rude... but not EVIL. It helps that the series includes a few REALLY nasty pieces of work (Toralei, and Cleo's own sister Nefera), forming a contrast.
-The outfit and concept are pretty cool, though- you effectively "get" the character just by looking at her design- no GOODY GOODY would ever dress like that. There are some "Mummy" elements, but she's largely an Egyptian Princess at the same time- a good mix. Unlike most of the characters, she gets family members seen on-screen- her father (a mummy clad in some royal gear) is shown in Ghouls Rule, insisting that she dump Deuce. She's got 22 dolls, right in line with the rest of the Main Cast- she's got one of the better looks for an Egyptian-themed character- comics would do well to copy some of her design elements. Most Egyptian-looking comic book characters suck.

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NEFERA DE NILE (Daughter of The Mummy)
Role:
Bitchier Rich Bitch
Played by: Salli Saffioti
PL 0 (25), PL 1 (25) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+5)
Expertise (Fearleading Squad) 6 (+8)
Deception 6 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Fashion Model) 4 (+4)
Persuasion 5 (+5, +7 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit 2 (Wealth & Servants)

Powers:
Comprehend (Speak To & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Reptiles, Limited to Snakes) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Repuatation (Egomaniac)- Nefera got booted out of the European model community for being such a bitch.
Rivalry (Cleo De Nile)- All of Cleo's accomplishments and popularity threatens Nefera, who seeks to sabotage her. Because she's a bitch.
Vulnerable (Lack of Wrappings)- The de Niles will disintegrate into nothing if they are not touching at least one piece of their funeral wrappings, owing to having been trapped in suspended animation for over a thousand years.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 2 (25)

-Nefera is introduced in the second volume of webisodes as an antagonistic figure- the bitchier older sister of Cleo de Nile, who relentlessly picks on her little sis. She tries to wipe out any of Cleo's successes, and even sets up the evil werecats against her. In Ghouls Rule, she even eggs on her FATHER in picking Cleo, trying to get her to dump Deuce Gorgon. Nefera's basically an evil version of Cleo, with less Presence (owing to her inability to make friends). Also, as a Monster High Graduate, she's one of the only adults in the series. But she acts like she's a fourteen-year-old jealous girl, so that sentiment is mostly lost.

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SCARAH SCREAMS (Daughter of the Banshee)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 6 (45)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Expertise (Fearleading Squad) 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Communication (Mental) 2 [8]
Mind-Reading 6 (Extras: Reaction +3) (Flaws: Permanent) [24]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Reputation (Harbringer of Death)- People ran from Sarah at first, fearing that she was announcing their deaths every time she went to talk to them.
Relationship (Invisi Billy)- She was once convinced to work for Evil Howleen by her minions threatening Invisi Billy.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 5 (45)

-Scarah debuted as a background nothing character- just a light green chick with empty, all-white eyes. Because of that distinct look, she didn't get much in the way of an outfit- she's BY FAR the plainest character in the entire series. Her big gimmick is Telepathy, giving her all of one story in the webisodes (though it's pretty effective, working even when she DOESN'T want it to). Oddly, she has FOUR dolls despite being a minor character- but two come in multi-packs, one of which being an exclusive. The story of how the gang got her to hook up with Invisi Billy is pretty funny.

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INVISI BILLY (Son of the Invisible Man)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Evan Smith
PL 1 (20), PL 2 (20)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Expertise (Special Effects) 4 (+4)
Perception 1 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Concealment (Visuals) 2 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Hates Going Unnoticed)

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 2 (20)

-Invisi Billy is another background character, but he's given such a neat look that pretty much every webisode involving him is given a horde of "OMG BILLY'S SO CUTE!!" comments on YouTube. He was originally a "Joke Doll" from April Fool's Day (an empty package with the quote "How do YOU know I'm not in the box?"), but eventually got his own. One webisode features him crushing on, then dating, Scarah Screams, and another has him & Twyla allow Catty Noir to join their "Disappearing Club". He had to give up his pet dog, because people always thought it was a stray when he took it for walks, and currently owns a box that may or may not have a cat in it.

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VENUS McFLYTRAP (Daughter of the Plant Monster)
Role:
Soapbox Sadie, Damn Dirty Hippie
Played by: Julie Maddalena Kliewer
PL 5 (40)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Damn Dirty Hippie) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Vine Snare" Snare 5 (15) -- [17]
AE: Move Object 6 (Flaws: Limited to Plants) (6)
AE: "Pollen Persuasion" Affliction 8 (Fort; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Feats: Accurate 2) (Flaws: Limited to One Target, Scent-Dependent) (Drawbacks: Noticeable- Glowing Pollen) (3)

"Plant Growth" Growth 8 (Extras: Affects Others Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Plants) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Pollen +4 (+6 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (The Environment)- She's basically a Monster Planeteer.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 5 (40)

-Ya know... this series has some INCREDIBLE names. Very marketable and catchy. They really play off the names of famous monsters, and are immediately memorable and recognizable. And then there's "Venus McFlytrap". Like, seriously? That was the best Plant Pun they could come up with? However, she DOES look quite cool. Venus was part of the "Second Wave" of characters released, and ended up being given the "Environmentalist" tag, since she's a plant and all. She's also got a bit of Poison Ivy in her- actually mentally-controlling people into recycling (oh god can you imagine if actual hippies had that power?), but generally just sits around and preaches. Think of her as a hippie with actual fashion sense... No. Too outlandish, even for this show.
-Venus McFlytrap can use minor-league Mind Control, control the movements of plants, and make them grow. Despite being pretty minor (her biggest role was as one of the "Fusion" girls in Freaky Fusion, which is largely just a more-popular character gaining her powers in an uncontrolled manner), she has TEN dolls, largely owing to a pretty unique look (though all the teeth make her look a bit... odd).

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DEUCE GORGON (Son of Medusa)
Role:
Good-Guy Bad-Boy, Mr. Fanservice
Played by: Yuri Lowenthal (Volume 1-2), Evan Smith (Vol. 3 and on)
PL 10 (105)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Casketball Player) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Cooking) 2 (+2)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Gorgon Glare" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed, Vulnerable & Impaired/Stunned, Defenseless & Disabled/Transformed to Stone & Unaware) (Extras: Free Action +2, Extra Condition +2, Perception-Ranged +2) (Flaws: Limited to Vision Impairment) [60]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gorgon Stare -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Relationship (Cleo)- He loves her and stuff, but doesn't know how to find the words to express it properly.
Responsibility (Powers Always Active)- Without sunglasses or something like them covering his eyes, Deuce will freeze people around him into stone.
Power Loss (Gorgon Glare)- Gorgons' powers will not work on Gargoyles.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 5 (105)

-Deuce Gorgon was the first male character introduced to the Monster High universe (he's in the Glen Hansen pictures done as part of his commissions... though he draws him in a style that makes him look 100% like a tough-guy homosexual like the background characters in Chelsea Boys. Like there is no way that pouty character was straight... which is probably why they made him look a little more rough around the edges in the final design), and seemed like he was going to be a really major deal. I mean, he's in the THEME SONG! And yet... the character kind of seems to have vanished from importance- you eventually see much more of Heath, Manny and Clawd than you ever do of Mr. Theme Song.
-Part of the issue is the rather... non-specific nature of his character. He is clearly designed to look like a good-looking bad boy- he's got sunglasses, punky-looking hair (that are SNAKES), a sleeveless leather jacket, and more... but isn't really a bad boy AT ALL. He doesn't DO ANYTHING BAD. He just kind of has the look, and is a generic semi-friendly background character otherwise. Most of the other male characters are stupid (pretty much in keeping with what high school boys are really like), while Deuce is more laid-back and normal... making him a bit boring. Then they paired him up with CLEO, who is naturally the Alpha Female and a conceited one to boot, which makes them seem rather odd as a couple. She's all commanding and ordering people around, and Deuce just kind of shrugs. They even do some "he doesn't know how to express his true feelings to Cleo" stuff, which again is a bit lost because of the bad-ass design. They have struggles when Cleo's father wants them apart, and when Operetta makes a move on him, but he's just so passive doesn't let things get to him. I just don't think he FITS- it's like they wanted the bad boy IMAGE without actually doing anything to make him seem dangerous or rebellious- even in a FUNNY way. And this is probably why he barely appears in ANY of the feature-length Monster High movies (and only has six dolls, about a quarter that of the lesser members of the Main Group)- there are numerous more-dynamic characters out there.
-Deuce is a popular guy and an athlete- the kind of character typical of a male Love Interest in a girl-themed series. He's ALSO packing the ability to freeze things into stone, basically a Perception-Ranged effect that's a Free Action (he just has to LOOK at people), but with a Cyclops-style Complication. He needs his sunglasses to avoid it- without them, he'll just flash-freeze everyone around him.

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VIPERINE GORGON (Daughter of Stheno)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Yeni Alvarez
PL 10 (74)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Make-Up Artist) 8 (+8)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Gorgon Glare" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed, Vulnerable & Impaired/Stunned, Defenseless & Disabled/Transformed to Stone & Unaware) (Extras: Free Action +2, Extra Condition +2, Perception-Ranged +2) (Flaws: Limited to Vision Impairment) [60]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Gorgon Glare -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Powers Always Active)- Without sunglasses or something like them covering her eyes, Viperine will freeze people around her into stone.
Power Loss (Gorgon Glare)- Gorgons' powers will not work on Gargoyles.
Motivation (Doing Make-Up)

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 1 (74)

-Viperine Gorgon follows up on a pretty cool idea- a female Gorgon. Since Deuce was already a character, Viperine is his cousin, the daughter of Stheno (Medusa had two Gorgon sisters, remember- we've yet to see any children of Euryale, the third). She appears in the most-random manner, though- just a background character in Frights, Camera, Action!, a makeup artist on a Hauntlywood set, who meets and befriends the girls, shows off her "Toyetic" visuals, and introduces them to her client, Elissabat. She's a true minor character, and is pretty much just a Bystander with a Gorgon's powers. But that '70s look with the PINK snakes for hair is a pretty cool style. She's got one doll out now, and two more this year.

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JINAFIRE LONG (Daughter of a Chinese Dragon)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Yeni Alvarez
PL 6 (51)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Fashion Designer) 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Fire) 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Dragon Physiology"
Immunity 6 (Fire Damage, Aging) [6]
Features 1: Asian Music Plays When She Speaks [1]

"Fire Breath" Blast 8 (Feats: Split) [17]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Fire Breath +4 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Becoming a Fashion Designer)
Responsibility (Workaholic)- Jinafire can occasionally work hard to the point where she forgets to see the beauty in life.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 4 (51)

-A Dragon from Fanghai, Jinafire represents one of the few international monsters in the franchise. And wow, WHAT a design! The cool scales, the freaky Chinese-style outfit, the hair, the hair-stick-thingies (what are those called again?), the eyes- now THAT is how you make a humanoid dragon! She seems pretty much like a Generic Friendly Girl in everything I've seen, however, which is too bad- a character with that kind of design could really be a big deal. There's some stuff about her "working too hard", which is like that B.S. flaw they gave the black Disney Princess and why nobody ever cares about HER, either.
-Jinafire breathes Fire, despite that being more of a European Dragon thing- she seems noticeably more-powerful than Heath Burns is, however.

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ROCHELLE GOYLE (Daughter of Gargoyles)
Role:
Ensemble Darkhorse
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 6 (49)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Security) 5 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Interpose

Powers:
"Gargoyle Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Aging, Pressure) [2]
Flight 2 (8 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [2]
Features 1: Increased Mass 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Fire Breath +4 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

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

Complications:
Disabled (Made of Stone)- Rochelle is incapable of dancing or swimming- she is just too heavy.
Responsibility (Protective)- As a Gargoyle, Rochelle is compelled to protect things- this is not always appreciated, as she can go over the top.
Relationship (Garrott du Roque)- The two are still close, but live in different countries now that she's transferred.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 7 (49)

-Rochelle Goyle, a Gargoyle, became a pretty popular character, despite what I'd consider a pretty plain look for this series. A French girl from Granite City High (in Scaris), she was on GCH's Roller Derby team under a mask (as females were not permitted to play), but quit their team in a huff when they made fun of Monster High's all-ghoul team, and joined the Main Group as an elite player! As a supporting player in Fright On! she proved popular, and ends up being part of the "travelling cast" in Scaris: City of Frights and Haunted- in the former, she was one of the major characters, being an actual Scarisian. She's also had eight dolls- which is quite a lot for someone outside of the Main Cast.
-Rochelle is one of the more-athletic and capable ghouls in the cast, packing some impressive physicality and durability.

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GILDA GOLDSTAG (Daughter of the Golden Hind)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Unknown
PL 2 (42)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 10 (+10)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Great Endurance

Powers:
"Hind Physiology"
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Jumpy)

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 3 (42)

-Pretty much just a minor nothing character, Gilda appeared in some background shots for a long time, and then popped up in some doll five-pack (three years between her cartoon debut, and doll debut). She's got a cool design for someone who's so minor, and based off of a fairly-obscure concept.

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OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD THAT IS THE COOLEST DESIGN EVER.

SKELITA CALAVERAS (Daughter of Los Eskeletos)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Laura Bailey
PL 2 (37), PL 3 (37) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Fashion Design) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Living Skeleton"
Immunity 30 (Aging, Disease, Poison) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [15]
Immunity 5 (Piercing Damage) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications:
Phobia (Dogs & Werewolves)- Sometimes they chew on her bones, and this makes her nervous.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 3 (37)

-The most amazing combination of Cool Name and Cool Design ever, Skelita Calaveras doesn't have much characterization to her, and only appears in a single film and one webisode, but who needs it? Calavera skulls look pretty cool in general, but the feminized form looks AWESOME (The Book of Life, a CGI film from 2014, has a great-looking Calavera Goddess in it, too). The cool look has earned her three dolls, which is more than some characters of her generation, but definitely not as much as some (like Rochelle). Skelita joins Monster High after meeting Clawdeen & Jinafire in a Fashion Design Class- she's one of the foreign monsters, hailing from "Hexico", and is the only character to justify having such a skinny frame, by having no fat, nor muscle.
-Skelita earns a Half-Immunity because she's basically a walking, talking skeleton, but her family is shown aging in one of the webisodes (albeit at a slowed rate- her Aunt was a child in the Wild West era, and is shown as a merely older, plumper woman in modern times). She's a bit shy at first, but can tell a story so beautiful it will bring tears to the eyes of Manny & Heath.

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C.A. CUPID (Chariclo Arganthone Cupid, Daughter of Eros)
Role:
Transferred Character
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 4 (34)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Radio Host) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Cupid's Arrows" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [21]
Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Feats: Accurate, Split) (Extras: Progressive +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Love) (26 points)

"Glowing Eyes" Senses 1 (Magical Awareness) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Cupid's Arrows +2 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Love Warrior)- Cupid loves those who love others, and focuses on helping others overcome their problems.
Relationship (Dexter Charming)- Cupid has a desperate, stupid crush on the nerdy Dexter Charming, fawning over him like a lunatic. Alas, he only has eyes for Raven Queen- she wants him to be happy, and tries to give him advice on how to woo Raven.
Responsibility (Terrible Aim)- Cupid actually can't hit worth balls with her Arrows.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 3 (34)

-C.A. Cupid is an odd fit, being the Daughter (possibly adopted) of a God rather than the biological daughter of a well-known monster. She ends up being kind of a gag character in Monster High, in that she's terrible with her bow, but works as a Radio Host for a "love advice" program, giving flowery advice. She'd only appeared in two dolls, and had only a minor role in some of the CGI movies, so it didn't seem like she was going anywhere.
-However, in a very odd bit, she was TRANSFERRED from Monster High, and is now a recurring character on its spin-off sister show Ever After High, where she got a much better redesign (the "cupid's bow" lips really just look weird to me), more in keeping with that show's more feminine, flowery style. In EAH, she has a HILARIOUS role, in that she fawns over Dexter Charming (Son of Prince Charming) like a deranged, lovesick fool (her computer includes "selfies" of her with Dexter in the background, surrounded by drawn-on hearts; she tends to just stare at him while giggling like a loon). However, there's also a hint of tragedy, as Dexter only has eyes for Raven Queen (Daughter of the Evil Queen), and Cupid feels honor-bound to help her beloved by teaching him to get with Raven. YouTube arguments over "Dexven" and "Dexpid" are actually hilariously-intense. I love you, internet.
-Cupid has a pretty-powerful Ranged Weapon, a rarity for this series... but can't actually hit worth balls.

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CLAWDEEN WOLF (Daughter of Werewolves)
Role:
The Black One, The Tough-Talking One
Played by: Salli Saffioti
PL 4 (60), PL 6 (60) Defenses
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Fashion Designer) 8 (+8)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 7 (+8)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Tracking-Scent, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Vulnerable (Allergic to Pollen)- This becomes an issue when she's fused with Venus McFlytrap.
Involuntary Transformation (Full Moon Fever)- Werewolves gain incredibly-enhanced stats during a Full Moon: +2 Strength, +2 Stamina, +2 Speed, Quickness 4 and Leaping 1- however, they also lose a bit of control, acting more animalistic.
Quirk (Fast-Growing Hair)- Waxing and shaving are a daily occurence for Clawdeen- werewolf hair grows quickly. This DOES allow her to experiment with crazy new hairstyles, though...
Rivalry (Vampires)- Werewolves & Vampires often do not get along. Clawdeen is okay with them, but she is often expected to take her people's side.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 7 (60)

-In any kid-friendly cast of large characters, there always has to be a noticeable minority- usually a black person. And this is defined by Clawdeen Wolf in Monster High- she has many of the trappings, like being rather tough-talking, and avoids some of the pratfalls, such as making the black one the blandest character to avoid offending people. There's ALSO some likelihood that she might just be brown-furred, but probably not. Clawdeen has a pretty strong Brooklyn-sounding accent and is one of the most-athletic ghouls in school, but is pretty much never seen in romantic situations. The early webisodes depicted her and Cleo at arms with each other, but everyone was a part of the Main Group eventually. Clawdeen is also one of the few characters with siblings- THREE have been seen, and even given dolls. With thirty-seven dolls to her name, Clawdeen is tied with only Draculaura for most-represented figure in the line.
-Curiously, all Monster High Werewolves are shown in Humanoid Form 100% of the time- they cannot shapeshift into actual wolves, and are never seen as humans. She's in some of the best shape out of any character in the franchise, too.

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CLAWDIA WOLF (Daughter of Werewolves)
Role:
Smart Older Sister
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 4 (35), PL 4 (35) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Writing) 5 (+7)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 4 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Tracking-Scent, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Making It as a Writer)- Despite being a professional writer (albeit for a terrible Teen Romance series), Clawdia wants to earn her degree and become big.
Involuntary Transformation (Full Moon Fever)- Werewolves gain incredibly-enhanced stats during a Full Moon: +2 Strength, +2 Stamina, +2 Speed, Quickness 4 and Leaping 1- however, they also lose a bit of control, acting more animalistic.
Quirk (Fast-Growing Hair)- Waxing and shaving are a daily occurence for Clawdia- werewolf hair grows quickly.
Rivalry (Vampires)- Werewolves & Vampires often do not get along. Clawdia appears okay with them, but she is often expected to take her people's side.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 2 (35)

-Clawdia is Clawdeen & Clawd's older sister, a wise mentor figure who helped out the ghouls in Frights, Camera, Action!- as a professional screenwriter (who is also in college in Londoom for some reason), she has the connections to bring the cast to meet Veronica Von Vamp. She's not actually athletic like her younger siblings, but is smarter.

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CLAWD WOLF (Son of Werewolves)
Role:
Big Man On Campus
Played by: Ogie Banks
PL 4 (59), PL 6 (59) Defenses
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Castketball Player) 4 (+8)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 7 (+8)

Advantages:
Close Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Tracking-Scent, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Draculaura)- Clawd loves Draculaura deeply, though he has issues saying the right thing at times.
Involuntary Transformation (Full Moon Fever)- Werewolves gain incredibly-enhanced stats during a Full Moon: +2 Strength, +2 Stamina, +2 Speed, Quickness 4 and Leaping 1- however, they also lose a bit of control, acting more animalistic.
Quirk (Fast-Growing Hair)- Werewolf hair grows quickly.
Rivalry (Vampires)- Werewolves & Vampires often do not get along. Clawd is okay with them, but she is often expected to take her people's side.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 7 (59)

-Clawd is an odd character for the franchise- it looked at first like he was some background character, but he ends up being one of the most-important outside of the Main Group! Clawdeen's brother, he's a Big Man On Campus sort (the Captain of several sports teams, none of whom seem to have any actual Coaches) who's actually kind and charming, and nowhere near as stupid as most of the boys (or ghouls, for that matter). He has been central to more than a couple of stories, especially since he's been paired off with Draculaura- they're kind of a funny couple, as he's pretty level-headed but clumsy in his efforts at being romantic, and Draculaura is an insane, hyperactive Drama Queen. He's got four dolls, but typically only gets paired up with Draculaura, as "Boy Dolls Don't Sell"- most of his dolls make him look like way more of a fashion plate than he is in the series- he's usually just dressed in his MH Team Sweater.
-Clawd is one of the better male students at Monster High, owing to his Werewolf physiology and large size (he stands a full head taller than any female character- even Abbey Bominable- which makes him positively TOWER over his shrimpy girlfriend).

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HOWLEEN WOLF (Daughter of Werewolves)
Role:
Bratty Younger Sister
Played by: America Young
PL 1 (9), PL 2 (9) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Perception 4 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Tracking-Scent, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (It's all about Popular)- Howleen desperately wants to be well-known and popular at Monster High.
Relationship (Twyla)- Howleen's best pal is Twyla, a shy Boogiegirl who doesn't "get" Howleen's obsession with popularity.
Relationship (Clawdeen)- Howleen is often jealous of her sister, and likes to borrow things without asking.
Involuntary Transformation (Full Moon Fever)- Werewolves gain incredibly-enhanced stats during a Full Moon: +2 Strength, +2 Stamina, +2 Speed, Quickness 4 and Leaping 1- however, they also lose a bit of control, acting more animalistic.
Quirk (Fast-Growing Hair)- Waxing and shaving are a daily occurence for Clawdia- werewolf hair grows quickly.
Rivalry (Vampires)- Werewolves & Vampires often do not get along. Clawdia appears okay with them, but she is often expected to take her people's side.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 3 (9)

-Howleen debuted as a sort of Bratty Younger Sibling to Clawdeen, annoying her by taking her stuff (I presume this happens a lot with younger sisters- I had a younger brother, which meant AWESOMENESS because we EACH got a ton of toys, which turned into a HUGE army of toys!). She looked like a D'AWWWWW-class little baby wolf with her tiny curled haircut and all, but got a redesign and a BIG push as a major character in 13 Wishes, which centred around her search for popularity. Despite the protestations of her best pal Twyla, Howleen was obsessed with becoming popular (as a younger ghoul, she wasn't really that well-known)- when she found a Genie, she was easily-manipulated by the Dark Shadow Genie into making selfish wishes that soon made her Queen of Monster High. It wasn't until the end that they did the whole "Popularity doesn't matter!" thing and everything went back to normal. She hasn't really featured in a movie since, though.
-An immature little Werewolf, Howleen isn't really good at much (it's kind of a plot point in most Howleen-related things), packing a preteen's sense of wisdom (ie. none). With six dolls, she's one of the more-popular newer characters.

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TWYLA (Daughter of The Boogeyman)
Role:
Ensemble Darkhorse, Cute Kid, The Shy One
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 1 (36), PL 3 (36) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit (Access to the Boogey-mansion)

Powers:
"Shadow-Walker"
Concealment 2 (Vision) (Flaws: Limited to Within Shadows) [2]
"Shadow-Port" Teleport 8 (Extras: Accurate) (Flaws: Medium- Shadows) [16]
Senses 3 (Darkvision, Shadow Awareness) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Shy)- A deeply-introverted monster, Twyla likes being alone, and often feels uncomfortable around others. It takes Howleen to bring her out of her shell.
Relationship (Howleen)- The popularity-obsessed Howleen is Twyla's best pal.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 4 (36)

-Few Monster High characters inpire as much "D'AAAWWWWWWWW" as Twyla here- she's just so cute and little! She looks like she's all of twelve years old, has gigantic Puppy Dog Eyes, one of the most-unique colour schemes in the franchise (light violet, grey, see-through arms, and pastel green & purple hair) and is based around being shy and introverted. And her voice is really cool- Jonquil Goode voices her with this raspy, childlike voice with a strange cadence to it, making her dialogue come off as very lyrical. All of this makes Twyla horribly-endearing, and people seem to love her based off of the YouTube comments (many comment on her cool voice). Four dolls in two years isn't bad- she even got a big supporting role in Haunted.
-Twyla isn't very powerful, but has some unique powers, and access to her father's mansion, which has as many tricks as Cleo's- including "Boogie-Sand", which allows Monsters to take any form they choose. In Haunted, they transform into ghosts to visit the Ghost World.
-But seriously, her voice is SO COOL.

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TORALEI STRIPE (Daughter of a Werecat)
Role:
Bitch Supreme
Played by: America Young
PL 1 (18)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 7 (+8)
Expertise (Bitch) 8 (+8)
Perception 3 (+2)

Advantages:
Ultimate Bitch

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Some Kitties Just Want to Watch the World Burn)- Toralei enjoy tormenting others, and causing trouble for the sake of causing trouble.
Enemy (Cleo de Nile)- Toralei is especially annoyed by Cleo, whom she once helped train for Fearleading, but ended up underneath her on the team at one point.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (18)

-Every "High School"-based series needs a bitch- someone who just causes trouble. And Monster High's bitch is Toralei Stripe, the first of the numerous Werecats used in the series. Toralei is a rival to Cleo, but rather than aiming for popularity, she seems to just aim to tear everyone else down. In the first mega-arc of the webisodes, she campaigns against the Fearleading Team, helping rival schools cheat (an ex-Fearleader, she held a grudge against Cleo's tough training methods). In Friday Night Frights, she admires the cheating of Granity City High's Roller Derby Team, and not only dates their leader, but ACTIVELY helps to cheat to bring down Monster High (and keep in mind that losses in Roller Derby LITERALLY cause the school to crumble and decay)! In another story, she attempts to help Valentine steal Draculaura's heart (as in, literally), for no reason than to cause trouble. In more than one short, she causes trouble for absolutely no reason. Whereas Manny Taur and Heath Burns are just simple-minded buffoons, Toralei's pranks and attacks can raise hell for EVERYONE, and be movie-defining stuff.
-Curiously, despite being evil, and evil dolls being rare in girls' lines, Toralei has NINE dolls, appearing to be rather popular. She's basically a great liar and a GIGANTIC bitch, but not much of a fighter- generally every movie ends with her being humiliated and covered with something.

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MEOWLODY & PURRSEPHONE (Daughters of Werecats)
Role:
Assistant Bitches
Played by: America Young
PL 1 (7)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Bitch) 5 (+5)
Perception 1 (+0)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Causing Trouble)- Meowlody & Purrsephone are essentially Toralei's sidekicks, and will gladly go along with any evil scheme of hers.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (7)

-The Monster High series REALLY loves its Werecats. This has proven controversial with some fans, as we've now had FIVE Werecat characters, the most well-represented species. However, two of the five are these twins, who are just Voiceless background characters who typically just purr and snarl along with Toralei while she schemes. The two are sold in two-packs and one three-pack, having three such packs being released so far- not much for early-release characters.

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CATRINE DEMEW (Daughter of a Werecat)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Karen Strassman (Kate Higgins in Scaris: City of Frights)
PL 1 (10)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Art) 8 (+8)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Causing Trouble)- Meowlody & Purrsephone are essentially Toralei's sidekicks, and will gladly go along with any evil scheme of hers.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (10)

-The fifth Werecat character introduced, Catrine is the most-minor character, seemingly having no purpose other than to release a more-purple Catgirl Doll to the toy market. Seriously, she apparently does all of NOTHING in her debut film, and STILL manages to have four dolls in the line. I still find it funny that they named a character after an actress most well-known to North Americans for her sexy nudie-roles.

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CATTY NOIR (Daughter of a Werecat)
Role:
Idol Singer
Played by: Missi Hale
PL 1 (21)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Singer) 10 (+10)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Responsibility (Fame)- Catty is ultra-famous, and often gets harassed by her legions of fans at Monster High. She eventually joins the Disappearing Club in order to avoid the attention.
Motivation (Normalcy)- Catty was brought up as a singer, and desperately wants to live life as a normal teenager for a while.
Responsibility (Superstition)- Catty always has a piece of broken mirror with her on stage, always enters from stage left after having walked under a ladder first, and always leaves from stage right (walking under THAT ladder, too).

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (21)

-There must be a rule somewhere that all Girl-Focused Shows for kids will have an Idol Singer somewhere in the mix. Despite their lives being generally horrible in real life (with countless examples you could name), theyre ALWAYS around in these shows. Catty Noir is a Teen Idol who runs off and joins Monster High in order to live life as a normal teen while she can- she still performs occasionally (in 13 Wishes, her only appearance is to suddenly pop up and sing a rip-off of Magic Carpet Ride at the end of the movie). She's got a pretty generic name, but a pretty cool look (the whole Black & Red thing is a good design element).

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DRACULAURA (Daughter of Dracula)
Role:
Major Character, The Silly One
Played by: Debi Derryberry
PL 1 (29), PL 3 (29) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+1)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)
Persuasion 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Inspire, Teamwork

Powers:
"Vampire Physiology"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Morph 1 (Bat) (Extras: Metamorph) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Clawd Wolf)- The two share a real connection- even Mind Control failed to keep them apart.
Responsibility (Clumsy)- Draculaura took the longest to learn to skate properly in Friday Night Frights, and was still the worst member of the team.
Responsibility (Childish)- Draculaura is the first member of the group to freak out, panic, or start crying.
Phobia (Hemophobic)- Draculaura is a vegetarian, and deathly afraid of blood or meat. Even seeing a steak in person is enough to make her faint.
Weakness (Vampire Weaknesses)- Draculaura sunburns easily. Her reflection cannot be seen (which makes putting on make-up tricky), and she does not show up on ordinary electronic screens.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 6 (29)

-Another of the original characters, Draculaura is the most-energetic and immature of the group, which makes her pretty annoying at first... but she kind of ends up being the funniest because of it, so long as you can stand someone who says "totes" all the time. She's about half the size of the other characters in some shots (which raises some questions about her actual height- as adults are much taller than the ghouls at Monster High ANYWAYS, and Draculaura is the shortest of THEM), and is generally unathletic, but is probably the most "typical teen" of the group, basically embodying the stereotypes adults have of teen girls (she's excessively energetic and EXTREMELY over-emotional). And while Frankie Stein was the Main Character (having the most "normal" personality of the group), it seems that Draculaura has become the most-popular one- she features in just as many movies as a major character, and has the most dolls of any character in the franchise- a sense-shattering 39!!
-Draculaura has some interesting backstory in the "Diary" books- she's the ADOPTED daughter of Dracula, who is apparently not the one written of by Bram Stoker. He turned her into a vampire after her mother died of a "wasting disease", before Draculaura could suffer the same fate. This is left out of the animated series, however. She is also 1599 years old as of the beginning of the series, celebrating her "Sweet Sixteen-Hundred" in Why Do Ghouls Fall In Love?. She's not one of the better characters physically, but is good at motivating others.
-"Vampire Powers" are an iffy thing in the series- little is actually shown besides hanging upside-down (uhh... Athletics?) and turning into a bat (which she can finally do as of Frights, Camera, Action!). Presumably they can suck blood, but it's never actually shown, despite all the puns on blood and death the show makes.

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ELISSABAT (aka Veronica Von Vamp, Daughter of a Vampire)
Role:
Actress in Disguise
Played by: Karen Strassman
PL 0 (26), PL 2 (26) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Acting) 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Fame- Actress, Status 3- Queen of Vampires)

Powers:
"Vampire Physiology"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Responsibility (The Vampire Queen)- Elissabat is Queen of Vampires.
Responsibility (Afraid)- Elissabat fears taking her role, as she does not trust herself to be strong enough to fight the influence of her Uncle Stoker- she prefers to hide instead.
Weakness (Vampire Weaknesses)- Elissabat sunburns easily. Her reflection cannot be seen (which makes putting on make-up tricky), and she does not show up on ordinary electronic screens.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 2 (26)

-Elissabat is a central character to Frights, Camera, Action! and is an old friend of Draculaura's- she is the heir to the throne of the Vampires, but her evil Uncle Stoker wishes to act like a puppetmaster, forcing her to unite the Vampires against all other monsters and form a ruling class. Afraid and unwilling to fight against her Uncle, she instead flees, taking the Heart of the Vampires (the gem that signifies who is the next ruler) with her, then ends up as an actress in Hauntlywood. Only a rousing speech from Draculaura can convince her to accept her responsibility. Unfortunately, she appears in just the tail end of the movie, and one webisode short, and that's about it for her- the character concept is solid (Famous Actress is actually Vampire Queen, but hides from her responsibilities out of fear- very Big Tragic Story), but they don't really focus on it after a point. I like her design a LOT more than Draculaura's, as she's this real gothy Vampire with cool hair, though Draculaura's "Bubblegum Pink Vampire" look is obviously more popular.

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WYDOWNA SPIDER (Daughter of Arachne)
Role:
Weird Background Character
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 1 (31), PL 2 (31) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Fashion Designer) 5 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Arachnid Physiology"
"Six Arms" Extra Limbs 4 [4]
"Multitasking" Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Doing Separate Tasks) [3]
Movement 2 (Swinging, Wall-Crawling) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Arthropods) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +1

Complications:
Weakness (Burnout)- Wydowna can get burned out from multitasking so much.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 2 (31)

-One of the weirder-looking Background Characters, Wydowna Spider (a play on "Winona Ryder", a once-popular actress who kinda messed up her career with kleptomania and an industry-wide rep for being an easy lay- her Hollywood nickname was "Wanna Ride Her?") was created for a contest to see which of 3 dolls would be produced in 2011 (it was between her, Headmistress Bloodgood & Scarah Screams). She didn't win (some fans accused Mattel of "fixing" things in Scarah's favor), however, but Mattel chose to create her ANYWAYS, requesting the trademark two years later and then producing a doll. To date, however, she has yet to appear as anything but a background character in ANYTHING- she has only showed up in the background of 13 Wishes and some other CGI cartoons. She hasn't even appeared in the webisodes! I chalk this up to a cool-looking appearance that unfortunately doesn't translate well to many forms of animation- all the extra arms are a BITCH to move, and probably keep her from working well, even in Flash Animation.

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JANE BOOLITTLE (Daughter of Dr. Boolittle)
Role:
Wild Girl/Witch Doctor
Played by: Stephanie Sheh
PL 2 (49), PL 3 (49) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4)
Athletics 9 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 6 (+8)
Treatment 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Hide in Plain Sight

Powers:
"Wild Child"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Jungles) [2]
Comprehend 2 (Speak To & Understand Animals) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Shy)- Jane is more comfortable in the presence of animals than sentients, and dislikes being the centre of attention.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 2 (49)

-Jane Boolittle is a semi-new character from 2013- a lost child found in the jungles by Dr. Boolittle and Dr. Moreau, and raised by the former. She is an unknown type of Monster- all that is known is that she appears to be a purple teenager with a bag of Witch Doctor-type stuff. She actually appeared in a LOT of cartoons at first, which kind of annoyed some people (judging by the YouTube comments), but this was pretty common for the series when it was starting out- it's just that it looks more noticeable to people now, because you can see the episodes coming out one at a time. And really, it was just four or five webisodes in a row. Other fans seemed to appreciate another introverted wallflower character (a role somewhat taken up by Twyla, but Twyla at least had a few close friends).
-Jane is dressed a bit like a Witch Doctor, but doesn't really do any Witch Doctor STUFF- she really just acts like a female Dr. Dolittle- speaking to animals, such as the Monster High students' pets (who really only come as figurines with the introductory dolls, and never factor into the supporting materials except for Jane's episodes), and being active in jungle settings, which makes her very athletic, stealthy (she can disappear using the Hide in Plain Sight Advantage), and observational (she studies the students like they were animals in the wild). She's only had two dolls so far, and seems to have vanished after her initial push, but I find her one of the cooler-looking new characters.

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HONEY SWAMP (Daughter of The Honey Island Swamp Monster)
Role:
Camera-Carrier
Played by: Laura Bailey
PL 1 (33), PL 2 (33) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Expertise (Cinematographer) 7 (+8)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (Camera)

Powers:
"Wild Child" Comprehend 1 (Speak to Animals) [2]

"Swamp Monster"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 5 (8 mph) [5]
Immunity 1 (Drowning) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Becoming a Successful Cinematographer)

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 2 (33)

-Honey Swamp kind of represents the new type of character you see now that we're a few years into the MH franchise: characters that debut in the film, introduce themselves to the cast, act friendly, do one helpful thing, and then kind of disappear into the background. And so it was with Honey Swamp, who helped the crew find one more clue in the hunt for Elissabat (thanks to her trusty camera), followed them to Hauntlywood, and promptly got a job there, no longer being relevant. However, after a year without a doll (and only one appearance in the webisodes), she's getting two more in 2015, bringing her total to three, so they haven't completely left her behind.
-At least she's a bit unique- not a lot of people know about the Honey Island Swamp Monster, a cryptid though to exist in Texas. And THAT HAIR- a giant multi-colored afro is DEFINITELY a stand-out feature. And thank god they didn't go with her original name- "Allie Gator". That's a lame pun even by THIS franchise's standards. She's a standard Aquatic Monster who can also talk to the Alligators of New Goreleans.

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ABBEY BOMINABLE (Daughter of The Yeti)
Role:
The Heavy, The Blunt One
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 6 (83)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 2 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Ice) 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack

Powers:
"Yeti Physiology"
"The Cold; It Never Bothered Me Anyways, Da?" Immunity 1 (Cold) [1]
Movement 2 (Environmental Adaptation- Icy Conditions, Sure-Footed) [4]

"Freeze People" Snare 7 (21) -- [24]
AE: Create Ice 6 (Extras: Sustained) (18)
AE: "Make Brittle" Weaken Toughness 5 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects Only +0) (10)
AE: "Ice Patch" Affliction 6 (Athletics; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition, Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Limited to Grounded Targets) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Freeze People +5 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 22)
Make Brittle +5 (+5 Ranged Weaken, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Blunt)- In the Himalayas, it's not good to waste oxygen, so Abbey's people tend to be rather blunt and to the point when speaking. This often does not jibe well with the other kids at Monster High.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 5 (83)

-Abbey's a curious one- despite the GREAT Punny Name, and her people inhabiting Asian countries, she speaks with a deep voice and a thick Russian accent. Abbey is no-nonsense and rather blunt with everyone, making her one of the more comedic characters- she's also the last of the Main Cast to be introduced- the rest of the ghouls debuted good and quick in 2010- Abbey was not introduced until 2011, but was able to join the rest as a permanent fixture. She stands out in stark contrast to the various Ice-Powered people you usually see- as a Yeti, she's big, strong and tough, and wears elaborate winter-themed parkas rather than big, flowing blue & white dresses. With 20 dolls, she's one of the top-tier characters, but has the lowest number of the Main Group.
-Abbey is BY FAR the most-powerful ghoul in school- though she's a standard character in most of the webisodes, in the MOVIES you see her basically act like a combination of Iceman and The Beast, kicking ass and taking names. She can freeze things solid, make old metals brittle, Ice Slides, Ice Objects, and more. AND, she's strong enough to hand Manny Taur his ass, throwing him around the halls when he tries to pick on others.

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MARISOL COXI (Daughter of the South American Bigfoot)
Role:
Friendly Foreigner
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 3 (34), PL 4 (34) Defenses
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+7)
Persuasion 1 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Maricoxi Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Mountains) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Quirk (Small Feet)- Marisol's feet are small by Maricoxi standards. She tries not to let this get her down.
Relationship (Sansquatch)- She and Sansquatch have a mutual-crush thing going on back in Monster Picchu.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 2 (34)

-Marisol Coxi is a pretty cool concept- not only does she expand the world of Monster High by giving Abbey a recognizable family member (they're cousins), but she expands their class of Monster beyond the Euro/American- she's the daughter of a monster I've never even heard of in the Maricoxi, hairy hominids from South America (though it's more of a general name for that type of creature than a specific one). So far all she's done is debut around the time Lorna McNessie did (they're part of the exchange program), describe her home in Monster Picchu, and give a pep talk about how she no longer lets the size of her feet get her down. The girls assured her they weren't too BIG, which of course wasn't the actual problem- she used to think they were too SMALL! Marisol and her doll have ENORMOUS feet by regular standards, which just reminds me of that King of the Hill episode where Peggy accidentally becomes a Foot Fetish Model.

THE HYBRIDS:

-The Hybrids are a pretty cool idea, actually- given that a huge part of Monster High involves the girls going after certain guys (the series has Vampire/Werewolf and Mummy/Gorgon relationships as canon, plus all the crushing Frankie does on others), it makes sense that OTHERS have tried this, and produced offspring. However, the four Hybrids introduced in Freaky Fusion have suffered from prejudice in their lives, and don't trust other monsters to treat them well- apparently it's considered odd for creatures from different species to hook up outside of Monster High. Given that the series has a repeated moral of acceptance and avoidance of prejudice, it's not surprising that all the kids in school basically accept the idea of hybrids immediately. They harp on it more than EVER in FF, which gets a little old, but hey- the movies' target audiences are kids, so I guess that's a good thing. You can't really be subtle when your core audience is children.

-I did kind of like their quirk, though- mistrustful of other monsters, they were immediately stand-offish and kept others at an arm's length. This is probably more accurate to what a lot of REAL-LIFE prejudice-sufferers feel like; after being booted out (or quitting) numerous other schools, they've pretty much had their sense of trust broken, and so don't even bother getting to know people. They sort of just ASSUMED everyone would hate them, and as a result came off as quite rude and "well they think they're better than us; no wonder nobody likes Hybrids."

-All of the Hybrids are new characters (the movie came out late last year), so they only have a single doll each. Most of them don't show up much- it seems some of their complicated designs have prevented them from working well in the Flash Animated webisodes. And from what I can tell, Bonita & Avea have proven to be "Shelfwarmers"- pretty much every store I go to has the usual assortment of unpopular dolls always sitting around (the "Sports/Cheerleader" ones seem pretty lame; most cheap dolls actually don't sell, from what I can see), but I've never seen a Neighthan (I think he must have been "Shortpacked" to only appear once per box of dolls or something), and only saw Sirena when she came out- the other two are ALWAYS in stores. I can even find them in the tiny section of toys in drugstores. I guess Mattel underestimated all those Harpy/Centaur and Skeleton/Moth enthusiasts out there.

AVEA TROTTER (Daughter of a Centaur and a Harpy)
Role:
Stand-Offish Leader
Played by: Haviland Stillwell
PL 3 (33)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Evasion

Powers:
"Harpy Physiology"
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [3]

"Centaur Physiology"
AE of Flight: Speed 3 (16 mp) (3) [1]

Features 1: Increased Mass 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +0

Complications:
Prejudice (Hybrid)- Hybrids are looked down upon by other monsters. Avea is particularly-mistrustful of others, coming off as unfriendly and stand-offish.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 1 (33)

-Avea seemed to be the leader of the Hybrids, and would quickly scold Neighthan for hanging out with Frankie Stein, telling him that nobody was going to accept them anyways, so not to waste time trying. A pretty cool idea- Avea is a Centaur/Harpy, being one of the very-few Non-Humanoid Monster High characters. The design, though... could use some work. It's a pretty garish line of dolls ANYWAYS, but a PURPLE body, violet skin, black belt-armature, blue hair & tail, PINK jacket, light blue frilly undershirt, and a TOP HAT? Now THAT's just pushing it. And BY GOD- a Monster High female NOT WEARING HIGH HEELS? What in the HELL??!?
-Physically, Avea is quite-capable, being one of the only ghouls in school who can FLY. She's also a bit larger than the typical student by virtue of being a six-limbed creature with a horse's lower body, though it's really more pony-sized. With her Centaur-body, she is probably a nightmare to animate in Flash (Headmistress Bloodgood's Horse is typically never seen moving around or doing much, either), so don't expect to see her in the webisodes.

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NEIGHTHAN ROT (Son of a Unicorn and a Zombie)
Role:
Nice Boy
Played by: Josey Montana McCoy
PL 3 (29)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Unicorn Horn" Healing 5 [10]

"Clumsiness Field" Enhanced Defenses 3 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Prejudice (Hybrid)- Hybrids are looked down upon by other monsters. Neighthan is the only one who remains hopeful that this trend can be reversed.
Accident (Clumsy)- Neighthan has a tendency to trip and break things a lot.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 3 (29)

-A VERY peculiar idea, Neighthan appears to be kind of a dig at Hasbro's My Little Pony line, particularly Equestria Girls (formed as a rival to Monster High)- this guy is for some reason a bipedal Unicorn with Zombie characteristics, keeping various MLP traits like rainbow-coloured hair. What this means as to the nature of his family life I don't even want to think about (I mean, which was the male, and which was the femaOH GOD I'M PICTURING IT NOW AGH). Neighthan uses his Horsey charms on Frankie Stein, and the two awkward, clumsy heroes make a connection (largely through smiling at each other while their respective groups pull them apart). The odd combination of traits basically makes him look like a good-looking grey-skinned boy with rainbow hair, a tiny spiral horn, a Day-Glo Hot Topic monstrosity of an outfit, and... decaying jowls? This franchise is so delightfully-weird.
-Oddly, Freaky Fusion points out that Neighthan has HEALING POWERS thanks to his horn, which you'd think would come up again (Chekov's Gun and all that), but NOPE- never once comes up. Even when Frankie FRIGGIN' DIES. Only time you see it is in Neighthan's single appearance in the webisodes, where he's used by the "Graveball" team to heal their injured players, and his clumsiness pays off when Centaur Tech's players are unable to lay their hands on him.

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SIRENA VON BOO (Daughter of a Mermaid and a Ghost)
Role:
Space-Case
Played by: Paula Rhodes
PL 2 (49)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Expertise (Archaeology) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Ghost Physiology"
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Selective) [21]
Flight 3 (16 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Poison, Cold, Heat) [3]

"Mermaid Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
AE: Swimming 5 (8 mph) (5) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Prejudice (Hybrid)- Hybrids are looked down upon by other monsters.
Quirk (Spacey)- Sirena tends to drift off and not pay attention to people.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 6 (49)

-Sirena Von Boo seems to have become the most-popular of the Hybrids, probably owing to her great design- both simple and elegant, she, like Spectra, is a pale white Ghost, but features a glorious Mermaid's tail, decorated with a criss-cross pattern. And she's also completely nuts, as at various points in Freaky Fusion she's seen basically staring at random stuff while important things are going on, or stacking food into a giant pyramid. Being a natural wanderer with a powerful Phasing ability is a pretty spectacular combo. She has appeared in the webisodes more than Hybrid (well, only two Hybrids have shown up in any), and ALSO featured as one of the group in Haunted... though she was horribly-underutilized in that, seemingly having no purpose whatsoever to the overall plot, beyond fitting the story because she was ALREADY a Ghost, while the other ghouls needed Boogey Sand in order to transform.

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BONITA FEMUR (Daughter of a Skeleton and a Mothman)
Role:
The Jumpy One
Played by: Geeg Friedman
PL 2 (40)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Mothman Physiology"
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [3]

"Living Skeleton"
Immunity 30 (Aging, Disease, Poison) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [15]
Immunity 5 (Piercing Damage) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Prejudice (Hybrid)- Hybrids are looked down upon by other monsters.
Responsibility (Jumpy)- Bonita scares easily.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 4 (40)

-One of the most-elaborate Monster High dolls, Bonita is nonetheless nearly ALWAYS in stores whenever I look at their MH stuff. Maybe the combination of gigantic pink skeleton creature with huge wings was too much for some kids. She has the least personality in the movie, as well, which probably didn't help. The franchise will add a FULL-BLOODED "Mothman"-related character later this year with Luna Mothews, who has one of the best designs I've ever seen for a doll, so I think she'll soon outpace Bonita as the Premier Bug-Themed Monster at Monster High.

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HEADLESS HEADMISTRESS BLOODGOOD (Daughter of The Headless Horseman)
Role:
The Jumpy One
Played by: Geeg Friedman
PL 3 (49), PL 5 (49) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Athletics 8 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Expertise (Administrator) 5 (+8)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 1 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Features 1: May Remove Head [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Monster High)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 5 (49)

-You know, it's kind of odd when you think about it: it makes theoretical sense that all of those famous monsters can BREED... but why did they all breed at THE SAME TIME? Nearly every cast member is the same age, give or take a couple years (Clawdia, Viperine & Honey are adults; Twyla & Howleen are a couple years younger), barring the immortals like Draculaura, or Suspended Animation types like Cleo. It's kind of a weird coincidence. And on that note, we get one of the VERY few adults seen on-screen in the Monster High-verse: Headless Headmistress Bloodgood, the captain of the ship that is Monster High.
-Most of the faculty in the show is pretty generic- Mr. Hack is a generic "Ax Murderer" looking guy, and Mr. Rotter is a Cryptkeeper-looking type. Both are generic "Mean Teachers" that lecture the girls when they disrupt class. Headmistress Bloodgood is the most reasonable authority figure around... which is unfortunate, because she still ends up getting confounded by things during the series. In Fright On!, she ends up being captured by Administrator Von Hellscream, and Monster High is nearly destroyed! She really never ends up getting to be useful, and the kids have to save the day.
-And the animators of both CGI & Flash Animation series, AND the toy designers, have made the unusual decision to have Bloodgood's head remove from the base of the neck, not the skull, making her look awkward whenever her head is placed on something (and it usually is, in order to showcase her head-taking-offedness)- they just kind of stick her neck on something instead. I guess it prevents odd situations like her having to talk while placed on the table (her jaw movements would cause her head to move around), but it's just very... strange.

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NIGHTMARE
Role:
Special Mount
PL 6 (54)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+3)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+4, +5 Size)
Perception 6 (+7)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Horses cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 6 (54)

-Nightmare is Headmistress Bloodgood's semi-sentient horse that sometimes breathes fire, but is normally kinda cowardly.

Well, I'm happy to have turned you on to the wonders of Frozen, JLU & Archer, at least :). Part of what I like about this thread is that I can push all of my faves on others.

Regarding Monster High's appropriateness for your kid, I have a hard time judging, as I've no children of my own, and the oldest of my friend's babies isn't even two yet. BUT, there's some stuff to consider:

* The series comes in two varieties- Moral Stories, and High School Hijinks. The former is typically used for the movies, and is generally "Prejudice is Bad". Which is good. Although they tend to tell it in a hamfisted way involving harpies and centaurs and stuff rather than, y'know, actual races. 13 Wishes explains to Howleen that Popularity Isn't Everything, as her main goal was to be popular- this was treated as kind of an empty thing to be... though 90% of the characters are well-liked and have tons of friends, garbling that message a bit. Haunted contained a moral about not spreading rumors & lies about others.

The rest of it is just funny stories involving lots of slapstick.

* The series is, of course, an orgiastic display of Merch-based stuff. A new character will typically debut and end up in 3-5 Webisodes all about them and their personality, as if you say "Hey kids- isn't this character WONDERFUL? Does your self-esteem not depend on receiving a doll of this AMAZING CHARACTER?" Of course, that's nothing anyone who grew up in the '80s hasn't seen 50 million times- it's really high-level Merch-pushing, but no worse than Ninja Turtles or The Transformers used to be.

* Materialism is a different fish. I've seen fairly few episodes overtly mention fashion- not even a lot of "cool shoes!" stuff or whatever. You'll see the new dolls' outfits shown every once in a while, but I find it easy to ignore. One movie involved the characters going to "Scaris" for a fashion job, and Cleo de Nile, a major character, is EXTREMELY materialistic. She's considered a bit of a negative example of that, but she IS one of the main cast, and a good guy in the end. They joke about how materialistic she is, at least- her and a villainess actually manage to bond over their sense of expensive fashion.

* The *I want the popular boy* thing doesn't really happen, as far as I can tell. Frankie generally crushes on various guys, but many are the awkward type. Draculaura & Clawd are a constant item, and he's just one of the gang. The most popular seems to be Deuce, who was coveted by a few girls, but ultimately he never strayed from Cleo, and crushing on him was seen as a rather pointless excercise.

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CLOCKWORK EYES

ROBECCA STEAM (Daughter of Hexiciah Steam- The Great Inventor)
Role:
Steampunk Robot
Played by: Julie Maddalena Kliewer
PL 5 (81)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+6)
Insight 1 (+3)
Perception 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Evasion

Powers:
"Living Robot"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 6 [6]
Immorality 2 (Flaws: Requires Someone to Actually Rebuild Her) [2]

"High-Heeled Steam-Rocket Boots"
Swimming 5 (8 mph) (5) -- [6]
AE: Speed 3 (16 mph) (3)
Flight 1 (4 mph) (Flaws: Low Ceiling) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Old Technology)- Robecca has trouble with some modern technology, owing to her more ancient origins.
Responsibility (Unable to Tell Time Properly)- Robecca is often late for things.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 2 (81)

-SOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL- Robecca is a kick-ass STEAMPUNK ROBOT created more than a century ago, packing riveted copper plates, blue & black hair, STEAM ROCKET HIGH-HEELED BOOTS, and CLOCKWORK GEARS around her pupils! Totally one of the best designs in the series. Her tragic backstory- she is the creation/daughter of Hexeciah Steam, an inventor who went missing more than 100 years ago, and herself was blown up during a Roller Derby race and only reassembled recently- is given a lot of play, as it makes for a recurring problem. And oddly, they HAVEN'T solved it right away- she's STILL looking to find out what happened to her father! With 8 dolls since 2011 (the second wave of solo dolls), she's proven rather popular. One of the best robot designs I've seen.
-Robecca is actually one of the most-powerful Monsters in school- she's tough, fast and strong, once having pushed a boat with her friends in it ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. TWICE. Though she barely managed to beat an Igor-like dude who was rowing by himself, so she's not THAT fast.

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OH MY GOD THERE IS SOMETHING EMPHASIZING HER LEFT EYE THE ILLUMINATI IS INVOLVED ILLUMINATI ILLUMINATI ILLUMINATIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!

OPERETTA (Daughter of The Phantom of the Opera)
Role:
Rockabilly Rebel
Played by: Gigi Sarroino (Vol. 2), Cindy Robinson (Vol. 3-now)
PL 6 (79)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Music) 7 (+9)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Sonic Voice) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Evasion

Powers:
"Sonic Voice"
Blast 8 (16) -- [17]
AE: Move Object 4 (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sonic Voice +4 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Unable to Sing Live)- Operetta's Sonic Voice means that she cannot sing in person without endangering others. She does recordings instead.
Motivation (Breaking the Rules)- Operetta tends not to do something unless she can be breaking some sort of rule or societal expectation by doing so.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 5 (79)

-Operetta is kind of strange, and is rather unique even for THIS series- figuring her out is difficult. First off, she speaks with a strong Southern accent, because she's- and I swear to God I'm not making this up- The Phantom of the OPRY. But instead of a deformed freak, she's a purple chick with flowery designs on her, and is a GHOST. Despite not having any of the common Ghost traits (Flight, Intangibility). She lives in the catacombs beneath Monster High, and acts as a villainous figure at first- her entire concept is actually that of a rebel. But not necessarily the fun, "Bad Girl" type- she basically just doesn't like rules, etiquette or convention, which can rub others the wrong way. In her early webisodes, she tries to play cruel tricks on Cleo de Nile for making fun of her, to the point where she actively tried to steal her boyfriend- but she found herself touched by Deuce's exclamations of love for his best ghoul, and thus she helped him write a love song to reflect his emotions.
-Operetta has since settled into a bit of an odd thing- she helps out the ghouls periodically, but usually only when it suits her needs- in Friday Night Frights, she shows off her magnificent athleticism, perfect for Roller Derby (well, SKRM Team racing). When the girls beg her to join them, she refuses, saying "I don't really DO teams!" Keep in mind that the team's lack of success is literally DESTROYING THE SCHOOL, causing it to fall apart due to lack of "School Spirit". She only relents and joins them when she realizes that the girls are being outcast for doing the unthinkable and breaking gender conventions by playing- "I didn't realize you were breaking the rules!" She DIDN'T JOIN THEM UNTIL SHE REALIZED THAT IT WOULD BE BREAKING SOME KIND OF RULE TO DO SO! How do you not love that? She was initially supposed to be part of the Main Group, and the "Diva" who dates Deuce- a role later given to Cleo.
-Operetta has actually proven rather popular, with several dolls released- thirteen in total, making her one of the most popular characters outside of the Main Cast! Which is quite surprising for someone who I figured had one of the weaker designs (and is it me, or does she look way older than the rest of the cast?), and one of the less-pleasant personalities. She's got real Super-Powers, though- as her Sonic Voice has both pushed Draculaura to winning Roller Derby, and knocked down a good-sized chunk of masonry that nullified a couple opposing racers.

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"A PARTY? For ME? You SHOULDN'T have! ... Well, I suppose you SHOULD have, actually- I'm kind of a big DEALLLLL!"
-Great character introduction, right there


AMANITA NIGHTSHADE (The Bloom of the Corpse Flower)
Role:
Weird New Character
Played by: Heather Moiseve
PL 3 (29)
STRENGTH
1/6 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Living Vines"
Enhanced Strength 5 [10]
Elongation 2 (30 feet) [2]
Extra Limbs 2 [2]
Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]

"Corpse Flower"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Poison, Disease) [3]
Features 1: May Enter Suspended Animation For Years [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Livingt Vines +0 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Herself)- Amanita is pathologically-selfish, and does not to anything for anyone but herself. She is practically incapable of caring about other people, and expects everyone to worship her. She is personally-offended when someone refuses one of her orders.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 2 (29)

-A fantastic design, Amanita Nightshade (dig the pun with her first name- it works on two levels- it's a kind of fungus, AND sounds like "A Man Eater") is a brand-new character, and the bloom of the Corpse Flower. Corpse Flowers are actually a real thing (Amorphophallus titanum- named for their wanglike shape)- a local greenhouse actually has one named "Putrella" that blooms every few years, and does give off a rather "rotten corpse" like odor. Amanita blooms once every 1300 years, and has a history with the de Niles- she was given as a present to Nefera, and was entombed with the family following a betrayal by a family member. When they were given a chance at freedom, Amanita escaped to warn others about the family being trapped... and never returned. Because she's selfish and pretty much incapable of caring about or remembering others, she left and never came back. She joined up with a caravan and enjoyed the worship she received... but sealed herself back up into flower form when the caravan asked her to pay for the services rendered unto her.
-This has continued at Monster High, as she re-blooms in the modern era, and begins demanding worship, borrows the girls' clothes without asking (is this still totally a thing with teenage girls? I know some of my male friends had issues with kids doing that with their video games), and speaking in the most hideodious Valley Girl accent ever. A great new character, actually- it's nice to see another villain in this school of nice ghouls. She's SO annoying that she'll just HAVE to cause trouble! Of course she's only appeared in like two shorts, and her one doll seems rather... shelfwarm-y at Toys R Us, so we'll see what becomes of her.
-Amanita seems like an annoying (-1 Presence), troublesome idiot with no ability to read people, but packs considerable strength with her "Living Vines"- she calmly reached the roof of a Pyramid Tomb and RIPPED THE STONES APART. She's basically Kim Kardashian with Dr. Octopus' powers. Some supporting materials indicate she could have further powers based off of pollen/pheromone releases.

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SPECTRA VONDERGEIST (Daughter of Ghosts)
Role:
Gossip Monger
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 2 (67), PL 4 (67) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Blogger) 6 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+3)
Perception 3 (+2)
Stealth 8 (+10)
Technology 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Hide in Plain Sight

Powers:
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Precise) [21]
Flight 3 (16 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Poison, Cold, Heat) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Getting the Story)- Spectra has a thirst for gossip, and goes out of her way to find out a little bit of everyone's business.
Motivation (You're Making Things Up Again, Spectra)- Spectra has a nasty habit of repeating stories without checking her sources. Early on, she'd only hear about HALF of what people say, and make up the rest with her imagination, resulting in all KINDS of mess.
Secret (The Ghost World)- Most Ghosts don't tell "Solids" about the Ghost World, as their kind is usually afraid of solid folk.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 9 (67)

-Spectra Vondergeist has to be one of the greatest, most evocative names I've ever heard. It has EVERYTHING: It rolls off the tongue, it sounds epic, and it actually MEANS something- playing off both the word "Spectre" and meaning "From the Ghost" in German. And that DESIGN- she has VIOLET EYES. And not the irises- her SCELERAE are violet! Combine that with an epic mane of violet & periwinkle hair, an outfit that matches both and is covered in chains like she's friggin' Jacob Marley, her fading-away hands & feet, and her deathly-pale skin, and you've got one hell of a design. Easily the coolest-looking character until they went nuts with the designs and colours in the past couple years.
-Spectra was introduced via a lot of cameos early-on, as a gossip blog read by all the ghouls was a source of irritation, as it would frequently print lies or half-truths based off of only seeing a bit of things. When they finally got to the source of the matter, they discovered Spectra- a shy Ghost who was hiding out in the halls, writing about the ghouls she admired so much... but never really checking her sources or gathering more info ("I only hear about HALF of what you say!"). With that sorted out, she became kind of a Background Character/Rarely Seen Friend who is often seen flying around in establishing shots, and sometimes getting a webisode of her own (one where she goes all Film Noir as a Detective/Reporter; another where her & Lagoona explain to Sirena Von Boo the holidays of her two "scaritages"). She's voiced a bit differently at times- I think Eriz Fitzgerald can't decide on just HOW "Ghostly" to make her voice- sometimes she quavers and warbles her vowels a LOT, and at other times she just uses a high-pitched voice. She finally settled on the latter.
-Her animated versions look quite a bit different- in Flash Animation, she has a giant head, a wild mane of hair, and almond-shaped eyes that take up almost her entire face. In CGI, she looks a lot more porcelain-like, has a far narrower face and more normal-sized eyes (for this cast, I mean), and her hair is long and straight. And after years of being one of the more-common Non-Main Cast characters (13 dolls in all, which is a fair bit), she finally got her day in the limelight with Haunted. She got a love interest (Porter Geiss) and got to save the day.
-Curiously, despite being a GHOST, and once joking that "I've waited my entire DEATH to see ______", Spectra clearly has a Fortitude Save. She's been observed eating twice (a Ghost Holiday features a feast; another time she had Heath Burns roast a marshmallow for her), and complained about one vacation being ruined because "I got sick the first DAY, and spent the whole week COFFIN!" (I swear to God she actually said that).

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VANDALA DOUBLOONS (Daughter of a Pirate Ghost)
Role:
Pirate
Played by: Haviland Stillwell
PL 6 (66)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Pirate) 6 (+6)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (The Salty Spectre)

Powers:
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Precise) [21]
Flight 3 (16 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Poison, Cold, Heat) [3]

Equipment:
"The Salty Spectre"
(Gargantuan Size; Defense +0, Flight 4- 30 mph, Powers: Concealment From Visuals) (21 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +1

Complications:
Secret (The Ghost World)- Most Ghosts don't tell "Solids" about the Ghost World, as their kind is usually afraid of solid folk.
Weakness (Seasickness)- Despite being both a Pirate AND a Ghost, Vandala has a tendency to get seasick while in the "ghostly waters" between worlds.
Disabled (Lower Right Leg is Missing)- Vandala wears a wooden leg to replace her lost one.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 7 (66)

-Vandala Doubloons is a great example of an awesome character design and concept that didn't really add up to... well, much in the plot. All she does in Haunted is show up in The Salty Spectre, introduce herself, then vanish from importance until the cast HAS to get back to the Monster World. Her debut is almost in-your-face with the "Buy My Doll!" effect, as she charges in on a giant pirate ship, announces her full name, then points out her pet Cuttlefish, Aye, which of course ALSO comes with Vandala's doll.

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RIVER STYXX (Daughter of the Grim Reaper)
Role:
Adorable Pink Reaper
Played by: Ashley Peterson
PL 6 (54)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Pirate) 6 (+6)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (The Ferry of the Dead), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Precise) [21]
Flight 3 (16 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Poison, Cold, Heat) [3]

Equipment:
"The Ferry of the Dead"
(Huge Size; Defense +2, Flight 4- 30 mph, Powers: "Confettie Cannons" Dazzle Visuals 6- Burst Area) (34 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +1

Complications:
Secret (The Ghost World)- Most Ghosts don't tell "Solids" about the Ghost World, as their kind is usually afraid of solid folk.
Motivation (Fun, Colours & Candy!)- River is a bit more... spritely... than you'd expect for a Grim Reaper.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 5 (54)

-River Styxx is one of those characters that took me from bemused to fascinated by the Monster High franchise- Punny Names and cool designs are one thing, but THE DAUGHTER OF THE GRIM REAPER? In a toy line designed for CHILDREN? The THINGS you can get away with these days! And her design is awesome, too- basically an adorable little monster version of the "Calaveras" designs of Skelita & Bonita, River is a freakin' PINK REAPER, with skull-lines across her lips, blue instead of black for the "Calaveras" dark points (the round eyes and sunken nose), and a big pink Scythe that activates CONFETTI CANONS on her Ferry that crosses the two worlds. A Pink Grim Reaper who's obsessed with colours and candy. This franchise is so awesome.
-Unfortunately, despite being so cool-looking and unique, River doesn't actually do much. She is introduced ferrying the ghouls to Haunted High (her father, who normally does this, is away at a Reaper's Convention in Los Plageus), tells us her name with a little baby girl voice, and then pretty much just hangs in the background, only doing things because of the Ferry.

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KIYOMI HAUNTERLY (Daughter of the Noppera-Bo)
Role:
Former Wallflower
Played by: Joy Lerner
PL 1 (70), PL 2 (70)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Insight 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Precise) [21]
Flight 3 (16 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Poison, Cold, Heat) [3]

"Gaze Into the Monster World" Remote Sensing 8 (Vision, Hearing) (Feats: Dimensional) (Drawbacks: Noticeable) (24) -- [25]
AE: Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Monster World) (Extras: Portal +2) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +1

Complications:
Secret (The Ghost World)- Most Ghosts don't tell "Solids" about the Ghost World, as their kind is usually afraid of solid folk.
Disabled (No Face)- Kiyomi's face is hard to see- her emotions tend to get across better as her body changes colour.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 5 (70)

-The most-odd of the four Haunted ghosts, Kiyomi is based off of one of the staffers at Mattel, and is a "Noppera-Bo", or Faceless Ghost. Her gimmick is that she's a formerly-shy wallflower who observed the "Solid World" and, by spying on Draculaura, was able to copy her fashion sense and charisma in order to come into her own and be popular. Yeah... that's a bit of a materialistic thing there, no doubt about it. Her doll doesn't seem to be overly-popular in my region, and I think it's due to her core concept- the whole "Faceless" thing leaves her with a very plain look, as all her features are drawn in with white.
-Kiyomi has the unique ability to see across the worlds, appearing as a sphere of white energy in the Monster World.

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PORTER "PAINTERGEIST" GEISS (Son of a Poltergeist)
Role:
Ghost Banksy, Bad Boy in Name Only
Played by: xxxx
PL 6 (100)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Artist) 8 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Evasion, Improved Defense

Powers:
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Precise) [21]
Flight 3 (16 mph) [6]
Immunity 3 (Poison, Cold, Heat) [3]

"Poltergeist" Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Secret (The Ghost World)- Most Ghosts don't tell "Solids" about the Ghost World, as their kind is usually afraid of solid folk.
Motivation (Fun & Creation)- Porter is an artist at heart, and must create things.
Relationship (Spectra)- He finds her entertaining to make fun of at first, but soon he basically flirts with her non-stop.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 13 (100)

-Porter is the male Haunted character, and isn't bad, though he seems to embody a lot of what happens with male characters in girl-based franchises: He's a Bad Boy- you can tell because of all the times people describe him as a bad boy (Spectra, Twyla & Principal Revenant all do it). Yet despite being a "Bad Boy", he commits no real crimes (he spraypaints the walls with "Ghost Paint" that immediately disappears). His "Bad Boy" get-up consists of basically the completely-nonthreatening shorts & polo shirt. So basically he's like tons of other male characters in the franchise- a pretty skinny boy who couldn't possibly be construed as dangerous.
-In Haunted, Porter (I do like the name, though- but the "Paintergeist" nickname makes it a bit too on the nose) is a "Bad Boy" who spraypaints everything and gets in trouble for it- he's one of the only students who can outmaneuver Principal Revenant's "Hall Moanitors" and get away, and soon ends up teaming with Spectra to get to the bottom of why the Principal is punishing all of the students with "Detention Chains". He acts like... well, like what girls think boys act like (probably not too off the wall, actually)- he bores easily, makes fun of Spectra and her interests constantly, then tries to flirt with her.

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CASTA FIERCE (Daughter of Circe)
Role:
Idol Singer
Played by: Unknown
PL 8 (47)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Singing) 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Shapeshifting) 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Flying Broom- Flight 4), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Magic Words" Affliction 8 (Toughness; Transformed) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Selective) (Flaws: Limited to Last Degree) (16) -- [18]
AE: "Shapechange Blast" Affliction 10 (Toughness; Transformed) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Last Degree) (10)
AE: "Light Spell" Dazzle Visuals 6 (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Shapechange Attack +4 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Magic Words +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Light Spell +4 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Quirk (Automatic Powers)- Casta may accidentally attack someone with her Shapechanging effect if she words something the wrong way- a frequent occurence at her shows, especially during Witching Hour
Power Loss (Magic)- Casta must be able to speak to cast her spells.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 3 (47)

-Casta Fierce is named for Beyonce's stage-name character "Sasha Fierce" (I don't listen to that music, so I can't tell you what Sasha is like), and is one of the last "Major" creatures to appear in the MH franchise- a WITCH. Not just ANY witch, either- Casta is the daughter of CIRCE HERSELF, the infamous shapeshifting villain of Greek Mythology. Her gimmick is that she's another Idol Singer (okay, her & Catty is a bit much), but with the quirk that she often transforms people accidentally during her concerts. Released in 2014, she had a super-detailed doll released, got a few webisodes devoted to her, and then basically disappeared- I think that'll be the fate of Amanita and many other new characters, now that the franchise has so many cast members.
-Casta is a Witch with only a couple of powers seen on-screen, though I would imagine turning someone into a Kaiju could also be seen as "Growth- Affects Others" (seriously, this happened at one show- she mispronounced something as "Giant Lizard"), but Affliction- Transformed could actually cover a lot of ground. Especially since technically she often doesn't even MEAN for the spells to go off. Her Shapechange power can be either an Area Effect (entire concerts have been ruined by turning everyone into Frogs or Cats), or a simple Ranged one.

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GIGI GRANT (Daughter of The Genie)
Role:
Teen Genie
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 12 (130)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (History) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+10)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Genie Physiology"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Disease, Poison) [3]

"As You Choose" Variable 12 (Any Effect) (Flaws: Limited to the Finder's Wish) [72]

(Sample Powers: Teleport, Dimensional Travel Attack/Summon Shadow Version of Character, Mind Control, Transform Lagoona to a Freshwater Monster, Make Someone President)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rules)- Wishes are meant to be used unselfishly- if the Finder makes selfish wishes, they will start to grow more evil.
Enemy (Whisp)- Gigi's self-created sister shadows Gigi's every move, twisting the Finders into more selfish creatures.
Responsibility (Lonely)- Gigi is terribly-lonely in her lamp, and relishes being found by new people.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 75 / Defenses: 7 (130)

-Gigi Grant is a central gimmick in 13 Wishes- an all-powerful Genie discovered by Howleen Wolf, she offers 13 wishes, but warns of the price if you start making selfish ones. She's voiced with the same voice Jonquil Goode later uses for Apple White in Ever After High, and is sympathetic, if a bit useless, since nearly every time she appears, disaster comes from her evil clone/sister Whisp. The character seems popular-ish in the dolls, with three or four coming out since her 2013 debut, but she's only appeared in the one movie and one webisode, despite becoming a regular Monster High student by the end of the film.
-Like most Genies, Gigi's Phenomenal Cosmic Power is best-handled by Variable/Whatever the GM Says (at one point, she simply makes Abbey Bominable to the School Disembodied President- which is like an instant... Time Travel/Time Speed-Up/Change History thing??). She's immortal and has almost limitless power... so long as the Finder commands it. During most of 13 Wishes, she's forced by Howleen (the Finder, influenced by Whisp, the Shadow Genie) to transport all of the Main Cast into the Lamp's Pocket Dimension, replacing them with dark Shadow Versions in the real world.

WHISP THE SHADOW GENIE (Clone of the Daughter of The Genie)
Role:
Shadow Version
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 8 (75)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 6 (+9)
Expertise (History) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+10)
Persuasion 8 (+11)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Genie Physiology"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Disease, Poison) [3]
Concealment 2 (Vision) [4]
Flight 2 (8 mph) [4]

"Shadow Whispers" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled) (Extras: Perception-Ranged +2) (Flaws: Limited to the Finder, Limited Degree, Hearing-Dependent) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Shadow Whispers -- (+8 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Power & Wish-Granting)- Lonely and bitter, Whisp only wants power.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 5 (75)

-Whisp is the Shadow Genie, a cloned offspring of Gigi created to give her a playmate and confidant. However, growing jealous of Gigi's power and feeling disposable, Whisp starts to get a little evil, and starts manipulating the various founders, finally attempting a big "push" to get them to give her "All Power" as the final, thirteenth wish in the set. This has failed every time, but came closest in 13 Wishes, where she traps most of Howleen's friends in the world of the Lamp, and very nearly gets Howleen to wish her ultimate power. However, when Whisp is finally defeated, they do that weird thing where they forgive her COMPLETELY, then offer her the Genie's power instead, letting Gigi become a regular High School student.
-This actually happens in Haunted as well- these vicious, evil villains out to screw everyone over for their own benefit basically just apologize and are given the benefit of the doubt, not suffering at all for their misdeeds. It's REALLY weird, actually. I kind of liked the view on apologies taken in Sofia the First- when Sofia is cursed by her Amulet for bragging about getting to sing a big song in front of everyone, she apologizes... and discovers that nothing has changed. It turns out, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast points this out (man, an Amulet that summons Disney Princesses... I gotta get me some of THAT), that apologizing is nice and all, but it really doesn't MEAN anything- the only way to ACTUALLY make things right is to make AMENDS- offer the wronged party some restitution of some kind. Actually a more mature way of looking at it.
-Whisp is basically a Mind Control-type of character with several limits (though she grows more powerful during an eclipse, which naturally happens soon upon her return). She whispers (oh hey I just got her name) little thoughts into Howleen's ear, manipulating her into getting rid of any threat to Whisp's power (by banishing them into the Lamp), and eventually getting her to wish "ALL POWER TO THE SHADOW GENIE!", a move that would let her take over the entire world. Whisp will actually be getting a doll in 2015.

And that's it for Monster High! Well, for now, anyways. So those of you who were eagerly awaiting me to stop doing builds of a line of girls' dolls can breathe easy :). At least, until they release Webisodes and Movies featuring the NEWEST Monster Girls- soon as those come out, I'll be interrupting builds to give you Kjersti Trollson (Troll from Goreway), Mouscedes King (Daughter of the Rat King), Luna Mothews (who unfortunately has a much plainer doll than her artwork would indicate), Elle Eedee (iPod Robot), Astra Nova (Alien), Isi Dawndancer (Native Scaremerican Deer Lady), Batsy Claro (White Vampire Bat from Ghosta Rica) Gooliope Jellington (apparently a goo-ey Giantess?).

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GOOLIOPE JELLINGTON (aka Experiment #816 8708)
Role:
Goo-Girl Giantess
Played by: Unknown
PL 4 (64)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+10)
Expertise (Circus Performer) 8 (+10) -- Uses Presence

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Goo Girl"
Immunity 1 (Disease) [1]
Insubstantial (Feats: Precise) [6]

"Giantess" Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Finding Her Scareitage)- Gooliope was created in a lab by a scientist, who dropped her off at the circus when he realized that she would be subject to experimentation for most of her life. She is now obsessed with finding out about her origins.
Prejudice (Weird Even By Monster Standards)- Gooliope is made out of goo and fifteen feet tall.
Quirk ("Wobble")- When she gets nervous or angry, Gooliope starts "wobbling", setting off a minor earthquake that renders her noticeable, and may break objects surrounding her.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 9 (64)

-Gooliope Jellington is the newest Monster High character, and perhaps the weirdest- she's a science experiment of unknown parentage, and is both a Blob Monster and FIFTEEN FEET TALL, combining the two subjects of the weirdest porn on Hentai Fou--- I mean, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS SORRY). However, this whole "I want to discover who & what I am" origin is never even MENTIONED in the three-part Webisode that introduces the character- the main ghouls simply come upon her while searching for stuff in the attic. Nobody even reacts to a giantess in their midst! Gooliope does the usual "I'm ______" full-name introduction, then immediately decides to help the ghouls save their Arts Programs (this happens a LOT in Teen Drama- schools in the States must always be losing those or something) by creating a "Freak Du Chic" circus.
-Freak Du Chic, naturally, is the name of the new doll line, giving us circus-themed crazy outfits for some major characters, plus giving us a new one for the under-utilized Honey Swamp, and popular newbie Twyla (who seems to have become a major character). The dolls have very detailed looks and are nice by the show's standards, but the webisodes are a bit weird. She just kind of wanders in with no fanfare, and it's never even commented on that she's TWICE THE HEIGHT of everybody else! In many shots it's not even clear, as the animators seem to struggle with the "blocking" of scenes involving someone so much larger than the other cast members. She's animated in a weird, but creative, way, as she does contortions and acrobatics while speaking for absolutely no reason. She seems to have been created just to be difficult to animate.
-I have a theory that she was created largely to test the waters for a series of larger dolls- at 17", she's easily the tallest character in a line that mostly re-uses a few different body molds. A hell of a design, though- she's got the typical MH quasi-anorexic build, but has light "goo" droplets on her, pink skin and hair, and RADIOACTIVE SYMBOLS in her eyes. These creators are nuts. I love it.
-Gooliope's a pretty simple build- mix an athletic ghoul with Large Size and some Fluidic Insubstantial power (though she never utilizes this, I assume she could).

"All I wanted was a LITTLE help manipulating my little sister into MARRYING a Prince to make me fabulously wealthy and powerful! Is that too much to ask!?!"
-Nefera DeNile, getting the best line of the boo-vie


MONSTER HIGH- BOO YORK, BOO YORK:

The latest movie in the franchise is only a few minutes shorter than the typical ones, and ALSO comes with the 46-minute Ever After High: Spring Unsprung movie. That makes it overall one of the best deals in the franchise!

This one's based around Catty Noir, the big "Idol Singer" of the series, and is actually a MUSICAL. One one hand, the songs are relatively well-produced and sound like modern pop. On the OTHER hand, the songs... sound like modern pop. Complete with over-use of Autotune like a motherf**ker. Catty angsts over trying to write a love song, as she's never BEEN in love. Meanwhile, Cleo's father (The Mummy) recognizes the importance of a date with a Macguffin Comet, and pulls his two daughters (Cleo & Nefera the Alpha Bitch) to "Boo York" with him, and Cleo decides to invite a ton of her friends (Frankie, Clawdeen, Draculaura, Operetta & Catty, who's searching for her "New Song").

It's 7:46 in before they put on their outfits to advertise the new doll line- I think that's a new speed record (if you don't count the one where they STARTED in those outfits and then switched back to normal for the rest of the thing). Given that Deuce normally dresses like a "Bad Boy", and acts like a Bored Surfer Dude, his "Neon Green Eurotrash" look is kind of a clash. Cleo and Nefera though are in their best costumes EVER- the whole "Egyptian" thing really comes of well in this series' designs. We meet Luna Mothews & Elle Eedee within ten minutes for cameos. A DJ party in the most sparsely-crowded Times Square EVER (seriously- I've seen it busier at 3 in the morning).

There's parodies of many Broadway productions- you can see a poster that looks like the distinctive, iconic one for Wicked, though I particularly loved Bats. The horrifyingly-bad puns are in full force here, which is amazing- they're on Hexington Avenue, Times Scare, Spectral Park West, and the Upper Beast Side- I LOVE IT! Nefera schemes to break up Cleo & Deuce so that Cleo is free to marry Seth Ptolemy, the heir to Boo York City, and they do so in a hilariously-over-the-top Autotune Sad Song that only lasts all of two minutes (a routine for this show, actually). Cleo is supposed to marry Seth Ptolemy, but Seth (in disguise as the rapper "Pharaoh") falls in love with Catty instead (in the classic "they hang out for two seconds and are now in love" thing), rejecting their parents' plan to unite their two dynasties over the light of the mysterious Comet.

Curiously, meeting the "Four New Ghouls" set up is slightly-different this time around. Instead of meeting a new character every few minutes, then gathering them into the party, the ghouls just kind of bump into each other here and there, often coincidentally being in the same places. This keeps the "Wandering Cast" down to reasonable numbers, but still doesn't give many of them stuff to do (Operetta seemed like a natural for this, given that she's a singer... but she doesn't speak for the first FIFTY MINUTES- she's just background dressing until then, and she STILL doesn't play a major role!).

Nefera gets involved AGAIN when Seth rebels against his mother, taking away their singing talent and spirits, but after a big Sing-Off (between Luna & Toralei- using Catty's voice in a Bloodway show... wow, they went through workshops, previews and an opening in less than an hour? Impressive...), Catty has her voice back. Everything wraps up in a big hurry (Deuce goes back to Cleo, Seth gets his voice back and even his mother now accepts it, etc.), and then the COMET finally arrives with less than seven minutes to go, which is easily the longest they've waited to introduce a big new character- it's Astranova the Alien! And she doesn't really add anything beyond everyone talking about how the Comet "gave them their voice" and stuff. Which... she didn't really DO.

The End Credits feature an interesting moment, as Astranova talks into her phone... and reveals that "The rumors of a High School for Monsters are true!" to... APPLE WHITE AND RAVEN QUEEN. Who... really should have heard this from their friend C.A. Cupid (who transfered from MH to Ever After High) when you think about it. But hey- Crossover!!

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MOUSCEDES KING (Daughter of The Rat King)
Role:
Upper-Crust Rich Girl
Played by: Rachel Staman
PL 1 (14)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Boo York Upper-Crust) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Dancing) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Boo York Royalty)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Lactose-Intolerant)- "A rat who's allergic to cheese! Can you believe it?" Though actually, this is totally a thing in real life.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (14)

-Mouscedes seemed like the lowest-end of the Boo York, Boo York line of dolls, but I swear she became the most-popular once the movie came out, as her dolls suddenly sold like nuts in comparison to the others. I guess kids liked how she came across in the movie- helpful and good-natured, with cute little "Eek!" mouse-squeaks puncuating her speech. Which runs a bit contrast to the personality-type given in her Bio, which says she's a "Spoiled Brat With a Heart of Gold"- here, she's rich and treated like her family is a Rockefeller-like part of the royalty of the city. She hails from the "Upper Beast Side" (JESUS CHRIST) and uses her connections to throw claw-some parties and helps the ghouls out.
-A pretty generic character in terms of stats. They make a big deal out of the irony of the daughter of the Rat King being lactose intolerant- it's on the bios AND the movie- apparently not realizing that RATS ARE ACTUALLY LACTOSE INTOLERANT.

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THE ROBOT! It's literally the only dance I can do!"

ELLE EEDEE (Daughter of The Robots)
Role:
Helpful DJ
Played by: Laura Bailey
PL 3 (50)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (DJing) 4 (+7)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Robot"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 4 [4]
"Holographic Display" Features 1: Creates a Holographic DJ Turntable [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +4, Fortitude --, Will +2

Complications:
Vulnerable (Electrical & Magnetic Attacks)- As a metallic robot, Elle Eedee is vulnerable to these types of things. Also, signals from space can totally mess her up.
Disabled (Dancing)- Elle can only perform "The Robot".

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 1 (50)

-Loved the New York accents in this movie- Elle sounds so funny in it. She keeps showing up in various places the main characters visit (as opposed to just following them around, like most of the other movies in the series do), thanks to her DJing career- she gets hired to the parties the Ptolemies throw, and she's DJing for money in Times Scare (OH GOD). Unlike fellow robot Robecca Steam, she isn't some old-school Steampunk Design- she looks like a fully-modern creation; basically a walking iPod in a skirt and heels. One of the better Robot Girl designs I've seen, for sure. She lacks Robecca's powers, however, and appears to "glitch" out sometimes, thanks to the otherworldly signals Astra Nova's Comet-Pod sends off. Also, I was like "why didn't they just call her Elsie-Dee, like Marvel did? Copywrite issues?" until I remembered that LED is kind of screen and THAT's what they were naming her after. Because I am old and I forget things.

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LUNA MOTHEWS (Daughter of The Mothman)
Role:
Stardom-Seeker
Played by: Lauren Weisman
PL 1 (24), PL 2 (24) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Singing) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Odd Jobs) 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Moth Physiology"
Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]
Features 1: Quick Change [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Bright Lights)- Luna is easily-distracted by bright lights. Good thing she's taking a job in MUSICAL THEATRE then.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 4 (24)

-OH MY GOD THAT DESIGN IS SO AMAZEBALLS!!! This franchise has gotten UNBELIEVABLY good at creating some superstar designs- to the point where the newer characters almost look like they're from a different series than the original characters, who look downright plain by comparison. And considering some of those characters include "Diva/Nefertiti Lookalike/Mummy", "Pink & Black Vampire", "Purple-Haired Leather-Clad Werewolf", and "White & Black Streak-Haired Green Frankenstein Girl In Patchwork Clothing", that's friggin' saying something.
-Luna Mothews is from Boo Jersey, but dreams of making it big on Bloodway- she ends up taking a series of odd jobs in her first day in Boo York City, all of which COINCIDENTALLY mean she meets up with our traveling ghouls on their quest to bring back Catty's voice and stop Nefera's scheme. With a thick Joisey accent, giant eyes (with HONEYCOMBS in them), huge butterfly wings, and a Boo York Cityscape drawn across her skirt, she's the most striking of the new characters. And in the end, she gets into a Singing Duel (easily the most bad-ass solution to any problem- it's no The Confrontation from Les Miz, but what is?) with Toralei (who's stolen Catty's voice), and saves the day. And she's also the daughter of The Mothman, a peculiar Cryptid believed to have warned people about a bridge-collapse tragedy several years ago (the most-likely cause for the sightings of the "headless", man-sized creature with huge butterfly (not moth) wings and eyes in its chest is likely a barn owl, as those can be pretty freaky at night).
-Alas, her Official Doll has a much different-looking outfit than the one shown in the early art- it looks more futuristic and "official", but there's a Wal-Mart Special Set that includes Mouscedes & Elle Eedee, and features the Early Release art much better, including the "BYC Skirt" look. She does a better job of being a Moth (well, Butterfly, really) than the pink Bonita Femur, whose half-Skeleton physiology may be why her doll ended up being kind of a Shelfwarmer.

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ASTRANOVA (Daughter of The Comet Aliens)
Role:
Mysterious Visitor
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald (speaking), Firoozeh Scott (singing)
PL 1 (41), PL 3 (41) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+6)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Out of Control Comet)- Her Comet Spaceship can go out of control sometimes. As she goes into suspended animation during its flight, this can be problematic.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 4 (41)

-Looking like someone bejeweled the f*ck out of a Disney Princess, here's Astranova, who... REALLY doesn't show up in the movie for that long. Like... the whole POINT of the movie is her arrival, sort of, but she as a CHARACTER doesn't do anything! The comet containing her body is sending odd signals to Earth (that mess up Elle Eedee's computer mind), and a malfunction means it's heading for a COLLISION COURSE with the planet, but thankfully Ghoulia Yelps, the resident genius at Monster High, is made aware of it, and comes up with a solution. In the end, Astra Nova splits out of the comet and every just kinda parties down in Boo York City for the finale. She gets like two or three lines- that's all.
-Curiously, her toy comes in two distinct colour schemes- a dark blue version that matches the film's Astranova, and a much lighter lilac-coloured one. And it's not different outfits- it's just a completely different colour. Since it's a $60-70 set (it comes with a giant magnetic accessory that can lift her doll into the air and make it "hover"), I have a sneaky suspicion that Mattel is taking advantage of the collectors who want one of EVERYTHING.
-I have no idea if she possesses any kind of special powers, as she only shows up on-screen and awake for like a minute.

KJERSTI TROLLSON (Daughter of The Trolls)
Role:
Gamer Girl, Internet Troll
Played by: Unknown
PL 0 (20), PL 2 (20) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Gaming) 10 (+10) -- Uses Dexterity


Advantages:
Ultimate Gamer

Powers:
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Gaming)- Kjersti loves gaming, and is intensely-competitive about it.
Responsibility (Not Athletic)- Kjersti is easily-bested at physical activities by her giant brothers, and so falls into gaming instead.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 3 (20)

-Kjersti, an internet-obsessed troll (hee) from Goreway (gawd) is tiny and talks with your standard Nordic Parody accent, wears glasses that look like an item from Minecraft, and moves to Monster High to engage in a gaming battle with Ghoulia Yelps, who beats her "High Score" in some game. Now, just WHY every bit of media out there seems to think that High Scores are still totally a thing is beyond me, because that hasn't been a major source of competition since the mid '90s at the latest- now it's all about "Who beats whom" and tournaments and the like, not who can earn the most points. Kjersti's whole thing so far as been "Video Games", though her competitive streak waned enough to allow her to befriend Ghoulia instead of simply rage against her rival.

BATSY CLARO (Daughter of The White Vampire Bat)
Role:
Eco Warrior
Played by: Unknown
PL 8 (93)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Tour Guide) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Environmentalist) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Perception 8 (+10)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]

"Spookersonic Hearing" Senses 7 (Ultra, Acute & Accurate Hearing, Extended Hearing 3) [7]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) [4]
"Spookersonic Shriek" Blast 8 (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (24) -- [25]
AE: "Voice Throwing" Illusion (Hearing) 5 (Flaws: Limited to What She Can Actually Say) (2.5)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Spookersonic Shriek -- (+8 Perception-Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Saving the Environment)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 41 / Defenses: 7 (93)

-Good LORD that's a weird-looking character- she's basically all-white, wears bright green clothing, and packs a set of Bat Wings that look absolutely nothing like bat wings... or anything that could ever fly. Somehow, though, the design still works- she represents the modern, more-detailed type of Monsters in the series. Batsy (based off of a legendary Vampire the Hupia, which was said to kidnap children... but looking more like the White Honduran Bat, which is surprisingly-adorbz) is an environmental warrior from Costa Shrieka (really? "Ghosta Rica" was RIGHT THERE), and in her debut she manages to blow up a freakin' bulldozer from hundreds of feet away! This makes her one of the most-powerful Monster High characters, and in her debut Webisode (shared with Kjersti & Isi), she pretty much travels to Monster High and meets up with the similarly-environmentalist Venus McFlytrap, forming a partnership.
-But yeah, she's CRAZY powerful. Blowing up a large vehicle from a long distance away (well, technically the machine destroys ITSELF, but I'm calling it Damage) puts her in an ultra-high-tier in terms of Monster High characters- she's one of the few (alongside Abbey) who could easily fit in on a Teenage Superhero Team. Try finding an artist who wants to draw THOSE wings, though...

That sound you hear is anyone who's every tried to design a Native American character hanging their head in shame.

ISI DAWNDANCER (Daughter of The Deer Spirit)
Role:
Eco Warrior
Played by: Unknown
PL 2 (44), PL 4 (44) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Stereotypical Native American) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Dancing) 4 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Native Stereotype Physiology"
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Limited to Ultra-Vague Images) [2]
Features 1: Native American Music Plays Whenever She Speaks [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Saving the Environment)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 3 (44)

-Oh my god this design is EPIC!! Just this crazy-awesome combination of styles and colours- a lot of people (especially in comics) struggle with Native American designs, defaulting to the whole "Beads & Buckskins" thing, with big ol' ponytails and stuff, but this one knocks it out of park, and that's COMBINED with a friggin' Deer Person, which is one of the most-unusual Anthro-type designs you'll find out there. Isi Dawndancer is super-rad.
-Well, as a CHARACTER she's a bit forgettable. She of course does special Native-centric spiritual stuff, has great visions (she has a dream about Monster High, and her stereotypical Wise Old Grandmother tells her "you must GO to this place!"), and they even play Native-style drums & whistles whenever she speaks (Jinafire Long gets the same treatment with "Asian Music" playing whenever she says something). In fact, her big "character moment" is helping the Fearleading Squad by helping them learn one of the dances of their people after they get whatever the dancing equivalent of "Writer's Block" is. And apparently her clothing is a mish-mash of cultures and her "Monster" Basis is a generic "Deer Spirit" instead of anything specific (not that MH has EVER been particularly careful about getting things absolutely dead-on to anything). But really, that design rocks.

FINNEGAN WAKE (aka Rider)
Role:
Differently-Abled Extreme Sports Star
Played by: Unknown
PL 4 (54)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Extreme Sports) 4 (+8) -- Uses Agility

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Move-By Action

Powers:
"Merman Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Swimming 4 (4 mph) [4]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Addiction (Excitement)- Finnegan is an extreme athlete, and grows bored very quickly.
Prejudice (Helpless)- Finnegan's wheelchair can make others think he's helpless and needs ot be protected from danger. This really irks him.
Disabled (Cannot Walk)- Finnegan can not move about on his fin (it's unknown if he can swim properly), and requires a Wheelchair. Without his chair, his Agility drops to -1.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 3 (54)

-It's easy to laugh at these kind of "Inspirationally-Disabled" characters (a friend of mine says he always felt that Chip from Transformers was silly, even as a kid, because it felt condescending), but then I remember that these shows are targeted at CHILDREN and not cynical 30-something nerds, so the message is actually kind of important. Especially because the Monster High episode featuring this guy (in his early name as "Rider") isn't all about how inspirational he is- it's about how Frankie Stein was being dumb by thinking he was helpless and needed "protection". Turns out that Rider is an Extreme Sports Athlete, and loves crazy risks and killer tats. Frankie learns a lesson, and Rider seems to fit in with the rest of the gang. Essentially, it was more of a "don't condescend to crippled people" thing.
-However, this episode was basically a one-off a few years ago, and the character never did anything else. It wasn't until 2015, when the website was doing a poll to create a new character's doll, that Rider made a comeback- this time as the copywritten "Finnegan Wake". Winning the poll, Finnegan debuted as a Merman Doll in a wheelchair and everything. It's unclear as to whether or not he can swim properly- he's only seen in his Wheelchair, motoring around.

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PERI & PEARL SERPENTINE (Daughters of the Hydra)
Role:
Two-Headed Girl, Bickering Twins, Mean Girl & "The Stormer"
Played by: Rachel Staman (Peri), Cherami Leigh (Pearl)
PL 3 (45), PL 4 (45) Defenses
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Making "Goulery") 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]

"Two Heads"
Enhanced Advantages 2: Second Chance 2 (Mental Attacks, Perception Checks) [2]
"Peri- The Nice One" Persuasion 4 (+6) [2]
"Pearl- The Mean One" Deception 4 (+6) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Rivalry (Each Other)- Pearl is mean and worhips Kala, while Peri is nice.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 3 (45)

-Easily the most popular character to come out of Great Scarrier Reef was the weirdest character- a TWO-HEADED DOLL. Just walking around Toys R Us one day, I heard random people talk about her like it was the coolest thing they'd ever seen ("Oh my God, have you seen the two-headed Monster High doll? She's so cool!"). And it FLEW of the shelves, too; most of these things clog the aisles for a month or two before the movie comes out, and then you still see numerous ones around. This one was ordered to the point where they had STACKS of them, and they still sold out! It's probably the most successful new character they've had in ages. And really, it kind of perfectly showcases the great designs that make up this toyline- when did you ever expect that the company that brought the world Barbie would release a friggin' two-headed mermaid? Even the colors of this thing are amazing: silvery-grey, white & blue hair, and a long blue tail.
-Peri & Pearl have the whole "Rival Sisters" thing going on, despite sharing a body. The white-haired Pearl is a Mean Girl who goes along with Kala's scheming gladly, but the blue-haired Peri is kinder and wants to help out Lagoona and her friends- essentially, she's the "Stormer" of the Monster High franchise. So while Pearl aids the villain for most of the story, Peri jumps in (while her sister is asleep), giving some important help in the end.

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KALA MER'RI (Daughter of The Kraken)
Role:
Alpha Bitch
Played by: Lyndsy Kail
PL 8 (83)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Dancing) 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (Ambidexterity), Fast Grab, Improved Hold

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]

"Cephalopod Physiology"
Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Limbs) [1]
Extra Limbs 8 [8]

"Deafening Scream" Dazzle Hearing 8 (Extras: Area- Audio Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Dazzle +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Complications:
Secret (The Daughter of the Kraken)- Kala's father is the most hated and feared monster in their undersea realm. This has rendered her vicious, nasty and with a mean streak- she thinks that peopl are naturally horrible and out to judge others.
Rivalry (Lagoona Blue)- Kala is jealous of Lagoona's popularity and family life, and so reacts horribly to her.
Addiction (Being In Control)
Relationship (Father- The Kraken)- Kala defends her father ferociously.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 4 (83)

-Kala gets the most story focus of the new characters in Great Scarrier Reef, though her doll was much less popular than Peri & Pearl. It's still pretty cool, though- short of Ursula from The Little Mermaid, when have you EVER seen a toy of a Cephalopod-styled Mermaid? Especially with this kaleidoscope of colors. Funnily enough, the movie makes a huge deal out of the secrecy of her scareitage (waiting till like the very end to reveal it), even though her toy's box advertises her as the Daughter of the Kraken. Reacting to the prejudice and fear faced by her father, Kala thinks all people are pretty crappy, and decides to just be a giant bitch to everyone as a result. She picks on Lagoona, her old friend, out of jealousy and spite.
-Also... *snerk*... "Kala Mer'ri"... I love this franchise.

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POSEA REEF (Daughter of Poseidon)
Role:
Helpful Goddess
Played by: Paula Rhodes
PL 10 (165)
STRENGTH
3/16 STAMINA 4/17 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Botany) 8 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Goddess)

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]

"Olympian Physiology"
Immunity 3 (Disease, Poison, Aging) [3]
Mind-Reading 6 [12]
"Goddess Effect" Features- Rainbows & Stuff Fly Around Her When She Makes Pronouncements [1]

"Whirlpools" Teleport 10 (Extras: Extended, Portal +2, Accurate) (60) -- [61]
AE: Move Object 10 (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)

Growth 13 (Str & Sta +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (26) -- [27]
AE: Shrinking 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Giant-Size +0 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6
"Giant Size" Dodge -3 (DC 7), Parry -4 (DC 6), Toughness +17, Fortitude +19, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Seas)- Posea has tremendous responsibility thanks to her father.
Responsibility (Goddess In Training)- Posea has a lot of knowledge, but she's young enough that the still get mixed up inside her head sometimes.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 114 / Defenses: 8 (165)

-Posea Reef is curious in the movie, as she's basically a Helpful Observer sort who doesn't really get involved DIRECTLY in the plot. As the daughter of Poseidon (remember, the children of Eros, Medusa & Stheno are also in this franchise- Greek Myth is canon), it's her job to tend the garden of life-flowers or whatever, and since Lagoona's is all wilty, Posea considers it her job to give advice. She's got a pretty good design, being a combination of Mermaid & Kelp-Creature, which is suitably epic... but she doesn't stand out as much as the other two.
-Posea is a Goddess who doesn't really do much in the story, so stats are a bit tricky. I went with the Wikia site and some biographical information.

The main Ghouls actually get some additional powers, including the "Mermaid Suite":
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]

-Clawdeen gains Invisibility, Frankie gains wide-area Volts and Environment (Light), and Draculaura becomes a cephalopod who gains their semi-fluid form (Insubstantial 1). Some of the mermaids actually look pretty cool, namely Clawdeen (why is the "black" monster always the one who changes skin tone in these things?) and Toralei (a striped tigerfish).

xxxx


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
+26: Destroyah (Oxygen Destroyer), Ymir, Surtur (Unarmed or Blast)
+28: Surtur (Twlight Sword)

The Movies:

(the first batch are more like 45-minute shorts- released in pairs on single DVD sets)

ESCAPE FROM SKULL SHORES:
* This one's about a Spring Break adventure on a cool island. Somehow the girls manage to get complete makeovers, complete with complicated haircuts and dyeing procedures, in the time between when they get on Cleo's family yacht, and once they're on the open seas. Lagoona's imitation of Gill's parents in a faux-Minnesota accent is pretty funny. And Manny making fun of Normie "Freaks". And then a fricking' KRAKEN shows up and destroys the yacht for no apparent reason!

The ghouls (and Gill, who's dreading meeting Lagoona's parents) are rescued by Bartleby Farnum, an obvious con-man out to capture a giant purple monster using Frankie as bait (she resembles a woman who'd once calmed the creature). It turns out the monster is actually a guy named Andy who transforms into the Beast, and we get a combo King Kong/Beauty and the Beast story. Gill chickens out when Lagoona is captured, but saves the day by "finning up" and talking to her parents, which results in a saltwater army coming to the gang's rescue. Andy ends up and Monster High, and bizarrely the girls are back to their normal designs once they're home. But it was SPRING BREAK. TWO WEEKS! Cleo & Frankie's "Beach Look" outfits had them with SHORT HAIR! WHAT THE NUTS?!?!

FRIGHT ON!:
* WEIRD- this one is a 46-minute movie like Skull Shores, but actually features the FLASH Animation style, not CGI! It centres around the feud between Vampires & Werewolves, which is an issue everywhere but Monster High, which is naturally totes-inclusive. The "aristocratic" Vampires and the "territorial" Werewolves have hatred that goes WAY back, and they don't take too kindly to Clawd Wolf dating Draculaura (even Clawd's old friend Romulus is taken aback). They arrange a school dance (in a GRAVEYARD- this continually-astounds me. They would have NEVER allowed creepy stuff like this in '80s cartoons), and it actually seems to work (a little too easily- they literally force vamps & wolves to dance with each other, and they all immediately begin smiling and dancing), but then Administrator Van Hellscream (seriously- HELLSCREAM is a name you can get away with now?) gets called in by a sneaky teacher, and the begins undoing all their good work.

Meanwhile, Howleen Wolf debuts, and begins annoying big sister Clawdeen by copying her and borrowing all of her stuff. Man, the Werewolf/Vampire stuff actually gets a little creepy, with a few things that resemble a Race War (Were Pride vs. Vampowerment) as the two groups start protesting each other. Naturally, Van Hellscream announces his Evil Plan- he wants the monsters to fight and argue (and has stoked the flames throughout his life) in order to prevent them from uniting and being a "threat" to Human society, then leaves several of the girls to die in an Evil Deathtrap (and then he LEAVES THEM TO THEIR FATE- way to not read the Evil Overlord's Handbook, dumbass).

The Merch: There's a big bit with the girls all waking up in the morning that seems to be there only to advertise there "Sleepwear/Pajama Party" line. There's also a big dance featuring new outfits. Howleen Wolf debuts.

WHY DO GHOULS FALL IN LOVE?:
* A 46-minute movie about a vampire named Valentine returning to Draculaura's life- his scheme is to steal her heart, along with all the other heartbroken women's he's jilted over the years! He uses Mind Control to make her split up with poor Clawd (his clumsy attempts at giving her practical gift for her "Sweet Sixteen-Hundred" party, and subsequent scolding by Cleo & Clawdeen is pretty funny). The best bits involve Cupid & Abbey's disagreements over love advice (Cupid gives flowery talk of romance; Abbey is cynical and all-business), and when Toralei (who's been playing everyone along and causing trouble just for the hell of it) goes nuts with Cupid's Bow and causes half the student body to fall in love with the other half- one guy makes out with the ice sculpture, but HAHAHAHAH- Manny Taur and SloMo dancing slowly, looking longingly into each other's eyes is worth the price of admission.

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HIGH-HEELED ROLLER SKATES.

I want you to think about this: In their attempts to appeal to Feminists and female fans, Marvel Comics has made efforts to make their female characters' costumes more practical and less skimpy. This naturally consists of wrapping them up entirely in body-covering outfits, flat boots, and bulky leather jackets (leather jackets and full bodysuits being famous for their practicality in the martial arts). Monster High, a franchise targetted DIRECTLY at a female fanbase? When they need to release a line about girls engaging in athletic activities, puts the girls in skimpy miniskirts and HIGH-HEELED ROLLER SKATES. Because f*ck practicality, that's why.

AND NOBODY COMPLAINS NOR IS OUTRAGED. Life is so weird.

FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHTS:
-The boys are all injured by the evil, all-cheating Gargoyle School in a Roller Derby-like game, and the ghouls take their places, drawing controversy, since of course GIRLS CAN'T PLAY THAT GAME DURR-HURR-HURR. This age-old, really generic concept is thankfully handled a BIT differently than it has been in every other form of media for the past hundred years, as the female cast ISN'T just amazingly-better immediately, and actually need Clawd- a MAN-'s help, once he gets over his prejudice and decides to take their side. AND the ghouls actually get assistance from various OTHER characters, with Operetta, Rochelle Goyle (a member of the Gargoyle team who rejects them and their sexist ways... apparently they never realized she was a chick all along), and Robecca Steam (rebuilt over the course of the special- she'd apparently been blown up over a century earlier by the SAME SCHOOL).

This one's actually a bit funny- highlights include Clawd trying to give this big, tough "Coach Speech" to the girls, but Draculaura keeps giggling and flirting ("SORRY, SWEETIE!")- he gives a tough lecture about "There's no giggling in this!", but then winks at her as he walks by- cute. Also, the game they're playing is BAD-ASS- essentially a Roller Derby race but with DEATH-TRAPS, many of which should TOTALLY be fatal! Seriously, some of the obstacles include FLAME BLASTS, SAW BLADES, and a KRAKEN.

In a weird subplot, Ghoulia keeps finding pieces of debris on the track, and ends up rebuilding Robecca. Considering the track is basically immaculate-looking, why the hell did nobody else notice these pieces lying around? Robecca is of course the greatest Derby player ever, but can't join the team (which now includes Operetta, who's actually a super-athlete), because she's still missing a piece.

Soon, the Gargoyles' Rochelle Goyle (who was disguising herself as a boy) quits their sexist team and joins Monster High, which embraces their femininity and starts wearing HIGH-HEELED ROLLER SKATES, which is so outlandish that it's brilliant. Which is a weird combination of storytelling tropes (they TEASED the "Elite New Member" trick with Robecca, and now three minutes later they've a new Elite New Member anyways?). I love how cheating is beyond the pale, but Abbey's ICE POWERS are totally fine. And Operetta's Sonic Voice. Never mind that the teams are 6-7 members strong, but only allow three on the field at once (the MH girls trade out; other teams don't). Weird: Because of the focus on gender and sports, they use the term "girls" instead of "ghouls", probably because it'd be too awkward if they said it over and over again, instead of just for a pun.


Scaris: City of Frights

MOVIE Movies (about 75 minutes long each- actually, the time is freaky-similar on each one):

GHOULS RULE (the very first feature-length movie):
* All Monsters have been taught that Halloween was a night to stay inside, but NOW the ghouls want to find out WHY. This one is the only film to figure in the existence of "Normies", and their relations to Monsters. Curiously, the main villain, a popular girl named Rachel Van Hellscream, does not get her own doll, despite turning good in the end.

13 WISHES:
- Howleen Wolf, younger sister of Clawdeen & Clawd, desperately wants to be popular. When she discovers a Magic Lamp, she's able to be just that- but this is also the WORST MAGIC LAMP EVER- sure you get 13 Wishes, but not only are half the wishes total "Monkey's Paw" bad stuff, but you ALSO have to put up with the evil Shadow Genie whispering in your ear and turning you dark! And you're not even supposed to wish things FOR YOURSELF. What the hell's the point?

Where most of the MH movies had been pretty silly and low-key before this, Whisp the Shadow Genie damn near TAKES OVER THE ENTIRE PLANET! This is SERIOUS STUFF. Whisp's urgings take Howleen down a dark path, as she exiles most of her friends into a Shadow World (complete with "toyetic" Middle Eastern-themed costumes), becomes evil, and damn near ruins everything.

The Merch: Howleen (new doll), Twyla & Gigi Grant. A big Designer Set. Middle Eastern themed outfits for the Main Group.

FRIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!:
- Draculaura is declared to be the new Queen of the Vampires, since the true one disappeared years ago. This leads to Draculaura being manipulated by a member of the Vampire elite who wants to be the puppetmaster behind the throne, and now the gang wants to solve the mystery of what happened to Elissabat, her old friend and the true queen. And the only way to DO that of course is to take a small group of assorted cast members (Most of the Main Cast stays home- only Cleo & Clawdeen come with Draculaura. Robecca is a useful addition with her Super-Speed. But HOODUDE? Of course he just stowed away because he thought it'd be romantic to go on an adventure with royalty) and go on a world-spanning adventure, picking up clues.

And naturally they pick up on the new "Monster High Formula", which is to take this small cast around and have them meet up with four new Merch-tastic characters, one after the other, each one really mattering less and less to the overall plot- Honey Swamp looks cool and all, but did they REALLY need to include her? We meet Clawdeen's sister Clawdia, a writer; photographer Honey; makeup artist Viperine Gorgon; and "boo-vie" actress Elissabat.

The subplot is pretty funny, as the characters get obsessed over some Twilight rip-off starring two sexy males- the girls argue over which is the cutest (Edweird or Alucard), while the boys are dumbfounded because they think the characters look the same. This ends up culminating in a "CUTE COURT", with the ghouls forming giant argumentative groups, debating the ways in which the two are attractive. And it turns out, THE BOYS ARE RIGHT. And funnily enough, this actually links up to the main plot!

The Merch: "Hauntlywood" versions of the Main Group. Elissabat, Honey Swamp, Clawdia Wolf & Viperine Gorgon.

FREAKY FUSION:
- Four new "Fusion" students (hybrids borne of two different types of monster) arrive at Monster High on the day of their Bitecenntenial (oh god), and after having been discriminated against everywhere else, are immediately coming in with chips on their shoulders, assuming that the MH kids will be jerks as well- Avea Trotter is stand-offish, Bonita is just cynical, and Sirena is a space-case. Neighthan Rot, the most hopeful one, engages in a flirtacious relationship with Frankie, who naturally sees the good in everyone. Meanwhile, there's an accident with a Time Machine (Toralei messes with a lever in Robecca's missing father's lab), and the girls get sent back to 1814.

Hexeciah's "You are, by FAR, my LEAST favourite student" bit to Rotter is funny (and pays off an earlier gag, where in modern times, Rotter brags to his students that he was the FAVOURITE student), but really rather inappropriate for a teacher. This movie's kind of all over the place thematically, too- the girls meet up with the Hybrids, but then immediately ignore them and go back in time for a chunk of the movie. And there's WAY too many ghouls around for a chunk of it- Venus McFlytrap is with the group, but adds nothing to it, because they are TEN CHARACTERS just walking around for this one sequence- she's just background dressing! Then they get fused together by a Time Machien accident- humorously, a member of the Main Group is each merged with a cool-looking but less-popular Supporting Character (Clawedeen/Venus, Lagoona/Jinafire, Draculaura/Robecca, and Cleo/Toralei).

This leads to our NEXT plot, as the Hybrids teach the Fusions how to interact using both sides of themselves. MEANWHILE, Victor Frankenstein (Frankie's grandfather) has followed the ghouls to the future and built a Giant Killer Robot, while Frankie goes on about her lack of identity and history (since her dad won't talk about Victor). Then Frankie SACRIFICES HER LIFE to stop the monster and separate the ghouls, which gives us the odd situation of this CGI movie about DOLLS featuring the dead body of one of the characters in a prominent role.

This one's... just a bit too all over the place. It introduces the Hybrids and beats you over the head with the "Discrimination is WRONG/Monster High is open to EVERYONE!" thing, but ends up ignoring a chunk of that for the "Fusion Training" sequence, then throws in a Victor Frankenstein/"you have to put your HEART into your creations" thing. The Hybrid designs are really cool for the most part, but they kind of get forgotten in this giant mash of characters (when all the characters are split and gathered, there are FOURTEEN speaking characters on-screen at once!).

The Merch: Freaky Fusions (merged popular characters with cool-looking but less-popular characters), Fusion-Inspired Dolls (regular dolls dressing as one of their friends, complete with fake ears and stuff). "Save Frankie" dolls (three characters sporting "Save Frankie" posters... seriously, that's it). Frankie's Recharge Chamber (seriously, this was like a 2-minute segment in the movie using the Care Bear Stare equivalent of resurrecting Frankie. They gave her a whole new redesign for just that one moment, and then it was NEVER SEEN AGAIN).

HAUNTED:
-Spectra gets a personal showcasing, as she finds out Monster High is being haunted, and goes to her old school to discover the reason why. In a truly-random (ie. their dolls are the most popular) assortment of back-up crew, we see Draculaura, Clawdeen, Twyla, Rochelle Goyle and Sirena von Boo follow her. The non-Ghosts transform into Ghosts with Twyla's dad's "Boogey Sand", and find four collectible Ghosts- River Styxx (Daughter of the Grim Reaper and the one who transports people to Haunted High), Porter Geiss (a non-threatening pretty-boy graffitti artist), Vandala Doubloons (a wild Pirate Ghost), and Kiyomi Haunterly (a formerly shy Faceless Ghost).

It turns out that the vicious Principal Revenant is attaching "detention chains" to all of her students for various made-up punishments! And when she discovers ghosts going to school at Monster High (OPERETTA is a Ghost?), she kidnaps and puts chains on THEM, too! The plot is rather easy to put together once you get the history of "The Red Lady" and see that Chains can only be transfered- not erased (THIS MOVIE DESIGNED FOR SEVEN-YEAR-OLDS IS TOO PREDICTABLE). Spectra flirts with Porter (who is helpful and trustworthy, though has a silly boy's sense of humor and jokes around too much), while realizing the faults of her own nature as a rumor-spreading "Journalist".

It's a pretty cute movie, though it runs into the usual issues with the most-recent movies in that there is a large-ish group of kids that soon adds FOUR MORE to their number, resulting in something like ten friggin' characters running around doing stuff. There are points in the movie where you'll forget River & Vandala are even THERE, because they stop factoring into the plot, and just kind of float around in the group. And the original team really didn't need to include Rochelle & Sirena either- neither actually does anything after a point.

The four new Ghost Dolls are actually very well put-together, though of course the stores are now full of unsold Porters because he's the male one and the most plain. Kiyomi is a bit odd-looking and doesn't sell as well either... I've yet to see a single Spectra or River ANYWHERE, so they must have been either extremely popular (odd, because I dislike the Spectra Ghost-World design) or Shortpacked. And there's a funny bit where Porter unveils this amazing gift to Spectra- a beautiful, shiny glowing desk. It's an obvious attempt at inserting a Merch-piece toy-set... except the toy was cancelled! For whatever reason (big sets probably don't sell that well- maybe Mattel didn't want to sell one with a "supporting" character instead of a main one), Mattel axed the thing, so it seems completely pointless now- Spectra's doll was instead released as a solo thing, rather than with a Desk Set.

Best Moment: A quick background shot of all the monsters partying in celebration, and you can see Manny Taur playing, of course, THE COWBELL.

The Merch: Ghostly Versions of the girls (Spectra, Clawdeen, Twyla, Rochelle & Draculaura). Porter Geiss, Kiyomi Haunterly, Vandala Doubloons & River Styxx.

A brief note about Ever After High, the sister series to Monster High:

* The show's pretty fun. I've not watched nearly enough of it to do builds or anything, though. Like I said earlier, it seems to have better CHARACTERS than MH (which often gives characters a single trait or two and then calls it a day- many characters experience no real growth at all), but they usually don't have major POWERS. There are a few exceptions, however. Based off of what I've seen, these are the characters and the concept:

The core of everything is that they're the sons and daughters of various fairytale characters, undergoing training in order to take their parents' places in the stories, allowing them to be retold again. Apparently this has gone on for several generations, with Snow White's daughter growing up to be the NEW Snow White, getting poisoned by the apple, and being brought back by a handsome Prince. It's a bit... odd. But the general concept of the show is that some of the NEW generation of kids have actually REJECTED these orders, and have gone against fate. The "Royals" want to follow the storybook tales to the letter (despite apparently getting a spoiler warning for all of what happens), and the "Rebels" are rejecting it. The Royals are typically nice but a bit thick-headed, while the Rebels are tragic figures, which of course makes them by far the most sympathetic.

Rebels (the ones who've decided to ignore their fairytale:
Raven Queen (Daughter of the Evil Queen)- Perky Goth with vast power. Doesn't want to be evil. The most sympathetic character by a ways.
C.A. Cupid (Daughter of Eros)- Loves Dexter Charming.
Cedar Wood (Daughter of Pinnochio)- Shy. Can't tell lies, so nobody will share secrets with her.
Cerise Hood (Daughter of Red Riding Hood)- Has a hairy family secret; always wears a hood that covers her ears.
Darling Charming (Daughter of Prince Charming)- Wants to be an adventurer instead of a rescued damsel.
Ginger Breadhouse (Daughter of the Candy Witch)- Wants to bake in peace.
Humphrey Dumpty (Son of Humpty Dumpty)- A nerd.
Hunter Huntsman (Son of The Huntsman)- An animal lover. Dating Ashlynn Ella.
Kitty Cheshire (Daughter of the Cheshire Cat)- Can even THIS franchise be free from Catgirls?
Madeline Hatter (Daughter of the Mad Hatter)- Complete nutbar.
Melody Piper (Daughter of the Pied Piper)- Popular DJ.
Poppy O'Hair (Daughter of Rapunzel)- Punkier girl.
Rosabella Beauty (Daughter of Beauty)
Sparrow Hood (Son of Robin Hood)- Con man and annoying musician.

ROYALS:
Apple White (Daughter of Snow White)- Somewhat clueless "Good Girl", queen of the school.
Ashlynn Ella (Daughter of Cinderella)- Shoe-obsessed nice girl.
Blondie Lockes (Daughter of Goldilocks)- Nosy girl with a habit of "borrowing" things without asking, and then claiming she was just "holding it" for the victi--- oh god she's a Kender.
Bunny Blanc (Daughter of the White Rabbit)- Loves Alistaire.
Alistair Wonderland (Son of Alice in Wonderland)- Loves Bunny.
Briar Beauty (Daughter of Sleeping Beauty)- Action-seeking princess, owing to the fact that she'll be comatose for a century.
Daring & Dexter Charming (Sons of Prince Charming)- Daring is the charming, handsome sort, while Dexter is an introverted, nervous nerd. Has an adorable crush on Raven Queen.
Duchess Sawn (Daughter of the Swan Princess)- Wants to be the "Apple White" of the school.
Faybelle Thorn (Daughter of The Dark Fairy)- A menacing, conniving villain- one of the few authentically-rotten characters.
Holly O'Hair (Daughter of Rapunzel)- Poppy's twin sister.
Hopper Croakington II (Son of The Frog Prince)- Annoying flirt.
Lizzie Hearts (Daughter of the Queen of Hearts)- Actually a nice girl and not a genocidal ruler. Looks SUPER-evil, though. Probably the best design in the series.

This series puts a LOT more focus on the teachers, with characters such as Mr. Badworld, The White Queen, and the Brothers Grimm in the faculty.

Raven: Telekinesis, Weaken Stamina (Limited to Flowers, Burst Area), Freeze Time/Others (Selective), Teleport Group (Uncontrolled), Transform Others, Brings Gingerbread Men to Life
FULL POWER Raven: Teleport, Blast, "Cutting Disc", Move Object (Burst), Force Field, Flight
Maddie: Can Hear the Narrators, Speaks Riddlish, Summons Objects & Doormouse
Kitty: Teleportation, Invisibility, Changes Clothes Instantly
Lizzie: Makes Clothes, Invisible "Cutting" Motion.
Apple: Never gets dirty. Flashing eyelashes gives her Mind Control over boys.
Darling: Stops time by flipping her hair. Climbs vines.
Daring: Dazzle Visuals with smile.
Bunny Blanc: Rabbit Form.
Courtly: Leaping 2.
Briar Beauty: REALLY good at charades.

Going through the local toy stores, I noticed some interesting things about the various Mattel-themed franchises (though of course I turned it into a thing based off of the entire toy industry):

* Disney & Mattel have split up, and soon the entire Disney Princess line is going to be produced by HASBRO, instead. This has led to some ugly "F*** You" moves already, as Disney has produced The Descendants, an Ever After High rip-off featuring the exact same concept (the good children of evil villains)- the TV Movie was pretty bad, aside from Kristin Chenoweth chewing the scenery as FREAKING MALEFICENT HERSELF. Hasbro is naturally making the dolls for THAT, while Mattel has produced Monster High-themed Centaurettes, essentially cutting into Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. And now that Hasbro will have the lucrative Frozen stuff going for them, this could get even uglier (word has it that Disney was tired of their franchise being only #3 on Mattel's list, and so went with Hasbro, who's desperate for more action on the girls' side of the aisles).

* Frozen fever seems to have abated- at least stayed put. There are still displays of it everywhere (and EVERY themed kind of thing out there will now have a Disney Princess thing AND a Frozen thing), but now they're just staying there instead of flying off the shelves. A lot of the Wal-Mart-style uglier dolls are rather omnipresent at other locations- I notice the "Showcase" stores (which used to have Infomercial-related stuff, but now largely supply cheap toys) in the malls have a lot of them just lying around. Many of these stores now practically appear STUCK with them, as people went for the same-priced, but MUCH more well-made Disney Store versions (it helps that those, you know, ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS FROM THE MOVIES). One store had $29.99 stickers on them (a ridiculous price- that's $10 more than the Disney Store one), now reduced to $14.99.

* Disney Stores themselves also seem to have as much Frozen merch as they need, though the GIANT singing dolls are never around anymore. There were literally fifty-plus Elsas at the West Edmonton Mall Disney Store, which seems excessive- having THAT many just makes it look like you're not selling any at ALL (though Disney Stores are notorious for keeping 800 of everything on the shelves- this is practically just making Elsa only SLIGHTLY more-common than Rapunzel, Belle & Cinderella).

* Disney Fairies stuff is still kind of around, but in smaller numbers. The dolls have sold enough to be reduced to a small section of most Disney stores, but they've only been selling Tink, Periwinkle (who remember was only in ONE MOVIE like four years ago now) and Fawn. Curiously, the only real signifier of the franchise's success anymore is in bookstores, where they're STILL coming out with new Fairies collections ever week.

* Speaking of Disney Books, there are now literally FIFTEEN kinds of Frozen book out there. They've basically released and re-released all the illustrated books out there, and now collected editions are coming out. They're at least quite well-made and well-illustrated, but it's odd to see so many books this far after the movie came out. Maybe they're making up for the fact that they ran out so quickly when the movie first hit big? Books take a bit longer to produce than making the same couple dolls over and over again, I suppose...

* Monster High still appears to be VASTLY more popular than any single other franchise, taking up entire sections of Toys R Us aisles (more than even Barbie in some cases). Every store containing both features about five times as much MH stuff as its sister franchise, Ever After High. One Wal-Mart I visited actually had ALL of their EAH stuff on clearance! That would almost not bode well, except they're still steadily releasing new characters and have a Netflix-based series of webisodes that's fairly popular. In fact, EAH's online presence seems to outstrip MH's by quite a ways.

* Plenty of figures seem to have difficulty selling- I actually don't see a lot of success from the Haunted film, particularly as Porter Geiss & Kiyomi Haunterly figures are still absolutely EVERYWHERE, being classic "Shelfwarmers." While the male figures are usually "shortpacked", leaving few left, there's still tons of both. Meanwhile, I've seen only a handful of Vandala Doubloons figures out there, but I have never seen a SINGLE Spectra movie doll, nor River Styxx, in any location I've ever visited. That's beyond Shortpacked and more "just didn't come out", practically.

* One Toys R Us had WAY too many Wydowna Spiders- literally at least fifty. As a result (of what I assume was a packaging mistake or SOMETHING), they were on a HUGE discount, as it's normally a pricey figure. Though Monster High is all about Creepy Goth-y Stuff, I think a six-armed girl with jet-black skin and RED EYES was a bit too much for most little girls. The other big Shelfwarmer seems to be Operetta, who often appears in large numbers at various Wal-Marts I've seen. Which is odd, because she gets a lot of plot focus, and a good number of dolls.

* The stuff from Boo York, Boo York, the upcoming film, is selling like hotcakes, with only a few figures remaining on shelves of each character. Except of course for Astra Nova, who's being sold in a big playset that only rich parents can afford. Meanwhile, the other three are being sold in individual packs (I've seen a couple), but ALSO a big three-pack was at one Wal-Mart. And oddly, THAT'S the one featuring the art-accurate version of Luna Mothews (Daughter of Moth Man)- it actually bugged me that her amazing design wasn't initially-showcased in the doll's costume. Cleo De Nile's redesign for the movie is EPIC, though Deuce... well, remember when someone commented that the male characters seemed to be drawn more to appeal to gay men, or appear gay themselves? Yeah. The rest of the doll redesigns (from both Boo York and the Freak du Chic Circus lines) look pretty awesome, especially considering the line has so many "meh" interpretations with poor themes ("School Cafeteria" and "Save Frankie" being some of the lamer ones).

* The "Gooliope Jellington" doll is HUGE. And you can really tell just how oversized the characters' heads are when you see one on that scale (17")- her head's the size of a baseball, and it's on a spindly little body.

* Mattel is REALLY going Full Steam Ahead with their film series- even before BYBY is out, there's already teasers and stuff for Great Scarrier Reef, and images of its three new characters. One of them is a four-armed Squid Girl, and another has TWO HEADS. God I love this weird-ass series and its weird-ass toys... could you imagine 20-25 years ago looking down the Barbie aisle and imagine they'd be advertising TWO-HEADED FREAK dolls to little girls?

* Regarding Ever After High, it's a bit odd to see in contrast to MH, because there are far fewer characters, even a couple years into things (there were DOZENS of MH charaters by this point in that franchise). This means that you get a lot of "repeat" dolls in new costumes, just like MH, but it feels more pronounced because it's JUST the same few characters. Is it normal for girls to get multiple versions of the same character, or do they tend to just get one in whatever "look" they currently have? I know with BOYS toys, there tends to be fewer "duplicates" like that (though there definitely are some- I had multiple versions of Donatello and Leonardo, for example... it's just way less-common).

* Oddly, the MOST-duplicated character? C.A. Cupid- she's EVERYWHERE on the shelves- with like five different dolls! That could theoretically not be a good sign (ie. the dolls are on the shelf because they didn't sell), but if they made FIVE, then they must be doing something right. I think her EAH look- with the bright pink hair, less-obvious "heart" lipstick (which makes her look ghastly in the Monster High original design), pink outfit and feathery wings- is probably responsible for that. She's pretty easily the "girliest" design in the series- and given that this series is like an orgiastic display of increasingly more-complex dresses, that's saying something.

---

Regarding the BOYS' stuff, it's the same-old story. Same Star Wars, Transformers, TMNT and other stuff. Because the competition is more intense, and contenders more numerous, they have smaller sections comparatively than almost any Girls' Franchise. LEGO has now dominated half of many toy stores, with increasingly-complex sets. The "Girl Lego" is actually becoming very popular, much to the chagrin of feminists who hated the idea of even LEGO slapping pink paint and elves onto toys and thus changing the target gender (no really- Lego Elves is a thing).

Power Rangers is now catering largely to nostalgia, as Dino-themed Rangers are back in fashion, and they sell a lot of toys for the original series. I remember loving it when it first came out, but the only toys available were ridiculously-big and a bit too expensive to justify getting.


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TWYLA'S DIARIES:

<P>The real nightmare would be if you read my diary! </P>
<H2><SPAN class="mw-headline" id="The_Sixth_of_September">The Sixth of
September</SPAN></H2>
<P>When you spend your unlife living in the shadows you get used to seeing
things that are missed and missing things that are seen. Lately though I feel
like I'm missing more than I'm seeing, like today, for instance. There is a
little garden cemetery not far from Monster High where I like to go and
contemplate the simple joys of monsterhood. It has a little fountain with a park
bench and a simply ginormous creeping willow tree. It's like a giant umbrella
that casts the most amazing shadows. Most of the time I am the only monster
there except on Wednesday when a group of troll ladies show up to play bridge.
Anyway, I was sitting in my usual spot today with my back to the tree facing
away from the fountain. I heard footsteps approaching. I thought it was probably
some monsters coming to pay their ghast respects and I didn't want to disturb
them, so I just sat still. If I am in the shadows and I do not move or open my
eyes I cannot be seen. As the footsteps got closer I recognized the voices—it
was Lagoona and Gil. They were arguing about something and they stopped right
next to the fountain. Now I could have just stepped from the shadow I was in to
a shadow somewhere else, but I didn't. I stayed because I'm a bad monster. I am
not going to write down what they said though, because if some other monster
ever reads this it'd be like betraying a trust. But I was sad the rest of the
day over what I heard. They are both so sweet and make such a great couple that
I had no idea they were facing such outside pressure on their relationship. I
guess I was looking but not seeing. I really wish they could get this problem
resolved, but some things can't be wished away, only worked through. Eventually
Gil left, but Lagoona stayed a little bit longer. She sat for a while, and I
could hear her crying. I guess at that point I wanted so much to just run over
and hug her, but I couldn't. I know, I know, I'm a terrible monster, but I
didn't know what to do. That's not true, I mean the terrible monster part is,
but I should have just gone over and given her a hug...epic fail. I waited for a
bit after Lagoona left and then I left too. </P>
<H2><SPAN class="mw-headline" id="The_Tenth_of_September">The Tenth of
September</SPAN></H2>
<P>Being able to jump from one shadow to another without having to step into the
light means that I can avoid talking to other monsters if I don't want. It's not
that I don't like other monsters, but I feel kind of awkward sometimes, like
maybe I'll say or do something wrong and embarrass myself. I remember I'd been
at MH for a while but I hadn't really made any friends. Not because the other
students hadn't been nice to me, they were, I just always disappeared before I
let them get too close. I remember the day I got cornered, literally. I was
sitting by myself in the very back corner of the creepateria at a table
underneath a burned out light that was casting a nice big shadow. I was just
eating my lunch and watching when Howleen started walking my way. I sat still
knowing that she wouldn't be able to see me but I didn't want to leave either
cause I was hungry. So she came over and sat right down across from me. She
sniffed a couple of times and said, "PB&amp;J?" "Eww cam seeb me?" I answered
with a mouth full of sandwich. "Nah, but I can smell you." "Nobway!" "Of course
I can, I'm a werewolf, and the nose knows. You smell like dust and strawscarry
jam." I started to excuse myself, but Howleen asked me not to, "I really don't
feel like eating lunch by myself—would you mind hanging out?" So I didn't
disappear, I stayed and I made a friend for unlife plus I didn't embarrass
myself even once. #WinWin </P>
<H2><SPAN class="mw-headline" id="The_First_of_October">The First of
October</SPAN></H2>
<p class="ad-in-content">
<p class="wikia-ad default-height hidden" id="INCONTENT_1C"><LABEL class="wikia-ad-label"></LABEL></DIV></DIV>
<P>Usually Dustin meets me at the door when I get home from school, but he
wasn't waiting for me today. I called for him but he didn't come. I checked all
his usual hiding places: under the bed, behind the doors, in all the corners,
but he was nowhere to be found. I started to get worried. I even went outside to
look, although he hasn't been out on his own since the day a big wind blew him
into the blackscary brambles. I went back inside and was just about to start
making lost posters to hand out around the neighborhood when I heard thump
scratch-thump scratch-thump scratch. I looked up and there was Dustin, covered
in glitter, double stick tape and beads. He had taken a nap in my craft box, and
the end from a roll of necklace wire had wrapped around his foot while the spool
had gotten stuck in the box. I would have taken a picture with my iCoffin, but
he just looked so pitiful. It took me two hours to get him all cleaned up. I'll
have to save dryer lint for a week to patch all the bare places. </P>
<H2><SPAN class="mw-headline" id="The_Fifteenth_of_October">The Fifteenth of
October</SPAN></H2>
<P>I went to Howleen's house for a sleep over. It was cool getting to meet her
family. I mean I'd seen Clawd and Clawdeen around school, but this was the first
time I really officially met them. I wish now I hadn't waited so long because I
feel like I missed out on some good times by being so shy. I also got to meet
another one of Howleen's sisters. Her name is Clawdia and she's going to college
in Londoom. She actually wasn't "there" so we talked to her online with video
chat. She is studying to be a writer. She's really funny and she had everybody
in the house cracking up about what it's like living in Londoom. Clawdeen left
and went to fang out with Draculaura and Frankie at Frankie's house, so Howleen
and I stayed up late talking. We've got like tons in common, we like the same TV
shows, the same music—Catty Noir 'natch, the same kind of styles and we even
think the same boys are cute. The one thing that we don't see eye to eye on is
the need to be popular. I don't care if I am and Howleen feels like if she isn't
she'll disappear in the shadows of her older siblings. I told her that living in
the shadows wasn't all that bad, but she was totally focused on being in the
spotlight. Eventually though she got out of her funk, and we spent the rest of
the night watching movies. We had a scary cool time, and I can't remember when I
have ever laughed so hard. When Howleen fell asleep I snuck out and grabbed a
late nightmare snack. I got back way before morning and woke up to the smell of
banana scary pancakes and bacon coming from the Wolfs' kitchen. So much fun and
so happy to have a friend! Maybe I'll try and spend a little more time out of
the shadows from now on...maybe </P>
<H2><SPAN class="mw-headline" id="The_Twenty-fifth_of_October">The Twenty-fifth
of October</SPAN></H2>
<P>Most monsters stay away from normies as much as they can, my family not so
much. We have what my dad calls a "symbiotic relationship" with normies, only
they don't know it. They think the Boogeyman hangs out under their beds and in
their closets to scare them, but that's not it at all. We are "dream eaters"
--well, nightmare eaters, actually. We hide in the shadows and watch for them;
then when we see one we pounce! It's why our eyes glow in the dark so we can see
the dreams. Of course we can't see what's in the dreams, we recognize them by
color. Yellow for happiness, red for action, blue for flying, green for fantasy
and lots of in between colors and shades that mix different kinds of dreams
together. Nightmares are the color of storm clouds, all grey-black and menacing.
I only wish my dreams could be pounced on, too, but it doesn't work that way for
us. I dreamed a dream last night that I was on a brightly lit stage in front of
the whole school. I was supposed to give a speech and I forgot the topic, so I
just stood there looking for a shadow to hide, but there weren't any. Then every
monster started laughing at me. I turned to run and tripped off the stage, which
was suddenly at the top of a very tall tower and I was falling and falling and
falling. Then I was back on the stage again, and every monster in the audience
was giving me a standing ovation. I looked behind me, and there were a panel of
judges holding up scoreboards. </P>
<CENTER>9.5 9.5 10.0 9.5 4.0</CENTER>
<P>So I started arguing with the judge who gave me the 4.0 and she told me that
I flapped my arms too much as I was falling. Then I woke up. I told my dad about
it, and he said it was probably just something I ate. Dads are so weird. </P>
<H2><SPAN class="mw-headline" id="The_Twenty-eighth_of_October">The
Twenty-eighth of October</SPAN></H2>
<P>Howleen is not enjoying her popularity as much as she thought she would, and
there are shadows in places where they should not be. I am worried, and no
monster seems to be listening to me. I must find a monster that will. </P>

I think I liked 13 Wishes the best- it feels "important" (the world is basically at stake), the villain is a bit more compelling and powerful than "sideshow charlatan" and other doofuses we see as villains), and looks cooler (so many villains in the movies are "Non-Doll Characters" with weak designs), and I like the characters. Jonquil Goode has an AMAZING voice as Twyla, and I liked her distinctive character. Howleen was fun, and has a decent character arc.

It's also "Non-Template", meaning that they don't go on some adventure, meet four new Dolls (each of whom introduce themselves dramatically), etc. It keeps a different arc, even though it's obviously still there to advertise a handful of new dolls.
---
ESCAPE FROM SKULL SHORES: Funny mainly for Gill's whining ("WHALES GO TO THE BATHROOM IN HERE, LAGOONA!"). It's also weird that Andy Beast never got a doll, nor a major appearance anywhere else. He seemed to be set up to be a "Frankie Boyfriend" character. That's whatcha get when you make a plain design.

---
FRIGHT ON!: I like that it actually features the FLASH Animation style, not CGI! The school dance in a GRAVEYARD isn fun- this continually-astounds me. They would have NEVER allowed creepy stuff like this in '80s cartoons. The resolution to the disturbingly-accurate depictions of a Race Wars is ludicrously-simple- staging a dance.
---
FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHTS: Despite relying on a super-cliched plot ("GIRLZ CAN'T PLAY SPORTS!!"), I like how they go a little bit different by allowing some male characters to be supportive, instead of turning into the usual "boys are dumb" plot. The game is actually REALLY cool, and it's hilarious how it's actually lethally-dangerous. People give pro football guff for head injuries, and this game involves A KRAKEN.
It has a weird combination of storytelling tropes (they TEASED the "Elite New Member" trick with Robecca, and now three minutes later they've got a new Elite New Member anyways?, because Robecca can't play?). I love how cheating from the Gargoyles is considered beyond the pale, but Abbey's ICE POWERS are totally fine. And Operetta's Sonic Voice. Never mind that the teams are 6-7 members strong, but only allow three on the field at once (the MH girls trade out; other teams don't). Weird: Because of the focus on gender and sports, they use the term "girls" instead of "ghouls", probably because it'd be too awkward if they said it over and over again, instead of just for a pun.
---
SCARIS: CITY OF FRIGHTS: Okay, but a bit on the short side, and again a pretty boring villain. Despite being a bit of a showcase for Rochelle, she doesn't really DO anything.
---
GHOULS RULE: A bit on the dull side, and odd in that it introduces a ton of characters with no dolls. You can really tell this is the first feature. It's also very weird that they use the whole "Normie" thing a LOT, but it's almost never touched on again in the series.
---
FRIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!: Decent in parts, and I liked the "World Tour" aspect, but the whole "Elissabat" thing is weird- they spend the whole movie searching for her, and when they finally DO, we have to get a weak little "no no, now you need to EMBRACE YOUR ROLE as the new leader of Vampires" on a character we've literally just met.
The subplot is pretty funny, as the characters get obsessed over some Twilight rip-off starring two sexy males- the girls argue over which is the cutest (Edweird or Alucard), while the boys are dumbfounded because they think the characters look the same. This ends up culminating in a "CUTE COURT", with the ghouls forming giant argumentative groups, debating the ways in which the two are attractive. And it turns out, THE BOYS ARE RIGHT. And funnily enough, this actually links up to the main plot!

---
FREAKY FUSION: I find this one to be an interesting concept, but the whole "they travel to the past" thing feels bizarre and totally out of left field, especially as it doesn't matter to the whole "Fusion Kids" concept (the kids aren't even in that part of the movie)- it's only a thing later when the Fusions have to teach the ghouls to "get along" in their fused forms. They don't go into much detail on the Fusion kids, either.
Hexeciah's "You are, by FAR, my LEAST favourite student" bit to Rotter is funny (and pays off an earlier gag, where in modern times, Rotter brags to his students that he was the FAVOURITE student), but really rather inappropriate for a teacher. This movie's kind of all over the place thematically, too- the girls meet up with the Hybrids, but then immediately ignore them and go back in time for a chunk of the movie. And there's WAY too many ghouls around for a chunk of it- Venus McFlytrap is with the group, but adds nothing to it, because they are TEN CHARACTERS just walking around for this one sequence- she's just background dressing! Then they get fused together by a Time Machien accident- humorously, a member of the Main Group is each merged with a cool-looking but less-popular Supporting Character (Clawedeen/Venus, Lagoona/Jinafire, Draculaura/Robecca, and Cleo/Toralei).
This one's... just a bit too all over the place. It introduces the Hybrids and beats you over the head with the "Discrimination is WRONG/Monster High is open to EVERYONE!" thing, but ends up ignoring a chunk of that for the "Fusion Training" sequence, then throws in a Victor Frankenstein/"you have to put your HEART into your creations" thing. The Hybrid designs are really cool for the most part, but they kind of get forgotten in this giant mash of characters (when all the characters are split and gathered, there are FOURTEEN speaking characters on-screen at once!).
---
Haunted was alright. I actually like Spectra more than any other character, though you'd think I would enjoy it WAY MORE, but the MH Movie Template was over-used by this point, three of the new characters essentially added nothing to the plot, the Doll Makeovers were kind of odd (shaded "masks"?), and I REALLY didn't care for Spectra's '50s Hair update. Also it's funny that they made this giant stink out of a super-special DESK of all things, only for that toy playset to be CANCELLED, making the whole bit pointless!
Best Moment: Seeing the whole school partying, and Manny Taur is playing THE COWBELL.

MONSTER HIGH: GREAT SCARRIER REEF:
So this is the final DVD in the current series, as apparently they're doing a "reboot" of sorts in honor of their redesigned characters later in 2016. They follow the "focus on a side character" thing of the past couple of shows by using Lagoona (probably the least-used of the Main Cast aside from Abbey) as the major star. And it ISN'T about her and Gil's "Romeo & Juliet" thing! This one actually features her return to her home "Down Under the Sea". The whole line they're pushing this time is a Mermaid-themed thing, as apparently that's what Lagoona's "natural" state is.

Right away, I notice that Lagoona's voice is different. Humorously, this was bitched about in the fandom for a few days, until someone pointed out that the new VA is ACTUALLY AUSTRALIAN, and thus has an ACTUAL accent- not Laura Bailey's "Mock Australian". The fans naturally switched viewpoints immediately- what a bunch of drongos. In any case, we're suddenly told that the super-confident jock Lagoona is actually possessing of severe stage fright, owing to an incident from her past. Toralei finds this out, humiliates her into becoming a "Monster Meme" (where her and her frozen "stage fright" face is included hanging off of various things), and gets disinvited from a party, which I guess is "Take THAT!" in girl-terms. This turns into a HUGE squabble that... gets some of the gang teleported through the ocean. And turned into mermaids.

The redesigns are actually pretty cool- Gil (who of course doesn't get a toy, cuz he's a dude) looks WICKED as a Manta Ray-Man. Frankie's "blue & white eelmaid" thing is also pretty kewl, as is Toralei's "Tiger-Striped Catgirlfish" look. Turns out this is all the doing of Posea Reef- daughter of POSEIDON, who looks like a mermaid with the latter half of a bed of kelp. And her job is to help out sea creatures, and therefore help Lagoona confront her "deepest fears", because her "lifeline" sea-flower is getting all wilty. Well that's inarguable logic.
There's some tiny "Sea-Mares" here that can't speak and seem to be advertising some dolls that were never released. Toralei gets the best line: "We can't go home until Lagoona fixes some Freaky Flaw? WHICH ONE? She has SO MANY!" Turns out that way back in the day... Lagoona had her shoelaces tied together by her friend Kala Mar'ri (oh god) and ruined a dance recital, and is therefore ridden with stage fright. Kala is still scheming to humiliate Lagoona further, while her henchfish Peri & Pearl Serpentine (an AWESOME two-headed mermaid design) follow her- the white-haired one is nasty and follows Kala willingly, while the blue-haired one is the "Stormer" of the group.

Things accelerate pretty quickly- Lagoona tries to "face her fear" by meeting the fearsome Kraken, but STILL freezes up at a sea-dance recital. Gil actually stands up and lectures the booing crowd because he sees what Lagoona's done as brave... except Kala gets PO'd and decides to wreck everything because she's now being ignored. So she summons the Kraken, everyone gets sent back to Monster High, and the beast nearly destroys everything until Kala is all "you have no idea what it's like to be judged for who you are!", and Lagoona is all "no you won't be judged here, because Monster High is about acceptance!". Turns out that the Kraken is her dad (well, the doll's back said that for like SIX MONTHS before this, but okay, Spoiler Alert), and that's why she was all bitter about Lagoona's happy family before, because her dad has to live in hiding. So the wrap up everything in a one-minute conversation.

This one's... not bad, actually. They skip over the usual "template" of the films (Five Monsters leave, pick up four additional friends as the story goes on, then wrap up the plot), instead making the new characters ANTAGONISTS (and one a Quirky Riddle-Speaking Mentor). There's some good graphics "Down Under", especially with the light-show bioluminescence, but that only lasts for a couple of seconds. Kala suddenly explaining her motivation and it getting dealt with IMMEDIATELY just comes off as strange, though. The biggest oddity to me is that Lagoona's mother never shows up- she's just "away" for this adventure, and instead we meet Lagoona's dad and siblings. It's VERY weird, because there's nothing to be lost from showing a mother character here (the dad only gets a few lines anyways). It's just... part of the weird way this series kind of avoids showing parents at almost any cost. Everyone but Cleo HAS parents, and yet they're not to be shown. I imagine that Mattel gave them orders to not show the mothers, just so that they can later come up with doll designs for them... but this many years into the line, and they've got NOTHING. And also, that Lagoona NEVER GETS OVER HER STAGE FRIGHT. Like... she freezes up in the last time, and they just cheer her for the bravery she's shown. Then at the end everybody accepts her "Freaky Flaw" (the moral of the story, after all). A bit more realistic, but still funny- 99% of shows like this would have made her get over her fright.

The dolls seem to have sold very well- the Haunted stuff can STILL be found warming shelves, and Boo York, Boo York did okay, but these ones seemed to sell by the dozens. Of particular note was the TWO-HEADED MERMAID doll, which I've even overheard "normal" people saying they liked.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Movies & TV Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

GOODFELLAS:
-"Goodfellas" is pretty easily my favourite movie ever made. It's got it all: it's hilarious, it's stylish, it's beautifully-directed by Martin Scorsese (I'm not normally a nerd for that sort of thing, but that scene where Henry & Karen walk through the restaurant's back door and to the front in one single take? Amazing), it's violent, and it's full of some of the best dialogue in movie history. And the MUSIC- all of these songs are iconic as hell, and are picture-perfect. Probably the best movie soundtrack ever- except for possibly "Top Gun". Anyone who hasn't seen it is simply missing out- they must go out and see it. Immediately.

HENRY HILL
Played By:
Ray Liotta
Role: The Narrator, The Bad Boy, The Fallen Protagonist
Group Affiliations: La Cosa Nostra (The Luchesse Family- Brooklyn)
PL 5 (75)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 6 (+10)
Expertise (Goodfella) 9 (+10)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Pistol) 1 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Attractive, Connected, Daze (Persuasion), Benefit (Wealth), Equipment 4 (Pistol, Sweet Car), Teamwork

Equipment:
"Pistol" Blast 5 (10)
Sweet Car

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Pistol +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Honour (The Code)- No killing "Made" Guys. No killing cops. No doing or dealing drugs. No ratting on your friends. Keep your mouth shut. Spoiler Alert: He does anyways.
Relationship (Karen)- Henry's wife is an angry, psychotic, vengeful spitfire of a woman who will punish him if she finds him straying.
Reputation (Half-Blood)- Henry's only half-Sicilian, so his family history can't be traced all the way to the old country. This means he'll never be a "Made" guy, and never move higher in the organization.
Addition (Cocaine)- Henry gets increasingly hooked on the Coke he sells, eventually becoming a sweaty, insane mess because of it.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (75)

-Henry Hill is the main character and narrator of the film, a half-Sicilian kid from some tough streets that starts out as a "Gofer" for the mob, but moves up in power and influence, using the money to become a huge success. By movie's end, we find out the huge cost of his entire lifestyle. He had it made, and was somebody, but lost it all. Henry's a great example of an in-shape, smart criminal who nonetheless isn't a major powerhouse. He's charismatic and good-looking though, so he's got a way with women (he manages to talk his wife down while she had a gun pointed at his face once she uncovered his cheating ways- one hell of a Persuasion roll). He's basically an elite PL 5 criminal.

TOMMY DEVITO
Played By:
Joe Pesci
Role: The Psychopath, The Angry Guy
Group Affiliations: La Cosa Nostra (The Luchesse Family- Brooklyn)
PL 5 (66)
STRENGTH
1/4 STAMINA 2/5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+6)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Goodfella) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 10 (+11)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 1 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit (Wealth), Connected, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 4 (Pistol, Sweet Car), Fascinate (Intimidation), Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack, Seize Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Unstoppable Rage" (All Powers have Flaws: Fades, Tiring)
Enhanced Strength & Stamina 3 [3]

Equipment:
"Pistol" Blast 5 (10)
Sweet Car

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +4 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Raging Unarmed +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+5 Raging), Fortitude +4 (+7 Raging), Will +3

Complications:
Honour (The Code)- No killing "Made" Guys. No killing cops. No doing or dealing drugs. No ratting on your friends. Keep your mouth shut. Spoiler Alert: He does anyways.
Temper- Tommy is a sociopathic monster, prone to hyper-violent outbursts at a moment's notice, even to guys who were just screwing around, breaking balls, or were justifiably annoyed (poor Spider). Even his friends are often uneasy around him.
Secret (Billy Batts)- Tommy beat the living hell out of gangster Billy Batts when the latter was "breaking his balls", and ultimately ended up stabbing him. Billy was a Made Guy. This is a problem.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 6 (66)

-Tommy is an iconic character from the movie, and probably more famous than Henry, the main character. Hell, it pretty much gave Joe Pesci a role to play until he dies (his character in "Casino" is basically exactly the same guy). The scene where he intimidates Henry into thinking he said something wrong is one of the most famous pieces of dialogue in movie history, and showcases just how GOOD Pesci is at being scary. He seems hilariously sociopathic at first, but over time, you get to see just how bad this is for everyone around him, and he pays a pretty steep price for it. Two words: "Ohhh n--" *BLAM!* Tommy is based off of Tommy DeSimone, who had a similar history, but was actually a burly 6'1" enforcer, not a short guy with Small Man Syndrome.
-Tommy stats up as a lot scarier than Henry in melee, but he's a bit cheaper since he's generally less skilled (a common thug, really). He does have a modification of the old Rage Feat, giving him Batman-level Strength in combat for a few rounds. I combined Strength & Stamina together to make a clean three-point power (they'd separate into roughly 1.5 points each)- essentially, he boosts himself up dramatically and kicks the hell out of whoever he's dealing with. Note that despite being less Skilled than Henry, he has a positively HUGE supply of Advantages for what is essentially a Thug- this makes him much more devastating than his partners in combat.

JIMMY "THE GENT" CONWAY
Played By:
Robert DeNiro
Role: The Leader, The Calm One
Group Affiliations: La Cosa Nostra (The Luchesse Family- Brooklyn)
PL 5 (63)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Goodfellas) 8 (+11)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Pistol) 1 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth), Connected, Equipment 4 (Pistol, Sweet Car), Fascinate (Persuasion), Well-Informed

Equipment:
"Pistol" Blast 5 (10)
Sweet Car

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Honour (The Code)- No killing "Made" Guys. No killing cops. No doing or dealing drugs. No ratting on your friends. Keep your mouth shut. Spoiler Alert: He does anyways.
Reputation (Half-Blood)- Jimmy's only half-Sicilian, so his family history can't be traced all the way to the old country. This means he'll never be a "Made" guy, and never move higher in the organization.
Secret (The Lufthansa Heist)- Jimmy planned out the largest heist in American history, and is wracked with paranoia, thanks to nearly everyone involved failing to be conspicuous with the cover-up.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (63)

-Jimmy (nicknamed "The Gent" because of his tendency to tip truck drivers he held up "for their trouble") was the leader of his mini-crew, and organized the Lufthansa Heist at the core of the movie. Robert DeNiro was awesome here as this cool, collected gangster who knew everyone's business, and could plan like nothing else. The real Conway, a man named Jimmy Burke, was a mosntrous physical presence known for brutality (he's lock the children of people indebted to him in refridgerators to ensure payment), whereas "The Gent" in "Goodfellas" is a more polite stone-cold killer who rarely fights, and focuses on the planning. This is reflected in an older, weaker build than the other two.

LUPIN III (Arsene Lupin III)
Created By:
Kazuhiko Katu, aka "Monkey Punch"
First Appearance: Weekly Shonen Action (Aug. 10, 1967)
Role: The Leader, The Funny Pervert, The Thief, The Trickster
Group Affiliations: Lupin's Gang
PL 9 (195)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+14)
Athletics 8 (+9)
Deception 12 (+15)
Expertise (Thief) 15 (+18)
Expertise (History) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+6)
Insight 5 (+8)
Perception 9 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Sleight of Hand 10 (+15)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 9 (+14)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Defensive Throw, Diehard, Equipment 5, Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Deception), Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Pistol, Unarmed), Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (almost all major ones), Last Stand, Luck 4, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Second Chance (Falling), Set-Up, Skill Mastery 2 (Thief, Sleight of Hand), Taunt, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 4 (Thief, Athletics, Deception, Vehicles & Sleight of Hand), Uncanny Dodge (Hearing), Well-Informed

Powers:
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

Equipment:
"Walther P38" Blast 5 (10)
"Souped-Up Yellow Fiat 500" Car (Large, Strength 5, Speed 6, Defense 10, Toughness 7) (12)
"Wristwatch Grapple Wire" Movement 1 (Swinging) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Thrills)- Even gaining loot is secondary- Lupin just loves the thrill of the hunt.
Honour- He doesn't steal from the innocent or people who can't afford to be robbed. He only kills in self-defense.
Relationship (The Gang)- Lupin will fight to protect any member of his gang.
Relationship (Fujiko)- Lupin is infatuated with Miss Twin Peaks, and constantly tries to bed her, despite the fact that they are often rivals.
Rivalry (Inspector Zenigata)- Though Zenigata hunts Lupin obsessively, both secretly respect and admire the other, and will frequently team up against greater evils.
Obsession (Women)- Lupin will risk anything to boink a sexy lady, and anything to rescue a damsel in distress. "Which one are we saving, boss?" "The girl!" "Typical."

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 100--50 / Advantages: 58 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 20 (195)

-Lupin III is a great concept, starting out as a manga by Monkey Punch (pseudonym, obviously), and turning into a more well-known anime series. It's lasted a billion years, though the last couple decades have mainly showed up as yearly one-shots and TV Movies. Lupin III is the grandson of the great French thief Arsene Lupin, and is similarly devoted to living the life of the gentleman thief... well, except replace "gentleman" with "pervert". He IS an anime hero after all. He's in it for kicks, much like some iterations of Carmen Sandiego, and his crimes are often just as outrageous- he once stole the Statue of Liberty, then the top floor of Tiffany's to DECORATE the thing! He's an honourable, protagonist-worthy thief, though, stealing only for kicks, and never robbing from those who can't afford to lose their precious objects- and he often just gives the stuff back once he's proven he could take it. Plus, he ends up fighting WORSE criminals all the time (usually to save a damsel in distress).
-I've seen a handful of episodes and some specials, but the main source of Lupin awesomeness for me (and many others) was "The Castle of Cagliostro", a PHENOMENAL movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the famous guy who did "Spirited Away", "Princess Mononoke" and all that other good anime stuff (basically, if it looks artsy and is a famous anime, Miyazaki did it). It's just... you kinda have to see it. It's an adventure full of car chases (one of the most epic ones ever), political intrigue, a Princess, a super-dungeon from hell, a giant tower, roof-running the likes of which you've never seen, some fight scenes, and a big fight in a clocktower (note to animation fans: If you see a fight in a clock tower and it's a cartoon, they're referencing this. Batman once had one with the Clock King, for example).
-Lupin III is basically the ultimate Skillmonkey, roughly as capable as your Marvel & DC super-spy types (below PL 10, but still very skilled overall- he's PL 8.5 with his Walther P38), not uber-strong, but Skills? He's got the mother load: Near-unstoppable amounts of Sleight of Hand (he's escaped people wielding handcuffs by cuffing THEM to things), Deception (his disguises fool nearly everyone), Thievery (anything involving planning heists, knowing underworld info, and how to find hidden compartments, etc.) and Vehicles (he once gave his Fiat 500 the Wall-Crawling Movement power- for example), in addition to general skills acrosst he board (he knows the back history of nearly everything, can sneak about very well, and he's good with gadgets, too. Imagine Batman if Batman were a stringy little acrobat that was obsessed with thievery instead of beating up criminals.
-Regarding his Leaping ability- he frequently makes jumps that are literally impossible for any human to replicate, and are spectacular even by anime standards- he actually jumped onto an impossible-to-reach tower (literally a giant cylindar hundreds of feet in the air) by jumping off an adjacent building that had to have been 50 to 100 feet away- let's just call that a spectacular play of a Hero Point. And Lupin's ride, the Fiat 500, is an old-model puny car, but has been souped up with extra speed, and the Defense of a jet ski or motorcycle.

JIGEN (Daisuke Jigen)
Created By:
Kazuhiko Katu, aka "Monkey Punch"
First Appearance: Weekly Shonen Action (Aug. 10, 1967)
Role: The Sidekick, The Sharpshooter, The Deadpan Snarker
Group Affiliations: Lupin's Gang
PL 10 (135)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Thief) 10 (+12)
Expertise (History) 2 (+4)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Smith & Wesson) 2 (+14)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Equipment 4, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Magnum) 5, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Languages (many), Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Second Chance (Falling), Skill Mastery (Ranged Combat- Gun), Ultimate Aim

Equipment:
"Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Revolver"
"Armour-Piercing Rounds" Blast 6 (Extras: Penetrating) (Inaccurate -1) (17) -- (18)
AE: "Standard Rounds" Blast 6 (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Smith & Wesson +14 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Armour Piercing Rounds +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Honour- Jigen doesn't shoot women & children. All men who pose a threat are fair game.
Relationship (The Gang)- Jigen will fight to protect any member of his gang.
Rivalry (Fujiko)- Jigen dislikes Fujiko strongly, and is greatly irritated by Lupin's obsession with her.
Responsibility (Bad Luck)- Jigen always gets his Marlboro's bent, loses his hat, or has a love interest die on him.
Temper- Jigen is driven to a rage by cracks against him, even towards his closest friends.
Weakness (Hat)- Jigen's aim is sometimes dependent upon using a notch in the brim of his hat as a "sight".

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 32 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (135)

-Jigen is the snarky, cynical Yin to Lupin's wild, chaotic Yang, and usually has a sly comeback to all of his boss' quirks. A loyal sidekick, Jigen is an unparalleled marksman of epic repute, and assists Lupin on all his quests so that Lupin doesn't just end up talking to himself the whole time.
-It looks a little funny to see Jigen as a PL 10, since his boss, Lupin, the main character is a PL 9, but really, he's set up explicitly as being both a better shot than Lupin, but having a stronger gun as well (Smith & Wesson vs. P38), so he really CAN'T be a lower PL without breaking what the character is. He's MUCH cheaper than Lupin though, being less skilled across the board, and dropping 20 points in Advantages to the boss-man. His accuracy is intense- the guy can shoot Skeet with a handgun, easily hit the wheels of a moving vehicle (while in the back of a wildly-driving Fiat), hit improbable targest all over, and has actually DEFLECTED A BULLET WITH ANOTHER BULLET. Now THAT is what Skill Mastery & Ultimate Aim are all about! It's "only" +14, but he often uses Accurate Attack to go as high as +19. He's a little worse than Lupin at everything but aiming, and acts as the muscle- the mark of a good right-hand man.

GOEMON (Goemon Ishikawa XIII)
Created By:
Kazuhiko Katu, aka "Monkey Punch"
First Appearance: Weekly Shonen Action (Aug. 10, 1967)
Role: Goonsweeper, Ludicrously-Sharp Sword Guy
Group Affiliations: Lupin's Gang
PL 10 (141)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Katana) 3 (+13)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Samuari) 11 (+13)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 8 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Treatment 3 (+5)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Cunning Fighter, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Katana) 4, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge (Hearing)

Powers:
"Ryusei- Zantetsu Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [11]
Strength-Damage +5 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (16) -- (17 points)
AE: Deflect 10 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Zantetsu +13 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +9, Will +11

Complications:
Honour- Goemon is very much the samurai, and will not take a life unless it's a specific duel to the death.
Relationship (The Gang)- Goemon will fight to protect any member of his gang.
Rivalry (Fujiko)- Goemon dislikes Fujiko strongly, and is greatly irritated by Lupin's obsession with her.
Responsibility (Women)- Goemon easily trusts any beautiful woman, and will freely give up all money to her.
Obsession (Self-Improvement)- Goemon meditates, trains and desperately attempts to perfect himself.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 23 (141)

-Goemon is the thirteenth in a long line of renegade Samurai, going back to a real-life person hundreds of years ago. Mean to add a more "Japanese" tough to an intrigue & deception-based series, Goemon is a serious, unemotional samurai who regularly fails to laugh, get scared or react emotionally to anything. He mainly comes on after Lupin & Jigen have ended up in the middle of things, phoned-in by Lupin himself to deal with the mooks.
-Goemon is to swords what Jigen is to guns, but even moreso. Things the guy has slashed: Cars, guns, bullets (in mid-air, no less), tank cannons, a helicopter, the burning clothes of Lupin while he flew through the air (without harming Lupin himself), AN AIRPLANE (seriously, the entire plane), and in one particular stand-out, the film on which the animation was made. He's a classic PL 10 warrior, using a special sword that does unholy amounts of damage (+4 to base strength overall!), has an insane Crit ratio (Goemon's Advantages plus the blade's own), and he's nearly as skilled as Lupin & Jigen in various categories (including being a master of all things Japanese thanks to his Samurai Expertise). He's a scary PL 10 in combat, and like Jigen, is more dangerous in combat than Lupin himself.

FUJIKO (Fujiko Mine)
Created By:
Kazuhiko Katu, aka "Monkey Punch"
First Appearance: Weekly Shonen Action (Aug. 10, 1967)
Role: Miss Fanservice, The Rival
Group Affiliations: N/A
PL 9 (165)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Deception 8 (+11, +16 Attractive)
Expertise (Thief) 11 (+14)
Insight 5 (+8)
Perception 9 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+9, +14 Attractive)
Sleight of Hand 9 (+14)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+11)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Attractive 2, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Wealth), Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Defensive Throw, Diehard, Equipment 5, Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Deception), Fearless, Grab Finesse, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Pistol), Improved Defense 2, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (almost all major ones), Luck 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Skill Mastery (Thief), Taunt, Ultimate Skill 2 (Thief & Deception), Uncanny Dodge (Hearing), Well-Informed

Equipment:
"Browning M1910" Blast 5 (10)
"Assorted Vehicles" (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Relationship/Rivalry (Lupin & The Gang)- Despite a semi-mutual attraction, Fujiko is rivals with Lupin, and most of his gang strongly dislike her.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 74--37 / Advantages: 46 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 18 (165)

-Basically a combo of Femme Fatale/Miss Fanservice and a hot chick ally, Fujiko is a side-character that gets involved in pretty much every Lupin adventure. A thief like Lupin, she uses her feminine wiles to get what she wants, but she's not necessarily on his side. Usually they're rivals, but they will team up against mutual threats, or to split the riches on bigger scores. She's one of the originators of the "Miss Fanservice" concept in anime, debuting in the late 60s with ludicrously huge breasts and a desire to show the goods. How huge? "Fujio Mine" literally translates as "the mountain peaks of Fuji". All of anime & manga owes her a huge debt.
-Fujiko stats up like a slightly-lesser Lupin, a vastly competent thief and ranged fighter in her own right, just not as capable as HE is. She uses Attractive 2 to it's best benefit, being easily able to control men. She doesn't have the crazy wild feats that Jigen & Goemon do, but she can take out men larger than her in melee combat, and is an elite Skillmonkey.

INSPECTOR ZENIGATA (Koichi Zenigata)
Created By:
Kazuhiko Katu, aka "Monkey Punch"
First Appearance: Weekly Shonen Action (Aug. 10, 1967)
Role: The Zenigata (Trope Namer, obviously), The Hunter
Group Affiliations: Interpol, Tokyo Police
PL 8 (96)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Cop) 10 (+12)
Expertise (Current Events) 6 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 6 (+8)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Interpol Clearance), Equipment 4 (Cop Gear), Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Inspire, Leadership, Ranged Combat 7, Ultimate Skill (Cop)

Equipment:
"Colt .45" Blast 5 (10) -- (11)
AE: "Jitte Baton" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Handcuffs" (1)
"Police Car" (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Jitte +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Pistol +10 (+5 Damage, DC 203
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Obsession (Lupin)- It is Zenigata's single-minded life's goal to capture Arsene Lupin III, and he will stop at nothing to accomplish this. The only thing that can hold him off is temporary alliances to save their lives.
Relationship (Lupin)- Despite his goals, Zenigata has shown appreciation for Lupin in the past, and has mourned Lupin's supposed deaths on occasion (and vice-versa). Each will avenge crimes inflicted on the other.
Honour- Zenigata is not a killer, and does not want Lupin dead. He will always fight to save lives, even those of enemies.
Responsibility (Interpol)- Zenigata must follow orders.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (96)

-Inspector Zenigata is actually my favourite Lupin III character, despite him being kind of a Butt-Monkey in the series overall. The hapless detective who is constantly chasing Lupin throughout, he never quite gets his man- this is in spite of terrific effort, unwavering obsession (he once broke out of a coma just hearing someone say "Lupin"), and actual talent. He's portrayed as incompetent sometimes, but at points he's easily disabled several attackers at once in melee, handcuffed people by tossing his cuffs like a bola, and captured everyone OTHER than Lupin by story's end. There's just something to be said for his perserverance- it's implied that he's actually the best cop on Earth, because he's the only one who can SOMETIMES figure Lupin out- the rest don't have a chance. In "The Castle of Cagliostro", he's the guy who figures out Lupin's going to enter via the aqueducts, but he gets called away before he can do any good.
-Zenigata's no dummy, but at heart he's just a really high-level, excellent Cop, who isn't good enough to catch Lupin & friends simply because they are AWESOME while he is merely great. He's a PL 8 (95) guy with a high degre of talent (he'd actually be the best cop in Gotham other than Gordon).

INTERPOL COPS
Role: Zenigata's Back-Up
Group Affiliations: Interpol, Tokyo Police
PL 4 (45)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Baton) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Cop) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+2)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Cop Gear), Teamwork

Equipment:
"Colt .45" Blast 5 (10) -- (11)
AE: "Jitte Baton" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Handcuffs" (1)
"Big Fat Shield" Enhanced Dodge 3 & Parry 2 (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Jitte +5 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Pistol +2 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
"Without Shield" Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +3
"With Shield" Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (45)

-Zenigata's Goon Squad consists of a large group of background police officers, who usually charge in behind him en masse and smack away at people with their batons, while hiding behind their huge Riot Shields.

THE COUNT OF CAGLIOSTRO
Created By:
Hayao Miyazaki
First Appearance: The Castle of Cagliostro
Role: The Big Bad, Egotistical Rich Guy, The Power Behind the Throne
Group Affiliations: The Cagliostros
PL 8 (127)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Politics) 8 (+12)
Expertise (History) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Assassin) 8 (+12)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (Wealth, Cagliostro's Height of Power), Connected, Contacts, Equipment 3, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 7, Well-Informed

Equipment:
"Autogyro" (6)
"Armour" Protection 1 (1)
"Finger Rockets" Blast 5 (Flaws: Limited to 2 Uses) (5) -- (6)
AE: "Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Finger Rockets +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Armour), Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Power)

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (127)

THE COUNT'S ELITE GOONS
Created By:
Hayao Miyazaki
First Appearance: The Castle of Cagliostro
Role: Elite Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Cagliostros
PL 6 (42)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 2

Equipment:
"Armour" Protection 2 (2)
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 6) (Flaws: Limited to Ballistics) (5)
"Claws" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Claws +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+4 Armour, +6 Ballistics), Fortitude +4, Will +0

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (42)

-The Count is every bit your typical Lupin III villain- an egotistical, smarmy, super-confident man of immense wealth and lust for greed and power. Lust for greed, Lupin understands. But he's in it for kicks- all these power-hungry bastards are just BEGGING to have stuff stolen from him. And the Count's wealth comes from the two long-standing secrets of the tiny (pop. 3,500) principality of Cagliostro, the smallest member of the United Nations: 1) The fact that the Count's family have been the secret guiding hand of the monarchy for generations, dealing out political assassinations, and 2) The "Goat Bills", a legendary counterfit bill set-up that allows them to affect the global economy on a vast scale. The latter is Lupin's target, being a legend among thieves. The former he could have cared less about... had it not threatened a girl he admired. See, Princess Clarisse, the orphaned daughter of the last monarchs, is now of-age, and is about to be married to the Count, combining the two Houses of Cagliostro, which will set off an ancient prophecy. And this is what sets him up to get owned.
-The Count is smart, capable and very, very wealthy, packing an absolute HORDE of PL 5 goons (not included as part of his cost), that are nearly immune to gunfire (Jigen had to switch to a REALLY big gun to nail them), connections to the UN (he gets Zenigata thrown of the case as soon as he becomes annoying), and a vast castle, among the most bad-ass bases I have EVER seen- a giant medieval castle full of secret chambers, trap doors, a nigh-unbreachable room (a room in a tower, reachable only by a moving trackway in another part of the castle), a huge pit of dead bodies, a hidden chamber of counterfeit plates, and more. Simply awesome. He's a good fighter too, but lacks the finesse of Lupin, who holds him off using a wrench as a makeshift weapon, and then escapes each time they fight. He's calm and collected, until you REALLY tick him off, at which point he becomes obsessed and crazy. Just like a good villain does.

---

Next up on my builds, something totally different- I've done TV-themed builds, but not alot of Movie-themed ones. So I figured I'd tackle one of the greatest movies of all time (and one of my personal favourites)- Casablanca! I mean, how do you top this? A story about refugees in French Morocco, fighting the Nazis, hiding, meeting again after a failed relationship, heartbreak, new friendships and patriotism- and it wasn't even supposed to be a big movie! Just a standard thrown-together Hollywood story, written by a big group of people; it should've been generic and forgotten. But everything about it kinda came together to make on of Hollywood's greatest stories.

The hardest thing about these builds is going to be deciding just WHICH quotes to use for each character. This movie is, far and away, the MOST quotable movie in the history of Hollywood. #2 ain't even close.

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in ALL THE WORLD, she walks into mine."

RICK BLAINE
Played By:
Humphrey Goddamned Bogart
Role: The Hero, The Cynical Club-Owner, The Broken-Hearted
Group Affiliations: Various Failed Rebellions & Movements, Rick's Cafe Americain
PL 4 (79)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Club Owner) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Gambling) 6 (+9)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+4)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 5 (+8)
Technology 1 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Contacts, Equipment 4 (Rick's Cafe Americain, Pistol +4), Improved Aim, Luck, Ranged Attack 3, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Rick's Cafe Americain)
Addiction (Alcohol)
Responsibility (Loves Ilsa Lund)- She left him with a broken heart, and her memory brings him only alcoholism and pain.
Obsession (True Neutral)- Rick sticks his neck out for nobody, and no longer has political lineage to any cause, having lost so many fights before.
Hatred ("As Time Goes By")- If he hears that song again, Rick will fly into a rage.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (79)

-Rick is Casablanca's main character, and WHAT a character. Burnt out, cynical, a lothario with no seeming moral standpoint- something was taken out of him years ago, and in the film we see the reason why- he was left by the woman he loved, for unknown reasons. Now, the former gun-runner and freedom-fighter is a saloon owner in "free" French Morocco, holding that his political leanings were a mistake, and now he refuses to take risks and "Stick his neck out" for anybody. Once the woman (Ilsa Lund) comes back into his life, sporting her husband, the European Resistance leader against the Nazis, he's left with some important decisions. He can leave Casablanca with her with the "Letters of Transit" he recieved from a patron if he wants (and she wants to), but can he let her leave her husband, who's so important to the world? And how long can he hold to absolute neutrality in a world where the Nazis increasingly stretch their fingers across the world? His answer to that provides one of the most epic, amazing speeches in the history of Hollywood. Not to be missed.
-Rick's a solid fighter, but strictly low-level. He's smart, charismatic and likeable as all hell (women love him, even Captain Renault, his rival/buddy, admits that if HE was a woman, and Renault himself was not around, then he'd totally go for Rick), and has a boatload of Complications. He has a gun and a sweet bar (Rick's Cafe Americain), and a ton of Skills to go along with a former military man, and it's hard to lie to him.

"Play it, Sam. Play "As Time Goes By."

ILSA LUND
Played By:
Ingrid Bergman
Role: The Woman, Point of the Love Triangle
Group Affiliations: The Resistance
PL 3 (40)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+5)
Expertise (History) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Freedom Fighter) 2 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Insight 3 (+4)
Stealth 5 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive, Equipment 2 (Pistol +4), Languages (Various European- English, French, Czech), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Pistol +2 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Loves Rick Blaine)- Rick was her lover when she thought Victor dead, and she loved him more.
Responsibility (Loves Victor Laszlo)- Victor is Ilsa's oldest love, as well as her mentor. Her duty is to him.
Responsibility (The Resistance)
Enemy (The Nazis)

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (40)

-Ilsa kind of gets a lame job in this film, as she's torn between two men, but the decision between them gets made FOR her, and she gets probably the least amount of awesome lines as any character in the thing. Even so, she's portrayed as like the most beautiful woman EVER by every male in the movie, and she does a workmanlike job of holding the plot together.
-Ilsa falls short of many of the military-trained men in the movie, but she's fairly athletic, and quite skilled at the Resistance herself, being a capable ally. Plus, she's got a gun.

Victor Laszlo: I know a good deal more about you than you suspect. I know, for instance, that you're in love with a woman. It is perhaps a strange circumstance that we both should be in love with the same woman. The first evening I came to this café, I knew there was something between you and Ilsa. Since no one is to blame, I - I demand no explanation. I ask only one thing. You won't give me the letters of transit: all right, but I want my wife to be safe. I ask you as a favor, to use the letters to take her away from Casablanca.
Rick: You love her that much?
Victor Laszlo: Apparently you think of me only as the leader of a cause. Well, I'm also a human being. Yes, I love her that much.

VICTOR LASZLO
Played By:
Paul Henreid
Role: The Resistance Leader
Group Affiliations: The Resistance
PL 4 (78)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Resistance Fighter) 6 (+9)
Expertise (History) 6 (+9)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (Reputation, Famed Leader of the Resistance), Contacts, Connected, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Pistol +4), Fearless, Improved Defense, Inspire, Languages (Many European- English, French, Czech), Leadership, Rallying Cry, Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Resistance)- Laszlo is the fabled leader of a major Resistance movement in Occupied Europe.
Responsibility (Loves Ilsa Lund)
Enemy (The Nazis)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (78)

Abilities: 22 / Skills: 72--18 / Feats: 11 / Powers: 0 / Saves: 7 / Combat: 18 (76)

-Victor Laszlo is the famed leader of the Resistance movement in Occupied Europe against the Nazis- so famous that Casablanca buzzes with his arrival, and some very important Germans show up immediately for the purpose of extraditing him. He's escaped from Concentration Camp after Concentration Camp, and been rumored dead many times (one of which, his wife Ilsa believed, thus her hook-up with Rick), but here he is, with wife in tow, searching for the magic "Letters of Transit" that will take him to unoccupied areas (of course this makes no sense in reality, but it's the Macguffin the whole movie resides around).
-The writers had a hard thing to do with Laszlo. They had to make RICK the "good guy" in the Romantic Triangle- the one we all cheered for. But Laszlo's a HERO, and supposedly the wiser, smarter choice. So instead of Bogie's cynical, weary drunkard, we get a stiff, stand-offish type fellow who comes across very dry and unfunny. Thus, the charismatic Rick comes across as 'cooler', so you want him to win Ilsa's love. But the movie still doesn't make Victor the enemy- he nearly sacrifices himself for his wife, and then there's that brilliant scene where the Germans sit in Rick's Cafe, singing patrotic songs to all the refugees present. Laszlo runs up to the band, and- this is brilliant- commands them to play "La Marseilles", the French national anthem. The entire Cafe gets swept up in anti-German, patriotic fervor, being moved to TEARS as they howl out the anthem, drowning out the hapless Krauts, and setting off another major plot element in the film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt1vQ81j ... re=related). Laszlo was lesser than Rick, but hell, he was still awesome.
-Victor Laszlo is a skilled tactician, brave, and utterly loyal. He lacks Rick's Charisma, but he has enough Feats based around building the resolve of others that he makes up for it. He's in a bit better shape (he's survived torture and illness many times), and he's good at escaping, making him a little more expensive than the similarly-worldly Rick.

(to Rick) "I've often speculated why you don't return to America. Did you abscond with the church funds? Run off with a senator's wife? I like to think you killed a man. It's the Romantic in me."

Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.
[aloud]
Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!

CAPTAIN LOUIS RENAULT
Played By:
Claude Rains
Role: The Corrupt Cop
Group Affiliations: Vichy France, Casablanca Police
PL 3 (68)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Streetwise) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Police Officer) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Police Captain), Equipment 2 (Pistol +4), Minions 8 (City Police), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +2 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Reputation (Corrupt Ass-Kisser)- Renault is openly and gleefully corrupt, allowing all sorts of crime to go about, so long as his coffers are filled and he's allowed to win at Backgammon. He goes with the winds.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (68)

-Captain Renault is probably the most quotable character in the entire movie, which makes sense- he's part comic relief, part funny villain. An absolutely amoral man at first, he openly jokes about how corrupt he is ("I have no convictions... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy") and how he treats those he arrests ("I'm trying to decide if he committed suicide, or was killed trying to escape"), and he openly trades sex for favours amongst the female refugees, but he likes Rick, because Rick violates none of Renault's particular rules (ie. he doesn't piss off his Nazi bosses), and also because Rick lets him win at Roulette.
-But by the end of the movie, Renault tires of being a butt-monkey for the Nazis, and takes a huge risk. With Rick standing, guilty as sin, over the dead body of Major Strasser, Renault tells the Nazis "Major Strasser has been shot- Round up the usual suspects", saving his friend and deciding to join the full Resistance, giving up his cushy, corrupt job.
-Renault is less skillful than most of the other characters. He's more of a pencil-pusher and busybody than a real effective police officer, and gets by more on his goons and German allies than his own wits and skills. Still, he will work in a pinch.

MAJOR HEINRICH STRASSER
Played By:
Conrad Veidt
Role: The Nazi, The Big Bad
Group Affiliations: Nazi Germany
PL 3 (48)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Nazi Officer) 7 (+8)
Perception 4 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Nazi Major), Contacts, Connections, Equipment 2 (Pistol +4), Minions 10 (German Officers), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +2 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (The Third Reich)

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 32--15 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (48)

-Strasser's the "Main Villain" of the piece, but not really a major character- he's just a means to an end, the reason everyone's running around. He basically exists to bark orders, sternly look at Rick or Renault to figure out their intentions, and intimidate Victor Laszlo (realistically, they'd just SHOOT HIM, because there's no rational reason to have to jump through legal hoops in a dictatorship against a known rebel, but hey- that'd end the movie pretty damn fast). He's not overly great at fighting, and goes down dead to one bullet shot, but he's got back-up and connections.

"You must remember this / A kiss is still a kiss / A sigh is just a sigh / The fundamental things apply / As time goes by. / And when two lovers woo, / They still say, "I love you" / On that you can rely / No matter what the future brings-... "
SAM
Played By:
Dooley Wilson
Role: The Black Best Friend
Group Affiliations: Rick's Cafe Americain
PL 2 (48)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Expertise (Singing & Piano) 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Ultimate Skill (Perform- Piano)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Rick's Best Buddy)

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (48)

-Sam's pretty cool, and one of the very first non-offensive black characters in Hollywood, being Rick's best friend, a performer in his Cafe, nothing more. He didn't do much in the main plot, but it's known he's loyal to Rick (he's horrified to see Ilsa for the first time in years, knowing what she did to poor Rick, waiting on that train station...), and is such a good performer that Signor Ferrari makes no mistake when Rick tries to high-ball Sam's salary upon Ferrari's taking over the Cafe "I happen to know he makes ten, but he's worth fifteen!" Sam is, unfortunately (and without a goodbye?), left alone at the end of the film, just being a performer still, as Rick & Renault fly off to fight in the Resistance.

"Might as well be frank, monsieur. It would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles."

SIGNOR FERRARI
Played By:
Sydney Greenstreet
Role: The Black Market Dealer, The Information Guy
Group Affiliations: The Casablanca Underworld
PL 0 (48)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Streetwise) 8 (+10)
Insight 6 (+9)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth), Connections, Contacts, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Reputation (BS-er)- Ferrari is a liar and a con-man, and everyone in Casablanca knows it.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (48)

-Signor Ferrari's just a minor character, but with Sydney Greenstreet portraying him, he couldn't help but seem like a huge character. A corrupt, richer club owner in the city, Ferrari's a rival & confidante of Rick's with an ear in every room- totally aware of everything that's going on in Casablanca. He's not in any kind of shape, and is in no way a fighter, but he's good at his own thing, that's for sure. He ends the film as the new owner of Rick's Cafe Americain.

THE CARE BEARS
Played By:
Various
Role: Mercenary Do-Gooders
Group Affiliations: The Care Bears, The Care Bear Cousins
PL 6 (96)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Care Bear) 7 (+8)
Insight 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Care Bear Stare) 3 (+6)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Cloud Car- As Car with Flight 3), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 3, Set-Up 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

"Fast For a Shrimpy Thing" Speed 1 (2 mph) [1]

"Care Bear STARE!" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition) (Quirk: Limited to Evil Beings) [17]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Stare or Call +6 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +1, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Care-A-Lot, The Forest of Feelings)- All of the Care Bears & Cousins have a responsibility to protect their homelands.
Responsibility (Token Care Bear Personality Trait- ie. Friendship, Wishes, Day-dreaming, etc.)- Each Care Bear & Cousin is responsible for a particular habit, type of friendship, or other trait, and must stick to it. This often extends to negative personality traits, like grouchiness (Grumpy Bear), gluttony (Lotsa-Heart Elephant), competitiveness and arrogance (Champ Bear), narcolepsy (Bedtime Bear), etc.
Power Loss (Care Bear Stare or Call)- Each Bear or Cousin requires their tummy symbol (or... *ugh*... "belly badge") to use the Stare (or, in the Cousins' case, "Call"). They may also require the ability to speak. I can't remember. I don't know if it ever came up.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 12 (96)

-Behold, the mighty CARE BEARS! I probably watched more of this show than any other cartoon back in my childhood, but not entirely of my own volition- it was just on ALL THE FREAKING TIME. It was sometimes-amusing and funny (that one where the Evil Scientist is kidnapping the Care Bears to send them to his "Room of DOOM"- which he goes on to say in the same tone of voice about fifteen times), but it was usually really dull. Things got HORRIBLE during the Nelvana-made "same small cast of characters running around" period, so the original run with DiC behind it is much better (DiC and Nelvana are pretty much the defining examples of "Cheap-Ass, Bland Animated Products Aimed at Children" in the 1980s, but each had it's own successes). Most of the characters are rather bland since they're all based around different types of friendliness and caring (specific Bears include ones for Sharing, Cheerfulness, Tenderness, Friendship, Secrets Between Friends, Birthday Celebrations, etc.), so the more interesting types are always the flawed guys- there's a reason why Braveheart Lion (who tended to be foolhardy and often not entirely brave) and Grumpy Bear (who taught us... that it was OK to be a cynical grouch, I guess. Guess which one I sympathized with more?) are two of the most popular Bears.
-There were a handful of movies, two of which hit theatres. The first two are honestly pretty good (the first has a REALLY scary villain considering it's just a head in a book, and the shapeshifting, satanic Darkheart is great in the second). The series got a resurrection lately with some CGI stuff and colour shifts in a few Bears, but really, this is pure, unadulterated kids' stuff, as it should be (not EVERY show can be ultra-cynical and full of smarmy pop-culture references). In all, I'd say the series is VERY hit or miss, with some episodes sucking worse than a black hole, and others actually being fairly interesting.
-This pretty much accounts for nearly every one of the Care Bears (and the Cousins, who are the same in all but name, including their "Cousin Call"), with some minor modifications based off of certain individuals. But yeah, Wish Bear, Grumpy Bear, Cheer Bear, etc. can all be used with this template. Their Stare is pretty weak individually, but keep in mind the little buggers tend to hit about 6 or 7 of these AT ONCE, pummelling poor No-Heart with authority. PL 4 offensively, and PL 2 Defensively, they're no real threat to a Marvel super-villain, but to a scientist who's trying to make the world colder, they're DEADLY.

Certain Care Bears & Cousins have alterations to their set-ups. These are as-follows:
Share Bear: Create 2 (Feats: Innate, Precise) [5] (Yeah, she could actually make milkshakes and stuff come from her stomach. Seemed incapable of just making a gun and shooting No-Heart in the head, which would have been WAY more awesome)
True-Heart Bear & Noble-Heart Horse: Leadership, Awareness 4, Presence 4, Dexterity 4 [9] (The 'original' Care Bears retroactively added in to make 'super' leaders)
Champ Bear: Athletics +8, Agility 4, Profession (Athlete) +6 [7] (The athletic one, who for some reason turned blue later on)
Grams Bear: Agility -1, Awareness 4, Perform (Storytelling) +8 [-2] (the old storyteller Bear, rarely went on missions)
Tenderheart Bear: Presence 5, Dexterity 4, Leadership, Will +8, Ultimate Will Save [12] (the true leader of the group)
Brave-Heart Lion: Presence 4, Fighting 3, Ranged Combat (Call) +2, All-Out Attack, Leadership [7] (he rushes in so much he's likely got a better Attack)
Cozy-Heart Penguin: Swimming 4 (8 mph), Immunity (Cold) [5]
Bright-Heart Raccoon: INT 16, Craft (Tech) 4, Craft (Structural) 4 [8] (The genius of the group)
Lotsa-Heart Elephant: Strength 4, Agility 0, Features 2 (Increased Weight) [6] (The resident fat-ass, and possibly a pink reference to drunken hallucinations or ****ed up Disney animated sequences)
Loyal-Heart Dog: Senses (Acute Scent, Tracking) [2] (The rarely-seen dog)
Swift-Heart Rabbit: Speed 6 (60 mph) [5]

-Note that Tenderheart Bear, Brave-Heart Lion, True-Heart Bear and Noble-Heart Horse are all PL 7s, such is their awesomeness.

I believe the entire list is as follows, with their Main Colour and Tummy Symbol
Care Bears:
Tenderheart Bear (field leader)- Brown/red, Large Heart
True Heart Bear (main leader)- Multi-Pastel, Multi-Coloured Star with Heart Inside
Cheer Bear (key female character)- Pink, Rainbow
Champ Bear (athlete)- Light Brown (Blue in remakes), Trophy
Grams Bear (mentor)- Gray/Blue, Rose
Grumpy Bear (grouch)- Blue, Rainclouds
Friend Bear- Orange, Intertwined Flowers
Bedtime Bear- Blue, Moon
Funshine Bear (the Pollyanna- even for THIS show)- Yellow, Sun
Love-A-Lot Bear (embodiment of love in a PG sense)- Pink, Twin Hearts
Wish Bear- Mint, Shooting Star
Birthday Bear (limited focus)- Gold, Cupcake
Good Luck Bear- Light Green, Shamrock
Share Bear- Purple, Twin Milkshakes (later Lollipops so kids wouldn't share germs... really)
Secret Bear (talks in whispers)- Orange (later Pink), Heart-Shaped Lock
Hugs (baby)- Pink, Star Peeking Behind Heart
Tugs (baby)- Blue, Star in Diapers

Care Bear Cousins:
Noble Heart Horse (main leader)- Purple, Multi-Coloured Heart With Star Inside
Brave Heart Lion (field leader)- Brown/Orange, Crowned Heart
Swift-Heart Rabbit (fast guy)- Light Blue, Winged Heart
Loyal Heart Dog- Green/Blue, Heart With Dog Collar
Bright Heart Raccoon (smart guy)- Purple, Lightbulb
Lotsa Heart Elephant (fatty, reference to alcoholism or Dumbo)- Pink, Weight
Cozy Heart Penguin- Purple, Wool-Capped Heart
Playful Heart Monkey (party animal)- Yellow, Heart With Party Horn
Proud Heart Cat (prideful like a... well, you know)- Turquoise, Pink Star with Heart Inside
Treat Heart Pig (big eater)- Yellow, Ice Cream Cone
Gentle Heart Lamb (wussy)- Mint, Lace-Covered Heart

Later Additions (ie. they don't really matter, and are mostly one-shots):
Daydream Bear- Blue/Purple, Purple Saturnian Heart
Forest Friend Bear- Forest Brown, Bear & Rabbit Hugging in a Forest
Harmony Bear- Purple, Flower With Multi-Coloured Petals, Three Hearts or Three Musical Notes
I Love You Bear- Yellow, Heart
Perfect Panda- White & Black, Gold Star With Ribbon
Perfect Panda- White & Purple, Pink Rose With Ribbon
Sea Friend Bear- Sea Blue, Ocean Wave & Smiling Sun
Surprise Bear- Deep Purple or Blue, Jack In The Box With Star
Take Care Bear (only in a cough medicine colouring book)- Pale Pink or Honey-Yellow, Smiling Apple or Smiling Heart with Star
America Cares Bear- White, Shooting Star That's Red, White & Blue
Bashful Heart Bear- Turquoise, Heart Behind Rainbow
Best Friend Bear (totally redundant with Friend Bear)- Violet, Smiling Heart & Star Linked by Rainbow
Do Your Best Bear- Lime Green, Kite
Laugh-A-Lot Bear- Orange, Laughing Star
Smart Heart Bear- Watermelon Pink, Apple
Thanks-A-Lot Bear- Dark Teal, Shooting Star With Heart Inside
Hopeful Heart Bear- Fuschia, Heart With Radiating Rainbow Lights
All My Heart Bear- Red, Red & White Heart
Amigo Bear (Spanish)- Red/Orange, Aztec Spiral Sun & Hearts
Heartsong Bear- Teal, Rainbow Musical Note
Play-A-Lot Bear- Light Blue, Violet Bouncing Ball
Shine Bright Bear- Fuschia, Sunrise Inside Heart
Superstar Bear- Lemon Yellow, Multiple Coloured Stars & Hearts
Work of Heart Bear- Multiple Colours, Artist's Palette & Brush
Sweet Dreams Bear- Light Purple, Sleeping Moon & Cloud
Always There Bear- Hot Pink, Pink & Lavender Hearts
Oopsy Bear (clutz)- Yellow/Green, No Symbol (draws them on himself)
Pink Power Bear (breast cancer awareness)- Pink, Pink Ribbon
Sweet Sakura Bear- Light Pink, Cherry Blossom
Me Bear (narcissist)- Lilac, Hand Mirror
Messy Bear- Periwinkle, Whirlwind
Too Loud Bear- Deep Red, Bullhorn

Next up- a couple builds from a forgotten little show from the the late 1990s called "The Roswell Conspiracies". It featured a rebellious, plays-by-his-own-rules stereotypical hero in Nick Logan, a man searching for the truth about his father's disappearance (this is while "The X-Files" was still popular, you see), while partnering up with an ageless Irish Banshee named Sh'lainn Blaze. They are both members of a secretive, hidden operation known as The Global Alliance.

In "Roswell's" world, all of man's various myths are true- but with a twist. It turns out that the Banshee, the Minotaur, Vampires, Yeti and Werewolves are all, in fact, sentient alien races that have been on Earth for centuries, but in hiding. The myths were man's way of explaining what they saw. In modern times, the Global Alliance fights to keep things under wraps (with an entertaining duo of "Fake News Reporter" and "Fake Government Cover-Up Guy", who show up every episode to not actually COVER UP any story, but feed conspiracy theorists with fake ideas to draw them off the scent), and to protect humanity... at any cost. It's leader, General Rinaker, has attempted murder on innocent people and lied to people about various things, and will cover up ANYTHING, even from close allies. His motto: "We're The Alliance. DEAL with it."

Was it a fantastic series? Not really. It got a 27-episode run, and most of it is good, but not GREAT, stuff. The animation is a mix of "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Generic Western Animation From the '90s", but done in a more flat kind of way. All the male characters are very angular (some are downright box-shaped), and most of the aliens have weird character designs that I would hesitate to describe as "cool". The Lycanthropes, the key race of Mooks in the show, look kind of silly, with big horns and jaws that just snap up and down like a puppet's rather than a wolf. The animation is mostly simplistic, with only Sh'lainn, the show's resident hottie, getting any kind of detail or subtlelty.

But it was a very unique show, and kind of neat in various ways. It was "Monster of the Week" X-Files-rip-off stuff, but it was decidedly cynical, to the point where all the heroes worked for a huge secretive organization that conspired to hide everything from mankind, and draw a curtain over it's own mistakes, to the point of killing it's own men if it was convenient. Their boss actively hid things from EVERYBODY, and they often went on rather morally-questionable missions, and made deals with nasty alien races. Nick Logan was a pretty generic protagonist, but he & Sh'lainn had a cute, somewhat flirtacious adversarial relationship (those are almost ALWAYS fun to watch, despite being cliched), and she's the only hot, super-powered platinum-blonde Irish chick I've seen on TV, and that activates like three fetishes right there.

The show lasted 40 episodes (it's expected run- it wasn't cancelled before it's time or anything), and disappeared as quietly as it came in. I remember watching it while I was in college, thinking the banshee chick was hot, but never really paying much attention- it got ignored by a LOT of people, and is an interesting little series. Worth checking out on YouTube (I don't expect a DVD run to come anytime soon).

NICK LOGAN
Played By:
Scott McNeil
Role: The Hero, The Conspiracy Theorist, The Cynic
Group Affiliations: The Global Alliance
PL 8 (139)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Bounty Hunter) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Global Alliance Agent) 5 (+8)
Insight 5 (+9)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+9)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Blaster) 2 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Global Alliance Agent- Security Clearance), Chokehold, Damaging Escape, Defensive Roll, Defensive Throw, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster, Global Alliance Gear), Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Improvised Weapon, Blaster), Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Luck, Ranged Attack 4, Tracking

Powers:
"The Eye" Senses 2 (Counters Illusion- Visuals) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Blaster +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 10), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Global Alliance)- Nick is a G.A. member, though he's hardly loyal. He was hired on because he has "The Eye" (like his father) and he survived after they attempted to kill him and failed.
Motivation (His Father)- Nick was raised by a different person for most of his life- his father disappeared in an alien-related incident when Nick was three years old. He doesn't entirely believe General Rinaker's word that "we're still investigating" the senior Logan's disappearance.
Relationship (Sh'lainn Blaze)- Nick and Sh'lainn were abruptly thrown together when the Alliance and a group of Banshees tried to kill both of them to keep them from messing things up. When they survived, the agency paired them up. Though they fight and argue like an old married couple, they... oh c'mon. You've seen this relationship a billion times before. You know how they really feel about each other. Note: It's used a lot because it NEARLY ALWAYS WORKS.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (139)

-Nick is the main hero of "The Roswell Conspiracies"- a smart-mouthed, cynical agent who plays by his own rules and goes his own way (like Fleetwood Mac). He bickers and flirts with his banshee partner Sh'lainn, tells off his direct superior (General Rinaker) on a near-constant basis, and he mistrusts almost any alien he comes across. Basically, he's like every other solitary hero you find in most cartoons or action series (he's more than a little bit like Fox Mulder... OK, they could practically be the same dude except Logan's a bit more naiive and doesn't quite always know what's up). He stats up as an elite Skillmonkey, and a PL 8 Gunfighter, but he tends to get involved in a lot of melee combat, where he's a mere PL 6, unless he finds an Improvised Weapon or two (as his father/trainer once noted to him: "Available weapons, son" and pointed to a lamp). He's good and pricey, but still limited.

SH'LAINN BLAZE
Played By:
Janyse Jaud
Role: Female Sidekick, Stone-Cold Hottie, Deadpan Snarker
Group Affiliations: The Global Alliance
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+7)
Expertise (History) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Banshee/Alien) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Blast) 2 (+8)
Stealth 8 (+11)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit 2 (Global Alliance Agent- Security Clearance, Creature of the Earth- Earth Sometimes Speaks to Her), Diehard, Equipment (Global Alliance Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blast), Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork

Powers:
"Banshee Alien Physiology"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Levitation) [3]

"Creature of the Earth"
Senses 5 (Direction Sense, Earth Awareness- Ranged 2 & Acute) [5]

"Predicts the Demise of Others"
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Limited to Imminent Demise) [3]
Senses 1 (Danger Sense) (Extras: Affects Others Only +0) [1]

"Wailing Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Split) [17]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Global Alliance)- Sh'lainn is a G.A. member, though she's hardly loyal.
Enemy (The Banshee)- Sh'lainn rejected her people's anti-technology and modernization ways, and was branded a traitor and an outlaw. Queen Mab especially wants her dead.
Motivation/Vulnerable (Creature of the Earth)- As a Banshee, Sh'lainn is a creature of the Earth. She loves animals and nature. Matters of technology are very foreign to her (she flies like a crazed madwoman, though she did "come out in favour of the steam engine"), and she does NOT like buzzing around in Outer Space. AT ALL. Similarly, being in a technological unit (such as the ones that cure vampirism) may poison her fatally.
Involuntary Transformation (The Iron Death)- Sh'lainn's weakness to technology can lead to "The Iron Death", a condition that causes her to go mad, destroying all tech in range and converting it to organics. She shifts to metallic form as well, and will eventually succumb and die.
Relationship (Nick Logan)- Nick and Sh'lainn were abruptly thrown together when the Alliance and a group of Banshees tried to kill both of them to keep them from messing things up. When they survived, the agency paired them up. Though they fight and argue like an old married couple, they... oh c'mon. You've seen this relationship a billion times before. You know how they really feel about each other. Note: It's used a lot because it NEARLY ALWAYS WORKS.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 17 (125)

-Sh'lainn is a renegade Banshee of indeterminate age (she refuses to answer Nick's rude questions about the subject), having been driven out of her clan by Queen Mab over Sh'lainn's defense of humanity and technology. She & Nick are nearly killed in the opening two-parter of the show, but become partners in The Global Alliance afterwards, hunting down the various Monsters of the Week. They have the classic "Belligerent Sexual Tension" going on, but are different from the usual anime "Jerk vs. Mercurial Bitch" set-up- they flirt on occasion, don't moon over each other, and seem rather friendly as a pair despite constant jibes and poking fun (Sh'lainn does threaten to kill Nick when he tries to calm her down on a space flight- anathema to Banshee). Oh yeah, and she's totally hot, despite dressing like a schoolmarm (an ankle-length dress? On military-type missions? Really?). Snow-white hair, bright green eyes, an Irish accent (not one I imagined as hot previously, but there ya go) and super-powers on top of a snarky personality- what more could you want?
-My favourite scene is when they go crashing into the water after their ship explodes, and Nick worriedly screams out her name in a panic. After not getting answers, he comes upon her unconscious body floating in the water- he brushes her hair aside, and looks at her beautiful, sleeping face and moves his mouth to hers. At which point she suddenly grabs his hand and goes "What're ye doin'?" "Uh... (shit-eating grin) mouth-to-mouth?" "NICE TRY!" ('you fail at being smooth, idiot' face).
-Sh'lainn is the same PL as Nick, packing more power but less accuracy. She's also a bit cheaper, but I think her various powers (Energy Blasts, Levitation that somehow still requires her to try climbing up junk all the time, the Earth speaking to her- giving her guidance, directions, hints as to what's wrong, etc.) make up part of the difference. She also is very Stealthy- Nick mentions at one point that "she creeps like a ghost", despite the fact that she spends a rather large amount of time shrieking like a... well, you know. A banshee. The whole "Danger Sense" thing is a bit weird, as like all Banshee she can predict the upcoming demise of another person. This of course never ACTUALLY turns up being correct (it's a running gag that Nick sees her freak out with the "Imminent death in fifteen seconds!" thing, then deftly avoids her predictions), so it's effectively a Danger Sense Limited to Others, as well as a Limited Precognition (for things that are happening WELL in advance- like a deliberate rockslide or a missile attack from their own team) for the things that don't fit Danger Sense's "can't be surprised" thing. As a pair, her & Nick are quite powerful.

LYCANTHROPES
Played By:
Various
Role: Mooks, Monsters
b]Group Affiliations:
The Lycanthropes
PL 5 (86)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+6)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Alien Life Form) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Technology 3 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Blasters +6), Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Lycanthrope Physiology"
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Animal-Like Senses" Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Ultra-Hearing) [4]
Morph 1 (Human Form) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Blaster +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 18), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Power, Slavery)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 6 (86)

-These are the Lycanthropes, the most common recurring foe on the series. They were responsible for humanity's "werewolf" myths, being giant alien wolf-like beings who could take human form. They're actually quite nasty threats for this world, being PL 5 expensive Mooks who go up against guys who max out at PL 8. However, like most Aliens, they're not THAT much more powerful than normal people- Nick can easily overpower most of them with some "available weapons", and most melee attacks or energy blasts are more than capable of knocking them out.

YOUNG SCROOGE McDUCK
Created By:
Carl Barks
First Appearance: Christmas on Bear Mountain- Donald Duck Four-Color #178 (Dec. 1947)
Role: The Richest Duck On Earth, The Skin-Flintingest Tightwad Ever to Pinch a Penny
Group Affiliations: The Clan McDuck
PL 8 (177), PL 9 (177) When Raging
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 11 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Rancher) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Mining) 11 (+15)
Expertise (World Traveller) 10 (+14)
Expertise (Business) 10 (+14)
Insight 3 (+8)
Intimidation 9 (+13)
Investigation 1 (+6)
Perception 5 (+10)
Persasion 6 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Animal Empathy, All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Roll, Diehard, Equipment (Mining Pack), Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Improvised Weapons), Improved Hold, Improvised Weapons, Inspire, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Many), Last Stand, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 7, Skill Mastery (Mining), Startle, Takedown 2, Tracking, Ultimate Mining Skill, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Duck Rage"
Enhanced Strength 2 (Flaws: Uncontrolled- Must be Enraged) [2]
Protection 2 (Flaws: Uncontrolled- Must be Enraged) [1]
Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+17) (Flaws: Uncontrolled- Must be Enraged) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Raging +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll, +7 Raging, +8 D.Roll), Fortitude +8, Will +12

Complications:
Motivation/Obsession (Greed)- Scrooge wants money. LOTS of money. Nothing less than being the richest duck in the world will do. He spent thirty years in non-stop search for wealth, first to help out his ailing family's fortunes, and finally money for it's own sake. He is cheap to the extreme- he once mailed himself away inside a crate of other things he was sending, just to save on postage for mailing himself as well. He traded a fancy suit for his trademark red vest (a much cheaper article of clothing) just because the seller threw in a fiver.
Responsibility (Making it Square)- Even since he was fleeced by his very first customer (in a lesson by his father to never overly-trust anyone), Scrooge has been obsessed with making his money, and "making it SQUARE!" He refuses to lie, cheat and steal his way through life. It was a major failing of his that he at one point fell away from this in his older years.
Enemy (Flintheart Glomgold)- Though he didn't know the young man's name at the time, Scrooge had the young Afrikaaner arrested when he tried to steal all of Scrooge's stuff during his time in the Transvaal. The two have been enemies ever since.
Enemy (The Beagle Boys)- Scrooge first clashed with the elder Beagles as a teenager in some Riverboat-based shenanigans, and successive generations have always risen to confound him.
Relationship (Family)- Scrooge left his family at a young age to make his fortune, but he never forgot about them. He sent money away to keep up their home and castle, and always was fond of his mother. Insulting her memory, or daring to insult him with the fact that she passed away... well, let's just say that unless your name is Galactus, you're pretty screwed. Hell, even then, Scrooge probably would have torn up Taa II and shoved the remains up the Devourer of Worlds' ass.
Reputation (Bad-Ass)- Scrooge's legend grows with every town he passes by, and eventually most people recognize his name. He has frequent challenges, and nobody leaves him alone. He's also a legendary cheapskate.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 84--42 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 20 (177)

-I never really had the opportunity to get into the whole "Duck-verse" that Disney Comics put out- America is one of the only places in the world dominated by super-heroes in the funny-pages, so there was never a lot of them around. But like most comics nerds, once I got online, I heard this big deal about a fellow by the name of Carl Barks, who made the Ducks his life's work. He even created a fellow named Scrooge McDuck, who later got transferred to the "mainline" Disney stuff (animated shorts and the like) by virtue of his sheer tight-waddedness. Barks did a TON of "Adventuring the world" stories featuring Scrooge (who kind of outdid his nephew Donald in the meantime), Donald, Huey, Dewey & Louie, and they were a sensation for a good long time. Curiously, the popularity of "The Good Duck Artist" (Barks was alongside "The Good Archie Artist" Dan DeCarlo in non-fame, since comics rarely touted the artists at the time) waned in the States, but he was an international success, where Disney Comics are still furiously popular in several countries, often with their own distinct continuities and adventures.
-Of course, I never reall got into that. But I DID hear about a fantastic piece of work done by Don Rosa, a Barks enthusiast, entitled "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck", the story of how a young Duck was sharper than the sharpies, and tougher than the toughies, and made his money SQUARE, and eventually became the richest Duck in all the world. Gleaning bits and pieces from "Barks Facts" as he called them, Rosa made a Continuity Porn-type of story using things Scrooge had remarked upon ("I made my money in the Gold Mines of Alaska!"), and used his own unique interest in geography, world history, and Mining practices in general. And It. Is. AWESOME. Keep in mind I'm the guy who loves to bitch and complain more than anything else in the world, and I'm telling you that your life isn't complete without reading this two-Trade Paperback collection. Rosa makes Young Scrooge out to be one of the most awesome characters in history, doing all sorts of crap.
-How bad-ass is Scrooge? Well, the son of a bitch manages to make a charge on TEDDY ****ING ROOSEVELT, and you almost believe he would WIN! His stats here reflect a young Scrooge in his prime, using all kinds of Improvised Weapons (giant logs, sticks, stones, a baby grand piano... hell, he attacked the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines & Junior Woodchucks using a dilapidated fort as a THROWING WEAPON) and the skills he'd amassed over the years (learning from various mentor figures, including a few tricksters, who taught him that not everybody else plays fair, and you've got to win the SQUARE way to prove yourself the better man... er, Duck) to become the wealthiest Duck in the world.
-Scrooge's bad-assedness is kind of over-emphasized in the story in a tongue & cheek manner, as Rosa is prone to deliberate exaggeration for the sake of humour, but the scene where the evil Greedy Pig dude handcuffs him and makes fun of his dead mother... well, let's just say that you get two pages of the most pure awesome known to man. Scrooge proves himself scary enough to have a rep extending beyond Dawson City's Gold Rush and into the American West, South Africa, and Australia. Hell, when he roars, the ENTIRE JUNGLE flees in terror. He once used a LION as a cavalry mount, just to kick Flintheart Glomgold's ass! Lest ye think these stats exaggerate Scrooge slightly, keep in mind that I honestly believe had GALACTUS, DEVOURER OF WORLDS come in, tied Scrooge up, and mocked his mother, then you can be sure as shootin' that that very same World Devourer's ass is gonna be kicked straight past Taa II and back into the prior universe from whence he came. Scrooge is THAT bad-ass.

CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS:
-"Captain Scarlet" was a great little show, filmed in the "Super-Marionation" style of Gerry Anderson, filmed with semi-lifelike puppets. This was the darkest of all his shows (the most famous of which was "Thunderbirds"), featuring a gang of invisible Martian villains who murdered innocent people, duplicated their bodies, and used them to commit acts of murder, terror and destruction upon the human race (all because some humans accidentally blew up one of their cities after panicking). They were opposed by Spectrum, a group of international heroes (usually going by "Captain ______" with the latter being a colour) defending the planet. Captain Scarlet was the nigh-indestructible hero, fighting The Mysterons and their allies, Captain Black (himself a former Spectrum agent) and an assortment of murdered-humans-turned-Mysteron Agents. The series was popular enough to get a short-lived CGI remake in the 2000s (with really, REALLY awful-looking CGI), but like most non-Thunderbirds Anderson shows, it's been kind of forgotten to history.

Some of my favourite moments are situations where regular people are mortified at the flippancy with which most Spectrum Agents react to news of Captain Scarlet's "death", knowing that he'll get better. Better still is when Colonel White, furious with Scarlet's refusal of a direct order (that ended up saving the day), sentenced him "to DEATH!" "Death, sir?" at which point White points out that since Scarlet can't be killed, he'll be forced to just let the matter slide. Funny stuff.

Sample episode: "Manhunt" (featuring an act of "compassion" from Captain Black that may've just been a cover for his escape): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usUI7TIUtp8

CAPTAIN SCARLET (Paul Metcalfe)
Created By:
Gerry Anderson
Role: The Hero, Indestructible Man
Group Affiliations: Spectrum
PL 8 (151)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Spectrum Agent) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Investigation 7 (+11)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+11)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Spectrum Agent), Diehard, Equipment 6 (Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles, Firearms +5), Fearless, Great Endurance, Interpose, Leadership, Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Retro-Metabolism"
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [5]
Immortality 10 (1 hour) [20]
Senses 2 (Mysteron Awareness- Ranged) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gun +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Mysterons)
Responsibility (Spectrum)- Captain Scarlet is a loyal member of Spectrum.
Relationship (Rhapsody Angel)- The two possible have a thing going.
Relationship (Captain Blue)- The two are partners, and extremely loyal to one another.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 15 (151)

-Enter Captain Scarlet, the primary soldier of Spectrum, and the sworn enemy of the Mysterons. Scarlet, through circumstance, was made indestructible as a Mysteron soldier, but his brainwashing didn't take (well, he resurrected himself and was the "original" Scarlet again), and now he's an invincible fighter on the side of Spectrum.
-Scarlet is designed here as part Super-Agent archetype, and part Immortal guy. He can resurrect himself upon death, but it takes over a day's time (leading to some humorous moments in the series when people who don't know his secret are offended by his friends' non-plussed reactions to his death). In the meantime, he's still pretty durable (the show's opening shows him being shot with a machine gun and not even moving). He's got the usual Spectrum gear, which is basically a gun, communications, and a Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle- essentially an armored car that's driven from a position in the middle, where the driver sits backwards, and maneuvers using a monitor screen to see where he's going.

CAPTAIN BLUE (Adam Svenson)
Created By:
Gerry Anderson
Role: The Sidekick
Group Affiliations: Spectrum
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Spectrum Agent) 7 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+11)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Spectrum Agent), Equipment 6 (Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles, Firearms +5), Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gun +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Mysterons)
Responsibility (Spectrum)- Captain Blue is a loyal member of Spectrum.
Relationship (Captain Scarlet)- The two are partners, and extremely loyal to one another.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 14 (109)

-Captain Blue was one of those TV show Sidekicks who's really about as competent and skilled as the main hero- he just lacks the invincibility.

CAPTAINS OF SPECTRUM
Created By:
Gerry Anderson
Role: Filler
Group Affiliations: Spectrum
PL 7 (81)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Spectrum Agent) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+4)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Spectrum Agent), Equipment 6 (Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles, Firearms +5), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gun +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Mysterons)
Responsibility (Spectrum)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (81)

-There were actually quite a few of these guys, but as a kid I only recall Captains Magenta & Ochre. Most of them are mere generic background guys who get a couple of lines, but fall way subserviant to Captains Blue & Scarlet. They're all about PL 6.5 overall, with the main Captains being quite a bit better overall.

CAPTAIN OCHRE (Richard Fraser)- PL 7 (89): Intelligence 1, Presence 3, Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+7), Expertise (Military) 6 (+7), Investigation 6 (+9), Vehicles 6 (+12) [8]
-An ex-Military & Police Investigator with extra Piloting skills, but less "book-smarts" than the other smart guys at Spectrum. The CGI update turned him into a sexy Irish lass.

CAPTAIN GREY (Bradley Holden)- PL 7 (82): Agility 2, Presence 1, Athletics 4 (+9)- Limited to Swimming, Expertise (Naval Officer) 6 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+5) [1]
-A loner who is older than the other Agents, Captain Grey was visually based off of Sean Connery, and did a lot of naval work.

CAPTAIN BROWN (Real Name Unknown- Possibly Alan Stevens)- PL 7 (81): No Stat Changes
-Captain Brown was a mere one-shot guy, killed and replaced by The Mysterons, and sent as a living Suicide Bomber against the President of Earth.

CAPTAIN MAGENTA (Patrick Donaghue)- PL 7 (89): Intelligence 4, Presence 3, Expertise (Criminal) 7 (+11), Technology 3 (+7) [8]
-Magenta is different from the other Agents in that he's a lifelong criminal who went straight, recruited by Spectrum because they needed someone who knew the insides of criminal organisations.

DOCTOR FAWN (Edward Wilkie)- PL 7 (60): Intelligence 4, Agility 2, Fighting 2, Skills: Expertise (Science) 4 (+8), Insight 1 (+4), Persuasion 1 (+3), Technology 6 (+10), Treatment 8 (+11), Advantages: Benefit (Spectrum Agent) [-21]
-Dr. Fawn is a non-combatant for the most part, having little in the way of combat experience.

LIEUTENANT GREEN (Seymour Griffiths)- PL 7 (86): Intelligence 4, Awareness 2, Expertise (Music) 4 (+6), Technology 6 (+10) [5]
-Lieutenant Green is a major recurring character, showing up in every episode as the Communications Officer aboard Cloudbase, acting as an assistant to Colonel White.

-Jacobs started out as just some loser-y big guy, but his sheer size gave him a ton of pushes in the Indies, and even some Title wins there. He was introduced as Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS in the WWF, in a gimmick designed to amuse Vince McMahon, and provide Bret Hart with yet another Shitty Feud Opponent to wrestle in the long spaces between Title runs.

-Jacobs was SO shitty at this point, being even worse than a standard Jobber or newbie. But his natural size allowed him to remain strong against Bret (who only got DQ or Count-Out wins over him), but soon he faltered and disappeared. His run as Fake Diesel was LEGENDARILY bad, but it wasn't really his (or Rick Bogner's fault), as the gimmick was hopeless from day one- Vince & Co. wanted to "prove" that they owened the character rights, and could make anyone in that position over, but since Jacobs had absolutely zero personality at this point, he had no chance. I thought he LOOKED impressive, though- Nash's physique had faltered by that point in WCW, and Jacobs was HUGE.

-It was eight months before he'd return as KANE, the gimmick of a lifetime. Going full-blown Soap Opera, we saw The Undertaker's little brother, who had been badly-burned in a house fire, and was out for revenge, controlled by the Evil Paul Bearer. Then we found out that Kane was Bearer's illegitimate son. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded. Then he teamed up with Taker. Then they feuded.

-But before all that, Kane got to look like a FUCKING MONSTER, walking through "Hellfire and Brimstone", turning the building red, and using Taker's own offense to demolish Jobber & Superstar alike. And as Bearer said- "Kane has the SAAAAME POWWWWERS YOU DO!!!" and could light ring-crew workers on fire with his Lightning Powers. He nearly quit after the Montreal Screwjob, but got convinced to stay, given that it was his first and only real push by that time.

-Kane did a lot against Taker, but ultimately lost at WrestleMania, which is a move I always questioned. "The Streak" wasn't as established yet, and Kane would have been SET as a Main Eventer for the rest of his life with a win that big. But even after three Tombstones, it kind of seemed like he failed. That, plus a One-Day World Title Reign at the hands of Steve Austin, made it VERY clear that Kane just wasn't on the level of those other guys. He was permanently decided as a Low-Tier Main Eventer from that point on- a clear line in the sand was drawn.

-He did some good stuff, and was a compelling character (I liked the "Voice Box" gimmick), especially with X-Pac & Tori getting involved, but he never really moved forward. They would go YEARS between shots at the big-time, and he never really got there, being generally wasted. It didn't help that he shifted alignments more often than anyone not named The Big Show. It'd take him a LONG time to get a nicer physique, lost parts of the mask, and develop some good promo skills- all of a sudden Kane was AWESOME, and we got to see him wrestle Triple-H. Unfortunately, we got 2002-2005 Triple-H, who was UNSTOPPABLE in his desire to quench all other pushes, in order to put him over as a God Of Wrestling until there would be a new generation of guys. And so Kane's push died, and he even LOST HIS MASK, ruining a lot of the appeal of his "Look"- now he was just a big ugly bald guy.

-Maskless Kane has one of the worst runs ever, in my opinion- Kane was never a GREAT worker, or even a remotely GOOD one, doing basic Taker stuff, no-selling and being plodding, but THIS? Kane started to actively suck unbelievably badly even by the standards of other Monsters, and he started to hurt the company just by being around- he was way too established in his tier to be really over or legitimate anymore, and by wrestling up-and-comers or other guys, he'd actually damage their pushes because they weren't allowed to BEAT HIM that often- his permanent holding-pattern career was starting to fuck over guys like Matt Hardy.

-He'd actually get a couple of other pushes to the World Title during this time, but the iron was cooled and the fans didn't care as much anymore. By now, I can't imagine what use he even has- nobody really thinks of him as a "legend", and he's a horrible worker these days, and they STILL don't let too many guys get big wins over him.

Bret Hart Categories:

Dr. Isaac Yankem:
Look: 9 (he was clearly a huge fucking guy early on- Yankem is lower because of the stupid pants & hair)
Skill: 1.5 (ahahahahahah... no.)
Charisma: 3.5 (just a sinister, smiling bad-guy)
Overall: 14 (his size was literally all he had at this point)

Fake Diesel:
Look: 10 (a better look made him look really impressive)
Skill: 2.5 (getting slightly better)
Charisma: 3.5
Overall: 16 (getting a bit better)

1990s Kane:
Look: 10 (a huge monster in big red outfit with a scary mask)
Skill: 3 (never a good worker)
Charisma: 6.5 (just by staring, he'd attained a real presence out there)
Overall: 19.5 (quite good)

Awesome Kane:
Look: 10 (he was actively getting ripped instead of just big)
Skill: 5 (god as my witness, he'd become pretty decent by this point)
Charisma: 8 (what the fuck? Cutting good promos, too?!)
Overall: 23 (amazing guy by this point)

Maskless Kane:
Look: 9 (he was still huge and scary, but he was getting flabby and his face looks dumb)
Skill: 2.5 (urrrrgghhh. Kane was awful again. So much stalling and choking)
Charisma: 7 (his fire was gone, but he played a good Sinister Heel at least)
Overall: 18.5 (losing some steam)


THE ANGELS
Created By:
Gerry Anderson
Role: Filler, Air Support
Group Affiliations: Spectrum
PL 3 (78)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 1 (+3)
Expertise (Spectrum Agent) 3 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 8 (+12)

Advantages:
Benefit (Spectrum Agent), Equipment 17 (Spectrum Jet Fighters)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Mysterons)
Responsibility (Spectrum)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (78)

-The Angels were a pack of lady fighter pilots, usually used to back up the Captains and dish out the air support and high levels of damage, while the Captains did the field and intelligence work. This led to some very early TV appearances by asian and black characters in positive heroic roles- how many black female fighter pilots could you name AFTER 1968, much less before it? These girls aren't high-powered combatants normally, but their jets make them MUCH more dangerous than any Captain.

DESTINY ANGEL (Juliette Pontoin)- PL 3 (82): Presence 3, Attractive, Persuasion 2 (+6) [4]
-A very "French" female character, Destiny Angel is a fashionista and feminine super-spy. Her model is designed after Ursula Andress.

SYMPHONY ANGEL (Karen Wainwright)- PL 3 (82): Intelligence 4 [4]
-The "Head" Angel, who has some kind of feelings for Captain Blue (which are sorta reciprocated).

MELODY ANGEL (Magnolia Jones)- PL 3 (82): Intelligence 4 [4]
-Melody, the black Angel, is depicted as a tough-talking, confident High School drop-out who decided to specialize in being a tomboy pilot.

RHAPSODY ANGEL (Dianne Simms)- PL 3 (85): Awareness 3, Presence 3, Deception 5 (+8), Investigation 6 (+8) [7]
-Rhapsody is an English debutante-turned-spy, trained by Lady Penelope herself, of "Thunderbirds" fame.

HARMONY ANGEL (Chan Kwan)- PL 4 (86): Fighting 7, Expertise (Business) 4 (+6) [8]
-Harmony is a Chinese girl who practices judo and used to run her late father's own Air Taxi business.

CAPTAIN BLACK (Conrad Turner)
Created By:
Gerry Anderson
Role: The Mirror Image Villain
Group Affiliations: Spectrum
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Spectrum Agent) 7 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Mysteron Agent) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 9 (+9)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+11)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Mysteron Agent), Equipment 2 (Firearms +5), Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gun +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (The Will of The Mysterons)
Responsibility (Human Side?)- Captain Black is seemingly an automoton doing the Mysterons' will, but may be able to exert his natural personality at times.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 14 (109)

-Captain Black was an AWESOME villain- a creepy, nasty-looking individual, he was a Black-Costumed Version of the good Spectrum Agents. In actuality, he WAS one of them, but an impulsive action on his part destroyed a Mysteron city, resulting in them setting off their "War of Nerves" with mankind (ironic, for a man who was apparently devoted to peace). He was generally just a Mysteron Stooge on Earth, doing their physical bidding when their temporary Retrometabolised slaves failed- he received regular advice from them, though it was anyone's guess as to how much of their programming was a part of him. When he had Symphony Angel dead to rights, he chose to let her go with a non-lethal dose of radiation to cover his own escape- was he actually showing compassion, as he stated? Or just covering his own exit? Who knows?
-Captain Black is basically like Blue or Scarlet in overall talent, but lacks any real super-powers, beyond being a villain and thus being able to regularly cheat- The Mysterons are basically omniscient, seeing everything that goes on Earthside, and he gets a 2-point Benefit from that (it doesn't always come up). He lacks overall charisma (being a monotonous-voiced scary guy), but he's pretty intimidating.
-The Mysterons themselves are a bit peculiar- they manipulate events from afar, are invisible, can communicate with humans at will all the way from Mars, and Resurrect any person or object that has first been destroyed. They're engaged in an implacable Contest of Wills against the people of Earth.

COLONEL WHITE (Charles Gray)
Created By:
Gerry Anderson
Role: The Boss
Group Affiliations: Spectrum
PL 7 (91)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+9)
Expertise (Spectrum Agent) 8 (+13)
Expertise (Science) 1 (+6)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+3)
Technology 1 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Head of Spectrum), Equipment 6 (Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles, Firearms +5), Leadership, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gun +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Mysterons)
Responsibility (Spectrum)- Colonel White leads Spectrum as Commander-In-Chief, and is much more "by the book" than most of his charges.
Temper- Colonel White can become agitated in his high-stress job, and he's not above yelling at someone who screws up. He's generally more fatherly with his advice, however.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (91)

-Colonel White was the grouchy, stern leader of Spectrum, often doling out advice and orders. He was an ex-military guy chosen to lead the team on Cloudbase, and he was a pretty good character overall. He had a lot of the standard Leader Tropes- dishing out unwanted orders, getting disobeyed occasionally (he shouted "Idiots!" more than once at the Captains, and once sentenced the immortal hero Scarlet to die for disobeying him once), but ultimately he was usually right, and had good results. He's less-capable physically compared to his allies (he has a Desk Job, after all), but in his prime, he was the equal to any of them save Captain Scarlet himself.

THE HEAD:

"The Head" is a short-lived series from MTV, created for their indie-animation showcase "Liquid Television" (where "Beavis & Butt-head" & "AEon Flux" also came from)- it's the tale of a freakishly-deformed trade-school student who is charged with halting an alien invasion by the alien that lives in his head. It lasted a couple years in 1995 and 1996, and is primarily a set of shorts that add up to one solid story.

It's pretty obscure, so it's funny that I remember it so well- I think part of the appeal is just how NINETIES it is. It's world grungy, dirty and filthy, there's swears and dirty language in it, but not TOO much (this is barely after "Beavis and Butt-Head" started, and years before "Family Guy" or "South Park"), and there's just this weird... anarchic energy going throughout the entire thing. The gags are actually few and far between, and there's long shots where it's just silence or people talking in a fairly slow, often stilted manner, like there's something wrong with them- not the gag-a-minute type of stuff you see today. The dirty language is actually used so sparingly that it's the ENTIRE POINT of a joke to say "ass" at one point- can you imagine the era when "Ass" was the dirtiest word you could say and it'd still be legitimately funny to hear a cartoon character say it? And while the animation is cheap, it's not "Flash Animation" cheap like "Squidbillies" or some other abortion created for "Adult Swim"- it's like a bunch of guys did the BEST THEY COULD DO, using only a few frames of animation at points. It gives off a very "Indie" vibe, back when a lot of the media was doing that- the period post-Grunge/Nirvana meant that producers and executives could no longer PREDICT what was going to be famous, and so they started signing whatever acts and writers were around, throwing everything possible at the wall to see what could stick (what other decade could have seen the rise of people like Beck?).

It takes a lot visually from "Beavis & Butt-head" (Butt-head himself even does a cameo in the opening minutes, for basically no reason- he hands a slip of paper over, then gets booted out of the room), using the same kind of "limited animation" style, with dirty city-based backgrounds. There's even a scene full of hillbillies! And while the gags are slow in coming, some are authentically hilarious. My favourite bit is Jim looking at Roy, a naked five-foot-tall purple alien with a malformed, wide head and sharp teeth, who is about to go on a mission. "But aren't you afraid of people freaking out?", Jim asks. Roy replies "Don't worry- I have a DISGUISE!" and then calmly PUTS ON A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES, then goes on his mission. He is only recognized as an alien when he takes off the sunglasses to wipe away tears while the Tour Guide gives them the story of the "huddled masses" ("hey- is that an alien?").

This leads to a chase up the Statue of Liberty, with the tourists enacting the old "Pitchforks & Torches" stereotype, but when they ask for torches, they have to use the cheap plastic ones from the SOUVENIR SHOP, then lighting THOSE on fire. Great bit. Doctor Axel is a funny character, too- always responding in shouts with "man!" interspersed throughout his dialogue (like "Pay attention, man! This is serious!" or "you're endangering the entire planet, man!"). Jim's group of Human Anomalies (a support group of freaks) is a bit one-note and has little to do (Raquel the Rat-faced Girl has about two lines and her only real moment of action is when she effortlessly beats the hell out of the henchmen with World Warrior-level martial arts feats).

But the best supporting characters are the Henchmen of the Evil Government Guy. They're initially just generic Mooks, but as they get more crap thrown at them on their mission, they start to bond... then run off to a cabin together... then talk about their feelings and their dreams... and then in the first-season finale, they have a romantic gay kiss under the moonlight ("We're alive. And I feel pretty good about that."). As a teen, I thought it was the funniest goddamned thing I'd ever seen to see two henchmen become GAY FOR EACH OTHER, and I was actually disappointed when the next episode had them have a fight during a Jerry Springer-esque talk show and presumably break up (keep in mind this was when I was fourteen, which is likely at the peak of most kids' homophobia).

The initial seven-parter is about Jim & Roy teaming up against an alien invasion, and it's essentially a Macguffin Hunt to gather the pieces of a machine to stop it. After it was joined by the cartoon adaptation of "The Maxx" (a show that always confused the bejiggers out of me), there were another seven episodes dealing with more mundane topics (and gaining some characterization for the Anomalies), but I found it a lot more mediocre without a real plot to focus on, and it didn't last much longer. I think it aired on MuchMusic in Canada (we never got MTV), which was odd, because at the time, it was unusual for non-music stuff to ever air on that station.

JIM
Played by:
Jason Candler
Role: Ordinary Guy Hero
Group Affiliations: The Human Anomalies
PL 4 (59)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Freakishly-Oversized Head"
Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach 2) [5]
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Roy) [1]
"Head Pocket" Features 1: Can Fit Things in his Head [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Giant Head +3 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Saving The Earth)- By luck, Jim has been chosen to resist the impending invasion.
Relationship (Roy)- Despite the inconvenience of having an alien living in his head, Jim comes to appreciate his new friend. Jim helps Roy out on his mission, and Roy teaches Jim to be more forthright and honest. Prior to this, Jim was a quiet, shy outsider.
Prejudice (Freak)- Jim has a head that effectively doubles his height- this makes him recognizable and weird to others.
Relationship (Madelyn)- Jim had a big crush on the girl in his Arc Welding class, and eventually asked her out. She saw through his deformity, and the two fell in love.
Responsibility (Poor Student)- Thought quite bright, Jim doesn't pay attention in a lot of his classes- he's unable to help Roy out on most scientific ventures because of this. It's a major triumphant moment when Jim reveals that he was in a Nuclear Chemistry course... "And I PAYED ATTENTION!"
Accident (Giant Head)- Jim's head can cause him to strike low ceilings, fall down after trying to enter rooms, and any other thing requiring a smaller cubic volume. When he loses the Giant Head upon Roy being captured, he cannot even walk properly without a giant weight attached to his head.
Power Loss (All Powers)- If Roy is captured, Jim loses the Head and all of his assorted Powers.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 7 (59)

-Jim is kind of quirky and weird- basically being the sort of Mediocre College Student archetype, he stares strangely at people (the animation style causes a lot of wide, intense stares in general) and talks in this very stoic, bored-sounding speech pattern. It's part of what gives "The Head" it's odd energy. He's intially quite mediocre and a loner, but soon gains confidence in himself and becomes a truly inventive hero.

ROY
Played by:
Jason Candler
Role: Friendly Alien
Group Affiliations: The Human Anomalies
PL 6 (116)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+7)
Athletics 6 (+11)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+12)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+6)
Technology 5 (+10)
Vehicles 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Powers:
"Stretching Limbs" Reach 1 [1]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Movement 1 (Slow Fall) [2]
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Jim) [1]
"Flashes" Remote Sensing 6 (Visual Senses) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [6]

"Brain Massage"
Affliction 4 (Fort; Entranced/Stunned) (Flaws: Grab-Based, Limited Degree) [1]
Senses 4 (Postcognition) (Flaws: Limited to Memories of Others) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Saving The Earth)
Enemy (Gork)- Gork is leading the invasion of his people, and Roy is alone in stopping him until Jim comes along.
Relationship (Jim)- Jim helps Roy out on his mission (and help acclimate him to Earth), and Roy teaches Jim to be more forthright and honest.
Prejudice (Alien)- Roy is an alien, and without his sunglasses, will draw undue attention from human beings.
Relationship (Mona)- The beautiful Human Anomaly appears totally normal, but has a tiny tail. Since Roy has one too, he doesn't mind, and the two soon begin having... uh... whatever he's doing when he massages her brain.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 8 (116)

-Roy is the alien living inside Jim's head, and is a more sarcastic, playful character. He's inquisitive and a bit weird, especially when he starts flirting with Mona from his Human Anomaly support group. He's a much better fighter than anyone else in the show, and is able to knock people 20 feet with his punches and even push someone's head through a brick wall.

GORK
Played by:
Unknown
Role: Evil Alien, Mind-Possesser
Group Affiliations: The Evil Empire
PL 6 (133)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+9)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+12)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+6)
Technology 5 (+10)
Vehicles 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Powers:
"Stretching Limbs" Reach 1 [1]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Movement 1 (Slow Fall) [2]

"Brain Possession" Mind Control 8 (Feats: Accurate 2) (Extras: Sustained +2) (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Instant Recovery) (Quirks: Only Humans, Noticeable- Giant Head) Linked to Morph 1 (Flaws: Limited to Giant-Headed Form, Attack Only +0) (26) -- [29]
AE: Blast 5 (10)
AE: Move Object 5 (10)
AE: Mind Control 2 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Distracting, Touch Range -2) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasts +6 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Taking Over The World)
Enemy (Roy)- Gork is leading the invasion of his people, and Roy is alone in stopping him until Jim comes along.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 34 / Defenses: 8 (133)

-Gork is the Evil Alien, and has a few different powers, such as the ability to Possess Others with his own version of the "Go Inside Someone's Head" thing.

THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS:

-Here's a little film I saw when I was thirteen years old or so, but forgot most of it (I don't even think I got to the end). I liked parts of it, but found the music a bit tiresome and didn't think much of it. Years later, I would rediscover the BRILLIANT opening "Downtown (Skid Row)", and finally set out to re-watch the film. And yes... it is AWESOME. I have an appreciation for Motown these days (one of my favourite types of music), a lot of it is HILARIOUS (my favourite scene is where the evil plant phones Audrey to come to the shop so she can be murdered... then checks the pay phone's coin return tray to see if there's any change in it. It's just freaking hilarious to me that someone would think to add that bit, especially his nonplussed reaction), and the whole thing overall is quite exellent- funny dark comedy mixed with amazing puppetry (Frank Oz, the voice of Yoda, Fozzy Bear & Miss Piggy, does the work here) and great music.

It was originally a 1960 Black Comedy by Roger Corman, but got remade (since all musicals are adaptations) as a musical, produced for an Off-Broadway production by a duo named Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who would of course later change the course of our collective childhoods when they took over the musical chores of basically EVERY GOOD DISNEY FILM OF THE NINETIES, from "The Little Mermaid" and onwards, until Ashman's death in 1992-ish. It soon moved to Broadway after breaking records for an Off-Broadway performance, and got a feature film release in 1986 (which is a pretty short time for a Musical-To-Film adaptation), using then-famous Rick Moranis as the lead, with Ellen Greene reprising her role as Audrey.

Despite being set in the 1960s, it's got a very 1980s feel, thanks to the current stars Moranis, Steve Martin (as the evil dentist) and Bill Murray (in a small role that some people inflate because they LOVE Murray's style of laid-back, improvised humour). Aside from the fantastic "Downtown (Skid Row)", the best part is when the three narrator girls are stalking around Seymour & Mr. Mushnik, while he contemplates murdering his boss. The whole "come on, come on..." chorus going on with the dark music is amazing stuff.

The film famously changed the ending (in which Audrey II the evil plant kills the leads and takes over the world) after it tested abominably in test-screenings, and truth be told, I kinda like it more that way. Of course, that's because THESE DAYS the "Downer Ending" is even more cliche than the "Disney Ending" is. Cynical Hollywood & video game makers have totally burned me on the whole "haw haw, there aren't always happy endings!" thing, so I dunno how I would have taken the dark comedy of the original ending (Frank Oz points out that you can kill the leads in a play because they still get to take a bow at the end... you can't do that in a film- even he agrees that they had to change it, because NO audience liked it). The movie got a DVD re-release in the past little while, putting the original ending in colour (Stephen Colbert also asked Oz "What is it like to be famous only for a character you play?").

SEYMOUR KRELBORN
Played by:
Rick Moranis (film), Lee Wilkof (Off-Broadway)
Role: Nerdy Loser
PL 1 (18), PL 3 (18) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+2)
Expertise (Botany) 7 (+7)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+3)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation ("There's Gotta Be A Way Outta Skid Row")- Seymour longs to get out of the cesspool that is Skid Row.
Relationship (Audrey)- The only thing Seymour cares about is Audrey, the beautiful girl who works at the same flower shop he does.
Responsibility (The Flower Shop)- Seymour was pulled from the streets as an orphan by Mr. Mushnik, who treats him like dirt (and calls him a slob), but at least puts a roof over his head, crust of bread, and a job. Despite the abuse, Seymour longs for acceptance, and is even prepared to accept Mushnik's offer to adopt him and rename the store "Mushnik & Son".
Responsibility (Low Self-Esteem)- Seymour thinks he's a slob, and accepts that he's mediocre and can't get a woman like Audrey. This fancy new plant he found may be the one thing that can help him out in this life.
Secret (Audrey II)- Though the plant soon becomes famous, Seymour hides it's true secrets from everyone- it is sentient and bloodthirsty, and he must soon commit murders to feed the plant and keep himself in business.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (18)

-Seymour is your classic Nerdy Hero, and he even gets the girl in the end, but they certainly don't shy away from the tendency of "nice guys" like him to be mediocre wusses who let people walk all over them. Rick Moranis (who can't sing, and thus "sing-talks" through the film- I assume most Broadway performers are better at it). He's a lowly Flower Shop employee out looking for odd plants when an alien light shines in the sky, and a tiny plant

AUDREY
Played by:
Ellen Greene (film & play)
Role: Miss Fanservice, Nice Girl With a Bad Boyfriend
PL 0 (11), PL 2 (11) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 1 (+2, +4 Attractive)
Expertise (Botany) 2 (+1)
Expertise (Singing) 8 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+4, +6 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Seymour)- Audrey secretly longs for Seymour, but believes that a rotten girl like her could never land a nice boy like him.
Relationship (Orin Scrivello)- Audrey's boyfriend is the sadistic, monstrous dentist, who frequently beats her and makes her wear slutty outfits. She thinks he's all she'll ever get, and so puts up with his abuse.
Motivation ("There's Gotta Be A Way Outta Skid Row")- Audrey wants to get away from the bad boys and bad neighborhoods of Skid Row, and find herself a nice place.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (11)

-Audrey is the brainless bimbo of the film, and an unusual heroine- most movies portray the sweet girl with the "I Want" song as a kind, gentle soul who is brilliant and not appreciated enough, but the creators made her an idiot. Even dumber than most horror movie heroines, in fact. She's still gentle and underappreciated, though.

ORIN SCRIVELLO, D.D.S.
Played by:
Steve Martin (film), Frank Luz (Off-Broadway)
Role: Deprived Dentist, Leader of the Pack, Bad Boyfriend
PL 3 (52)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Dentistry) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Singing) 5 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 1 (+2)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Dentist), Equipment 2 (Motorcycle)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Audrey)- Orin's main squeeze is Audrey, though he beats her frequently.
Obsession (Sadism)- Orin's sole motivation in life is to cause pain. He has a sexual obsession with suffering, and thus chose the natural profession- Dentistry. He uses little anaesthetic, performs unnecessary surgery, and even hurts his girlfriend.
Addiction (Nitrous Oxide)- Orin was sucking on nitrous when Seymour invaded his office. When Seymour couldn't go through with murder, Orin sticking the gas on "On" did the job anyways.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (52)

-Orin was an inspired gesture- the iconic, never-surpassed Deprived Dentist- an obsessive lunatic who loves to hurt people. And what better profession for a sadistic monster? You get to cut people up all day long, in one of their most sensitive areas. I'm sure real dentists hate the fact that this movie and others REVEL in the glory of painting this much-maligned profession with such a nasty brush, but as an Anti-Dentite myself, I approve of it. The first time I went outside the box and got a local dentist instead of my "family friend" hometown dentist, they took one look at my job's good dental coverage and tried to shove THREE-THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of fillings & caps onto me (the former dentist downgraded it to two caps, at a much better price), so UP YOURS, DENTISTRY!!
-Steve Martin was at his jerky best here- he's actually much better at these roles than the "befuddled husband" types he usually plays, likely thanks to his alleged real-life propensity for being a douchebag. The whole "Dentist" song, about revelling in pain and suffering, is hilarious, especially with those "mouth's eye views" of him drilling and stabbing at people's teeth & gums. He's got a fairly small part in the movie, stealing the scenes entirely, before Seymour indirectly does him in.

AUDREY II (Tooie)
Played by:
Levi Stubbs & Frank Oz (film), Ron Taylor & Martin P. Robinson (Off-Broadway)
Role: Killer Plant-Monster
PL 8 (118)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Singing) 9 (+12)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+8, +10 Size)
Perception 8 (+9)

Advantages:
Benefit (Ambidexterity), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Startle, Taunt

Powers:
"Large Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
"Plant" Immunity 1 (Heat) [1]
"Vines" Extra Limbs 8 [8]
"Ensnarement" Snare 6 [18]
"Many Faces" Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]
Regeneration 4 (Flaws: Source- Blood) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Taking Over The World)- Audrey II wants to grow & multiply, with his cuttings growing up to help take over the world.
Secret ("Mean Green Mother From Outer-Space")- Audrey II comes from outer space.
Weakness (Lack of Blood)- Audrey II needs blood to survive- he will quickly wilt if left without it.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 41 / Defenses: 12 (118)

-Audrey II was a wonder of engineering and puppeteering, though a bit tricky to get just right. To make him "talk", they had a ton of people moving his lips & head around. But they moved too slowly, and so the team SPED UP footage of the puppet, and had the actors pantomime their lines very slowly, so they'd look like they were all moving at normal time. The plant ends up convincing Seymour to commit murder, then begins trying to commit several more, then taking over the entire planet with his various spawn.

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Crushing Pin, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Powerpuff Girls & Pushing Daisies

Post by Jabroniville »

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS
Created By:
Craig McCracken
First Appearance: The Whoopass Girls
Role: Super-Cute Paragons
Group Affiliations: The Powerpuff Girls
PL 13 (230)
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA 15 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Aerobatics 7 (+11)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 3 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Takedown, Teamwork, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
Flight 15 (64,000 mph) (30) -- [31]
AE: Speed 15 (64,000 mph) (15)

Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]
"Super Vision" Senses 6 (Extended Vision, Infravision, Vision Penetrates Concealment 4) [6]
Immunity 6 (Suffocation 2, Heat, Cold, Pressure, Vacuum) [6]
Power-Lifting 4 (6,000 tons) [4]

"Speed Feats & PPG Powers"
"Heat Vision" Blast 14 (Feats: Accurate, Precise, Increased Range) (31) -- [33]
AE: "Ice Breath" Snare 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (30)
AE: "Flight Line" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line for 12 Ranks +2) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ice Breath +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Flight Line +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Heat Vision +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +16

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +15, Fortitude +15, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Justice)- The Powerpuff Girls are devoted to protecting The City of Townsville.
Enemy (Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkin, Princess Morbucks, HIM, The Gangreen Gang, Sedusa)
Relationship (Professor Utonium)
Relationship (Each Other)
Power Loss (Full Power)- As comedy superheroes, the Powerpuff Girls are only ever two PLs above their current opponent, generally dropping Strength and Toughness to stay down- weaker characters like The Gangreen Gang (little more than PL 5 Thugs) are thus a bit of a threat.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 82 / Defenses: 13 (230)

Individual Girls:
BLOSSOM- PL 13 (243):
Intellect 3, Presence 4, Eidetic Memory, Leadership, Danger Sense [13]
BUBBLES- PL 13 (238): Comprehend Animals & Languages 2, AE of Main Powers: "Supersonic Wail" Burst Area Damage 12, AE: Dazzle Audio 12 (Extras: Area- Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) [8]
BUTTERCUP- PL 13 (238): All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent, Features: Can Curl Her Tongue, Intimidation 4 (+8), Flight 17 (125,000 mph) [8]

-The Powerpuff Girls was really, REALLY popular for a time in the late '90s/early 2000s, then kind of vanished from sight. Created by CalArts artist Craig McCracken from a short he made called Whoopass Stew, it was about three adorable, giant-eyed little girls who were actually SUPER-POWERFUL, ass-kicking Flying Bricks who frequently battled Giant Monsters, Mad Scientists, a Cross-Dressing Devil, and more. It was one of the first cartoons to use little side-glances and "Adult Humor" that only older viewers would get, making it quite popular with the older crowd- other shows of the time did the same sort of thing (Dexter's Laboratory, but I couldn't handle that show thanks to the annoying damn sister character), but PPG was unique. Plus there was that episode that was nothing but soul-achingly terrible puns about The Beatles :).
-Of course, the best part was the incongruous nature of these tiny little girls being kick-ass action heroes- humor is often derived from contradicitions and subversions of what is expected, after all. The show had 78 episodes, an anime spin-off, and even a FEATURE FILM RELEASE, and ended in 2005. However, the movie did poorly, and there years later, when McCracken decided he'd done enough with the series, that was the end. He moved on to Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends and Wander Over Yonder (despite his pedigree, I've never watched either show). For some reason, the Powerpuff Girls had very little longevity in terms of pop culture- it hit big and first, but largely-vanished after the film came out. I think the stink of that bomb (barely made its budget back) kind of wore down the entire franchise, which is why most cartoons no longer try that (a Samurai Jack film was cancelled around this time).
-The girls were created when Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice were mixed together by Professor Utonium in order to create "The perfect little girls". However, he accidentally introduced a FOURTH ingredient into the mix- a Can of Whoopass! (this was changed to Chemical X in the actual animated series) The Powerpuff Girls are born, and are adopted by the Professor, becoming the defenders of The City of Townsville against various enemies: The Professor's old lab monkey, now a super-intelligent world-conqueror with a Doom-like penchant for speaking in the third person called Mojo Jojo; The Gangreen Gang- a gang of vertigreed hoodlums; Princess Morbucks- a rich Daddy's Girl with a Powersuit and a grudge against the girls for not letting her join the group; Fuzzy Lumpkin- a giant hillbilly; The Rowdyruff Boys- Mojo's gang of male versions of the girls, with greater power but a vulnerability to Cooties and other girly things; Sedusa- a seductress with living hair; and HIM- an extremely creepy genderfluid creature with an alarmingly high-pitched voice that also resembles Satan.
-The girls have very distinct personalities- Blossom is smart and the leader, but bossy and a bit boring. Buttercup is the "toughest fighter", always going all-out, but she's also gruff and easily-agitated. Blossom is totally adorbz and has the cutest little girl voice ever, but is extremely emotional and prone to bouts of crying. They have slightly-different powers at times, but the fairly-random continuity means they can pop up with random abilities here and there (Tornado Generation, Lightning Blasts, etc.)- eventually, all three use Ice Breath, when it was a plot point in one episode that only BLOSSOM could have that ability (Bubbles' ability to speak Spanish- "Si!"- is expanded to include near-full Comprehend Languages & Animals).
-Their Power Level is quite high, though given the humorous nature of the series, rather varies- Giant Monsters require all three girls, and many enemies are able to pummel them or cause damage in spite of them occasionally lifting MOUNTAINS, flying through lava like it's water, and surviving missile explosions. So I threw in a Complication that limited their strength to 2 levels higher than their current foes. Their flight varies from "really fast" to "Beyond Light Speed", and they can even fly in space- they've been seen running so fast they can demolish BUILDINGS, and even crack open the Earth's crust- some of this is more on-offy than others.

PUSHING DAISIES:
-This is a short-lived (two 12-episode seasons) TV series by Brian "I write weird crap" Fuller, and was a pretty solid hit for ABC the year it came out, but was killed by the huge gaps between episodes caused by the Writer's Strike (over writers' profits from DVD sales)- the ratings couldn't maintain their previous level after the gap, and the series became the highest-profile show killed by the Strike. This phenomenal little show was done like a Dark Comedy/Fairy Tale- a story about a humble Piemaker who was born with the gift to raise the dead... but only for sixty seconds. Should that time elapse, another will die in their place. And should he ever touch that person/animal/thing again, they will die AGAIN, this time forever. Sound weird? Well there's more. He brings his first crush back to life, and forms a joint venture with a Private Detective/Pop-Up Book Expert, actually reviving the dead victims of violent crime and ASKING them who killed them. This leads to ludicrous amounts of grotesque dark humor (a lady who falls dead onto a lighthouse spotlight and MELTS; a woman stung to death by bees, leaving her a giant mass of oozing bumps, etc.), funny lines, musical numbers, whodunits, etc., all with a bizarre outlook on scenery and dialogue. Such a tragedy it only lasted 24 episodes (ALL OF THEM GOOD amazingly).

The Characters:
The Piemaker- Ned, a sensitive artist-type with few social skills and a penchant for nervousness. Has the ability to raise the dead (but only for 60 seconds; he has to touch them again to send them back, lest someone ELSE of equal value die in their place). After his mother died (twice), he was sent away by his absentee father to lead a lonely life in a school for boys, and grew into a Piemaker in a pie shop. Loves the Girl Named Chuck dearly, but cannot touch her any longer, lest she die again. Refuses to let out his secret ability, lest he be hunted down by frightened people.
Emerson Cod- A cynical, hard-bitten Detective, who discovers The Piemaker's ability, then drags him into being Private Detectives together- they split the money as their dead victims return to life and "finger" their killers. Longs for his missing daughter, and her Femme Fatale mother.
A Girl Named Chuck- Charlotte Charles is a dreamy, breezy girl with a lust for life... but dies in the first episode. Returned to life, she falls in love with The Piemaker, but they can never touch. Her father was the first person killed because The Piemaker didn't return someone to life (in his defense, it was his own mother). This causes issues later.
Charlotte's Aunts- Lily & Vivian Charles are Charlotte's insular, shut-in Aunts, terrified of the outside world. They mourn Chuck's loss deeply (she can't reveal to them that she's alive, lest The Piemaker's secret come out). Lily is a cynical, sarcastic grouch, while Vivian is weepy and constantly-frightened.
Olive Snook- The pint-sized only other employee of The Pie Hole. Loves The Piemaker, but befriends Chuck. Generally gets roped into their detective stories. Was also a jockey. And is played by Kristin Chenoweth.

The show has a unique form all its own- people talk in weird dialogue (except for Emerson), there's a narrator who always uses full names or weird nicknames, brutal murders, random detective stories (providing a good "Monster of the Week"-type of thing, like most cop shows do), and incredible, colorful set design. Generally, the plots start with Emerson finding a client and trying to solve a murder- he brings The Piemaker to the morgue, bribes the coroner ("mmm-HMMMM..."), and brings the murder victim back to life for sixty seconds, at which point The Piemaker must touch them again, returning them to death. With the information gleaned in their sixty seconds, the two, plus Chuck & Olive (who isn't in on The Piemaker's secret), research and uncover the facts (the murder victims are usually unable to give them proper information- one guy's "Wife did it". Turns out he's a polygamist. That kind of thing).

Running themes include: Ned trying to keep his secret. Emerson searching for his missing daughter, who was taken from him by his criminal Ex. Chuck & The Piemaker being in love, but unable to touch. Olive lusting for The Piemaker, who first doesn't get it, then avoids it, then maybe kind of gets it but feels guilty about it. Chuck's Aunts being too afraid to leave their home, and trying to deal with the modern world.

It could be a bit "Quirky For the Sake of Quirky", but maintains its sense of humor throughout, plus has enough violence and murder to prevent all the shiny colors from making things too silly. And of the twenty-four episodes, there's not a weak one in the lot- very, VERY few shows could maintain that kind of a ratio in quality (thanks to the long runs of most American series). The key issue is probably the fact that it's not "New Viewer Friendly". The complexities of Ned's powers are bad enough, but then you get into the fact that he can't touch Chuck or his Dog again, Olive is out of the loop, Lily is Charlotte's mother but is hiding it from everyone, Chuck can't reveal herself to her Aunts, and everyone's keep secrets from everyone else. Some gags are only understandable if you're familiar with every aspect of the series.

The Top Ten Moments in Pushing Daisies:
1) The Darling Mermaid Darlings' big rivals do their aqua-dance, one of them doing a giant leap... and a giant Great White Shark makes its own at the same time. Has to be seen to be believed.
2) A clown crashes his van, and is killed. The police and coroners are called, and cart away a dead clown in a body bag. And another. And another. And another. And...
3) Kristen Chenoweth's Olive Snook singing Hopelessly Devoted, then The Bangles' Eternal Flame, on separate occasions. The tiny lady packs one HELL of a voice.
4) The Piemaker searches a rich man's den for a lost note, only to walk through the door and find a roof PACKED with taxidermied animals. Not the kind of place he & his "magic touch" want to be.
5) Lily Charles is choked "to death" by the same man who murdered Chuck over a lost statuette. When he tries the same to The Piemaker, Lily comes back into the picture, says "I can hold my breath a REAL LONG TIME" and calmly blows him away with a huge shotgun, sending him crashing through a window to his death.
6) The mother of a man Olive is partially responsible for the death of thanks her for "not marrying" out of regret. When Olive, annoyed, questions how the woman knew she wasn't married, and the woman looks at Olive's impressive cleavage and says "You don't hang bait like THAT with a belly full of fish".
7) An obvious Colonel Sanders knock-off is found fried to death in his own vat of chicken-seasoning. Ned revives him & does the sixty-second questioning. At the very end, the man excitedly realizes he can now find out what he'd taste like chicken-fried. And then DOES.
8.) The entire gang is COMPLETELY screwed, trapped in a sunflower-powered car that will engage in a Crash Test against a brick wall thanks to the villain's death trap. Except that Emerson Cod had revealed his nervous tic of constantly-knitting just earlier, and thus whips out a knitting needle, freeing them from their body-bags and takes control of the car.
9) Dwight Dixon, an old friend of Chuck & Ned's fathers, has sinister motives regarding some lost lockets. Seeking to murder Ned & Chuck via sniper scope, he waits just a little too long, and dies because Chuck secretly allowed her 20-years-dead father to live (she slid a glove on his hand when Ned came to 'touch him back'), thus taking an equivalent life. We of course didn't discover this until the next episode, after wondering what became of the guy. It was an AMAZING reveal.
10) The sudden, last-minute reveal at episode's end that NED'S VANISHED FATHER is the one who saved Ned & Olive from certain death, not Chuck's father, as they thought. It never got dealt with before the show was cancelled via the Writer's Strike.

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"I prefer being a tightly-wound person, rather than some sort of shapeless mass with room for surprises."

THE PIEMAKER (Ned)
Played By:
Lee Pace
Role: The Main Character, Awkward Guy
PL 20 (129)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Close Combat (Swords) 2 (+2)
Deception 5 (+4)
Gather Information 2 (+2)
Expertise (Piemaker) 13 (+14)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+3)
Insight 2 (+2)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Perception 3 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+3)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Minion 2 (Digby)

Powers:
"Return the Dead to Life"
Summon 10 (Extras: Heroic +2, Variable +2- Any Living Creature, Multiple Minions +4, Continuous) (Flaws: Requires Corpse, Multiple Requires Multiple Corpses, Summon Retains Injuries From Death, Limited to Corpses He's Not Touched Before) [70]

"If 60 Seconds Passes, Another Must Die in Their Place"
Weaken Stamina 20 (Feats: Triggered- Sixty Seconds After Resurrection) (Extras: Area- 250ft Burst +4) (Flaws: Must Bring the Dead to Life First -2, Must Be Equivalent in Scale to the Corpse, Uncontrolled- Automatic & Random Person Selected) [21]

"Ripens Dead Fruit" Transform 2 (Dead Things to Fresh Things) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Death Aura +20 Area (+20 Weaken, DC 30)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Chuck)- Ned has loved The Girl Called Chuck ever since they were children, and their long absence has only made his heart grow fonder. Unfortunately, thanks to his powers resurrecting her, they are unable to ever touch again, left Chuck become a corpse once more.
Relationship (Olive Snook)- Ned and Olive have been co-workers for years, and Ned has avoided her sexual advances (despite her being played by Kristin Chenoweth). However, with his relationship with Chuck being forcibly-platonic, he occasionally gets little pangs of jealousy. "I'm only sorry you never looked at me like like you look at Chuck!" "... I wouldn't say never."
---
Responsibility (Introverted)- After his mother's death (and Resurrection and second death), and his father's abandonment, Ned decided that human relationships were not worthwhile. He avoids personal relations, and is intensely introverted and quirky.
Responsibility (The Pie Hole)- Ned's life work rests in his pie-shaped corner shop. He needs to work as a detective to pay the bills, despite having only one other employee.
Responsibility (Emerson Cod's Detective Agency)- The Piemaker has allied with Emerson Cod to utilize his powers to solve mysteries. The two are wildly different in style, lifestyle and temperment.
Secret (Can Bring the Dead to Life)- The Piemaker greatly fears the discovery of his secret. "Ever since I was a kid, I'd have this dream where somebody would find out what I could do. It starts off with lots of ice cream and balloons, and ends in a small white room where little bits are cut out of me until there's nothing left to cut."
Hatred (Halloween)- Ned has hated Halloween ever since he discovered his father having started a new father while disguised as a ghost one All Hallow's Eve.
---
Quirk (No Pies)- Ned cannot eat the pies he makes by touching rotten fruit and making it fresh again- one bite, and they'll turn rotten in his mouth.
Power Loss (Summon)- Corpses reanimated by Ned will die if he touches them again.
Power Loss (Summon)- It has to be skin-to-skin contact to work, even the "They Die Again" touch effect. This ends up being a GOOD thing, however, as he & Chuck can make out in Beekeeper Suits or using cellophane wrap.
Power Quirk (Summon)- Any Corpse Ned touches will automatically come to life, even if he didn't intend it. This can cause an issue if he's, say, entered a room filled with a Taxidermist's creations.
Enemy (Father)- Ned despises his father for abandoning him- a particularly harsh memory is the day he played hooky from school to visit his dad's new home... only to discover he'd started a NEW family, without Ned.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 95 / Defenses: 7 (129)

Image

DIGBY
Role:
Family Pet
PL 2 (19) Combat, PL 3 (19) Defenses- Minion Rank 2, Sidekick Rank 4
Normal Version:
PL 1
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+2)
Perception 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 2 (9 mph) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Reanimated Corpse" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Natural Weapons +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dogs cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.
Relationship (Ned)- Digby is extremely close to Ned, who has owned him for years. However, since Ned cannot touch him, Digby sometimes gets neurotic.
Weakness- Dogs are utterly incapable of lying. Their entire body reflects their current mood. Just watch them if you notice your lamp is broken, and you will know who did it.
Weakness (The Piemaker's Touch)- If Ned touches Digby again, the dog will instantly die. Somehow, Digby understands this.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 3 (20)

-So Ned here is the main character, a shy lad who was sent away to boarding school after his mother's death. This is made more tragic because after she died of a brain aneurysm, he brought her back, only to accidentally kill his girlfriend's father because of the aforementioned "60 Seconds" rule (it was, in fact, how he learned about that rule). Then she died ANYWAYS because she kissed him goodnight, touching him a second time (ditto about THAT rule, too). So it's no wonder he's withdrawn and doesn't like conflict or emotions much. And talks funny. And doesn't understand that his co-worker Olive Snook is in love with him.
-Ned is basically dragged into the detective game when Emerson Cod discovers his powers, ends up resurrecting his dead childhood love (and keeps her alive- it's only luck that the person killed was a crooked funeral home director), hooks up with her despite being unable to touch her ever again ("there's a weird mask"), befriends her bereaved Aunts, admits he's responsible for her father's death, discovers that Olive is in love with him, finds himself being attracted to her and thus guilty, etc. He's a complicated guy.
-Ned's got a pretty weird, complex power. He technically is very powerful, being able to kill ANYONE within 250 feet of him (widest range we see, I believe), even accidentally, but he's never used it offensively in the show. In fact, on only a couple instances has any human ever died of it, since he's very careful to touch whatever he revives within the sixty second timespan (he carries a stopwatch). Otherwise, he's a very mediocre main character, having few non-Pie-based skills, usually focusing on minor-level detective work. He's just a foot-man for Emerson Cod most of the time, with his one trick only being used a couple times.
-Lee Pace was VERY good in this role- it's a difficult thing to play a character who is both introverted and intensely-complex. He had to play someone who was trying to withhold emotions he DEFINITELY felt. Unfortunately, his career has never really exploded. His career has mainly been minor roles or failed series (like this one), plus something in The Hobbit series, and playing Ronan the Accuser in The Guardians of the Galaxy- quite the bizarre casting, considering Ronan is Ned's opposite in every single way. Unfortunately AGAIN, that role wasn't really a star-making one- he had very little face time, was completely disguised for the whole thing, and was arguably the least-utilized villain in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, just being some Generic Evil Extremist who was both one-upped by another villain (Thanos) in leadership, and was given the least to do.
-So yeah, the Summon Power gets used, but with some weird Limits & Extras put on it. It required a lot of thought, as it doesn't really match a lot of standard M&M stuff- Healing/Resurrection doesn't work, as it can only affect people who've been dead shorter than your Healing Rank- Ned can resurrect people who've been dead for DECADES. So it's basically a quirky Summon- the reanimated people retain full Character Status like Chuck (Heroic), he can resurrect anything that was once alive (Variable 2), and often in semi-large groups (call it Multiple 4- I won't count the Fireflies or Birds he's reanimated in large groups as one Summon each), and anyone resurrected stays alive eternally (Digby has been reanimated for nineteen years). There are numerous flaws- it requires a corpse to work (I include a flaw in the Multiple for this as well- seems fair), the Summons retain any injuries from death (which can often be rather debilitating- Chuck's father is decayed and rotten, one woman was half-melted, and another was a mess of bee stings), and he can never resurrect the same person twice. A pretty expensive power, but what the hell.
-For the DEATH effect, it oddly ends up cheaper- it's Triggered to go off after sixty seconds, and affects anyone in a large Area, but several things keep it cheap. First, there has to be a dead body around, AND he has to resurrect it (a -2 Flaw). The death resulting has to be in equivalent scale to the corpse resurrected- he can't just resurrect dead bugs and kill people (equivalents are generally person-for-person, flower-for-fruit, or frog-for-bird). And it's also Uncontrolled- he can't STOP it, and he can't control the person affected (this means he could never try it when he's around Emerson, Chuck or Olive). So this one's only 21 points, despite being a massive +20 Area Effect (nobody ever SAVES against it, and it's implied to be impossible, so a DC 30 Fortitude Save probably isn't too much to ask). The whole shebang has a few Complications- his Summons end when he touches them, and he'll resurrect ANYTHING he touches. He's also a half-decent dueler, since he watched Star Wars a lot as a kid.

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THE GIRL CALLED CHUCK (Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, aka "Dead Girl", Katherine "Kitty" Pimms)
Played By:
Anna Friel
Role: Cheery Girl
PL 1 (39)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+5)
Expertise (History) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Beekeeper) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Piemaker) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Several), Well-Informed

Powers:
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (The Piemaker)- Chuck's first love was the young Ned, but he moved away for years. They reconnected after she died and he resurrected her, but the relationship is fraught with complications. First off, he killed her dad. So there's that.
Relationship (Charles Charles- Father)- Chuck's father has been resurrected by Ned, and Chuck kept him alive (despite dooming someone nearby... thankfully it was someone about to murder her). He is protective of her, and dislikes Ned (for, you know, killing him).
Relationship (Lily & Vivian- Aunts)- Chuck spent years being responsible for her shut-in, depression-laden Aunts Lily & Vivian. Her death left them alone (though they sometimes hang out with Olive), which hurts incredibly-badly, as Ned's secret can't get out, and thus she can't reveal that she's still alive. It's made WORSE by the fact that she's discovered that Lily was in fact her BIRTH MOTHER.
Relationship (Olive Snook)- Chuck & Olive become good buddies, despite both being in love with the same man. And both knowing it.
Weakness (The Piemaker's Touch)- If Ned ever touches her again, she will die.
Secret (Alive Again)- If Chuck's nature is discovered, Ned's secret will come out, and bad things may happen. As a result, she has to avoid her Aunts (which hurts her dearly), and has issues with Mr. LeNez, a "smelling" specialist who somehow smells the death on her.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 6 (39)

-"Chuck", as she's known by the Pushing Daisies, is played by big-eyed English actress Anna Friel, faking an American accent with great skill (but seriously, what the hell is it with all these big-eyed & mouthed actresses running around now? Is that the new stereotype for pretty? Friel, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanell, Natalie Portman, etc! Hollywood is SO WEIRD with that. In the '90s, it was all Pamela Anderson Clones. Now it's Human Bushbabies). She's the loving, caring daughter of the man Ned accidentally killed, and is brought back to life by his magic finger. Alas, though they quickly fall in love all over again in her second life, she's unable to ever touch him again, lest she fall dead forever. They try not to let it get to them, but various events in the show prove that they long to touch once more, but they can make do with saran wrap, plastic suits and (implied) masturbation while the other watches (told you this show had a weird sense of humor). Her cheeriness counteracts Ned's nervousness, and Emerson's cynicism.
-Anna Friel, like Lee Pace, has had a pretty small career. Biggest things he's been in has been Land of the Lost, which was one of Will Ferrell's first big disappointments. She keeps busy, though- she's in a handful of projects per year.
-Chuck is arguably the "dead weight" of the group in a lot of ways, not having Ned's magic touch or Cod's detective skills, but she's got the ability to come up with random useful information, thanks to a long life with her shut-in Aunts, stuck reading all sorts of books, giving her adequate Advantages to bring up any kind of skill or information she needs. Also, she's a master of languages, to the surprise of the rest of the cast. And yes, she has the Weakness that if Ned touches her skin-to-skin, she'll die instantly (and forever this time), but as a bonus, she's immune to the effects of Aging, and will never get older than she is right now, as seen by the dog, Digby, living for at least twenty years by this point. Her cheery nature actually makes her better at bluffing than the men in the group, and some of their undercover work just demands a woman.

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LILY CHARLES
Played By:
Swoosie Kurtz
Role: The Caustic Cynic, The Alcoholic
PL 5 (24)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 8 (+8) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Intimidation 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Shotgun), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"I Can Hold My Breath a REAL Long Time" Enhanced Advantages: Second Chance (Dying By Asphyxiation) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Shotgun +4 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Secret ("I'm Charlotte's MOTHER")- Lily is actually the mother of Chuck, not her maternal Aunt.
Relationship (Vivian- Sister)- Lily & Vivian have been each other's only companion since Chuck died. They seem to get along, though Lily finds Vivian's air-headedness annoying.
Disabled (Depression & Anxiety)- Lily & Vivian feel that they cannot leave the home. This ended their careers as The Darling Mermaid Darlings.
Disabled (One Eye)- Lily lost her right eye after getting cat litter in it. This generally isn't a major issue, but it can cause her to miss important details that are RIGHT in front of her...
Addiction (Alcohol)- She's almost constantly drinking.
Phobia (Clowns, Dying)

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 6 (24)

-Swoosie Kurtz was a hoot on this show (she plays essentially the same role in Mike & Molly, in fact) as the dry-witted, angry cynical Lily Charles. Crippled by phobias and depression, she is a shut-in like her sister Vivian, but also holds a deadly secret- she slept with Vivian's fiance Charles, giving birth to Charlotte. And like a lot of sardonic, angry characters on TV, they got mileage out of her inner fears and deep-down desires.

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"It used to make you so happy, the water! I think it's BRAVE to try to be happy! You've gotten so comfortable being unhappy- 2ouldn't it be wonderful to wake up in the morning and choose to be happy, to let the water wash everything away?"

VIVIAN CHARLES
Played By:
Ellen Greene
Role: The Sad One
PL 0 (8), PL 1 (8) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 8 (+8) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Expertise (Taxidermy) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Singing) 8 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Shotgun +4 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Lily- Sister)- Lily & Vivian have been each other's only companion since Chuck died. They seem to get along, though if Vivian ever finds out that Lily slept with the man she loved...
Disabled (Depression & Anxiety)- Lily & Vivian feel that they cannot leave the home. This ended their careers as The Darling Mermaid Darlings.
Addiction (Sex)- Apparently.
Disabled (Does Not Like To Be Touched)- Despite above.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (8)

-Vivian Charles, played by Ellen Greene from The Little Shop of Horrors, is a dreary, sad woman, unable to deal with the real world. She's much nicer than Lily, but tends to say more than she should (discussing Lily's menopause in front of Ned & Emerson). She wants to be cured of her insular, shut-in nature more than Lily does, and gets some REALLY good dialogue to that purpose (her quote above was delivered FANTASTICALLY well- I've read that someone with depression actually considered her delivery more effective than years of therapy). She's a poor judge of character though, falling in love with the evil Dwight Dixon.

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One of Ned's Half-Brothers: "We've got invitations for all of you to come to our first Magic Show!"
(the girls get wildly excited & start clapping)
Emerson: (sarcastically) "oooooh a MAGIC SHOW! Now where did I put that RAT'S ASS I could give?... Oh yeah, I don't have one."


EMERSON COD
Played By:
Chi McBride
Role: The Cynic
PL 5 (69)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Behavioral Sciences) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Streetwise) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Knitter) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop-Up Book Writer/Maker) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Private Detective) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Nearly-New 1960 Lincoln Contintental, Pistol +4), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Pistol +5 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Obsession (Money)- Emerson LOVES money.
Addiction (Knitting)- He knits habitually.
Responsibility (Wants to Find his Missing Daughter)- Emerson's ex-wife stole away with his daughter many years ago, and he's making a Lil' Detective Pop-Up Book in the hope that she'll discover it and seek him out.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 52--27 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (69)

-In a world of total weirdness, a nervous bunch of characters & odd dialogue, you needed a more centered personality. And that personality is Emerson Cod, the detective who forms a partnership with Ned after discovering The Piemaker's secret. A greedy, dishonest & overly-blunt man (he actually tells a lovesick Olive that the Piemaker "likes her (Dead Girl) in a way he'll never like you"), Emerson nonetheless has many facets. Number One of which is his missing daughter, taken years ago by his ex-wife (to her life of conning the wealthy, once she'd outlived her stay in the local community). Things like this draw him on, keeping him human in a world that makes him look pretty soulless sometimes. He tolerates Ned's foppishness, and appreciates "Itty-Bitty's" help on a few cases, but draws the line at "Dead Girl", who usually just annoys the crap out of him with her bright & cheery ways.
-Chi McBride is a good actor, getting a lot of mileage out of being a grump on a show as cheery as this- his distinct appearance (he's 6'5" and thickly-built) and voice give him a lot of work in minor roles (even in Voice Acting), though he's been a bit typecast as a Detective, appearing in several different shows as one. I assume that happens to most large black actors, though. He's probably best-known to people as the Principal in Boston Public, a show that had some good moments, but got kind of weird with all the student/teacher love affairs, and hyper-dramatic situations (School Riots, Gangbangers, an Omniscient Blog, a guy chopping his mother's hand off).
-Emerson is much more stat-heavy that Chuck, and way more skill-heavy than the one-note Ned. He's an excellent (though human-level, not Batman-level) detective on his own (he occasionally has to go at it without Ned's Magic Finger), though he often fails to question people properly or come to the proper conclusion until someone he knows is almost dead. He is an excellent knitter, though, and knows a fair bit about making Pop-Up books, as his big plan for getting his daughter back is having her read "Lil' Gumshoe" and use it's clues to come find him. And he's by far the best of the group in a fight, being a really big, heavy man with a gun.

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I want you all to know that the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life was to not give this character two ranks of Attractive.

"Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
do you feel my heart beating, do you understand
do you feel the same, am I only dreaming
is this burning an eternal flame.
I believe it's meant to be, darling
I watch when you are sleeping, you belong with me
do you feel the same, am I only dreaming
or is this burning an eternal flame.
Say my name, sun shines through the rain
a whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain
I don't want to lose this feeling.
Close your eyes, give me your hand
do you feel my heart beating, do you understand
do you feel the same, am I only dreaming
is this burning an eternal flame ..."

" If I loved you... Then I would love you in any way I could, and if we could not touch, then I would draw strength from your beauty... And if I went blind, I would fill my soul with the sound of your voice and the contents of your thoughts until the last spark of my love for you lit the shabby darkness of my dying mind..."
-Alfredo Aldarisio, to Olive

OLIVE SNOOK
Played By:
Kristin Chenoweth
Role: The Lovelorn Admirer
PL 5 (xx)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+3)
Athletics 12 (+15) -- (Flaws: Limited to Riding)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Singing) 13 (+15)
Expertise (Piemaker & Waitress) 7 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+4)
Insight 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Minion 1 (Pigby the Truffle-Hunting Sow), Ultimate Skill (Ride)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (The Piemaker)- Olive has loved Ned for years, and her aggressive come-ons have only gotten more extreme. She thinks of him day and night, and sings love songs to herself, all in his name.
Relationship (The Girl Called Chuck)- Olive's best friend is Charlotte Charles- the woman who owns The Piemaker's heart. This can be awkward at times.
Secret (Gave Up Horseracing Following the Death of a Rival)
Relationship (Charlotte's Aunts)- Olive is the only cast member to routinely hang out with Chuck's Aunts, and still doesn't get why Chuck has to hide her identity from them.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (69)

-Oh, Kristin Chenoweth, how I love thee... Seriously, she's 4'11" and plays hyperactive sexpots in all her appearances! How can you not love that? As Olive Snook, she plays a squeaky-voiced waitress who's in love with the Piemaker (which he doesn't find out for quite a while, despite some OBVIOUS hints, like her getting up on a coffee table to go eye-to-eye with him and flirting), but finds herself becoming best pals with Chuck, the supposedly-dead woman who won his heart. Kind of an odd character, she joins the gang's mystery-solving adventures, despite being the only one unaware of Ned's true gift. She knows Charlotte is supposed to be dead, but hides her "fakery" from others, trusting the gang on their word that there's a good reason. She's also the loyal go-between for Chuck & her beloved Aunts, bringing them free pies. It's kind of a hard role to place (I mean, did they randomly decide "okay, so there needs to be ANOTHER girl on the team, but she can't know the secret, and has to help anyways, and gets to interact with the Aunts because no one else can"... I think they just saw that Cheno was available and hired her on), but she's irreplaceable on the show, especially when Kristin lays out those REALLY high-pitched love ballads (the woman can sing in a high-FC! since I know nothing about music, I'm assuming that's good).
-Also, THAT FANSERVICE. The show is like an homage to Cheno's cleavage, as virtually every outfit features it prominently. In one case, she's stuck wearing a low-cut mermaid gown, and forced to jump around her apartment, because her legs are together. I can think of no other reason for that costume choice besides what's referred to in anime forums as "Gainaxing".
-I always imagined that Kristin Chenoweth would have gone on to become a much bigger star, but it just wasn't in the cards. Not for lack of trying, either: for a couple years there, she was showing up in a LOT of films, generally as "The bubbly, cleavagey wife of the male antagonist in some stupid Family Comedy"- she played this role in both R.V. and Deck the Halls. She was dating Hollywood Superstar Writer Aaron Sorkin (writer of many TV shows- he even wrote their relationship into Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, but Mary Sue'd his Author Avatar into being correct in all their fights). She had a role on The West Wing's last seasons, had another one on Glee (though I felt they made her character an alcoholic cartoon too quickly, making her an annoying joke), did the Talk Show rounds for a long time, and finally, won an EMMY AWARD for playing Olive on Pushing Daisies (giving a classic acceptance speech that since her show wasn't on the air anymore, she'd like to be on The Office instead!).
-Unfortunately, she never really became a major name- most people don't even really know who she is, though they MIGHT recognize her. Part of the problem was that she peaked too late- she played one-shot roles on shows like Frasier, and was only a minor part of The West Wing when she was in her thirties, and was thus too old to capitalize on much of her hype- Hollywood is very ageist towards women, ESPECIALLY to "new stars". The only way to get good roles if you're a woman in your 40s in Hollywood is to be proven BEFORE that. The fact that her age started showing on her features (so she can't play younger) really killed things. Now she just kind of does Talk Show appearances and Awards Show hosting, despite being treated as Broadway royalty. She'll probably always find work in the theatre, though, but I always felt like she could have become a lot more.
-In an odd bit of irony, despite Kristin showing up in a TON of stuff for years, while Idina Menzel languished in obscurity post-Wicked (where she had a bunch of failed albums), it was IDINA that became more of a household name in the past couple years, thanks to the "rub" of being in the biggest Disney movie in years!
-Olive is a talented Jockey & Singer, and is beautiful and friendly, but not much good in a fight. She's a minor detective (mainly good for being an extra "undercover" operative, but can't fight at all given her tiny size (the real actress weighs 97 lbs.). And despite the focus on her cleavage (and the jokes about her breast size), she never quite manages to flirt effectively, nor draw the attention of men, save for the quirky Salesman who loves her (he supplies the quote above), and Ned once his frustrations over not sleeping with Charlotte reach their peak.

PIGBY THE TRUFFLE-HUNTING SOW
PL 1 (6), Minion Rank 2
ST 8 (-1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 10 INT 2 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 4 (-3)

Skills:
Notice 4 (+3)
Survival 6 (+3)

Feats:
Tough

Powers:
Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Flaws: Permanent) [5]
Super-Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-light Vision) [2]

"Tusks"
Strike 2 (Feats: Mighty) [3]

Saves:
Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Reflex +1, Will +1

Combat:
Attack +2, Damage -1, Defense +2, Initiative +1

Drawbacks:
No Hands [-4]
Mute [-4]

Abilities: -12 / Skills: 16--4 / Feats: 1 / Powers: 10 / Saves: 3 / Combat: 8 / Drawbacks: -8 (6)



xxxxxx





Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Princes Bride

Post by Jabroniville »

THE PRINCESS BRIDE:
- And now for a build set I've always MEANT to do, but just glossed it over or forgot for whatever reason. Based off of a satirical medieval-style novel from 1973, this film, made by Rob Reiner in 1987, made a solid piece of scratch, but has since gone on to become one of the most frequently-quoted movies of all time. It went through a few hands over time (Development Hell is notorious in Hollywood), with Christopher Reeve at one point set to play Westley, but eventually we got the film we all know and love.

It's a COMPLETE classic from start to finish, and has pretty much zero flaws. Told as a bit of a cliched tale told by an old man to his sick grandson (played by Fred Savage, the kid from "The Wonder Years", and older brother to Corey Matthews from "Boy Meets World"), it's instead hyper-satirical of the cliches and tropes common to Fantasy at the same time as it's playing them absolutely straight, in the most awesome way possible. The hero is brave and dashing, the girl pretty, the swordfights epic (and COMPLETELY over-the-top, in a way that basically pays homage to the "Flynning" era of swordfight-choreography), the villains snivelling and horrible, and more.

The dialogue is pretty much the key reason to see this film, though. "As you wish" is romantic as BALLS, all of Wallace Shawn's dialogue is perfect (easily his best character), Inigo Montoya gets the straight-up most badass quote in HISTORY, and even Billy Crystal's cameo provides some exceptional dialogue ("mostly dead" indeed). The movie is simultaneously romantic as hell and chest-hair-growingly manly- a truly rare combination; and it's funny as HELL. It's so well-acted that it's a shame that most of the cast went on to fairly little fame (Andre the Giant is EASILY the most famous of the entire cast, and he died in the early '90s!)- there was "Robin Hood- Men in Tights" for the star Cary Elwes, and Mandy Patinkin is a huge star on Broadway, but that's about it.

Like I said, it made back its budget, but a mere $32 million seems pretty small for a movie that's THIS well-known, and can be quoted by everyone I know (one piece of info I've read was that the word "Princess" in the title made boys not want to see it, much like how Disney blamed that on "The Princess and the Frog" making half the money "Tangled" did). It's one of those cases where it wasn't a huge deal when it came out, but got more and more notable over time, as more people saw it on video. You've probably already seen it. If you haven't, then your life is empty and devoid of all joy. See it now.


xxx
Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik invade the castle, prompting Humperdinck to drastically abridge the wedding ceremony. Then he rushes Buttercup to her chambers and locks her in. Inigo finds and duels with Rugen, despite being seriously wounded early in the battle, he is able to maintain his focus by repeatedly reciting his long-rehearsed greeting of vengeance ("Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.") and eventually slays his nemesis. Westley finds Buttercup about to commit suicide, and assures her that her marriage is void because they skipped the "I do." When the two are confronted by Humperdinck, Westley bluffs his way out of a duel (due to his temporary paralysis) and succeeds in tying Humperdinck to a chair, leaving him to contemplate his cowardice. Triumphant, he rides away happily with Buttercup, Inigo, and Fezzik on four white horses that Fezzik conveniently discovers.

Buttercup: You mock my pain.
Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.


WESTLEY (aka The Dread Pirate Roberts)
Role:
The Hero, Awesome Swordsman
Played by: Cary Elwes
PL 9 (139)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 11 (+13)
Deception 9 (+12)
Expertise (Pirate) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Farmboy) 1 (+4)
Expertise (Swordplay) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 1 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Reputation- The Dread Pirate Roberts), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Sword), Fast Grab, Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
Immunity 1 (Poison) (Flaws: Limited to Iocane Powder) [0.5]

Equipment:
"Sword" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +13 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Westley has spent years as The Dread Pirate Roberts, in order to amass a fortune to marry the beloved local girl Buttercup.
Relationship (Buttercup)- Westley has loved Buttercup, his Twue Wove, ever since he worked on her family's farm- carrying out her stern commands with a simple "As you wish". When they have their reunion kiss, it is rated in the top of the top five most passionate, pure kisses since its invention.
Responsibility (Swordsman)- A proper swordsman, Westley is greatly impressed by an "artist" equivalent to himself, and would never willingly kill such a man. He would even leave a potentially-dangerous adversary alive because of this.
Prejudice (Spaniards)- He initially refuses Inigo's help "Suppose I give you my word as a Spaniard?" because "I've known too many Spaniards".
Secret (Is Not Left-Handed, Either)

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 55--27.5 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 0.5 / Defenses: 13 (139)

-Westley is the hero of our story, initially resembling a Zorro-like Evil Pirate of great reputation. He defeats three deadly adversaries at their own game (out-Flynning Inigo Montoya, out-wrestling Fezzik the Giant, and outwitting a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line) in order to save the life of the woman he loves, and later comes to her defense when the vile Prince Humperdinck tries to marry her, then have her killed. He's basically a walking homage to Errol Flynn, being a swashbuckling, polite ass-kicker who respects and compliments his fellow swordsmen ("I would NEVER kill an artist such as yourself!"), and is generally good at almost anything.
-Westley is terrific all-around, but decidedly human- a Roden of Unusual Size puts a major hurting on him, and he's capable of being outnumbered quite easily (Inigo is pretty close to him, and states his limits). At the same time, he's bright (bluffing Vizzini by poisoning both cups with iocane... since he was immune to it anyways), strong (able to maintain a Chokehold on someone played by Andre the Giant), great with a sword (he beat Inigo, who himself could easily kill a handful of Mooks, though admitting that he could never beat twenty men by himself). His lying abilities are INCREDIBLE- not only does he get Vizzini, but he also bluffs Prince Humperdinck with a great speech about the horrors he'll inflict on the man ("no- not to the death. To the PAIN."), convincing him to give up... WHILE BEING PARALYZED. He's a great specimen altogether. And he once used the insult "You miserable, vomitous mass", which I have GOT to steal one day.
-Though phenomenal, Westly is PL 7.5 unarmed, PL 8.5 with a Sword, and PL 8 defensively, making him unable to simply wipe out dozens of soldiers.

You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line"! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha--- *falls over dead* "

VIZZINI
Role:
Evil Scoundrel, The Chessmaster
Played by: Wallace Shawn
PL 2 (55), PL 3 (55) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (History) 4 (+9)
Expertise (Geography) 6 (+11)
Expertise (Mercenary) 5 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 1 (Knife), Jack-of-All-Trades, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Knife +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Vizzini is a mercenary.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- So self-assured is Vizzini of his own genius, that he gladly engages Westley in a Battle of Wits, and finds any challenge to his plans "InconCEIVable!"

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (55)

-Vizzini (played with snivelling glee by Wallace Shawn, who generally gets stuck playing nerds, but is famous amongst film dorks for "My Dinner With Andre", a film famously about two old men having a long conversation at dinner- Wallace is a more good-natured but has a stick up his ass, while his friend Andre is your classic pretentious artist type, who keeps telling stories about weird art crap that makes him cry) is the leader of a trio of Mercenaries, and the most ill-mannered and evil of the lot, since Inigo & Fezzik turn out to be pretty nice dudes. A cocky Sicilian, his overconfidence proves his undoing, as he engages Westley in a battle of wits, after he overcomes the henchmen.

Humperdinck: Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped.
Rugen: Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.

PRINCE HUMPERDINCK
Role:
Evil Royal, Dirty Coward
Played by: Chris Sarandon
PL 4 (66)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Tracking) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Royalty) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Ruler of Florin), Equipment 1 (Sword, Dagger)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Power)
Secret (War Profiteer)- The Prince secretly wants a war with the hated rival nation of Gilder, and wants to frame them for the murder of Princess Buttercup on their wedding night.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (66)

-The Prince seems noble at first, but instead reveals himself to be a giant douchebag who wants to murder Buttercup (Westley's one true love) for the purpose of starting a war with a rival nation (it's never quite explained WHY, but it's really just an excuse to get the plot moving and isn't important). He's the greatest tracker ever ("A giant was beaten here"), and great at bluffing (few know his true motivations), but he folds like a card table under adversity (or an extra-good Intimidation Skill).

Inigo: Offer me money.
Rugen: Yes!
Inigo: Power, too, promise me that.
Rugen: All that I have and more. PLEASE...
Inigo: Offer me everything I ask for.
Rugen: Anything you want... *takes a swing*
Inigo: *fatally stabs Rugen in the stomach* I want my father back, you son of a bitch!
-Inigo & Rugen, showing you how you get some goddamned REVENGE.

COUNT TYRONE RUGER
Role:
The Sheriff of Nottingham (aka #2 Villain Guy), Dirty Coward
Played by: Christopher Guest
PL 6 (75)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Royalty) 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Count of Florin), Equipment 1 (Sword, Dagger), Improved Critical 2 (Dagger, Sword), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Equipment:
"Throwing Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Ranged 3) (Diminished Range -3) (4) -- (5)
AE: "Sword" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Throwing Knife +9 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- The Count is a cheapskate, and has been known to demand items at 1/10th of their true value.
Responsibility (Dirty Rotten Coward)- When facing the skill of Inigo Montoya, his tactic was to stand at the ready... and then run away like a little bitch, then get a cheap-shot in. When his life is at risk, he will beg for it.
Prejudice (Six Fingers on His Right Hand)- People don't seem to treat him that poorly for it, but it makes him unfortunately easy to pick out of a crowd, or recognize if you've been hunting him for twenty years.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (75)

-The Count is kind of a funny fit in the film- he's there to give Inigo Montoya his Revenge Story, but also acts as a reliable #2 to Prince Humperdinck, effectively taking an enforcer role like The Sheriff of Nottingham does in Robin Hood-themed things. He's played by Christopher Guest with a kind of serious monotone to his voice (Guest is famously-dour in real life, and not at all funny like in most of his films, like the famous This Is Spinal Tap- he views that as his JOB), until he begins panicking when Inigo Montoya springs back from a near-fatal wound. He's a good swordsman and good at range, but not up to snuff with any of our movie's heroes (PL 6 is good, but not GREAT)- he's not even that good a liar; Westley is easily able to tell he's full of crap when he suggests that The Dread Pirate Roberts will be allowed to return to his ship.

RODENT OF UNUSUAL SIZE (Rattus holycrapus)
Role:
Nightmare Fuel
PL 5 (9)- Minion Rank 1, Sidekick Rank 2
Normal Version:
PL 2
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+4)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 6 (+8)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]

"Natural Weapons- Diseased Teeth"
Strength-Damage +3 Linked to Weaken Stamina 2 (Extras: Progressive +2) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Bite +5 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Rodents of Unusual Size cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 3 (9)

Era: Fantasy Realms
Range: Grasslands, forests.
Colouring: Brown, grey, black, tan
Size: Up to 4.5 feet long (77-145 lbs.)
Encounter Groups: Various, from solitary to hordes.
Diet: Grass & vegetation, opportunistic hunters.
Tactics: Bite savagely with large teeth.

-Reposted (but upgraded a bit- PL 3.5 wouldn't hurt Westley much). Basically a Giant Rat, an R.O.U.S. is big and strong compared to most any rodent, easily able to tackle and knock over a human male (even an experienced dashing swordsman/pirate) if he gets the jump on it. Once they're armed with a sword or something, the Rodent is basically screwed, but at PL 4.5, they can be pretty scary to an unaware human being with no powers.

Buttercup: *kisses the king on the cheek*
The King: What was that for?
Buttercup: Because you've always been so kind to me, and I won't be seeing you again, since I'm killing myself once we reach the honeymoon suite.
The King: Won't that be nice? *calling up to the queen* She kissed me! Heeheehee!

PRINCESS BUTTERCUP
Role:
The Damsel In Distress, The Defrosting Ice Queen
Played by: Robin Wright
PL 0 (7), PL 2 (7) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Farming) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Westley)- Buttercup's heart belongs to a farmboy who died several years ago- she refuses to love anyone else, and despises The Dread Pirate Roberts for having killed him. A simple "As You Wish" is all it takes to melt her frozen heart. When she fears him dead, she decides to take her own life.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (7)

-Played with almost hilarious uselessness, Princess Buttercup is basically pretty and nothing else. She's rude to most everyone she meets (granted, they either kidnapped her or murdered her fiancee), can't overpower freakin' VIZZINI, needs everything explained to her, and when Westley is wrestling with a Rodent of Unusual Size, her only reaction is to scream and poke it with a log (his F*CKING SWORD IS RIGHT THERE, YOU USELESS TWIT!!!). She's thus a pretty solid example of your Classic Damsel in Distress who can't really interject herself on the story, and is more the reason things are happening. So much the better for a satirical take on a fairy tale.


"I AM HERE.... BUT SOON... *YOU* WILL NOT BE HERE!!!!"

Westley: Give us the gate key.
Yellin: I have no gate key.
Inigo Montoya: Fezzik, tear his arms off.
Yellin: Oh, you mean *this* gate key.


FEZZIK
Role:
The Big Guy, Powerhouse, Friendly Giant
Played by: Andre "The Giant" Rousimoff
PL 8 (79), PL 9 (79) vs. Groups & With Thrown Rocks
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 7 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Mercenary) 2 (+1)
Expertise (Rhymes) 3 (+2)
Intimidation 13 (+12, +13 Size)
Ranged Combat (Rocks) 6 (+11)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Giant" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (8 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
"Long Arms" Reach 1 [1]

"Used to Fighting Groups of Men"
Enhanced Fighting 2 (Flaws: Limited to While Fighting Groups) [2]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Takedown 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Against Groups +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Thrown Rocks +11 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (+8 vs. Groups, DC 16-18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Money)- Fezzik was unemployed in Greenland when Vizzini found him. He doesn't like the act of kidnapping girls (or killing them), but he doesn't have a lot of options. He joins the Brute Squad for the same reason.
Relationship (Inigo Montoya)- The two become fast friends, though don't share all that much, and aren't exactly tender pals (witness Fezzik's attempts to get Montoya sobered up).
Responsibility (Too Strong For His Own Good)- Fezzik is so mighty that even his intimidation tactics often leave people unconscious- he cannot pull his punches easily.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 14 (79)

-And here's Fezzik, played by the incomparable Andre the Giant. And seriously- who ELSE could have done this role? Sure he talks like he's carrying a dozen pool balls in his mouth, but very few tall people possess the sheer MASS required to be a real "Heavy"-type ruffian, or the ability to both be seen as incredibly kind and gentle-hearted, AND a fearsome threat (watch as he delicately handles Princess Buttercup and acts politely to Westley- who he COULD HAVE slaughtered mercilessly with his thrown rock; and then when he has to get brusque with people). I've read of fan interactions with Andre that were less than pleasant- an often grouchy drunkard in constant pain thanks to his medical conditions, Andre was one of the few wrestlers who COULDN'T go incognito, ever, being both famous across the world for his wrestling career, and too tall to just wear a big coat and hat. Therefore he was recognized and harassed by people EVERYWHERE- and the fans who got him on a bad day were often startled when he bellowed with a voice that could shake a mountain. Tall men are naturally intimidating to some people (I've known some tall guys who have to actually consciously try not to "loom" over others to avoid being seen as a relentless bully), but Andre combined natural charisma, his hideous physical appearance (he had WAY too many teeth, virtually resembling a creature from "Attack on Titan") and sheer size to absolutely DOMINATE.
-Andre considered his role as Fezzik to be one of his proudest achivements (and he once kept the entire cast up late at night with a legendary booze-fest). And despite the fact that I can barely understand him for some of his dialogue (granted, he's being choked for part of it), like I said- nobody else could have done this role. Fezzik is basically a big dumb brute of limited skill (but good at rhyming), who nonetheless isn't THAT bad of a person, and is willing to help out where he can.
-Fezzik is a dominating physical presence, but notably loses to Westley, who manages to get behind the slow Giant and choke him out- he's just not used to fighting one man at this point in his life. He's strong enough to carry himself (500+ lbs.!) and three other people up a rope hanging from a huge cliff, stop a falling castle gate and throw in back up, and knock down a door with one solid shot (poor Inigo has to desperately shriek and scream for Fezzik's assistance). His size and brutish presence allows him to easily bully other people, and it combines with Westley's Reputation Benefit as The Dread Pirate Roberts to give us what is probably cinema's greatest example of a Mass Intimidation attempt. Strength 6 is FREAKISH on a human being, but his exaggerated strength in the film makes it clear that he's well-beyond what a human being could really do. Also he's somehow able to ride a horse (though you'll notice the Stunt Double is clearly not Andre's size- you'd think the animal handler on set was worried about a 6'10" 500-lb. man riding a medium-sized horse or something).

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father- prepare to die."

INIGO MONTOYA
Role:
The Most Quotable Character in Film History, The Swashbuckler, Revenge-Obsessed Bad-Boy
Played by: Mandy Patinkin
PL 8 (113)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Mercenary) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Swordplay) 10 (+11)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Equipment (Sword), Fast Grab, Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Last Stand, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Takedown 2

Equipment:
"Sword" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Obsession (Revenge)- Inigo was only an eleven-year-old boy when his father was cruelly murdered by a six-fingered man. Captivated by revenge, he has spent the last twenty years sharpening his skills with the blade, and constantly searches for this mystery man. Upon the day he meets him, he will say "Hello. my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father- prepare to die."
Motivation (Money)- Inigo is obsessed with revenge, but "Revenge doesn't pay the bills". He works as a mercenary, often doing some questionable things.
Relationship (Inigo Montoya)- The two become fast friends, though don't share all that much, and aren't exactly tender pals (witness Fezzik's attempts to get Montoya sobered up).
Responsibility (Swordsman)- A proper swordsman, Inigo is greatly impressed by an "artist" equivalent to himself, and feels terribly about having to kill Westley. He'll still DO IT, of course, but he has a lot of honor about it, won't kill someone prematurely, and looks forward to fighting so much that he willingly holds back his initial talent.
Secret (Is Not Left-Handed)

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (113)

-Inigo Montoya probably comes away from the films as everyone's favourite and most-quoted character. And considering the lines Westley gets, how awesome Fezzik is, and how delightfully douchebaggy Vizzini is, Mandy Patinkin plays him with SUCH aplomb, and gets such picture-perfect dialogue with the best-possible delivery, that it's hard to find his equal anywhere. And that REVENGE STORY- revenge may be the strongest emotion the human spirit is capable of having- sure you could say Love or somethin' lame like that, but when you get right down to it, NOTHING fills people with the obsessive, desperate purpose that REVENGE does- even in the real world, you can think of countless deaths in war thanks to getting even with someone else for something, and it's one of the few things that people will both kill and die for. My Roman History Prof mentioned how the Romans understood this, and felt that spite was one of the great motivators, as people would often ruin and risk their own lives just to repay a past slight.
-And revenge is the name of the game for Inigo Montoya. Obsessed with killing the man who killed his father when he was just a boy, Inigo works as a mercenary to pay the bills and grind mooks so he can Level Up, then find the man, and dispatch him while giving the most epic quote in movie history. And it is GLORIOUS when he finally does it- especially because the Count is not only evil, but a piece of crap coward who fled from a fair fight, got in a cheap shot, and nearly-fatally wounded Inigo, only to have Inigo basically play his Hero Point to avoid damage, play another one to destroy the Count's defenses, and then scores a devastating Critical Hit when he forces the Count to beg for his life, then cutting him down. Just the greatest thing ever.
-Mandy Patinkin kicks ass, too. Alas, he's not known for many other film or TV roles (he quit "Criminal Minds" or whatever it was because he's disgusted by the sheer amount of rape and violence on television these days), but he's a legit Broadway legend, having played the male lead in "Evita" alongside Patti Lupone (he's the male voice you hear on "High Flying, Adored"), and is a major star for all of the various Stephen Sondheim roles he's played. And he apparently doesn't mind it when people run up to him and quote "Princess Bride" dialogue at him- he legitimately found it one of his favourite roles to play.
-Inigo is basically Westley Lite, having lost to him pretty handily by the end of their battle, but not by enough to be held way behind. He EFFORTLESSLY killed four Mook Palace Guards without taking a hit (Takedown plus great Defenses & Improved Critical stacking up), then powered through his Toughness Saves (and probably pulled out a Last Stand- ignoring all damage for one round) to kill the Count (himself not a bad fighter). And this after being completely wasted on liquor only a few hours before!


xxxx

“I love you,' Buttercup said. 'I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesn't matter.' Buttercup still could not look at him. The sun was rising behind her now; she could feel the heat on her back, and it gave her courage. 'I love you so much more now than twenty minutes ago that there cannot be comparison. I love you so much more now then when you opened your hovel door, there cannot be comparison. There is no room in my body for anything but you. My arms love you, my ears adore you, my knees shake with blind affection. My mind begs you to ask it something so it can obey. Do you want me to follow you for the rest of your days? I will do that. Do you want me to crawl? I will crawl. I will be quiet for you or sing for you, or if you are hungry, let me bring you food, or if you have thirst and nothing will quench it but Arabian wine, I will go to Araby, even though it is across the world, and bring a bottle back for your lunch. Anything there is that I can do for you, I will do for you; anything there is that I cannot do, I will learn to do. I know I cannot compete with the Countess in skills or wisdom or appeal, and I saw the way she looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. But remember, please, that she is old and has other interests, while I am seventeen and for me there is only you. Dearest Westley--I've never called you that before, have I?--Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley,--darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done; she looked right into his eyes.”
― William Goldman, The Princess Bride
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Star Wars

Post by Jabroniville »

STAR WARS:

-So this was a thing that got pretty popular.

-But really, it's hard to even find a way to START with the Star Wars franchise- it started off as just this pipe dream sci-fi movie by George Lucas (then getting a good rep for movies like the excellent American Graffiti- one of the major instigators of the '50s nostalgia during the 1970s), was made with a bunch of actors who thought it was a bit silly, and then ended up EXPLODING, becoming one of the biggest hits of all time. And then it had two sequels, each of which did gangbusters as well, and setting off a whole new era of blockbusters. Taking a bunch of stuff from all kinds of different sources (Kurosawa Samurai movies, Korean manwha comics, etc.), Lucas ended up creating this Pop Cultural touchstone- soon everybody was obsessed with Laser Weapons, Jedi, Darth Vader and all sorts of cool new alien races. Kids bought so many of the toys that a brand-new industry was created: Merchandise-Driven Cartoons soon sprouted up all over the place to copy the success Kenner had with their Star Wars line of figures (they remain some of the most sought-after toys ever). You can pretty much trace Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe, Transformers, He-Man and Thundercats all back to this, in addition to the Sci-Fi Boom of the era. Hell, Star Wars is responsible for the continued existence of MARVEL of all things- they were ready for bankruptcy in the late 1970s, until they lucked out, got the Star Wars license, and made a killing.

-It's a bit hard to figure out just WHAT made everyone go so crazy over this series of films. In one way, they're a bit clunky- the dialogue could get iffy in parts ("You can WRITE this shit, George," Harrison Ford told him, "but you can't SAY it."), the acting a bit wooden and/or over-the-top, the Stormtroopers are so comically-imcompetent that thety're the iconic Useless Mooks, etc. But as a whole, the thing was EXCEPTIONALLY well-made. One thing I notice in retrospect, is that like a lot of good movies, the thing is comprised largely of big, iconic Set-Pieces and backdrops that go all over the place. Rather than just leave people sitting around in one area talking together, the movie shows you the moisture farm, the big Jawa thing, the Tusken Raiders, the famous Mos Eisley cantina, the Star Destroyers, and more. Hell, the thing STARTS with one of the most-iconic chases of all time, as a tiny vessel is hounded by this ENORMOUS Star Destroyer.

-Nothing is wasted: rather than just make a standard escape and start shooting their way out, the heroes get stuck in a garbage disposal thing and fight a giant Garbage Snake. Why? Because it's just another different piece of action, that's why! And this is just the first movie! In the sequels, we get the swamps of Dagobah, the ice fields of Hoth, the forest moon of Endor, multiple space battles that are all different, etc. Other films that pull off stuff like this include Finding Nemo (A LOT of distinctive sets here- the Turtle Vortex, the Dentist's Office, the Coral, the ship with the sharks, the Seagulls, etc.), Toy Story (Pizza Planet, Sid's house, Andy's room, etc.), and even Transformers: The Movie (where the big Autobot/Decepticon War and Unicron take a back seat to random events like a fight on a Planet of Junk and fighting underwater mechanical creatures, then facing off against evil Quintesson Judges and Sharkticons). I think it's a sign a film is well-made when EVERY SCENE remains distinctive for one reason or another.

The VEHICLES in the series are even kept different and distinct- the Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, X-Wings and more are huge stand-outs: the excellent miniature designs make this franchise have the most-iconic bunch of ships ever. I also liked how GRITTY everything looked- this wasn't any Star Trek, full of pretty, smooth machines- these things saw USE, and showed their AGE. No other franchise could even come CLOSE. Rather than stick a bunch of Rubber Forehead Aliens around, Star Wars gives you giant Wookiees, tiny Ewoks, Droids all over the place, Jawas, Ithorians and all sorts of other weird stuff- AGAIN making things stand out. The Special Effects basically made this film as much as anything. Even the SOUND effects and the MUSIC are top of the line- pretty much everyone knows the sounds the lasers make, that "whirr" of flying vehicles, the "Lightsaber Effect" and more, and the soundtrack just makes the whole thing. Basically, even with a handful of flaws, the rest of the people working on the film- set designers, puppeteers, F/X guys, miniature builders and musicans, etc., were so damn good at their jobs that they made an unforgettable set.

There's great Character Naming here, too- you can't forget stuff like "Luke Skywalker" or "Han Solo". And despite a cast of "recognizable names" that is positively ENORMOUS (even moreso if you read the supplemental materials about the background nobodies), but there's great Economy of Character here, as well. The Main Group could almost be overwhelming, but it basically consists of The Young Hero (Luke), The Mentor (Obi-Wan), The Chick (Leia), and The Rogue (Han) as the only major characters- Chewbacca, C-3P0 & R2-D2 are distinctive and memorable characters, but two don't even really SPEAK, and they're all basically Sidekicks. So the group never gets overwhelmingly-large or feels like there's too many people sitting around (compare this to Lord of the Rings, which really has two Hobbits too many). Of the villains, we only get two in the first movie that matter (Tarkin & Vader), a side character in the middle (Lando), and Jabba & The Emperor rounding things out.

And yet EVERY CHARACTER stands out. Lando is his own character, but he has this servant going around with him (Lobot) who remains well-known simply because he has cyborg stuff on his head. There's Jabba's Twi'lek goon, that ugly monster by his tail, that pig thing, about a half-dozen unique ANIMALS never seen before, and more. Even Princess Leia subverts your expectations- how many Rescued Princesses back then acted like total bitches to their rescuers, then grabbed a gun and started blasting away? And in Darth Vader, Lucas & Co. created one of cinema's great bad guys- a powerful, threatening, iconic figure that almost ran away with all the movie's press!

It was big enough to get major-league "Re-Releases" in the '90s that saw CGI upgrades and some new (mostly-lame) scenes, including the infamous "Greedo Shoots First" edit (that looks very weird, like it just doesn't "fit" properly with the body language. Also, how did Greedo MISS from that distance?). A few cartoon series have come out (the best one is the Clone Wars one done by the Samurai Jack crew, though they did a CGI one that I only saw once. It was OK). And of course the infamous "Prequels" (several years in, Lucas suddenly went "Oh the series actually started with Part IV, not Part I), where Lucas went Full CGI, wrote some of the worst dialogue to hit a major Hollywood production, and eventually pissed off legions of fans (some parts of the movies are awesome, but other parts include Hayden "So wooden it's an insult to puppets" Christensen, Jake Lloyd, and Jar Jar Binks). Eventually, Disney bought the whole thing for three or four times what they paid for MARVEL COMICS, and are now going to release a TON of movies, this time without Lucas' involvement.

There's probably more "Canon" supplemental material to Star Wars than anything else, ever. It created a virtual cottage industry of Novels, none of which I've ever read. I heard about them in Middle School, but my friends weren't nerdy enough to be into them, so I have no idea what they're like. Apparently they're rather infamous for Mary Sues and random embellishments, often going into INSANE detail about guys who show up in the movies for all of five seconds, and they've pretty much been dropped from "canon" standing EONS ago. Dark Horse Comics also had a pretty successful line of books based around the "Prequel" Universe (and a few set after the original Trilogy), so many that it seemed like DH's ENTIRE OUTPUT was Star Wars, but now Marvel's got the rights back (owing to their being owned by the same parent company).

So yeah, Star Wars is awesome. I actually didn't watch it that much as a kid- I'm not sure if my family even owned the VHS tapes. I remember watching the first bit of Return of the Jedi as my introduction to things (I recall having some odd feeling about that Leia girl and her outfit, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was...), but I'd watch them a few times over the years. I stood in line for an hour to get into the re-release of The Empire Strikes Back, but that was the only one of those edited movies I saw (it was great fun at first, but when I realized that ONLY the "upgraded" ones were available to buy, I thought it was lame). So I'm a fan, but not like a SUPER-fan- I don't own any of the films or toys or anything like that. I just like them for what they are- classic Hollywood-style entertainment, with some great characters, great dialogue and great effects. I think they're better than the Lord of the Rings movies (oh, the online debates I've had over that), which are a bit too long and feature too many dull characters (Sauron is as generic a villain as their ever was, there's too many Hobbits, and the Elf & Dwarf are almost a note short of "one-note"). And really, their impact on Pop Culture cannot be denied- pretty much everyone is familiar with a good portion of the original Trilogy at least, so there's almost zero chance someone you're talking to won't get an "I am your father!" or "Lightsaber" reference.

For this set, I'm mainly doing the Film series characters, plus some from the Star Wars Rebels show (it's okay... not as good as I was hoping, though. It DOES have that great scene where DARTH VADER runs in and essentially wipes out the entire team with ease). Not many novel characters, though.

To-Do List:
Luke Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Princess Leia
Han Solo
Chewbacca
C-3PO
R2-D2
Lando Calrissian
Wicked & The Ewoks
Wookiees
Wedge Antilles
Qui-Gon Jinn
Kit Fisto
Shaak-Ti
Ithorians
Mara Jade
Jedi Padawans, Knights & Council
Yoda
Mace Windu
Padme Amidala
Ahsoka Tahno
Watto
Admiral Ackbar

Grand Moff Tarkin
Battle & Heavy Droids
Boba Fett
Jango Fett
Jawas
Tusken Raiders
Sebulba
The Trade Federation
General Grievous
Jabba the Hutt
Jabba's Palace Guards
Savaj Opress &
Darth Maul
Count Dooku
Darth Vader
Emperor Palpatine
Kallus

Star Wars Rebels:
Kanan
Ezra
Hera
Sabine
Zeb
C1-10P
The Inquisitor

Animals:
Bantha
Wampa
Taun-taun
Rancor
Sarlacc Pit
That Meteor Worm Thing

Ships:
Speeder Bikes
Pod Racers
AT/ST
AT/AT
Slave-1
X-Wing
Y-Wing
TIE Fighter
Star Destroyer
The Millennium Falcon
The Death Star

Power Levels in the Star Wars Universe:
- This can be a bit tricky, as Star Wars characters typically inhabit a much-less powerful world than do Comic Book Superheroes. Pretty much every character outside of the Jedi wield regular Laser Blasters, and these don't seem to be that different from each other. Most do about the same amount of damage as a bullet would in most Hollywood productions (ie. shoulder shots are "flesh wounds" and merely debilitating for a bit; chest shots are Insta-Kill), and tend to be pretty light on the number of shots fired, albeit don't seem to ever run out of whatever makes them shoot. But there are some gigantic animals out there, plus the existence of Jedi as a super-powered adversary. I'd imagine the baseline character in this universe is much lower than in Marvel or DC, but the Jedi match up pretty well in superheroes.


IMPERIAL STORMTROOPERS
Role:
Mooks, The Most Iconic Minions of All Time
Group Affiliations: The Galactic Empire
PL 4 (33)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Expertise (Space Military) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Stormtrooper Gear)

Equipment:
"Laser Blaster" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)

"Stormtrooper Armor"
Protection 2 (Flaws: Limited to Non-Laser Attacks) (1)
Enhanced Skills 2: Intimidation 2 (+4) (1)
"Survival Gear" Immunity 3 (Suffocation 2, Heat, Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (2)
"Utility Belt" 5 Ranks of Assorted Gear (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Laser Blaster +3 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2 (+4 Armor), Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire)- Stormtroopers are trained to gladly lay down their lives for the Empire.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (33)

-The most iconic Minions of all time, the Stormtroopers are just as infamous for their lack of accuracy. It's too bad, really- they're some of the COOLEST-LOOKING Minions ever, yet they pretty much never score a hit on any important character, save that one time Han Solo got hurt in ROTJ. They can demolish REBELS alright, but anyone else and they're just useless. Granted, anyone who's actually seen combat can tell you that it's actually REALLY HARD to hit a moving target (it's WAY different from firing on the range)... but of course all the HEROES can do it.
-Stormtroopers are descended from the Clone Troopers (but also contain a lot of regular old-fashioned civilians who've been trained for fighting), and are usually the "fist" of the Empire. They're ultra-loyal, and quite intimidating to the locals, but are generally your average Faceless Mooks. Minions like this tend to look as inhuman as possible (Stormtroopers aren't even seen MASKLESS as far as I can remember) in order to dehumanize them and make it look "better" that our heroes are essentially massacring SCORES of human beings. The Lasers & Lightsabers make it pretty effective as well, since we're watching bloodless carnage.
-Stormtroopers are pretty classic Mooks, making PL 4. It's enough to force the heroes into defensive positions in semi-large numbers, and they can beat OTHER Mooks just fine, but they're not up to snuff against regular heroes. There's a dozen "Canon/Fanon" explanations for just WHY they can never hit anything with those Rifles (going from "the rifles suck at aiming" to "the helmets are impossible to see through"), but needless to say, their aim isn't so great, and heroes with DC 20-23 Dodge aren't going to fear them too much. Their "Armor" is also comically-worthless, as it fails to save anyone from anything, and guns do the same amount of damage as if the troops had been naked. So I figured it's only worth a Save against physical damage like falling or being punched- Lasers & Lightsabers go right through them. Their Will Saves are classic "Mook Level" (Obi-Wan easily does the "Jedi Mind Trick" on a couple), though apparently they've a reputation for never fleeing, and being impossible to bribe.

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CLONE TROOPERS
Role:
Semi-Elite Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Galactic Republic, The Galactic Empire
PL 5 (60)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Space Military) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+4)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Clone Trooper Gear), Improved Aim, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Laser Blaster" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)

"Stormtrooper Armor"
Protection 2 (Flaws: Limited to Non-Laser Attacks) (1)
Enhanced Skills 2: Intimidation 2 (+4) (1)
"Survival Gear" Immunity 3 (Suffocation 2, Heat, Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (2)
"Utility Belt" 5 Ranks of Assorted Gear (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Laser Blaster +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire/Republic)

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (60)

-So one of the major plot points of Episode II: Attack of the Clones (worst name EVER for something, by the way) was that this fabled Clone Army was being created in secret on some backwoods planet. Thousands of clones of some great Mandalorian soldier named Jango Fett are created under the orders of some mysterious Jedi, and they fly in as the Cavalry to save the day against the Trade Federation's robot forces. Soon, the "Clone Wars" begin, with these men acting as the backbone of a force of Jedi Knights. Eventually, we figure out that the Clones were ordered by Palpatine himself, and meant to be the foundation and military arm of his Galactic Empire- the early Stormtroopers were all Clones, and many of the elites remain so as well.
-Clone Troopers are clearly MUCH better than the original Trilogy's Stormtroopers- many of them are even decked out in CAMO (poor Stormtroopers are stuck in bright white outfits no matter WHERE they are- this doesn't work out so well on Endor). They're good enough that when the order comes, they're able to turn on and KILL what amounts to the entire Jedi Order, more or less. Basic Clone Troopers are PL 5s (one above Stormtroopers), while their bosses and Generals go from PL 6-7.

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BOBA FETT
Role:
The Most Popular Jobber of All Time, Memetic Bad-Ass, Ensemble Darkhorse
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (156)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Intergalactic Bounty Hunter) 10 (+13)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 7 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 5 (+8)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit (Reputation), Diehard, Equipment 26 (Gear, Slave I), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lasers), Improved Initiative, Languages (Various), Move-By Action, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Tracking, Ranged Attack 7

Equipment:
"Carbine Rifle" Blast 6 (Feats: Extended Range 2) (Extras: Multiattack) (20) -- (24)
AE: "Flame Projector" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Cone +1/4) (8)
AE: "Smaller Laser Pistol" Blast 4 (8)
AE: "Stun Darts" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Diminished Range -2) (16)
AE: "Mini-Rockets" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5 Uses) (12)

"Mandalorian Armor"
Protection 2 (2)
"Survival Gear" Immunity 4 (Suffocation 2, Heat, Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (2)
"Link With Slave I" Features 1: Linkup With Ship (1)
Senses 5 (Low-Light & Extended Vision 2, Radius Sight, Infravision) (5)
"Utility Belt" Grappling Hook, etc. (5)

"Jetpack" Flight 6 (Flaws: Fades) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Carbine Rifle +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Stun Darts +12 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Flame Projector +6 Area (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Mini-Rockets +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (The Law)- Boba Fett is a Bounty Hunter, and believes this is some sort of honorable occupation meant to create social order. Sometimes however, he's just greedy.
Enemy (Han Solo)- Fett does not like Solo, believing him to be a rebellious rulebreaker.
Enemy (Jedi)- Fett watched his father Jango slain by Master Mace Windu when he was just a boy. He hated all Jedi, and Windu especially, for years.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 45 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (156)

-I've gone into detail before about how important it is in a visual medium to LOOK COOL. And never was that more true than with Boba Fett- he showed up with a group of Bounty Hunters in The Empire Strikes Back, got the most focus of them (all of FOUR LINES of dialogue!), but died like a Jobber in the next film (his only line: "What the-- *SCREAM*!"), all without ever showing his face, or any real characterization! And yet he's a freaking HOUSEHOLD NAME, a legendary character, focus in the Prequels, and is now getting his own FEATURE FILM! All because they just happened to give him some of the coolest-looking armor in history.
-Boba Fett's history is insanely-detailed for someone so minor, as the Expanded Universe took his popularity and RAN with it, turning him into this glorious hero. He's the Cloned son of the Mandalorian Jango Fett, trained with his dad as a boy (and learned more from a book his father had given him), and it turns out he SURVIVED being thrown into the Sarlacc Pit in ROTJ, being the only person in history to do so. He fights his way out of the beast, becomes the leader of Mandalore (his people, like Fett, have been turned into Memetic Badasses), and even an ALLY to the heroes, including Han Solo! He's been given a strong sense of morality and justice for a Bounty Hunter, as well. Not bad for a guy who was seen as "just one of the minions" by the original creators (initial tests for TESB show his armor as pure white- he was basically just an Elite Stormtrooper before they changed their minds), which is why they had him offed so casually in the first place.
-Boba Fett is a bit tricky to figure out PL-wise, as his reputation alone makes him out to be this supreme bad-ass, yet he goes down like a Jobber in ROTJ. He clearly improves a bit after that, as the Expanded Universe gives him feat after feat- he's basically The Punisher In Space after a point. His "continued adventures" imply a PL 10 Bad-Ass (he even fights DARTH VADER, and uses intelligence and tactics to gain the advantage), but he's more like PL 8 in the movies. I'll stick him in the middle for the time being.

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SLAVE I
Role: Unique & Bitching Assault Vehicle, Small Transport

Baseline Stats: Gargantuan Size, Strength 12, Defense 12, Toughness 12 (20)
Movement: Flight 10, Space Travel 2 (21)
Features: Tracking Beacon (1)

Weapons:
"Heavy Blaster Cannons" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 4, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (37) -- (41)
AE: "Homing Missiles" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 4, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 6 Uses) (34)
AE: "Rapid Fire Cannons" Blast 10 (Feats: Extended Range 4) (Extras: Multiattack) (30)
AE: "Seismic Charges" Damage 10 (Feats: Triggered- When Touched) (11)
AE: "Tractor Beam" Move Object 10 (20)

Total Cost: Stats: 20 / Movement: 21 / Features: 1 / Weapons: 41 (83 Equipment Points)

-Boba Fett's legendary ship originally belonged to some guy, and was then stolen by Jango Fett (he made sure to blow up the remaining other models, ensuring that this one became a true "Special Snowflake" ship). When Jango died, young Boba took it, and he held it way past the "Galactic Empire" era. It's been modified several times, but it's key attribute, like Boba Fett's, is looking cool. It was allegedly-based off of a street lamp outside the ILM studios, but the designer says it was supposed to look like a radar dish.
-I started up a new template for "Vehicles", as the series uses a lot of them. I figure it for a PL 12-ish thing, though of course Vehicles are an entirely different ball of wax in M&M terms. In superhero comics, they tend to be pretty worthless, as most of their attacks cannot be used in melee, and once heroes are TOUCHING the vehicle, they can basically attack with impunity, often with high-powered attacks. In the Low-Strength, Low-Toughness world of Star Wars, vehicles are actually very effective, high-speed, and dangerous- not too many characters in the franchise could ever go toe-to-toe with a ship of any sort. Jedi may go all "Deflect-O-Rama" on Laser Beams, but a Burst Area Missile is nothing ANY of them want to face.

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JANGO FETT
Role:
Generation Xerox, Prequel Ancestor
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (157)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Intergalactic Bounty Hunter) 10 (+13)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 7 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 5 (+8)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit (Reputation), Diehard, Equipment 27 (Gear, Slave I), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lasers), Improved Initiative, Languages (Various), Move-By Action, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Tracking, Ranged Attack 7

Equipment:
"Saber Dart" Weaken Stamina 6 (Extras: Ranged, Progressive +2) (24) -- (29)
AE: "Carbine Rifle" Blast 6 (Feats: Extended Range 2) (Extras: Multiattack) (20)
AE: "Flame Projector" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Cone +1/4) (8)
AE: "Smaller Laser Pistol" Blast 4 (8)
AE: "Stun Darts" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Diminished Range -2) (16)
AE: "Mini-Rockets" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5 Uses) (12)

"Mandalorian Armor"
Protection 2 (2)
"Survival Gear" Immunity 4 (Suffocation 2, Heat, Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (2)
"Link With Slave I" Features 1: Linkup With Ship (1)
Senses 5 (Low-Light & Extended Vision 2, Radius Sight, Infravision) (5)
"Utility Belt" Grappling Hook, etc. (5)

"Jetpack" Flight 6 (Flaws: Fades) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Carbine Rifle +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Stun Darts +12 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Flame Projector +6 Area (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Mini-Rockets +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Boba Fett)- Jango, upon agreeing to be the subject for the massive Clone Army, required only that he be given a natural-born Clone to raise himself.
Responsibility (The Contract)- Jango is supposed to have Obi-Wan Kenobi killed, and his benefactor is Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku).

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 45 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (157)

-When Boba Fett proved popular, his backstory was soon expanded upon- turns out he has a father named Jango. The middle Prequel film used him as an elite guy who more or less resembles Boba entirely, save with a brighter, less-used-up looking suit of armor. Jango is the subject for the massive Clone Army, and tries to have Obi-Wan Kenobi assassinated, but ends up against the Jedi in a big gladatorial arena, where he personally shoots down several Knights (thus gaining far more on-screen credibility than his son ever had), before he's handily-beaten and decapitated by Mace Windu.
-Jango Fett is identical to his son in every way (in the supplemental material, he's killed a bunch of Jedi UNARMED, which is a classic "My character is SOOOOOOOOOOOO bad-ass!" move), but has a "Saber Dart" that's like a poison thing- he uses it to kill the Bounty Hunter Zam Wessel (that Shapeshifting guy nobody remembers because it wasn't that memorable). This raises his cost by one point.

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LUKE SKYWALKER
Role:
The Prototypical Young Hero
Group Affiliations: None
PL 11 (214), PL 12 (214) With the Dark Side
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+8)
Insight 4 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Interpose, Languages (A Few), Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 12 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Detect Life- Ranged 5) [12]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+15) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [22]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 8 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (16)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (15.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
AE: Communication (Mental) 2 (8)

"Channel the Dark Side"
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Close Attack 1 [1]
Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+7) [2]

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Dark Side Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Dark Side Lightsaber +15 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +7 Affliction, DC 12 & 17)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +11

Complications:
Relationship (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda)- Luke treats both as mentors, but Obi-Wan as more of a father-figure.
Enemy (Darth Vader)- Luke wants Vader to pay for the death of Obi-Wan, but is also afraid of the man. When it turns out that Vader is Luke's FATHER, things only get MORE complicated. He views facing Vader (who's defeated him before) as his greatest challenge, but wants to see the good in him at the same time.
Motivation (Defeating the Empire)- A humble Moisture Farmer, Luke finally "Heard the Call", and once the Empire killed his adoptive parents, he's been devoted to stopping their evil once and for all.
Relationship (Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2)- Luke is devoted to his friends- when he fears their deaths in Cloud City, he abandons his training with Yoda in order to save them, despite assurances that he will suffer for doing so.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 35 / Powers: 59 / Defenses: 22 (214)

-Luke Skywalker (originally "Starkiller") is of course The Hero, and the cog around which the entire Original Trilogy revolves. He starts off as this Bored Farmboy, but Hears The Call when he uncovers a Droid with a random message from this "Princess Leia" chick. He goes to get his "Uncle Ben Kenobi" for help, and ends up discovering both his heritage and his destiny- the last Jedi Knight. Soon his adoptive parents are killed (they're pretty much never mentioned again- Luke seems WAY more attached to Ben), and there's no going back- he joins Ben/Obi-Wan and some mercenaries on a suicidal rescue mission, watches Obi-Wan die against this Darth Vader guy, and soon Luke "Uses The Force" to fire the last shot in the battle which destroys the Death Star. The Farmboy is now an intergalactic hero.
-The two sequels show off more development, as he learns more of the philosophy behind the Jedi, enters some hardcore training from the Jedi Master Yoda, loses his hand against Vader (who then shocks the world by declaring "I AM YOUR FATHER!"), and is at his lowest... but comes roaring back in Return of the Jedi, which sees this full-fledged warrior annihilate the bad guys, finally defeat the arch-villain Vader in solo combat... but then denies the chance to gain revenge, refusing to slay his fallen father. Instead, he tells The Emperor "I am a Jedi, like my father before me..." and thus witnesses his father's redemption, and avoids falling to the Dark Side by slaying a helpless foe.
-Luke is a good character with an excellent Character Arc, but is rarely anyone's favorite character from what I've seen. Most people generally-prefer the more rogueish Han Solo (who himself has a great Character Arc), or naturally gravitate towards Darth Vader- it's easy to see a pretty generic "Hero Character" as less-dynamic. And that's DESPITE the fact that being a Jedi was all any kid wanted to be for like ten years after these movies came out! Hell, they're STILL the most-iconic part of the franchise, beating Droids, Wookiees, all sorts of damn aliens and more! It doesn't help that Mark Hammill... wasn't REALLY a great actor in these films. He seemed very wooden in the first, and often over-acts in the series- there's a reason that Harrison Ford & James Earl Jones had far more successful post-Star Wars careers than Hammill did, and that the Shakespearean types like Alec Guinness have more respect. That said, Hammil made a hell of a career for himself as a Voice Actor, where his overacting pays off in spades- he really learned how to utilize his voice as an instrument. And playing VILLAINS of all things!
-Luke Skywalker's PL could be all over the place- I was gonna make him PL 10, but on further thought, I went with PL 11. PL 10 makes him about the same level as Daredevil and The Punisher- he feels higher to me. If he were a Marvel character, he'd easily fit in with The Avengers. At PL 11, he can demolish Stormtroopers & Palace Guards, face off against monsters like Darth Vader, and stand out as the greatest warrior of the Rebel Alliance. Even BEFORE his training with Yoda, he was strong enough to one-shot an Abominable Snow Monster! He's still PL 10 on defense, though- going All-Out Attack generally isn't a good idea with him. I figure him for PL 7-8-ish in Star Wars, PL 9-10 in Empire (where Vader handily defeats him after controlling the entire fight), and finally hits PL 11 as a full-fledged Jedi in ROTJ. Luke isn't that strong (it's a fairly Low-ST Universe, here), but packs great accuracy with one of the most-lethal weapons in the galaxy- especially since few characters are really great Parry-fighters in the series (most haven't faced a Lightsaber in decades).
-I needed to build Luke first, as he's pretty much the definitive Jedi, with more Force Powers than most (though as the franchise has expanded, so has the number of Force Powers)- he's the template by which you can judge all of the others. As you'll see, he's a fair bit more powerful than most other Jedi Knights in the Prequels, though sometimes that can be tricky to assess, as improvements in filming, special effects, fight choreography and more all add up to make Luke seem like a rather un-dynamic, slow fighter in these Late '70s/Early '80s films, especially compared with the Hyper-Acrobatics of people like Darth Maul, Yoda and more. But I figure Luke and Jedi like him for less-flashy, but more-effective fighters- all that flash and jumpy-rolly nonsense from other Jedi lacks the substance of a good old-fashioned accurate Force User (you'll note how Count Dooku wasn't acrobatic, but was a high-tier swordfighter all the same). And in terms of raw power with The Force, Luke is high-tier, which can make a huge difference.

JEDI POWERS:
-Jedi are exceptionally skilled, varied fighters in the Star Wars universe- a single one is likely the most top-tier character around (the only thing that can stop an elite Jedi/Sith is a Starfighter).

* They wield Lightsabers, the more-dangerous weapon usually seen on regular people. They do WAY more damage than any hand-held laser. Even a complete weakling can do a ton of damage with them, though they're still Strength-Based (the blade will hurt anything touching it, but it really needs some "oomph" behind it to do major damage).
* They have Force Senses, generally allowing them to Detect Life, as well as sense the levels of Force in others. Also, limited Precognition (though many never come close to developing that).
* Enhanced skills and reflexes- most are natural Pilots (even with devices that humans can't oridinarily use), have Defensive Roll, and even improved aiming capabilities.
* Force-Assisted Movement, making them faster than most.
* Standard Force Powers: Telekinesis (usually low-level- Yoda's lifting of a damaged ship is treated as a HUGE feat, when it's a low-tier Jean Grey-level showing), "Force Push" (basically knocking guys on their asses), the famous "Jedi Mind Trick" (convincing only the Mookiest of Mooks something- never works on an important character), Limited Mental Communication (few master this), and of course, the ability to Deflect Lasers. This is probably their most-USEFUL power in the setting, as they can basically become nigh-immune to the most-common thing in the setting (Lasers), and start whipping all attacks directed at them right back at the shooters. This includes both Reflect & Redirect, as well as Multiattack, since they so frequenly mow down multiple shooters per round (this is most-often seen against the Combat Droids in the Prequels).
* There's also the "Channel the Dark Side" ability- a Power Level upgrade that has dangerous side-effects for some characters. Only a few Jedi are really seen doing that, however. Most don't try to tempt the Dark Side.

Jedi Knights- Y U SO DOMINANT?:
-Force Users tend to be pretty overpowered in this setting. It's kind of inevitable. In the narrative, it's because the main characters- Luke, Anakin/Vader, Obi-Wan, Palpatine- are all masters of the Force. Therefore, because they're main characters, they're the best. But they even dwarf the abilities of OTHER characters, many of whom are great fighters as well (Boba Fett, Han Solo). It's pretty easy to explain, however:

* They're wielding Lightsabers, the most-damaging weapon anybody can carry around. They do +6 damage, and few Jedi are below Strength 2. Most Laser Blasts are between Blast 5-6. And in M&M, damage is slightly better than accuracy.
* Star Wars is a setting where high Strength and Toughness are rare- Wookiees are one of the most-powerful Sentient Races, and they're not stronger than say, a regular bear. And so the high-powered Lightsabers are almost Gamebreakers- Pretty much any Jedi can hit with +8 Damage right out of the gate, and few enemies will ever go above Toughness +4. A successful hit means most enemies need a "19" or higher to even avoid damage, and even a "14" will get them Dazed. In most fights, even against other JEDI, the Lightsaber basically hits and the other guy goes down- maimings and deaths are almost always the result.
* They're melee fighters, in a world where most guys are Blasters & Dodgers. Few people are keyed in properly to avoid melee attacks.
* Since every other character is stuck with Laser Blasts, having a power that specifically lets you blast away at anyone in range USING SOMEONE ELSE'S LASER BLASTS makes you way more powerful.

Though in the Prequels, we see a lot more of the "Jobber Jedi"- in the Battle of Geonosis, more than a HUNDRED of them are slaughtered by attrition fire from the Combat Droids. Jango Fett even manages to off a Jedi Council member with ease! General Grievous exterminates a handful of Jobber Jedi in the Clone Wars cartoon, as well. But a true top-tier like Mace Windu or Yoda? They'd annihilate any of the low-tier Blasters.

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JAWAS
Role:
Annoying Junk Dealers
Group Affiliations: The Jawas
PL 3 (15)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+1)
Deception 5 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Expertise (Business) 2 (+3)
Technology 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Stun Blasters)

Powers:
"Desert Peoples"
Immunity 1 (Heat) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [0.5]
Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]

Equipment:
"Stun Blasters" Affliction 4 (Toughness; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Stun Blasters +2 (+4 Ranged Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Making a Profit)
Reputation (Swindlers)- Jawas have a reputation for selling faulty Droids to moisture farmers.
Reputation (Foul-Smelling)- Jawas are notoriously-stinky, as they do not bathe, and use scent-markers to tell things about each other.
Disabled (No "Basic" Language)- Jawas cannot speak Basic, and instead learn a sort of "Trade Language" that those who trade with them pick up quickly.
Weakness (Small)- Jawas are small and lightweight- they cannot Intimidate beings larger than themselves.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 15--7.5 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 2.5 / Defenses: 3 (15)

-One of the neat bits of the Original Trilogy, like I said, were the neat side bits where you see something totally unique and outlandish, when something mundane would have done just fine. I mean... so Luke & Uncle Owen need to come across the Droids containing the message from Princess Leia, and start the quest? Okay then- any old Flea Market scavenger thing would do. But here, they use a race of distinctive tiny aliens! And they even get the WRONG DROID at first- it's only after the first one breaks down, that the Jawas are like "oh fine- take this OTHER one instead!" Jawas do not appear much elsewhere, though naturall the Expanded Universe goes into some detail, calling them Rodent-Like. But they're a bit like Orko or Dr. Claw- you never see their faces.
-Jawas have minor little Stun things that they mostly use on Droids (meaning it requires a Toughness Save- not Fortitude), but they're pretty cowardly and would run from most opposition.

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SPEEDER BIKE
Role: Ludicrously-Impractical Device

Baseline Stats: Medium Size, Strength 0, Defense 10, Toughness 5 (10)
Movement: Flight 7 (Quirks: Can Only Get 30 Feet Above Ground-Level -2) (12)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
None (0)

Total Cost: Stats: 10 / Movement: 12 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 0 (22 Equipment Points)

-In one of the distinct, memorable portions of Retun of the Jedi was when Luke & Leia get involved in a Chase Scene with some Stormtroopers through some dense forest on these insanely-fast Jetbike things. They filmed the sequence by travelling through a forest with a special camera set-up at normal speeds... then simply ramped up the speed of the footage so it looked like they were going at lightning speed between the trees! Now, this would be INSANE to try in real life, even if you HAD The Force on your side, much less if you're just a Stormtrooper, but man, those bucketheads were right up there with the heroes for a while.
-A Speeder Bike is more or less a Flying Motorcycle- it's pretty fragile and goes REALLY fast, so if you hit something, you're gonna die.

LANDSPEEDERS
Role: Standard Ground Vehicles

Baseline Stats: Large Size, Strength 4, Defense 6, Toughness 7 (9)
Movement: Flight 6 (Quirks: Can Only Get 30 Feet Above Ground-Level -2) (10)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
None (0)

Total Cost: Stats: 9 / Movement: 10 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 0 (19 Equipment Points)

-These are very-common vehicles, and the stats will do for just about anything that tends to have room for a handful of people and just zip around on planetary surfaces. A few have some military weapons on them, but they're definitely no match for a fully-powered jet or anything.

The core Star Wars material is also very handy for figuring out "Tiers" of Jedi Knights, though comparing the Original Trilogy with The Prequels is a bit tougher, as the characters don't translate exactly (due to the number of years separating them).

Star Wars:
* Darth Vader & Obi-Wan Kenobi have a slow, more-practised fight. Obi-Wan dies, basically of his own will.

The Empire Strikes Back:
* Darth Vader handily defeats Luke Skywalker (who's been training with Yoda), throwing stuff at him, overpowering him, and cutting off his hand. He controls basically the entire fight.

Return of the Jedi:
* Luke defeats Vader in a rematch, starting as equals before finally overpowering him (clearly tapping the Dark Side and using anger and rage to win, before drawing himself back from the brink).
* The Emperor easily defeats Luke, thanks to basically using a surprise attack with Force Lightning ("Warn him about the Lightning, we should have," Yoda likely said to Obi-Wan in the Spirit World).
* Vader one-shots The Emperor, but is fatally-injured in the process, thanks to Falling Damage being a Gamebreaker. Great use of terrain as an advantage (note to Evil Warlords: if you're more powerful than your opponents, don't stand in areas where they can simply toss you to your doom).

The Phantom Menace:
* Darth Maul easily holds off Obi-Wan Kenobi (as a Padawan) & Qui-Gon Jinn at the same time. Separating them, he handily kills Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan fights an uphill battle (enraged and wanting revenge), managing to score a lucky hit and kills Maul. Translation: Maul is much better than either Jedi (who are obviously inexperienced against fighting an actual Lightsaber-wielder).

Attack of the Clones:
* Hundreds of Jedi Knights job their asses off against robots & Jango Fett. Mace Windu easily kills him.
* Count Dooku handily-defeats Obi-Wan Kenobi (a full Knight) & Anakin Skywalker (Padawan). Would have killed both had Yoda not intervened.
* Yoda & Count Dooku have a stalemate, with Yoda able to counter all of Dooku's offense. Evenly-matched, Dooku uses a threat against the two fallen Jedi to escape.

The Clone Wars (cartoon series):
* General Grievous easily defeats several Jedi Knights (Shaak-Ti, and Ithorian and some other guy, basically all at once), being treated like a horror movie treats Jason or Freddy.
* Mace Windu easily-defeats General Grievous, Force Crushing his chest.

Revenge of the Sith:
* Obi-Wan & Anakin fight Count Dooku again, with Obi-Wan being KO'd. Anakin is able to overpower and kill Dooku. Translation: Anakin has Leveled Up; Obi-Wan isn't that good.
* Obi-Wan easily kills an injured, coughing General Grievous.
* The Emperor easily kills three Jedi Knights in a couple rounds of combat.
* Mace Windu holds off The Emperor, eventually deflecting his lightning back. Anakin TKs him, saving The Emperor from certain death.
* The Emperor & Yoda battle, again being pretty evenly-matched. It ends in a stalemate, and both escape.

Star Wars- Rebels (cartoon series):
* The Inquisitor starts off better than either Kanan or Ezra.
* Eventually, both face The Inquisitor again, with him finally being defeated after one of the Jedi (I forget which) had been KO'd. He commits suicide rather than accept help.
* DARTH VADER faces off against The Rebels, absolutely handing them their asses. Casually tosses off huge chunks of scenery, Force Tosses the Jedi around, and deflects Mandalorian Chick's lasers right back at her. Essentially treated like Godzilla attacking Tokyo.

Translation:
* Mace Windu is the absolute BMF of the universe.
* Obi-Wan Kenobi is the Worf of Star Wars.
* Dooku & The Emperor are both evenly-matched with Yoda.
* Jedi magically get shittier the more of them are involved in a fight. They must willingly hold back if an opponent if an ally is close by- those Lightsabers are too dangerous to do otherwise. In all three Prequel films, multiple Jedi job to a single Sith, and in two of them; the Jedi win after the elder Jedi has jobbed.

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JAR JAR BINKS
Role:
The Most-Hated Character in History, Comic Relief, Bumbling Sidekick
Group Affiliations: The Gungans, The Galactic Senate
PL 5 (45)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Politics) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Evasion

Powers:
"Gungan Physiology"
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]

"Clumsy Field of Destruction" Damage 5 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Descriptor) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [7]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Clumsy Field +5 Area (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications:
Reputation (Buffoon)- Jar Jar tends to screw up, break things, trip over himself, and make fun of others in an obvious way. Few can tolerate him for very long.
Responsibility (Peace on Naboo)- Jar Jar, for all his faults, is focused on peace between the peoples of Naboo.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 4 (45)

-I think it's pretty safe to say that Jar Jar Binks is the most universally-despised character in the history of Pop Culture- imagine if the hate for Spider-Man's Clone Saga was extended to absolutely every person on Earth, and focused towards THIS guy. THAT's how hated this guy is- he's the Clone Saga of movie characters. While fandoms will always hate certain particular characters (Scrappy-Doo is a good example), none of that extends to the mainstream quite like this weird, quasi-ethnic Gungan. People got their swords out for him pretty much immediately- he had a silly name and was obviously meant to be the Pratfalling Comic Relief, which adults tend to find more tiresome than do children (who were Jar Jar's target audience). And it's too bad- the Star Wars movies got as big as they did in PART because of the young fans that loved them, and it's not like the films haven't always had comic relief in the forms of C-3PO, Chewbacca & Ewoks (who, like Jar Jar, were there for the kids). But Jar Jar? Jar Jar is the perfect example of how NOT to do it.
-Jar Jar, also created to showcase the power of CGI as the only 100% CGI major character in a Hollywood production, made a nuisance of himself immediately, and exists as living proof that George Lucas had lost touch with people. See, he wasn't just Comic Relief- a guy who occasionally gets a pratfall or says something funny- he is literally 100% JOKE, and every time he's on-screen, he's doing something buffoonish. He breaks stuff, sticks his head into electrical fields, trips and falls, and speaks in a ludicrous accent that sounds like a racial caricature of Caribbean black people, and acts like something out of a minstrel show from the '20s (something that would have been easier to blow off if the SAME MOVIE hadn't also given us a Space Jew and two Space Asians). And you CAN'T GET AWAY FROM HIM in the movie! He's just all over the place, screwing up, sticking his tongue out at characters, and being an idiot. Even the people who hated the Ewoks only have to put up with them for like twenty minutes.
-Jar Jar bombed HARD, and was easily the most-hated part of Episode I- maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if this hadn't been the first real Star Wars movie since ROTJ came out in the early '80s. But to have ALL that hype, ALL that importance, and ALL that attention... and then to reveal THIS dipshit? Fans freaked the hell out, and "Jar Jar Sucks!" became a worldwide cry- he became the most-hated part of a movie that also featured Young Anakin "YIPPIEEEEE!" Skywalker as a major character. Lucas himself just completely couldn't figure out what was going on, acting like people wanted everyone to be The Terminator and that they hated childlike things (even saying that the movies were always MEANT for children), but South Park made a pretty good argument- nobody likes something that is 100% pratfalls & goofy speech patterns. It's irritating, especially when important stuff is going on- Shakespeare knew to shuffle these guys out of scene before things got too serious (it's why in Frozen both Sven & Olaf disappear right when Anna's about to freeze solid). This was something that only a 3-year old could enjoy, and here he was mucking up this movie that everyone had been waiting for for YEARS.
-Lucas, to his credit, didn't make TOO much of a stink, and instead buried the character (lesser creators have responded by pushing hated characters HARDER, often having other characters voice these characters' qualities). He's only in a tiny bit of the remaining two Prequels, and he's also responsible for some of the rise of the Empire, so he "gets his" in a metafictional sense.
-Jar Jar Binks is pretty useless (he only beats some Combat Droids by accident), and is a giant coward, but has a sturdy-ish Gungan physiology.

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CHEWBACCA
Role:
Comic Relief, Co-Pilot
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance, The Wookiee Race
PL 9 (136)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+12)
Expertise (Galactic Mercenary) 8 (+11)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 5 (+7)
Technology 6 (+9)
Vehicles 12 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 3 (Crossbow Blaster +6), Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Blasters), Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 12, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Wookiee Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Jungle Worlds) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Crossbow Thingie +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 11), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Han Solo)- Chewbacca owes his life to the scruffy scoundrel, though is known to voice his displeasure to Han quite often.
Disabled (Semi-Mute)- Only people who understand his growls can comprehend what Chewbacca is saying.
Temper- Wookiees are famously-temperamental, and Chewie is no exception- he'll even freak out of he loses "Space Chess".
Relationship (Family)- Chewie's wife Mallatobuk and son Lumpawarrump are important to him. And actually in-continuity, despite being introduced in the odious Holiday Special.
Responsibility (Honor)- Wookiees are forbidden from using their claws in combat.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 20 (140)

-Chewbacca is one of the weirder parts of the Original Trilogy, when you think about it- how many movies in that era had a Sidekick Character that incoherently-growled every bit of dialogue? Especially one that was in so MUCH of the film? Here was this giant fuzzy monster sitting besides the movie's main heroes, roaring all the time, but also doing TECHNICAL WORK. Then he starts firing lasers with his Energy Crossbow- no wonder the actors were always going "WTF?" during the entire production. But really, he's ideal- a big ship like the Millennium Falcon would need more than one guy to operate it, but they already HAD a bunch of characters. So how about one who COULDN'T TALK, thus giving us a totally-unique character who's also a study in contrasts (looks like a monster/good with mechanics), but wouldn't crowd up things with too much dialogue or exposition. His "ARRARGGWGERARWWERWEWRERW!!!" growls are now an iconic, irreplaceable part of Pop Culture, and part of what makes the Star Wars franchise so fun. He was a bit silly and goofy without going "Full Jar Jar".
-Lucas based Chewie off of the image of his dog Indiana (who inspired another Lucas character) sitting in the driver's seat of his car- getting the idea of this silent, hairy co-pilot. Peter Mayhew, a 7'3" actor, was chosen for the big fuzzy costume, which allowed the silly character a measure of dignity- if he was small, he'd be intolerable. But at more than seven feet tall, now he was a MONSTER- you HAD to take him seriously. He's basically just a "Sidekick" in the films, rarely mattering much to the plot besides being another warm body- his backstory is that he allied with Han Solo when Solo, then an Imperial trooper, refused an order to kill him. Some of the funnier moments involve Chewie making some vocalization, and Han responding like he'd just spoken perfect Basic ("Quit complaining!"). He's even popular enough that his death in some random EU novel became BIG NEWS, leading to upset fans who've never read one of the novels in their lives.
-Being fast and overwhelmingly-strong, Chewbacca is one of the most-dangerous members of the Main Party in melee- he will easily take out a whole group of Stormtroopers, faster than anyone but Luke. His Advantages are completely-different from everyone else, being keyed towards startling bad guys, grappling them and tearing them to pieces... AND he's a great shot!

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WOOKIEES
Role:
Warrior Race
Group Affiliations: The Wookiee Race
PL 6 (72)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 2 (Spear, Blasters +5), Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Wookiee Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Jungle Worlds) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasters +6 (+4-5 Ranged Damage, DC 19-20)
Initiative +6

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

Complications:
Disabled (Semi-Mute)- Only people who understand their growls can comprehend what Wookiees are saying.
Temper- Wookiees are famously-temperamental. They can usually be sweet and calm, but if they lose a contest, they'll tear your arms out.
Responsibility (Honor)- Wookiees are forbidden from using their claws in combat.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 9 (72)

-Wookiees became iconic to Star Wars pretty quickly, and were actually supposed to be a much bigger part of the franchise than they ended up being (after all, Chewbacca's the only REAL ALIEN of the Main Party!). There was initially supposed to be a battle involving dozens of Wookiees in A New Hope, and the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi was also supposed to feature them. However, Lucas felt that the "Stone Age Technology" culture he was imagining in the battle didn't jibe with Chewbacca's technological acumen, and so "Ewoks" (note the linguistic similarity to "Wookiee") were used instead. As a popular race, the tendency of Star Wars fans to act like DC fans and mix & match races with super-powered armies (see: Daxamite & Kryptonian Green Lanterns) creates a lot of "Wookiee Jedi", to the point where the Expanded Universe contains THREE of them- Lucas finally got sick of it and nixed the concept, ordering "No Wookiee Jedi". It just looks a little silly, I'll admit.
-Wookiees are a powerful, PL 6 race, and elites can be even MORE hardcore.

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TAUNTAUN
Role:
Odd Mount
PL 4 (47)- Minion Rank 4, Sidekick Rank 10
Normal Version:
PL 2-3
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+2)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Spit) 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Great Endurance

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Extended & Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [4]
Speed 5 (60 mph) [5]
"Tauntaun Spit" Dazzle Visuals 1 [2]
Immunity 2 (Cold, Starvation) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]

"Ice Adaptations"
Movement 2 (Environmental Adaptation- Ice Planets, Sure-Footed) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Spit +3 (+1 Ranged Affliction, DC 11)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Tauntauns cannot speak to humans, nor use their claws to easily manipulate objects.
Enemy (Wampas)- The Tauntauns are the natural prey of Wampas.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 6 (47)

-Even random ANIMALS seen in the Star Wars series can grow to become iconic household names. The Tauntauns are indigenous to the ice planet Hoth (you have to say it like that every time), and are basically bipedal mammalian/reptilian Ostrich-things. The only time we see them in the film series is during the opening of Empire, where Luke is using one as a riding mount. He and the Tauntaun are attacked by a predatory Wampa, which eats the Tauntaun, forcing Han Solo to mount a rescue. HIS own Tauntaun dies (collapsing from the cold), leading to the famous scene where Han uses Luke's Lightsaber to cut open the Tauntaun's belly and place Luke inside it to keep him warm. Only scene I've ever watched remotely like it, and part of what makes the series so notable.
-Tauntauns are basically Big Fuzzy Ostriches, but can apparently spit like camels. They're built to survive in cold climates, which is why it's so odd that the movie features one DYING FROM THE COLD.

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WAMPA
Role:
Monstrous Predator
PL 8 (91)- Minion Rank 7, Sidekick Rank 19
Normal Version:
PL 6-8
STRENGTH 6 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 13 (+12 Size)
Percpetion 9 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+8, +5 Size)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Diehard, Extraodinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking) [4]
"Natural Weapons- Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Hoth Predator"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Arctic) [2]
"White Fur" Enhanced Skills 6: Stealth 6 (+11) (Flaws: Limited to White Areas) [1.5]
Immunity 1 (Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [0.5]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Mold Ice" Transform (Ice to Ice) 1 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +8

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Wampas cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 14 (91)

-A single Wampa is seen in The Empire Strikes Back- it sneaks up on Luke (Jedi can see the future, but apparently don't deserve Danger Sense...) while he's conversing with Rebel HQ, knocks him out, and drags he and his Tauntaun to its cave hideout, where it consumes the beast. Luke, badly scarred (Mark Hamill had been in a car accident before filming the picture, see), manages to get his Lightsaber (via The Force), slices the beast's arm off in one shot, and sees it off. He still would have died on Hoth (thus dooming the entire galaxy) had Han Solo not discovered him.
-I went back and forth on the Wampa's PL a bit- it manages to one-shot Luke (getting a Surprise Attack), but is itself one-shotted by a Lightsaber from a then-PL 9-ish Jedi. It's about the size of a Polar Bear (95% of this build is just my "Polar Bear" build), built more like an Ape, and is able to kill the Ostrich-sized Tauntauns with great ease. I went with PL 8, but they aren't that great defensively, owing to being the Alpha Predators of a sparsely-populated Ice Planet. And also it somehow managed to stick a guy upside-down in ice, for no other reason than to make the scene more distinctive, so it gets a minor Transform effect (maybe it... breathes real hard on the ice, melts it, then refashions it?).

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BANTHA
Role:
Desert Mount
PL 8 (61)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 13
Normal Version:
PL 8
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Horns) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 9 (+6, +7 Size)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Horn), Interpose, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Deserts) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Hardy" Immunity 4 (Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Horn" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Penetrating 2) [6]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Thick Layer of Skin" Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Horns +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +10 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Banthas cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Rivalry (Other Males)- Like moost hoofed animals, Banthas must compete with other males for mating rights.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 10 (61)

-Banthas are commonly-seen in parts of the Saga, owing to being big Pack Animals in the poorer desert communities. They more or less look like gigantic Buffalo (one was played by a trained Elephant in a costume- future movies used CGI), and are a hardy, matriarchal animal that is known for toughness and survivability in any kind of environment.

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OBI-WAN KENOBI
Role:
The Mentor
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights, The Rebellion
PL 11 (205)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+13)
Insight 4 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Interpose, Languages (A Few), Luck, Move-By Action, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+12) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +12

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Relationship (Qui-Gon Jinn)- Obi-Wan's mentor was a wise, brave man, and Obi-Wan tries to uphold his legacy, especially through Anakin.
Relationship (Anakin Skywalker)- Obi-Wan has trained young Anakin since he was a boy, though he finds Anakin's energy and risk-taking to be troublesome and annoying. However, he is devoted to the young man, believing in Qui-Gon's theory that Anakin is "The Chosen One" to bring balance to The Force.
Relationship (Padme Amidala, Jar Jar Binks, Others)- Obi-Wan has made many allies in the war against the Separatist forces.
Relationship (Master Yoda, Mace Windu)- Obi-Wan defers to the wisdom of these most-elite of Jedi.
Secret (Many)- Obi-Wan becomes a secret-keeper following the rise of the Empire- he disappears onto Tatooine to oversee Luke Skywalker (Anakin's son), taking the name "Ben", and watching what happens to Darth Vader and the galaxy he'd once sworn to protect. He hides his identity as one of the sole remaining Jedi Knights, and keeps the truth of Luke's father from the boy. "True from a certain point of view" is really just a fancy word for "totally lying".
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 51 / Defenses: 23 (205)

-Obi-Wan has gone on to become one of the most-legendary "Mentor Figure" characters of all- he's got the role pegged, right down to being old, robed, and dead. He was portrayed by classically-trained actor Alec Guinness, who allegedly begged to be killed in the first one because he hated the material so much, and went on to decry the movie in his later years. But he lent the first film the gravitas it needed- a serious note that kept the thing grounded when it could have come off as ridiculously-silly. And his teachings continued on, as he remained a Disembodied Voice in Empire and ROTJ, sometimes showing up all blue and glow-y. This continued the grand, mysterious nature of The Force. It's only too bad that further chapters of the saga, and the Prequels, have rendered a lot of his dialogue in the first film to be total hogwash- basically he suffers from Lucas introducing Retcons.
-Obi-Wan's backstory became a big part of the saga, as Expanded Universe material combined with Lucas's notes to show the tales of him training a young Anakin Skywalker, watching his charge turn to The Dark Side, and eventually mutilating Darth Vader in a battle inside a volcano. He's a central figure in The Prequels, first being a young Padawan under the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn. He sees his own mentor slain by a Sith Lord (ooh, callback... or foreshadowing. Sort of), and takes it upon himself to train Anakin Skywalker, the boy Qui-Gon discovered on Tatooine. By the second Prequel, he's grown the beard his character would be known for, acting as the "boring unfun mentor guy" to the hot-headed, arrogant Anakin. Here, he's a bit more stiff and wooden, something Ewan McGregor has apologized for, blaming it partially on all the Green-Screens and CGI crap (one of the big flaws of the Prequels, really- the actors were so often running around in green rooms that things lose a bit of credibility and "in the now" for them). Plus he's given some REALLY bad dialogue, though not as bad as what Anakin & Padme had to spew in the end.
-Obi-Wan is a great swordfighter, but spends a lot of time in the movies being trounced by a single Sith Lord, despite fighting as part of a duo- Darth Maul & Count Dooku both handle the heroes quite effectively- Obi-Wan loses in both fights against Dooku (though he's Sneak Attacked while fighting Droids in the second), and can only defeat Darth Maul as a Padawan after watching his own teacher being cut down, and largely by a lot of luck. However, he's ALSO elite enough to easily-kill General Grievous (who had been badly-injured and was coughing the whole film), and he's able to cripple full-on Dark Lord Anakin Skywalker in the final moments of Revenge of the Sith, so it's not like he sucks or anything. I nearly went with PL 10, but I think he matches up with the Fully-Realized Luke Skywalker in the end of Return of the Jedi- both men are able to defeat Anakin Skywalker, and are classic well-rounded heroes who can stomp any of the sub-tier villains. His style is fairly well-rounded, but he lacks some of Luke's more-dramatic abilities- his defensive style lacks the "oomph" of Takedown, Power Attack and other bits, nor is he that good of a team fighter (EVERY TIME he's in a team battle, either both Jedi lose, or one loses and the other wins solo).
-Obi-Wan is a bit more well-rounded than Luke is Skill-wise though, as he was turned into a major Military Leader during the Separatist & Clone Wars, often sent on solo missions. He never taps into the Dark Side, unlike the Skywalkers- his mental control is far superior to either, though he lacks their might in The Force. His Parry is better, too.
-This build reflects Obi-Wan Kenobi at the peak of his power- in Episode I, he's barely a PL 8 Padawan, capable but not elite. His win against Darth Maul is more luck and Hero Point playing (he JUST WATCHED Qui-Gon die). The Separatist & Clone Wars turned him into an elite hero (often going on solo missions of great importance). But the Original Trilogy, he's an old man (the twenty-ish years since Revenge of the Sith having apparently aged him a LOT), much slower on the draw. He's probably only PL 9 by that point, though since he willingly-jobbed to Darth Vader in the end, it's unclear just how great a fighter he still is (it doesn't help that Star Wars has by far the series' clunkiest, poorest swordfighting). His whole "Disappear Into The Force" thing is really more of a Feature.

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TUSKEN RAIDERS
Role:
Chaotic Evil Murderers
Group Affiliations: The Sand People
PL 4 (205)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+3)
Perception 5 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Technology 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Laser Blaster +5, Spear)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Spear +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Laser Blasters +3 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +0

Complications:
Disabled (Odd Language)- The Sand People's vocalizations do not make sense to most individuals.
Responsibility (No Nudity)- Sand People believe that exposing any part of the flesh was disgraceful, and forbid it.
Motivation (Survival)- The Raiders... well, they raid. It's how they get stuff.
Responsibility (Bantha Partners)- A Tusken Raider has a lifelong partner in their Bantha- their Banthas are even mated to the Banthas of their spouse. If a Raider's Bantha dies, the Raider is exiled to walk the desert alone.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (205)

-Tusken Raiders are seen frequently on Tatooine, and are the indigenous peoples of the planet. They typically exist only to cause pain and suffering, frequently committing raids on more-civilized peoples- more or less how certain ethnic groups got depicted in old fiction & Hollywood movies, but different here because of course they're aliens. They were also used as a big stepping stone towards The Dark Side, as they kidnap, beat up, and eventually murder Anakin's mother Shmi Skywalker, driving the Jedi into a murderous rage. It's a semi-effective scene (there's of course the classic silly "She survived JUST long enough to die in her son's arms the second he arrived in her cell?" bit), largely because the Tuskens are seen as such raging dickholes in all of the Star Wars fiction, and so when Anakin goes FREAKING CRAZY and massacres the entire camp, we're like "HELLZ YEAH GLORIOUS REVENGE!" It's even diminished somewhat because he only kills the women & children off-camera- he only REFERS to it. The fact that "Revenge Killing" is generally seen as a bad thing to the Jedi is almost an afterthought, though Anakin does feel a bit of guilt over it.
-The Raiders aren't that bright, but can be clever (they walk single-file, in order to hide their numbers), and are excellent survivalists. They're PL 4 like Stormtroopers, being decent at range and in melee. But if a full-fledged Jedi walks into melee range, they're pretty screwed.

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QUI-GON JINN
Role:
The Mentor
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 9 (179)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+8)
Investigation 2 (+6)
Perception 7 (+11)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 5 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+11) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 4: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [4]
"Force Ghost" Features 1: Lives on as a Ghost After Death [1]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 5 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (11)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-5 Area (+2 Damage & +5 Affliction, DC 12 & 15)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +11

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Relationship (Obi-Wan Kenobi- Student)- The young adult Kenobi was Jinn's final Padawan.
Relationship (Anakin Skywalker)- Qui-Gon believes that young Anakin is "The Chosen One", destined to bring balance to The Force.
Reputation (Rebel)- Qui-Gon is known to flout the Jedi Code, and often doesn't do what he is told. Kenobi points out that if he followed instructions more often, he would have had a spot on the Council by now.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.
Weakness (Ataru Form)- Jinn apparently used a form that required a lot of acrobatics, which could tire him after long periods of use, and be harder to use in enclosed spaces.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 51 / Defenses: 21 (179)

-Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the main characters of the first Prequel, The Phantom Menace. Played with Liam Neeson's typical detached, disinterested style, he's supposed to be a very wise, respected Jedi, but has trouble convincing the Jedi Council to take on this fearful, mysterious young boy named Anakin. Turns out he's a bit of a rebel who follows his own path, and goes against the Council's wishes a lot. He is a major guy in the first film, but of course dies fighting Darth Maul, who is then slain by young Obi-Wan- the film's legacy has essentially ignored him, as Queen Amidala, Obi-Wan & Anakin are more important to the overall narrative, Darth Maul proved to be an iconic bad guy (despite being short-lived himself), and... he's really just not all that memorable, really.
-Qui-Gon is one of the weaker "Main Jedi" seen in the series- he defeats Combat Droids fairly handily, but he is outmatched by Darth Maul. I've heard of some supporting materials that point out while Jinn was elite in his prime, he was a much older man by the time of Episode One, and as such was past his peak, allowing Maul to overpower and then kill him. At his best, he was probably PL 10, but his lower showings in the film marks him as PL 9, to me. A lot of EU stuff discusses his "Ataru" style making him weaker in close quarters, but I don't recall him doing a bunch of flashy acrobatics otherwise- his lesser showing is really just due to Darth Maul being his superior.

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Hm, I wonder if this is the bad guy.

GRAND MOFF TARKIN
Role:
Evil Dick-Knocker, The Unlikeable Villain
Group Affiliations: The Galactic Empire
PL 6 (76)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Military) 9 (+13)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Rank- Grand Moff), Equipment 3 (Blaster +5), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blaster +6 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire)- As Grand Moff (hee hee), Tarkin is in charge of a huge portion of The Empire's holdings, including the first Death Star.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (76)

-Grand Moff Tarkin is actually kind of a brilliant concept, when you get down to it. He's an utterly-uninteresting, completely-generic villain. He doesn't look cool, has a stupid name (seriously, was Grand Vag Tarkin deemed too silly or something?), and dies in the first movie, AND he really doesn't matter to the plot one way or the other (you could have replaced every seen with Vader in his role). But really... THAT'S the brilliant part! See, DARTH VADER is the villain everyone likes! He's cool, intimidating, bad-ass and matters to the overall plot. So including a douche like TARKIN as the "Boss Bad Guy" in the first film allows the heroes to succeed, kill the bad guy dead, and have this great victory lap... while leaving the COOL villain a vital part of the story, allowing him to be the main baddie of the second film! It's really smart writing, actually (and something missed in the Prequels, which offed the Cool Bad Guy right away).
-Tarkin is of course a giant dickbag, as he oversees the operations on the Death Star, threatens to blow up Princess Leia's homeworld unless she gives him information, and when she names some OTHER planet, he blows up Alderaan ANYWAYS just to be an asshole! This act, the slaughtering of BILLIONS of people, makes him thoroughly unlikeable in a way that left Vader innocent of those crimes, which AGAIN only helped make Vader more cool (Vader didn't fire a Death Weapon from space at helpless worlds- he killed good guys ONE BY ONE. Like a BOSS).
-Tarkin isn't an elite fighter, but instead wields high military rank, making him just as dangerous as high-powered baddies. I'd imagine he can still shoot semi-accurately, though we never see it. He successfully threatens Princess Leia's homeworld (it helps that he wasn't kidding), but fails his Insight role more than a few times (the Clone Wars cartoon has him blame Ahsoka Tano for crimes of which she is innocent, and Leia bluffs him as well).

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C-3PO
Role:
Fussy Brit, Funny Robot
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 1 (49)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Galactic Politics & Peoples) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Eidetic Memory

Powers:
"Protocol Droid"
Protection 1 [1]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Featuers 1: May Be Put Together Easily After Being Dismembered [1]

"Quick Calculations" Quickness 8 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions) [4]
Comprehend 4 (All Languages) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude --, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)- C-3PO has been assigned with assisting R2-D2 on his mission to aid Princess Leia.
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 3 (49)

-C-3PO & R2-D2 were introduced to the film as classic Comic Relief- Lucas based them off of two thief characters from the Kurosawa film The Last Fortress (which also inspired the assault on the Death Star- the film is about the heroes putting a bomb in an "unbreachable" fortress). Though having seen that film, I gotta say they really only copy the "Comic Relief" concept of "Whiny people dragged along for the ride" that the characters' major personalities. For example, at no point do I recall Threepio & Artoo planning on raping the Princess.
-Threepio (much easier to both say and type out than "C-3PO") is a Fussy Englishman, portrayed in a clumsy, ambling gait by Anthony Daniels, who of course could barely walk in the damn thing. But that kind of just adds to the humor. It's a bit funny, because intead of engaging in Stepin Fetchit-class racial buffoonery like Jar Jar Binks (though I guess poking fun at Englishmen is the same thing, just without the long-held racist connotations), C-3PO just comes along, WHINING about everything. He frequently gets befuddled, insulted ("The odds of success in this endeavor are _____!" "NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!"), and occasionally even DISMEMBERED, but never really dominates things. He's just a fun character, and you can see his influence in many Sidekicks in Disney films (tell me you don't see parts of his personality in Flounder or Timon, for example). Him and Artoo really prevent a pretty slam-bang action movie from taking itself too seriously. I always liked the sight of the occasional Droid in the background who looked like a different-coloured version of him- stuff like that always interested me as a kid (I wonder if that's why boys are such obsessive collectors of things like that?).
-That said, the two really stand out as being irrelevant to the festivities in the Prequels. Also, it's a LITTLE silly that the SAME TWO Droids who helped out the good guys in the FIRST series end up being important to the PREQUELS as well- Obi-Wan & Darth Vader in particular should recognize them (and god- ANAKIN BUILT C-3PO!?!?!). Threepio was unnecessary, and they could have used ANY kind of Astromech Droid in place of Artoo.
-C-3PO as a Protocol Droid is obviously worthless in a fight (I'm pretty sure Aunt May could take him), and doesn't really add much to any OTHER situations, either. On Cloud City, he spends most of his time on Chewie's BACK. His main role is simply to react to the things people say (particularly Artoo, who is apparently quite the sarcastic little shit). He's got a lot of info about the galaxy and its inhabitants (in particular their languages, though this again seems worthless thanks to the fact that the heroes pretty much ALWAYS understand atonal growling, beeps and boops, and deep-voiced "Huttese" with no difficulty.

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R2-D2
Role:
Funny Robot, The Sarcastic One
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 3 (71)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Galactic Politics & Peoples) 2 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+4)
Technology 7 (+10)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Luck

Powers:
"Protocol Droid"
Protection 2 [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

"Quick Calculations" Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions & Repairs) [2]
"Datalink" Communication (Technology) 3 [12]
"Servo Arm" Features 1: Arm [1]

"Gadgets" Variable 1 (Any Technological Descriptor) [7]
(Sample Gadgets: Oil Injector, Cable Gun, Fusion Cutter, Holoprojector, Periscope, Electric Pike, Propeller, Ejector Compartment, Lariat, Air Cannon, Small Saw, Fire Extinguisher, Umbrella, Smoke Screen, Droid Deactivator, Headdress Detangler, Flea Remover, Distracter, Life-Form Scanner, Jukebox, Inflatable Mattress, Storage Drive, Water Pump/Hose, Polarity Sink, Breakdance Mode, Lubricant, Confetti Cannon)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)- R2-D2 has been assigned with a mission to aid Princess Leia.
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.
Disabled (Astromech)- Astromech Droids do not have real limbs, legs nor the ability to speak normally.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 54 / Defenses: 8 (71)

-While C-3PO is fussy, R2-D2 is confident, sarcastic and glib. At least, we THINK he is- his voice is always those beeps and boops, turning this oddity (how many movies feature moving, booping trash cans as major heroes?) into one of the most popular and iconic characters of the franchise. It's not for nothing that one of the first series based off of Star Wars became the '80s cartoon Droids (I have only the vaguest memory of seeing Luke & Leia running around as part of the plot of one episode. That might not have even happened). Generally he plus into something, gets the team past security, and then goes back to rolling around. Also, these Droids are always seen in ships handling the logistics and doing repairs (exactly how a tiny robot with a spindly little arm can do complicated repairs on a STARFIGHTER is beyond me, but I guess they need a reason to keep them around).
-Artoo has numerous little abilities that show up now and again (in Attack of the Clones, he can briefly FLY), so I stuck him with "Gadgets" and called it a day. Thankfully Wookieepedia has a gigantic list of the various silly things he's done.

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JABBA THE HUTT (Jabba Desilijic Tiure)
Role:
Crime-Boss, Disgusting Slug-Monster
Group Affiliations: The Hutt Crime Cartels
PL 5 (76), PL 7 (76) Saves
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY -4
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Crime-Boss) 10 (+14)
Insight 6 (+10)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Wealthy Crime-Boss), Connected

Powers:
"Hutt Physiology"
Immunity 3 (Poison, Disease, Heat) [3]
Immunity 2 (Aging, Digestion Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]
Features 3: Increased Mass 3 [3]
Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 3) [6]
Senses 1 (Ultraviolet Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative -4

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +8 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Greed, Food, Poon)- Jabba is a greety, covetous sort, famous for his tastes. He wants the best in life, and will even put dangerous women in close proximity just to ogle them like a perv.
Enemy (Han Solo)- Han owes Jabba a great deal of money, and Jabba wants to make things right.
Vulnerable (Attacks From Behind)- Hutts are slow, and have short arms. Getting behind them and, say, choking them, is bound to be effective. They do not get Impervious against choking-type attacks, either.
Disabled (Slow & Fat)- Though Hutts can move, they're quite slow, and can't handle stairs easily.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 11 (76)

-While Return of the Jedi is generally the least-liked of the Original Trilogy, the whole "Jabba's Palace" bit is just a master-stroke. Empire ends on such a down note (and that's what life is- a series of DOWN ENDINGS) that it feels good to see the heroes run in, right a wrong from the last film, and see the bad guys get ENDED. Jabba was just perfect- this disgusting slug-monster of a being, so fat he was basically spilling off his hedonistic platform, complete with spindly shriek-y creature, snivelling Vizier, and repulsive, bloated, deformed guards. And then they just AMPED UP the disgusting nature, as he can't even speak properly- he grunts and gurgles (requiring Subtitles instead of translation or "reaction dialogue", like R2-D2 and Chewbacca get- they're HEROES, so it's FUNNY), featuring this deep belly-laugh ("WOH! WOH! WOH!"). When he captures Princess Leia, he forces her to wear a fetishy Slave Girl bikini for his amusement. He keeps the frozen body of Han Solo on display in his throne room, as a warning and because he likes to see his enemy humiliated. And despite all THAT, he's actually a deviously-clever individual- he figures out Leia & Luke's plan, resists the Jedi Mind Trick (I still love the line "you weak-minded fool!"), drops Luke to his death, and plans on executing the lot of them.
-And then the heroes undo it all- Jabba may be clever, but he's a total drama queen with some old-school Comic Book Villain in him (he shoulda just SHOT THEM and been done with it)- his elaborate execution plan gets him and his entire party killed, with Leia getting even with the humiliating Slave Girl outfit by just CHOKING the fat bastard to death! They didn't even give him the dignity of being thrown into the pit- he's gotta die ON-CAMERA.
-Hutts are famous in the Expanded Universe, getting mixed up in a lot of intergalactic crime (I kinda dug how even in a galaxy ruled by the vicious, slick, clean, militaristic Space Nazis, there is still this grungy undercurrent of Outer-Ring scuzzball locations everywhere). Some missions in various media have involved rescuing innocent Hutt children, unseating rivals to Jabba, and more. The infamous "Hutt Jedi" meme as a gag on the "Special Snowflake Syndrome" afflicting much of the fandom is a classic, and yes, somebody ACTUALLY MADE ONE- a Jedi who fell to the Dark Side and became a dictator, and was later killed by Leia in Lightsaber combat.
-Hutts are big, fat, largely-immobile creatures, which means they're tough but not much good in a fight (apparently they can use their tails in melee). His physiology gives him a host of minor benefits- Hutts are one of the longest-lived species in the galaxy, give birth hermaphroditically, they Slither, they're immune to most poisons & diseases and also resist the heat thanks to their slimy skin. They even have Ultra-Vision! But he's remarkably-ineffective as a fighter (Leia easily kills him with her own slave-chains), needing access to his numerous minions and his impressive wealth in order to be a threat.

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JABBA'S PALACE GUARDS
Role:
Evil Gangster Thugs
Group Affiliations: The Hutts
PL 5 (39)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+5)
Deception 3 (+1)
Expertise (Gangster) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+3)
Perception 2 (+1)
Technology 2 (+1)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Laser Blaster +5- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Laser Blasters +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- The Hutts are powerful and wealthy, and there are numerous scumbags who will gleefully serve them.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (39)

-Every Crime-Boss has Minions, and Jabba has some of the most-distinctive in the business- Pig-Faced freaks and three-eyed weirdos alike. They're bigger and stronger than the typical Mook in Star Wars, but still only PL 5. They can overpower a couple of the heroes, but Luke going all-out can finish a group of them.

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THE SARLACC PIT
-The Sarlacc is an actual creature, but is immobile, merely awaiting prey. Just what KIND of prey it expects to simply walk into a gigantic hole in the ground is unknown, but apparently they can get by with the occasioanl offering from Jabba, who likes to use them as sacrificial pits. The saves to prevent death are as follows:

DC 28 Athletics Check to avoid falling in to the pit once thrown there (this is rather high, owing to the fact that apparently only Boba Fett has done so)
DC 20 Weaken Toughness Effect, lasting every round once you fall in.

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RANCOR
Role:
Pit Beast
PL 12 (94)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+11)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 13 (+12 Size)
Percpetion 9 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+8, +5 Size)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
Speed 2 (16 mph) [2]

"Natural Size" Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (30 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +11, Fortitude +12, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Rancor cannot speak to people, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 25 (94)

-Because of course he does, Jabba has a giant pit beneath his Throne Room, so that he can drop people do their dooms via a trap door. And in that pit is the Rancor, one of the largest creatures seen in the entire series. It's already eaten a Slave Girl off-camera, but then we see him gobble up one of JABBA'S goons, just to show us what Luke's fate will be if HE gets grabbed, too. Luke is able to dodge the creature's grip (no mean feat, as it's hands are large enough that avoiding them isn't easy) and manages to drop the spiked gate on its body, killing the Rancor a mere minute after its introduction. And like I said before, one of the most amazing moments in Star Wars is that little scene where the poor Rancor Keeper walks forward, and begins WEEPING over the fate of his pet.
-The Rancor is a PL 11.5 Monster, dangerous due to its sheer power and comparative-speed- Luke would be EXTREMELY hard-pressed to kill this thing, even with his Lightsaber! Better off using the terrain and outsmarting everyone- Luke's smarter than he often gets credit for.

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HAN SOLO
Role:
Scruffy-Looking Nerf-Herder, Space Scoundrel, The Cynic Gone Good
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 9 (185)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Deception 9 (+12)
Expertise (Intergalactic Scoundrel) 11 (+14)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 5 (+13)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 10 (+16)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 39 (Blaster +5- Multiattack, The Millennium Falcon), Evasion, Fascinate (Deception), Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blaster) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Several), Luck 2, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Scoundrel), Taunt, Teamwork, Ultimate Scoundrel Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Blaster +13 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +10

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Han is a greedy S.O.B., and only does things for the money. However...
Motivation (Defeating The Empire)- Han eventually realizes how important beating The Empire is, and joins The Rebel Alliance.
Relationship (Chewbacca)- Han is cordial, though sometimes argumentative, with his Wookiee co-pilot.
Relationship (Princess Leia)- The two of them argue from the moment they meet, and are constantly at each other's throats. Naturally, they're in love.
Relationship (Luke Skywalker)- Han treats Luke as a bit of a subordinate (always calling him "kid"), but comes to think of him like a brother, rescuing him many times.
Enemy (Jabba the Hutt)- Han owes the fat bastard a great deal of credits, which sends mercenaries like Greedo, Bossk and Boba Jett his way.
Secret (Plenty)- Han, as a mercenary, has tons of secrets, and doesn't want the Empire to know any of them. Tons of stuff on the Falcon is illegal to own in the Imperial Era.
Relationship (The Millennium Falcon)- Like all good men, Han Solo loves his ship.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 65 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (185)

-Han Solo is one of the central heroes to the saga, and one of its best characters- he's really important to the overall "feel" of the thing- like Grumpy of the Seven Dwarfs, he's the "Cynical One" that snarks about the plot ("hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster at your side, kid"), thus sort of taking the position of those viewers who would roll their eyes at all the esoteric "Jedi Stuff", especially as the first film really had to feature exposition about it. Han also represents the grungier, run-down nature of the series. This wasn't some standard Glistening Sci-Fi romp, full of towering spires and sleek starships- this was a dirty galaxy, full of scum and villainy. Technology often barely worked, everything aside from the Empire's stuff was always dirty, and anyone who wasn't a Galactic Officer was basically like Han Solo- some scruffy-looking guy just looking to make a buck and stay out of The Empire's business. He wasn't PRO-Empire, but he definitely wasn't risking his ass to FIGHT them- he's more like Rick in Casablanca ("I don't stick me neck out for ANYBODY!").
-We get a "Character Defining Moment" right away, as Han casually murders the man sent to harass him for his debut to some Crimelord, TOTALLY SHOOTING FIRST. This marks an immediate contrast to the noble Obi-Wan, and the bright-eyed naive Luke, and it's made moreso when we see his gigantic fuzzy co-pilot and their "piece of junk!" ship, The Millennium Falcon. Han is The Rogue- a smirking, cynical, get-your-money-and-go type of guy, but also a risk-taker, a thief, and a dishonest man. The PERFECT makings of a popular hero- you can see this type of guy as the hero in any NUMBER of films these days, but back then was a bit more rare. Han hardly invented the Rogue Hero, though.
-Han is of course all about the money, and makes sure to tell everyone this constantly throughout the first film. He's amused by Luke's innocense, and likes him well enough, but he REALLY argues with the sanctimonious, self-righteous "Princess" broad they have to go and rescue. Naturally, at the end of the film, Han takes the money and runs... only to come flying back at the VERY LAST SECOND, saving the day (AND Luke's life), allowing the Rebel Alliance to destroy the lethal Death Star. Han, a classic "I'm staying out of it" type of character, instead has his Casablanca moment, gains some Character Development, and decides that the Empire really DOES need to be stopped, after all! Han's unselfish decision basically saves the galaxy from the Empire, and he becomes an ardent Rebel. In the second film, he's on the side of the angels, but still constantly argues with Leia... naturally, they fall in love, and Han gets the CLASSIC douchey male line ("I love you!" "... I know.") before being frozen in carbonite and sent off to Jabba the Hutt.
-Rescued in the final film, Han generally has little to do- he's saved by the other heroes, Luke faces Vader and the Emperor, the Ewoks are the strongest force against the Stormtroopers on the ground, and LANDO takes the Falcon against the Death Star. You really didn't need him at all actually, save the fact that he's important to the first part of the plot- his Character Arc was basically at its end- he Casablancas himself into the main conflict in the first film, and falls in love with Leia in the second. The EU goes on and on about his past, his future, and his children (All of whom are naturally totes Jedi-powered. One goes to The Dark Side).
-Han is probably the most-popular of the heroes in the franchise- even moreso than the main hero Luke. Harrison Ford (who really didn't care for the character that much) played him with such a cocky, disaffected way that guys couldn't help but see him as the Ideal Man. The fact that he got to do all the "fun stuff" (snark, argue, cheat, steal, brag, etc.) AND become a hero in the end really seals the deal. His Character Arc is just as effective as Luke's (Wannabe Hero to Real Hero to Peace-Offering Hero Who Only Fights If He Has To), he gets the girl (how many movies feature only the SECONDARY protagonist doing so?), and he's got the coolest ship in the galaxy. Han Solo was the man. It's not for nothing that Harrison Ford became BY FAR the biggest star out of the original cast, and is still marketable today. It's pretty obvious watching the film that he, Frank Oz & James Earl Jones are a head and shoulders above the other cast members.
-Han Solo is a great hand to have in a firefight, though represents the more "human" element of the series in his comparative-frailty- he has nowhere near the Parry score of a Jedi, and is only PL 5 when unarmed. This is pretty common in the series- he's a GOOD fighter, but he's only really shown beating up some Mooks in hand-to-hand. When faced with someone like Darth Vader, there's absolutely no question as to who's going to win. This is part of the fun with Han- he's always getting his ass kicked, being captured, being frozen and being disarmed- his injuries rack up across the Original Trilogy and are rather numerous. Yet he's still fighting- that scrappy nature is classic for the character.

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THE MILLENNIUM FALCON
Role: Most Rad Starship Of All Time

Baseline Stats: Colossal Size, Strength 15, Defense 10, Toughness 14 (16)
Movement: Space Travel 3, Flight 12 (30)
Features: Secret Smuggling Holds, Cargo Jettison, Lounge Area w/ Gaming Table (3)

Weapons:
"Blaster Array" Blast 15 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Multiattack) (48) -- (101)
"Side Cannon #1" Blast 13 (26)
"Side Cannon #2" Blast 13 (26)
AE: "Concussion Missile Launcers" Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 3, Homing 3) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (62)

"Shield Generators" Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 13) (16)
"Sensor Jammer" Concealment (All Senses) 10 (Flaws: Limited to Machines) (10)

Total Cost: Stats: 16 / Movement: 30 / Features: 3 / Weapons: 127 (176 Equipment Points)

-The Millennium Falcon is a legendary, awesome-looking ship, which makes it all the funnier than a running gag in the first film was "you came in THAT thing? You're braver than I thought!" Based off of the Boeing Superfortress planes of World War II, it's about half the length of a 747, but has that grungy, "Well-Used" look that typifies a lot of Star Wars vessels, especially in the Empire Era. The thing's got battle damage all over the place, has refuse strewn about the corridors, and is this dingy GRAY colour. It looks cool and bad-ass to US, but in its own world, it looks beaten-down.
-The Falcon is a high-powered war machine, being capable of easily taking out TIE Fighters and other Imperial ships, as well as the sensor arrays of superstations like Star Destroyers & Death Stars, but is certainly no match for those titans. Despite its large size, it has the Defenses of a Jetski, and an extremely-good Toughness score, in part thanks to its Shielding. There's also a fancy "Sensor Jammer", which I figure for just Concealment From Machines. Of note are the pair of Side Cannons, which are separate from the main Blasters in the middle in terms of cost, since technically other people may enter those little WWII-esque "Pods" and manually blast away. If only Han & Chewie are on the ship, then they're not useable.

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THE REBELS
Role:
Heroic Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 4 (39)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Expertise (Space Soldier) 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 1 (+3)
Stealth 1 (+3)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Blaster +5- Multiattack)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Laser Blaster +3 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (39)

-The Rebels in Star Wars are an interesting bunch- an organized, armed resistance against a near all-powerful Galactic Empire, headed by an Electrokinetic Dick Cheney, Darth Freaking Vader, and a Space Station that can shatter worlds. Due to reasons of budget and simplicity, the vast majority appear human, though you'll see the occasional Droid (a neat red "R-3PO" unit, and a lot of Astromechs). Interestingly enough though, our main heroes ARE NOT the true leaders of the Rebellion- Mon Mothma is the overall leader, and the famous Admiral Ackbar is the military commander.
-Rebels aren't a mighty bunch, however- they often appear to be EVEN WEAKER than Imperial Stormtroopers, going down in droves to enemy attack. Really, the only COMPETENT rebels are the main cast of the Trilogy. It doesn't help that two of the most-powerful figures who resisted the rise of the Empire, Yoda & Obi-Wan Kenobi, disappeared into exile for years. Without Luke, Han & Leia, the Rebellion is screwed. PL 4 is good enough for the main troops. Rebel Pilots have a bit higher rank in Vehicles, as well as some neat ships.

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X-WING
Role: Heroic Starfighter

Baseline Stats: Huge Size, Strength 10, Defense 8, Toughness 11 (17)
Movement: Space Travel 2, Flight 12 (28)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
"Proton Torpedos" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 3, Homing 2) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5 Uses) (41) -- (42)
AE: "Four Laser Cannons" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Multiattack) (39)

"Deflector Shields" Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 7) (8)

Total Cost: Stats: 17 / Movement: 28 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 50 (95 Equipment Points)

-The T-65 X-Wing is the "official" starfighter of the Rebel Alliance, having been built by a group of Rebel sympathizers that refused to give their design to the Empire. This was the ship piloted by Luke Skywalker that allowed him to destroy the first Death Star, and came to be the iconic Rebel craft. They're no shade on the Millennium Falcon, but are pretty effective and mobile (two Defense higher than a real-world Fighter Jet, and two points tougher). The E-Wing is basically the same, and was a troubled design that eventually came into its own in the novels.

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Y-WING
Role: Lesser Heroic Starfighter, Bomber

Baseline Stats: Huge Size, Strength 10, Defense 5, Toughness 12 (15)
Movement: Space Travel 1, Flight 10 (22)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
"Proton Torpedos" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 3, Homing 2) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5 Uses) (41) -- (43)
AE: "Laser Cannons" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Multiattack) (39)
AE: "Ion Cannons" Affliction 12 (Tech Skill of Creator; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative, Multiattack) (Flaws: Limited to Technology) (39)

"Deflector Shields" Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 7) (8)

Total Cost: Stats: 15 / Movement: 22 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 51 (91 Equipment Points)

-Y-Wings are less-popular than X-Wings, but have a specialized role- they're tough, but slow fighters designed to drop off high payloads of explosives, then fight their way out. The B-Wing is a slower, albeit tougher and more heavily-armed, type of ship, meant to replace the Y-Wing. It would have, too, if not for the difficulty in using them.

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TIE FIGHTER
Role: Evil Starfighter

Baseline Stats: Huge Size, Strength 10, Defense 5, Toughness 11 (14)
Movement: Space Travel 1, Flight 10 (22)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
"Laser Cannons" Blast 10 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Multiattack) (33)

Total Cost: Stats: 14 / Movement: 22 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 33 (49 Equipment Points)

-TIE Fighters are the main vessel of Imperial troops- they're basically Evil Mooks IN SPACE, and get cut down by the dozens by the heroic side. They are MUCH cheaper than the Rebel spacecraft, owing to their smaller size & Toughness, lack of expensive Shielding, and singular Laser Blasts. Note that a handful of TIEs are more well-armed- Star Wars is big on variability in weapons.

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TIE ADVANCED x1
Role: Elite Evil Starfighter

Baseline Stats: Huge Size, Strength 10, Defense 9, Toughness 13 (20)
Movement: Space Travel 1, Flight 10 (22)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
"Laser Cannons" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Multiattack) (39) -- (40)
AE: "Cluster Missiles" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (39)

Total Cost: Stats: 20 / Movement: 22 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 40 (82 Equipment Points)

-The TIE Advanced matches up with the X-Wing much better than the normal TIE does, and is the vessel for more elite pilots, such as Darth Vader himself. It was mainly used in the first Star Wars film in order to make his craft more distinctive and easier to pick out of a crowd of other TIEs, and he doesn't do much flying in later films anyways.

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WEDGE ANTILLES
Role:
Elite Heroic Mook
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Space Soldier) 9 (+11)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 4 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 10 (+14)

Advantages:
Equipment 22 (Blaster +5- Multiattack, X-Wing), Improved Aim, Languages (Various), Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Laser Blaster +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)
Relationship (Lots of Chicks)- He gets around Post-Galactic Civil War. That'll happen when you're an Official Canon character who isn't just cannon fodder.
Responsibility (Ego)- For a fighter pilot, ego is part of the job description.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (108)

-Wedge is one of those weird guys who basically serves little purpose in the film series beyond "that guy who gets a name and doesn't die", which of course in the Expanded Universe means OH MY GOD LOOK AT ALL HIS GODDAMN CHARACTER HISTORY WHAT THE SHIT. Seriously, look at all this[/i]. The EU is CRAZY for stuff like that, in particular because his limited role leaves so much room for expanded backstory, and because he SURVIVES, he gets to see all of what the NEW universe contains. So he's ideal for writers to grab a "recognizable/he counts in the movies so it's not my Mary Sue PC this time I swear" type of guy and go crazy with him.
-His character kinda bounced around in early drafts apparently (a "Hot-Shot Fighter Pilot" was going to be nicknamed "Chewie", but that name ended up going to the monster dude), and seemed like he was supposed to get a bigger role- he isn't even given a FULL NAME in the movie (it's only in the script), nor is he played by a consistent actor (two men play the role, but only one voices him)! His actor was surprised to be invited back to shoot Empire, because he thought his character had DIED in the first movie! His limited role and "Everyman" nature make him one of the few "normal" people in the cast, which I think is part of his appeal.
-Wedge is a fantastic pilot, owing to his being the only guy to survive BOTH Death Star runs- with his X-Wing he's one of the best in the galaxy. He's much more limited on the ground, but will still do okay- way beyond most Mooks.

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PRINCESS LEIA (Leia Organa)
Role:
Bitchy Princess, War Leader
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 9 (112)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Military Leader) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Politics) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 6 (+13)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 1 (Rank), Equipment 3 (Blaster +5- Multiattack), Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blaster), Inspire, Languages (Various), Leadership, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Taunt

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)
Relationship (Han Solo)- The two of them argue from the moment they meet, and are constantly at each other's throats. Naturally, they're in love.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 17 (112)

-"Rescuing The Princess" is such an old trope, that it's existed as long as there's been writing- SO MANY old-school mytholigical stories play up the aspect of the brave, clever hero saving a female (often a Princess- this gives even the non-noble heroes "status" through marrying them, as these old tales were often propaganda to explain the origins of one's own town- "SEE? Our town was founded by the brave slayer of The Medusa, who married some hot Princess lady, so we have royal AND heroic blood in us!"). And as Star Wars was inspired by mythology and greater purpose, there had to be a Princess Rescue in there somewhere. But, in a trope we're so used to now but probably came out of nowhere and felt crazy-new back then, this "Princess" (who's... the daughter of a Senator? How's THAT work? Because we needed a PRINCESS, dammit! That's why!) turns out to not only be a giant bitch ("You came in THAT thing? You're braver than I thought!"), but she impatiently grabs a Blaster and starts mowing down assholes during her OWN RESCUE, taking command of the entire operation as soon as she's out of her prison cell!
-Leia is a high-ranking Rebel official, and ends up taking charge in later films as well- she's good in a fight, but can't take the lead position the way Admiral Ackbar or Luke can. But she's clever, brave and spirited- adn she'll kill all the Mooks she needs to in order to win. There's a brief flirtation with Luke Skywalker that was SO obviously written before they'd figured out her parentage (god I hope so...), but really she does the "Sam & Diane" thing with that scruffy-looking nerfherder Han Solo instead. And also gave a million little boys their first idea that these funny-shaped human beings with the long hair may have had SOME worth after all, owing to the infamous "Go-Go Enslavement" outfit as Slave Girl Leia, when she was captured by Jabba the Hutt. And I mean, Carrie Fisher isn't really a giga-hottie or anything (by Hollywood standards, especially), and she's admitted she had to starve down like nuts to even FIT the silly outfit, but credit where credit is due- that costume is fetish-tastic.
-Leia, unfortunately, tends to get the lion's share of the bad dialogue in the Original Trilogy. Her insults are a bit strange, and her imperious nature means she can't smirk and snark like Han or even Luke can- she's just gotta stand there and bellow stuff. Fisher doesn't really set the world on fire with the character (her career notably went down in flames post-Star Wars thanks in part to drugs, too), but she's a great case of something that is mentioned in "How To Write Novels/Screenplays/Etc." books- GIVE YOUR CHARACTERS A TRADEMARK. Anything that makes someone more recognizable is imperative for any proper narrative involving characters. A character this distinctive still needs that extra "push" beyond Some Hot Chick, after all... and then you have THAT HAIR. Those iconic, stand-outish Hair Buns just MAKE the character, and render someone who was already gonna stand out for being a Bossy Action Princess into an unforgettable character.
-I don't really thinks he needed to be Luke's sister, though. It's a bit of an odd aside, as they kinda just dump it out there, and it makes rewatching the time she kissed him right in front of Han a OH GOD NO WHY kind of moment. I guess the whole "Star Wars is modern mythology" thing makes "Long-Lost Relatives" a kind of inevitable trope, but they ALREADY DID THAT with Vader. It ends up becoming a huge factor in the Expanded Universe, as her & Han have a bevy of Jedi-powered children, and she herself starts toting around a Lightsaber (which I think is totes dumb, but there it is). Oh yeah, and she's IN CHARGE OF THE ENTIRE GALAXY.
-Princess Leia is surprisingly bad-ass, and is one of the best shooters in the franchise- she rarely misses. In fact, she's got one of the better skill-sets in the series, and is a quality military commander. Her Inspire & Leadership, as well as teamwork skills, make her a great addition to the squad. She's not as good in a fistfight as some of the others (Jabba easily overpowers her), but she's smart and can swing things in her favor when only the slightest opportunity presents itself (soon as she can, she grabs her Slave Chains and chokes Jabba to death).

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BATTLE DROIDS
Role:
Most Useless Mooks Ever
Group Affiliations: The Trade Federation
PL 2 (13)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Perception 4 (+2)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Blast 4- Multiattack)

Powers:
"Combat Droid"
Protection 1 [1]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Features 1: May Be Put Together Easily After Being Dismembered [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Blasters +0 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Responsibility (Their Programming)
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things. They can even be shut down by losing access to their command units in starships floating above planets upon which they are deployed.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.

Total: Abilities: -26 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 2 (13)

-For the Prequels, the Enemy Mooks were different from the usual Stormtroopers- they were DROIDS. These goofy-voiced ("Roger Roger!"), long-faced, scrawny robots were running all over the place, generally acting like the useless Mooks we'd come to expect from the franchise. And hell, they were EVEN WORSE than Stormtroopers- they pretty much never land a single hit on a hero, and Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan flow through them like water, taking out DOZENS when Luke Skywalker at his best would never have dared do so against an equal number of Stormtroopers. I found it an acceptable plot device- sort of establishing the heroes as "good guys" because they DON'T just hide behind thousands of expendable nothing warriors, and they have the courage and humanity to fight for THEMSELVES. And this focus on "Humans (vs) Machines" helps the Clone Troopers look like the good guys as well, and establishes the weaknesses of Droid-Based Warfare.
-The only thing I find odd is that these Droids are relatively quick, lithe and mobile. Compare that to the Original Trilogy, in which every Droid either moves around on wheels, or walks like it's got a stick up its ass. I couldn't imagine ANY Droids in that universe being used to fight. I mean, I get that part of the Original Trilogy was to show off this Golden Age of high technology, and the wonders that inhabited the galaxy before the Empire destroyed so much of it, but still, it's a weird disconnect, and makes it feel like a different universe. And really, these guys were SO AWFUL at fighting, and treated like such a joke, that it was hard to really care about any battle featuring them. At least Stormtroopers had SOME kind of reputation, even if it was largely given by other characters.
-Combat Droids are comically-worthless at fighting, possessing such bad accuracy that some EU writing has stated that this flaw was a DESIGN FEATURE, as it prevented the Droids from being effectively-turned on their creators.

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DROIDEKA
Role:
Elite Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Trade Federation
PL 6 (56)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Perception 4 (+2)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Combat Droid"
Protection 2 [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Features 1: May Roll into a Basketball-Sized Object [1]

"Deflector Shield" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]
"Twin Blasters" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) [18]
Senses 1 (Infravision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Blasters +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2 (+8 Shield, +5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Responsibility (Their Programming)
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things. They can even be shut down by losing access to their command units in starships floating above planets upon which they are deployed.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.
Vulnerable (Falling Over)- If Droidekas are knocked onto their sides, their Shield will activate constantly, thinking the floor is a weapon. This will cause them to burn out quickly.
Power Loss (Shields)- Slow, rolling objects can bypass the Droideka's Shield. This includes things like grenades.

Total: Abilities: -20 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 67 / Defenses: 1 (56)

-Droidekas are those "Rolling Ball Robots" with the Energy Shields that make you kind of wonder why they NEVER SHOW UP THAT OFTEN, despite being objectively the greatest thing in the entire universe in a setting comprised almost entirely of Laser Blaster-wielding guys. They's PL 6 fighters, but have some notable weaknesses.

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SUPER BATTLE DROIDS
Role:
Elite Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Trade Federation
PL 6 (57)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
Perception 4 (+2)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Combat Droid"
Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 7) [14]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Features 1: May Be Put Together Easily After Being Dismembered [1]

"Gun Arm" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) [21]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Blasters +4 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +7 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Responsibility (Their Programming)
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things. They can even be shut down by losing access to their command units in starships floating above planets upon which they are deployed.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.

Total: Abilities: -18 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 3 (57)

-Super Battle Droids are meant to be Elites, and are certainly very dangerous (packing a highly-powerful weapon), but still lack the defensive capabilities to go up against heavy artillery, or someone like a Jedi. As Droids, numerous modifications were sometimes seen- Rocket Launchers, Camouflage (Limited Stealth bonus), etc.

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NUTE GUNRAY
Role:
Pointless Villains, Possible Ethnic Stereotypes
Group Affiliations: The Trade Federation
PL 0 (40), PL 2 (40) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 7 (+10)
Expertise (Business) 9 (+14)
Expertise (Military) 3 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Wealth, Status), Connected

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed, Libertarianism)- The Trade Federation think taxation sucks, I guess. They're also cheap enough that they control their Droid Army via Remote Control at an orbiting station, rather than using expensive Droid Brains.
Secret (Allied With Darth Sidious)- Gunray is teamed up with some dark folks. He greatly, and correctly, fears Darth Sidious.
Enemy (Padme Amidala)- Gunray is obsessed with killing Padme, believing her responsible for his failure at Naboo.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (40)

-Part of what makes The Phantom Menace so weird is that the initial bad guys are just kind of this forgettable "nothing" bunch. They're a pair of businessmen who dominate entire star systems through commerce and their own private Droid Army, and are blockading the world of Naboo (and its Queen Amidala) because they're fighting... taxation they think is unfair? So... like the American Revolution, but Libertarian Aliens in space with robots? Never mind that they don't even bother to go into much detail over this whole "taxation" thing- we're just supposed to accept that they're the bad guys because they plan on murdering the Jedi who've come to "negotiate" (yes, this is apparently what Telekinetic Death Warriors are for in the Old Republic Era), and consort with royal dickholes like Darths Sidious & Maul. Granted, Star Wars is pretty big on super-obvious "My name is Evil McMurderpants"-type bad guys rather than "shades of grey" type baddies, but it's weird.
-Also, they speak in obviously-Asian accents, have slit eyes, wear Chinese-style robes, and act inscrutably. This would be easily passed-off as an accidental thing, like they kept adding stuff and nobody noticed the link until too late (like when the original Power Rangers made the Black Ranger black and the Yellow Ranger asian)... except they're NOT EVEN THE MOST-OBVIOUS RACIAL STEREOTYPE IN THE PREQUELS.
-This whole thing gets WEIRDER because despite being sort of the reason behind stuff in the first film, they're glossed over even IN THAT VERY MOVIE, being ignored in favor of the barely-seen Darth Sidious, and his apprentice Darth Maul. Later movies barely use them either, even though they're the money behind The Separatists who seek to leave the Republic. Nute Gunray, the forgettable bad guy, is eventually massacred by Anakin Skywalker, alongside various other minions of the newly-crowned Emperor Palpatine, in an almost glossed-over scene that practically calls out how pointless all of these people were. Turns out, they'd been manipulated by Palpatine all along. Why he ever teamed up with him in the FIRST place is beyond me, however...
-Nute Gunray is no fighter, but has the skill-set and back-up to put any plan into action.

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JEDI PADAWANS
Role:
Eager Young Students
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 7 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Insight 1 (+1)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear)

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 6 (Detect The Force- Ranged 2, Detect Life- Ranged 2) [6]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 8 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (12) -- [15]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 3 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (7)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 4 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (11)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 2 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (5)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +4 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-4 Area (+2 Damage & +4 Affliction, DC 12 & 14)
Mind Trick +2 Area (+2 Affliction, DC 12)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Relationship (Master)- A Padawan is taught by a Master, who generally has to rein in the eager young candidate for the Order.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 36 / Defenses: 18 (109)

-The Jedi/Padawan relationship became of paramount importance to the Prequel Trilogy and surrounding fiction (both Clone Wars cartoons had this as a big theme), though got a bit of use in the Original Trilogy via Luke & Obi-Wan, then Luke & Yoda. Luke only knew either guy for like a week, however. Usually, we saw it with Obi-Wan & Anakin, and I can't help but think that Obi-Wan kind of screwed the pooch on that front. Like, his student not only TURNED EVIL, but basically SLAUGHTERED ALL THE REMAINING JEDI. You can't really call yourself a good teacher after THAT.
-Padawans are like regular Jedi, but lower-level- during the Battle of Geonosis, they are unpractised and cut down in DROVES alongside presumably-more-experienced Jedi. They're... GOOD fighters, but can't take out Mooks like a Master Jedi could, and are much more vulnerable.

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JEDI KNIGHTS
Role:
Space Samurai
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 8 (143)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+7)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 4, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 8 (Detect The Force- Ranged 3, Detect Life- Ranged 3) [8]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+9) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (15) -- [18]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (9)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (7)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-5 Area (+2 Damage & +5 Affliction, DC 12 & 15)
Mind Trick +3 Area (+3 Affliction, DC 13)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Relationship (Padawan)- Many Padawans are taught by Masters, who generally has to rein in the eager young candidate for the Order.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 18 (143)

-Standard Jedi Knights are rather elite, hitting PL 8- the equivalent of a Rookie Super-Hero, which rather fits guys that can be incredibly-dangerous, but have very Mook-y instances of being easily-defeated by adversaries both numerous & solitary. Many of the Jedi seen in supplementary materials that DON'T play a role in the major plot end up here, as they can be great fighters, but fail to stand out from each other. And remember, though PL 8 is only "Rookie Super-Hero" level, there are HUNDREDS of these guys. The Battle of Geonosis from Attack of the Clones involved more than TWO-HUNDRED of them, and it took hundreds upon hundreds of Combat Droids to bring them down to a mere 20 (assume that both Minion Rules and the aforementioned "Inverse Law of Ninjitsu" Complication are in effect). At PL 8, they are just one notch lower than Qui-Gon Jinn was in the first Prequel.
-Jedi Knights are a lot more expensive than the immature Padawans, despite being close in PL (Obi-Wan & Qui-Gon were near-equals in combat skill- Obi-Wan may have even been BETTER). Because while Padawans can be the physical equals of their Masters, they lack the breadth and depth of Skills and Advantages, being inexperienced and a bit hot-headed. Jedi Knights are trained diplomats, go-betweens and protectors, and are thus a lot more well-rounded... of course 90% of their missions end in a giant firefight anyways, but hey- their Persuasion isn't that high.

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ITHORIANS
Role:
Background Puppets
Group Affiliations: The Ithorian Race
PL 4 (26)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Technology 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Four-Throated Scream" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Tiring, Unreliable -2- 1 Use) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Scream +4 Area (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Mother Jungle)- Ithorians worship nature.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 4 (26)

-Ithorians are a particularly-distinctive alien race in Star Wars (which REALLY beats the shit out of Star Trek for cool-looking aliens, owing to the film-sized budget and a lack of seriousness), being large brown creatures with t-shaped heads. One appeared in the famous Mos Eisley Cantina scene in the very first film that so blew people's minds back in the 1970s. They grow from limbless "pupae" and come from a jungle world they've vowed to never desecrate (despite having discovered interstellar technology all by their lonesome). They're generally kind, calm and charitable, but the ones we usually see are bounty hunters, Cantina Scum, and a Jedi warrior.

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RORON COBB (Ithorian Jedi Master)
Role:
Space Samurai
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 8 (143)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+7)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 4, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 8 (Detect The Force- Ranged 3, Detect Life- Ranged 3) [8]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+9) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (15) -- [18]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (9)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (7)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

"Ithorian Physiology"
"Four-Throated Scream" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Tiring, Unreliable -2- 1 Use) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lightsaber +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-5 Area (+2 Damage & +5 Affliction, DC 12 & 15)
Mind Trick +3 Area (+3 Affliction, DC 13)
Scream +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Responsibility (Mother Jungle)- Ithorians worship nature.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 19 (143)

-Figured I'd stat out what the Jedi Knight Template can do when combined with a more-powerful species like an Ithorian. I dropped his accuracy and agility to make him fit PL 8 (he's the guy who's annihilated super-easily by General Grievous in the Clone Wars cartoon, which depicted Grievous as a complete MONSTER until he jobbed to Mace Windu), and he really only adds the Scream aside from that, but it's something. Most Jedi are generally the same, as Star Wars races tend not to get too crazy in terms of anatomy, and the ones that DO are rarely Jedi (Hutts being the most-obvious example). His Four-Throated Scream was QUITE powerful, however, and it required some quick footwork by the makers of the 2000-ish Star Wars RPG to attach it to their Ithorian Template.

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BOUNTY HUNTER TEMPLATE
Role:
Background Baddies, Bounty Hunters
Group Affiliations: Assorted Organizations
PL 7 (88)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Bounty Hunter) 6 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 5 (+6)
Perception 5 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 3 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Blaster Rifle +6, Body Armor +1, Assorted Gear), Improved Critical (Blaster), Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Tracking

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (88)

-These guys pop up frequently in the Expanded Universe, all thanks to that scene in Empire in which you can see a handful of guys surrounding Boba Fett, all gunning for the bounty on Han Solo. The most-distinctive of them was Bossk, a giant lizard-guy with a stupid head and goofy arms, who as a NAMED CHARACTER who SURVIVES ends up having what Batgirl III has called a Sigmarillion-length backstory, like most of the weird side characters in the franchise.

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LANDO CALRISSIAN
Role:
The Only Black Man in the Galaxy, The Louis Renault
Group Affiliations: Cloud City, The Rebel Alliance
PL 9 (146)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 8 (+12)
Expertise (Intergalactic Scoundrel) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Politics) 4 (+8)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 1 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 5 (+13)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+7)
Vehicles 9 (+15)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 3 (Leader of Cloud City), Daze (Deception), Equipment 3 (Blaster +5- Multiattack), Fascinate (Deception), Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Several), Luck, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Scoundrel), Taunt, Ultimate Scoundrel Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Blaster +13 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Cloud City)- Lando is devoted to protecting his people.
Relationship (Han Solo)- The two are old pals and partners in crime, though have some grudges.
Relationship (The Millennium Falcon)- Like all good men, Lando Calrissian loved his ship. It still sticks in his craw that Han took it off him in a bet.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 18 (146)

-Lucas was given a bit of flak over the fact that the original Star Wars movie populated an entire galaxy with 100% caucasians and some muppets. Given that he filmed a ton of the movie in England, that's perhaps inevitable, but he ALSO filmed it in Tunisia & Guatemala! So to make up for it, he added Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, the ex-Han Solo-type Scoundrel that had now ended up in charge of "Cloud City", an impossibly-cool superstructure on top of a skinny little post, floating above the clouds. Because f*ck practicality and realism, that's why.
-Lando was charismatic and a hell of a fun character, especially because they did the full "Captain Renault" with him, right down to the way both the Casablanca and Star Wars characters at first allied with the Evil Empire at their door, for the sake of personal survival (though Lando of course wanted to keep Cloud City safe, too), saw the disgusting actions of the Empire, and finally decided to DO THE RIGHT THING and join the Rebellion. His Character Arc is thus a bit like Han Solo's, though involves less greed. He's also an old pal of Han's, giving things a personal touch when he betrays them ("Who's got two thumbs and just betrayed his best friend to the EMPIRE?? THIS GUY!!!"). He helps spring Han when he's made Jabba's prisoner, and he's the guy on the final end run at the Death Star, piloting The Millennium Falcon to victory.
-Williams is a funny guy- I attended a panel of his at the Edmonton Comic Expo, and he had some funny responses- of course he's probably been asked the questions millions of times, so it's rote to him, I'd imagine. When asked "was there any part of yourself you brought to Lando?" he immediately quipped "Well I'm a good-looking guy!" to rapturous applause. When asked why the hell Lando was wearing Han's clothes in the Millennium Falcon after the fall of Cloud City (apparently a LOT of fans pick up on this), he suggests that Lando was banging Leia in the back and had to get dressed quickly. And he commented how for YEARS after the movies came out, even once Lando had made good, little kids STILL came up to him and screamed "HOW COULD YOU BETRAY HAN SOLO LIKE THAT!?!?"
-Lando is statistically pretty much like Han Solo, just a bit smarter and more charming, but a little less lucky. Also, no Falcon, but he gets to be in charge of Cloud City- which is actually more of a DRAWBACK, because it's totally vulnerable to Empire takeover.

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EWOKS
Role:
Cute Savage Critters
Group Affiliations: The Ewoks
PL 4 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Attack (Spears & Rocks) 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Spear, Rocks), Fearless, Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 1, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Ewok Physiology"
Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Spear +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Survival)- The Ewoks are a simple people.
Responsibility (Supersticious)- Ewoks can be easily-sated by golden objects or beings, for example.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 6 (47)

-The Ewoks get a lot of guff from fans, and are generally ripped on as the weakest part of Return of the Jedi. They're seen as "kiddifying" the Star Wars franchise and distracting from the final plot in order for Lucas to sell more toys and dolls. The question is: is that fair? WELLLLLLL I can't really take a full side here. I understand Lucas' intent perfectly. And let's be honest- the Star Wars franchise is and has always been targeted at younger males- it just so happens that the ACTUAL audience is much broader than that. And the audience also GREW UP with the films, which means that the fans who watched Star Wars as kids were a fair bit older when ROTJ came out, and were like "WTF?" And probably their WORST crime is the fact that this bunch of fuzzy teddy bears managed to slaughter the Imperial Stormtroopers, giving them their hardest and most-direct Jobbing in the entire series- probably the ONE THING that can most-easily be used to discredit them as an army. I'm not sure what reactions were when the movie CAME OUT, either- for all I know, people loved the things. But really... the damn things are cute. INSANELY cute. WIDDLE FUZZY TEDDY BEARS OH MY GOD I WANT TO PET THEMMMMMMMMMMMM...
-And let's face it- they're murderous little pricks. They cut down Stormtroopers in a massive swath, destroying IMPERIAL WEAPONRY with makeshift Stone Age traps and boulder-tossing. They're stronger than they look, and incredibly-savage and dangerous. From an Imperial perspective, the damn things are basically Horror Movie monsters. It just so happens that they're adorable. So I think it's a bit unfair to REALLY trash the Ewoks as a concept, even if they WERE the predecessors to the dreaded Jar Jar.
-Ewoks are small (don't feel like using Shrinking, as it has little effect on things statistically to leave it off), but tough and strong for their size- they can heft boulders the size of their chests, and do some real damage with their spears.

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WICKET W. WARRICK
Role:
Cute Savage Critter
Group Affiliations: The Ewoks
PL 7 (77)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 9 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Attack (Spears & Rocks) 5 (+9)
Stealth 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Spear, Rocks), Diehard, Fearless, Improved Critical (Spear), Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Ewok Physiology"
Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Spear +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Motivation (Survival)- The Ewoks are a simple people.
Responsibility (Supersticious)- Ewoks can be easily-sated by golden objects or beings, for example.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 14 (77)

-Wicket is the key Ewok seen in the film- an adorable little critter convinced to aid Princess Leia and her friends against the Empire's forces. Played by Warwick Davis (who imitated his own pet dog's physical mannerisms in order to play "innocent and cute"... it worked), he ended up becoming the main character of an Ewoks cartoon. I actually had 100 times more involvement with THAT show than Star Wars as a Young Jab (I don't think I even realized that the two were linked), but it was so long ago that I remember literally nothing of it besides the main character's name and appearance, and that there was a chick Ewok. Given that it was cancelled when I was five years old, that's not surprising.

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Oh MY but she is purty, though.

QUEEN PADME AMIDALA
Role:
Teenage Leader
Group Affiliations: The Galactic Republic, Naboo
PL 8 (101)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Military Leader) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Politics) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 6 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Rank), Equipment 3 (Blaster +5- Multiattack), Fearless, Inspire, Languages (Various), Leadership, Set-Up

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Laser Blaster +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Naboo)- Padme was elected (??) Queen, and treats the people of Naboo as her responsibility.
Relationship (Anakin Skywalker)- Though she met him when he was a young boy, Padme grew to love the dangerous young hero. Eventually, the two were married in secret, and she started yammering about love to him all the time.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (101)

-Natalie Portman's career has only gotten bigger since the Prequels (she was known, but not THAT known), especially for legit artsy stuff, but let's just say that MERYL STREEP couldn't spin the shit dialogue she got in the Prequels into gold. Her fake English Accent didn't help matters, either. Also, she's a Queen, but like... and elected official? The Hell is that all about? Padme starts off as rather "take charge" in Episode I, but by the third movie, she's essentially a pregnant pile of useless, running around ranting about the rivers of her flowing love for Anakin or whatever the hell. Given that her relationship with Anakin was utterly-bungled in the series, the fact that it was supposed to be the CENTER of it is a bit of a tragedy. A TON of the advertising went into the "Star-Crossed Lovers" bit, but given that Natalie could have been acting up against a log cabin and gotten more chemistry than she got with Hayden Christensen, it was pretty well doomed.
-Natalie is TINY, too (having seen one of the travelling Star Wars memorabilia shows that let you see the costumes, you realize she's the size of a child, especially since Star Wars actually uses rather tall male actors most of the time)- you never realize stuff like that about female celebrities until you see them for real. Most Hollywood MEN are under six feet, so for them to be "appropriately tall", the Leading Ladies tend to be itty-bitty. For every 5'10" Gwyneth Paltrow, there are a dozen 5'0" Natalie types. Directors also LOVE actresses like her because she's got these gigantic eyes- it makes her acting "pop" more than somebody else. AND she's got small breasts- Hollywood's become pretty Breast-Phobic over the years (which combines with their fear of women over a certain dress size), feeling that anything with lots of cleavage would just distract audiences from the scene, and so the "Miss Fanservice" role in movies tends to go to very thin model-types these days, when back in the '70s and '80s it consistently went to the types of women who appeared in Russ Meyer movies. It's probably why Christina Hendricks has had basically no good roles other than Mad Men, in spite of being closer to the "Every Man's Ideal Fantasy" than the armada of thin girls Hollywood pedals could ever hope to be. So itty-bitty Natalie with her giant eyes is EXACTLY what most directors want. It's not for nothing that her clone Kiera Knightley (who actually appeared in Episode I as Fake Amidala and gets blown up- the two girls looked so similar that one of their mothers legitimately got confused) is ALSO one of the most-desired actresses in Hollywood, even though she's got the build of an anorexic 12-year old boy.
-You can probably tell that there's nothing to this particular character by the fact that I instead went on a giant tangent about casting in Hollywood. Because really, Padme was just some bland chick. Cool outfit in the first one, though. Padme's basically Leia Lite otherwise- her daughter (who somehow is able to recall her mother looking "very sad", despite only seeing her for a second when she was a baby...) is much more capable by contrast.

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AT-ST WALKER
Role: Bipedal Jobber Machine

Baseline Stats: Large Size, Strength 5, Defense 3, Toughness 7 (6)
Movement: Speed 4 (4)
Features: Radius Vision (1)

Weapons:
"Blaster Cannon & Chin Lasers" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24) -- (25)
AE: "Grenades" Blast 7 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)

Impervious Toughness 5 (5)

Total Cost: Stats: 6 / Movement: 4 / Features: 1 / Weapons: 30 (41 Equipment Points)

-Used as a sort of All-Terrain Vehicle, the "Chicken Walkers" end up being complete Jobbers, getting trounced by the indigenous population of Endor. Their distinctive bipedal stance is actually their greatest weakness, allowing them to be easily-tipped over in areas of poor terrain. And also you can just jump in the pilot compartment and take it over. They should really only be used in urban environments.

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AT-AT (All-Terrain Armored Transport)
Role: Mechanical Indricotherium

Baseline Stats: Colossal Size, Strength 15, Defense 5, Toughness 16 (19)
Movement: Speed 3 (3)
Features: Holoprojector (1)

Weapons:
"Multiple Laser Cannons"
"Heavy Cannons" Blast 15 (Feats: Extended Range) (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (Innacurate -1) (55)
Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)

"Durasteel Body" Impervious Toughness 17 (17)

Total Cost: Stats: 19 / Movement: 3 / Features: 1 / Weapons: 144 (167 Equipment Points)

-The Battle of Hoth features these spectacular creations, resembling giant Indricotherium-like metal walkers. Now, why you would pilot something with four legs on an ICE PLANET is beyond me, but again: Star Wars runs on the Rule of Cool. Practicality can go eat a dick, because we wants our giant Metal Death Machines with scrawny, trippable legs and easily-struck Piloting Sections. This is a very iconic sequence, featuring an unstoppable army of slow-moving, slow-blasting AT-ATs making a constant march directly towards the Rebel base on Hoth. They're pretty much immune to everything the Rebels throw at them, until Luke starts wrapping their legs up with a metal wire thing from his Snowspeeder. But it's all for naught, as the AT-ATs seal the Base's fate. However, all the major characters escape, for which Vader strangles the man in charge to death.
-AT-ATs are extremely tough and powerful (packing three guns all going off at once), and very intimidating. Pretty much the only way to bring them down is with trickery like Luke used (or just blow up the part where the guys are sitting), AND they tend to be carrying dozens of Stormtroopers and some of their vehicles!

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GREEDO
Role:
Bad Shot, Bounty Hunter
Group Affiliations: Assorted Organizations
PL 6 (74)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Bounty Hunter) 4 (+4)
Investigation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 3 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Blaster Rifle +6, Assorted Gear), Improved Critical (Blaster), Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 2, Tracking

Powers:
"Rodian Physiology"
Senses 3 (Infravision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
"Arboreal Lifestyle" Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Arboreal) [2]
"Suction Cup-Tipped Fingers" Enhanced Strength 1 (Flaws: Limited to Grappling People & Objects) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Blaster +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Seriously, it's IN HIS NAME.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 10 (74)

-Greedo, initially just a bad guy to help establish Han Solo's character (ie. that he would shoot a man dead with no difficulty, if someone even REMOTELY threatened them), was part of the most infamous aspect of the "Enhanced" Star Wars movies- the altering of specific scenes. In the NEWER edition, Greedo is not shot dead under the table just for indirectly-threatening Han, but he actually TAKES THE FIRST SHOT, someone missing a target from five feet away, then getting shot to death in return. Han barely even MOVES as the shot is taken, so Greedo looks like an idiot, and Han's Establishing Character Moment is now that he will kill in self-defense, which EVERY hero in the movies does. "Han Shot First" has since gone on to become a meme that even NON-nerds understand and appreciate, and it's become extremely notorious.
-Greedo himself was just a buffoon, with even the EU stuff going into detail about how much he sucked. As such, he takes the Bounty Hunter Template, and LOWERS IT- PL 6 might even be too good for him.

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JEDI COUNCIL MEMBERS
Role:
Wise Old Mentor-Figures Who Are Also Kinda Doofuses, Ruling Council
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 9 (166)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 2 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Benefit (Rank- Jedi Council), Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Fascination (Persuasion), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (13)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Responsibility (The Council)- Council members are held to a higher standard than other Jedi.
Weakness (Static & Unmoving)- The Council members are prone to being a little too set in their ways, and don't like anybody speaking out of line. This leaves them rather reactive, rather than proactive.
Relationship (Padawan)- Many Padawans are taught by Masters, who generally has to rein in the eager young candidate for the Order.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 18 (166)

-The Jedi Council mainly sat around and did nothing for the first bit of the Prequels- they're an elite bunch of super-wise, well-respected Jedi, but suffer from a few character flaws: They're very stuck in their ways, and they don't like people to go against the "Company Line". Though Masters Yoda & Windu are hardcore, the rest are only seen occasionally, and get zero characterization beyond agreeing with what the others are saying. All but Yoda were slain when Palpatine gave the order to take down the Jedi- most were gunned down by the Clone Troopers. Their numbers include Gas Mask Guy (Plo Koon), Tall Head Guy (Ki-Adi-Mundi), Black Girl Killed By Darth Maul's Brother (Adi Gallia), and a few backgrounders, none of whom do much of anything during the films. Some get a few focus episodes in the Clone Wars series, however.
-I figure High Council members for being PL 9s with a bit more Awareness than lesser Jedi. They're all extremely-good fighters, but are still mowed down by Clones. PL 9 puts them on an even level with Qui-Gon Jinn, and they cost a good deal of points, owing to the fact that Jedi have to do a LOT of different jobs.

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MARA JADE SKYWALKER
Role:
Total Fan Character, Bad Girl Gone Good
Group Affiliations: The New Republic, The New Jedi Order
PL 10 (204)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 8
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 12 (+14)
Deception 10 (+13)
Expertise (Thief/Smuggler) 9 (+12)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 6 (+9)
Vehicles 1 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Fascination (Deception), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical 2 (Lightsaber, Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 8 (Detect The Force- Ranged 2, Detect Life- Ranged 2, Danger Sense, Communication Link- Luke) [8]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Eidetic Memory, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (13)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +12 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The New Jedi Order)- Mara Jade is a member of Luke's New Jedi Order.
Responsibility (Duty)- Mara Jade throws herself fully into duty to others- first to the Emperor, then to Luke and her family.
Relationship (Luke Skywalker)- The two are married.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 63--33 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 19 (204)

-Of all the Star Wars: Expanded Universe characters, Mara Jade seems to me like the greatest example of your classic "Fan-Created Character". She's an ASSASSIN, has a secret history with characters we're all familiar with (She's the Emperor's Hand- his personal assassin), is incredibly-skilled and competent, utterly-devoted to duty, fearless and intimidating yet warm and compassionate, uses The Force (a rare ability, especially in the Imperial Era), and ends up marrying the main hero after first trying to kill him. Like, TOTAL Mary Sue, right?
-But in actuality, Mara Jade is really popular with fans of the EU. It probably helps that she's this totally evil Bad Girl who goes to murder Luke... but then slowly falls in love with him after they're partnered up a few times. Nerds are very accepting of Bad Girls Gone Good :). Plus, Timothy Zahn created her, and he's pretty much the most-liked of the EU authors. In any case, she did some stuff, bore Luke an offspring, then got killed by one of Han & Leia's kids, because he turned to the Dark Side. Now she's a Force Ghost and stuff.
-Mara Jade is a standard Jedi in some ways, but packs on a BOATLOAD of side abilities- she's an expert Thief & Smuggler, specializes in Stealth (a trademark was to appear in behind-the-scenes moments at famous points in the Trilogy, spying on Vader or Luke), and has even developed some Force Powers beyond Luke's- Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory and more! She & Luke also develop a Communication Link power. She's also piloted a series of starcraft, so could probably pack on X-Wing-like Equipment, raising the cost even further.

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I like to think that, during the creation process, someone took a look at the artist's design and said "Does not look enough like a giant, toothy penis. Please redesign."

SPACE SLUG (Exogorth)
Role:
Gigantic Space Penis
Group Affiliations: None
PL 15 (137)
STRENGTH
18 STAMINA 18 AGILITY -4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+15 Size)
Perception 4 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Space Slug"
"Float Through Space" Movement 2 (Space Travel 1, Slithering) [4]
Immunity 7 (Heat, Cold, Radiation, Vacuum, Suffocation 2, Thirst) [7]
"Spacial Awareness" Senses 1 (Direction Sense) [1]

"Spacecraft-Swallowing Size" Growth 20 (Str & Sta +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]
"Huge Size" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Big Bite" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3 on 15 Ranks) [45]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 17) [19]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Initiative -4

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +20 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Survival)- Exogorths survive by eating minerals from comets, and also from swallowing ships that just happen to fly into their open mouths.

Total: Abilities: -20 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 119 / Defenses: 31 (137)

-Like I said before, one of the great things about Star Wars is how distinctive and constantly-active the plot is. Nobody's ever just sitting around doing nothing- STUFF is always going on. I mean, just look at THIS damn thing! Han Solo & Co. manage to survive an Empire attack by flying into a meteor shower, showing off Han's piloting prowess. While hiding inside a tunnel in one large meteor, they discover that there's weird creatures sticking to the Millennium Falcon, and that the ground is strangely sticky. When they start firing laser blasts into the "floor", they discover something. Our heroes haul ass back into the Falcon, take flight, and... see a MOUTH closing in at the opening of the cave! And so the Falcon escapes ANOTHER death trap, as they fly out to reveal that they were inside the stomach of a GIGANTIC WORM the entire time! And this has zero effect on the rest of the plot- it's just another damn THING that happens in a movie full of interesting, weird setpieces.
-Of course, THIS thing has a bunch of "fluff" material set up around it- they're a much-smaller animal normally, but the one in the movie was a freak occurence that grew to KILOMETERS in length! In any case, this one's a PL 15 monstrosity that could easily wreck a whole ship, but is so ponderously-slow that it doesn't even bother to CLOSE ITS MOUTH once a ship is inside its belly!

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Behold: the face that popped a thousand fanboy boners.

DARTH MAUL
Role:
Secondary Villain, Fanboy Bait
Group Affiliations: The Sith
PL 11 (182)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+15)
Athletics 12 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+15)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 7 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+8)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Languages (A Few), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 6 (Detect The Force- Ranged 2, Detect Life- Ranged 2) [6]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+10) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Double-Bladed Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [10]
Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Split, Reach) (Extras: Penetrating 7) (15 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lightsaber +13 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +15

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Killing)- Darth Maul is essentially a wild animal.
Responsibility (Darth Sidious' Will)- Maul is easily-led by Sidious.
Relationship (Savaj Opress)- Darth Maul has a brother, whom he later takes as a Sith Apprentice.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 18 (182)

-Darth Maul is yet another great example of the power of a cool visual appearance. As a character, he's basically nothing- he has zero memorable dialogue, and exists just to kick some heroic ass. But he became one of the most popular characters around just by virtue of his appearance in the FRIGGIN' TRAILER, which was HUGE news at the time. Just the shot of this fearsome, red-faced, horned dude with a Lightsaber... that has TWO ENDS? A DOUBLE-BLADED LIGHTSABER?!? This was the first time in the films we'd ever seen someone use a Lightsaber that WASN'T just the same design as everyone else's! The guy became an instant smash, and was the most hotly-anticipated part of The Phantom Menace. But then... they just killed him off.
-And a million nerds screamed. This still comes off like a huge waste, and a bit of an error overall. See, Darth Sidious/Palpatine was the man behind everything for the Prequels- we know that. But with Darth Maul, you had this bad-ass villain with a lethal reputation (killing Qui-Gon Jinn in the first movie), and they threw it all away. Then they introduced a NEW Sith Lord in the second Prequel (Darth Tyranus/Dooku). This to me has always felt unnecessary and wasteful, as if Maul had survived, they would have been SET. And if they were gonna kill Maul and use Dooku as the new bad guy, they should have introduced HIM in the first film as well- having this new guy show up just made him look like a goof and a bad replacement (to me, anyways- I never even gave Dooku a chance thanks to that... and this stupid, stupid name).
-Darth Maul, despite being what most fans considered the best part of Episode One (the fight scene, while horribly-unrealistic and full of odd tactics and force field walls that appear FOR NO REASON, was amazingly-fast and full of wicked acrobatics that easily-impressed), was gone for good. Until the CGI Clone Wars cartoon, which brought him back as a Killer Cyborg and gave him a brother. Because SOMEONE was gonna throw a Comic Book Death in there at SOME point, I guess, and if you're gonna do that, do it with the one guy that really should have lasted a little bit longer. Apparently he lasted all the way into the "Darth Vader" era, and some comic book featured the OH MY GOD SO AWESOME concept of a fight to the death between Vader himself and Maul, ending with Maul fatally-injured by Vader stabbing himself through the chest in order to get Maul, who was behind him. Maul's brain is kept alive in a jar until Luke Skywalker is able to end him, forever.
-But really, Maul is all about the visual: A Demon from Hell, carrying a ludicrously-unrealistic Double-Bladed Lightsaber- a weapon that would kill the owner in seconds but for the Rule of Cool. And God bless them for it.
-Darth Maul is PL 11, as a Peak Era Obi-Wan Kenobi was... but Maul fought a much WEAKER pair of Jedi in his debut! And at PL 11, it's believable that Maul could hold off both PL 9 Qui-Gon & PL 8 Obi-Wan, at least for a few rounds (Jedi have a Complication about fighting in numbers to make up for the "numbers is a huge advantage" issue in M&M), then kill Qui-Gon in solo combat. A PL 8 Obi-Wan pretty much got housed as well, but managed to score a lucky hit and slice Maul in half.
-Maul is an interesting contrast to the PL 11 Jedi out there- he has largely-similar Physical Abilities, though is a bit stronger and more agile (few Jedi are seen using punches and kicks in combat like Maul does). He keeps most of Obi-Wan's advantages, but ADDS a few- All-Out & Power Attack are Sith trademarks. However, he drops WAY behind in Skills & Jedi Powers, dropping most of the intellectual stuff. Even his Will Save is much lower, owing to a guy who's trained only to use his anger and hatred as weapons. And finally, Maul is only PL 10 to Dodge, and PL 10.5 to Parry- things that can be critical weaknesses if he's going All-Out too often. This all combines together to create a lethal combatant in melee, who nonetheless has a few key issues. He's basically a big hammer when other Jedi-types can be scalpels.

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KIT FISTO
Role:
Cool-Named Distinctive Background Jedi
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 9 (171)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 2 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Benefit (Rank- Jedi Council), Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Fascination (Persuasion), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Nautolan Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Cold) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 [4]

"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (13)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Responsibility (The Council)- Council members are held to a higher standard than other Jedi.
Weakness (Static & Unmoving)- The Council members are prone to being a little too set in their ways, and don't like anybody speaking out of line. This leaves them rather reactive, rather than proactive.
Relationship (Padawan)- Many Padawans are taught by Masters, who generally has to rein in the eager young candidate for the Order.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 19 (171)

-Kit Fisto is one of the most-memorable Jedi in the Prequels to me, mainly because he has that double-whammy of radness: a Cool Name, and a Cool Design. A "Nautolan" Aquatic creature, he's got these big dreads, giant black eyes, and his name is KIT FISTO- that alone makes him awesome. Alas, he's only seen briefly- he kills some robots (and pumps his fist in victory, which is pretty funny), and he appears with Mace Windu in the chamber to arrest Chancellor Palpatine. The "fluff" material makes him out to be this amazing fighter and legendary Jedi... but of course Palpatine houses him in like three seconds, killing him like a Jobber instead of a proud legend. Because the Prequels kind of sucked, you see. At least he had a cool solo episode in The Clone Wars.
-Fisto is your typical PL 9 Jedi High Council member (he's included in their number for the last film), but a bit more brash. Plus he's Aquatic. Like I said, he's some LEGENDARY Jedi Swordfighter, but he jobs to Savaj Opress and needs to be saved by Obi-Wan (after KIT saved KENOBI, no less), and Palpatine manages to kill him in seconds. Sure, he lasts longer than Jobber Jedi #1 and Jobber Jedi #2 (who are cut down in the first seconds of the fight, no less), but he only manages to block a couple shots before being killed. So really, he's not that great- it's all hype with most Jedi, at least compared to the elites.

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SAVAGE OPRESS
Role:
Spin-Off Character
Group Affiliations: The Sith
PL 9 (149)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+13)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Deception 3 (+2)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Perception 8 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+7)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 4 (Detect The Force- Ranged 1, Detect Life- Ranged 1) [4]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (15) -- [17]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (8)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 4 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (11)

"Double-Bladed Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [10]
Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Split, Reach) (Extras: Penetrating 7) (15 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lightsaber +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Rage)- Savage Opress is... well, savage. He can become uncontrollably-violent.
Relationship (Darth Maul)- When Opress discovers he has a brother, he becomes Maul's Apprentice.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 37 / Defenses: 20 (149)

-Yes, they really named a villain SAVAGE OPRESS. Cuz "Darth Maul" just wasn't evil-sounding enough. And yes, Darth Maul has a Suddenly-Introduced Sibling who's ALSO a Sith Lord, but is like a different colour because that's totally not the same thing that a million FanFic writers have done. He's handpicked to be the servant/mate of Assaj Ventress (SERIOUSLY? They named two characters Savage Opress & Assaj Ventress, and put them on the SAME TEAM? It literally sounds like one was a rejected name for the other!) as part of her revenge scheme against Count Dooku (his crime: Being named Count Dooku). His mission was to become an apprentice of Dooku's, then betray him. However, Opress' natural rage won out, and he went rogue on everybody, then teamed up with the resurrected Darth Maul to gain vengeance on Obi-Wan. But then Darth Sidious got involved when they took over Mandalore (JESUS!), impaled Opress, then kicked Darth Maul's ass for his impertinence.
-So yeah, really weird character. Comes off like a FanFic Mary Sue, except he never seems to win many fights as far as I can tell.

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ASSAJ VENTRESS
Role:
Expanded Universe Character
Group Affiliations: The Nightsisters
PL 10 (162)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Expertise (Military) 7 (+9)
Deception 3 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 7 (+9)
Stealth 1 (+7)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 4 (Detect The Force- Ranged 1, Detect Life- Ranged 1) [4]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+10) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (15) -- [20]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (8)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 4 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (11)
AE: "Force Choke" Affliction 4 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Accurate, Subtle, Split) (Extras: Sustained +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Distracting) (15)
AE: "Force Crush" Blast 4 (Feats: Accurate, Subtle) (Extras: Penetrating) (14)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Paired Lightsabers" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [10]
Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 7) (14 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +11 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Force Crush +10 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Force Choke +10 (+4 Ranged Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Jedi)- Assaj witnessed her Jedi Master die when she was a young student- angry over his death, her hatred turned outwards, and turned her to the Dark Side.
Enemy (Obi-Wan Kenobi)- Assaj holds special hatred for Obi-Wan, who avoided capture by her hands numerous times.
Weakness (Two-Bladed Fighting Style)- Assaj is so specialized at two-weapon fighting that she becomes worse off if disarmed of one blade. Eventually, she surpasses this weakness.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 17 (162)

-Assaj Ventress comes about in some of the supporting materials (such as the pair of Clone Wars series), and is the apprentice of Count Dooku. She ends up being a recurring nemesis of Obi-Wan, and a Separatist leader during the Clone Wars, but eventually turns on Dooku. She trains Savage Opress until he leaves her to team with his brother Darth Maul, and eventually she's one of the few villains to actually TURN GOOD, having been softened by her journey, particularly her adventures as a Bounty Hunter. Altogether her history is WAY too long on Wookieepedia for me to even bother reading, and her appearance is a bit "Generic Evil Chick" what with the white, hairless look and all that. But she's the only major example I can find of someone who actively uses a TWO Lightsaber fighting style, so she stands out a bit there.
-Ventress is apparently a great duelist, being able to defeat Jedi Council members (PL 9s), and even once bested General Grievous. She is at one point an offensive juggernaut (able to fight several people at once), but considered a bit "sloppy" and unrefined. She's a standard "Dark Jedi" (this is the first build in the set to use moves like "Force Choke" and "Force Crush", though at lower levels), but has apparently done weird stuff like reanimated several dead Gungans in the past (Summon??).

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DARTH VADER
Role:
The Baddest of the Bad, The Black Knight
Group Affiliations: The Empire, The Jedi Knights
PL 12 (236)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 2 (+7)
Expertise (Military) 10 (+14)
Insight 5 (+10)
Intimidation 10 (+15)
Investigation 2 (+7)
Perception 8 (+13)
Ranged Combat (Debris) 2 (+14)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (Sith Lord- The Emperor's Apprentice), Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Armor +3), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Languages (A Few), Leadership, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 16 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Acute & Analytical; Detect Life- Ranged 5, Danger Sense) [16]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+15) [1]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force Choke" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Accurate, Subtle, Split) (Extras: Sustained +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Distracting) (27) -- [36]
AE: "Viewscreen Choke" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Distracting) (16)
AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 14 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (21)
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 9 (Feats: Subtle) (19)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20.5)
AE: "Force Wave" Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Force Crush" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Subtle) (Extras: Penetrating) (20)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
AE: "Stops Lasers LIKE A BOSS" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Force Communication" Communication (Mental) 3 (12)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Lightsaber +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Force Push +5-8 Area (+5 Damage & +8 Affliction, DC 20 & 18)
Force Wave +5-6 Area (+5 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 20 & 16)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Force Crush +13 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Force Choke +13 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +4 (+7 Armor, +8 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire)- Vader is the loyal Apprentice of Emperor Palpatine. However, when he discovers that the mysterious Jedi boy who confounds him is his own son, he realizes that the old man has been lying to him. Vader's new mission: To take the Empire for himself.
Relationship (Luke Skywalker)- Darth Vader wishes to turn Luke to the Dark Side, training the boy as his own Apprentice. "JOIN ME!- we will rule the galaxy together as father and SON!"
Vulnerable (Magnetic & Electric Attacks)- As a cyborg, Darth Vader is vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks that work on metals.
Vulnerable (Out of Armor)- Vader requires his specialized bodysuit in order to breath, eat, and live. He will quickly die without it.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 26 (236)

-DARTH VADER. The first Star Wars movie did such an amazing job at making this guy look like a threat: he calmly walks into a hallway, strangles some poor schmuck, threatens everyone with a voice so deep it can rattle your fillings, and then reveals that he's basically the best fighter in the Universe as well. In less than two minutes, he basically made every villain before him bow their heads in shame, and made every villain AFTER desperately attempt to equal him. Eventually adding The Imperial March, the most bad-ass sounding Leitmotif in history, and combining numerous sources together to create a Black Samurai Cyborg Space Wizard, Lucas successfully created the measuring stick by which all other villains are measured.
-HOW much of a boss is Vader? Look at what happened in Cloud City- he not only threatens Lando into doing his bidding, but when Han Solo spots him? Han unloads IMMEDIATELY with a precision Laser Blast... and Vader just stops it WITH HIS FREAKING HAND, then casually disarms Solo- removing the entire threat. In less than a round, he up-ended one of the best fighters of the entire Rebellion. It's made clear that Vader could basically whup everyone in the Alliance- he only fails in the FIRST film because of a surprise attack from Han Solo, and he's also the only named survivor amongst all of the villains. THEN, in The Empire Strikes Back, he coldly executes the incompetent who f*cked up the Hoth invasion by giving them away too quickly (again, even the Empire's failures are made to never be Vader's fault), and near-effortlessly defeats a Yoda-trained Luke Skywalker: Vader tosses huge pieces of scenery at the youngster, casually avoids all of his best Lightsaber strikes, then ruins his weapon and SLICES OFF HIS HAND. The only thing that prevents the whole story from ending right there is a) pure luck (Luke survives falling down the giant pit), and b) Vader's attempts to turn Luke to the Dark Side. Even in Return of the Jedi, when Vader finally loses to Luke? Dude then REDEEMS HIMSELF, sacrificing his life to kill The Emperor, the Big Bad of the whole thing.
-All of this adds up to make him the most-unforgettable part of the franchise- in his full glory, none can touch him. It's easy to forget how intimidating he can be, as we're pretty used to seeing Cosplay and little kids in costumes like his- his omnipresence in pop culture can kind of leave him without any mystery. You don't really realize it until you see someone height-appropriate in the gear that you go "Oh my GOD!"- during that one touring show of the costumes from the films, looking at the 6'7" David Prowse's costume made it clear just how MONSTROUS he would look in real life. At one Comic Expo, I saw a guy in the full regalia who was at LEAST 6'5", and he looked like an absolute monster. Height matters for the bad guys.
-But yeah, the Original Trilogy is amazing with the guy. None of the failures of the Empire in the movies are his fault, and he even redeems himself in the end (though some have noted that murdering thousands of people, executing children, and undoing the entire Republic is PROBABLY not made up for by killing one old man. And The Force STILL LETS HIM BE A FORCE GHOST- the damn thing is like an abused housewife or girlfriend- "Oh he does all those awful things, but then he did that ONE NICE THING. That PROVES he's a good guy after all!"). And the whole "NO... *I* AM YOUR FATHER!" bit? Easy to forget now that it's become a Pop Cultural Standard known to everyone, but it was CRAZY out of nowhere back in the day, and a massive revelation. I remember seeing it as a kid with some others who'd never seen it before, and they were AMAZED by it. Suddenly this whole "White Hats (vs) Black Hats" mythological picture gains an entire NEW level when Luke ends up facing his own bloodline in combat.
-Vader is a behemoth in combat- fighting more like a Comic Book Super-Villain than a simple Sci-Fi baddie. He's MUCH stronger than your typical Force User, owing to his cybernetic body, meaning he hits with +10 force with his Lightsaber (and can Power Attack hard enough to tear through anyone). He can throw things larger than any Jedi at a lower level can, Choke people using The Force (his most-iconic move, typically only used on subordinates who fail him), toss people around, do normal Jedi stuff, AND he can stop Laser Blasts with his HAND. At PL 12, he would walk through Han Solo, Chewbacca & Princess Leia all at once (he can deflect anything they could throw at him, and does way more damage), and be a match for any Jedi Master. In Star Wars: Rebels, Vader walks through every bit of their offense like he's Godzilla attacking Tokyo- a good reflection of how dangerous a Sith Lord would be to Low-Level PCs in the setting. It's unclear as to who's the top dog between Vader, Yoda, Windu & Palpatine (Vader is likely superior to his younger self, despite the cybernetic parts), but they're all around this level. Luke can only equal Vader by tapping the Dark Side (though his later self, in the EU, has surpassed that point).
-Vader fights a lot differently than most Jedi we see, thanks largely to the fact that most others are limber, athletic, flippy-floppy types, and the rest can shoot Force Lightning. Vader instead is fairly slow and direct, wielding his Lightsaber two-handed in a style derived from Kendo- while he doesn't flip around like an Indie Wrestler on bath-salts, he fights with sheer force and precision, with different Advantages than many Jedi have. And his Force Pushes and other techniques are extremely high-powered (he's one of the only Jedi who can throw stuff around while remaining immobile, implying a great deal of power), not to mention is ability to choke someone to death THROUGH A VIEW-SCREEN. All in all, Darth Vader would CRUSH most other Jedi seen in the series, including guys like Darth Maul, who is faster, but not as tough or versatile.

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ANAKIN SKYWALKER (aka Darth Vader)
Role:
The Whiniest Little Bitch in the Galaxy, Sand-Hater
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 11 (208), PL 12 (208) Dark Side
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 3 (+14)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+13)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 7 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Interpose, Languages (A Few), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+14) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Channel the Dark Side"
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Close Attack 1 [1]
Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+7) [2]

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Dark Side Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Dark Side Lighsaber +15 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +4-6 Area (+4 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 19 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Hatred (Sand)
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy. Anakin does not follow most of these rules.
Relationship (Obi-Wan Kenobi)- Obi-Wan has trained young Anakin since he was a boy, but Anakin isn't a very dutiful trainee. He spends most of his time doing what he wants, being overly-aggressive, and lecturing his mentor on how to rebel.
Relationship (Padme Amidala)- Anakin has been in love with Padme since he was a young boy, and only grows more obsessed with age. The fact that he's not allowed to fall in love makes him want it ALL THE MORE, and soon he selfishly craves more and more of her, becoming unglued at the thought of losing her.
Relationship (Master Yoda, Mace Windu)- Anakin is forced to defer to the elder Jedi Council members, but often resists their advice and orders.
Responsibility (Violent Temper)- Anakin is prone to berserker rages- he massacres a Tusken Raider village for his mother's death (slaughtering children in the meantime), aggressively-attacks Count Dooku instead of fighting strategically, and attempts to execute fallen opponents.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 21 (208)

-The Prequels have a TON of flaws in them- adding "midichlorians" to the more mystical nature of The Force, turning Padme into pretty wallpaper, adding Space Jews and Space Asians and Space Black People to the galaxy, and going against the continuity of the Originals like they didn't even care. But the WORST thing they did was probably what happened to Anakin Skywalker. The story of DARTH VADER, the bossest of all villains, should have been this epic tale of how a brilliant Jedi slowly turned and was twisted to the Dark Side of The Force. Instead, what we got was the tale of how the two worst actors in the universe made the whiniest little fussy baby in the galaxy pout and moan until he turned evil because he wanted to use magic to resurrect his wife if she died.
-The first flaws were seen in The Phantom Menace, which depicted Young Anakin as this overly-precocious kid who did everything that adults hate about little kids in movies. He was depicted as a Jesus-like child born to a virgin mother (blink and you'll miss a mention of the Sith "creating life" in the third film that implies that Palpatine could have done this), was SUPER-cloying and doofus-y with his "Innocent Child" act, and then managed to DEFEAT ALL THE VILLAINS BY HIMSELF, more or less by accident, messing around in a ship that blew up the thing that controlled all the Combat Droids. He even shouted "YIPEEEEEE!" in the middle of action scenes. Searching through thousands and thousands of hopefuls and somehow choosing the worst Child Actor on the planet didn't help.
-But oh, we didn't even realize the stupid was just getting STARTED. For the second and third Prequels, we got an actor so bad, that "calling his acting wooden is an insult to puppets" (quoth Roger Ebert). Hayden Christensen should have been playing this sly, clever bad-ass, twisted by rage and seduced by great power into turning to the Dark Side (the sequence of events actually SUPPORTS that). We SORT of got that in The Clone Wars animated series. But instead, in the films we had Hayden pouting like a pissed-off teenager who's been grounded. When he cries, you don't believe it, and when he's enraged, he looks like a 3-year old having a meltdown because mommy won't let him draw on the walls. When he's friendly, he smirks and acts superior, making him UNLIKEABLE, too. All of this couldn't have worked even if he'd had GREAT material, so it's all the worse when he has shit like "I hate SAND" as part of his Character-Defining Speech. And then he's made to look foolish, being disarmed (and dis-armed) by Count Dooku in the second film, and foolishly ignoring the suddenly-impossible-to-overcome dilemma of losing the High Ground in his fight with Obi-Wan in the third (this is what turns him into a cyborg).
-So what should be DARTH VADER, KING OF ALL BAD GUYS is now just this snivelling, pouty pre-teen, whose only major victory is going all Dark Side on Count Dooku. And annoyingly, despite supposedly having this AMAZING ability with The Force, he never really uses it. He never hits much harder than anyone else, never throws stuff around, and isn't really seen showcasing any particular power-boost. I get that the character should be more "power than finesse" and that Anakin's personality type would probably avoid the more-thoughtful, meditative powers of the Jedi, but you'd think his Yoda-level... ugh... midichlorian count would have given him SOMETHING.
-Anakin Skywalker is basically like Obi-Wan (they're about on equal terms in fighting skill eventually, though Anakin was probably only PL 9 in Attack of the Clones), but subtracts a bit of Obi-Wan's wisdom and thoughtfulness for some VERY non-Jedi-like things such as All-Out & Power Attack, high Intimidation, Startle, and of course the "Tapping the Dark Side" boosts that push him up past his mentor. Anakin's good enough to take out the VERY high-skilled Count Dooku in the third film, but even at PL 12 it's possible for him to lose to a PL 11 Obi-Wan (who was probably playing a ton of Hero Points anyways... plus he used the magical terrain bonus to his advantage). You'll also note that he can equal his aged, Darth Vader-y self by tapping the Dark Side, but only in terms of raw power- his Defenses and lack of Force Abilities will put this DECISIVELY in the cyborg's favor.

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ADMIRAL ACKBAR (Gial Ackbar)
Role:
Trap-Noticer, Space Admiral
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 3 (69), PL 5 (73) Saves & Skills)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Military) 11 (+15)
Insight 1 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Supreme Commander of Alliance Forces), Inspire, Leadership, Ultimate Military Skill

Powers:
"Mon Calimari Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Cold) [2]
Swimming 2 [2]
"Swivel Eyes" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebellion)- Once a slave of Grand Moff Tarkin, Ackbar is now a devoted enemy of The Empire.
Vulnerable (Deep Water)- Though they are strong swimmers and can breathe water, Mon Calimari cannot delve too far down (up to 30 meters, mainly)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 8 (73)

-Ackbar is one of the great things about Star Wars: Why NOT have a fish-headed guy with a weird voice as the overall commander for the Rebel Alliance's spacefaring operations? And I still like the idea that while our heroes are the BEST Rebels, they're not actually in command- Ackbar calls the shots against the second Death Star. He's got a pretty simple build, being a Military Commander who isn't seen kicking ass (I assume his EU history is FULL of such activities, however), but he's the best guy to lead the Alliance in combat.

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ADMIRAL THRAWN (Mitth'raw'nuruodo)
Role:
Expanded Universe Big Bad
Group Affiliations: The Empire
PL 6 (95), PL 7 (95) Saves)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Military) 11 (+15)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 1 (+5)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (Leader of the New Empire), Inspire, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Leadership, Ultimate Military Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power, Order Throughout The Galaxy)- Thrawn wishes to lead the new Empire into dominance of the galaxy.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (95)

-Among the few really well-thought-of Star Wars novels is what's called The Thrawn Trilogy. Grand Admiral Thrawn answers the obvious question at the end of the Original Trilogy: Now what? Sure, they just offed The Emperor, and Darth Vader went with him (even turning good!). The Death Star is broken. The Empire was dealt a major blow. But... there's HOW many Star Destroyers left? HOW many Empire Soldiers? They killed the two biggest leaders, but this is called the GALACTIC Empire for good reason. They'd earned their victory party on Endor, but there was still a LOT of stuff left to do.
-And so we have Grand Admiral Thrawn, an alien who nonetheless rose to a high ranking in the Empire (which is typically staffed only by regular ol' humans, which got used to turn them into a Speciesist organization in the Expanded Universe). And when the Emperor goes down, HE takes command of the remainder of the Empire's forces, and ends up becoming a major thorn in the side of the "New Republic". Timothy Zahn, author of the novels, based him off of many real-life military geniuses, such as Alexander the Great (who took a small country's army across half of Asia) and Robert E. Lee (who helped the less-populous, under-industrial American South fight the powerful North to a draw for a few years), turning him into a sort of "Super-General" who used smart tactics and a "Good Boss" nature (to counter Darth Vader's more-murderous response to failure) to win battles. He forms a new army comprised of Clones, and moves against the Republic.
-Thrawn is killed at the end of the Trilogy by his own personal bodyguard, who uncovers that Thrawn was part of the betrayal of his species. Like Mara Jade, he's a very "FanFic" kind of character, being so brilliant and skilled that he can "Thanos" his opponents, as WELL as lacking the trademark overconfidence of most villains, and being "A Father To His Men" (sort of), but again, Zahn's skill as a writer seems to be his ability to make his OCs into popular characters in their OWN right.

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DARTH TYRANUS (Count Dooku)
Role:
Elite Swordfighter, Pointless Villain
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights, The Sith Lords
PL 12 (200)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 4 (+15)
Deception 7 (+11)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+14)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+6)
Perception 8 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Languages (A Few), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 10 (Detect The Force- Ranged 4, Detect Life- Ranged 4) [10]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+14) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Force Lightning" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (25) -- [29]
AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 13 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (19.5)
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 7 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (14)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +15 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +4-6 Area (+4 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 19 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Force Lightning +13 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +12

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Sith are notorious for their love of power. Dooku was turned when his thirst for it grew too great.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 59 / Defenses: 22 (200)

-One of the weird things I noticed during the course of these builds and thinking about the Prequels is that I never quite realized before how oddly Darth Tyranus fit into this story. First seeing the movies, I immediately disregarded this guy based off of his STUPID, STUPID NAME, and the fact that he just kinda waltzes into things like we're supposed to know who he is (only exposition lets us know that he's important- he's the old Padawan of Yoda himself, and the Master of Qui-Gon Jinn), taking the place of the much cooler-looking Darth Maul. It wasn't until I thought about things that I realized how epically-powerful he was- he EFFORTLESSLY trounces both Obi-Wan & Anakin at the same time (though Anakin made a tactical error by fighting all aggressively), throws out FORCE LIGHTNING (then-unseen in the Prequels), and then fights YODA of all people without getting trounced in five seconds. In the third film, he manages to beat Obi-Wan AGAIN, but is finally disarmed, dis-handed, and executed by a Dark Side-channelling Anakin, under orders from Chancellor Palpatine (Dooku, whimpering, realizes too late that his master is perfectly-willing to sacrifice him).
-Part of the issue is what I said before- he kind of comes in out of nowhere, with no real explanation, and we're supposed to treat him like he's important. He falls to the Dark Side OFF-CAMERA, having been an important Jedi for years, making him barely feel like part of the story. And yeah, his entire role seems like it was mostly-left of the cutting room floor- the only scenes I remember are of him fighting- his entire importance is to cut off one of Anakin's limbs, then be killed by him in the next movie. A completely forgettable, nothing, bland character, played by Christopher Lee or not.
-And seriously... COUNT DOOKU? Was Shitty McFartypants deemed to be a name with too much dignity or something? Who in GOD'S NAME took a look at that name on the cast list and went "that'll do"?
-Dooku, like I said, is actually more powerful than I'd thougth. I was gonna go with PL 10 (this was when Obi-Wan was PL 9 in my mind), but then I realized that he housed both elite Jedi TWICE, only being undone by a Dark Siding Anakin in the third movie. AND he fought Yoda to a draw before cheating to make his escape (breaking down a VERY heavy piece of machinery in order to do so- much more than most Jedi can accomplish). AND he fires out Force Lightning, which can be a bit of a Game-Breaker (though note that even Obi-Wan can apparently stop that kind off stuff just using his Lightsaber, and Yoda can stop it WITH HIS HANDS). I figure PL 11.5 is good enough- New Villain Stink and the flaw in Jedi fighting in greater numbers can make up for the rest. He's one of the elite Swordfighters in the galaxy, but definitely stoppable.

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SEBULBA
Role:
Dick Dastardly IN SPACE
Group Affiliations: None
PL 6 (81)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 4 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Equipment 8 (Podracer- With Some Hidden Weapons), Fast Grab, Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Powers:
"Dug Physiology"
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Arboreal) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Rivalry (Anakin Skywalker)- Sebulba hates Anakin because... well because he wouldn't be an antagonist if he didn't, alright?

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 7 (81)

-The "Podracer Race" in Episode I was a bit of an aside, and largely made just because George Lucas is a huge nerd for racing. Some people liked the scene, but I thought it was pretty forgettable. It took FOREVER, too- just this enormous part of the story, focusing entirely on Anakin using his winnings to buy his freedom. Sebulba is our "Dick Dastardly", a lying, cheating S.O.B. that stands in Anakin's way. A thoroughly-unpleasant douche, Sebulba threatens people (to his credit, he nearly beats up Jar Jar Binks), works with Jabba the Hutt, uses hidden weapons on his Podracer (one deleted scene includes a flamethrower), and more, but ends up losing the race and buying Anakin's Podracer in the end.
-At least he and his race looked kind of cool and unique- being guys who walked on their "arms", and used their "legs" for fine motor manipulation. Apparently their race is one of the few that can use Podracers- of the human race, only Jedi can pilot them properly, owing to their "Future Sight" letting them avoid deadly mistakes.
-Sebulba himself is a good grappler and a bit clever, but not a major threat outside of his Podracer.

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PODRACER
Role: Ludicrously-Impractical Device

Baseline Stats: Medium Size, Strength 4, Defense 10, Toughness 6 (15)
Movement: Flight 8 (Quirks: Can Only Get 30 Feet Above Ground-Level -2) (14)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
None (0)

Total Cost: Stats: 15 / Movement: 14 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 0 (29 Equipment Points)

-Podracers are effectively like Speederbikes, but even MORE impractical. They're tiny little man-sized pods that are attached to two COLOSSAL engines, which pull you along at the speed of sound, tearing through tiny passageways and obstacle-laden courses. They're so difficult to use that anything without "enhanced reflexes" couldn't possibly use them without dying (which is why Anakin, a Force User, is a stand-out racer). Many of these are customizable- Sebulba is known to put WEAPONS on his.

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Yoda: "Yes, run! Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, QUICK to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."
Luke: "Vader... Is the dark side stronger?"
Yoda: "No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive."
Luke: "But how am I to know the good side from the bad?"
Yoda: "You will know... when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, NEVER for attack."
Luke: "But tell my why I can't..."
Yoda: "No, no! There is no 'WHY'!"

---

[Luke sees his X-Wing is about to sink into the bog]
Luke Skywalker: "Oh, no! We'll never get it out now!"
Yoda: "So certain, are you? Always with you, it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?"
Luke: "Master, moving stones around is one thing, but this is... totally different!"
Yoda: "No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."
Luke: "All right, I'll give it a try."
Yoda: "No! Try not. DO... or DO NOT. There is no 'try'."
[Luke tries to use the Force to levitate his X-Wing out of the bog, but fails in his attempt.]
Luke: "I can't. It's too big."
Yoda: "Size matters not. Look at me- Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."
Luke: "You want the impossible. [sees Yoda use the Force to levitate the X-Wing out of the bog and gets flustered when he does it] I don't... I don't believe it!"
Yoda: "That is why you fail."


YODA
Role:
Odd Mentor Figure
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 12 (208)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY -2/4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 6 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Insight 8 (+12)
Investigation 2 (+8)
Perception 9 (+15)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+6)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 3 (Rank- Jedi Council), Fascination (Persuasion), Great Endurance, Improved Defense, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 20 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Acute & Analytical, Detect Life- Ranged 5, Danger Sense, Precognition) [20]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+7) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Temporary Force-Assisted Fighting Style"
"Force-Assisted Blows" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
Enhanced Agility 6 [12]
Enhanced Skills 28: Acrobatics 10 (+14), Athletics 10 (+8), Close Combat (Lightsaber) 8 (+14) [14]
Enhanced Advantages 9: Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Uncanny Dodge [9]

"Force Push" Damage 7 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 9 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (26) -- [32]
AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 14 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (21)
AE: "Deflect Anything" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (21)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
AE: "Much Fear I Sense In You" Mind-Reading 10 (Flaws: Limited to Emotions) (10)
AE: "See Through The Force" Remote Sensing 20 (Detect The Force) (Flaws: Physical Body is Defenseless) (10)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Force-Assisted +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Force Push +7-9 Area (+7 Damage & +9 Affliction, DC 22 & 19)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Emotion-Reading -- (+10 Mind-Reading, DC 20)
Initiative -2 (+12 Boost)

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +14

Complications:
Disabled (Age)- Ancient, even for his species, Yoda is. Require a cane he does after hundreds of years, and even temporary is his Jedi Speed. Tire quickly, he will.
Prejudice (Small)- Small, Yoda is. Judge him by his size, people do.
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Under numerous rules, the Jedi are (never falling in love, stuff like that), and to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy is their mission.
Responsibility (The Council)- To a higher standard compared to even other Jedi, Council members are held.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- Dangerously-close, The Dark Side is, for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can down a dark path, lead the Jedi. "Quicker, EASIER- more seductive," the Dark Side is, and tempting, the temporary boost of power is. Twisting one's spirit and mangle their body, excessive use of the Dark Side will.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 105 / Defenses: 27 (208)

-One of the great master-strokes of the Star Wars saga was in the creation of Yoda, the wise old Jedi Master to whom Luke goes for his final training, on the ghostly suggestion of Obi-Wan. Created after numerous planning phases and cartoonier looks were rejected, Yoda is the culmination of Lucas at his peak, alongside the legendary puppeteer Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, The Little Shop of Horrors), who created this lifelike little puppet that is nonetheless one of the best actors in the Trilogy. At first, he appears to be a goofy little piece of Comic Relief- a clown that argues with R2-D2, bothers Luke, and acts like a slapstick character. But then, when he uncovers what Luke's there to do, he instantly settles into the wisest character in the series, carefully training Luke to be the ultimate Jedi. And his lessons actually come off REALLY WELL- "Excitement. Adventure. A Jedi craves not these things." "You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." And of course, the famous "DO or DO NOT. There is no 'try'." When Luke says he can't believe Yoda just lifted an X-WING out of the bog, Yoda just replies "THAT is why you fail..." Wise words, all. Yoda gets some of the best lines in the entire series.
-As a teacher he is fierce, unforgiving, and demanding. He recommends Luke leave his friends to die and complete his training. This tiny green muppet with the giant cartoony ears ends up becoming one of the most memorable and important characters in the franchise. Everything about him stands out- his size is of course a deliberate contrast to his great power ("Size matters not!"), and a reflection of the true might of The Force. He's all wrinkled & green, coming off as the only non-human Jedi in the Original Trilogy. He even SPEAKS oddly, reversing the order of some of his sentences! This would be ridiculous in any other character, but pulling off a three-foot-tall super-powered shrunken green troll with the voice of Miss Piggy is possibly the greatest example of what Lucas and his team were capable of with the original movies.
-Yoda as a full-fledged Jedi is ungodly powerful. His only equals are the true Top Tiers of the setting- Vader, Windu, Palpatine. And his power in The Force is probably the highest- he can stop Force Lightning WITH HIS HANDS, move objects as large as X-Wings with almost casual ease, see things from far away while in a Trance-like state, and see Emotions better than any other Jedi can- most only get the mere HINT of tricks like this, and have to play Hero Points to get them.
-Yoda reveals ass-kicking power in the Prequels, which on one hand is AMAZING (his fight with Dooku is probably the best part of Attack of the Clones), but on the other hand, kind of makes Yoda into something he shouldn't be. Yoda really was never meant to be picking up a Lightsaber and beating ass- Yoda is the calm, thoughtful Jedi. He should be walking in, using The Force like a scalpel to stop people in their tracks- proof that his size does, in fact, matter not. Instead they turn him into a tiny green chainsaw. To that end, he gets a pile of Advantages with a theoretical limit due to his advanced age.

STAR WARS: REBELS

-This is a decent little show, though I find it to be less amazing than "quality background noise" most of the time. It reads very much, like Ares has pointed out, a TV version of someone's Star Wars tabletop game- you've got two guys playing Jedi in the Imperial Era, someone playing a super-rare Big Guy, a sexy Pilot Chick, someone playing a Droid while acting like a griefer, and of course a Mandalorian. Basically, they're a band of Mercenaries who hook up with The Rebel Alliance, and they get roped into dragging along a kid. A kid who turns out to be strong with The Force. And then it's revealed that Kanan, the ground commander of the ragtag band, is ALSO a Force-user when he whips out a FREAKING LIGHTSABER as the "Big Reveal" at the end of the Pilot Episode. There are still Jedi in the Imperial Era!

The Cast:
Ezra Bridger: Young boy on The Hero's Journey, being a rebellious punk who discovers power in The Force.
Kanan: A Jedi forced to hide after Order 66. His own lessons barely learned, he's suddenly got to train a stubborn young kid in the ways of The Force.
Hera: Twi'lek Pilot of their ship, The Ghost. Though Kanan seems to be in charge, it's HER ship, so often SHE gets the final say.
Zeb: The Big Guy. Gruff, easily-annoyed and violent. Basically your Ben Grimm.
Sabine: Teenage girl Mandalorian with PINK ARMOR.
C1-10P: Standard assholish Astromech Droid.

The Bad Guys:
Kallus: Agent of "Big Brother" and a human enemy.
The Inquisitor: Dark Force User with ludicrous Spinning Lightsaber.

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AGENT KALLUS (aka ISB-021)
Role:
Agent of Big Brother
Group Affiliations: The Galactic Empire, The Imperial Security Bureau
PL 7 (33)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Space Military) 4 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Rank), Equipment 3 (Imperial Gear), Ranged Attack 3

Equipment:
"Lasat Bo Rifle" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18) -- (19)
AE: "Bo Strike" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach, Split) (5)

"Imperial Armor"
Protection 2 (Flaws: Limited to Non-Laser Attacks) (1)
"Utility Belt" 5 Ranks of Assorted Gear (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Bo Rifle Stab +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Bo Rifle +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Empire)- Kallus is a loyal agent.
Enemy (Kanan & Co.)- Embarrassed by them a few times already, Kallus holds a grudge.
Reputation (Killer of Lasats)- Kallus led the operation that killed numerous people on Lasat- the survivors do not care for him as a result.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (77)

-Kallus is a recurring bad guy in Rebels, being put in charge of stamping out Rebel activity before a full-scale Rebellion takes form (spoiler alert: it totally will). He's kind of your everyday smirking, sideburned douchebag, and was given a genocidal backstory (he killed a TON of Zeb's people on Lasat by using disruptors on them), but doesn't really stand out from say, any other bad guy. I didn't even remember his NAME. He's a good enough fighter to challenge the very strong Zeb in solo combat with "Bo Rifles", and nearly won by angering his opponent into making a mistake, but Rebels is a much more low-PL series than the main film run, so he's not as elite as Han Solo or anything.

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SABINE WREN
Role: FanFic Character, Intergalactic Graffiti Artist
Group Affiliations: The Rebels
PL 7 (89)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Military) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Gear), Improved Aim, Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4

Equipment:
"Laser Blaster" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
"Explosives" Damage 7 (Feats: Triggered- Timers) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (16)
"Armor" Protection 1 (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lasers +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Stopping The Empire)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (89)

-This should have been SO STUPID. A freakin' girl Mandalorian, wearing PINK Boba Fett armor, tearing around the Empire with explosive graffiti? Hella-stupid and total FanFic nonsense, right? But somehow, they make it work. Though I find her the most-bland and forgettable character of the cast (I don't think they've even had a Focus Episode on her)- everyone else has more notable character traits (Ezra is young and impatient, Zeb is Ben Grimm, Kanan is an underprepared teacher, Hera is sarcastic and bossy, the Droid is a dick). Sabine is just kind of... there. She's an ex-Imperial soldier who turned on her rulers when she saw what they were doing on Mandalore.

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"I've played along with your Jedi dueling games long enough! Now you will experience my full potency… I live as energy… I am the dark side!"

THE EMPEROR (Shreev Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious)
Role:
The Big Bad, Shrunken Old Wizard
Group Affiliations: The Sith, The Galactic Empire
PL 12 (261)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+5)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 4 (+15)
Deception 8 (+17)
Expertise (Military) 7 (+12)
Insight 10 (+15)
Intimidation 7 (+12)
Investigation 2 (+7)
Perception 10 (+15)
Persuasion 5 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 3 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Benefit 6 (Galactic Emperor), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 5, Improved Smash, Inspire, Languages (Many) 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown, Ultimate Deception, Uncanny Dodge, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 17 (Detect The Force- Ranged 6, Acute & Analytical, Detect Life- Ranged 6) [17]
Senses 4 (Precognition) [4]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+9) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Dark Side Trickery"
Concealment 1 (Detecting The Force) [2]
Immunity 2 (Aging, Poison) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Force Lightning" Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate 2, Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Multiattack) (34) -- [39]
AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 13 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (19.5)
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 9 (Feats: Subtle) (28)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (19.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (17)
AE: "Force Crush" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Penetrating) (25)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lightsaber +15 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Force Push +4-8 Area (+4 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 19 & 18)
Mind Trick +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Force Lightning +14 (+10 Damage, DC 23)
Force Crush +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +5 (+7 D.Roll), Fortitude +8, Will +13

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Sith are notorious for their love of power. Palpatine decided to take over THE ENTIRE GALAXY.
Noticeable (Deformed)- Palpatine was deformed during his attempt to fight Mace Windu.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 40 / Powers: 72 / Defenses: 29 (261)

-I was never that taken with Emperor Palpatine, but then- most people really weren't. That was almost the POINT of the guy- with Darth Vader being so popular, it was somewhat fitting that his boss was this shrunken little troll with a quivering voice and uninteresting look (based off of Death from The Seventh Seal). Palpatine doesn't even get a NAME in the original material- he's just "The Emperor", this total blank slate of pure malevolence, with no other character to him than to be evil. As much a mythological construct as a real on-screen character. It helps make Vader MORE popular, especially once Vader betrays the guy and redeems himself. Palpatine only shows up in the last film in a major level, and really he only just sits there, advising Vader, and trying to convince Luke to off Vader. Then Luke refuses the pull of the Dark Side, and suddenly the Emperor whips out LIGHTNING POWERS (something I am fairly certain had never been seen before), showcasing this insane power level.
-The Prequels show the true depths of Palpatine's skills: in many ways, it's The Palpatine Story. First, he manipulates things to get made Chancellor. Then he instigates a war that allows the Chancellor to be granted permanent, new powers. Then he manipulates a young, impressionable, whiny bitch to become his new Apprentice, making sure he wipes out the old one. Then he makes it look like the Jedi are staging a coup, using them as a "Bogeyman" to be granted even GREATER powers. The major flaw in his plan is that he'd have been skooshed immediately if Anakin hadn't pulled a run-in and injured Mace Windu- he was as good as DEAD before that happened.
-Palpatine is a funny situation where it can be tough to assess him as a warrior, because he's really only seen fighting a handful of times. In his first and only fight scene in the Original Trilogy, he easily defeats a tired Luke Skywalker by pulling a surprise attack with FORCE LIGHTNING, a power never seen before! Luke was caught flat-footed and easily brought down. When confronted by four "elite" Jedi, he IMMEDIATELY trounces two of them in seconds, then handles Kit Fisto in another couple of rounds! This puts him way beyond standard Jedi. But Mace Windu is able to deflect the Force Lightning right back at him, and has him beat before he's stopped by Anakin. Palpatine & Yoda then fight each other to a draw. In Clone Wars, he's able to easily best Darth Maul, and slaughters Savage Opress. So I figure him for PL 12- Top-Tier, but not overwhelmingly unstoppable. Luke may have even had a chance if Yoda or Obi-Wan or SOMEBODY had warned him about the damned Force Lightning, because apparently Jedi CAN just stop the stuff with their Lightsabers.
-But still, he's a terrying opponent for most characters- extremely high Initiative (he flies across his chamber and starts wrecking Jedi before they're ready), a Blast higher than anything not seen on a vehicle (and unlike other Force Lightning wielders, it's equal to his PL), and DC 24 damage with his Lightsaber. He's probably even MORE terrifying in the Expanded Universe, gaining all sorts of dumb stuff like Worm-hole Generation and clones and junk.
-Palpatine is also the most expensive character around, owing to his greater wisdom and charisma than anyone else. He's a GREAT manipulator, effectively hides his intentions from people as smart as Jedi and Padme Amidala until it is far too late (they only get inklings that he's too big for his britches until it's time to arrest him), hides his skills and even his Force powers from everyone (Yoda, Windu and others can usually sense someone's power or level- Palpatine is apparenly using Concealment on his).

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ZEB (Garazeb Orrelios)
Role: The Muscle, The Gruff One
Group Affiliations: The Rebels
PL 7 (88)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+9)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Military) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Equipment 4 (Gear, Body Armor), Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Lasat Physiology"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing) [2]

Equipment:
"Lasat Bo Rifle" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18) -- (19)
AE: "Bo Strike" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach, Split) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Bo Rifle Stab +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Bo Rifle +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +5 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Stopping The Empire)
Responsibility (Lasat Heritage)- The people of Lasan were one of the more-savaged victims of the Empire.
Rivalry (Ezra)- The two are allies, but Ezra's mouthy nature rubs Zeb the wrong way.
Responsibility (Temper)- Zeb is easily-angered.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 10 (88)

-The "Gruff One" of the cast of Star Wars: Rebels, "Zeb" exists to get into arguments with the mouthy kid Ezra and generally get humiliated by various things. He's effectively like 1960s Ben Grimm- a bit of a misanthrope, but with a good heart. In the early going, he apologetically leaves Ezra to be captured in order to save the rest of the crew ("Sorry kid... You did good!"), but goes along with the rescue campaign. The two still argue constantly however.

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"Ahsoka Tano, by the way, is annoying. She bats her grapefruit-sized eyes at Anakin and offers suggestions that invariably prove her right and her teacher wrong. At least when we first met Yoda, he was offering useful advice."
-Roger Ebert, in his review of "Clone Wars"


AHSOKA TANO
Role:
Mary Sue O.C., Spritely Young Teenager
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 9 (161)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 8 (+9)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 2 (+11)
Deception 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Investigation 5 (+6)
Perception 7 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Togrutan Physiology"
"Hollow-Chambered Skull- Echolocation" Senses 2 (Accurate Hearing) [2]

"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 9 (Detect The Force- Ranged 3 & Acute, Detect Life- Ranged 3) [9]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+10) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (13)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Lightsaber +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Laser Blaster +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Jedi are under numerous rules (never falling in love, stuff like that), and their mission is to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Ahsoka is prone to overconfidence and recklessness, just like her Master. However, she can't back it up the way Anakin can, leading to numerous deaths under her command.
Relationship (Padawan)- Many Padawans are taught by Masters, who generally has to rein in the eager young candidate for the Order.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.
Weakness (Inverse Law of Ninjitsu)- Jedi Knights become magically shittier the more of them are involved with one conflict. Two Jedi frequently lose against a single opponent, leaving the survivor to defeat the enemy. If there are dozens of Jedi around you, you're pretty f*cked. Maybe they just can't use their Lightsabers to full-effectiveness with allies close by.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 48 / Defenses: 21 (161)

-The Togruta are one of the coolest-looking Star Wars races, and so it was perhaps inevitable that they'd try to make a more-important character than Shaak-Ti out of them. And so the new, CGI Clone Wars film and TV series would utilize Ahsoka Tano, the never-before-seen Padawan of ANAKIN SKYWALKER. A wide-eyed innocent, she's savaged in Roger Ebert's review of the film (which he calls a MASSIVE throwback, as the corner-cutting is absolutely ridiculous- with every character featuring non-moving hair) as annoying and essentially a Mary Sue who's always proven right. And yet, she's one of numerous Jedi to survive the purge of the Knights, making her into even MORE of a FanFic OC.
-However, the TV series humanized her a bit more, and gave her numerous flaws. She reacted without thinking, tried to bully people for information, and was reckless and overly-confident in her own abilities, leading to dangerous situations that got a lot of soldiers under her command killed. In the final moments of the series, she is accused of a capital crime, is absolved (it was a frame-job), but quits the Jedi Order, believing them to be morally-corrupted. She actually reappears in Star Wars: Rebels as an aide to the nascent Rebel Alliance, and comes to a horrifying revelation when she recognizes the unique "Force Signature" of the black-costumed Sith Lord.
-Ahsoka is good enough to tangle with Assaj Ventress & General Grievous and not die, so she's better than your average Jedi, in spite of still being a Padawan. Other than that, the only real differences with her are her Super-Senses ("Echolocation"- Accurate Hearing), and her small size, giving her slightly different caps compared to most (she's more accurate and less strong than your everyday PL 9 Jedi).

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GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Role:
Killer Cyborg, Wannabe Bad-Ass
Group Affiliations: The Separatists
PL 10 (187)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 9 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+13)
Expertise (Military) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 11 (+11)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 10 (+10)
Stealth 5 (+10)
Technology 8 (+11)
Vehicles 10 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 3 (Laser Blaster +5- Multiattack), Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Lightsabers), Improved Initiative, Last Stand, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 10, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Cybernetic Body"
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 5) [7]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
"Four-Armed" Extra Limbs 2 [2]
Immunity 3 (Vacuum, Suffocation 2) [3]

"Spinning Arms" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 10) [10]

"Lightsaber Trophies" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [11]
Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Split 3) (Extras: Penetrating 7) (16 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Lightsaber +9 (+11 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +12 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +9 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Vulnerable (Electric & Magnetic Attacks)- As a Cyborg, Grievous has a lot of metal in him.
Hatred (Jedi)- Grievous loves hunting down Jedi Knights, capturing their Lightsabers as trophies.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 48 / Defenses: 12 (187)

-GOD Grievious was hilarious. Built up as this uber-bad-ass in the lead up to Revenge of the Sith, Grievous was also given a big showing in the cartoon series The Clone Wars, which was canon. Here, he was treated basically like Jason F*cking Voorhees with Lightsabers, coldly hunting down and murdering Jedi left and right; a true menace and force to be reckoned with. However, in the very last episode, he's Force Crushed by Mace Windu while kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine, and thus spends the ENTIRE FRIGGIN' MOVIE coughing, hacking and wheezing like Rosie O'Donnell after running ten feet (this was largely-added because Lucas thought it'd be funny to use his cough for an Episode III villain- it was initially going to be that Grievous' primitive cybernetics were the reason, but Clone Wars added a new one). And then when we get to what is basically his ONLY fight scene? He shows off his four limbs, swinging around Lightsaber blades like they're friggin' buzzsaws, and Obi-Wan just goes "LOLZ" and ROTFL-stomps him into next week, killing him with ease.
-This is HILARIOUS, and a completely ridiculous waste of someone who was supposed to be tough. Add to that the fact that Count Dooku was himself offed in the first ten minutes by Anakin, and you've got TWO supposedly-bad-ass villains being wiped out. Grievous going out like he's Barry Horowitz going up against Hulk Hogan, especially considering Clone Wars made such an effort at building him up, is just adding to the flaws of the movie. He doesn't really come with much backstory- you've got to read the Expanded Universe stuff to find any out. He was initially thought of as a "Droid General", but they eventually went the "Killer Cyborg" route.
-I figure Grievous for a PL 10 fighter, easily able to defeat PL 8 Jedi Knights, ESPECIALLY since he's so much stronger than anyone else in the setting, and can use Multiattack strikes (with +10 to the Extra, meaning he can include things like Lightsabers and add THAT to his power, too!). Once Windu injures him, he's greatly weakened, which is what allows Obi-Wan to defeat him so easily (at PL 11, Kenobi could probably take Grievous ANYWAYS- the boost just turns it into a curbstomp battle).

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HERA SYNDULLA
Role:
Sexy Lady Pilot
Group Affiliations: The Rebels
PL 7 (141)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Rebel Fighter) 4 (+8)
Insight 3 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 5 (+9)
Vehicles 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Attractive, Contacts, Equipment 43 (The Ghost, Blaster +5), Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lasers +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Motivation (Stopping The Empire)
Secret (Many)- Hera has to keep a lot of secrets in order to act properly as a Rebel cell. This sometimes doesn't sit well with the others.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 49 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (141)

-Hera is the pilot of their ship, The Ghost, on Star Wars: Rebels, and this makes her one of the most important people around- though Kanan seems to be the field commander, it's HERA'S ship, and thus everyone has to do what she says, in the end. It also turns out she's the one who recruited Kanan, and is responsible for a lot of the intelligence that goes on behind-the-scenes, and is arguably the most well-rounded member of the crew (SKILLS! I'm talking about her SKILLS, here!). She's attractive and seems able to use it to get what she wants from more-clueless males- she's even able to play LANDO CALRISSIAN.
-She does the least fighting of her crew, so I'm putting her at a lower level than them in several categories (She's PL 6.5 on Defense, for example), but as she's a great Pilot, very Skilled, good at reading people (ie. Insight- she figures out quickly that Lando's trying to play her crew against each other for his own ends), and owns a Falcon-ish ship with its own attachment, she's way more expensive than most of the others.

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THE GHOST
Role: Rebel Starship

Baseline Stats: Colossal Size, Strength 15, Defense 10, Toughness 12 (14)
Movement: Space Travel 2, Flight 12 (28)
Features: Secret Smuggling Holds, Lounge Area (2)

Weapons:
"Blaster Array" Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 3) (Extras: Multiattack) (45)
"Nose Turret" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) (30)

"Shield Generators" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 9) (11)
"Sensor Jammer" Concealment (All Senses) 10 (Flaws: Limited to Machines) (10)

Total Cost: Stats: 14 / Movement: 28 / Features: 2 / Weapons: 96 (140 Equipment Points)

THE PHANTOM
Role: Flying Attachment

Baseline Stats: Large Size, Strength 5, Defense 8, Toughness 8 (13)
Movement: Flight 8, Space Travel 1 (18)
Features: None (0)

Weapons:
Blasters 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)

Total Cost: Stats: 13 / Movement: 18 / Features: 0 / Weapons: 24 (55 Equipment Points)

-The Ghost is a little larger than The Millennium Falcon, and lacks Han Solo's numerous upgrades, but it's still a good ship. AND there's a secondary, smaller Attack Craft called The Phantom attached to it!

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C1-10P (Chopper)
Role:
Funny Robot, The Sarcastic One
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 3 (59)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+3)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 1 (+3)
Technology 7 (+10)

Advantages:
Luck

Powers:
"Astromech Droid"
Protection 2 [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

"Quick Calculations" Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions & Repairs) [2]
"Datalink" Communication (Technology) 3 [12]
"Servo Arm" Features 1: Arm [1]

"Electro-Shock Prod" Damage 3 (Feats: Accurate 3) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Electro-Shock +3 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.
Disabled (Astromech)- Astromech Droids do not have real limbs, legs nor the ability to speak normally.
Rivalry (Ezra, Zeb)- Chopper dislikes his two crewmates, and seeks to annoy them frequently. He does not get along with the ship's computer, either.
Hatred (Other Droids)- Chopper frequently attacks other Droids for no reason at all.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 53 / Defenses: 8 (59)

-A cranky, sarcastic prankster of a Droid, C1-10P is more annoying than funny in my book- he's like the guy at the table who built a character specifically to be able to annoy the other players ("HUH-HUH, I have no abilities- I just make fun of everyone!" "I attack the Droid!" "What? Why?" "CUZ!"). The explanation in-series is that he's way past his expiry date, so his personality's gotten all weird. He's not much of a fighter, but he can surprise people with that Electro-Shock Prod.

MACE WINDU
Role:
The BMF of the Universe
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 13 (253)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Close Combat (Lightsaber) 5 (+17)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+13)
Insight 6 (+11)
Investigation 3 (+8)
Perception 8 (+13)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 2 (+6)
Vehicles 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Benefit 3 (Jedi Council Leader), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 3, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Interpose, Languages (A Few), Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Played by Samuel L. Jackson Template"
Enhanced Skills 8: Intimidation 8 (+12) [4]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Benefit (Reputation- Bad-Ass Mother-F*cker), Daze (Intimidation) [2]

"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 12 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Detect Life- Ranged 5) [12]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+12) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Force Crush" Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate, Subtle) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (30) -- [36]
AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 14 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (21)
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 8 (Feats: Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (16)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
AE: Communication (Mental) 2 (8)
AE: Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Limited to Emotions) (8)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lightsaber +17 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +4-8 Area (+4 Damage & +8 Affliction, DC 19 & 18)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Force Crush +13 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +17 (DC 27), Parry +18 (DC 28), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +12

Complications:
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 74 / Defenses: 27 (253)

-The Prequels truly accomplished the impossible- they made a character played by SAMUEL L. JACKSON boring! Mace Windu is shown as one of the highest Jedi Council members, a peer only to Yoda- he is calm, rational and thinks about the actions the Order must take. And he's boring. He never reacts emotionally to ANYTHING... which I suppose makes him an ideal Jedi in that era (their whole thing is to cast off emotion and junk), but holy Hell does it not make him a lot of fun. And despite not really making that big of a dent in the plot, he's given some major wins- he takes out the supposedly bad-ass Jango Fett in like three seconds, and when the Jedi confront Palpatine in his office, Windu promptly WHUPS HIS ASS. Like, the old dude offs three Jedi before Windu can even really do anything, but that ass by WHUPPED, yo.
-Quietly bad-ass, Windu also sports a boss purple-bladed Lightsaber. One of my friends is a notorious hater of "Special Snowflake" type stuff and HATES it when they add newfangled Lightsaber colours (he was uber-relieved when I told him my Jedi's would be blue), new types of handles (he hated Dooku's curved one), and stuff like that (the first rule when we played Werewolf: The Gathering was that "you all have to be Garou". I joked that he'd add "you all have to be brown" next), and so he complained about it. But really, it makes him stand out. Which is actually why Windu HAS that colour in the first place- Jackson was given the third choice in Lightsaber hilts (the main stars had already chosen theres), but insisted that his be a different colour, "So I can see myself on screen!" when fifty or sixty other Jedi were swinging blue & green blades around.
-When I was doing the initial mock-up of the Power Levels in the Star Wars universe, I sort of did the Tiers and "Who Beat Whom" in order to properly place everybody, and came up with some interesting conclusions. It's kind of fun figuring out where to "place" everybody, considering there's actual in-universe evidence that some guys can beat others: Darth Maul is good enough to fight off two Jedi, and kill an experienced one, but not so great that the rookie can't finish him in return. Count Dooku effortlessly hands Obi-Wan & Anakin their asses, and draws with Yoda, but is wiped out by Anakin once he levels up. Yoda & The Emperor are near-equals, at least, as are Anakin & Obi-Wan. Most Jedi are total Jobbers who are easily-beaten by any named character.
-But MACE WINDU? Windu is the BMF of the galaxy. He straight-up DECAPITATES Jango Fett in a single round. He basically one-shots General Grievous in Clone Wars, turning him into a wheezing loser for the entirety of Episode III. And when the future Emperor Palpatine, legendary Lightning-Blasting asshole of the universe, starts cutting down Jedi left and right, what does he do? Windu KICKS HIS ASS. He DISARMS Palpatine, and when the big "Lightning Blast" comes flying out, the dude frickin' STOPS IT WITH HIS SWORD, shoving the lightning back in the old man's face, turning him into a shrivelled troll (that looks disturbingly-like Pope Benedict XVI)! It's only when Anakin runs in and hacks him down that allows Palpatine to survive- Windu could have prevented the Empire from taking hold. Dude is THAT GOOD.
-And thus, Mace Windu is PL 13- the most-powerful and skilled Force-User in history.

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KANAN JARRUS (Caleb Dume)
Role:
Team Leader
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights, The Rebel Alliance
PL 8 (143)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+7)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 5, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 8 (Detect The Force- Ranged 3, Detect Life- Ranged 3) [8]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+9) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (15) -- [18]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (9)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (7)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-5 Area (+2 Damage & +5 Affliction, DC 12 & 15)
Mind Trick +3 Area (+3 Affliction, DC 13)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Untrained Jedi)- Kanan's training was not quite complete when Order 66 took his master, and most of the Jedi. He has yet to learn many aspects of Jedi knowledge (such as the meaning of Master Yoda's comment "Do or do not. There is no 'try'.").
Secret (Jedi)- The Jedi are considered wanted enemies of the Empire- Kanan will not swing his Lightsaber around unless he needs to.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 18 (143)

-Kanan is part of the "Big Reveal" in the first episode of Star Wars: Rebels- as the battle turns against our rag-tag band of heroes, he unleashes a LIGHTSABER and starts deflecting laser beams left and right! Turns out he's a freakin' JEDI, and one of the fabled survivors of the Jedi cull instigated by Emperor Palpatine. This, of course, is the CLASSIC Origin Story for countless Jedi P.C.s in Star Wars RPGs & FanFics across the planet, and so isn't exactly original, but the idea of Jedi walking around in the Imperial Era, and NOT just sitting around in hiding, is a pretty big deal. I mean, it calls into question a TON of stuff, even if it isn't quite around the setting of the Original Trilogy (it's set about five years before A New Hope, actually).
-Kanan is pretty much a standard PL 8 Jedi, but usually fights as a PL 7 Blaster with his teammates until things REALLY get hairy, and he upgrades a Power Level with the Lightsaber.

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THE INQUISITOR
Role:
The Hunter
Group Affiliations: The Empire
PL 9 (168)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 5 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 8 (Detect The Force- Ranged 3, Detect Life- Ranged 3) [8]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+9) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [3]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [18]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (13)
AE: "Force Push" Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (15.5)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (7)

"Whirling Blade of Death"
Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Requires Special Lightsaber) [8]

"Double-Bladed Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [10]
Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 7) (14 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lightsaber +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Blaster +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +4-6 Area (+4 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 19 & 16)
Mind Trick +3 Area (+3 Affliction, DC 13)
Whirling Blade +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Untrained Jedi)- Kanan's training was not quite complete when Order 66 took his master, and most of the Jedi. He has yet to learn many aspects of Jedi knowledge (such as the meaning of Master Yoda's comment "Do or do not. There is no 'try'.").
Secret (Jedi)- The Jedi are considered wanted enemies of the Empire- Kanan will not swing his Lightsaber around unless he needs to.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 51 / Defenses: 16 (168)

-The Inquisitor is the "Big Bad" of the first season of Star Wars: Rebels, and showcases yet ANOTHER "Never-Before-Seen Force-User" in the Imperial Era. In his case, he's basically a Dark Jedi, using The Force and a red-bladed Lightsaber to hunt down Kanan and his crew once it becomes clear that a Jedi is present. Creepy, bald and weird-looking, he's basically a male version of Assaj Ventress, and sports the very unique ability to making his Lightsaber (dual-bladed, of course) into a spinning Death Wheel, cutting up everything around him. In the end, he goes down with the ship (er, Star Destroyer) rather than accept help from the heroes- a very villainous way to go out. Pride goeth before the fall, as always.
-The Inquisitor is dangerous, and can hold off both Kanan & Ezra simultaneously, but his Whirling Blade attack is only PL 8, as, well, like most Villainous One-Hit Kill Weapons, it NEVER HITS.

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SOOOOOOOOO........ COOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL....

STAR DESTROYERS
Role: Enemy Starship/Bases

Baseline Stats: Awesome Size, Strength 25, Defense 4, Toughness 28 (37)
Movement: Space Travel 2, Flight 12 (28)
Features: Navigation System (1)

Weapons:
"Heavy Cannons" Blast 24 (Feats: Extended Range 4) (Extras: Multiattack) (77)
"Armada of Blasters" Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 4) (Extras: Multiattack) (55) (x 15)

"Tractor Beam" Move Object 16 (Feats: Subtle, Extended Range 4) (37)

"Deflector Shields" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 23) (25)

Total Cost: Stats: 37 / Movement: 28 / Features: 1 / Weapons: 928 (994 Equipment Points)

-The trademark Battleships of the Galactic Empire, Star Destroyers are just about the most awesome sight EVER, and the best sign of just how amazing the Original Trilogy was at designing ships. These things were HUGE, had distinctive diamond-shapes, craptons of weaponry, and all sorts of neat bits hanging off that reflect the whole "this is an actual, physical model created by human hands" design, as opposed to a boring, ultra-smooth CGI effect.
-A fully-manned Star Destroy is essentially an impossible adversary to overcome in something like a Millennium Falcon or an X-Wing- with a fully-loaded staff, it can fire off FIFTEEN different +17 Blasts, and a +24 one as well! SIMULTANEOUSLY! So you're gonna get hit and killed by something, and generally within a couple rounds. And your attacks won't hurt it (Toughness 30, plus Impervious to anything below +12 Damage). The best bet is to hit the less-protected "Observation Deck", which of course is sticking out right on the very top of the thing, and houses ALL of the leadership of the vessel. It's, uh, expensive.

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SUPER STAR DESTROYERS
Role: Enemy Starship/Bases, Overcompensators

Baseline Stats: Awesome Size, Strength 28, Defense 4, Toughness 30 (42)
Movement: Space Travel 2, Flight 12 (28)
Features: Navigation System (1)

Weapons:
"Heavy Cannons" Blast 24 (Feats: Extended Range 4) (Extras: Multiattack) (77) (x 2)
"Armada of Blasters" Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 4) (Extras: Multiattack) (55) (x 22)

"Tractor Beam" Move Object 16 (Feats: Subtle, Extended Range 4) (37)

"Deflector Shields" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 23) (25)

Total Cost: Stats: 42 / Movement: 28 / Features: 1 / Weapons: 1390 (1,461 Equipment Points)

-There are even SUPER Star Destroyers in the canon, including Darth Vader's personal flagship, The Executor. At 19,000 meters long, it is supposedly capable of wiping out an entire planetary surface. Though incredibly-powerful, it was destroyed in the Battle of Endor by a constant barrage from all available Rebel ships (including some powerful Star Cruisers), and soon a massive fire was set, diminishing its Shields, and disabling the entire ship. When a Rebel's A-Wing flew straight into the Command Centre, he set off a chain reaction that sent the ship spiralling into the Death Star, killing all hands. So despite their remarkable toughness (able to stand up to hundreds of Rebel shots), they have weak points.

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EZRA BRIDGER
Role:
The Kid
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 7 (117)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, "Slingshot" Blast 3, Assorted Gear), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Luck, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 6 (Detect The Force- Ranged 2, Detect Life- Ranged 2) [6]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll [1]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 8 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (12) -- [14]
AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (9)
AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Distracting) (4)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +7 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Mind Trick +3 Area (+3 Affliction, DC 13)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Inexperienced)- Ezra is a rookie in both the ways of war, and the rules of the Jedi.
Relationship (Parents)- Ezra's parents were taken away by the Empire years ago.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 19 (117)

-Ezra is the main character of Star Wars: Rebels, and your standard Spunky Kid Hero- an orphan of sorts, his parents vanished years ago thanks to the Empire. He initially annoys the entire crew of The Ghost, but they admire his attitude, and when it turns out the boy has power in The Force, soon they're making him a permanent part of the crew! He retains a LOT of elements typical of this character type- he's snotty to the bad guys and his teammates alike, he's got weird hair, he takes stupid risks, he uses a slingshot like he's freakin' Dennis the Menace or something, and he's incredibly-inexperienced. He's basically a Mini-Jedi in all respects, with a much weaker body, and lesser capabilities compared to even your standard Padawan. He's good enough (PL 7) to challenge The Inquisitor, but he needs some serious luck to win.

WATTO
Role:
Space Jew
Group Affiliations: None
PL 0 (19), PL 3 (19) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+4)
Insight 2 (+4)
Technology 4 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Toydarian Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Mind Control) [2]
Flight 1 (Flaws: Hovering, Winged) [0.5]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Watto is a shop owner known for being a skinflint, and being
Disabled (Mangled Leg)- Watto suffered an injury in a long-ago war, and can't really walk. Since he hovers all the time, this is a minor thing.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 15--7.5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2.5 / Defenses: 3 (19)

-Of all the problems with the Prequels, perhaps the most-bizarre and inexplicable was their use of RACIAL STEREOTYPES amongst the aliens. Like... I can believe that they came up with some character traits for Jar Binks, and innocently added more and more things until they accidentally came up with someone who acts like a black stereotype from the 1940s. Stuff happens, and you can't always see your own creation from an outside point of view. It's entirely possible, though unlikely (he was a student of film history) that Lucas didn't even recognize the "Shufflin' Incompetent Black Guy" character type he'd created. I could buy that the Trade Federation guys had slit pupils, Asian accents, inscrutable natures, and other stuff added separately, making them just seem like Asian stereotypes. I can even buy that they added a ton of ugly traits and personality quirks to Watto until OH CRAP- they just made themselves a huge stereotype. Stuff happens. But ALL THREE? Like, what the HELL, Lucas??
-So here we have Watto- a short, hunched, hook-nosed, greedy, covetous skinflint with a VERY specific Ethnic-sounding accent. In short, they made a Space Jew. And the backlash was prominent enough that actual Anti-Defamation groups criticized the character. It even appears on his Wikipedia page! And the most bizarre things is... I can't believe they managed to make THREE ETHNIC STEREOTYPES in the same film, completely by accident. SOMEbody must have known what was happening. Did Lucas do it on purpose? I find it hard to believe he dislikes Jews, or that anyone involved in a Hollywood production would think it was cool to make fun of them (Hollywood being... you know). But he's HILARIOUSLY-stereotypical. He's practically a living embodiment of the way Europeans used to make fun of Jews back before that was declared to be "not cool, bro". He's almost like Futurama's Dr. Zoidberg (who, importantly, was created BY Jews specifically to mock one type of person common in their folk tales- the "Schnorrer" archetype of the cheapskate mooch).
-In any case, Watto wasn't really a well-rounded character anyways. He's a junk shop owner who owns Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin as slaves, and refuses to simply give them up to the Jedi. As his species is conveniently-immune to the Jedi Mind Trick (not that it's ever worked on a named character, ever), they have to formulate the big Podrace Victory in order to by Anakin's freedom (Watto refuses to give up Shmi as well- "NO race is worth TWO slaves!"). Despite being a cheap slave-owner, Watto isn't depicted as being especially unkind, and even seems fond of his property. He's not much of a character physically or mentally.

THE DEATH STAR- as Headquarters
Role:
Mobile Extinction Level Event, Super-Headquarters

Baseline Stats: Awesome Size, Toughness 45 (28)
Features: Computer, Communications, Defenses, Hangar, Holding Cells, Gym, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personell, Power System, Security System, Workshop (14)

Effect:
Blast 40 (Extras: Penetrating 15)

Total Cost: Stats: 28 / Features: 14 (42 Equipment Points)

THE DEATH STAR- as Vehicle
Role:
Enemy Starship/Bases

Baseline Stats: Awesome Size, Strength 40, Defense 0, Toughness 45 (95)
Movement: Space Travel 1 (2)
Features: Computer, Communications, Hangar, Holding Cells, Gym, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personell, Power System, Security System, Workshop (13)

Weapons:
Blast 40 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (Extras: Penetrating 15) (105)
Blast 13 (Extras: Multiattack) (x 80) (3,120)

Total Cost: Stats: 95 / Movement: 2 / Features: 13 / Weapons: 3,225 (3,335 Equipment Points)

-I think it says something that the MOON-SIZED space station capable of shattering planets is only ONE of the most-iconic pieces of equipment from this franchise. The Death Star is the symbol of the Empire's power- a piece of tech so great that its mere appearance would make whole star systems bow before the Empire. Of course, such a thing would cost a LUDICROUS amount of time, effort and money to produce (twice, no less), AND possesses a huge weakness- it's relatively-easy to just fly into the station and blow up something that'll blow up THE ENTIRE STATION. TWICE the heroes manage to do this. Granted, it wipes out a dozen guys in smaller fliers, but nobody with a real NAME in the story gets killed.
-At Toughness 45, little can really hurt it, and that 40-rank Blast can take out an entire Planet in a single shot (and takes out several Star Cruisers in the Battle of Endor in the third film). Only the vulnerability of the thing's innards allows the heroes to win. Naturally, it doesn't really "work" using standard "Headquarters" or "Vehicle" rules (it's just too large, and there are probably thousands of Gun-Ports on the thing), but it's worth pointing out the sheer durability and power of the structure.

Oh yeah- I was gonna mention this sooner (especially since I'm almost done this set), but I'm going on vacation in Japan during most of October. Figured I'd finally revisit the place where I went during a 2-week High School exchange back in the late '90s, while I'm still young :). I plan on hitting all sorts of cool places, as well as While I don't imagine I'll be busy every single day, I'll probably not be spending much of any time doing builds, so the "original" builds will have to take a back seat between Oct. 9-28.

Instead, I'll probably just e-mail myself a bunch of builds I've yet to revisit from the old ATT, posting them onto my new thread (it offends the anal-retentive part of me to not have all my builds in the same place). And since it's a big gap, I'll probably use the time to get many of my beloved JOBBER VILLAINS back in the new location- there's whole SQUADS of guys I haven't transfered over just yet!

As I won't have enough time between now and when I leave to post one of the big sets I suggested earlier (King of Fighters and stuff), and I'm behind enough that I'm only ONE DAY AHEAD (can you IMAGINE?), I'll spend the intervening time doing a few more re-posts. Having finally read all of Larry Hama's G.I. Joe run about a year ago, I can re-post those, which will allow a bit of new commentary, and let me get a bit ahead. We'll see where I end up after that.

xxxx

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules, Power Girl
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares // Superman, Wonder Woman
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword), Hawkman
+16: Captain America, Black Canary
+17: Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, Batman

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones, Batman, Hawkman
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix, Aquaman
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite, Atom-Smasher, Supergirl II
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts, Mary Marvel
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse, Wonder Woman I
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker // Wonder Woman II, Power Girl
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift, Ultra-Boy
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects) // Superboy I, Mon-El, Captain Marvel
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust // Superman (Modern)
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe), Superman I
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)

Star Wars Order:
5) Death Star, Watto
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:25 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

TMNT Cartoon

Post by Jabroniville »

"They'll will FAIL, Shredder- they ALWAYS fail!"
"But what CHOICE do I have? Only MUTANTS are immune to the Mesmerizer's beam! Humans like myself can't be near it when it goes off!"
"You don't have to explain to to ME- *I* invented it, remember?!"
"I wasn't explaining it to you- I was explaining it to THEM!" *points at the audience*


TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:

This went on FOREVER. I remember getting into it when it was new and totally gnarly, and EVERY KID I KNEW was in love with it. That damn episode with the Dimension X Teeangers and their stupid Grybyx came on like 15,000 times, annoying me endlessly, but I remember it being pretty great. I tired on it over the years (research and common sense have shown that any given thing will only be REALLY huge for about three years before fading away- things like Pokemon are rare exceptions), and by the last few seasons, I didn't know a single person watching. It lasted a FREAKISH amount of time (something like nine seasons, but most of them were short). I haven't really gotten into it for retro-stuff like I did most of the '80s cartoons, and oddly it doesn't seem to get the props the others do in retrospect either. Their DVDs came out with little fanfare, they don't have fansites out the yin-yang, and nobody ever seems to talk about it in comparison to G.I. Joe & Transformers. It's really rather odd, when you consider this franchise was ****ING HUGE in it's prime- easily larger than the either of those shows, truth be told. I never really got into it in recent years, as I've been wavering on spending money on something that could totally fail to hold up- the series was goofy at it's best, and was usually poorly-animated and had the exact same plot told about 9,000 times. Part of me doubts that it's anywhere near as good as the Joes, Autobots, and Disney Afternoon stuff was (it's gotta be better than Thundercats, though- that show is the ULTIMATE "Fails to Hold Up" experience).

One thing I definitely remember is "Crappy Animation Syndrome" popping up all the time. And when a frickin' CHILD notices that your animation blows... it blows. Among the most-frequent issues was the animation depicting one Turtle speaking, and ANOTHER guy's voice speaking! Granted, the characters are identical save the color of their swank cloth bits, but that's just LAZY. Granted, it can't be worse than some of the bad TF & Joe episodes I've seen, nor the worst of Thundercats... but it could suck.

Some of the old episodes are FANTASTIC, however. Among the very best is the early one where they come across an old lady, who screams "AAAAH!! MONSTERS!" and before they can explain themselves, the old lady PULLS A TOMMY GUN OUT OF HER SHOPPING CART, boots it away, and threatens the "Scum!" (who is she, DDP?), and the entire team (plus April) has to rapidly backpedal with their hands in the air. Ah, New York before Giuliani cleaned up the joint...

Another phenomenal one is Corporate Raiders From Dimension X, where Krang's minions form an EVIL BUSINESS. The Turtles can't infiltrate it, and so they bring in their pal CASEY JONES (who, I feel I should point out, is a violent psychopath). Now Casey takes a job in their offices, WITHOUT TAKING OFF HIS MASK, leaving him wearing a corporate '80s suit along with a hockey mask and all of his sports equipment. He gets the job by threatening the recruiter with a baseball bat ("Hm, a RUTHLESS, VIOLENT attitude. I like that!"). Then Casey responds to a warning from his boss by COMMITTING AN ASSAULT. Another boss sees this, and is so impressed that he immediately gives Casey a promotion!

So the show could be goofy, but MAN, when the writers fully-admitted that the show was goofy as hell, it was awesome. Just as absurd and *wink wink* at the audiences as the much-beloved cartoons of today are, really.

The show uses the toys as a basis for most characters (or vice-versa)... but some are a bit off. Most-notably, the Turtles themselves are all the same color (the toys featured a dark green Raph, light green Mikey, olive green Leo, and poop-brown Donatello), and feature big cartoony eyes and grins- the toys have narrow eyes without pupils, and freaky grimaces to show how bad-ass they are. Shredder is portrayed as a shirtless, hunched-over guy in the toys. Krang was stuck in a big walker for four-to-five years until the toyline finally produced an Android Body Krang (which is very expensive).

The To-Do List:

* This list features all of the releases from the toys (including all of the major recurring cartoon characters). I also left four recurring vehicles.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello & Raphael)
April O'Neil (Human Buddy)
Splinter (The Mentor)
Vernon (April's Incompetent Rival)
Irma (April's Man-Hungry Best Pal)
Burne (April's Blowhard Boss)
Zach the Fifth Turtle (Audience Avatar)
The Shredder (The Main Bad Guy)
Krang (Brain in a Stomach)
Bebop & Rocksteady (The Ultimate Stupid Henchmen)
The Foot Soldiers (Mooks)
Ace Duck (Stupid-Looking Good Guy)
Casey Jones (The Greatest Man in the History of the Universe)
Usagi Yojimbo (Borrowed From Stan Sakai)
General Traag (Evil Assistant to Krang)
Leatherhead (Mirage Original Turned into a Gumbo-Chewin' Villain)
The Punk Frogs (Would-Be Mirror Image Villains)
Metalhead (Robot Turtle)
The Rat King (Mind-Controller)
Mousers (Tiny Horde)
Fugitoid (Good Cyborg)
Killer Bee (Giant Riding Bee)
Antrax (Evil Ant)
Needlenose (Giant Riding Mosquito)
Mutagen Man (Bunch of Organs in a Jar)
Panda Khan (Medieval Panda)
Pizzaface (Mutated Pizza Chef)
Slash (Mirror Image Villain)
Ray Fillet/Man-Ray (Manta Ray)
Wingnut & Screwloose (Alien Bat & Mosquito)
Muckman & Joe Eyeball
Walkabout (actually NOT a Kangaroo!)
Triceraton (Militaristic Alien Race)
Scumbug (Pink Bug)
Chrome Dome (Robo-Shredder)
Rex-1 (Robot Cop from the TV Show)
Dirtbag (Mole)
Groundchuck (Bull)
Baxter Stockman (Shredder's Nerdy Assistant-Turned-Fly)
King Lionheart (Forgotten Lion)
Tokka & Rahzar (Movie Transplants With New Personalities)
Wyrm (Freaky Worm-Monster)
Sgt. Bananas (Guerilla Gorilla)
The Neutrinos ('50s-Spouting '80s Stereotype Space Teens)
Tattoo (Heroic Ethnic Stereotype)
Dr. El (Elephant Witch Doctor)
Halfcourt (Giraffe Basketball Player)
Hot Spot (Dalmation Firefighter)
Hothead (Giant Dragon)
Merdude (Merman)
Monty Moose (Canadian Stereotype)
Scratch (Cat Cat Burglar)
Scale Tail (Snake Man)
Sandstorm (Desert Camel)
Shogun Shoate (Some Lizard Thing)

Vehicles: The Turtle Blimp, Cheapskates, The Party Wagon, The Technodrome


TOYS I AIN'T STATTING:
Savage Dragon:
* Playmates got the option to make toys of Erik Larsen's then brand-new Image Comics venture.

Barbaric
Battle Damage Dragon
Savage Dragon
She-Dragon

Next Mutation:
* The awful, AWFUL Live Action TV Show featured a small host of new characters.

Blacktop Boardin' Venus
Camo-Armor Turtleflage Venus
Camo-Caped Turtleflage Dragon Lord
Dragon Lord
Elite Guard
Mega Motorin' Elite Guard with Street Cycle
Rank Warrior
Vam Mi
Venus

TMNT III:
* Also not statting anyone from the third movie.

Kenshin
Princess Mitsu
Walker
Warlord
Rebel Warhorse w/ Rebel Soldier
Turtlepault w/ Whit
Evil Warhorse w/ Castle Guard

Image

LEONARDO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role:[/b] Leads
Other Roles: The Responsible One, The Straight Man, The Normal One
Played By: Cam Clarke
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (142)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Ninja) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Equipment 3 (Katana, Trenchcoat), Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Leadership, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Radical Equipment:
"Twin Swords" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (9)
"Trenchcoat" Morph 1 (Looks Human To Everyone, Despite Being Barefoot and Having a Green Face) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"Cut Stuff From Above- There is Always Stuff From Above" Damage 8 (Feats: Indirect) (Flaws: Limited to Indoors, Requires Sword, Damage Limited to Size of Items) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Leads the Team)- The safety of the team is Leo's responsibility.
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Responsibility (Human Life)- Leonardo will never, and HAS never, used his swords against a living being. It's always inanimate objects, like flying playground equipment or robots.
Addiction (Pizza)
Phobia (Snakes)- He has to deal with it in one episode.
Relationship (Lotus Blossom)- Yes, really, he had a thing for a human chick. A sexy Lady Ninja human chick, too.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 14 (142)

-Cartoon Leo is the least-serious and grim of the various Ninja Turtles versions- as it's a fairly light-hearted series, he isn't always "AGH THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP ONLY FALLS ON MY SHOULDERS" and his relationship with Raphael is nowhere near as adversarial as it was in the other continuities- all four Turtles more or less get along, aside from using constant sarcastic jibes. They've managed a few where he acted more serious- in one, a series of nightmares leads to him taking a temporary leave from the team, and the other three take turns as leader, proving ineffectual at it. Also, he had a bit of a thing with Lotus Blossom, a Kunoichi (female ninja) for hire who'd replaced Shredder- the two were admiring adversaries, and the sexual tension was prominent enough that seven-year-old me noticed it.
-Leo was voiced by Cam Clarke, who was also notably the voice for Kaneda in Akira's original English dub. This makes viewing of that legendary, grim, violent anime HILARIOUS, because you keep hearing friggin' LEONARDO's unaltered voice coming out of this intense teenager's voice as he's dealing with potential armageddon.
-The Cartoon Turtles aren't as violent as other versions, to the point where, legendarily, they almost NEVER USE THEIR WEAPONS. As Leo is packing a pair of lethally-dangerous katana (note: they are not a paired weapon. Most samurai either just used one, or paired one with a smaller Wakizashi- Katana are much too large to effectively use paired), this means that he often looks the most ineffectual member of the team. However, he could accurately be described as the best fighter at times, and was certainly no slouch in solo combat.
-I still went with PL 8 for the Cartoon Turtles. They at times appear to be amazing fighters, yet are VERY vulnerable- any new guy gets New Villain Stink, and some regular guys with laser guns are enough to hold them off on a major level.

Other Leonardo Toys: Giant Turtles, Sewer Samurai, Sword Slicin', Classic Rocker, w/ Storage Shell, Lieutenant, Make My Day, Movie Star, Slap Shot, T.D. Tossin', Talkin', 5th Anniversary Collector's Turtle, Cave Turtle Leo & His Dingy Dino), Chief Leo (yes, a Leo with a Native American Headdress), Classic Party Reptile, Head Droppin', Lifeguard, Kooky Kavalry, Kowabunga Kickboxin', Movie III Samurai, Mutatin', Toon, Turtle Troll, Track 'n' Field Leo, Giant Movie III Samurai, Giant Movie Star, Giant Mutatin', Giant Turtle Troll, Leo as the Wolfman, Night Ninja, Somersault Samurai, Road Ready, Breakin' Loose, Captain Leonardo (Star Trek), Consturction Mutation, Cyber Samurai, Deap Sea Diver, Creature From the Black Lagoon, Cruisin' Leo w/ Classic Sewer Cycle, Pizza Tossin', Lunar Leonardo, Savage Leo, Shogun Leo, Undercover, Supermutant, City Wars Playset (Modular Battleset with Mini-Mutant Toon Turtle Leonardo Figure!), Surfin' Leo with Mondo Mutant Surfer Tube, Next Mutation, Leonardo Wind Warrior, Jim Lee Sculpt, Next Mutation, Camo-Armor Turtleflage (NM), Camo-Bandana Turtleflage (NM), Turtleflage Leo's Camo Blitz Cycle (NM), Communications Specialist Leonardo, Metal Mutant Leonardo with Dragon Spirit Armor, Shooter Leonardo, Warrior Winged Leonardo, Andro-Skeleton Leonardo, Stretch Leonardo, Ankyl Leo, Lickety Split Leonardo, Street Surfin' Leo (NM)

Image

MOUSERS
Role:
Robot Army
Played By: None
Group Affiliations: Baxter Stockman's Army of Robots
PL 4 (43)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE --

Bodacious Skills:
Perception 4 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Stealth 0 (+8 Size)

Gnarly Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Improved Initiative

Radical Powers:
"Robots"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 2 [2]
"Bite" Damage 4 [4]
"Clawed Toes" Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]

"Tiny Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) -- (1 foot) [17]
(-2 Strength, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation, -1 Speed)

Tubular Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Bite +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Rigteous Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will --

Bummer Complications:
Disabled (No Hands)- Mousers are mute and have no hands.

Total: Abilities: -20 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 2 (43)

-Mousers actually debuted in the Mirage comics, and have appeared in pretty much all continuities, as they're a rather iconic bit of stuff: an unending army of Robot Mooks that do nothing but eat whatever's in their path. They were invented by Baxter Stockman to rid the city of rats- this brings them into conflict with Splinter. Despite being Mook Hordes, the Mousers can bite through enough concrete and steel to collapse a building, but the Turtles were able to take control of them and tear down Baxter's mansion. Their toy was rather prominent, as it came out quite early- nonetheless, it is WAY out of scale with the TV show appearance, where they were about the size of a turkey. The toy is more or less scaled like a Bullmastiff.
-Mousers are pretty typical Robo-Mooks- they do a good bit of damage, but are pretty easy to kill, even in hordes.

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the sewers is another land down under – a place called Australia. It’s outback country, mostly. And there’s not much to do there besides hunting crocodiles and talkin’ a gutful to ratbags and deadheads. That’s why Walkabout took for the States like a possum up a gum tree. He heard all about the Turtles havin’ to do the lolly to make sure the city stays fair dinkum from the Foot Clan. To make himself feel at home, Walkabout became a swagman and lived down under – in the sewers, that is. That’s how he made mates of the Turtle Teens. Together, they chuck a willy against Shredder and his motley hoons. And when the boomerang’s hung up for the day, the greenies and Walkabout kick back and enjoy "pizza on the barbie."

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WALKABOUT
Role:
Mutant Dingo, Crocodile Hunter, Aussie Stereotype
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (122)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 8 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Great Brown Hunter) 10 (+11)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Boomerang) 2 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Elephant Gun, Boomerang), Improved Critical (Boomerang), Favored Enemy (Crocodilians), Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Sidekick 12 (Kid Kangie)

Radical Equipment:
"Eliminating Elephant Gun" Blast 8 (Inaccurate -1) (15)
"Bring 'em Back Boomerang" Blast 4 (Feats: Ricochet 2, Homing) (11)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Dingo"
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Aussie Stereotype" Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- The Outback) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Boomerang +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Elephant Gun +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Disabled (One Eye)
Prejudice (Monster)

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 14 (122)

-Just when you think they'd avoided the obvious stereotype by having the guy named "Walkabout" by a kangaroo, it turns out he's also a CROCODILE HUNTER. And this is in like 1991, remember. So Walkabout is a pal of the Turtles, and intends to "chuck a willy" against the Shredder (I hear that was illegal in Australia until the eighties!). As he's Toy-Only, there's not much to him, so I made him a full hunter archetype (he's got an Elephant Gun, after all).

KID KANGIE
Role:
Monochromatic Sidekick
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 4 (58)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 8 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)

Gnarly Advantages:
Close Attack 3, Equipment 1 (Staff)

Radical Equipment:
"Bo Staff" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Kangaroo"
"Aussie Stereotype" Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- The Outback) [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) -- (3 feet) [9]
(-1 Strength, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +5 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Staff +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (Walkabout)- Presumably they're friends. He's not mentioned in Walkabout's bio, however.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 4 (58)

-A handful of TMNT toys came with "Sidekicks". These characters were identical in color to the accessories, as they were all poured at the same time. This means that they're rather monochromatic compared to other characters. Kid Kangie here is a tiny Kangaroo wielding a bo staff.

The streets won't be safe with this radical street legal skateboard! Be the envy of all your mutant friends! Let your Turtles skate through the sewers in style on this pizza-powered machine. But wait there's more: comes with muck blower, kick-action Turtle foot, sewer cover sheild, Stench-cutting sewer searchlight and National Turtle Quiz book. We'd give you the kitchen sink but it won't fit in the box.

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CHEAPSKATE (16 ep):
Role:
Cheaper Kids Vehicle, Sewer Transport
Stats: (Medium Size, Strength 2, Speed 6, Defense 10, Toughness 8) (11)
Extras: "Boot" Damage 4, Searchlight (5)
-- (16 points)

-I remember the Cheapskate getting a lot of play in one episode, as Donatello goes into detail about how he build them out of garbage and other "cheap" materials, hence the name. They're basically Motorized Giant Skateboards, but have a pedal up front to boot guys in the ass. One specific memory I have is my friend Paul using the "boot" on his hamster as it wandered around the basement (don't worry- it doesn't have much velocity :)). Statistically, it's just a Motorcycle with better Strength and a "Boot" up front.

ImageImage

FOOT SOLDIERS
Role:
Iconic Mooks
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 3 (33)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE --

Bodacious Skills:
Perception 2 (+1)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Laser Guns- Blast 4), Fast Grab

Tubular Powers:
"Robots"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 2 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 18)
Laser Gun +2 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will --

Bummer Complications:
Disabled (Mute)

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 2 (33)

-Among the more recognizable and iconic "Mooks" in 1980s cartoons were the numerous hordes of Foot Clan Soldiers used by Krang and Shredder as minions. See, since this was a KIDS SHOW, and obviously you couldn't show Leonardo just hacking guys apart with his swords, the reasonable decision was made to have Shredder's Ninja Army be entirely robotic. So now the Turtles could tear them apart with reckless abandon, and the kids & parents at home wouldn't be mortified (this wasn't the FIRST show to do this- both G.I. Joe's B.A.T.s and She-Ra's Horde Robots predate the Foot Robots). And for some reason, we basically never see the actual human members of the Foot Clan after the first episode's Origin Story finishes. There's some Great Master shown, his aides, plus a dojo full of students... and they pretty much all vanish without a trace, as Shredder is now the "Foot Leader" with tons of robots as minions instead of actual ninja.
-Naturally, their name is a parody of The Hand, who at the time of the TMNT's creation, were omnipresent Mooks in the Daredevil series over at Marvel. As Daredevil was a huge inspiration to TMNT (one of the Turtles is a sai-wielding fighter wearing a red bandana, after all), this was only natural as part of the gag.
-The Foot initially appear as the Shredder's key minions (shockingly, Leo cuts one up WITHOUT KNOWING IT'S A ROBOT at first), but soon two gang members are turned into Rocksteady & Bebop, and the Foot Soldiers become used less and less- usually as standard-issue backgrounders who never do anything. Like most good Mooks, they go down in a single hit, and are easily-bested by anyone with even rudimentary ability to defend themself. As pathetic mooks, they have worse accuracy than Imperial Stormtroopers, despite having advanced Laser Weapons. They are only seen with other weapons rarely- the video games make GREAT use of these guys as Final Fight-style losers, using multiple colors to showcase Foot Soldiers with different kinds of weapons (grenades, throwing stars, blades on chains, etc.).

Other Foot Soldier Toys: Movie Star Foot Soldier, Mutatin' Foot Soldier, Robotic Foot Soldier

[URL=http://s67.photobucket.com/user/Jabroni ... s.jpg.html]ImageImage[/URL]Image "Dude, you PROMISED this wouldn't be more Slash Fiction! I'm never reading your FanFic again!"

ROCKSTEADY & BEBOP:
-Among the most iconic "Idiotic Henchmen" in TV history, Rocksteady & Bebop started life as a pair of goons in a vicious street gang that were sent to assault reporter April O'Neil, who was investigating the Foot Clan's activities. A stocky blonde guy with short hair, and a skinny black punker (I hate punkers) with a purple mohawk, they were the only named members of a gang that included a shrimpy guy in grey (complete with a sharp hat), a purple New Wave haircut-sporting guy in a black trenchcoat, a lumpy & bald dwarf, and a shirtless muscular guy in S&M gear with a blonde mohawk. And believe it or not, as a kid I was OBSESSED with these other guys. I mean... they were part of the gang that included two recurring villains? Why did we never see them again? What was their story? They had distinctive enough designs (compare them to the goons constantly seen in Gargoyles and you'll see a lot more work went into these ones) that I figured they HAD to be something.

But instead, Shredder makes a plan to turn some henchmen into Mutants, throws two of the gang into a room with some animals, and the rest bug off and disappear from the show- they're only seen in a bunch of mini-cameos, apparently having been turned into mutants also. Later, when Rocksteady & Bebop meet their old gang, it's an entirely DIFFERENT group of people, and they're all human.

Rocksteady & Bebop debut with a good bit of fanfare, but are IMMEDIATELY defeated when the old "let them run into each other" trick works right out of the gate. An annoyed Shredder sends them after the Turtles again, and THIS time they are much more impressive. Though thick-headed, they are incredibly-strong, and show off a remarkable amount of prowess which includes Bebop THROWING A CAR at the group, both guys sneaking up behind them (on the NINJAS, mind you) and grabbing one guy in each hand, and more. Only careful tactics allow the heroes to win.

This push doesn't last, obviously. The two are SO STUPID that a never-ending assortment of calamities befoul both them, and anyone who's a part of their group. Their much-vaunted power avails them little eventually, as they can never score a decent hit again, and they're usually thrown about into things, or end up defeating themselves. They intially claimed to want to return to human form, but this was eventually dropped. Along with Shredder & Krang, they are exiled into Dimension X in the penultimate season of the TV show, but fail to return when their bosses come back for the tenth (!!) season. The movie Turtles Forever uses them PERFECTLY- they're idiots who are easy for any bad guy to defeat, but at the end of the episode, their bumbling actually SAVES THE UNIVERSE, as the Evil 2003 Series Shredder is killed once and for all when they plug a machine (that their buffoonishness had naturally unplugged in the first place) at the exact right moment.

The pair were created by David Wise, who was basically ordered by those from on high to "Make More Mutants", as these would obviously be the top-selling kinds of toys. They appeared in the Archie Comics series as well, but shifted in character, as their animal sides soon won out, and they exiled themselves to another planet, where they became nudists who fully embraced nature. Eastman & Laird HATED them, and insisted that the second TMNT movie not include them- they were replaced with ANOTHER pair of buffoonish animal powerhouses instead.

Rocksteady's tough rhino body makes him a turtle-bashing powerhouse. His lack of smarts makes him dangerous. This mutant mammal is big trouble with his Retro-Mutagen Gun: one shot can level a whole building or a shelled turtle. Off-duty, Rocksteady loves to fry up a mess of juicy turtle burgers for the whole hungry Foot Clan.

Rocksteady's fieldglasses survey the area for anything that looks like a Turtle. (He's mistakingly blasted six soccer balls). This G.I. rockhead blatantly displays his victory kills with the turtle scalps he wears around his belt.


ROCKSTEADY
Role:
Mutant Rhino, Stupid Henchman
Played By: Cam Clarke
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 8 (63)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Deception 2 (+0)
Expertise (Gang Member) 4 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+1)

Gnarly Advantages:
Fast Grab, Equipment 4 (Grenade- Blast 6- Burst Area, Rifle- Blast 7- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Rhinoceros"
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Acute Scent) [1]
"Rhino's Horn" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Thick Hide" Protection 1 [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Horn +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Grenade +6 Area (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Rifle +4 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Bummer Complications:
Reputation (Bumbling Fool)
Prejudice (Monster)
Enemy (The Toitles)
Responsibility (The Shredder)- Bebop & Rocksteady are nonetheless extremely loyal to their abusive master, and constantly look to him for gratitude and favor. They never come.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 12 (63)

-Rocksteady is a Black Rhino with sharp teeth and little hair- his blonde locks having been removed upon his transformation to a super-powered mutant. A lot of his early gear (camouflage pants, an army helmet) disappeared, as did a huge automatic rifle. Bebop & Rocksteady are HILARIOUSLY cheap in terms of points, as not only are Powerhouses among the cheaper types of characters to build, but they're ALSO completely unskilled morons. PL 7.5 is all they get- they're strong and tough, but not so much that they can't be easily-beaten by the Turtles at times. The Turtles rarely get into actual brawls with them- they simply get them to run into something and hurt themselves. Naturally, he has a grenade... that never gets used.

Other Rocksteady Toys: Machine Gunnin' Rocksteady, Dimwit Doughboy Rocksteady, Giant Rocksteady, Mutatin', Power Punchin' Rocksteady, Night Ninja Rocksteady, Rhinoman, Robotic, Gatekeeper Rocksteady, Kung Fu Rocksteady, Supermutant Rocksteady, Warrior Rocksteady

Bebop is the mutant punk rock hog who could slam dance his way through any crowd. This roadhog warrior dares to shave his head in blatant opposition to the establishment and his parents. Behind his mohawk ponytail, cool shades and all-star tennis shoes lurks the heart of a pig, ready to pulverize the Turtles. Guided by the evil Shredder, Bebop is willing to roll in the mud to snort out the Turtles. His two turtle shoulder pads cover a grotesque array of safety pins, tattoos and junk food.

Always at his side, the Shell Drill serves as a constant reminder that the party's not over... until every Turtle lies on its back.


BEBOP
Role:
Mutant Warthog, Stupid Henchman
Played By: Barry Gordon
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 8 (64)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Deception 2 (+0)
Expertise (Gang Member) 4 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+1)

Gnarly Advantages:
Fast Grab, Equipment 4 (Rifle- Blast 7- Multiattack, Clubs +1), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Rhinoceros"
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Acute Scent) [1]
"Thick Hide" Protection 1 [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Clubs +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Rifle +4 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Bummer Complications:
Reputation (Bumbling Fool)
Prejudice (Monster)
Enemy (The Toitles)
Responsibility (The Shredder)- Bebop & Rocksteady are nonetheless extremely loyal to their abusive master, and constantly look to him for gratitude and favor. They never come.
Relationship (Slash- Pet Turtle)- Bebop seemed quite fond of his little pet, but was disappointed when it turned into an evil mutant.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 12 (64)

-As a kid, I thought Bebop was WAY cooler than Rocksteady. I thought his design was better all-around, from his purple mohawk/ponytail thing (which was usually miscolored in the TV show so that only the top was purple), his ugly warthog features, his clothes and his sunglasses. Rocksteady just looked a lot more "plain", by comparison. Nonetheless, he is basically identical to his partner in every way, save being a bit stronger (he throws a CAR at the Turtles in one of his first appearances, and a later episode features him flipping them over with ease. Even later, you see him stop a MOVING OIL TRUCK just by grabbing the rear bumper), and wielding clubs more often.

Other Bebop Toys: Head Spinnin' Bebop, Giant Bebop, Ninja Knockin' Bebop, Mutatin', Private Porknose Bebop, Mighty Bebop, Night Ninja Bebop, Robotic, Cave Beast Bebop and his Bodacious Brontosaurus, Cyber Samurai Bebop, The Crushin' Slam Bam Combo (Mini-Mutant Technodrome with Samurai Cycle and Mini-Mutant Bebop Figure!), Warrior Bebop, Supermutant Bebop

Put your ear to the ground and listen for Dirtbag, the militant mutant mole man. He’s a crazy coal miner and a mad mole all rolled into one. Dirtbag tunnels through sewers like a chisel through cheese. This mutant mole’s main mission is to seek out and destroy his arch enemy Splinter. And sewer searchin’ can’t be easier with Dirtbag’s gear: a rancid rat pack and chisel knife. The sewers are sure to crumble under the weight of Dirtbag’s jack hammer gun – the deadliest pneumatic tool in the world! And Splinter better stop snoozin’ in his meditation chamber, ’cause Dirtbag’s got a mind-numbing 4-pointed pick. Nothing can stop this tunneling terror – not walls, not boulders – maybe not even the Turtles! So listen hard and listen long, for the next sound you hear could be Splinter splintering!

DIRTBAG
Role:
Mutant Dingo, Crocodile Hunter, Aussie Stereotype
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (88)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 6 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Jack Hammer, Chisel Knife), Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Chisel Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)
"4-Pointed Pick" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 4) (6)
"Helmet Flashlight" (1)
"Jack Hammer Gun" Strength-Damage +4 (Extras: Multiattack 7) (Inaccurate -1) (10)
AE: Burrowing 6 (6)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Mole"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Underground) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Knife +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Pick +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Jack Hammer Gun +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Monster)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 13 (88)

-Dirtbag came out four years into the toyline, and looks pretty "Basic", all things considered. He appears alongside the bull Groundchuck in a pair of episodes called The Planet of the Turtleoids (they were supposed to be a gorilla & lion, but those animals escaped thanks to the alien Turtleoids, and a mole & bull were put in their place by Bebop & Rocksteady). Shredder decided they would be his henchmen, but they rebelled against his authority, and were soon captured and sent to "Shell-Ri-La" (naturally, the name for the Turtleoids's planet), where they teamed up with an evil dragon (god this show) and were eventually trapped on the planet. Later, they appeared allying with an evil Space Pirate.
-Dirtbag is a pretty standard PL 8 foe with some pretty solid gear (his Jack Hammer would do a TON of damage in close combat).

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Sent to eliminate the bug problem in the Technodrome, a mild-mannered exterminator got accidentally oozed and mutated into the scampering, sickening Scumbug. Unable to face other customers, Scumbag saddled up with Shredder as his ace assassin. Armed with his poisonous pinchers and a tank full of Anti-Turtle Spray, this rude roach chews his way through almost anything. His power claw and bullet-proof shell make him a tough Turtlebustin’ bug. And when the going gets rough, this roach gets other bugs to rally ’round him. Using his super-sensitive antennae as a telepathic link to insidious insects, Scumbug’s the Pied Piper of the creepy and the crawly. You’ll know when you’re near his army – just listen for the crunch.

SCUMBUG
Role:
Mutant Bug
Played By: Pat Fraley
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (117)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 5 (+9)
Expertise (Exterminator) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Gun, Spray Hose), Ranged Attack 7, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Turtle Exterminating Gun" Blast 5 (10)
"Bug Pack w/ Hose Assembly" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reach 4) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Cloud, Cumulative) (28)
"Acid Spray" Blast 5 Linked to Weaken Toughness 5 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (Diminished Range -1) (24)
"Net" Snare 6 (18)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Insect"
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]

"Insect Control"
Summon Bug Swarm 2 [4]
Communication (Mental) 2 (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Bugs) [8]
Mind Control 4 (Flaws: Limited to Bugs) [12]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Bug Pack +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Acid Spray +10 (+5 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 20 & 15)
Net +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Gun +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Monster)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 28 / Defenses: 12 (117)

-Scumbug was one of the more-boring "early toy" releases, in my opinion- just a purple insectoid guy in regular (albeit torn) clothes. He showed up briefly in the Archie series and the cartoon, where oddly he was treated as an "old foe" of the group, despite never having appeared before. This was The Night of the Rogues, where Shredder gathered all of the Turtles' old enemies to fight them- the ending is considered a bit of a disappointment, as the "obvious" solution of gathering all of the Turtles' old FRIENDS wasn't used, and instead they just grabbed Casey Jones & Zach the Fifth Turtle. In the episode, he used a couple of gadgets (an Acid Spray and a Glowing Net), and spoke with a pronounced lisp (I swear it was some cruel bastard who decided that the term for lisps had to include an "S" sound, so that lispers would actually lisp when saying it).
-Scumbug is a former exterminator who got exposed to Mutagen, and thus of course became an assassin of Shredder's. His Poisonous Spray-Hose thing makes him a bit of a different kind of threat.

ImageImage

Heckled for being humongous, this heavy hero took his fat into his own hands and joined a secret sumo society to defend his honor. There he was branded Tattoo. Henceforth, he decided to engulf his entire body with tattoos to live up to his name. Now that he’s done up his dermis, Tattoo takes his tonnage to the Turtle Teens to help them fight the Foot. Armed with only his massive muscles and skin illustrations, Tattoo beats the baddies with his bare hands. To further fool the Foot, Tattoo’s tattoos even come to life. And when he’s not using his scary skin, this inked individual flexes his forearms and funnels his fat to flatten the Foot. What’s more – the green guys really like him, ’cause his tattoos remind them of pizza topping!

TATTOO
Role:
Giant Ethnic Stereotype
Played By: Rob Paulsen
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (104)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 3 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Expertise (Streetwise) 3 (+3)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 1 (Staff), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Trip, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Radical Equipment:
"Sumo Snake Burnisher Staff" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) (1)

Tubular Powers:
"Living Tattoos" Summon Animals 3 (Extras: 4 Minions +4, Horde, Variable- Animals) [24]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Staff +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Big Fat Ethnic Stereotype)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 11 (104)

-Tatoo is a great case of the kind of character you'd NEVER see after the 1980s were over- not only is he a weird combination of Japanese ethnic stereotypes (the sumo wrestler combined with the tattoos of the Yakuza gangs), but he's also so yellow that he's actually JAUNDICED.
-He's different in the two continuities- in the Archie book & toys, he was a bullied kid who decided to use his fat for good, joining a "secret sumo society" to defend his honor- he gets the TMNT to rescue his pet chihuahua from the Yakuza, who wanted him to throw his next fight. In the cartoon, he was a HAMSTER mutated into a human being by the Shredder- the Turtles encountered him vandalizing a pet shop, and elecrocuted him to get him back to rodent form.
-This stat-block fits the comic book/toy version more- the TV show's version is more of a one-off. He's one of the stronger human-type characters you're likely to see in the series.

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DONATELLO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role:[/b] Does Machines
Other Roles: The Smart Guy
Played By: Barry Gordon
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (148)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 9 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Close Combat (Bo) 2 (+12)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Ninja) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+17)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 9 (+18)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Staff, Trenchcoat), Improved Critical (Bo), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Inventor, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Radical Equipment:
"Bo Staff" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Reach) (3)
"Trenchcoat" Morph 1 (Looks Human To Everyone, Despite Being Barefoot and Having a Green Face) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"Kicks Things To Make Them Work" Healing 8 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Limited to Machines) [4]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Bo +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Addiction (Pizza)
Accident (Explosions)- Donnie may be brilliant, but his Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions also have a tendency to blow up in his face.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 12 (148)

-Donnie, like I've said before, was my favorite Turtle- he wears purple and has the coolest weapon! PLUS he's the best guy to play in the video games! With his nasal voice and flair for the scientific, he probably stood out the most of the four- after all, since they were ALL party-animal Deadpan Snarkers, the SMART GUY was the only one with major character traits outside of the norm! Donnie was also an amateur detective of sorts, getting some mileage out of putting on his Humphrey Bogart-ish trenchcoat and acting like a gumshoe (the show is where I learned that term, actually). Donnie's bad-ass "Detective" toy was also one of my favorites as a kid, though later in the line they would come out with CLOTH trenchcoat figures (as usual, because they came out late, and are easily-lost or damaged, these figures are worth a FORTUNE today).
-Donatello is probably the most USEFUL Turtle in the show- without his random-ass inventions like the Turtle Van, Turtle Blimp (given a MAJOR "Buy Me!" push in the fight against Krang's Android Body) and even INTERDIMENSIONAL PORTAL GENERATORS, the team would have died an early and painful death. Scientifically, the guy is a straight-up GENIUS, with powers bordering on the superhuman (in Turtles Forever, the genius 2000s-Donnie is frequently shocked that ANY of '80s-Donnie's stuff actually works. Sometimes he just KICKS THINGS into working!).
-He's slightly less-skilled than his comrades, with a few less Advantages, but makes up for it with his genius. And honestly... Donnie isn't even that much worse of a fighter in the '80s cartoon- they're all treated pretty equally. He seems a full PL lower in the 2000s toon, but here I kind of just have to make him less-skilled so that he doesn't overwhelm everyone else's abilities. In situations where Leo is away or incapacitated, Donnie even takes over as team leader!

Other Donatello Toys: Sewer Swimmin', w/ Storage Shell, Undercover Turtle, Giant Turtle, Hose 'Em Down, Movie Star, Talkin', Punkin', Pro Pilot, Slam Dunkin', Crazy Cowboy, Delta Team, Head Droppin', Movie III Samurai, Powerliftin', Toon, Spike 'n' Volley, Turtle Troll, Mutatin', Cartwheelin' Karate, Don as Dracula, Cave Turtle Don & his Trippy Tyrannosaurus, Giant Movie III Samurai Don, Giant Movie Star, Giant Mutatin', Giant Turtle Troll, Night Ninja, Super Don, Airforce Mutation, Arctic, Construction Mutation, Cyber Samurai, Farmer Don w/ Modern Mutant Tractor, First Officer (Star Trek), Dwarf Don, Eggsplodin', Pizza Tossin', Undercover, Supermutant, Shogun, The Mutant Military Combo (Mini-Mutant Military Turtle Copter and Turtle Cycle with Mini-Mutant Pro Pilot Donatello Figure!), Sewer Wars Playset (Modular Battleset with Mini-Mutant Toon Turtle Donatello Figure!), Kung Fu, Touchdown, Jim Lee Sculpt, Next Mutation, Camo-Armor Turtleflage (NM), Camo-Bandana Turtleflage (NM), Turtleflage Don's Camo Hydro Skimmer (NM), Demolition Specialist Donatello, Firefightin' Frenzy Combo (Mini-Mutant Fire Command Helicopter with Fire Response Cycle and Mini-Mutant Donatello Figure!), Mighty Muscle Combo (Mini-Mutant Classic Convertible, American Convertible and Mini-Mutant Original Movie Donatello!), Shooter Donatello, Warrior Winged Donatello, Stretch Donatello, Coil Cool Donatello, Dynatronic Donatello, Donatello Water Warrior, Pterano Don, Metal Mutant Donatello with Lion Spirit Armor, Shoot the Curl Don (Next Mutation)

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You smell something fishy? That's because you just picked up Ray Fillet, the coolest sea creature to ever leap from the deep. Spawned from a marine biologist and a manta ray, Ray Fillet emerged from a toxic sewer pipe only to discover himself super-strong and super-slimy.

He's a Foot-fightin' fish who helps the Turtles when they're in deep trouble - underwater, that is. Ray rescues best when he's submerged, 'cause his color changing transforms him from water wimp to a fist-fighting fish. Aquatically assisted by Fish Stix, Ray Fillet filters out crime from the coral reef. Using his mean-faced Scarfish weapon and Ray Gill Gun, the Foot don't stand a chance when they're up to their knees in water.


MAN-RAY (aka Ray Fillet)
Role:
Aquatic Ally
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (127)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Expertise (Marine Biologist) 6 (+9)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Speargun & Scarfish), Fast Grab, Favored Environment (Aquatic), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Radical Equipment:
"Scarfish" Blast 3 (Diminished Range -1) (5)
"Ray Gill Gun" Blast 5 (10)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Extended 2 & Acute Scent, Tracking-Scent, Low-Light & Extended Vision) [6]
"Lateral Lines" Senses 1 (Ranged Touch) [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

"Sea Creature"
Swimming 3 (8 mph) [3]
Immunity 1 (Drowning) [1]

Communication (Mental) 3 (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Animals, Limited to Sea Life) [9]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Speargun +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Monster)
Responsibility (The Environment)
Weakness (Land)- Man Ray requires being submerged periodically in order to survive- long periods of time on land can leave him dehydrated.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 13 (127)

-Among the more-prominent "Turtle Ally" characters is Man-Ray, often called "Ray Fillet" due to copywrite issues with the ARTIST known as "Man Ray". He was created for the Archie Series, and was a nerdy marine biologist who annoyed the Turtles by badgering them with Undersea Facts, but was soon nearly-drowned and mutated thanks some illegal Mutagen dumping near the aquarium where he worked. Turning into a huge, super-strong Manta Ray, the hero assaulted Shredder and nearly killed him (he pulled the underwater breathing apparatus from his face while they were in the ocean). Later, he joined the Mighty Mutanimals, a TMNT spin-off in which he was kind of the kindly, level-headed guy on a team with a Bruiser (Leatherhead), Bad-Ass (Dreadmon), Determined Leader (Jagwar), Fun Guy (Mondo Gecko) and Exciteable Youth (Wingnut).
-The creators of the character, Ryan Brown & Stephen Murphy, objected to his use as a villain in a cartoon episode, and so the character got shifted into this generic green loser named "Ray". Of course, there was a worse fate in store for the comic book character... the unfortunate character got murdered along with the REST of the Mutanimals, all via flashback! The Turtles were left trying to avenge them.
-This build reflects the PL 8 Grappler character of the comic book- the toy version really exists only on his bio card. I left in the weapons to give him some more versatility (drop them for a more "Comic Accurate" version), but left out Fish Stix, who... I can't even tell what he is. Presumably some kind of fish, but what KIND?

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Channel 6 is on the air - and Irma's on the hunt for news. She may be April's best friend, but she's out to scoop her if she can. Nothing can stop Irma from her job, not even the fact that she's not very smart. But this drawn up ding-a-ling does know the tools of her Toon trade, just look at these babies: One lap top computer, capable of locating the hottest news in the city. A press pass, one flash and she's in. Two curler grenades, these are perfect for when the press pass doesn't work. And if Irma gets too close to a story or a story gets too close to Irma she whips out her all purpose hairspray gun and lets 'em have it. All this fits into her punk-poundin' purse, plus nine candy bars, four scoops of triple dip ice cream, three romance novels and cab fare. So beware newsmakers of the world, Irma's on the job and on the streets!

IRMA LANGINSTEIN
Role:
Designated Ugly Friend, Man-Hungry Loser, Exposition Repository
Played By: Jennifer Darling
Group Affiliations: Channel 6
PL 1 (11), PL 2 (11) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Secretary) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)

Gnarly Advantages:
None

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (April O'Neil)- The two appear to be best friends.
Addiction (Men)- Irma is relentlessly man-hungry, mooning over any available man she sees, and even lowering herself to mutants. Her immediate response to hearing about any male is "find out if he's single!"
Accident (Clumsy)- Irma tends to stand on people's feet.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (11)

-Irma is April's man-hungry loser of a best friend in the show- intially, she's largely used as somebody for April to talk to ABOUT the Turtles, and the only other "good guy" among the Channel 6 staff (which consists of about four people). A CLASSIC "Loser" character, she dresses sloppily and looks a bit unkempt (and more than a bit like Jeanette of The Chipettes- not really a coincidence, given the same animation studio worked on both this show and the '80s Alvin & The Chipmunks series), and is always asking about the availability of male characters. She even has an "Unattractive Name", a classically ancient-sounding "Irma", along with a vaguely Jewish-sounding last name that seems like more of a collection of syllables attached to a "Stein"- you probably couldn't get away with that today (though I doubt the show's head writer David Wise is Anti-Semitic). Nowadays, the character would almost certainly be a Sexy Nerd. Though she's not really drawn with an ugly face or bad body in the show, there's not a lot to really drool over.
-Irma is initially there to hang out with April, though she meets the TMNT fairly quickly, and gets along with them to an extent, though at times she's a huge hindrance, as she's accident-prone and pretty dumb in addition to being desperate and weird. She's unlikely to win a fight except by accident, but her official toy (which came fairly late in the run- I'd never even HEARD of such a thing until my adulthood) has "Curler Grenades".

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[im]April's a determined TV news journalist, always prepared for the late breaking news feature with her camcorder strapped 'round her arm. Her eagerness, however, gets her into trouble and makes her a big pain in the shell for the Turtles, who always end up saving the damsel in distress.

Still, April's no air head and is a valuable member of the Turtle Team. Being a pretty human has its advantages, like getting into places the Turtles can't. When the situation calls for more than a news flash, April's ready with a trusty gun, which is secretly locked in her camcorder.[/i]

APRIL O'NEIL
Role:
The Human Buddy, Kidnap Victim
Played By: Renae Jacobs
Group Affiliations: Channel 6
PL 2 (35), PL 4 (35) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (News Reporter) 6 (+8)
Insight 1 (+3)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 1 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment (Camcorder)

Radical Equipment:
"Camcorder" (1)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Motivation ("This is the Story of the CENTURY!")- April is always seeking out the latest "Hot Scoop", and this puts her in endless amounts of trouble.
Responsibility (Frequent Kidnap Victim)- April is pretty commonly
Rivalry (Vernon & Burne)- Vernon is a power-hungry wimp out for April's position, and Burne is her loudmouthed, angry boss.
Relationship (The Ninja Turtles)- April is very close with her Turtle pals, and constantly defends them to her boss and others.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (35)

-As important to any Turtle to the franchise is their Human Buddy, and link to the "real world", April O'Neil. Initially depicted as an Ambiguously Brown (seriously, the two co-creators can't even agree on what race she is) woman, she was translated into a chesty white woman for the cartoon. And MAN was that something I glossed over when I was a kid- I was just all "Gee, she's pretttyyyyyy..." when I was seven or whatever, but watching the show as an adult, I was like "!!! -- I never noticed THAT!!" Head writer/creator David Wise based her signature hair and bright yellow jumpsuit off of Fujiko Mine's garb in The Castle of Cagliostro, the famous Lupin III movie.
-In the cartoon, April isn't a lab assistant or whatever- she's a TV reporter, like so many superheroes & superhero girlfriends in comics past (it's an easy way to keep characters up on current events, and GREAT for Excuse Plots). As she's generally nosy and overly-curious, she gets kidnapped a LOT. Seriously, to a ridiculous, Lampshade-Hanging extent- it's joked about within the series, within the fandom, and gets mentioned on Turtles Forever. "April Being Bound & Gagged" is practically a meme in the series, and it's amazing I didn't come out of my childhood with a Bondage Fetish. April's also 28 years old (much older than most "Human Buddy" characters, who tend to be teenagers, or sexy early-20s women), and acts ludicrously-vain and image-centred. Almost like a parody of how young boys see women (the way Elliot on Scrubs is an exaggeration of how ADULT men see women).
-April is a sub-optimal fighter, but a decent reporter & investigator, which kind of pays off when allied with the Turtles.

Other April Toys: April (New Design), April the Ninja Newscaster, April the Ravishing Reporter (looks like an undercover prostitute. No really), Movie III April, Green Repaint w/ Channel 6 News Van, Mutatin' April (... into a CHEETAH?), Cave Woman April & Her Radical Raptor, Bride of Frankenstein April, Shogun April

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TOKKA
Role:
One-Off Character
Played By: Rob Paulsen
Group Affiliations: Tokka & Rahzar
PL 8 (62)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+1)
Intimidation 7 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 1 (Assorted Weapons), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Snapping Scimitar" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (3)
"Choppin' Chuks" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+7 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +6 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +3

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Food)- Both are insatiable eaters, and are easily-led into traps because of it.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 11 (62)

RAHZAR
Role:
One-Off Character
Played By: Townsend Coleman
Group Affiliations: Tokka & Rahzar
PL 9 (66)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+1)
Intimidation 7 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 1 (Assorted Weapons), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Snapping Scimitar" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (3)
"Choppin' Chuks" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Weapons +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Food)- Both are insatiable eaters, and are easily-led into traps because of it.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 15 (66)

-Tokka & Rahzar have an unusual role in the 1987 series- coming on the tails of the second TMNT movie, they naturally make an appearance, but it's so completely out of character as to basically make them two entirely different creatures! Instead of being brain-dead infants, they're standard-issue Talking Mutants, going on their merry way! They appear in the beginning of Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter, which sees the aforementioned hunter capture Tokka, in addition to numerous other mutants. This was in 1993, WAAAYYYYYYYY after the show's peak (six years is much longer than most cartoons last), but I still remember watching this one and having my first "WTF? The show changed something!" moments with the show altering the source material (Mirage fans of course had this reaction WAY earlier).
-Rahzar in particular is rather eloquent, to a bizarre degree. He speaks in a low-pitched, upper-class accent, moaning about how "you are my ONLY FRIEND..." to Tokka, then pledging vengeance upon Dirk Savage for capturing his terrapin ally.
-The two characters are basically on-model from the show & toys (Tokka actually uses a repurposed Slash mold, something I noticed even as a kid- his cloth bits and weapons are identical). Rahzar's name got re-used for the Nickelodeon series, as "Dog Pound" soon got turned into an undead-looking giant dog-monster, and was renamed "Rahzar" by Michaelangelo- Tokka's name was given to some giant monster. I include the toys' weaponry for completion's sake (Tokka uses a Sai, Sword & Clubbed Staff, while Rahzar had a Staff), but the guys are actually QUITE powerful in the cartoon. Tokka is captured pretty easily, but Rahzar fights more like an agile Dexmonkey- he actually DEFEATS Savage (who, by this point, had captured Leonardo, Michaelangelo, two Punk Frogs and Tokka), and has to be stopped by Donnie & Raph, who use Savage's own gear to stop the wolf. Neither Wolf nor Snapping Turtle are seen again in the series (Rahzar actually stops showing up when he's bagged by the TMNT).

Other Tokka & Rahzar Toys: Mutatin' Tokka, Mutatin' Rahzar, Warrior Rahzar

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THE NEUTRINOS (Dask, Zak & Kala)
Role:
Ultra-'80s Allies
Played By: Thom Pinto, Pat Fraley & Tress MacNeille
Group Affiliations: Dimension X
PL 2 (49), PL 4 (3495) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+3)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise ('50s-Style Teens) 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+2)
Vehicles 4 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Laser Gun- Blast 5- Multiattack)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +4 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Peace)- As an act of rebellion, the three Neutrinos oppose the war that is the natural state of Dimension X.
Relationship (The Ninja Turtles)- The three are great pals with the TMNT, and ally with them frequently.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (49)

-The Neutrinos are futuristic-looking characters who of course ironically DATE the show more than anything else. Seriously, a bunch of trash-talkin' teens in flying cars with crazy wild hair? This is like every 1980s stereotype of the future personified into one trio of dudes (and a dudette)! Though of course they use 1950s slang. The Neutrinos are a group of refugees of sorts from Dimension X, having been on the run from Krang's forces. They fly about in a flying vehicle that looks oddly like a 1950s Earth muscle car, and oppose the idea of war. This is viewed on their homeworld as a case of "Teen Rebellion", as war is of course the natural state of Dimension X. Tress "Babs Bunny" McNeille is instantly-recognizable as Kala, the swirly-banged, histrionic girl with the mutual crush on Michaelangelo (just listen to her bawl when she describes how Krang hunts down anyone "Just for the crime of HAVING FUN!").
-They're also responsible for The Grybyx, a Gremlins knock-off that features Kala's adorable pet turning into a giant monster. As I've mentioned before, this episode used to ENRAGE me, simply because YTV seemed to constantly overplay it in repeats. Half a dozen times, I sat down to watch the show, listened to the whole credits... then say the dreaded title card The Grybyx. SNAP! TOTALLY lose it!
-Like most Toon-Only characters, the trio actually received toys for real after a point. It was after I'd stopped collecting the toys, so I never saw them.

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Hungry for duck brain, Krang ordered Shredder to beam an Earthbound duck to Dimension X (there's a shortage of ducks in Dimension X). While transmuting the duck, famous test pilot, Ace Conrad, accidentally flew into the energy beam. The emerging plane was suddenly piloted by Ace Duck, the aero-dynamic adventurer with a big bill. The plane plummeted into the inner city and slid nose-first into the sewer. Ace escaped without ruffling his feathers and found himself at the secret hideout of the Turtles. After realizing he wasn't just some quack off of the streets, the Turtles decided to hire Ace to pilot their Turtle Blimp. Always looking for a good adventure, Ace isn't afraid to scramble the Foot with his hard-boiled Egg Grenades... as long as he gets paid on time. Even though he's employed by the Turtles, Ace is still their fearless, flying friend.

ACE DUCK
Role:
Mutant Duck, Dumb-Looking Ally
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (108)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 5 (+7)
Vehicles 10 (+14) (Flaws: Limited to Aerial Vehicles)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Pistol, Egg Grenades), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Pistol), Ranged Attack 6, Ultimate Pilot

Radical Equipment:
"Service .45 Pistol" Blast 5 (10)
"Egg Grenades" Blast 7 (Extras: Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (20)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Duck"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Extended Scent, Low-Light & Extended Vision) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]
Swimming 3 (4 mph) [3]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Pistol +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Egg Grenades +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Monster)

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 11 (108)

-Ace Duck was one of the lamest toys released for the TMNT line: he's ugly, plain and dresses all dumb. His "Pilot" look just lacks the detail of some of the nutbars in this line. His role is also incredibly-limited in most of the supporting materials- his ONLY appearance in the entire cartoon (which, remember, had ten seasons) was when the Turtles were watching an Ace Duck Marathon on TV. Ace is seen in a close-up, cackling like Donald Duck. That's it! His entire run! The Archie series featured him briefly getting beaten up by Leatherhead in an Intergalactic Wrestling Federation.
-This begs the question as to which kind of Ace Duck to stat. The Cartoon apparently features him as a cartoon character, so that's out. The toy gives him the bio of an ace pilot who was trapped in a transporter beam because Krang wanted some "duck brain" and was beaming a duck to Dimension X (it also mentions that he's from Peking, naturally). In the Archie comic, he's an alien muscle-man (er, muscle-duck) whose bragging is always his undoing- two opponents beat him while he's boasting.
-As the Toy Bio lists all of his piloting stuff, I included that because it's more interesting than "bragging strong guy". His piloting skills are tremendous, and he's PL 7.5 with his .45 (one of the few real-world weapons actually given a specific name), but overall he's not one of the better combatants. Because he looks dumb and I am petty that way.

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The Foot Clan can run, but they can’t hide, cuz Monty Moose is on the trail of justice – and he’s trackin’ down all the Foot fools who run west, east, south and north. As a baby moose, Monty was separated from his herd and fell into Ooze Lake, a secret stash of Shredder’s Ooze. Monty’s out to make sure no one (and no moose) ever gets Oozed again. Packed with his packin’ pistol, skinnin’ sabre and handy handcuffs, Monty’s ready to charge right into the Foot Clan. And with the aid of Bob, his trusty beaver sidekick, Monty’s fresh on the trail of crime. This mutant moose meanders through the thick of the woods, stalking and tracking anti-Turtle terrorists. And with beaver Bob alongside, Monty is one moose who always gets his mutant.

MONTY MOOSE
Role:
Mutant Moose, Canadian Stereotype
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (119)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+9)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Pistol, Sabre), Improved Critical (Pistol), Ranged Attack 6, Sidekick 11 (Bob the Beaver), Tracking, Ultimate Investigation

Radical Equipment:
"Packin' Pistol" Blast 5 (10)
"Handcuffs" (1)
"Skinnin' Sabre" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (3)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Moose"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Cold) [2]
"Antlers" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Canadian Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Cold) [2]
Enhanced Skills 8: Expertise (Hockey) 8 (+10) [4]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Antlers +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Sabre +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Pistol +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Monster)
Responsibility (Getting His Man)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 10 (119)

-Halfway through the line (and after its peak), came the sole Canadian TMNT hero, Monty Moose. I was gonna say we were lucky they didn't make him a beaver... but then I saw Bob, his Beaver Sidekick. Unpopular and thus rare, he costs upwards of $30-40 today, but is a FAR cry from the most-expensive solo figure.

BOB THE BEAVER
Role:
Sidekick
PL 4 (44)
STRENGTH
-3 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 11 (+8)
Expertise (Dam-Builder/River-Blocker) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+1 Size)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+7 Size)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Tiny Pistol +3), Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Dam-Building

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Gnawing" Weaken Toughness 2 (Flaws: Limited to Trees) [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

"Natural Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength, +2 Dodge/Parry, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Bite +2 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Gnaw Trees +2 (+2 Weaken, DC 12)
Pistol +4 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness -1, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Beavers cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 5 (44)

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MICHAELANGELO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role:[/b] Party Dude
Other Roles: Comic Relief, Team Goof-Off
Played By: Townsend Coleman
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (139)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Deception 1 (+6)
Expertise (Ninja) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Cooking) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 8 (+10)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Equipment 3 (Nunchucks, Trenchcoat), Improved Critical (Nunchucks), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Taunt, Teamwork

Radical Equipment:
"Nunchucks" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (3)
"Trenchcoat" Morph 1 (Looks Human To Everyone, Despite Being Barefoot and Having a Green Face) (5)
"Grappling Hook" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)
"Hook Wrap" Snare 5 (Flaws: Limited to One Opponent -2) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
Enhanced Skills 4: Athletics 4 (+17) (Flaws: Limited to Surfing & Skateboarding) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Nunchucks +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Addiction (Pizza)
Relationship (Kala)- Mikey has a thing for the female Neutrino.
Responsibility (Poor Judgement)- Michaelangelo has a tendency to rush off headlong into situations without considering his options first.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 12 (139)

-When I was a kid, Michaelangelo was BY FAR the most-popular character with kids my age. He was most-prominent on many ads and covers, got all the big catchphrases, and was the ONLY TURTLE to show up in the famous Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue Anti-Drug PSA. Deemed the "party dude" of the team, he was the most-jokey member, spoke the most slang (his big one was "COWABUNGAAAAAAAA!!!!"), and engaged in the most slapstick. As a fan of Donatello, and someone who generally didn't like this kind of character, I of course REALLY HATED the guy, and he's always been my least-favorite of the four. Interestingly, he's only a LITTLE more jokey and silly than the others in the 1987 series- each successive version of Mikey has become sillier and sillier, to the point where the modern version is a borderline-psycho who spends all of his time annoying his brothers with childish antics. But in the 1987 show, he's just one jokester out of four, and nobody's ever really that serious.
-Michaelangelo was responsible for a large amount of controversy in certain countries due to his "Nunchucks" (a Westernized form of "Nunchaku"), as kids would create imitation versions and beat the hell out of each other with them, thus getting the weapon banned in numerous places. As it was easier to find & make than reproduction Katanas & Sais, yet not practical for OTHER uses like the Staff (which you could find pretty much everywhere), it became the scapegoat, and drew a lot of attention. In some countries in Europe, the weapon was disallowed ON-SCREEN (which is odd, given how much less censorship Europe usually has compared to the litigious American market... same thing caused the UK to call the series Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles), to the point where the American cartoon actually dropped the Nunchucks and gave Mikey a Grappling Hook in later seasons instead (I have zero memory of this, but watching a few old ones shows that yes- Mikey used a Grappling Hook in at least the Dirk Savage episode I saw). I'm reminded of how Power Rangers got booted off the air in Canada after a girl got beaten to death during a game. The ultimate lesson is that kids in general are pretty stupid.
-Michaelangelo is probably the least-skilled of the Turtles at most things, and isn't a noticeably better or more athletic fighter either. His one main advantage (aside from making kids laugh with funny catchphrases) is the fact that he's probably the most empathetic and charismatic of the Turtles- generally, he's the best at getting a random hostile Mutant onto his team's side, often through the sharing of some of their trademark 'za.

Other Michaelangelo Toys: Rock 'n' Roll Mikey, Giant Turtles Mikey, Sewer Surfer, w/ Storage Shell, Midshipman, Movie Star, Talkin', Rappin', Stakeboardin', Shell Slammin', Bandito Bashin', Beach Combin', Classic Clownin', Head Droppin', Hot Doggin', Movie III Samurai, Navy Seal, Karate Choppin', Mutatin', Toon, Turtle Troll, Black Belt Boxer, Giant Movie III Samurai, Cave Turtle Mike and his Silly Stegosaurus, Giant Mutatin', Giant Turtle Troll, Giant Movie Star, Night Ninja, Super Mike, Farmer Mike & His Turtle Tractor, Mike as Frankenstein, Chief Engineer (Star Trek), Construction Mutation, Hero Hatchin', Invisible Man Mike, Cyber Samurai, Kung Fu, Pizza Tossin', Moon Lander, Shogun, Supermutant, Undercover, Safari, Road Racin' Mike with Kowabunga Bike, The High Flyin' Road Ragin' Combo (Mini-Mutant Turtle Blimp with Cheapskate and Mini-Mutant Michaelangelo Figure!), Pizza Wars Playset (Modular Battleset with Mini-Mutant Toon Turtle Michaelangelo Figure!), Jim Lee Sculpt, Next Mutation, Camo-Armor Turtleflage (NM), Camo-Bandana Turtleflage (NM), Shooter Michaelangelo, Sumo Michaelangelo, Submergence Specialist Mike, Metallized Motorin' Combo (Metallized Mini-Mutant Party Wagon with Metallized Samurai Cycle and Mini-Mutant Toon Michaelangelo Figure!), The Mutant Combat Combo (Mini-Mutant Military Turtle Tank with Samurai Cycle and Mini-Mutant Captain Michaelangelo Figure!), Metallized Turtle Travelin' Combo (Metallized Mini-Mutant Party Wagon with Metallized Samurai Cycle and Mini-Mutant Toon Michaelangelo Figure!), Metal Mutant Michaelangelo with Beetle Spirit Armor, Warrior Metalhead Michaelangelo, Mighty Mech Michaelangelo, Robotation Michaelangelo, Stretch Michaelangelo, Tricera Mike, Michaelangelo Thunder Warrior, Sewer Thrashin' Mike (NM)

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Descended from giant mutant Earth pandas, a thousand years in the future, Panda Khan is the Samurai ruler of a genetically improved tribe of battlin' bears. Leaving his alien world in search of great adventure, Khan boarded a Tong pirate ship and using the ancient art of Ting Zing Pao, time-traveled to Earth, 1990. Landing in the sewers, Panda Khan linked up with the Turtles for an unbearably good time.

Living by the code of the Khan, Panda Khan "Khantinues" to help the Turtles combat crime and cruelty wherever he finds it. Outfitted with his protective chain mail and samurai armor, Panda Khan's hard for the Foot Clan to "bear."


PANDA KHAN (Li Yang)
Role:
Mutant Panda, Alternate Continuity Character
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: A Tribe of Battlin' Bears
PL 9 (109)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Tribal Leader) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 3 (Gun, Weapons), Improved Critical (Sword), Ranged Attack 6, Startle, Takedown 2

Radical Equipment:
"Dragon's Claw Sword" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)
"Battle Axe" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (9)
"Fusion Blaster" Blast 6 (12)
"Gou Hook" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach, Improved Disarm) (3)
"Armor" Protection 1 (1)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Panda"
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking) [4]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Sword/Gou Hook +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Battle Axe +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Leader of His Tribe)

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 9 (109)

-Panda Khan was one of my favorite TMNT toys back in the day, so imagine my surprise when I did some research for this build and discovered that he's NOT an original TMNT creation at all! He was created by a pair (Dave Garcia & Monica Sharp) who had links to Mirage Studios, and was originally going to appear in the cartoon as well. This is very similar to how Usagi Yojimbo ended up in both the toy & cartoon lines. Panda Khan would appear in a handful of Anthology comics and a Limited Series in the '80s, and crossed over with both Usagi and the Mirage TMNT. His backstory is that he's descended from Giant Panda Mutants in a story set a thousand years in the future. Panda Khan is the Samurai ruler of a tribe of powerful "battlin' bears"- kind of a hallmark of the earlier days of "Anthropomorphic Comics", back before the Furry Fandom became... what it became.

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ZACH, THE FIFTH NINJA TURTLE
Role:
Audience Surrogate
Played By: Rob Paulsen
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 2 (28), PL 3 (28) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Bodacious Skills:
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Kid Detective Kit), Tracking

Radical Equipment:
"Kid Detective Kit"

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (Parents & Brother)- Walt picks on Zach for believing in the Turtles at first, but soon allies with them as well.
Responsibility (Over-Active Imagination)- People have trouble taking Zach seriously.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (28)

-Probably my very first introduction to the "Audience Surrogate" character, Zach remains one of the SHINING examples of the type. It's all here: He's shown to be a fan of the team. He's got a "cool 1980s name" (this show even has TWO guys with this name- one of the Neutrinos is "Zak"!). He's about the exact age of the expected audience for the cartoon (given as "almost fourteen", but he looks and acts much younger- he's likely supposed to be barely ten). He's a Human Buddy. AND he's made a member of the team! He's literally what you'd get if some fan named Zach had written himself into the show! He's "The Heroes' Friend" personified. Hell, in his debut, he's shown being so clever that he actually managed to track the Turtles to their lair using a special "Teen Detective Kit" (I actually remember this as if it were yesterday, despite twenty-six years having passed since I've seen it).
-The TMNT are a bit suspicious of his skills at first, and actually get into some trouble due to his "I wanna join you!" interference, but soon appreciate him so much that they name him the "Fifth Ninja Turtle". In a later episode, he teams up with a Platonic Female Friend in an episode that features them "tortured" by an Italian Stereotype who tickles their bare feet to get information out of them (every time I view these scenes, I can't help but know that someone, somewhere, has that exact fetish). Later, he has a Boy Who Cried Wolf story where he can't get anybody to believe him that aliens are SERIOUSLY attacking the Earth this time. With five episodes, he's one of the biggest characters never to get his own toy.

Maybe he's goin' coconuts; maybe he's goin' ape-but for sure, he's bananas-Sergeant Bananas, that is! This crazed critter of the Congo's got the mutant muscle of a million monkeys! And he's ready to wreak havoc on the Foot Clan. All because Shredder slopped Retromutagen Ooze over his jungle gym. After wandering through the muck, this soldier of misfortune mutated with a hairy gorilla. Now he's a gorilla guerilla. Or is that guerilla gorilla? In any case, he's gonna swing into civilization and sway through the sewers to help the Turtles put an end to the Foot Clan's reign of terror. With the aid of his pesky primate pal, Larry the Lemur, Sergeant Bananas is just crazy enough to use his iguana gun at the first sight of trouble. So stand back-Sergeant Bananas isn't monkeyin' around!

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SERGEANT BANANAS
Role:
Guerilla Gorilla
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (111)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+9)
Perception 2 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Iguana Gun, Knife), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Gun), Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 8, Sidekick 11 (Larry the Lemur), Ultimate Soldier

Radical Equipment:
"Iguana Gun" Blast 6- Multiattack (18)
"Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Ape"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Ape Strength & Long Arms" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 21)
Knife +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Iguana Gun +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Monster)

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 4 (111)

-A character I always thought was called "Guerilla Gorilla" (apparently, that was his name in a TMNT Magazine), Sgt. Bananas is one of the better-looking "Non-Show" figures. The figure is well-detailed, colorful and comes with some solid accessories. And like a lot of side figures, he comes with a monochromatic "Sidekick"- Larry the Lemur, who has a punk hairstyle and is... completely blue? Now THAT's a peculiar color choice, given they could have gone with anything.

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LARRY THE LEMUR
PL 4 (61)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11)
Athletics 9 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Evasion, Fast Grab

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Simian Anatomy" Enhanced Athletics 8 (+10) (Flaws: Limited to Climbing) [2]
"Tail" Extra Limbs 1 [1]
Speed 1 (2 mph) [1]
Leaping 1 (15 mph) [1]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 10 (61)



Looking around at toy stores today has finally shown some new things:

* Some stores are still charging WAY too much for certain figurines, as always. One store is charging $135 for Frozen Fever versions of Anna & Elsa, which is equal to what the card stores are charging for the HUGE Belle & The Beast figure. Another collector shop is charging almost as much for tiny Sailor Moon Chibi-style figures as sellers are for the large, show-accurate versions that are more detailed.

* The Lady Combiner character "Victorion" from Transformers has hit stores, though unfortunately most of her components look pretty generic (there are TWO Helicopters, and they both look identical). The Core Piece is just Hot Spot with some new bits.

* I also see Onslaught at Toys R Us as the Core Piece of Bruticus... but naturally, the Toy Scalpers have already hit TRUs everywhere and he is ALONE among his crew- the others are at Collector Shops for much higher prices. To put it in perspective, TRU charges $20 for Combiner Wars figure Core Pieces (Cyclonus, Hot Shot, etc.), though sometimes it's a bit higher if they're not on sale any longer. The Collector Shops? $26 for the tinier Limb Pieces! Financially, they'd cost you about as much as the COMPLETE Combiner Sets they release (which have SIX Robots inside)!

* Alice in Wonderland: Through The Looking Glass figures are all over stores... just in time for that movie to COMPLETELY shit the bed and disappoint Disney. The past couple years have led to a PRONOUNCED backlash against some of the names here, as it seems that everyone in America got sick of Tim Burton at the exact same time, and Johnny Depp as well (this one is naturally only getting worse now that he's in the news as a potential drunken wife-beater). That Anne Hathaway is also out the public eye isn't helping (though it turns out that "Hatha-Hate", for her overly-rehearsed public manner and "Born Into American Aristocracy" ways, was always kinda exaggerated)- she admits that while SHE once got the jobs that once-big women in their 30s wanted, SHE'S now the one being skipped over for younger actresses! Too bad, because the new toys are REALLY well-done (The White Queen looks EXACTLY like Hathaway, for instance), especially the pricey $165 Deluxe Figures... which will now probably sit on shelves for an ETERNITY.

* Disney is pushing a new line of dolls for girls called Star Darlings, which is about girls giving dreams to humans and stuff. The designs look VERY '80s, but kind of "blah" since they're all a bit TOO monochromatic (naturally, each has their own color scheme), and Same-Facey. At least the line has a "Bitch Character". The girls look all of twelve years old, though, so I can't imagine the target audience being too into them. Their push has been pretty half-assed, too- only a small line was ever released, and you only see one video circulating at Disney Stores. Not much of a replacement for Disney Fairies (which only has a single figurine pack at the Disney Store, and all Tink merchandise- featuring an awfully sexualized version of the character considering it's the DISNEY STORE- is just labeled Tinker Bell now).

* Given that Zootopia has come DAMN close to Frozen's record (well... okay, it's $300 million short, which is a LOT of money, but percentage-wise it's not so bad), and made over a BILLION DOLLARS at the box office, you'd think you'd be seeing more Merch for it. But instead... what they have has just kinda sat there. By this point in Frozen's existence, there was a HUGE storm of parents buying up everything they could, horrible eBay mark-ups, and more! I guess it's just the "Princess" thing, plus obsessive adults (*ahem*) buying up all the stuff in that case- Zootopia is a major smash hit, but doesn't have the crossover Merch-Tastic appeal that took Disney by surprise last time.

* Nothing new in Monster High & Ever After High in forever. A couple new lines are coming out, but there's a Monster High reboot due later this year, which as a lot of fans raging, since A) it's the internet and a CHANGE in something is involved, and B) One of the changes involves making the characters less "goth/dark" and more inviting, since Mattel is still hurting over losing the Disney Princess franchise.

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BAXTER STOCKMAN
Role:
Mutant Fly, Nerdy Scientist
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The Shredder's Employ
PL 8 (116)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+15)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 9 (+15)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Sci-Fi Gear- Ray Blaster +6), Inventor, Ranged Attack 8

Tubular Powers:
"Fly Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Acute Scent) [1]
"Compound Eyes" Senses 2 (Radius Vision 2) [2]

"Insect Control" Mind Control 4 (Extras: Area- 500ft. Burst +5) (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Limited to Flies -2) [12]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 17)
Ray Blaster +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Responsibility (Going Insane)- Baxter slowly grows more mad the longer he is trapped in bug form. Eventually, he will lose all of his genius.
Addiction (Sugar)- Flies love sugar, and Baxter is no exception.
Weakness (Cold)- As a Fly, Baxter cannot survive for long in very cold locations.
Relationship (Barney Stockman)- Baxter has a twin who's ALSO a mad scientist.
Enemy (The TMNT, Shredder)- Baxter hates the Turtles, but also despises Shredder for past abuse.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 15 (116)

-Baxter Stockman was a recurring foe for the Turtles in the cartoon, starting out as a goofy, nerdy scientist under The Shredder's employ. This low-rent Jeff Goldblum (all of the nerd, but none of the sexy), he was intially just some hapless loser- an innocent scientist conned by the Shredder into using his rodent-exterminating technology for EVIL- his Mousers being the perfect method to getting rid of Shredder's old nemesis, Splinter. Baxter was a Mirage original, but the show's writers wisely turned the black character white, as having the show's ONLY BLACK CHARACTER being a bad guy (one frequently abused and bossed-around by another) was deemed a bad idea.
-To add "More Mutants" to the Merch-driven show, Baxter sot transformed and became an even BIGGER example of the Butt-Monkey by turning into a Human Fly (horrifyingly, Krang decided to DISINTEGRATE him because he no longer needed the scientist around- a fly buzzed in alongside him, leading to the transformation). And most of his appearances ended with him in exile or being stranded somewhere. Pretty much the universe's victim by this point (a tragic origin story, since he was actually a fairly mild-mannered dude), he had a bunch of science-based weird stories about transformations and new inventions and junk, but he eventually just turned into a joke. The 2000s & Nickelodeon cartoon and the original Mirage comics got more play out of him as an elite scientist (and all made him actually black... while keeping April a Caucasian redhead), but he eventually went nuts in them anyhow. He's a PL 8 Blaster thanks to his sci-fi gear, but he's pretty low-level. And yeah, he could control flies at one point.

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Mutated with muck and transformed with trash, this fuming, former sewer worker oozes mysteriously through the city’s sewer system, searching for morsels of muck, sludge and slime.

The grungy garbage man tolerates the sewer-dwelling Turtles because they respect the dignity of the dark and the sanctity of the sewer. And the Turtles think Muckman’s cool because he looks like a pepperoni pizza.

Though Muckman stinks like a landfill, it doesn’t bother him. Don’t be fooled by the clothespin on his nose – that’s not to keep the smell out, that’s to keep the garbage in! But what does Muckman have besides a nose clogged with gunk? He’s got Joe Eyeball! The amazing three-eyeballed no-nosed parasitic pal who decomposes his way through sewer pipes and can see through the thickest sewer stench.

And be sure to keep his extra helping of Retromutagen Ooze (not included) handy, ’cause Muckman likes to keep his flesh fresh.


MUCKMAN (Garson Grunge)
Role:
Gross Hero
Played By: Townsend Coleman
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (93)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Garbageman) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 2 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Muck Gun) 2 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Muck Gun), Ranged Attack 4, Sidekick 9 (Joe Eyeball), Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Muck Gun" Affliction 8 (Dodge/Strength; Dazed, Impaired & Vulnerable/Stunned, Defenseless & Prone) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative, Extra Condition +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)

Tubular Powers:
"Smelly Mutant"
Immunity 2 (Scent-Based Afflictions) [2]
"Slippery" Immunity 6 (Grab-Based Effects, Poison) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [3]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Muck Gun +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak, Smells Bad)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 13 (93)

-One of the best, and grossest, toys of the 1987 series belonged to Muckman. Looking like he's made entirely of green snot, dripping with goo, and walking around with a trash can for a foot, he's absolutely hideous. Joe Eyeball is probably the best "Sidekick" toy of the line, too- a green, squat monster with eyes on giant stalks, he's way more distinctive than the Beaver, Mosquito or Lemur Sidekicks out there. Muckman is SO GROSS that I always naturally assumed that he was a villainous character, as I'd never seen his episode- so imagine my surprise when research shows that he was a HEROIC character! Given the most generic origin ever (Bebop & Rocksteady were pouring mutagen out a window, and it landed on a garbageman), he and his pal Joe first attacked the Turtles, blaming them for their mutations, but eventually learned the true culprits, and freed the Turtles. In the 'toon, Muckman's presence seemed to weaken the Turtles by proximity- a condition that does not affect Bebop & Rocksteady.
-Of particular note are their voices- they're voiced in the manner of Ralph Kramden & Edward Norton from The Honeymooners, replicating the famous old comic duo. Unfortunately, they never appeared again, despite Donatello promising to work on a cure for their condition. The heroes told him not to hurry, as they were now Mutant Heroes, but it remains to be seen if they were ever turned back to human form. A variation of Muckman appeared in the Nickelodeon cartoon.

JOE EYEBALL (Joe Junkee)
PL 4 (42)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Garbageman) 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Evasion, Fast Grab

Tubular Powers:
"Smelly Mutant"
Immunity 2 (Scent-Based Afflictions) [2]
"Slippery" Immunity 6 (Grab-Based Effects, Poison) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [3]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 10 (42)

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"Not only is he from feudal Japan, but also from another dimension. So, of course, he speaks English."
-Raphael, about Usagi Yojimbo


RAPHAEL
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Cool, But Rude
Other Roles: The Snarkiest One
Played By: Rob Paulsen
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (140)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+12)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Perception 5 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment 3 (Sais, Trenchcoat), Improved Critical (Sais), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Taunt, Teamwork

Radical Equipment:
"Twin Sais" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical) (3)
"Thrown Sais" Blast 4 (Diminished Range -1) (7)
"Trenchcoat" Morph 1 (Looks Human To Everyone, Despite Being Barefoot and Having a Green Face) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"Pinning People Against Stuff" Snare 6 (Flaws: Requires Sais, Requires Objects Behind Target) (Diminished Range -1) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Pin People At Close Range" Snare 6 (Flaws: Requires Sais, Requires Objects Behind Target, Close Range) (3)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sais +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Sai Pin +9 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Reputation (Cool, But Rude)- Raph is pretty quick with the quips, and tends to insult people upon meeting them, or inform the audience how little he respects them. He often replies "a mind like a steel trap" when someone states the obvious.
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Responsibility (Human Life)- Raphael does not use his Sais to stab human beings.
Addiction (Pizza)
Relationship (Mona Lisa)- Furries will write TALES of this, let me tell you.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 13 (140)

-Cartoon Raphael is probably the most-changed from his initial incarnation, and that in other media- he's not a sullen, lethal, rebellious, Leo-hating asshole. In this case, he's merely too sarcastic for his own good- he's the Turtle most-frequently seen snarking to the audience about something somebody else has done or said. Really, he's just a wiseass who likes to annoy people. In this, he's pretty much the most realistic character of the entire cast.
-Raphael is more or less like his brothers, but his Sais have the unique attribute of being able to pin people to stuff. This is a pretty common thing you see in fiction (it's basically impossible to do in real life... and really, how do you pin someone by a PIECE OF THEIR CLOTHING, to a wall?), but Raph does it nearly-CONSTANTLY, largely thanks to his weapons actually being pretty hard to use in the contest of the show. Leonardo can at least slash up the scenery and robots- Sais are just short-range stabbing implements, and nowhere near as impressive. And so Raph is constantly pinning people against things, often at range.

Other Raphael Toys: Breakfightin' Raph, Giant Turtles Raph, Space Cadet, Grand Slammin', Heavy Metal, Movie Star, Raph w/ Storage Shell, The Green Teen Beret, Shell Kickin', Talkin', Head Droppin', Movie III Samurai, Mutatin', Raph the Magnificent, Toon Raph, Yankee Doodle, Super-Swimmin', Sewer Cyclin', Sewer Scout, Turtle Troll, Cave Turtle Raph & his Tubular Pterodactyl, Giant Movie Star Raph, Giant Movie Mutatin' Raph, Giant Movie III Samurai, Giant Turtle Troll, Night Ninja, Road Roady, Raph as the Mummy, Jump Attack Jujitsu Raph, Airforce Mutation, Kung Fu, Chief Medical Officer (Star Trek), Cyber Samurai, Pizza Tossin', Shogun, Retro Rocket, Undercover, Supermutant, Scuba Divin' Raph with Psych Out Spin Out Scuba Tube, Shell Splittin' Raphael, The Mutant Raph, The Totally Tiny Turtle Combo (Mini-Mutant Party Wagon with Newscycle and Mini-Mutant Toon Raphael Figure!), Jim Lee Sculpt, Next Mutation, Camo-Armor Turtleflage (NM), Camo-Bandana Turtleflage (NM), Covert Specialist Raphael, Pizza Police Combo (Mini-Mutant S.W.A.T. Wagon with Police Cycle and Mini-Mutant Turtle Raphael Figure!), Shooter Raphael, Sumo Raphael, Rapid Recoilin' Raphael, Robomatic Raphael, Stretch Raphael, Raphael Fire Warrior, Bad Boy Biker Raph with Street Cycle (NM), Cowabunga Cruisin' Raph (NM), Metal Mutant Raphael with Phoenix Spirit Armor, Stego Raph

When the action hits the fan and the streets are ablaze with hard-hitting news, you can always find Vernon right there - right under his desk in the Channel 6 newsroom. He's a colorful coward who knows all fears. The only thing that gets this rascally reporter going is trying to scoop April on a news story. But even weasels are ready for trouble. And that's why Vernon carries a pencil knife to poke and probe the foolish Foot Clan. And when a good pointy swipe isn't enough, Vernon pulls out his video camera gun and starts mowin' down madmen! After the streets have cleared of action, Vernon loves to direct the news crew and shoot his own story - in the foot!

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VERNON FENWICK
Role:
The Rival (to April), The Coward, The Whiner
Played By: Pat Fraley
Group Affiliations: Channel 6
PL 0 (1)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Reporter) 2 (+2)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+2)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment (Reporter Stuff)

Tubular Powers:
Speed 2 (8 mph) (Flaws: Limited to When Fleeing) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Ambition)- Vernon desperately wants to supplant April O'Neil as Channel 6's top reporter.
Responsibility (Incompetent)
Responsibility (Wimp)
Responsibility (Extremely Ticklish)- He does not last long under Don Turtelli's "Foot Tickling" torture.
Responsibility (Stupid)

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 1 (1)

-Vernon was one of the wimpiest, most pathetic characters in the history of television. Created to be a work-rival for April O'Neil, Vernon had a spindly body, a giant nose, and a nasal, whiny-ass voice. Basically a scheming douchebag, Vernon was also a giant coward and incompetent at his job. Generally speaking, he would try to "scoop" his co-worker, and would occasionally conspire with Burne (who didn't like ANY of his employees) towards the same means. Even on the rare occasions when he does something semi-competent or courageous (such as filming the brawl between Leatherhead and the Rat King), his pride and stupidity become his undoing- he leaves the CAP ON. The classic "stupid cameraman" trick... though hilariously, one of my friends did that on a zoo trip one time. We had to backtrack all over the place!
-Vernon & Burne were actually a very big part of the cartoon- having some human cast-members was kind of a necessity for any show about superheroes or mutants or whatever, and they were pretty good foils. It was always amusing to see them humiliated. Apparently over time, he became a somewhat more friendly character, though I never saw it. Amazingly, in 1992, Vernon, Burne & Irma all received ACTION FIGURE releases! This was a pretty good sign the series was getting a bit long of tooth (five years in). The figures are hilariously-short on good equipment or any kind of sell-able features, but they're a completist's dream.

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BURNE THOMPSON
Role:
Belligerent Boss
Played By: Pat Fraley
Group Affiliations: Channel 6
PL 1 (13)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Reporter) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Bummer Complications:
Temper- Burne is constantly angry.
Relationship (Tiffany)- Burne dotes on his blonde bimbo of a girlfriend, but frequently angers her when his promises amount to nothing.
Rivalry (The Ninja Turtles)- Burne hates the Turtles, both because Tiffany is terrapinophobic, and because they've been part of some damage to the Channel 6 building. He openly criticizes them in the media.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (13)

-God as my witness, I have spent my entire life thinking this guy's name was VERNE. I always thought it was "Vernon & Verne", like a comedy duo with gimmick names or something! Why ELSE would their names be so similar!? Did anyone else think that, or was I just a deaf kid?
-Burne was a classic "Bad Boss"- a J. Jonah Jameson-like figure that trashed the heroes in the public, bossed around his subordinates (especially April or Vernon, who were CONSTANTLY one step away from being fired), or pleading with his girlfriend Tiffany not to dump him. Nothing resembling an athlete, he appears to be at least somewhat-competent at his job. Hell, he runs an entire news network with only FOUR PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING. Dude must have SOME skills!

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Pizzaface - Shredder's crazed culinary creator - had a plan to become the most powerful pizza chef ever. So he zapped himself in his Retro mutagen oven, hoping the energy would bake him with badness. But the hungry Turtle Teens burst into the parlor and pulled Pizzaface out. Now this half-baked bozo wants to get even with the Turtles for foiling his formula. All the Turtles wanted was a large pepperoni to go - but instead they got part pizza and part Pizzaface!

Possessing the power of the pizza pie, Pizzaface is the ultimate Turtle nightmare: traveling from parlor to parlor, he terrorizes the Turtles, trying to turn them into tasty teen topping. Armed with flying pizzas and a Pizza Box Shield, this peg-legged pizza piper follows the Foot Clan, even though he's only got one good leg. And what's worse? He delivers.


PIZZAFACE
Role:
Gross Villain
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The Shredder's Employ
PL 8 (73)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Chef) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Pizzas) 2 (+10)

Gnarly Advantages:
Close Attack 1, Equipment 3 (Cleaver, Shield), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Clever Cleaver" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 4) (6)
"Pizza Box Shield" Enhanced Defenses 2 (4)
"Propeller Pizzas" Blast 4 (Feats: Ricochet) (Diminished Range -1) (8)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Clever Cleaver +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Pizzas +10 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Shield, DC 18-20), Parry +9 (+11 Shield, DC 19-21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +3

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Motivation (Turning the Turtles into Toppings)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (73)

-Among the most grotesque toys of the 1980s, Pizzaface is DISGUSTING- a lumpy, drooling guy covered in what looks like blood (but can be passed off as "sauce"), complete with a pizza cutter for a foot and a PIZZA BOX for a foot! He never appeared in the cartoon (possibly being too horrifying for young audiences), so this 1990 action figure is all we got.

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What do you get when you cross a mosquito with a jet fighter? You get Needlenose, the Turtles' largest and most bizarre ally. This blood-sucking military mutant with a killer crew cut is always prepared for battle with his two bee-seeking missiles and handheld mega machine gun. He's got six arms and legs along with two insect wings. One Turtle can ride on the Tongue Seat while more hang off to the sides, as Needlenose flies in the face of the Foot. There's also the rotating tail gun, gatling gun and plasma powered rocket engine.

NEEDLENOSE
Role:
Weird Ridden Mount
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (103)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Aerobatics 4 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+6, +7 Size)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Gun, Missiles), Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Missiles" Blast 8 (Burst Area) (Unreliable- 5 Uses) (16)
"Machine Gun" Blast 6 (Multiattack) (18)

Tubular Powers:
"Giant Mosquito Physiology"
"Drain Blood" Weaken Strength 6 [6]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [6]
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Infravision) [3]
"Four Arms" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Machine Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Missiles +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 13 (103)

-One of the weirdest toy sets of the TMNT line, Needlenose is a... well, a mosquito the size of a hippopotamus that the heroes use as a MOUNT. And he can apparently talk, fire guns, and use missiles. He's so weird (and out of scale to the others) that the cartoon never even BOTHERED to include him, but he's actually not a bad-looking toy. Well-detailed and enormous, four limbs and a disgusting face- he's the perfect thing to gross out your parents. Expect to pay a TON of money for him on eBay.
-Though really... you'd think that they'd HAVE to include both Needlenose and his counterpart, Killer Bee, in the cartoon. These were BIG TOYS, and likely cost a pretty petty compared to a standard-issue figure. With no episode to hype it, what chance did they have to sell?

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"If I don't get to BREAK SOMETHING soon, I'm gonna go NUTS!"
-The hyper-violent, aggressive lunatic Casey Jones, implying that he's GOING to go insane.


CASEY JONES
Role:
The Greatest Character in the History of the Universe, Ax-Crazy Vigilante, Psychopath
Played By: Pat Fraley
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (109)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+10)
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Psychotic Vigilante) 9 (+9)
Intimidation 9 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 2 (+9)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Equipment 1 (Golf Bag, Sports Equipment), Fast Grab, Favored Foe (Scuzz-Buckets), Improved Critical (Sports Equipment) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown

Radical Equipment:
"Hockey Stick/Golf Club" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)
"Baseball Bat" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"BREAK Something!" Weaken Toughness 4 (Flaws: Affects Objects Only, Requires Sports Equipment) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sports Equipment +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 10), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Obsession (Punishing Lawbreakers)- Casey is devoted to cleaning up his "fair city" from vicious "SCUZZ-buckets" and other lawbreakers. This consists of violently-assaulting anyone who engages in any sort of crime- from kidnapping to jaywalking.
Obsession ("When do I get to BREAK something?")- Casey is afflicted with a near-constant desire to "break something". He claims that resisting this urge will give him an ulcer.
Reputation (Crazy)- Even the Turtles, vigilantes themselves, consider Casey to be a dangerous lunatic.
Temper- Casey tends to run headlong into battle against any kind of odds. Twice, he's gone against all four Turtles at once, and he once tried to grapple Chrome Dome by himself. Despite that, he stills sees himself as "a mild-mannered public-minded citizen".

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 13 (109)

-Hahhahaahahah OH MY GOD YOU GUYS- Casey Jones is the greatest character EVER. While the Movie version is amazing ("I hate punkers..."), the 2003 Cartoon's version is good, and I even enjoy the antics of the goofy teenage Nickelodeon Casey, my heart truly belongs to the psychopathic, ultra-violent, pastel-wearing ass-kicker of the cartoon. Appearing in a mere five episodes, most of which I never even saw, I was nonetheless completely entranced. This was no smart-ass looking at the camera and cracking wise; no Team Comic or Team Smart Guy. Casey was simply an ax-crazy lunatic who enjoyed hurting people, and actually managed to wear pastel clothing and a belly shirt and make it look bad-ass. I was in love.
-This is actually a very unique character for a kids show when you think about it- there were guys with bad tempers in many an '80s toon (Cravex from Visionaries for instance), but a vigilante who was like an exaggerated version of the Punisher? Now THAT stood out. And they went WAY into Parody Form with Casey right away- to start, Pat Fraley gave him an imitation of Clint Eastwood's whispery voice. He called everyone "SCUZ-BUCKET" or "LAW-BREAKER" like they were vulgar slurs. His first response to EVERYTHING was to attack at full-force, with weapons drawn. He used sports equipment to beat up criminals, and constantly voiced his desire to "BREAK something!" And he NEVER TOOK OFF HIS MASK. There was no humanizing THIS guy- he was just entirely the costume- nothing more.
-Casey, naturally, mistakes the Turtles for criminals and attacks the entire group all at once. Even after making nice, he's IMMEDIATELY ready to attack them again in his second appearance (they were luring him out so that he could infiltrate "Octopus, Inc." for them). This episode, the fantastic Corporate Raiders From Dimension X, exemplifies everything that is amazing about Casey. He attacks the Turtles for "desecrating a children's playground", but then begins tearing the playground equipment out from the ground, and THROWING IT at them. When the Turtles finally calm him down (by using sufficient violence), he goes in for a job interview... dressed in a nice business suit, but STILL CARRYING HIS BAG AND WEARING HIS HOCKEY MASK. He just hisses out "I'm seeking EMPLOYMENT!" And during his job interview, he responds to the opening questions by smashing the recruiter's desk with his baseball bat! Once this act of psychopathy bags him the job, he assaults his supervisor the second he's questioned, earning him a PROMOTION (since it's an evil company). After this, his use to the plot kind of vanishes and he's just there with the rest of the group- his remaining dialogue is a beautiful crescendo of pleas to commit more acts of violence, on the living and inanimate alike.
-He follows this up with a similar episode, infiltrating a gym full of Evil Gym-Bunnies, puncuating the affair by repeatedly harrassing a harmless-looking man for vicious crimes like jaywalking (he walked across an empty street at night) and littering (dropping a single cup)- by which I mean he whips out his BASEBALL BAT and begins chasing the man with intent to do violence. He's later seen briefly in episodes where the Turtles gather some human allies to face off against a gathering of their older Rogues (Casey goes up against the giant Chrome Dome armed only with his trademark sports gear), and one final time to help April get some machine to help out the Turtles.
-But yeah, my friends and I all thought he was the coolest character ever. My Halloween costume one year was naturally Casey Jones, and I was jealous of my Vietnamese friend because his darker skin made HIS "Casey" outfit look more natural (though really, the character's quite pale- I guess he was more similar to the toy's color scheme). I was obsessed with the guy, and was happier than hell to see him in the MOVIE, especially as a character with a lot of lines, and a pair of great victories (over Raphael and Tatsu). The second movie's lack of Casey was a major down-point, made up for in part because of the dope rhymes of Vanilla Ice.
-Casey at PL 9? One higher than the Turtles? YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT HE IS!!! Okay, so Casey only scraps with them twice... but both times he manages to hold off nearly the entire group, and since they're all PL 8s, if they were on an even keel, they'd wipe him out quickly. The first time, he was basically wading through the whole group, tossing them around; and the second, Raphael had to Sneak Attack him and pin him to a wall to settle him down. In a later episode, he manages to draw with Shredder in a SWORD-FIGHT (yes, he pulls a sword out of his golf bag). He has limited interpersonal skills (okay, they're only focused towards scaring scuzz-buckets), but he's very, VERY good at beating people senseless. And breaking stuff.

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Buzz the Turtles with this hybrid killing machine - the diabolic result of a dastardly experiment in cross-pollination between a wicked drone and a psychotic criminal. This Killer Bee has only one thing on his tiny bee brain - destroy the Turtles! And he's got the arms and legs to do it - six, in fact. Along with a sawed-off shotgun and chainsaw, the Killer Bee also carries a ball and chain and a pair of handcuffs. There's even room for the Foot to ride the electric chair seat. Figures sold separately.

KILLER BEE
Role:
Weird Ridden Mount
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (107)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Aerobatics 4 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+7, +8 Size)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Shotgun, Chainsaw), Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Sawed-Off Shotgun" Blast 7 (14)
"Chainsaw" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Multiattack 9) (10)
"Handcuffs" (1)
"Ball & Chain" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach 2) (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Giant Mosquito Physiology"
"Giant Stinger" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 6) (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Weaken Strength 6 [13]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [6]
"Insect Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Ultra-Vision, Radius Sight 2) [5]
"Four Arms" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Chainsaw +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Shotgun +10 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +9, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 13 (107)

-The villainous counterpart to Needlenose, "Killer Bee" is just a big, stupid, giant bee. This is quite an admirable toy, though- not only is he enormous, but he carries a ton of great details, like veined wings, crazy eyes, and an ELECTRIC CHAIR for a saddle.

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Victim of Krang's insidious experiments, Seymour Gutz woke up from a lab table only to find himself hideously transformed into Mutagen Man - a pathetic, dripping, ever-changing mutating monster. Confined to a mechanical life support system that holds his mutating body together, Mutagen Man is now dependent on Ooze to replenish his deteriorating form. Forced to do Shredder's bidding in exchange for Retromutagen Ooze, Mutagen Man reluctantly performs dastardly deeds to get the substance his body so desperately craves.

Armed with his Mutagen Machine Gun, Mutagen Man relentlessly tracks down the Turtles and their allies. Head for the sewers and hide your Ooze! Mutagen Man's on his way - and you just know he has the guts to get you!


THE MUTAGEN MAN (Seymour Gutz)
Role:
Gross Hero
Played By: Rob Paulsen
Group Affiliations: N/A
PL 8 (90)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Deliveryman) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Mutagen Machine Gun), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Mutagen Machine Gun" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)

Tubular Powers:
Morph 4 (Any Form) (Quirks: Cannot Maintain Singular Form For Long -2) [18]

"Floating Mass of Organs" Immunity 1 (Drowning) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

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

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)- He's basically eyes, a mouth and a spinal cord floating in a liquid ooze. He makes Roseanne Barr appear to be a looker.
Responsibility (Poor Sense of Direction)- As he was a deliveryman, this was a problem.
Weakness (Lack of Mutagen)- Seymour requires the Ooze to live- if his supply dwindles, he will quickly die (he is, after all, just a bunch of organs).

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 19 / Defenses: 10 (90)

-Based on a Peter Laird sketch, The Mutagen Man ended up in both the toys and the cartoon. In the cartoon, nerdy deliveryman Seymour Gutz was transformed when Rocksteady & Bebop knocked him into a container of Retromutagen Ooze, turning him into one of the ugliest-looking Mutants in history- essentially a bunch of floating organs in a tub (though the show included more facial features- eyes and a mouth attached toa brain- to allow for expressions). Requiring more Ooze to live, he was forced to work for Shredder & Krang, using his ability to transform into anything temporarily. Eventually, the Turtles undo Shredder & Krang's plan, and give Seymour the secret element that he requires to transform back. Of course, getting to CHOOSE his next form, he chose the form of a handsome, debonair-looking man (albeit with a pencil mustache and silver in his hair). "I may be a nerd", he says, "but I am not stupid". Then he went out on a date with April.
-His toy is PHENOMENAL, too- one of the best "concepts" of the line, which often defaulted to the same old lazy "Mutant Anthropomorphic Character" archetype. Not THIS guy- his toy is essentially a hollow tub surrounded by an armature with arms and legs, with a bunch of floating bits. The tub naturally can be filled with water, to allow the "bits" to actually FLOAT AROUND inside him. Effectively the world's most disgusting snowglobe. And you all know about how much '80s kids loved disgusting things.
-A pretty simple character, working on the level of a Morph-based power-set. He doesn't appear to even be a real FIGHTER.

ImageImageImage

Yes- THESE are supposed to be punks. Since when do punks shop at frickin' Tommy Bahama's?

THE PUNK FROGS (Atilla the Frog, Napoleon Bonafrog, Genghis Frog, Rasputin the Mad Frog)
Role:
Would-Be Mirror Image Villains
Played By: Townsend Coleman (Attila), Pat Fraley (Napoleon), Jim Cummings (Genghis), Nicholas Omana (Rasputin)
Group Affiliations: The Punk Frogs
PL 8 (83)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+9)
Deception 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defenive Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Improved Disarm, Set-Up, Teamwork

Tubular Powers:
"Mutant Frogs"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Ultravision, Infravision & Direction Sense) [3]
Swimming 4 (4 mph) [4]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 11 (83)

-The Punk Frogs are an early addition to the franchise, and had a pretty typical origin and concept- "Mirror Image Villains" who simply ended up getting affected by Mutagen run-off. Their origin actually mirrors that of the Turtles- a canister of Mutagen got sent to the Florida swamps by accident, and four frogs (who were about to be adopted by a kid, until his mom objected) wandered into the mess, and got transformed. Shredder discovered them when he went to find the Mutagen, and a lightbulb went off over his head- he trained them in Ninjitsu to COUNTER the Turtles, giving each of them individualized weapons and naming them not after great artists, but great VILLAINS and CONQUERORS. And so we had Attila the Frog, Genghis Frog, Rasputin the Mad Frog, and Napoleon Bonafrog. And yes, he gave some of them different "surnames".
-The four Frogs were dressed in... Hawaiian shirts and shorts? Okay, then. Then they were trained to fight the Turtles (awfully quickly, really- but then, Mutants tend to be fast learners. Most of them begin speaking English immediately, regardless of origin), despite being rather decent fellows. Shredder had them convinced that the TMNT were evil and that HE was a hero, but once they discovered the truth, they turned on him.
-The Punk Frogs reappeared in a few more episodes- in one, they were assaulted by, and made the slaves of, the new mutant Leatherhead (a Cajun 'Gator), and had to call upon the TMNT for help. Despite reappearing a few times, there were only ever a pair of toys released- one was the 1989 Genghis Frog figure, which looked pretty show-accurate. However, as the four were all essentially the same guy with different colors, I guess they didn't want to replicate that, and so the second figure was Napoleon Bonafrog, who was given a CRAZY-cool appearance. Looking more like a nasty horned toad, he had a vicious grin and a heck of a lot more detail than the boring Genghis (really, all of the Punk Frogs had weak designs in the show. At least the TMNT, while pallette swaps of each other, looked COOL). This actually led to Napoleon getting his own episode later (his toy was released in 1990- one year after Genghis's), in which he grew super-huge.
-The Punk Frogs are decent, but low-level, fighters. They're effectively less-experienced Ninja Turtles, and with less experience and poorer showings, they're not very elite. Leatherhead, for example, EASILY defeats all four of them at once, and even WITH New Villain Stink, that's pretty bad.

The Individual Frogs:
GENGHIS FROG- PL 7 (85): Equipment 2 (Battleaxe +2, Penetrating 5) [2]
-Genghis wasn't any different from the others in the show, but had the most vicious-looking weapon, and was the only one to get a show-accurate toy for whatever reason. He's named after Genghis Khan, the legendary Mongol warlord who conquered an unimaginably-huge swath of land (which grew under his heirs). Naturally, you never saw him hit anybody with his weapon.

ATTILA THE FROG- PL 7 (84): Equipment 1 (Flail +2, Reach, Improved Trip) [1]
-Attila is named for Attila the Hun, a mysterious figure from a mysterious, raiding bunch of people.

RASPUTIN THE MAD FROG- PL 7 (100): Ranged Attack 5, "Bow & Arrow" Net Arrow (Snare 6), Flash Arrow (Dazzle 6), Smoke Arrow (Affliction 6- Cloud, Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated, Ranged) [17]
-Rasputin is named for Rasputin, the "Mad Monk", who scandalized Pre-Communist Russia with his cult of personality and connection to the Tsar's family. He's the only one of the four with a ranged weapon, and it's actually pretty neat- he's a low-end version of a Green Arrow type. Despite the name, he is no more angry or crazy than any of his brothers.

NAPOLEON BONAFROG- PL 7 (84): Equipment 1 (Bullwhip +1, Reach 2, Improved Trip) [1]
-Napoleon is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, a tremendous general and conqueror who took over much of Europe. He got the second, much-cooler toy, and was naturally voiced by Jon "Napoleon Dynamite" Heder in the Nickelodeon cartoon, because really. In the "Leatherhead" episode, he saves the day by using his Bullwhip to pull everyone out of a pit of quicksand. It takes him like THREE MINUTES to even think of this.

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When Antrax comes marching in, heads will roll! He's mean; he's deadly - and worst of all, he's quadridexterous! That means he has four arms (just count 'em)! This insidious insect used to be the only executioner in Dimension X. That was until yesterday, when Krang, on his annual scouting trip for Turtle tearing talent , spotted this top crop choice! Krang was impressed with Antrax's skill with the ante-up axe and the beat 'em back bat. Krang offered Antrax money, power - even cable T.V.(with all the channels, of course). Antrax accepted and became Krang's own judge, jury and Turtle executioner. Dimension X is now a tad nicer place to visit, but the Turtles are now more worried than ever. Besides his battling bites and unnatural devotion to Krang, this awesome-armed ant will turn any Turtle pizza picnic into a panic party.

ANTRAX
Role:
One-Off Villain
Played By: Pat Fraley
Group Affiliations: Krang's Employ
PL 7 (72)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 2 (+6)
Expertise (Executioner) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 (Axe), Ranged Attack 4

Radical Equipment:
"Axe" Strength-Damage +3 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (8)

Tubular Powers:
"Alien Ant"
"Insect Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Radius Sight, Direction Sense) [3]
Features 1: Leaves Pheromone Trail All Ants Can Follow [1]
Extra Limbs 2 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Axe +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Krang's Personal Executioner)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 15 (72)

-Antrax got one of the weirder shots in the TV show- in Night of the Rogues, Shredder gathers together a huge assortment of past Turtle foes... and adds Scumbug & Antrax to the mix. Scumbug is treated as having met the TMNT before, despite never appearing in the show previously, but Antrax is "Krang's Personal Executioner", and wields an axe. Unfortunately, he turns out to be a pretty terrible fighter- his one battle consists of having his axe's head chopped off by Leonardo, who then spin-kicks him away. Keep in mind the point of this episode was that the Turtles were drastically outnumbered, to the point where they were captured and had to be springed by their mostly-human allies. Antrax's goofy, high-and-mighty, imperious-sounding voice didn't help matters, either. Not much of a sell-job on his toy.
-Losing so easily in his one and only outing (most TMNT foes can usually beat up the ENTIRE TEAM in their debut), I can't imagine Antrax is that good. He's one of the few PL 7 villains.

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One of the secrets of the sea is Merdude - King of the ocean blue and controller of the Earth's vast waterways. He's the radical wet ruler who rules the ocean floor with his mighty rip tide trident - one jolt and it's belly up! All the fish folk follow his lead and help him fight evil under the waves. But don't be fooled by his fishy appearance. He is the master of the ninja starfish and sawfish sword. And if you ever get caught in the crossfire of his O2 blaster - don't bother holding your breath. Merdude may be cold and clammy but he's also way cool, and ever since Shredder tried to drain the oceans, he and the Turtles have been best of buddies.

MERDUDE (Alim Coelocanth/Jacques)
Role:
Aquatic Ally
Played By: Kevin Schon
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (122)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Athletics 4 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Expertise (Royalty) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Blaster/Starfish) 2 (+11)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Benefit 4 (The True King of Atlantis), Equipment 5 (Trident, Sword, Blaster), Improved Critical (Rip Tide Trident), Ranged Attack 7

Radical Equipment:
"Rip Tide Trident" Blast 9 (18)
"Trident Stab" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach, Penetrating 4) (8)
"Ninja Starfish" Blast 4 (Feats: Can Use In Water) (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
"O2 Blaster" Blast 4 (8)
"Sawfish Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Penetrating 5) (8)

Tubular Powers:
"Merman"
Swimming 6 [6]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Immunity 4 (Drowning, Pressure, Cold, Aging) [4]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword/Trident +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Rip Tide Trident +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
O2 Blaster +11 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Atlantis)

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 12 (122)

-There were three versions of "Merdude" created- the cartoon, the show, and the Archie Comics all got one. The Comic version was from the Mighty Mutanimals book, and he one of their few allies to survive. He always looks very... STIFF... in his bio-pictures- like they didn't want to draw him too feminine/fishlike, so he's always standing straight-up, despite being an aquatic character. He's apparently an oceanographer/Jacques Cousteau type (or a prehistoric child; one bio makes him French, while another page on the Turtlepedia site mentions him being the prehistoric kid) who got hit by some mutagen and helped the heroes fight off some pirates. The toy one has a bio that mentions that he's a king, and gives him a TON of weapons (that version is included here). Below is the cartoon version.

ALIM COELOCANTH
Role:
Aquatic Ally
Played By: Kevin Schon
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (141)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Athletics 4 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Benefit 4 (The True King of Atlantis)

Radical Equipment:
"Rip Tide Trident" Blast 9 (18)
"Trident Stab" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach, Penetrating 4) (8)
"Ninja Starfish" Blast 4 (Feats: Can Use In Water) (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
"O2 Blaster" Blast 4 (8)
"Sawfish Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Penetrating 5) (8)

Tubular Powers:
"Merman"
Swimming 6 [6]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Immunity 4 (Drowning, Pressure, Cold, Aging) [4]

"Telepathically-Summons Sea Life"
Communication (Mental) 3 (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Animals, Limited to Sea Life) [9]
Mind Control 9 (Flaws: Limited to Animals, Limited to Sea Life) [18]

"The Triton of Power" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Merdude) [18]
Move Object 8 (Feats: Accurate 4) (Extras: Damaging) (28) -- (29 points)
AE: "Trident Stab" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach, Penetrating 4) (8)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Trident +4 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Triton of Power +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Atlantis)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 12 (141)

-The cartoon had a completely different character- Alim Coelocanth ("Merdude" was a nickname given by Michaelangelo) was the true ruler of the Lost City of Atlantis, and left over 200 years ago in search of others like him. He helped Mikey out of a jam involving sewer rapids, and the TMNT agreed to help him find his homeland. He is forced into fighting Bebop in a trial by combat (because of course there is one), but his ally Hepax gives him the "Trident of Power" and quickly wins the battle. He summons a giant squid to seal a hole created by the Shredder, who has stolen the "Star of Atlantis", which powers the Atlantean Defense System. When it's returned, he quickly fends of Shredder's forces.
-The episode's pretty trademark in its TMNT '87 silly glory, with this guy just popping up in the sewers and IMMEDIATELY the Turtles are ready to help him out- it's all of 2 minutes in before they're on their way. And then Bebop is instilled as the ruler of Atlantis because the "prophecy" (of course) says that their king will resemble an animal (all Atlanteas but Alim are human-looking). Soon, Alim and the TMNT arrive in Atlantis, despite having no idea where it is at first- not only is this never explained, but neither is the fact that the Turtles are SWIMMING. UNDERWATER. For GOD KNOWS HOW LONG. Like seriously, they just kind of motor along behind Alim with no Scuba Gear or anything. And they're TALKING the entire time! NOBODY EXPLAINS THIS. And later, the Atlanteans mention that they need "Breathing Equipment", showing that the writer (David Wise, of course) is DEFINITELY AWARE that most creatures can't just swim through the water endlessly. Rocksteady actually pulls off a REALLY slick move, when he stomps on a cell key Leo & Mikey are reaching for, snatches both of their wrists, pulls them together into one hand while the other disarms Leo's sword, then PUNCHES Leo halfway across the room! You do NOT see that kind of fight choreography very often!
-Alim in the cartoon can barely fight at all- it's a plot point that he's unable to even comprehend how a sword is used. He nonetheless pulls off some okay flips and avoids Bebop for a while (not that Bebop's a particularly great fighter), but soon he grabs the "Triton of Power" hanging above the arena, and he easily defeats Bebop using its Move Object/Damaging Effect. He also has Aquaman-ish powers, summoning various creatures like Octopi, Giant Squids and Whales.

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oh, INTERNET...

---

A loner. A lizard. A skatemaster. Mutated from a head-banging, thrash-metal, teenage guitarist, Mondo Gecko is the coolest lizard to surf the concrete jungle. Known to his cold-blooded boardin' brethren as "The Mon," Mondo Gecko likes to skate the sewers and grease the grind. This maximum maniac grooves on shining the curbside and puts fun and freedom ahead of everything else. He's always stoked and lookin' for a new adventure. So when the Turtles need some extra help, Mondo's ready to skate, rattle and roll.

Mondo Gecko and the Turtles make funky freestylin' friends. Teenager to the end, Mondo's got his brain jammed into Michaelangelo's frequency. They're both party dudes - and that makes for a totally awesome twosome. With braces on his tubular teeth and cream on his mutant zits, Mondo Gecko chomps and chews on butter beans and rips through the sewer pipes, ready to crash and thrash the Foot.


MONDO GECKO
Role:
Totally Radical Teen
Played By: Jon Mariano
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (103)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Music) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Skateboarder) 7 (+12) -- Uses Agility
Insight 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Agile Feint, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Daze (Skateboarder), Defensive Roll, Equipment (Skateboard), Evasion 2, Favoured Environment (While Skateboarding), Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Skateboard), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Teamwork

Tubular Powers:
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Tongue & Tail" Extra Limbs 2 [2]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [1]

"Skateboard-Boosted Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Accurate) (Flaws: Limited to While Wielding Skateboard) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Skateboard Boost +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Relationship (Candy Fine)- Candy split with Mondo when he became a mutant, but eventually the two got back together.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 20 (103)

-Mondo Gecko was one of my absolute favourites as a kid- I thought he was the virtual embodiment of what being cool was all about. Remember what I said about recognizing that Michelangelo was pandering to kids? Totally didn't pick up on it here in the least. In the comics, he was a metalhead punk-type who got doused with mutagen and got transformed due to his proximity to his pet gecko (which I'm not sure we ever saw again). In the cartoon he was raised by gangsters (after being transformed by the same Mutagen that made the Turtles), but turned good with the Turtles' help, which I'm pretty sure is the origin story of about twenty OTHER mutant characters in that series... it was REALLY, REALLY bad for using a token collection of Plot Templates that they would just switch out several times a season. He appeared in only this episode, and the "Drik Savage" one. His comic book incarnation actually palled around with the Turtles for a while (including their Space Arc), then joined the Mighty Mutanimals group as their most "Normal Guy/Teenager" member. Alas, he was killed with the rest of them.
-Mondo stats up as a pretty defensively-minded character with some neat tricks and a pair of Extra Limbs. He's also got a boost that he only gets while using a Skateboard, which makes him PL 7.5 on offense. Regarding his other powers: I never SAW him do any Wall-Crawling, but I figured it might be cool. For some odd reason, all the TMNT continuities out there threw out tons of mutated animal-people, yet never did a lick of research into what these animals actually were ABOUT, leaving them all basically generic dudes with their animalistic traits as little more than their appearances. Mondo could theoretically have TONS of gecko/lizard-related abilities like Regeneration, Scent, Wall-Crawling, etc., but instead he's just a scrawny teenager with a skateboard. Similar things about with his teammates- I'm just ASSUMING that some could use Scent or Low-Light Vision.

Other Mondo Gecko Toys: Rock 'n' Roll Mondo Gecko (an INSANE-looking 1960s hippie stereotype)


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SPLINTER (Hamato Yoshi)
Role:
The Mentor
Played By: Peter Renaday
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 9 (127)
STRENGTH
1/4 STAMINA 3/5 AGILITY 1/5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Ninja) 10 (+13)
Expertise (Arts & Culture) 4 (+7)
Insight 5 (+9)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Stealth 8 (+9)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 5, Redirect

Tubular Powers:
"Martial Arts Mastery" (All Powers have Flaws: Fades)
Enhanced Strength 3 [3]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [2]
Enhanced Agility 4 [4]

"Rat Physiology"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Boost +14 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5 (+9 Boost)

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+12 Boost, DC 18-22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+5 Boost, +6 D.Roll), Fortitude +4 (+6 Boost), Will +9

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (His Sons)- Splinter cares deeply for his four sons (though he acts more like a mentor figure), though he finds their antics a bit troublesome at times.
Enemy (Oroku Saki- The Shredder)- The Shredder has stolen Yoshi's proper place in the Foot Clan, and now hunts him and his sons.
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 13 (127)

-Splinter of course received a TV show version, in a pretty unchanged form- he's still the Turtles' stoic, calm, wise mentor figure. However, they made a significant change in his origin story- rather than being some rat that mimicked his master's martial arts powers, he WAS the mutated Hamato Yoshi himself, making his battle with Oroku Saki much more personal. He's not quite as... fatherly as his other versions have proved to be, and instead is often just "the guy who hangs out at the base". Still, he has proven to be quite effective many times, and can outfight just about anybody (in one episode, he used the "Secret Technique That Only the True Leader of the Foot Clan Knows", which consisted of Three Stooges movements and sound effects- it paralyzed Shredder and defeated him). When the four Turtles were captured during The Night of the Rogues, it was Splinter who gathered together a small group of humans that allowed them to rescue his sons and save the day.
-His original toy kinda sucked, though- really shrimpy and with a fragile pink kimono that kinda got lost super-easily. Also he had a huge bow & arrow, along with other non-show-accurate weaponry. Though that kinda thing was pretty common with the early toys, who were released with "Weapon Sprues" that you had to take apart- giving you a lot of Shuriken, sticks and whatever those other blunt-ended things were supposed to be.

Other Splinter Toys: Creepy Crawlin' Splinter, Movie Star Splinter, Movie III Splinter, Mutatin' Splinter, Road Ready, Supermutant, Shogun, Next Mutation

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The radical, super-cool, Super-Spoiler on top of the van triggers the Foot-pounding tenderizer, whacko bombs, and other party surprises! All this control is now in the palm of your Foot-bustin' hands! Turtle-plated flip top allows easy access for six action figures—more if you squish 'em!

PARTY WAGON/TURTLE VAN (70 ep):
Role:
Elite Vehicle
Stats: (Huge Size, Strength 8, Speed 6, Defense 8, Toughness 10) (21)
Extras: Radar, Cannons x2 (Blast 8- Multiattack) (49)
-- (70 points)

-The Turtle Van (referred to as the Party Wagon for the toys) was the Turtles' primary mode of transport in the TV series- a garish yellow van with green shell theming and a frowny-face on the front (matching the Turtles' grimaces from their toy packaging & Mirage books), it had a lot of doors (which altered over time- some flipped down into ramps) and room to move about. Typically, the vehicle's guns were not seen in the show- it's a bit... un-hero like for 1980s cartoon characters to be blasting away with artillery.

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One day, a mild-mannered trash man slipped and fell headlong into Shredder's garbage bin. The resulting nightmare: Wyrm - a planetarium warped and wiggly creepy crawler. Embarrassed by his slimy stench, this greedy garbage ghoul gathers gunk from the bowels of the sewers. This head honcho of the Unsanitation Department has a voracious appetite for munchy mouth worms, which make his eyes bulge with hunger. Tenderizing rancid rubbish with his trash compactor mallet, Wyrm's got the belly of a beast - and the breath to prove it. Only Muckman's foul enough to be Wyrm's friend. Mostly, though, no one likes to get too close to Wyrm - and that's why he's one solitary slitherer.

WYRM
Role:
Hideous Freak
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (66)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Garbage Man) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Mallet, Knife), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Trash Compactor Mallet/Porcupounder" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)
"Worm Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Tubular Powers:
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Over-Eating) [2]
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]
Burrowing 4 [4]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Knife +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Mallet +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Relationship (Candy Fine)- Candy split with Mondo when he became a mutant, but eventually the two got back together.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 12 (66)

-Wyrm is one of the more hideous, yet dynamic-looking toys, but only appeared in the Archie Comics (fighting Scumbug in a random issue before being electrocuted- both later reappeared) and, much later, the Nickelodeon series. I can see why the cartoon didn't use him in a way- he's got the same origin as Muckman! But really, this guy's all about the design- a giant face with bulging eyes, multiple bright colors making him look unbelievably garish, and it's capped off with a gross, sucker-ridden tentacle for a leg! These guys REALLY knew how to make gross designs! He's a pretty standard Strong-Ish Grappler, using some standard-issue weapons. The most-unique thing about him is his unquenchable appetite, and his Slithering/Burrowing set-up.

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Lotus: "You have analyzed the genetic code of TURTLES... I need that code.
Marine Biologist: "Yeah? And what will you do if I REFUSE?"
Lotus: "THIS! HI-YA!" *karate chops giant oak desk in half*
Marine Biologist: "Just curious. t'sin the red folder."


LOTUS BLOSSOM
Role:
Lady Ninja, Love Interest (to Leonardo)
Played By: Renae Jacobs
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (144)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+14)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Deception 6 (+9)
Expertise (Ninja) 10 (+12)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+9)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Katana), Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Takedown 2, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Radical Equipment:
"Katana" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 4) (8)
"Trick Katana- Rocket in the Hilt" Blast 3 (Feats: Subtle) (7)
"Grapple Arrow" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Karate Master" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Katana +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hilt Rocket +10 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +11

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (Leonardo)- Lotus DEEPLY respects Leo, and wishes to run off with him and become Mercenaries For Hire together.
Motivation ("There is little GOLD in goodness")- Lotus is in it for money.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 13 (144)

-Lotus Blossom is quite well-known in the TMNT fandom for a pair of episodes in which she and Leonardo maintained a... somewhat flirtacious relationship. Not as much as Michaelangelo/Kala, but it was definitely there. More of a "Mutual Respect/Let's Run Off Together And Kick Ass" kind of thing. Her episode is a bit funny, as right away she's introduced as a Lady Ninja mercenary ass-kicker (with an exaggerated Faux Japanese accent) who easily defeats Shredder, Rocksteady and Bebop in hand-to-hand combat! Krang, it turns out, has hired her to replace the always-failing Shredder, and she runs off the three villains before taking over as Krang's force commander. However, she finds herself nearly drawing with Leo, and develops a respect for him (he is, of course, IMMEDIATELY smitten, despite their interaction only consisting of one fight). Alas, their "Swordfighting" has some of the worst fight choreography I've ever seen- it's just kind of them awkwardly clanging their blades together with their arms stretched out. Also, at one point Bebop's voice comes out of Rocksteady.
-Later, they meet on the field of battle again, and she tries to concvince him to run off with her as a "Ninja For Hire", but Leo refuses. In the end, she turns on Krang and teams up with the Turtles, running off to continue as a mercenary. "There is little gold in goodness", she sadly replies to Leo, but hopes that they may meet again some day. There's a pretty easy way to connect Lotus with Karai (who appeared in comics after this episode came out)- both are Japanese Kunoichi (lady ninjas) who have admirable-rivalries with Leo that are easily-taken for romantic feelings.
-Lotus is a curious example of Power Levels in the series, as she's around Leo's equal, but New Villain Stink sees her see off Shredder with a couple of moves- really, she kicks him once, then judo-flips him after he counter-attacks, and he ends up covered in oil. Rocksteady & Bebop soon end up in the same puddle, then covered with FEATHERS (where did she get a PILLOW from?), and Shredders leaves, humiliated. She manages to beat Leo a couple of times, but he's good enough to impress her. And hilaruiously, despite fighting like a bad-ass, she runs like a "stereotypical girl"- with arms flailing about at her sides.
-At PL 9 (144), Lotus is one of the best fighters in the series, and can hold her own with just about anybody. She's one PL higher than Leonardo owing to her ability to hold her own with him (and win twice, thanks to Deception/Feinting), and her Shredder-beating abilities.

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No one knows for certain where he came from, but one thing is for sure, Rat King revels in scum and scum revels in him. The creepiest of sewer crawlies nest in his royally rotten rags. The self-proclaimed King of the Ratocracy, he hypnotizes his rodent subjects with his seductive flute playing. Even Splinter succumbs to his magical musical powers.

Rat King's army protects his slimy kingdom by fighting tooth and whisker against all outsiders, good or bad. Watch out! Rat on his loyal subjects and you may be wrestling with his Rat Hook or running for your life from Rat King's Royal Ratbow. Rat King's motto is: "First the sewers, then the world!" He and Shredder are battling for total sewer domination while the Turtles are defending their "Home Sweet Sewer" from both. Looks like plenty of trouble underfoot.


THE RAT KING
Role:
Mind Controller, Hermit
Played By: Townsend Coleman
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (127), PL 12 (127) to Rodents
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 6 (+10)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+6)
Technology 6 (+10)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Soda Pop Bombs), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7

Radical Equipment:
"Soda Pop Bombs" Blast 8 (Diminished Range -1) (15)

Tubular Powers:
Mind Control 4 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Limited to Animals, Limited to Rodents) (16) -- [17]
AE: "Enhanced Control" Mind Control 12 (Flaws: Limited to Animals, Limited to Rats, Requires Flute) (12)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Soda Pop Bombs +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Mind Control +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Mind Control -- (+12 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 22)
Initiative +5

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Power, Being Left Alone)- The Rat King wishes to allow rats to control the planet. Most of the time, however, he just wants to be left alone to rule his subjects.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 15 (127)

-Among the more odd things that is true in every Ninja Turtles continuity is the existence of the Rat King- he debuted all the way back in the MIRAGE days, got his own toy and appearance in the 1987 cartoon series, and even shows up for both subsequent cartoons! He's even in the Archie series!
-In the Mirage series, he's a swamp-living weirdo who randomly encounters the TMNT & Casey Jones. Defeated, he reappears and engages in a long-term spiritual debate with Splinter, who is trapped in the silo where the Rat King lost the fight- in the end, Splinter, having finally fought his way free of the silo after regaining his strength (on the urgings of the Rat King) finds the decayed corpse of his ally, realizing that he's been dead all along. Later, it turns out that his position is appointed, and the bandages are a sign of his station. In the Archie books, he is more of an ally- he agrees to help the Turtles after they prove that they mean him and his rat subjects no harm.
-Naturally, this one-off foe gets a WAY bigger role in the cartoon series, as a crazed hermit living in the sewers. He's a great inventor (making great gear out of garbage), very strong, and can control the minds of rats, making him a lethal enemy to Splinter and the Turtles. He even controls the TMNT's mentor and forces him to fight them. He is often encountered in odd side-bits, like when he just randomly ended up in the middle of a fight between Shredder and the Turtles, or when Leatherhead went into the sewers and the two began a huge fight that threatened everyone. Occasionally, he has been seen aiding the Turtles, but at other points (such as Night of the Rogues), he allies with former adversaries like Shredder & Leatherhead in order to kill them. Hell, one time he tried to kill everyone in New York!
-The Rat King, as a solo villain against the heroes, is actually rather powerful. PL 8 unarmed, and PL 9 with his "Soda Pop Bombs" (pop cans that cause miniaturized explosions powerful enough to knock out Leatherhead in one hit), in addition to being PL 8.5 defensively. His main advantage, however, is his control over massive hordes of rats- not only are most people DISGUSTED by the idea of being swarmed by disease-carrying vermin, but in the show, their swarms seem to have powers akin to "Weaken Toughness"- they're frequently shown tearing through walls, knocking ceilings down on the King's opponents, and more! His Mind Control is only +4 as an Area Effect, but with his Flute, he can control even SPLINTER with his power.
-He's also absurdly-strong for some reason- in Night of the Rogues, he and Slash pick up AN ENTIRE PIZZERIA before throwing it at the heroes! Like, one guy grabs one end, the other guy grabs the opposite one, and they just HUCK it!

Just got back from a pretty kick-ass performance of Rent- particularly impressive because it's a bunch of younger people who mostly graduated Drama School a couple of years ago, and it was put on in a small theatre (essentially as big as a High School Drama Classroom).

Some Notes:
* Famously, it's the "Play About AIDS". Written and set between 1989 & 1990, it's about a bunch of starving artists living in the East Village of Manhattan, half of whom are dying of AIDS, which was at that point the "Great Bogeyman", notorious for cutting SWATHS through certain communities in that era. At that point, it was an absolute death sentence. For men you've got Mark the Wimpy Everyman Filmmaker, Collins the Normal Guy, Roger the moody dying musician trying to write his One Song Glory "Before the virus takes hold", while keeping everyone at arm's length, and Benny the Yuppie and former friend of theirs. For women, you've got Mimi the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" junkie with AIDS who's desperately in love with the aforementioned arm's-length Roger, Maureen the Drama Queen "Performance Artist" and ex of Mark's (and known mainly for sleeping around) and Maureen's new girlfriend Joanne, a tightly-wound anal-retentive non-artist. And between the two, and a bit of both, you have Angel, the homeless Drag Queen (nowadays, Angel would be given a host of labels, but back in the '90s, the LGBT movement was about "DON'T label me!" over "you must prescribe exactly the right label to me!"), also dying of AIDS, and our "Morality"-themed character (ie. Angel is the nicest one).

* It's the only one I've seen live- I've seen both the movie (loing-time readers will know exactly why, especially if they've seen the cast list :)) and a recording of the final performance, so I'm familiar with the plot and the characters. But naturally, it has a different energy in-person.

* Because it's only local actors, and only one age group really need apply (the movie's biggest flaw for me is the disconnect of a bunch of 30-something actors in the roles- the play is about young bohemians living like jobless bums in Manhattan's poorer districts. At that age, they look like COMPLETE losers instead of the rebellious young hipsters they should be), the casting is a tad more monochromatic than perhaps it should be. Though the play is rather notable for it's "Color Blind" casting (which became a big deal around the time Rent came out in the early '90s)- the two characters that would "make sense" most as white people, the rich lawyer Joanne and the yuppie married-rich Benny, were played by black actors originally and in the film. Which means that really, anybody could play ANY role- the only one "set in stone" is Mark COHEN, and even that you could get away with by changing the last name. Even Mimi Marquez could theoretically be Spanish, or just mostly-European descended ("Latino" isn't really an individualized RACE as we'd see it). But yeah, the main cast is largely-white, with the ensemble containing some minorities. Though Angel was played by what I'd guess is a Filipino actor (judging by appearance and the guy's last name). And seeing Collins played by a guy who looks more like a burly hockey fan is entertaining, considering he's the one in the relationship with Angel.

* Every time I watch this show, Benny comes off more and more sympathetic. See, the character is depicted as this former bohemian who married "up" to a wealthy family, and is now working for them and *gasp* GENTRIFYING MANHATTAN. So he's depicted as a villainous sell-out (his last name is COFFIN, in cast you were thinking they were aiming for subtlety here). But really, the MOST EVIL thing he does is go back on his word and saying his friends now owed back-pay on the rent, when before he's said they "were golden". So now he's this evil douche... except he spends the rest of the play doing sympathetic things, like paying for a friend's funeral, helping someone go to the rehab clinic, and more. The rest of the "villainous" stuff involves evicting squatters and tent cities away from buildings that represent the future of New York. And though Gentrification is a complex, controversial issue (it's basically made Manhattan unaffordable to millions), I have a hard time sympathizing with freeloaders who want everything handed out to them. Maybe it's cuz I'm old now.

* The audio kind of blew- reviews mention this as the only major flaw. If two people are singing, good luck hearing what either is saying if they have different lines around the same time. Twice, a HUGE feedback loop occurred and blurred out the singing. Their were four musicians hidden in the upper level playing the soundtrack (totally unsung heroes, there), and sometimes they drowned out the singers, even though they played pretty quietly. When EVERYONE's singing, though, they're gold.

* The best singer is oddly an Ensemble cast member who also played Mark's mom in the "Answering Machine" segments (which show that Mark actually comes from a well-off enough family, despite living like a hobo in NYC). Though this may be because it's her ONLY big moment singing, and she's completely-fresh at the beginning of Act II (during Seasons of Love- the play's signature song- "One-Million Twenty-Five Thousand Six-Hundred Minutes..."), whereas everyone else has been doing big songs for an hour beforehand.

* Mimi had the best-looking actress- "The best ass below Fourteenth Street", indeed. Though she was a lot curvier than you'd imagine an AIDS-ridden heroin addict would be, but that's the sort of thing you can forgive a play for. That and all the homeless people who look like healthy 20-somethings instead of a bunch of emaciated addicts.

* One thing I'll give them eternal credit for with this show... you can actually BUY the relationships. The biggest flaw & disconnect I have in musicals (even more than the "everyone sings all their dialogue and can do complex choreography with perfect strangers) is that even the GOOD ONES tend to have people just meet and instantly they're in "Singing to the Heavens" love, and they're eternally supposed to be together. It's bad because the timing of a musical doesn't allow for a lot of time spent on just that subject (unless romance is the ONLY part of the plot), so you're left with important plot elements hinging on the love of characters who met twenty minutes ago. Even Les Miz does this BADLY, with Marius & Cosette meeting and immediately begin singing A Heart Full Of Love at each other. How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying has a romantic subplot that also falls flat over this. Even in the otherwise-flawless Wicked, an issue is the fact that Glinda & Elphaba are in love with the same man, even though Elphie only stopped hating the guy exactly five minutes before she can't stop thinking about him (the REAL money relationship of course is Glinda & Elphaba, who are given enough focus to pull it off).

But with Rent, we have a few established relationships, AND they actually tell the story over the course of a year, so there's a lot of "unseen" stuff that can let you fill in the blanks. And the chemistry and dialogue of the characters can pull you in and make you believe- not to mention the dreaded-timeline most of the characters are on thanks to AIDS. Angel & Collins hit it off instantly, and their relationship lasts a goof part of a year. Roger & Mimi also have the same chemistry, and you can buy them trying to rush and enjoy themselves before... ya know.

* Collins's actor has a pretty good bit of grief (one of the more "showy" emotions), and Mark was MUCH more angry in the scene where he & Roger argue than I remember from most versions. It stands out especially because the actor had a really nasal, high-pitched voice that really played up the "wimpy" aspects of the character (to the point where he came off more effeminate than he probably should have been).

* So yeah, terrific show, despite the fact that you can't help by empathize more with the bad guy at times (seriously- GET A JOB, HIPPIES!!). It makes me really want to see a touring company version of the show. And hey- there's actually one starting in late 2016!! Sweet deal! Though of course... a "big budget" Rent kinda goes against the point, don't it?


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While scum-skulking through the green, slimy depths of a rank Florida swamp, a garden-variety gator swam through a streak of orange mutagen. Faster than snap, crackle and crunch, this grinning gator mutated into Leatherhead, the biggest, meanest reptile ever to hit the amphibious circuit.

Rippling with supermutant strength and swimming ability, Leatherhead enjoys just a pinch of Turtle between his teeth and gum for true chewin' satisfaction.

This garbage can gourmet fills his gullet by trapping Turtles, tenderizing them with a blast of his swamp gun and mixing in a bag of red-hot Cajun spices. Leatherhead is the undisputed king of the swamp and could be the next sultan of the sewer when Shredder drafts him into the dreaded Foot Clan.


LEATHERHEAD
Role:
Villainous Powerhouse
Played By: Jim Cummings
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (87)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10)
Expertise (Hunting/Survival) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+8)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+2)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Traps, Chains), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 7, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Traps & Chains" (assorted bear-traps, pinching lobsters on his belt, & more) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [2]
"Sensory Pits" Senses 3 (Accurate Ranged Touch) (Flaws: Limited to Underwater) [1.5]

"Water-Based Creature"
Swimming 5 (8mph) [5]
Immunity 1 (Drowning) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [0.5]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Underwater) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +1

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Enemy (The Turtles)
Motivation (Fighting)- Leatherhead seemingly just likes a good scrap- he often brawls with everyone he meets, even guys like the Rat King.
Obsession (Spouting Cajun-Isms)- "I GAIR-ON-TEEEEEE!!!"

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 11 (87)

-Like the Rat King, Leatherhead is common to all TMNT versions, though usually in altered form. In the Mirage & Archie Comics, he was a heroic figure (he even joined the Mighty Mutanimals at Archie!). In the 1987 cartoon, however, Leatherhead was a vicious, Cajun-accented, slang-spoutin' monster. He debuts in the Florida Everglades, having been mutated by the run-off of the Mutagen that created the Punk Frogs. An enormous Gator-Man, he waltzed in and soon beat the hell out of all four Frogs at once, and made them his personal servants! The Frogs quickly called the Turtles for assistance, at which point the heroes rapidly arrived in Florida (HOW??) and fought the villain. Shredder and his minions soon got involved, and teamed up against the heroes, but were eventually stomped. He would reappear a few other times, once being captured by the Rat King (who threw a Soda Pop Bomb that KO'd the Cajun Crocodilian), and another time allying with him, then teamed with all of the other Rogues.
-Leatherhead's toy was remarkably-tiny, especially considering the character on TV was HUGE. A full head taller than almost any other character, and ridiculously-strong. They gave him a great "you should buy this toy IMMEDIATELY!" push, and I was a huge Leatherhead fan. Unfortunately, the toy was a shrunk-down guy with squat legs, short arms, and a head that was apparently quite notorious for falling off. Another personal TMNT-related story: My Leatherhead toy actually lost his head while on the school playground one day, and I didn't notice until I got back to class. Despite a search, the head was never uncovered- apparently a GREEN HEAD amidst an entire grassy portion of school property is rather difficult to locate. Oddly, I was never particularly-heartbroken about the loss, but like a lot of TMNT stuff, I actually remember it fairly well.
-Leatherhead is a vicious PL 9 powerhouse, a bit cheap on points, but a solid hunter with epic grappling skills that put him above any one turtle. His toy version includes a red shotgun, but this is the Cartoon Version. The Archie Version is more or less like this (maybe PL 8)- he was heroic, but prone to going "Ut!" every time he required effort.

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Always dead-on target, Groundchuck aims to please Shredder. This mutated weapons expert is the Foot Clan’s hooved hoodlum of choice. Chunky and beefy, Groundchuck is Grade A when it comes to grinding up the Turtles. Pushing the Teens to their limit with his electro-prod and Turtle-tethering crossbow, Groundchuck’s a cut above the rest. It’s lights out for our half-shelled heroes when Groundchuck takes aim with his tranquilizing dart wrist gun. This horned hood has declared open season – and the Turtles are fair game!

GROUNDCHUCK
Role:
Villainous Powerhouse
Played By: Jim Cummings
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (88)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 2 (+9)
Intimidation 8 (+7)
Perception 2 (+2)
Technology 2 (+2)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 5 (Assorted Gear), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 7, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Electro-Prod" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (12)
"Turtle-Tethering Crossbow" Snare 6 (18)
"Tranquilizing Dart Wrist-Gun" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Diminished Range -1) (23)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Electro-Prod +10 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Crossbow +8 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Wrist-Gun +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Enemy (The Turtles)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 13 (88)

-And now we come to one of my absolute favorite toys ever- Groundchuck, who for some reason I always called "Bulldrome" (did I just throw away his original packaging too soon, or what?). He looks AMAZING. Like some combination of 1980s (bright colors! '80s sci-fi!) and 1990s (cyborg! Guns!) stereotypical character designs onto one character. He's squat like a lot of TMNT toys were, but still strong-looking, vicious-looking, and stand-outish. In a series that could often default to "Bulky Guy + Standard Uniform + Animal", he actually looks different by being a non-standard color, having metallic bits everywhere, and packing those yellow "target" symbols on his suit.
-Sadly, I never once saw an episode featuring him- one specific memory I have is hanging out with some random kid at an... outdoor concert? One of those ones with a children's entertainer singing songs about Sneakers and Spike McCool (holy god I actually remember the names of the songs... and the fact that my sisters ruined the tape we bought from the guy by putting it in one of those '80s-era "Voice Recorder" Boom Boxes for kids, and recording their random vocal noises over some of the songs). And since he was wearing a TMNT-related t-shirt, we started talking about the show, and when I mentioned Groundchuck, he talked about having seen the episode, but mentioning that the character died in it (he didn't, but the kid got the "he was punching some giant dome" bit right). Of course, this is only scarcely-relevant to the character, but really- he didn't get up to much in the show. He was created alongside Dirtbag, teamed up with the Shredder, but got trapped on the Planet of the Turtleoids.
-Groundchuck is as simple as most Mutants, but packs some different gear- a Tranq Gun, a Crossbow, and, appropriately, a Cattle Prod.

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He’s been sentenced to nine life terms; he’s busted outta jail nine times – now this flea-bitten feline is free to frolic with the fetid Foot Clan. Scratch is the meanest street cat you’re likely to meet. And, if you perchance to run into this Mutant mongrel, run him over before he scratches you senseless! But beware – cuz Scratch is the master of trickery. That’s how he gets outta jail all the time! He may fool the fuzz by offering them a piece of his criminal cake gun. Then it’s SWIPE! SWIPE! – and Scratch is off runnin’ with his swindlin’ sidekick, Jail Bird. Together, they torment and terrorize the Teens by bumpin’ off banks and teamin’ up with Shredder. Scratch has got his felonious fish club, too, to batter up the Turtle Teens. And no matter how he flips to fight, Scratch always lands on his feet. So don’t cross Scratch’s path – or he’ll cross you out!

SCRATCH
Role:
CAT Burglar, Ludicrously-Expensive Toy
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (103)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Burglar) 8 (+8)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 6 (+10)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Cake Gun & Fish Club), Fast Grab, Hide in Plain Sight, Ranged Attack 7, Sidekick 10 (Jail Bird), Uncanny Dodge

Radical Equipment:
"Criminal Cake Gun" Blast 3 Linked to Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Stunned) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)
"Felonius Fish Club" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing) [5]

"Cat Agility"
"Righting Reflex" Immunity 5 (Falling Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2.5]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Club +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Cake Gun +8 (+3 Ranged Damage & Affliction, DC 18 & 13)
Initiative +4

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

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 33--16.5 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 8.5 / Defenses: 12 (103)

JAIL BIRD THE SWINDLIN' SIDEKICK
PL 4 (46)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Thief) 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Sleight of Wing 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4, +8 Size)

Gnarly Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Evasion, Fast Grab

Tubular Powers:
Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 10 (46)

-Among the most-obscure TMNT toys, Scratch is only notable because he reflects one of the oddities of the Toy Collector Subculture: Even shitty toys can become ENORMOUSLY EXPENSIVE if they're rare enough, and come from a popular enough line.
-See, common Ninja Turtles toys are worth a pittance, even with all of their gear. Most of the first 3-4 years of the toyline's figures aren't that expensive, either ($12-20 is normal for even a complete one). The more popular the figure was in his day, the cheaper he probably costs now- if a million kids owned a Donatello, then chances are the figure is still common 25+ years later, and so there's no reason to be jacking up the prices on one of several thousand vintage figures.
-But Scratch? This weak-ass toy from 1993- six years after the toyline debuted? Scratch was unpopular, underproduced, and didn't sell very well. Most lame toys from his era are worth barely anything, but because he's A) exceptionally-rare (if nobody bought him, then not many are around), and B) from a toyline that people actually CARE about, he is now worth a FORTUNE online. A quick search of eBay shows various figures selling for between $300-500!!!! For a SINGLE TOY.
-Scratch was intially called "Hallocat", and his creator altered his name and used him for the toyline in 1993. The character basically went nowhere, but appeared in one Game Boy video game as the very first boss. Nowadays, he's ONLY known for being the massively-pricey figure he is, to the point of controversy- doing a quick check, I found a forum of TMNT collectors complaining about how over-priced he is, and how lame his toy is in comparison (like, he's FOUR TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE than even Android Body Krang, which is a MUCH better toy!).

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This magic Mutant can go for days without water, but would only last a few minutes without a good fight. He's Sandstorm and he's ready for action. Loaded down with his wonderful weapons, like the swami slicin' sword and magic lamp pistol, this crazy carvin' camel is a cut above the rest. He's a sewer sultan and desert dude who's quick at the hip with lightnin' fast twists and turns. No Foot fightin' fools stand a chance.

SANDSTORM
Role:
Half-Assed Character, Mutant Camel
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (85)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 3 (+7)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+9)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 2 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Sword, Pistol), Ranged Attack 7, Startle, Tracking

Radical Equipment:
"Swami-Slicin' Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (9)
"Magic Lamp Pistol" Blast 5 (10)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Deserts) [2]
"Desert Animals" Immunity 2 (Thirst, Heat) (Flaws: Limited to Half Effect) [1]
"Camel Spit" Dazzle Visuals 1 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Gun +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

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

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Fighting)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 12 (85)

-Another half-assed "Let's just add an animal to a stereotype and call it a day" design, Sandstorm came late in the game, and is a generic "Middle Eastern Desert-Dweller" type of guy. I went with PL 7 because hey- he didn't even show up in the show or any video games. You don't get ANY kind of a push, I don't give you good stats, alright?

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Ruff, ruff! Hot Spot is not only man's best friend - he's the Turtles' canine companion. This likeable, lickable lad won't roll over and play dead, cuz he's armed to the teeth! Yes, that bone can break bones, if used just right. But that's only a last resort. This piebald pal really likes to get the Foot Clan clean by dousin' 'em with his trusty, rusty, squirtin' fire hydrant. And if it's a four alarm Foot fight, Hot Spot's got his power-packed Foot-fightin' fire axe and anti-gaggin' gas mask - so he can go right into the thick of things. The Turtles know that if they ever need the help of this dalmation dude, all they gotta do is sound the alarm - and Hot Spot will be there, ready to roll.

HOT SPOT
Role:
Half-Assed Character, Mutant Dalmatian
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (79)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Expertise (Firefighter) 8 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Axe, Hose), Ranged Attack 4

Radical Equipment:
"Fire Axe" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (9)
"Hose" (1)
"Gas Mask" (1)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Axe +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

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

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Fighting)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 12 (79)

-Hot Spot, like Sandstorm & Scratch, is a weak-ass Late In The Toyline character, which as usual, means that he kind of sucks, has a silly concept, and is mostly-forgotten by everyone. He's a Dalmatian Firefighter, which is a natural stereotype for the dogs that famously used to hang out as fire station mascots (I've never seen anything like that in person, however). Of course, nowadays Dalmations are more known for the Disney movies, and for being really bad pets, as the breed is notorious for inbreeding (and associated problems with that), and for being high-energy and thus rough with the children than whined at mommy and daddy for a cute spotted puppy.
-Hot Spot's toy is REALLY bad, too. At least Scratch and Sandstorm are defensible, if boring. THIS GUY? His eyes are all messed-up and pointing in different directions, and holding a bone in his mouth just makes him look stupid. Like, medically-so.

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THE SHREDDER (Oroku Saki)
Role:
The Big Bad, Martial Arts Master, Scheming Whiner
Played By: James Avery (UNCLE PHIL!!!)
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 9 (153)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Close Combat (Spikes) 2 (+14)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+12)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 8 (+14)
Vehicles 2 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Equipment 2 (Sword, Spikes), Evasion, Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Claws), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Inventor, Languages (a few), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown, Tracking

Radical Equipment:
"Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 4) (8)
"Spiked Costume" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (2)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Spikes +14 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Shredders wants nothing more than to rule the world.
Enemy (Splinter, The Turtles)- Shredder despises those meddling mutants, and has hated and been jealous of Hamato "Splinter" Yoshi for decades.
Rivalry (Krang)- Though the two are partners in crime, they bicker on a constant basis.
Rivalry (Rocksteady & Bebop)- Shredder cannot stand his two comrades. One wonders why he tolerates them.
Relationship (Miyoko Saki)- Shredder's mom is just as villainous as her son, and very bossy. He eventually teleports her back to her retirement home on Earth.
Relationship (Kazuo Saki)- Shredder's brother is a police lieutenant in Tokyo, and teamed up with the Turtles to stop one of his bro's schemes.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (153)

-This is by FAR the least-serious Shredder in the entire history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They took a dark, murderous bad guy who died almost right away in the Mirage Comics, and turned him into... well, Skeletor. A whiny, power-hungry schemer, Shredder is great at fighting, but is surrounded by bumbling boobs, weak henchmen, and a partner in crime who insults him every step of the way. He's prone to incredible levels of humiliation- he's been transformed into a baby, tarred & feathered by a female ninja, and more!
-One of the few Asian villains in 1980s television (which often refused to put ANY minorities in the "bad guy" roles, perhaps over-correcting the span of Yellow Peril menaces & black stereotypes of earlier decades), Shredder was a scheming bastard who had his rival Hamato Yoshi thrown out of the Foot Clan, then led it to New York, where they set up shop robbing people. Eventually, however, he just sort of shifted to World Domination- replacing his army of ninja with easily-beaten Robots. When he was defeated by his old rival and his adopted sons- those meddling Turtles- he went fully into the "Sci-Fi Villain" thing, coming up with more and more outlandish means to take over the globe. Ancient prophecies, magic spells, summoning Chthulhu, science fiction weapons, etc. For TEN SEASONS he did this.
-With him always was Krang. James Avery & Pat Fraley have since admitted that they played their characters as if they were an old married couple, bickering like Frank & Marie Barone instead of criminal collaborators. The two seemed to openly-despise each other, always looking to remove the other from power, and always deriding each other's schemes. And it was PERFECT- not many shows have a Villainous Duo at the helm. And yes, Shredder was voiced by James Avery, aka Uncle Phil of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, though once he got busy with his new sitcom, he got replaced a lot- FOUR OTHER ACTORS have also played the character in the show- it's really noticeable when you watch the later ones, or the occasional "fill in", as Avery's gravelly voice (a pretty big difference from his standard one, and one I can't imagine was easy to pull off) was hard to mimic.
-Shredder is both a martial arts master (better than any individual Turtle, though on some occasions they have tied him one-on-one) and a genius- he's actually BUILT some of the gear the villains use.

Other Shredder Toys: Slice 'n' Dice Shredder, Super Shredder, Toon Shredder, Mutatin' Shredder, Road Ready, Super Shredder (Chef Boyardee Repaint), Cyber Samurai Shredder, Dimension X Wars Playset (Modular Battleset with Mini-Mutant Shredder Figure!), The Turtle Tenderizin' Combo (Mini-Mutant Module with Turtle Cycle and Mini-Mutant Shredder Figure!), Shogun Shredder, Supermutant Shredder, Tyranno Shredder, Stretch Shredder, Metal Mutant Shredder with Tiger Spirit Armor, Shredder (Next Mutation)

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Now, with the incredibly wacky Turtle Blimp, you can help the Turtles patrol for the evil Shredder and his band of stinky cohorts, the Foot Clan! Yea, you control the action as the Turtles dive into battle from their zappin' zeppelin. That's right! You command the Blimp over the city skyscrapers and swoop in for sneak attacks with the Turtle Glider. No leaky batteries. no tangled strings or rusty springs, just you and good clean fun.

Blueprints included for easy-to-follow assembly. If you're a know-it-all, toss'em

Detachable Glider has rolling wheels for ground play!

Turtle Trigger releases bombs and Turtles individually or all together!


TURTLE BLIMP (62 ep):
Role:
Elite Vehicle
Stats: (Huge Size, Strength 8, Flight 5, Defense 6, Toughness 11) (24)
Extras: Foot Light, Dual Machine Guns +6 (Multiattack), Torpedos- Burst Area Blast 8, Features- Glider Detaches (28)
-- (62 points)

-The Turtle Blimp was given a huge push in the show, being used as a vehicle that helped the group take down Krang in his giant-sized Android Body. Naturally, this was so that they could advertise the 1988 release of the Turtle Blimp toy. This was a bit of a "Holy Grail" piece in the line, and one that I never saw with my own two eyes. Even the most spoiled kids (and my brother and I had a LOT of the best- Dino Riders T-Rex & Diplodocus; Powermaster Optimus Prime; a huge G.I. Joe fold-out base; etc.) failed to get it. Though all the same, I don't recall anyone particularly BEGGING for one. What we REALLY wanted were "Show Accurate" Android Krang and the Technodrome, which weren't released until much later.
-That said, I do have a specific memory of making some "terrific" gift for my brother's birthday or Christmas or whatever- a makeshift "Turtle Blimp" that was essentially a cardboard box taped to a green balloon with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" written on the side in black marker. I asked my brother about this, and he vaguely remembers it ("Didn't we put the Turtles in it and it sank?"). I was totally expecting him to be in love with this "awesome present", to the point where I made my parents hide it in their bedroom for like a week, but in retrospect it was probably terrible and didn't last long (I mean, it was a BALLOON).
-The Blimp was seen here and there, but the Party Wagon/Van was naturally much more common. And really, this is a team of presumed STEALTH FIGHTERS. What on Earth were they doing with a blimp WITH THEIR TEAM LOGO ON IT?

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Hundreds of years before sewers were even invented, Usagi Yojimbo (Rabbit Bodyguard), a skilled but masterless Samurai, wandered ancient legendary Japan. In a freakish burst of reception through Donatello's trans-dimensional portal, this medieval hare wound up thrashing his way through the Turtles' lair, kicking shell and more or less proving a few points with his Katana. Splinter recognized the ronin's skills at once as Usagi repeatedly put the Turtles on the cutting edge. Trapped in Turtle-time, Usagi Yojimbo quickly became a trusted and honorable ally in the ongoing pursuit of pizza and a Shredder-less world.

USAGI YOJIMBO (Miyamoto Usagi)
Created By:
Stan Sakai
First Appearance: Albedo Anthropomorphics #2 (1983)
Role: Good-Natured Wandering Samurai
Played By: Towsend Coleman
Group Affiliations: His Lord's Clan
PL 10 (133)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+15)
Close Combat (Sword) 3 (+14)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Samurai) 12 (+14)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Benefit 2 (Samurai), Equipment 2 (Katana), Defensive Attack, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Blades) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Samurai), Takedown 2, Ultimate Samurai Skill, Uncanny Dodge

Radical Equipment:
"Katana" Strength-Damage +3 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (8)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Katana +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +9

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (The Code of Bushi-Do)- Usagi must follow the way of the warrior to its strictest form. He is honor-bound to murder the Turtles on Shredder's orders after the villain defeats him in combat.
Enemy (Kinichi, Others)- Being a samurai hero in a world of adventure, Usagi's made a considerable list of enemies.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (133)

-Usagi Yojimbo (properly called Miyamoto Usagi- the cartoon & toy use the title of his BOOK as his name) actually comes from a LONG-running comic book series by Stan Sakai, but he showed up in TMNT continuity a couple of times, namely in the cartoon. Personally, I'd never heard of the guy (I was like TWO when he debuted, and I didn't read ANY indie comics until I was well into my twenties), and I thought he was kind of a wuss (I mean, a samurai bunny rabbit?), but the series is quite beloved and has a lot of respect, despite the fact that I'm almost 100% certain I've never seen a single volume of it in a store. And I'm in a town with a lot of comic book shops- maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places- there aren't a lot of comics I read in the "U" portion of the shelves (especially since I don't read X-Books). Thankfully, I read some in a local library one time, and yeah- they're definitely quality. I REALLY dug Sakai's work on the 47 Ronin comic as well- his art style is wonderfully-simplistic, in the best way. It takes a LOT of talent and skills to make so much with so little.
-Unfortunately, as a kid, I gave the character little chance. I found him short, boring-looking and wimpy (a fighting BUNNY)... of course I was also a big fan of the gecko and countless OTHER "wimpy" animals, but what is a kid if not illogical? But I MUCH preferred Casey Jones as "The Turtles's Non-Turtle Ally", and despite the two IN NO WAY being in competition, I somehow viewed it like one, and thus Usagi HAD to suck, so that Casey could be the best. Kids, right?
-Usagi appeared in the cartoon & toyline thanks to a deal with Sakai (who ain't no dummy- why NOT increase the number of people familiar with your character by like fifty times?)- he received a pair of toys, then debuted in the cartoon series! In the cartoon, he is pulled from his world of animal-people into the TMNT's thanks to a machine of Donatello's not working properly. Usagi immediately whups on all four brothers, but is finally defeated (by Michaelangelo throwing a PIZZA in his face- against a superior opponent, unconventional tactics will often work) and made to understand that they mean him no harm. There's also a pointless subplot about him getting stuck working in a Rabbit-Themed Restaurant and leading an "uprising" of the workers against their cruel boss, but it's rather uninteresting for what's a pretty long thread.
-Usagi is trapped on the TMNT Earth, however, and is forced to wait while Donatello tries to perfect it. Alas, this never happens- Usagi gets one more episode, and is still waiting. When he is defeated by Shredder in a duel (thanks to cheating via a katana-snagging magnet), he is "honor-bound" to murder the Turtles, and damn near does it- since they can't fight all-out against a friend, they're pretty helpless to stop him, and eventually it turns out that the Macguffin Shredder stole is a DRAGON EGG, and only Usagi has the courage to toss the Other Macguffin into the Dragon's mouth to revert it to an egg-form. He does not reappear, but the 2003 series would bring him in for repeated stories.
-Usagi is a brilliant swordfighter- easily enough to hold his own with Shredder or Leonardo (he is one of many opponents who can straight-up break Leo's katana in half with one chop). It's implied that the Turtles could only stop him if they used extremely-painful tactics against the sword-wielding bunny- four PL 8s against a PL 10 (among the highest in the series) would usually turn into a numbers game.
-For the record, here's what falls under "Expertise (Samurai)"- You speak Japanese, and are familiar with Japanese culture, customs and morals (though, as Raphael notes, Usagi speaks perfect English immediately upon entry). You have a basic understanding of the arts, calligraphy, horseback riding, and military tactics. You know the code of Bushi-Do (whether or not you actually subscribe to it is a matter of personal preference), and you can immediately recognize someone's place in Japanese society by their body language and how they speak (normally an Insight Check).

Other Usagi Toys: Space Usagi (based off of a semi-failed spin-off that Sakai always tried to get off the ground. He's classic '80s Sci-Fi, with an eyepatch and a lot of circuits & stuff)

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As unstoppable as a landslide, General Traag, leader of Krang's Rock Soldier armies in Dimension X, has one thing on his tiny mind — demolish Turtles. Summoned by Krang to exterminate the Turtles and prepare the way for an invasion from Dimension X, General Traag is grinding like a glacier over everything in his path.

This stone-cold killer digs through solid rock with his Anti-Turtle Combat Knife looking for Turtles. In a battle of wits, he may be unarmed but beware of his Laser Blaster. You are in for a shock should you end up on the wrong end of this atom smasher. Traag's Stunlaser gun leaves his enemies dazed, dopey and defenseless — perfect for Turtle shish-kabobs or as victims for Krang's diabolical schemes.


GENERAL TRAAG
Role:
Secondary Bad Guy Minion
Played By: Peter Renaday
Group Affiliations: Dimension X
PL 8 (98)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 3 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blaster), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blaster), Ranged Attack 9

Radical Equipment:
"Blaster" Blast 6 (Multiattack) (18)
"Combat Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Rock Soldier"
Immunity 5 (Drowning, Pressure, Heat, Cold, Suffocation) [5]
Impervious Toughness 7 [7]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Knife +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

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

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Krang's Will)- Traag is Krang's most-loyal minion.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 13 (98)

-General Traag was a secondary minion of Krang's, and effectively the embodiment of his forces. Kind of a necessary character, actually- if you wanted to show Krang as a warlord of Dimension X, then you had to show his WARRIORS. And those warriors, of course, can't just be an army of Mooks, or no one would respect them. And so, General Traag was there. He was a big brown rocky dude with an army helmet (the toy is MUCH more-detailed, showing an ugly, paler face that was much more expressive), and often teamed up with Granitor, a grey dude with a pointy nose. They were created by spraying simple ROCKS with Mutagen, and were the Mooks du jour when the Foot Soldiers weren't needed. Quite often, they were chasing the Neutrinos around (for the crime of "having fun")- they even drove off the Ninja Turtles briefly. He actually appeared more often than I thought, usually as a Villain of the Week who just happened to pop up more than once.
-Traag is quite strong, but unable to beat the Turtles by himself. I imagine Granitor to be a PL 6-7 version of this (he never reappears after the first episode featuring the two), and the Rock Soldiers are mere PL 3-4 Mooks.

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Good knight, Foot Clan, wherever you are. King Lionheart is on the prowl and taking no prisoners. This royal robed roughcat is the result of Shredder's dirty work. Formerly a Shakespearean actor, Shredder tried turning this cat into "king of the mutants." But the Turtle dudes busted loose this beast before Shredder could give him the ol' whammy. Forever grateful, this King Arthur of the city sewers has joined the Turtles' crusade to wipe out the Foot Clan. He's the master of the slap 'em silly sceptre - and no defense can stop the penetrating power of his extra-cool Excalibur. So join allegiance with King Lionheart - ruler of righteousness and pizza-lovin' lion.

KING LIONHEART
Role:
Mutant Lion
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (91)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 5 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed & Claws) 2 (+9)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Acting) 4 (+8)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Perception 4 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Sceptre, Shield), Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 2, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Slappin' Silly Sceptre" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Extra-Cool Excalibur" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (9)
"Sovereign Safety Shield" Enhanced Defenses 1 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing) [5]
"Claws" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Claws +9 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Scepter +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Excalibur +7 (+8 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+9 Shield, DC 18-19), Parry +8 (+9 Shield, DC 18-19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 9 (91)

-Another Toy-Only character. King Lionheart is apparently NOT a king at all, but a Shakespearean actor who was turned into a lion by Shredder. Exactly what kind of a nefarious plot involves making an ACTOR into a Mutant is beyond me, but that would only be like #20 in the Silliest Shredder Schemes list. He basically combines a bunch of Arthurian stuff together into one character- Noble Lion, King, Sceptre, Shield & Excalibur itself. Which makes you wonder where they got the SHAKESPEAREAN ACTOR bit from. The toy isn't... BAD, but kind of has a weird face. And the "one uncovered leg" thing is CLASSIC Ninja Turtles toyline- they LOVE leaving the "animal bits" exposed, even if somebody's wearing full clothes.

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This will never not be weird.

---

"The character of Mona Lisa was created for the old show by someone working for Fred Wolf. What many people do not know was that she was originally supposed to be a female mutant turtle, but Kevin and I put our foot down (this was back when we both agreed that a female turtle was a lame, stupid, creatively bankrupt idea) and they changed her to some kind of lizard."
-Peter Laird


MONA LISA
Role:
Love Interest
Played By: Pat Musick
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (91)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+9)
Perception 3 (+5)
Technology 5 (+10)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Sai, Stun Gun, Mace), Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 2

Radical Equipment:
"Venomous Mace Spray" Affliction 4 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reach 2) (6)
"Gila Stun Gun" Affliction 6 (Strength; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Inaccurate -1) (5)
"Ninja Nail File Sai" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Blow Fish Mace" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Jump Good" Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Swimming 3 [3]
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sai & Mace +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Stun Gun +10 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Relationship (Raphael)- It ain't dwelled on much, though.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 15 (20)

-One of the more famous one-off characters in the TMNT franchise is Mona Lisa, largely because of her relationship to Raphael. She was a college physics student who was kidnapped by an evil pirate (he wanted her help with his experiments), and was mutated after trying to sabotage his ship's nuclear reactor. She greatly resembled the Turtles, but on orders from Eastman & Laird (specifically, "NO FEMALE TURTLES!"), she was a "salamander" instead- instead of a shell, she just looked like a green nudist, complete with "Tertiary Sexual Characteristics" like long hair, curves and breasts- like Sonic The Hedgehog's Princess Sally, this probably only INCREASED her potential fanbase...). Following the Turtles back to New York... she was never seen again. Though really, her & Raph have all of five minutes of interaction, and most of that is just her flashback (called as such by Raph)- there's only a handful of hints attraction- Raph saying she's "kinda cute" instead of a "Freak!", and when she hugs him out of joy a couple of times. And of course he's mooning over her a bit in the end. But for '80s cartoons, that's basically like that scene from Bound, so you can see how the fans would dwell on that.
-A similar-ish character, an alien salamander chick, had a combative relationship with Raphael in a recent Nick TMNT episode. She was like, SUPER-obsessed with honor and junk, and fought the Turtles with her allies for a while, but grew to respect Raph and his pals- her Turtlepedia bio is roughly as long as the Sigmarillion, and I didn't watch the latter bit of the season, but apparently lots of stuff happened. In 1992, Mona received her own toy, like a lot of what were by that point "Toon Only" characters- here, she had black hair and a bunch of silly weapons.

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Designed as Krang's ultimate weapon against the Turtles, Metalhead was re-programmed by Donatello to serve the side of good. The chrome-plated sewer servant's eyes light up when you hold him up to the light. Always the life of the party, Metalhead can whip up a whipped cream and jelly bean pizza, serve sodas, display video games or rock the sewer with tunes from his jazzed-up juke box. When trouble's brewing, Metalhead becomes one annoyed android and dishes out trouble with his Robo-chuks and Foot Blaster to all who dare mess with his Turtle masters.

METALHEAD
Role:
Robot Version
Played By: Barry Gordon, Townsend Coleman, Rob Paulsen & Cam Clarke
Group Affiliations: N/A
PL 10 (134)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE --

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Perception 8 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Critical (Gun), Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9

Tubular Powers:
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 10 [10]
Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Limbs) [1]

"Half-Shell" Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

"Giant Lassos" Snare 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (31) -- [34]
AE: "Drill" Burrowing 10 (10)
AE: "Giant Gun in Chest" Blast 9 (18)
AE: "Tiny Exploding Balls" Damage 8 (Feats: Reach 3) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (19)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Giant Gun +11 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Tiny Balls +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Snare +8 Area (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will --

Bummer Complications:
Weakness (Magnetics & Electrical Attacks)- Metalhead is a machine, and thus more vulnerable to certain things. And never mind the fact that he can be repogrammed in like two seconds by a guy using a RADIO COMMUNICATOR.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 77 / Defenses: 5 (134)

-Metalhead is that ever-present thing in Merch-Based Shows: The Robotic Version. This show actually did this MORE, with the creations of "Super Rocksteady" and "Mighty Bebop". Metalhead was built by Krang to be the Final Answer to their "Turtle Problem", as he's damn-near invincible. Of course... the second he beats the Turtles, Donatello merely pushes some random buttons on his Turtle-Comm, and the robot IMMEDIATELY switches sides and becomes the Turtles' ally! Unfortunately, he goes a little nuts with his programming, and is turned into the Turtles' servant. We literally only see him ONE OTHER TIME, helping clean up their lair.
-Metalhead gets a HUGE "But This Toy" push in his debut, despite how easily the Turtles reprogram him. He's stronger than Bebop & Rocksteady, has a ton of weapons on him, and can effectively take on all four Turtles and win. Overall, he's PL 10 unarmed and with his gun and Parry- a level way above the PL 8 boys in green.

While tinkering with an unstable mental device, the infamous Dr. Honeycutt transferred his brain into his android servant - making him the world's first and most sought after servo-scientist. Now a hunted hybrid humanoid, Honeycutt's on the run. Officially classified as a Fugitoid, he bumped into the Turtles while trying to squeeze through a transdimensional portal and returned with them to earth.

Loyal to the end, Fugitoid assists the Turtles in developing new devices. He's particularly fond of Donatello's ingenuity. Fugitoid is skilled in many languages - from conversational cockroach to Mongolian mumble - but he's best used as a super-scout for the Turtles. Armed with his grappling claw and skeletal servo-scanner, Fugitoid can get himself into unusual places. He's an endless source of data, details and other dehumanized delights. Fugitoid. A good guy to run around with.


FUGITOID (Dr. Honeycutt)
Role:
Cyborg Ally
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: N/A
PL 8 (120)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Insight 1 (+3)
Perception 3 (+5)
Technology 10 (+18)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Arsenal), Inventor, Ranged Attack 4

Radical Equipment:
"Metal-Melting Machine Gun" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)
"Electro-Stun Stick" Affliction 6 (Strength; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (6)
"Grappling Claw" Improved Disarm & Trip (2)
"Skeletal Scanner" Senses 5 (Infravision, Vision Penetrates Concealment) (5)

Tubular Powers:
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Machine Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Stun Stick +6 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Weakness (Magnetics & Electrical Attacks)- Fugitoid is mostly a machine, and thus more vulnerable to certain things.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 37 / Defenses: 12 (120)

-Fugitoid is a relatively-omnipresent character in the fiction, which makes it all the weirder that he does NOT appear in the 1987 cartoon series at all! In 2003 & 2013's cartoons? Yup, he's there- making the show actively worse by going on space adventures that last for an eternity! He's a MIRAGE ORIGINAL, too- but unlike Leatherhead & The Rat King, there's no cartoons. I don't find him a terribly interesting-looking character, though- most '80s Robots had a SEMBLANCE of cool to them, but this guy? He's just a harmless-looking goofball robot- like a less-threatening C-3PO. In 1990, he received his own action figure, which is where *I* mostly remember him:
-See, one day I received a random phone call from my friend, Robbie. "Are you coming?" he says, with an annoyed laugh in his voice. "Huh?", I naturally replied to his odd point. Turns out, it was his BIRTHDAY PARTY, and I wasn't there, having completely forgotten about it! So my mom had to up and drive me to Robbie's house (looking back, I realize why my mom didn't care for him- he was pretty white trash. EASILY the only friend I had who was allowed to stay at home by himself in Grade 3 or 4), where I sheepishly promised to get him a present later. Hence: Fugitoid. Though a bit poorer than the rest of us, Robbie had a pretty cool assortment of toys (and was easily the most comics-knowledgeable person I knew- when he taunted me "Grant, you don't know ANYTHING about comics!", I perhaps over-corrected, as you can see with this thread :)), and this was one of the few Turtles figures I knew he didn't have.
-Fugitoid is a super-genius scientist in a Robotic Body, so he has some toughness to him (enough to make him PL 7.5 defensively; otherwise he borders on PL 6-7). He's got a good set of Equipment on him, largely thanks to his toy- the other versions in other media are less powerful.

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KRANG
Role:
The Big Bad, Scheming Warlord
Played By: Pat Fraley
Group Affiliations: Dimension X
PL 10 (205), PL 12 (205) Giant Size
STRENGTH
-3/8/14 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -2/0
FIGHTING 0/10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+15)
Expertise (Warlord) 3 (+11)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+4, +8 Suit, +16 Giant Size)
Perception 2 (+5)
Technology 8 (+16)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Jack-of-All-Trades, Inventor, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Tubular Powers:
"Android Body" (Flaws: Removable) [65]
Enhanced Strength 11 (22)
Enhanced Agility 2 (4)
Enhanced Fighting 9 (18)
Protection 11 (11)
Enhanced Skills 6: Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12), Intimidation 4 (+8) (3)
Enhanced Advantages 1: Close Attack (1)
Enhanced Dodge 9 (9)

"Multiple Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Multiattack 10) (12) -- (13)
AE: Flight 6 (120 mph) (Flaws: Winged) (6)
-- (81 points)

"Growth Chip" (Flaws: Removable) [19]
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (13)
Growth +10 (+16 Mass, +8 Intimidation, +2 Speed, -16 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & STA Growths) (10)
-- (23 points)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Android Body +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blades +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Giant Size +10 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +0 (+11 Android Body), Fortitude +4, Will +7
"Giant Size" Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +0 (+17 Android Body), Fortitude +4, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Krang wishes to rule the universe, or at least Dimension X.
Disabled (Giant Brain)- Krang is a living brain with little manual dexterity- he requires his Android Body or Walker Suit to get around and manipulate things effectively.
Enemy (Splinter, The Turtles)- Krang is constantly being foiled by the Turtles.
Rivalry (The Shredder)- Though the two are partners in crime, they bicker on a constant basis.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 84 / Defenses: 8 (205)

-Among the greatest things about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon was, of course, their choice in villains- none express this more than KRANG. He's basically a mish-mash of amazing qualities- where ELSE are you going to see a bad guy that is a giant, diaper-wearing android with sunglasses and a LIVING BRAIN IN ITS STOMACH. Oh, and he's an interdimensional warlord who pilots a vessel shaped like a giant sphere with tank treads and an eye on top. And the Android Body can grow wings or fight using weapons. And he bickers with his partner in crime like they're an old married couple.
-The "Utroms" are an alien race of brain-like creatures in the Mirage Comics, but of course the 1987 series took the concept and ran with it, creating an iconic bad guy. Alas, he rarely appears in the other fiction- the other cartoons use the Utroms, and the Nick show includes "The Kraang", a whole race of guys like this in android bodies. But it's just not the same. I need this slimy, disgusting, pulsating pile of veiny goo in his glorious diaper-clad Giant Android (which of course mimics Krang's facial expressions), constantly arguing with Oroku Saki.
-The amazing site X-Entertainment (a massive pop culture-related fansite that was at one point the BEST source to go to for information on Action Figures and obscure trivia- it's still running today, alongside Dinosaur Dracula, Matt From X-E's other site) professes that Krang is the writer's favorite character ever. And that's where I discovered that they actually MADE A TOY OF THIS THING. TWO, actually! It amazed me, because as a kid, all anyone I knew ever had was that shitty "Krang in a Robot Walker" toy that was the same size as everyone else. "Krang's Android Body" was like some kind of fictional Holy Grail of toys... except it was REAL. They made TWO of them, actually- a giant-size 11-inch one, and a standard-issue 5-inch figure (oddly, both will go for the same prices on eBay).
-Krang is tough to stat- he's a wimpy brain who needs to be in the Android Body to kick some ass. He's only about as capable as one Turtle all by himself, but his power is mainly in carrying around new Equipment, or just the Technodrome in general. In a couple episodes, he had a chip in his suit that allowed him to grow to a hundred feet high, so there's that, too. He fights as a PL 10 Powerhouse on his own, but at Giant Size, hits PL 12.

Other Krang Toys: Krang's Android Body (5"), Krang's Android Body (11")

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Wingnut, the clutzy, caped vampire bat, quietly hung out on his home planet Huanu. That is, until Krang destroyed it. Saved and sucked into a vortex before his planet exploded, Wingnut ended up on Earth, along with Screwloose, a levelheaded Huanu mosquito.

Furious and frantic that Krang blew up his planet, the crazed Wingnut's out to get even with Krang - or anyone else associated with the burbling brain. That makes him a perfect ally with the Turtle teens.

Despite Wingnut's bloodshot eyes, defective radar, stunted wings and oversensitive ears, he's determined to be a sewer-superhero. Even with constant training from our green teens, Wingnut's more likely to bump into a building than bust a baddie. Armed with mechanical turbo wings invented by Donatello, Wingnut flutters and putters to put the bite on the Foot Clan.


WINGNUT
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #6 (Aug. 1987)
Role: Flying Guy, Weird Alien
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (126)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Aerobatics 8 (+12)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Alien) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 7 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 4 (+11)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Wing Harness), Favored Environment (Airborne), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improvised Weaopns, Ranged Attack 7, Sidekick 20 (Screwloose), Startle

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing 2) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- High Altitudes) [2]

"Enhanced Flight-Based Fighting" (All Have Flaws: Requires Wing Harness)
Enhanced Advantages 7: Agile Feint, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge [3.5]
Enhanced Dodge 3 [1.5]
Enhanced Parry 2 [1]

Radical Equipment:
"Artificial Wing Harness" (Flaws: Removable) [11]
Protection 1 (1)
Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)
"Wing Slash/Flight-Assisted Punches" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Flight Assists +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5 (+9 Wings)

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 Harness), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Responsibility (Last Survivors of Hanua)- Wingnut & Screwloose are the only living creatures from Hanua, which was wiped out by Krang's armies.
Responsibility (Flightless)- Unlike the rest of their races, Wingnut & Screwloose cannot fly under their own power- their wings are far too underdeveloped. This shamed them greatly on their homeworld, and so they bought a set of artificial wings. If they are broken, Wingnut will go into a temporary daze until he recovers mentally from the shock.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 34 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 10 (126)

SCREWLOOSE
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #6 (Aug. 1987)
Role: Shrimpy Sidekick
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 7 (98), Sidekick Rank 20
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Stick) 3 (+11)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Alien) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 4 (+12)
Stealth 1 (+5, +13 Size)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment (Throwing Rocks +2, Stick +2), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Acute Scent) [1]
"Not THAT Slow" Speed 1 [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- High Altitudes) [2]

"Blood Drain" Affliction 4 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) [8]

"Small Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
(-2 Strength & Speed, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Stick +12 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Throwing Rocks +12 (+2 Ranged Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness -1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Responsibility (Last Survivors of Hanua)- Wingnut & Screwloose are the only living creatures from Hanua, which was wiped out by Krang's armies.
Responsibility (Flightless)- Unlike the rest of their races, Wingnut & Screwloose cannot fly under their own power- their wings are far too underdeveloped. This shamed them greatly on their homeworld, and so they bought a set of artificial wings.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 15 (98)

-Wingnut was a world-conqueror-type supervillain in the cartoon, but the version that appeared in the Archie Comics is a happy-go-lucky flying type. He avoided the rest of the team at first (he & Screwloose had their own partnership, and neither liked to talk about the past), but one issue dealt with his backstory. He & Screwloose (a talking mosquito that was a foot high and rode on Wingnut's back) were their planet's version of disabled people- being unable to fly on an alien homeworld full of airborne characters. The two conspired to buy Wingnut a pair of artificial wings, and they became the best of friends, only to watch as Krang's armies wiped out their planet.
-Wingnut is very Advantage-heavy, packing most of the Agility-based stuff, Favoured Environment, the best Initiative of his team, and some Equipment (it's easier to wreck than a Device) that allows him to fly and use a Wing Slash ability (he never actually DID THIS that I can see, but I can't figure out how he'd come close to the PLs of his buddies otherwise). He's PL 7 on offense, and PL 8 on defense, because he's the hardest member of his team to hit. Screwloose is tiny and not much of a power-player, but his small size makes him REALLY hard to hit, as well as really accurate (he's so small he passes through most people's defenses). He's much better than you'd expect a 25-lb. skeeter to be, that's for sure.

Take the toughest snake skin, wrap it in interlaced leather, bundle it together with lizard flesh and you've got an idea of how thick-skinned Shogun Shoate really is. But only an idea. That's right kids, there's more goin' on with this metallic Mutant mad Shogun mauler than meets his large lidded eyes! He's perfectly protected with his reptilian metallized battle armor. As the moon rises over the dark sewers, there comes a time to take command of the night. And when it comes time to Turtle terrorize, Shogun Shoate is Shredder's favorite battlin' beast to call on (next to Shogun Triceraton, who's also on the most favored list). This upright reptile is the king of the kick, the prince of pound, the ruler of roughhousin', the - - well, you get the idea. Muscled, Mutated and mad-tempered, Shogun Shoate is a nasty Ninja nightmare, who's packed with power - - and mighty mega Shogun weapons! When this huge hunter preys on Shogun Turtles, he packs his long lizard blade for dynamic dude duelin'! And if his Dragon-headed double dose axe doesn't do damage on the first swing, there's a chance for a double whammy on the rebound! Shogun Shoate's slithery sharp snake slicer comes in handy for the final fillet assault. Look out, Turtles - Shogun Shoate's one cold-blooded bad boy who doesn't mind mincin' fellow reptiles!

SHOGUN SHOATE
Role:
Toy-Only Character
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (81)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 3 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Weapons, Armor), Improved Critical (Weapons), Power Attack, Startle, Tracking

Radical Equipment:
"Dragon-Headed Double Dose Axe/Slithery Sharp Snake Slicer/Long Lizard Blade" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (8)
"Metallized Battle Armor" Protection 2 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weapons +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Enemy (The Turtles)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 14 (81)

-The Shogun series was a short line near the end of the toyline, featuring mostly redone versions of old characters, now with shiny chrome armor. Some are now SUPER-rare- the only original character in the line was Shogun Shoate. And I have no idea what his name represents- "Shoate" is apparently not an animal or anything (the character resembles a T-Rex somewhat). Unless he's related to some football player I've never heard of before. Just a standard-issue PL 8 Weapon-Fighter.

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The Shredder went on safari to steal subjects from the jungle for an evil experiment. Shredhed was impressed with Doctor El's witch doctorin' ways - so he went the way of the Ooze. But what Shredder didn't know was that elephants are big, friendly fellas. Now this beast of burden is a fond follower of the Ninja Turtles.

DOCTOR EL
Role:
Toy-Only Character, Witch Doctor, Mutant Elephant
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (81)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Witch Doctor) 10 (+12)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 1 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+2)

Gnarly Advantages:
Benefit (Ambidexterity), Equipment 2 (Nunchucks), Ritualist

Radical Equipment:
"Bone Nunchucks" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Improved Disarm) (3)
"Spear" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [3]
"Tremor-Detecting Feet" Senses 4 (Accurate Ranged x2 Touch) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Perception) [2]
"Trunk" Extra Limb 1 [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Nunchucks +7 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Spear +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 13 (90)

-Doctor El's one of the last "Toy-Only" characters, and I actually find him one of the better one-off figures they did- proof that the line didn't just totally crap out at the end. El has the curious origin of being a real-live Witch Doctor who was actually TURNED GOOD by exposure to Mutagen- all because elephants are actually super-nice creatures! As he's a guy with a very tiny bio, and no real impact on the overall universe, I kind of had to guess as to what a "Witch Doctor" is really capable of in this universe. I imagine a lot of Ritualistic type stuff, as the TMNT typically did not encounter Marvel & DC-style Spell-Slingers. He's stronger and tougher than the usual Mutant, but is still about PL 7.5 most of the way.

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DREADMON
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #14 (Sept. 1990)
Role: Speedster, Ethnic Stereotype
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Street Rat) 6 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Roll, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Trip, Power Attack, Takedown 2

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
Speed 6 (120 mph) [6]

"Super-Speed Feats"
"Hit Everyone in Range" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst 4, Selective 4) (10) -- [11]
AE: "Rapid-Punches" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (6)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Super-Speed Punches +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +6

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 21 (109)

-Dreadmon was kind of annoying in the issues I have. He never did much of note beyond running at super-speed, punching guys, and saying "Mon!" at the end of every sentence. Apparently he's a street rat (I don't buy that) thief who stole a magical talisman that turned him into a Jamaican Wolf-man. He's a PL 7.5 offensive, PL 8 defensive Speedster, but not of much merit. He's got some low-key Quicksilver-type Speed Feats, though.

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JAGWAR
Created By:
Stephen Murphy & Michael Dooney (potential toy), Dean Clarrain & John Simpson (comics)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #14 (Sept. 1990)
Role: Team Leader, Demigod
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (105)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Radical Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Mysticism) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 7 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Treatment 2 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Prone Fighting, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing) [5]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Improved Musculature" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Natural Weapons- Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Cat Agility" Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"Spotted Coat" Enhanced Skills 4: Stealth 4 (+12) (Flaws: Limited to Dense Undergrowth) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Claws +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Bummer Complications:
Relationship (Juntarra)- Jagwar's mother is on a great quest, and though she abandoned him when he was young, Jagwar still searches for her.
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 14 (105)

-Jagwar is the de-facto leader of the Mighty Mutanimals, a spin-off attempt from the TMNT Adventures Archie Comics series. Like I said earlier, they were short-lived (a three-issue mini-series followed by an ongoing that was cancelled after only 9 issues), and were killed after a six-part back-up storyline in the main "TMNT" book- a SHOCKING move at the time. The Archie comics were kind of messed-up in general... Jaggy here is the son of a BLAZING hot jungle-girl MILF named "Juntarra" (who is South American, and looks pretty much like the whitest-looking Brazilians), and the "Jaguar Spirit". She had Jagwar while on a massive spirit quest, but abandoned him after he turned twelve to continue her journey. She ended up captured by Death (?), and the Mutanimals had Jagwar's back as he fought to save her life. This was the opening portion of the Mutanimals series, and was interesting, but ultimately kind of faltered (that kind of Uncle Scrooge/Barksian Ducks" kind of story really hasn't sold well in the States in a LONG time), and the book didn't last long. Notably, Jagwar got a "Pin-Up" in one issue where he looked CRAZY vicious, way outside of the cutesy art designs they used for the actual comics.
-Jagwar was Stephen Murphy's creation intially- he wanted him to be a part of a spin-off toyline that was eventually shelved.
-Jagwar is a PL 8, low-pointed animal-type hero, using many of my Jaguar build's powers, combined with an excellent melee fighter. He's more like a PL 7.5 on offense, PL 8 on defense, and is enough to challenge any individual Ninja Turtle in a pretty even fight, though I think the more versatile & Advantage-heavy brothers in green would eventually win.

ImageImage

Programmed for peak performance, programmed for pulverizing pizza-eating peons - he's Chrome Dome, Shredder's synthetic soldier of doom. Transistorized for terror in the Technodrome, this vindictive villain has one command permanently burned into his memory chips - destroy all Turtles! Shredder packed Chrome Dome with deadly diodes of destruction, making this robotic ruffian the ultimate shogun warrior! With his own brand of digital dexterity, Chrome Dome weilds weapons from his atomic arsenal. And when this metallic menace swings his servo sai and gigobyte goupillon, the Turtles must duck or die! Shredder's made this metallic marvel to be just like him - a master of martial mayhem, battle techniques and everlasting evil. He's one programmed punk who will never rest until he rusts.

CHROME DOME
Role:
Giant Robot
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: Shredder's Employ
PL 11 (126)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE --

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Construction) 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 10

Tubular Powers:
"Robot"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 11 (Extras: Impervious 9) [20]
"Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Blasters" Blast 9 (Extras: Multiattack) (27) -- [28]
AE: "Missiles" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blasters +10 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Missiles +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will --

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Weakness (Chip On His Back)- Like Krang's Growth power, removing a tiny chip causes him issues. In Chrome Dome's case, it utterly defeats him.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 79 / Defenses: 11 (126)

-Chrome Dome is the omnipresent kind of bad guy: The Killer Robot. Created by Shredder to finish off those meddling mutants, he was damn near unstoppable- and unlike most TMNT enemies, he was MUCH larger than normal- about twice the height of a normal human being, and MUCH stronger. He was created to supervise the construction of a second Technodrome, but was defeated when the Turtles found the controller chip on his back. Chrome Dome reappears in Night of the Rogues, where he's been rebuilt and helps capture the four Turtles. He also holds off the entire rescue squad out to save them (including CASEY JONES, whose weapons just break against his body), and is only stopped when Splinter outsmarts him- he lures him onto a hydraulic press that flattens him.
-Chrome Dome is such a threat that he's one of very few TMNT foes that is *PL 11*. Only trickery and proper tactics can defeat him- even someone as awesome as Casey Jones can't even really hurt him.

Other Chrome Dome Toys: Warrior Chrome Dome

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Triceraton is a simple beast, who wants nothing more than to eat rats and destroy Turtles. Ever since our three-fingered green guys visited his homeworld in Dimension X, Triceraton hasn't gotten his beauty sleep-and boy-oh-boy does it show. This ugly cold-blooded creature uses the full capacity of his walnut-sized brain to seek out and destroy all Turtles! And Triceraton would rather shoot first, since he can't ask intelligent questions later. His Laser Phaser and Neutron Neutralizer come in handy while chasing the Turtles from the sewers to the streets. Often employed by the Foot Clan as an Advance Attack Alien, Triceraton comes equipped with Platinum-plated Chest Armor, three-count 'em-three razor-sharp horns and a spiny, slashing tail. And check out those rascally rodents on his detachable utility belt-just in case Triceraton needs a quick-energy rat snack.

TRICERATON
Role:
Alien Menace
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The Triceraton Empire
PL 8 (87)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Expertise (Military) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+7)
Perception 3 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 4 (Phaser, Neutralizer), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Guns), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Neutron Neutralizer" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
"Laser Phaser" Blast 8 (16)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Phaser +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Neutralizer +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Enemy (The Turtles)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 12 (87)

-Among my absolute super-favorite toys in existance was the TMNT Triceraton figure, a big, lumpy orange did with the trademark "TMNT Scowl" and a great costume. The backing board of the toy lists his NAME was "Triceraton", but in actuality, these guys are an ALIEN RACE a recurring trend in the Turtles' universe, having debuted at Mirage and appearing in all three Animated Series. And since I only had the toy, I had ALWAYS thought that "Triceraton" was just one guy- not an entire species. However, in the '87 cartoon, they only appear in a single episode, as an invading army out to conquer Earth. Donatello, then running around as a Batman-style vigilante, isn't there and so the other three are quickly beaten, but Donnie manages to convince the Triceratons through careful trickery that he is the RULER of Earth, and that some animatronic dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum are his minions. Sufficiently impressed & intimidated, the Triceratons leave Earth. Compare that to the Are They Still On Namek? adventures the Turtles get into fighting them in the other two shows.

TRICERATONS
Role:
Alien Race
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The Triceraton Empire
PL 5 (49)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Expertise (Military) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+4)
Perception 1 (+1)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters), Ranged Attack 2

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Blasters +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +0

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (The Triceraton Empire)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (49)

-Here are the Triceratons as a race- highly-powerful PL 5 brawlers & blasters.

Triceraton: Shogun Triceraton (the Chrome-y metal line)

Krang’s tired of taking on the Teens without professional help. So he’s brought in a new low-life bad guy. And when it comes to low-life, no one is lower than Scale Tail. He’s known as the highest paid bounty hunter from Dimension X. Scale Tail never fails to bag his bounty – and now he’s after the Turtles. This sleezeball is no slouch, ’cause he’s fully armed (okay, so they’re more like tentacles). Scale Tail’s got everything a belly-slidin’ psycho needs to cash in on the Turtle Teens. That venomous backpack holds more than just lunch! And be careful with that wattage whip – it’s electrified! Oh, and the most exciting aspect about Scale Tail – he can swallow the Turtles whole. So be on the lookout for Scale Tail, the dangerously digesting double-dealing Snake.

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SCALE TAIL
Role:
Toy-Only Character, Snake-Man
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: Dimension X
PL 8 (146)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Bounty Hunter) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 3 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Guns, Whip), Improved Critical (Guns), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Scale Shooter" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -1) (17)
"Vicious Venom Pistol" Blast 5 (10)
"Wattage Whip" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 3) (5)

Tubular Powers:
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]
Senses 4 (Accurate Infravision, Scent) [4]
Immunity 1 (Poison) [1]

"Multiple Snake Heads For a Hand"
Extra Limb 2 [2]
Enhanced Advantages: Second Chance (Perception Checks) [1]
Senses 1 (Radius Vision) [1]

"Venomous Bite- Paralytic" Affliction 7 (Fort; Dazed & Fatigued/Exhausted & Stunned/Incapacitated & Paralyzed) (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Extra Condition, Progression +2) (Quirk: Takes 3-4 Rounds to Start -2) [28]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Whip +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Bite +10 (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Pistol +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Scale Shooter +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Scale Tail is an evil bounty hunter.
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 11 (146)

-Scale Tail is another Toy-Only character, coming out in 1992- it's only fitting that a series about mutant reptiles would EVENTUALLY feature a snake. He's actually a pretty cool toy, and his concept is classic- why NOT just hire intergalactic bounty hunters to go after your arch-enemies? He's one of those guys who could have gotten a lot more focus, but there just wasn't time for him. The closest thing any other version of the franchise has to Scale Tail is what Karai turned into in the Nickelodeon series- a snake-armed snake-monster.

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REX-1 (Robot Enforcement Experiment)
Role:
Show-Only Character, Recurring Ally
Played By: Jack Angel
Group Affiliations: The NYPD
PL 9 (138)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Expertise (Police Officer) 5 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Investigation 7 (+6)
Perception 8 (+7)
Technology 1 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Equipment 3 (Laser Gun), Improved Critical (Guns), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Ranged Attack 9

Radical Equipment:
"Laser Gun" Blast 6 (12)

Tubular Powers:
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 9 [9]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"Mimic Skills on Tape" Variable 2 (Skills & Feats) (Flaws: Limited to Abilities Shown on Tape Inserted Into His Body) [12]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Laser Gun +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Scale Tail is an evil bounty hunter.
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 52 / Defenses: 13 (138)

-A two-shot character in the cartoon was Rex-1, a robotic police officer. This being the era of Robocop, you can imagine it was QUITE trendy to have guys like him around- he was powerful and competent, but dangerous thanks to the fact that you can reprogram him. He was built to keep some of the pressure off the regular NYPD, but was only loyal to the operator of his remote control. As this was at first April O'Neil (who was being snoopy and ended up activating him), this was okay, and he was able to save the day against an army of Evil REXes created by Shredder (who'd stolen his blueprints and mass-produced copies)... through the magic of breakdancing. Placed back in storage, he was reactivated by April & Leonardo to stop a rogue robot named LEX, who sought to enslave the city in a totalitarian state.

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THE TECHNODROME (107 ep):
Role:
Giant Villainous Base
Stats: (Awesome Size, Strength 20, Speed 7, AE: "Hovering" Flight 1, Defense 5, Toughness 20- Impervious 11) (44)
Weapons: Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack), "Power Blast" Blast 20, "Eyeball Missile Launchers" Burst Damage 14 (50)
Extras: Radar, Navigation System, Dimensional Portal, Hidden Compartments, Communications, Computer, Defense Systems, Garage, Holding Cells, Living Space, Power System, Workshop, Drilling Mechanism, Feature- 972 Rooms (14)
-- (107 points)

-Probably the most iconic Villain Base in TV history (even over SNAKE MOUNTAIN from He-Man!), The Technodrome is the home base of Krang, and nearly constantly seen in the cartoon. It was initially a moving vessel underneath the Earth's crust (within walking distance of NYC's sewer system, of course), but was frequently damaged, rendered inoperable, and exiled elsewhere. In fact, one of the great signals of time in the cartoon was to see where the Technodrome was THAT episode- it was either under NYC, trapped at the Earth's core (with lava everywhere), trapped underwater, trapped at the North Pole, or trapped in Dimension X itself. Generally speaking, Krang rarely left- it was up to the Shredder and his minions to leave and engage in field missions, either by way of portal or by those nifty little "Drill Machines" that would shoot him up to the surface.
-Apparently the early plan in the cartoon was for the Turtles to take over the Technodrome and use it as a personal base after the first five-part series... but Eastman & Laird, to their credit, refused this idea, feeling that it was WAY out of character for the more-secretive ninjas to be using a titanic, rolling base. It would often get reactivated or empowered by some shenanigans of the week, then get damaged and be stuck elsewhere- this generally happened at the beginning and ends of seasons. Finally, it was trapped in Dimension X and attacked by a gigantic plant-monster in the eighth season, and was destroyed- it was last seen as a motionless husk in the bottom of a crater.
-There was actually a toy for this, but like "Krang's Android Body", it was more of a mythical "wouldn't it be cool if they MADE ONE?" toy among the kids I knew- we had no clue there ever actually WAS one! The toy was released in 1990, so I SHOULD have definitely been aware of it- I can't imagine missing out on the ads for it, and they MUST have had images of the toy on the backboards of other toys I owned- I was EXTREMELY thorough when going over the toys I did not currently own, as my poor parents can attest.
-Statistically, the Technodrome lies somewhere between a Headquarters and a Vehicle- I ended up "cheating" and going with a Vehicle's baseline & Weapons, but with the HQ's Features system. MOST of the time in the cartoon, it just operates as a base, since it can only rarely move. When it DOES, however, it's been proven capable of destroying mountains with a single weapons salvo, flattening them with its treads, and endangering entire cities. At various times, Krang's gear can allow for spectacular things like dimensional portals that dwarf the entire Earth, Earthquake Machines, and more. Essentially, this is one hell of a boon to any "Kitchen Sink" franchise. Need a random, cross-genre story? Just add the Technodrome- instant justification!

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While battlin' a blaze, a fireman in Old Town broke an enchanted dragon-shaped flask. Suddenly, a mystical cloud covered the sky and the fireman disappeared. Out of the scorchin' heat arose the super-Samurai spirit of a dragon-genie. Known as Hothead to his Turtle friends because of his blazin' breath and quick temper, this scaly-skinned Samurai serpent can put out any fire, except his own. His fiery features include the classic, long lethal Samurai sword. And Hothead's no defenseless dragon with his dim sum staff and pagoda helmet. The Foot Clan better watch out - Hothead's got a hankerin' for barbecued Shredder-kebab!

HOTHEAD (Chu Hsi)
Role:
Giant Dragon
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The New York Fire Department
PL 8 (146)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Expertise (Firefighter) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+9)
Perception 3 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Sword, etc.), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle

Radical Equipment:
"Long Lethal Samurai Sword" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (8)
"Dim Sum Staff" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) (2)
"Ninja Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Long Neck" Reach 2 [2]
"Dragon's Breath" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) [16]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Knife & Staff +6 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Sword +6 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

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

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Scale Tail is an evil bounty hunter.
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 10 (146)

-Hothead was a 1992 toy release who never showed up in the cartoon, but shows up in the Archie Comics as a GIGANTIC yellow dragon, as opposed to the red one seen in the toys. There, he's actually a love interest for April O'Neil, making him the only non-Casey Jones character to be so, and one of very few Asian male love interests for a white woman in comics (or just about anywhere, really). The toy version is more of a standard-issue guy (though apparently is 30 feet long with his neck fully-extended- whether or not this makes him actually Large to Huge-sized is beyond me, but I'll just leave him as-is for now).

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Alright, finished my build of Slash! Now I just need a good image for him!... I'll type "ninja turtles slash" into Google Image Search to see what pops uOOOOOHHHHHHHH MMMYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!

SLASH
Created By:
David Wise
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (tv series) (1988)
Role: Evil Counterpart
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 9 (111)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+10)
Athletics 3 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Close Combat (Sword) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Palm Trees) 8 (+6)
Insight 1 (-1)
Intimidation 10 (+8)
Perception 8 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+5)
Stealth 5 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 (Multiple Blades), Follow-Up Strike, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Blades) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown 2

Radical Equipment:
"Multiple Blades" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (9)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blades +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +11

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Obsession (Palm Trees)- All Slash cares about are palm trees (his favourite is his "Binky"). If you can promise him one, he will do whatever you want. If you destroy one, he will hunt you to the ends of the Earth.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 16 (111)

-Slash was a GREAT idea in the TMNT-verse, but sadly was done as kind of a dopey, dumb villain with an odd obsession (Palm trees? Really?). In the cartoon, he was the adorably-cute pet turtle of Bebop, and then they mutated him into a big 'ol evil Turtle. And of course, following the rule of "Evil Counterparts", he needed to have the same outfit as the heroes, but black. And of course, it works EVERY SINGLE TIME. Alas, only the toys & Archie Comics version wore black- the cartoon version had a weird metallic-looking set of guards, and a buffoonish expression with a dopey overbite. Slash was bad-ass, had weapons all over the place (fist-spikes, sharp kneepads, jagged blades everywhere), and kicked some shell, but he didn't really recur that often.
-In the Archie series, he was just an alien turtle, who by some strange coincidence was dressed just like the Fearsome Foursome, and he was duped by Krang into fighting for him. In the end, he sacrificed himself to save much of the universe from the evil insectoid queen Maligna and her ally Null (who may possibly have been the devil).
-Slash is a fearsome enemy, packing Tokka & Rahzar-level power, and he's a PL 9 ass-kicker, though his mental stats hold back his points cost by quite a ways. He's certainly no Skillmonkey, but he's dangerous. In the cartoon, he's strong enough (between him and the Rat King) to throw a PIZZA PARLOR at someone!

The home team advantage goes to Halfcourt, the jumpshot jammin' giraffe. With his beehive basketball pumped and primed, Halfcourt's ready for some rough one-on-one action with any Foot fool who dares to come out 'n play. Halfcourt'll pump 'em up with his tire pump pistol and dribble 'em straight to a slam dunk - that's two points for the Green Team! It's always a game of sudden death when the Shredhead tries to take on Halfcourt. But with the help of his extendo neck, Halfcourt's got the height and the skill to score. And with his attachable backboard shield, Halfcourt is always ready for a game or a good fight. He's one Turtle Team player who knows the score - Turtles win, Foot Clan loses! So all you street warriors out there, watch out for the baddest blacktop bouncer to ever bash in a backboard. He's Halfcourt and when he shoots - he scores!

HALFCOURT
Role:
Toy-Only Character, Giraffe-Man
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (93)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+8)
Expertise (Basketball Player) 4 (+8) -- Uses Agility
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Benefit (Uses Athletics To Feint), Close Attack, Equipment 5 (Gun, Shield, B-Ball), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 6, Sidekick 7

Radical Equipment:
"Tire Pump Gun" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)
"Basketball" (1)
"Backboard Shield" Enhanced Defenses 2 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Tire Pump Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+9 Shield, DC 18-19), Parry +8 (+9 Shield, DC 18-19), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Scale Tail is an evil bounty hunter.
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 4 (93)

RUFF THE REF
Role:
Sidekick
PL 2 (32)
STRENGTH
-3 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 10 (+7)
Expertise (Referee) 6 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7 Size)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Flight 4 (Flaws: Winged) [4]

"Natural Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength, +2 Dodge/Parry, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness -1, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Injury)- Ruff's leg is in a sling.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 5 (32)

-One of the silliest Toy-Only Characters was Halfcourt, the goofy GIRAFFE MAN, who, naturally, was a basketball player. Now, Giraffes = Tall = Ideal for basketball, right? But... it's not like all that neck height is particularly useful at the hoop. At least he's got sorta-long arms. Halfcourt actually came with a gun made out of a TIRE PUMP, and was one of the few guys to come with a spherical object (a basketball, naturally), instead of the usual "flat stuff off of a sprue". Like a lot of the weirder figs, he came with a monochromatic sidekick, a Flamingo referee (??), who's lost most sidekicks, but lacks Perception (since, well, he's a REFEREE).

TEMPESTRA
Role:
Show-Only Character, Elementalist
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: None
PL 10 (161)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)

Gnarly Advantages:
Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Tubular Powers:
Environment 8 (Cold 2, Heat 2, Visibility 2) (Extras: Selective) (56) -- [60]
AE: Lightning Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate) (16)
AE: "Earthquake!" Affliction 10 (Strength or Athletics; Dazed/Stunned) (Extras: Area- 120ft. +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Limited to Grounded Opponents) Linked to Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Grounded Opponents) (36)
AE: Teleport 10 (20)
AE: "Activate Machinery" Move Object 8 (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Machinery, Limited to Their Available Course of Regular Movement) (8)

Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]
Summon Elementals 5 (Extras: Variable, Horde, 3 Minions +3) (Flaws: Tiring) [30]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Earthquake +10 Area (+10 Affliction & +8 Damage, DC 20 & 23)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Enemy (Leonardo)- He's come closest to finishing her game, so she focuses on defeating him.
Power Loss (Low Power)- Overdoing it with her powers causes Tempestra to lose energy, to the point where she must recharge.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 16 (161)

-A peculiar character, Tempestra is actually a Video Game Boss brought to life. In her debut, LEONARDO of all people gets caught up in desperately trying to beat a video game at the local arcade (any other adaptation would use any one of his three brothers for this), and during a lightning storm, of course Tempestra bursts free from the machine. She's actually very powerful, but slowly loses power until Leo outsmarts her into overdoing it (summoning a band of elementals that the Turtles all one-shot to death), then throws a circuit board at her energy blast- this traps her back in the machinery. She later reappears in Night of the Rogues, but doesn't do much in it.
-Tempestra is powerful, and has a huge advantage by being able to fly (none of the Turtles can actually hit her). Her powers are varied, but her Summons are pretty weak (Raph beats the Electrical Monster by throwing a garbage can at him; Donatello just smashes up the Ice Monster with his bo).


And that's the end of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles builds! That was a fun little nostalgic look back- doing so made me realize just how many more of my childhood memories are wrapped up in THIS line over the Transformers & G.I. Joe, no matter how legendary those ones were in my mind. I mean, when I was a kid, my schoolmates and I were OBSESSED with these guys. I still remember the "Donatello (vs) Michaelangelo" debates, the love everyone had for Casey Jones, and more. It was a bit eye-opening as an adult to read X-Entertainment for the first time and see a dozen guys I'd never heard of, and getting the full list from Turtlepedia made me realize just how MANY figures were created, and just how long the line lasted- ten years far outlasts any of its rivals before & after.

Regarding the other series: I probably shoulda mentioned earlier that I wasn't statting them up. I thought I'd mentioned it when talking about the cartoon, like "I'll do the Movies, then the '80s Cartoon!" but obviously forgot. In any case, this is probably how they'd be:

2003 Series:
* Everyone's likely a PL higher than they are here. The Turtles themselves seem far more capable against "standard-issue opponents", and are probably at least PL 9. Leonardo might be a PL 10. However, you still usually need all of the four to beat a high-end opponent, so I'm not seeing some amazing stats for them. Standard-issue Street Level Hero stuff.
* Shredder & Splinter are easily upgraded to PL 10 at least- Shredder probably has more with whatever upgrades he had- cybernetics and an Utrom and junk.

Nickelodeon Series:
* The heroes are PL 8 AT BEST, possibly even PL 7! I mean, they get their ASSES KICKED in this show- every new enemy completely whups them, often all four at once. Leatherhead & Slash are a bit tougher. Casey Jones is a PL or two lower than the rest of the crew. April lower than that (but not by much).
* The Foot Robots are even WORSE in this version! Like, in their DEBUT, they're getting beaten up by a mostly-untrained Casey Jones, and a new trainee April O'Neil. En masse- entire GROUPS go down to them.
* Dog Pound & Fishface start off semi-elite, but eventually fall by the wayside (probably only PL 7). Tiger Claw is PL 9-ish. Karai is probably PL 8, as are Rocksteady & Bebop (who of course were also elites at first- New Villain Stink really hurts guys in this show).
* Splinter is at least PL 9, possibly PL 10 (his speed is EPIC). The Shredder is probably PL 11, as he can wipe out the Turtles in seconds. Naturally, he spends all his time sitting around at the base, doing nothing.

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Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

TMNT Movie

Post by Jabroniville »

Casey: "What is all this talk o' spendin' the night down here?"
Donnatello: "*chuckles* You're a claustrophobic!"
Casey: "*stunned*... You want a FIST in the mouth?... I never even LOOKED at another guy before!"
-Donatello and Casey, who has somehow conflated claustrophic with homophobic, and homophobic with HOMOSEXUAL.


TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: The Movie

The TMNT Movie was pretty much a hallmark of my youth- I was way more into the Turtles than I was, say, G.I. Joe and The Transformers kind of came and went before I became "of age" to really get into that (I was born in 1981, and was thus the perfect 8-11 years old for the Turtles' prime in the late '80s and early '90s period. The cartoon series was great enough when you were a kid (bright, colourful, full of jokes, and had big new characters of whom you could buy the toys EVERY WEEK), but a MOVIE? And one done WELL? It was like every kid's frickin' dream.

This franchise was really all over the place in that era. Starting in 1984 by two nerds, Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird, the first Turtles comic was really a one-shot joke. It was a parody of Daredevil (which had TONS of Ninjas) and the X-Men (who were mutants), and they combined the two concepts into a grim 'n' gritty batch of teen angst the likes of which the 1980s were FULL of. The art was ugly, the stories were weird and disjointed (they killed the Shredder in the FIRST ISSUE, apparently), but it was a SENSATION for whatever weird screwed-up reason (seriously, an INDEPENDENT COMIC BOOK making THAT kind of a splash?) you could think of in the '80s (I'm thinking cocaine). As a kid, I associate

There were multiple variations of the franchise, most of which were huge:

THE MIRAGE COMIC BOOK SERIES:
The original. I read a Trade Paperback of the first issues a long time ago, and I found it rather mediocre, truth be told. Very weird, and full of ugly, ugly art. It gets props from the usual "the original is ALWAYS best" and the "it's indie so it's KEWLER than this Popular Pop Culture bollicks" crowds.

THE 1980s ANIMATED SERIES:
-I'll do a full overview of this once I start those builds :).

THE ARCHIE COMIC BOOK SERIES:
Basically replacing the Mirage series, this was an odd experience for me as a kid. The first issues were pretty bad (I have a few of them), and they tried to copy the cartoon pretty closely, but after a point they went WAAAAAYYY off on a tangent, and started dealing with new enemies and worlds, got rid of many of their old villains (Bebop & Rocksteady turned into nudists on an alien world full of transplanted Earth zoo animals), met up with the "Mighty Mutanimals" (a gang of popular supporting characters and a couple of newbies) who later GOT SHOT AND MURDERED (seriously- this is an ARCHIE SERIES), etc. It primarily turned into a Disney Uncle Scrooge type of "wandering the Earth on adventures" type of story, usually with a hyper-environmentalist stance (think Captain Planet). It has a LOT of fans to this day, and people still whine about it getting cancelled before it could finish an epic plotline, but really, with the cartoon long-since cancelled, this book was probably selling like crap. The issues I have are readable, but still pretty kiddie, even though it's remarkably adult for an Archie book. Parts of it kind of read like "hee-hee, let's have NASTY DIALOGUE so that kids will think this is adult!" because April says stuff like "I'll cut you - I SWEAR" and I'm pretty sure a blinded Turtle once copied Bart Simpson's "I'm [blank]- who the hell are you?" line). It's interesting, but not really phenomenal, likely getting over-rated because of the age group of the kids reading this "bad" stuff.

THE PALLADIUM RPG/AFTER THE BOMB:
Palladium never met a franchise they didn't like, and so they translated some Turtles stuff into RPG form. It was a mess, though (despite one of my best friends being OBSESSED WITH THIS GAME- he's a Furry so this crap appeals to him naturally, and he's always had a fetish for "Post-Apocalyptic" stuff)- the Character Creation system was abysmal (if you wanted to be a cool large animal turned into a human, you had to spend nearly ALL of your points getting stuff like hands, so you were almost always worse off than guys who took smaller animals), and it had the usual nonsensical Palladium rules (that system makes ZERO sense in retrospect- Rifts was my first RPG, and now I can barely make sense of the rules. I swear it made sense to me at the time). The RPG books first took stuff directly from Mirage, but they eventually shifted to a more "this is a post-apocalyptic world of radiation-mutated animal-people" concept with some TMNT trappings.

THE PLAYMATES TOY LINE:
Well crap, you want something every kid I knew was OBSESSED with, back in the day? Look no further. These toys were AWESOME- some were incredibly-detailed, some were HUGE, and plenty of them kicked ass. My brother and I had all kinds of these things- General Tragg, Muckman, Baxter Stockman, my beloved Casey Jones, countless variations of the Turtles (Wrestler Mikey, my favourite Detective Don), Shredder, etc. Oddly, the first Shredder toy SUCKED (he was SHIRTLESS, and all hunched over like he was Lord of the Douchebags or something), but they made up for it with the "Super Shredder" toy from the second movie. These things were iconic and everywhere when I was a kid. They eventually flat-out ran out of ideas once they REALLY had to start digging for their "take an animal, give it a stupid pun-based name, and give him a '90s-esque outfit" original figures, but there is some sweet, under-rated (few give this line the time of day compared to the G.I. Joe, TransFormers & Star Wars lines... even He-Man & it's legion of same-bodied muscle-men gets more cred).

Naturally though, it has its collectors. And thanks to the series running for MUCH longer than you'd think (*1997*!! Seriously! I was sixteen frickin' years old when they cancelled the line!), there is a HUGE amount of stuff from the later, unpopular years, that just didn't get collected. And anyone familiar with Toy Collecting can tell you what THAT means: Scarcity-Induced Price-Gouging!!! And yep, you will find late-series goofs like Scratch the Cat-Burglar being charged for literally HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, while mountains of early-release Turtles go for peanuts.

THE VIDEO GAMES:
Awesomeness personified, at least for the most part. The first NES game is legendary for its sheer, unmitigated sucktitude, as it was famously-difficult to the point of being annoying (a TIMED LEVEL full of electrified seaweed and underwater junk?), had enemies that you never saw in the toys or cartoons, and it had really bad graphics and gameplay (a side-scrolling Platformer instead of a Beat 'Em Up). I mean, this thing was an atrocity- young kids desperate to play their beloved Turtles were left with this broken pile of rat-feces (no offense, Splinter) that was so unplayable that you may as well shut it off after Leo & Don died, as they were the only two with decent freaking weapons! Raph & Mikey? Their weapons didn't extend much past their HANDS, and so they were worthless, in a game that measured nothing other than reach. Seriously, if Rob Liefeld was a video game, then .

The next bunch of NES games (including arcade translations) made up for it, and nearly every one was good. Turtles In Time was ridiculously-easy to beat, but it had great graphics, awesome bosses (Slash! Tokka! Rahzar! Android Krang! SUPER-SHREDDER!). There was that silly Tournament Fighters game that was one of those generic "Nineties Fighting Games" that were EVERYWHERE at the time (they were as ubiquitous as Side-Scrollers back then), and little else for a long time. There were a bunch more recent games, but I thought the one I played was pretty bad- Beat 'Em Ups don't translate well to 3-D gaming, and the voice acting was BRUTAL ("Eat feet! Eat feet!... Eat feet! Eat feet!").

THE 2000s ANIMATED SERIES:
This series was very popular with nerds and kids, but didn't make remotely as big a splash as the original (but really, what could?). I... didn't HATE it, but I never felt nearly the amount of love for it that others did. I read countless reports by people going all "Wooaaaaaah man this is what the Turtles are SUPPOSED to be!" and going all crazy with praise for it, but I just thought it was a standard mediocre crimefighting show. I was probably the wrong age group for it- it wasn't enough like the Animated Series I remembered as a kid, and it wasn't as adult as cooler dark stuff like Gargoyles or Batman: The Animated Series, so it was just another kids' action show to me. It didn't help that I started watching it on weekends during a HORRIBLE "let's go fly around in space and deal with Triceratons" arc that just... kept... on... GOING. Seriously, them, Fugitoid, some triceratops aliens and stuff all running around, and it took so long to get resolved that I washed my hands of the whole series. Every goddamn time I turned on the TV to watch the show, THAT ARC WAS STILL GOING ON. Seriously, has any good ever come of the Turtles going on a long-running journey through space? Ever? They shoulda just called it frickin' Namek and been done with it.

The show actually lasted a REALLY long time, was pretty-well animated, and isn't a BAD show, but it just wasn't for me. It did have two notable aspects- Casey Jones was finally a major fixture after being a mainly non-entity type on the original 'toon, and the characters were FINALLY coloured the way they were in the toys, so that Donnie was that poop brown colour, Mikey was that intense green, etc. It always bugged me that the cartoons didn't look much like the toys.

Turtles Forever, the show's finale, was absolutely amazing. The 2000s Turtles teaming up with the 1980s ones? Awesome stuff- especially with all the in-universe gags, the more "mature" Turtles being aghast at the weirdness of the '80s toon's universe (with random monsters, April being kidnapped constantly, and characters talking to the camera). Them going into the "Original Turtles Universe" was just icing on the cake, as the "extreme" Mirage Turtles gave a bunch of dramatic speeches, and considered the *2000s* ones as silly as they did the '80s ones!

THE FILM SERIES:
I would argue that the first Turtles movie was the peak of the franchise- it definitely was for me. The movie was shockingly adult ("DAAAAAAAAAAMN!"), extremely violent and dark, yet it was fun, inventive and exciting. The fight scenes were awesome, the dialogue is great ("I hate punkers..."), the animatronic puppet-work was brilliant (Jim Henson worked on it specifically for the challenge- it still holds up remarkably well, despite some odd facial reactions and funny "angry faces"), CASEY JONES THE GREATEST MAN WHO EVER WALKED THE EARTH features in it heavily, and there are tons of great scenes as well. That whole scene where Shredders stands in front of all these punker kids in the greatest hide-out in history (filled with literally everything '80s children thought was cool) and gives them this big "I AM YOUR FATHER NOW" speech... that is AWESOME and I totally wanted my own Dragon Doji so that I could pick pockets and slap nosy reporters around, too. The first movie is awesome, and made a ridiculous amount of money (it cost $15 million to make, and made TWO HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS. In *1990s* money!), so it was inevitable that it would create a series.

The second movie (The Secret of the Ooze) made a very respectable $78 million, but was worse in almost every way- it featured Shredder's return, no Casey (replacing him with a Spunky Teen Sidekick), a MUCH hotter April O'Neil, and two new mutants (after Eastman & Laird requested "no Bebop & Rocksteady" in Tokka & Rahzar, a pair of mentally-incompetent giant animals. It was funny in parts, very inventive, and had some decent scenes, but it was much goofier than the first movie (deliberately- I'm sure some parents were less than impressed at the scene in the first where Raphael gets the living shit kicked out of him and tossed through a skylight, not to mention all the "Damns"), the fights were less intense and more goofy, etc. It did have "Super Shredder" (Played By future WWF & WCW World Champion Kevin Nash), and HE was awesome, though. And oh yeah- the utter hilarity of Ninja Rap. It actually bugged me as a kid that Vanilla Ice would somehow have the wherewithal to improvise a new Rap song during a massive fistfight in his concert, but this is apparently a skill called "Freestyling", and Ice is apparently the master. It also annoyed me that the two cool-looking bad-ass mutants were babies, though David Warner was really good as the cynical scientist (apparently he was originally going to be revealed as an Utrom Brain-Alien).

The third movie... sucked out loud. Turtles in Time involved some magic lantern that brought the boys & April to feudal Japan, where they faced some Evil White People and a Big Mean Daimyo. The plot was cartoonish and silly (one critic noted that "This is a movie for children, and could probably have been written by them as well"), the animatronics work took a nose dive (their faces jump and flop around when they talk), and it had a bunch of solid ideas done WAY too quickly for them to work (Michaelangelo falls in love, and Raphael becomes a father-figure, but both plotlines are given about three minutes of development before being dropped), and even Casey Jones' return couldn't make it awesome. The fights are bad, and the villains suck, too. The movie made some decent money (cost $21 million, made $42 million), but the backlash was pretty bad, and the franchise had basically died by 1993 anyways, so that was it for the movies. Until...

The fourth movie is apparently in the same continuity, but is totally different. It's a CGI film, and was honestly okay. I think it's better than the second movie (but still ages behind the first), but doesn't have the same nostalgic punch (I can still quote almost the entirety of Secret of the Ooze). I REALLY hate the art style they went with (Casey Jones & Splinter look okay, but the Turtles are so buggy-eyed and big-headed with skinny little bodies that any drama in their scenes is almost ruined- it looks like bobble-heads fighting), but it's got some good moments with Leo & Raph doing their classic "Good Son Leader-type" versus "Asshole Rebel-type" thing, especially when they brawl on that rooftop (Leo has gone off to do some training, as the best way to train yourself to be a leader is to isolate yourself entirely from other people). The backdrop storyline is utterly uninteresting (a Macguffin Hunt for thirteen ancient evils that get rounded up in seconds off-screen), Karai and her Foot Clan basically do nothing, and the Four Stone Generals look cool, but aren't very deep characters either- basically they worked for an Immortal Dude who is responsible for a lot of ancient history (Caesar and junk), and he wants to creat a mystic ceremony to take away his immortality and that of his generals so that they can be human again, but they decide they like the power that being stoney brings them, and they fight him. It had a respectable, solid run in theatres (cost $31 million, made over $95 million), but it failed to resurrect any huge interest in the franchise. Curiously, it's got some pretty mediocre voice-acting, considering that both Mako (Aku, Uncle Iroh) and Patrick Stewart (Picard, Xavier) are involved. There's very little "epic dialogue" going on, which the first movie had in spades.

THE 2010s ANIMATED SERIES:
-This one is a much more recent show, and revels much more in nostalgia than the more-serious 2000s one did. It's entirely CGI, using some pretty goofy character designs (Casey Jonse is a scrawny punker teen; the Turtles are thin and have giant heads & eyes), but the "Universe" gags abound to the point where it was honestly pretty fun. Their Turtle-Comms use the '80s Theme Song in MIDI form, various '80s characters pop up as one-offs (the Mutagen Man, Muckman, Mondo Gecko, The Punk Frogs, etc.), and the villains get some serious play at first. The characters were reimagined in some pretty fun ways that just WORKED (even Casey, or Donatello as the Nerdy Crush-Having Goof). However... things kinda went off the rails. A little too much Karai (WHY IS EVERYONE SO GODDAMN OBSESSED WITH KARAI I DON'T GET IT), too many meandering arcs, and then of course... THEY WENT INTO F*CKING SPACE WITH FUGITOID AND THE TRICERATONS!!!! WHY!!?!?! WHY MUST THIS HAPPEN!?!?!

Seriously, no good has ever come of the Turtles going into space. The arc was HORRIBLE, and I finally exiled it from my PVR. Too many M*A*S*H repeats to watch. Suck it, Triceraton Arc.

THE TURTLES & PIZZA:
-The Turtles also had a "Trademark Favorite Food" in their beloved pizza. And as one of like five people on the entire planet who didn't like cheese (especially the kind used on pizza), this drove me NUTS, because absolutely every kid I knew was obsessed with the stuff, and so every birthday party or family restaurant dinner I had involved PIZZA somehow, and so I was always that pain in the ass kid who wanted something different made.

Foot Headquarters:
I swear to God, this was like the concentrated microcosm of everything every kid thought was awesome in the world during the early 1990s. It was like how every kid desired being "bad" (remember what I said about the nature of the movie being more "adult" than stuff we'd normally get to see?), and this was that aspect MAXIMIZED. In about half a minute, we saw kids playing pool while smoking big cigars (likely a direct reference to that "Pinocchio" scene this is based off of- the "Badness" of being a young runaway and hooligan), a slutty chick wandering around in punker clothes while smacking gum, kids playing cards while smoking, a mohawked guy playing a guitar, neon lights and giant skateboarding ramps EVERYWHERE, guys spraying graffiti (apparently on some random wall), kids playing violent arcade games, etc. There's even a quick shot of a box of ARCHIE COMICS laying around... it was AWESOME. I think that scene where Tatsu goes NUTS, flattens a bunch of stuff, and beats some poor random kid into a coma (it's VERY obvious in retrospect that the kid was supposed to be dead- all the "he'll be alright" and coughing was off-camera dialogue- just look at everyone's faces) was designed solely to make this ninja, runaway lifestyle LESS cool to the kids, because I saw that movie at nine years old, and lemme tell you, I wanted to join the Foot Clan BAD after seeing that set-up for the first time.

LEONARDO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Leads
Other Roles: The Responsible One, The Straight Man, The Normal One
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Played By: Brian Tochi & Mark Caso
Named For: Leonardo da Vinci
PL 8 (132)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Close Combat (Sword) 1 (+11)
Deception 1 (+3)
Expertise (Ninja) 8 (+9)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+3)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+8)
Stealth 5 (+10)
Treatment 2 (+3)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Equipment 2 (Twin Swords), Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Sword) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Radical Equipment:
"Twin Swords" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (9)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 Shell), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Leads the Team)- The burden of leadership weighs heavily on Leonardo- when things go wrong, he feels the full force of the blame on himself.
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- Of the four, Leo is the most devoted to their Master. It is his meditation that reveals Splinter's continued existence.
Rivalry (Raphael)- Leo is calm, insightful and dutiful. Raphael is impatient, brash and rebellious. This obviously doesn't mix well, and the two frequently argue, and sometimes come to blows. Leonardo nonetheless feels a brotherly bond with Raph, and when Raph was nearly killed by the Foot Clan, it was Leonardo who kept a constant vigil on his comatose body.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 11 (132)

-Leonardo is the de facto leader of the Ninja Turtles, given the cool blue headgear and the best Japanese weapon ever: the katana. Unfortunately, in virtually every TMNT-continuity ever, he's been limited to just donking guys with the butt ends, cutting up robots, or knocking over scenery with them, since you can't have him hack up Shredder in front of the kiddies. In the movie, he was my favourite version ever as the intense, lone leader-type, emotionally divesting himself at times (a good general tries to keep himself at arm's length from the troops he may have to lead to their deaths), but in reality feeling the hits the hardest when his brothers or master were injured. He was noble, smart, wise and still pretty funny along with the rest of them (but not the class clown like Don & Mikey). His rivalry with Raphael was beautifully done there, as well- he constantly argues with Mister "Screw Authority", but forces himself to stand constant vigil at Raph's side when he's nearly killed. Interestingly, in nearly every continuity, he's always the most serious one, but the one considered the best fighter and most noble-hearted.
-I had these guys as PL 9 (135) builds in the last edition, but after re-watching the movies, they feel more like PL 8s, but a full points-level higher for the most part (they get boosted up a bit by their Turtle Physiology, plus some varied Skills). In the movies, they were great fighters, and could knock around six or seven Foot Ninjas each in giant group-fights, but would lose to a large group solo, and got the living crap beaten out of them by Tokka, Rahzahr & Shredder any time they fought. They're a bit below the standard Marvel heroes like Daredevil or The Black Widow, who always seemed more elite (and could beat about fifty Hand Hinjas each). Leo's set up as a well-balanced, effective fighter, not overly reliant on gimmicks or weapons (since he doesn't take life deliberately, he's often stuck just using his feet against Foot Ninjas), and possessing a great array of Combat Feats. He's also a great team player and a leader, and has probably the highest set of Mental Stats of all the brothers.

MICHELANGELO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Party Dude
Other Roles: The Whacky Guy, The Surfer, The Dumb Guy
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Played By: Robbie Rist & Michelan Sisti
Named For: Michelangelo Buonarotti
PL 8 (131)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Close Combat (Nunchucks) 2 (+12)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 7 (+7)
Insight 4 (+4)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Perception 6 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+9)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Equipment (Twin Nunchucks), Fascinate (Persuasion), Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Nunchucks) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Instant Up, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Radical Equipment:
"Twin Nunchucks" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split, Improved Disarm) (4)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Nunchucks +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 Shell), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- Mikey frequently disobeys and ignores the master, showing him the least amount of reverence, but when Splinter gives them a final goodbye from the spirit world, it is he who sheds a tear.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Reputation (Joker and Fool)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 13 (131)

-Michaelangelo (spelled with or without the first "a", since the Renaissance artist didn't have it, but Eastman & Laird made a mistake when they wrote the first issue)... I have mixed feelings on him. As an adult, I recognize the need for kids to have a "class clown" type to be a fan of. He was pretty much the 'identify with this guy' character of the Turtles, but I hated him. Mostly because EVERY FREAKING KID IN MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL was a Michaelangelo fan, and I was the only kid who liked Donatello the best. Stupid kids. Even back then, I knew Mikey was kind of a pandering character archetype (plus he was the most in love with pizza... and yes, I am the only person in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE who hates pizza), and his "Totally Radical" dialogue bugged me, especially when it made him the unofficial spokesman for the entire team, the only guy getting into that "Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue" anti-drug special (itself an epic symbol of the '80s, by telling some dumb kid to not smoke weed). But nunchucks are still cool, and he fits in better in other continuities, whereas the first Cartoon kind of over-did it. He's still my least favourite, but I get the necessity.
-Mikey surprisingly matches up to his brothers, mainly by being very charismatic, having lots of Interpersonal Skills (he's the most likely to make pals with the New Kid Sidekick), and a few different Advantages. Mikey's the best at bluffing, messing guys up, and disarming people with his Nunchucks. He's also the most agile Turtle by a bit, though everyone on the team is a bit athletic, so it doesn't always mean that much.

RAPHAEL
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Cool, But Rude (gimme a break)
Other Roles: The Lancer, The Bad-Ass, The Grouch
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Played By: Laurie Faso, Josh Pais & Ken Troume
Named For: Raphael Sanzio
PL 8 (132)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Close Combat (Sai) 2 (+12)
Deception 7 (+7)
Expertise (Ninja) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+5)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 6 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+8)
Stealth 6 (+11)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Close Combat, Daze (Intimidation), Die-Hard, Equipment (Twin Sai), Fascinate (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Sai) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Instant Up, Last Stand (Ignores Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Stealth), Startle, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Radical Equipment:
"Twin Sai" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Improved Disarm) (3)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sai +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Shell), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Rivalry (Leonardo)- Leo is calm, insightful and dutiful. Raphael is impatient, brash and rebellious. This obviously doesn't mix well, and the two frequently argue, and sometimes come to blows. Raphael deep-down DOES appreciate and respect his brother, but it's hidden under many layers of grief.
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- Raphael frequently chafes under Master Splinter's rules, and rebels against him. Even so, he feels Splinter's advice the hardest, and suffers the most for his loss, flying into an uncontrollable rage.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Reputation (Jerk)- Raph to Foot Clan opponents: "You guys must be studying the, ahh... ABRIDGED Book of Ninja Fighting."
Responsibility (Rage)- Raphael possesses great anger at the world, and often turns it inward, towards himself. This makes him volatile, moody, and dangerous, in addition to putting him in dangerous situations. If he cannot learn to control his fury, it may destroy him.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 66--33 / Advantages: 32 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 11 (132)

-Raphael has always been the most antagonistic of the four Turtles, shown pretty easily in the movie, where he was arguably the central breakout character. While Leo was always in charge and Mikey was always more flashy, Raph had more solo scenes than anybody, going off on his own, fighting Casey Jones, fighting the Foot Ninjas on the rooftop, getting injured and making his big comeback, etc. This is a pretty far cry from the borderline-suicidal Mirage Raph, the generic foulmouthed black-wearing Archie Raph (he said "Hell" once! In an ARCHIE book!), and the "just one of the guys but slightly more sarcastic and witty" Cartoon Raph. Thus, he had all the drama and character development, and even got a bit of a solo run in the SECOND movie, where he helped their New Buddy join the Foot as a spy... and then got captured. In any case, his sarcasm and bad attitude have earned him a LOT more of a fanbase among the adult fans, while the kids mostly like Michaelangelo. I know I used to not care for Raph, and now he's practically my favourite. If only because he's the only Turtle with a New Yorkah accent.
-But wow, that scene where he gets the crap kicked out of him by the Foot Clan, dragged across the rooftop, then thrown through the skylight? That was FRIGHTENING for a kid. You're used to watching cartoons where the laser blasts never hit, the weapons are used to cut down things that fall on the bad guys, and everyone just gets cartoon bruises or lumps on their heads, and you see THAT? A fight with ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES? It felt uncomfortable, scary, and REAL. It's this moment where even as a little kid you look at it and go "... this is DIFFERENT, isn't it? This is SERIOUS".
-Raph fits in pretty well with the others, having his own unique set of Advantages & Skills. He's slightly stronger than Leo and slightly more accurate (and the best overall Unarmed fighter of the brothers), to make up for his short-range, much weaker weapons (he was ALWAYS the worst guy to play in the video games, especially the first NES one, legendary for it's ridiculous "Nintendo Hard" difficulty- later games upped his strength to make up for it). And instead of Leo's high Mental Stats, Raph just gets more Combat stuff, especially using All-Out Attack & Power Attack, along with a bunch of Sai-related Disarming tricks. So he's actually a bit handier in a fight, but less useful overall- note that he has lower Parry than the other Turtles.

DONATELLO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Does Machines
Other Roles: Team Scientist, The Nerd
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Played By: Corey Feldman, Adam Carl & Leif Tilden
Named For: Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi
PL 8 (133)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Close Combat (Bo Staff) 2 (+12)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Ninja) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+12)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 7 (+12)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Equipment (Bo Staff), Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Bo Staff), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Instant Up, Inspire, Jack-of-All-Trades, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Radical Equipment:
"Bo Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split, Reach, Improved Trip) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Bo Staff +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 Shell), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Master Splinter)
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Reputation (Nerd)- Donatello has trouble with the totally radical lingo of his brothers sometimes, and comes across a little weird when he counteracts "Bodacious!" and "Wicked!" with "uhh... Bossa-nova? Frere-jacques?"

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 11 (133)

-Now, Donatello is my FAVOURITE Ninja Turtle. That's mostly because the day after the cartoon ended, my mom, being overall an awesome mom-person and hearing about the shitstorm about the series beforehand, went out and bought all four of the bros to give to my brother and I, and I picked the two coolest colours, blue & purple, for mine. My love affair with purple (I wonder if my dad was concerned...?) led to me picking Donnie as my personal favourite, and his scientific ways & bo staff, and general likability (in any continuity, he's usually the last one to be yelled at, or be doing the yelling, and he isn't a stoner surfer-boy like Mikey was). Now, in the movies, he was played by Corey Feldman, then a famous mega-star who's now more of a punchline and a gag story than anything else. And he was portrayed a bit differently, lacking the technical know-how at first (he works on a car with Casey Jones in the first flick), but by the second, he's a genius working with the Doctor dude to make a cure for the mutations of Tokka & Rahzar. He was always Mikey's co-conspirator in most of the jokes, which was kinda necessary for a comedic duo, since Raph was marked as the "grouchy one", and Leo was the "serious one". So Donny kind of became everyone's best pal in the movies.
-Donatello stats up the most oddly of all the brothers, being much weaker in combat (the other three max out on Combat Advantages), but having a set-up of Skills that makes him the resident Skillmonkey, packing small amounts of Scientific & Technology-know-how onto a reasonable intellect (not an uber-version like the Cartoon series), so he can do most anything at a +9 or +10 bonus. Not that he sucks at fighting- he's +11 with the Bo, has the same Takedown Advantages as his bros- he's just lacking the sheer AMOUNT of Combat stuff (like Power Attack), and more dependant on his weapon than the others, who tend to just be melee specialists.

ELITE FOOT SOLDIER
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: Assorted Stuntmen
Named For: Parody of Marvel's "The Hand"
PL 5 (62)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7)
Athletics 3 (+4)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Street Rat) 6 (+6)
Insight 4 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ninja Weapons) 3 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Ninja Gear), Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 3, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Ninja Weapons" Short Sword +2, Battle Axe +3, Shuriken +2, Chain +1- Reach 4, etc.

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Weapons +5 (+2-3 Damage, DC 18-20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +1

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (62)

STANDARD FOOT SOLDIER
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: Assorted Stuntmen
Named For: Parody of Marvel's "The Hand"
PL 4 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 2 (+3)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Street Rat) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Ninja Weapons) 1 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Ninja Gear), Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 3, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Ninja Weapons" Short Sword +2, Battle Axe +3 (note- usually one less Accuracy for this weapon), Shuriken +2, Chain +1- Reach 4, etc.

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Weapons +4 (+2-3 Damage, DC 18-20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (47)

-Foot Clan Ninjas are the ultimate cannon fodder minions, being just capable enough to kick a hero's ass en masse, but nothing resembling a challenge one-on-one. The movie versions are honestly my favourite ever, having the cool 'mesh eyepieces' and an all-black look, instead of being generic skull-headed robots who explode on contact with anything solid. They had their own set of bad-ass moments (the guy slapping April telling her to "Shut it!", throwing Raphael through a SKYLIGHT), and had a cool origin, being an old ninja clan now filled with street kids and other runaways, trained by The Shredder and his second, Tatsu.
-Foot Soldiers are pretty capable Minions all things considered, being PL 4-5 melee fighters, but are pretty limited in combat, being quick guys with weapons who have to team up to do their best work. They don't even have Power Attack, since I never saw a powerhouse Foot Soldier, and most of 'em fit the "Skinny fast guy" schtick.

TATSU
Created By:
Bobby Herbeck (movie's main writer)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film) (March 1990)
Role: The Dragon (to The Shredder), Mook Trainer
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: Toshihiro Obata, Voiced by Michael McConnohie
PL 7 (82)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Expertise (Ninja) 5 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 5 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (82)

-Tatsu was a great minion in the TMNT movies, filling a necessary role of #2 in the Foot Clan organization that was missing with a lack of Bebop & Rocksteady, as well as being kind of "The Dragon" for The Shredder, being a top-notch combatant on his own, and enough to intimidate rookies, punish guys when he's mad, beat the crap out of a weaponless Casey Jones, etc. He didn't speak a lot (his actor couldn't speak English, so he was dubbed), he was grouchy, and he was just the right kind of side-character a fighting-based movie needs.
-There's a very good scene in the first film where Tatsu, in a fit of rage, starts breaking stuff all over the Foot's hide-out, grabs one of the teens, and beats him so mercilessly that the others are horrified. It's notable for two reasons. 1) It shows you that this ideal-looking, bad-ass lifestyle in the "Bad Kids Hangout" is actually REALLY AWFUL, because these are dangerous psychopaths and hanging around them can get you seriously hurt. Sort of like the end of an Anti-Drug PSA. 2) If you look carefully, you can tell that the guy IS DEAD. Seriously, Tatsu fatally-injures him with his assault. All of the kids' horrified faces show this. And note how the guy is heard coughing, while someone mutters "you're gonna be okay"... that's OVERDUBBED DIALOGUE, added to reduce the horror of the scene. You can tell because it's all off-camera. Much like Duke's death in G.I. Joe: The Movie, it's taken away to avoid mortifying too many kids (or their parents).
-Tatsu is a VERY capable henchman, being quite strong, fast and REALLY accurate for what amounts to an extra or speed-bump character for the heroes in an RPG. He's almost tough enough to beat a Turtle one-on-one, but certainly no match against all of them (in fact, by the second movie, all four curbstomped him with EASE with a four-man shell-check maneuver), but he's good. He can beat the snot out of a ton of his own henchmen, he can challenge a Turtle in a pinch, and he beat the HELL out of Casey Jones when the latter was unarmed. Seriously, it was a comedic beat-down with poor Casey being tossed all over the place, until he fell into a chache of (gasp!) SPORTS EQUIPMENT.

"Hey, what are you, some sort of punker? (disgusted) God, I hate punkers... Especially bald ones with green make-up who wear... masks over ugly faces.

CASEY JONES
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: Raphael #1 (1985)
Role: Human Buddy, Crazed Vigilante
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ally)
Played By: Elias Koteas
Named For: Fabled Train Engineer
PL 8 (92)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Sports Equipment) 3 (+11)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Hockey Player) 3 (+7)- Uses Agility
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 3 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+4) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 2 (Sports Equipment), Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless, Improved Critical (Sports Equipment) 3, Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown

Equipment:
"Hockey Stick" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Trip, Reach) (4)
"Baseball Bat" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Cricket Bat" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Golf Club" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sports Equipment +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (Punkers)- Casey hates punkers. Especially bald ones with green facepaint and bandanas.
Motivation (Justice)- Casey is sick of hoods in his 'hood, and so he breaks the law willingly, and chases down this punks and kicks their asses in with his makeshift weaponry.
Relationship (The Turtles)- Casey is at first a rival of Raphael, but he comes to see the good the Turtles do, and teams up with them.
Relationship (April O'Neil)- Casey started out harassing the pretty young reporter for attention, then started insulting her when she rebuffed him. Eventually, the two grew closer. By the fourth movie, they're in love but still argumentative with each other.
Phobia (Enclosed Spaces)- Casey suffers from Claustrophobia, and reacts poorly to being called out on it ("You're claustrophic!" "... You want a fist in the mouth? I never even LOOKED at another guy before!"). He even rolls down the windows while trying to sleep in the front of a truck.
Responsibility (Jose Canseco)- Do not insult his Jose Canseco bat.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (92)

-Casey Jones was an idol to tons of kids I knew growing up in the late '80s, early '90s era. Like, he had everything little kids liked- he was tough, violent, psychotic, dressed like Jason and beat the crap out of people using sporting goods equipment- he was PERFECT. Oddly, unfamiliar with the Mirage comics, I took my love for the guy from the cartoon series, where he only appeared in FOUR episodes, two of which I actually saw. It's funny because in every single other continuity (except the Archie comics, which quickly formed their own unique supporting cast), he was a much more important character, essentially becoming a recurring member of the cast.
-But I still prefer his psychotic, bad-ass '90s toon version (he talks like a young Clint Eastwood), not that his movie version didn't RULE. The best pure actor of the bunch for the film, Elias Koteas played him up a bit more as a buffoonish joker (at one point, he calls April "broadzilla") who was nonetheless also violent. Sadly, he only used the BAD-ASS HOCKEY MASK for a few bits of the film, since actors want to show their faces on screen more often than not (think of how many times Tobey Maguire lost the Spidey mask in his movies). But he still got to kick the ass of "The Dragon" in the movie, and got most of the best lines as well (see above).
-Casey Jones isn't quite up to the levels of the Turtles, being more of a street-level rough & tough brawler using makeshift weapons, and being heavily underpointed thanks to not having ninja skillz and all that. But he's still very capable, especially with his Sports Equipment (most guys get accuracy penalties for using makeshift weapons, but his Attack Spec. makes that null and void), and is realistically good enough to beat Raphael in one-on-one combat (he's a PL lower, but that isn't a wide margin). He got his ass kicked pretty easily by Tatsu near the film's climax, but the second he got hold of a golf club and a one-liner, it was all over.

APRIL O'NEIL
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Human Buddy, Nosy Reporter
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ally)
Played By: Judith Hoag & Paige Turco
PL 1 (49), PL 4 (49) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (TV News Reporter) 5 (+7)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 8 (+11)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Stealth 2 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+4) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Attractive, Equipment (Reporter's Gear- Camera, Microphone, Recorder), Ultimate Skill (Investigation)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Obsession (Getting the Scoop)- April is devoted to finding out the true story. If that means pissing off the Chief of Police, her Boss, or The Shredder and his horde of teenage minions in their awesome HQ, then so be it.
Relationship (Casey Jones)- Casey started out harassing the pretty young reporter for attention, then started insulting her when she rebuffed him. Eventually, the two grew closer. By "TMNT", they're in love but still argumentative with each other.
Responsibility (Ninja Turtles)- April was saved by the teens a couple times, and later came to care for them a bit like a mother figure.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (49)

-April was a little better than she was in the cartoon, being less of a Damsel in Distress (he only got saved twice by the Turtles; the rest of the time she was helping THEM out of binds), but never developing her budding ninja skillz that the Archie books gave her. She was also very, VERY '80s in design (reminder: each decade usually only gets defined in retrospect, and most decades' identities carry on to the first few years of the next one- rock & roll and youth culture was pretty much the same in 1962 as it was in the '50s, hence American Grafitti & Happy Days' later seasons both taking place in those years- so April's hair was classic '80s curly despite it being 1990). For some raeson, they went with a different actress for the other movies- Paige Turco (the second and third movie's April) was MUCH more attractive than Judith Hoag, but completely unmemorable as an actress, whereas Hoag carried a lot of the workload of the movie (she's essentially interacting with five PUPPETS in many scenes). Both were very minor actresses, too, as they never really went on to do anything else, much like the rest of the non-Casey Jones cast. Oh, and she was totally hooking up with Casey at the end of the first movie, but he was Chuck Cunninghammed from the second, so who knows where that issue lies? Maybe it got resolved in a third movie... too bad they never made one. EVER.
-April's your standard Civilian Supporting Cast Member in a "series"- she's got tons of Skills, and even a few Feats, but lacks any sort of combative power and is very low in PL. By "TMNT", she was actually a solid fighter- producing something more like:

APRIL O'NEIL
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Human Buddy, Nosy Reporter
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ally)
Played By: Judith Hoag & Paige Turco
PL 6 (89)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (TV News Reporter) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Artifact Hunter) 6 (+8)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 8 (+11)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+4) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Defensive Attack, Equipment (Katana +3), Ultimate Skill (Investigation)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Katana +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Obsession (Getting the Scoop)- April is devoted to finding out the true story. If that means pissing off the Chief of Police, her Boss, or The Shredder and his horde of teenage minions in their awesome HQ, then so be it.
Relationship (Casey Jones)- Casey started out harassing the pretty young reporter for attention, then started insulting her when she rebuffed him. Eventually, the two grew closer. By "TMNT", they're in love but still argumentative with each other.
Responsibility (Ninja Turtles)- April was saved by the teens a couple times, and later came to care for them a bit like a mother figure.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (89)

-This is April in the fourth movie, where she's got some Ninjistu going on.

KENO
Created By:
Todd Langen (movie's main writer)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (film) (March 1991)
Role: Human Buddy, Pizza Delivery Boy, Amateur Martial Artist
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ally)
Played By: Ernie Reyes, Jr.
PL 6 (71)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Pizza Delivery Boy) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+5)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 5 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Vehicles 6 (+6) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Daze (Deception), Improved Defense, Taunt

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Obsession (Getting the Scoop)- April is devoted to finding out the true story. If that means pissing off the Chief of Police, her Boss, or The Shredder and his horde of teenage minions in their awesome HQ, then so be it.
Relationship (Casey Jones)- Casey started out harassing the pretty young reporter for attention, then started insulting her when she rebuffed him. Eventually, the two grew closer. By "TMNT", they're in love but still argumentative with each other.
Responsibility (Ninja Turtles)- April was saved by the teens a couple times, and later came to care for them a bit like a mother figure.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (71)

-After the success of Danny as a runaway kid/pain in the ass in the first movie, who betrayed the team, then betrayed Shredder, there came a new kid character in the second film: Keno, a young martial artist who fought some thieves before being saved by the TMNT from a giant Foot gang. Successfully tracking the brothers down, he was your standard "plucky young pain in the ass" Audience Avatar character, helping them discover the Foot's hideout as a potential recruit, but was largely absent from the rest of the movie.
-A half-decent Kid Sidekick, he's low on points, but still pretty good at fighting. Better than your standard Foot Ninja, at least. PL 5 on offense, PL 5.5 on defense.

SPLINTER
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: The Mentor, The Wise Master
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ally)
Played By: Kevin Clash (that's freakin' ELMO!)
Named For: Ability to Break Boards
PL 8 (121)
STRENGTH
-1/2 STAMINA 0/2 AGILITY -2/4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+2/+8)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 8 (+12)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Ninja) 9 (+13)
Insight 4 (+9)
Investigation 4 (+9)
Perception 6 (+11)
Persuasion 9 (+11)
Stealth 7 (+6/+10)
Treatment 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit (+2 to Grapple if Opponent Misses in Melee), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 5, Redirect

Powers:
"Martial Arts Mastery" (All Powers have Flaws: Fades)
Enhanced Strength 3 [3]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [2]
Enhanced Agility 6 [6]

"Rat Physiology"
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Mastery +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative -2 (+4 Mastery)

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +10
"Using Mastery" Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +10

Complications:
Relationship (His Sons)- Splinter is a devoted, if sometimes frustrated, father. The lives of his "sons" are vastly important to him. "ALL fathers... love their sons" is what he tells teen runaway Danny.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 15 (121)

-Splinter's almost as important to the TMNT canon as the boys themselves are, and he defines the "Wise Old Master" archetype better than anyone not named "Miyagi". In the movies, he was a background guy for the most part, but still gave important information towards the boys' origins, made them some friends, and turned the young Daniel to their side by the end. Oh, and he beat The Shredder when none of the others could. Though his movie origin was the same as his ridiculous initial one (he's a RAT who learned MARTIAL ARTS?), they probably did him better than just about any other medium I've seen. And yeah, he's voiced by FRICKIN' ELMO.
-Guys like Splinter are hard to stat up, because they're supposed to be elite old masters, but are now physically decrepit and weak. I figured the best way was to make him supremely accurate in combat, and hard to hit, but also make him reliant on Fading boosts (ie. Chi) for all of his damage-dealing and quickness-based moves. This gives him just enough ability to bluff out Shredder when he crazily charges at him, and toss him off a building ledge, for instance. He's also nearly equal to all his boys for at least a couple rounds, before his Chi wears off and he's dropped to old-man levels. In "TMNT" he seems comparatively spry, which is one of the few continuity shifts between films.

CASEY JONES
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: Raphael #1 (1985)
Role: Human Buddy, Crazed Vigilante
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ally)
Played By: Elias Koteas
Named For: Fabled Train Engineer
PL 8 (98)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Sports Equipment) 3 (+11)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Hockey Player) 3 (+7)- Uses Agility
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 6 (+6) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 2 (Sports Equipment), Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless, Improved Critical (Sports Equipment) 3, Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown

Equipment:
"Hockey Stick" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Trip, Reach) (4)
"Baseball Bat" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Cricket Bat" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
"Golf Club" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sports Equipment +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (Punkers)- Casey hates punkers. Especially bald ones with green facepaint and bandanas.
Motivation (Justice)- Casey is sick of hoods in his 'hood, and so he breaks the law willingly, and chases down this punks and kicks their asses in with his makeshift weaponry.
Relationship (The Turtles)- Casey is at first a rival of Raphael, but he comes to see the good the Turtles do, and teams up with them.
Relationship (April O'Neil)- Casey started out harassing the pretty young reporter for attention, then started insulting her when she rebuffed him. Eventually, the two grew closer. By "TMNT", they're in love but still argumentative with each other.
Phobia (Enclosed Spaces)- Casey suffers from Claustrophobia, and reacts poorly to being called out on it ("You're claustrophic!" "... You want a punch in the mouth? I never even LOOKED at another guy before!"). He even rolls down the windows while trying to sleep in the front of a truck.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 17 (98)

-HHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLSSSSS YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! Casey Jones was an idol to tons of kids growing up in the late '80s, early '90s era, ESPECIALLY to me! Tough, angry, over-the-top violent, looked like ****in' Jason Voorhees, psychotic, weapons-using, etc., he was PERFECT. Oddly, unfamiliar with the Mirage comics, I took my love for the guy from the cartoon series, where he only appeared in FOUR episodes, two of which I actually saw. It's funny because in every single other continuity (except the Archie comics, which quickly formed their own unique supporting cast), he was a much more important character, essentially becoming a recurring member of the 2000s cartoon cast. But I still prefer his psychotically bad-assed 90s toon version, not that his movie version didn't RULE. The best pure actor of the bunch for the film, Elias Koteas Played him up a bit more as a buffoonish joker who was nonetheless also violent. Sadly, he only used the BAD-ASS HOCKEY MASK for a few bits of the film, since handsome actors need to show their faces on screen more often than not (think of how many times Tobey Maguire lost the Spidey mask in his movies). But he still got to kick "The Dragon's" ass in the movie, and got most of the best lines as well (see above).
-Casey Jones isn't quite up to the levels of the Turtles, being more of a street-level rough & tough brawler using makeshift weapons, and being heavily underpointed thanks to not having ninja skillz and all that. But he's still very capable, especially with his Sports Equipment (most guys get accuracy penalties for using makeshift weapons, but his Attack Spec. makes that null and void), and is realistically good enough to beat Raphael in one-on-one combat (he's a PL lower, but that isn't a wide margin). He got his ass kicked pretty easily by Tatsu near the film's climax, but the second he got hold of a golf club and a one-liner, it was all over.

ImageImage

TOKKA
Created By:
Todd Langen (movie's main writer)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (film) (March 1991)
Role: Childlike Villain
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: Frank Welker
PL 9 (81)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Intimidation 13 (+10)
Perception 4 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Throwing Objects) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Damaging Escape, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Throw, Diehard, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Huge Size" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 7) [9]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 20), Toughness +9 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +7, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Mama)- Tokka & Rahzar are devoted to The Shredder, their surrogate mother.
Disabled ("They're not stupid- they're infants!... Okay, they're stupid infants")- Neither mutant can really speak properly. They're more prone to banging stuff on their heads.
Involuntary Transformation (Anti-Mutagen)- Both mutants were created with a deliberately-inferior formula of "Ooze", which makes them susceptible to a chemical process that will revert them back into baby animals.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 9 (81)

RAHZAR
Created By:
Todd Langen (movie's main writer)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (film) (March 1991)
Role: Childlike Villain
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: Frank Welker
PL 9 (84)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Intimidation 13 (+10)
Perception 4 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Throwing Objects) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Huge Size" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 7) [9]

"Wolf Physiology"
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 20), Toughness +9 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +7, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Mama)- Tokka & Rahzar are devoted to The Shredder, their surrogate mother.
Disabled ("They're not stupid- they're infants!... Okay, they're stupid infants")- Neither mutant can really speak properly. They're more prone to banging stuff on their heads.
Involuntary Transformation (Anti-Mutagen)- Both mutants were created with a deliberately-inferior formula of "Ooze", which makes them susceptible to a chemical process that will revert them back into baby animals.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 11 (84)

-Tokka and Rahzar were newly-created monsters for the second TMNT movie, kind of as a stand-in for the buffoonish sidekicks of Shredder in the show, Rocksteady & Bebop. But where the cartoon bad guys were mere dunderheads, the movie characters were childlike monstrosities, capable of easily beating the crap out of the four brothers. Nearly invincible to their best punches, and not as inaccurate as you'd think for such big guys, Tokka & Rahzar mopped the floor with the Turtles for at least two battles, only being defeated by being outwitted with a miracle anti-mutation cure and some CO2. They were pretty cool in appearance in the movie, but a little too silly for my tastes; they eventually made a Canon Immigrant jump into both cartoons & video games, though in altered form in the 'toon- they were talkative and rather mundane, thrown in casually at the start of an episode that wasn't even ABOUT them.
-Tokka & Rahzar are pretty much the same, but Rahzar has better Senses, and the Wolf's Improved Trip instead of Tokka's Defensive Throw. Either is great at taking punishment (Impervious to any unarmed Turtle attacks, and most of them need to push it with their weapons to do some damage), excellent at grappling, and a big-time heavy hitter. Their big flaws, and what makes them so cheap, are their stupidity and lack of any mental accomplishments or Skills. Even for ANIMALS, they're dumb- identifying Shredder as their 'mother' and doing whatever he says, and are easily fooled by nearly any opponent. They're PL 8.5 on offense, and PL 9 at Parrying, but their real power lies in that Impervious Toughness and overall damage- being so much stronger than the Turtles gives them a big edge (strong guys have a slightly-higher win-percentage against accurate guys of the same PL), and means they can usually wear down the Heroes in a Half-Shell.

(The Shredder hands a bandana with a Dragon symbol to a teenage minion) "MONEY cannot buy the honor.. that you have earned tonight.... You make us all... PROUD. Only EFFORT, discipline, LOYALTY, earn the right to wear the Dragon doji. You are here because the ouside world REJECTS you. THIS is your FAMILY. *I* am you FATHER! I want you all to all to become FULL members of The Foot. There is a NEW enemy. Freaks of nature that interfere with our business. You are my eyes and ears- FIND THEM. Together we will punish these... CREATURES. These... TURTLES!

THE SHREDDER (Oroku Saki)
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: The Big Bad, Ninja Master
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: James Saito & Francois Chau
Named For: Cooking Implement
PL 10 (168)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+15)
Deception 3 (+8)
Expertise (Ninja) 10 (+13)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+11)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 7 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Ninja Weapons) 4 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+8)
Stealth 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Chokehold, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Shredder Gear), Fascinate (Persuasion), Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical 5 (Unarmed 2, Arm Blades 2, Spear), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Persuasion Skill

Powers:
"Martial Arts Mastery" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Equipment:
"Shredder Gear"
Protection 1 (1)
"Arm Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (3)
"Spear" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 17)
Arm Blades +14 (+5 Damage, DC 19)
Spear +14 (+6 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4 (+5 Suit, +6 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +9

Complications:
Motivation (Money & Power)- The Shredder has turned the entire Foot Clan into a group of thieves and pickpockets, devoted to giving him riches and might.
Enemy (Splinter, The Turtles)- Oroku Saki was scarred decades ago by the pet rat of a rival, Hamato Yoshi. The rat grew into Splinter, and his four "Sons" destroyed The Shredder's own organization.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 82--41 / Advantages: 39 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 13 (168)

-The Shredder is the Big Bad of the TMNT universe, so much so that any appearance by them in media that doesn't feature him seems to fall flat, focusing on generic Dark Lords or Cosmic Bad Guys and the like. But let's face it, it's all about the Shred-Head. He's mean, angry, lethal and vindictive, and it always works because he's got a past link to the team via Splinter. As the evil leader of the Foot Clan, in the movies Shredders was practically more of a background character, getting less screen time than everyone from the Turtles to April to that Danny kid, but it was like the movie "Jaws", where it works because his first appearance fighting just has him kicking the bejeezus out of the boys with ease. It's only a bluff from Splinter that saves the day. By the second movie, he was now a full-on in-every-scene type of guy, where he just acted angry a whole bunch and tried to kill everyone again. Forced into a semi-comic patsy-type role alongside new buffoonish henchmen, he was still pretty tough, but it wasn't until his awesome SUPER SHREDDER upgrade that he really overpowered the boys again. Unfortunately, he was almost insane with rage at that point, tearing down the pier they were on, which finally killed him. Me, I'm just wonder how drinking some green liquid managed to change his COSTUME AND SPIKES.
-Shredder stats up pretty mean, being a step beyond all four Turtles in terms of sheer accuracy and Advantages (he's got most of the big Combat-related ones), along with all the trappings a GM would give a Big Bad (hideout, minions, etc.). He can beat any Turtle one-on-one in most cases, and even Splinter has to make him go All-Out & raging to get him to lower his defenses enough to throw him off that building ledge- he's PL 9.5 with his best weapon, and PL 10 by Parrying.

SUPER SHREDDER (Oroku Saki)
Created By:
Todd Langen (movie's main writer)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (film) (March 1991)
Role: The Big Bad, Upgraded Boss
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
Played By: Kevin "Diesel" Nash & Francois Chau
Named For: Cooking Implement
PL 11 (191)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+13)
Deception 3 (+8)
Expertise (Ninja) 10 (+13)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+11)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 7 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Ninja Weapons) 4 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+8)
Stealth 6 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Assessment, Chokehold, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Throw, Diehard, Fascinate (Persuasion), Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical 5 (Unarmed 2, Arm Blades 2, Spear), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Persuasion Skill

Powers:
"Arm Spikes" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 8) [10]
Power-Lifting 1 (12 tons) [1]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 9) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Arm Blades +12 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8 (+10 Size, +5 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +9

Complications:
Motivation (Money & Power)- The Shredder has turned the entire Foot Clan into a group of thieves and pickpockets, devoted to giving him riches and might.
Enemy (Splinter, The Turtles)- Oroku Saki was scarred decades ago by the pet rat of a rival, Hamato Yoshi. The rat grew into Splinter, and his four "Sons" destroyed The Shredder's own organization.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 82--41 / Advantages: 32 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 12 (191)

-Super Shredder's the climax of Movie 2, set up like the same guy, but with barbaric super-strength and invulnerability. And man, he was FRICKING AWESOME, being ten times as scary as Tokka & Rahzar combined, looking remarkably like a pro wrestler in spiked tights (mainly because he WAS exactly that), monstrously strong, invincible to attack, etc. It was a crying shame he was only in the movie for about a minute altogether, but really, when your Final Boss Mode looks THAT cool, there's no way the heroes would have lasted any longer. He dies by wiping out the entire docks, resulting in a massive collapse that smushes him for good. Actually, he never hits the Turtles, nor do they hit him. Given that the suit probably weighed a million pounds, that's probably for the best.
-Super Shredder loses Accurate Attack, Hide in Plain Sight, Defensive Attack & Roll, Improved Defense, Agility and Fighting, but gains a crap-ton of Super-Strength, Protection and invincibility- I seriously doubt the Turtles would've stood a snowball's chance in hell against him had he not gone totally nuts and brought down the entire docks on his head. He's two pls higher than the Turtles, and Impervious to their base damage, so he's absolutely their worst nightmare. Since the "Ooze" turned him into a psychotic smasher, you could make a claim for him being less intelligent, wise & charismatic as before, but for the sake of argument, I'm leaving it in (maybe he would have settled down if he wasn't raging, who knows?). He's a super-powered, accurate PL 10.5-type guy, but that's about all he really needs to be invincibly-tough on a PL 8 world.

JAGWAR
Created By:
Stephen Murphy & Michael Dooney (potential toy), Dean Clarrain & John Simpson (comics)
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #14 (Sept. 1990)
Role: Team Leader, Demigod
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (105)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Mysticism) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 7 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Treatment 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Prone Fighting, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended & Ultra-Hearing) [5]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Improved Musculature" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Natural Weapons- Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Cat Agility" Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"Spotted Coat" Enhanced Skills 4: Stealth 4 (+12) (Flaws: Limited to Dense Undergrowth) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Claws +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Juntarra)- Jagwar's mother is on a great quest, and though she abandoned him when he was young, Jagwar still searches for her.
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 14 (105)

-Jagwar is the de-facto leader of the Mighty Mutanimals, a spin-off attempt from the "TMNT Adventures" Archie Comics. Like I said earlier, they were short-lived (a three-issue mini-series followed by an ongoing that was cancelled after only 9 issues), and were killed after a six-part back-up storyline in the main "TMNT" book- a SHOCKING move at the time. The Archie comics were kind of messed-up in general... Jaggy here is the son of a BLAZING hot jungle-girl MILF named "Juntarra" (who is South American, and looks pretty much like the whitest-looking Brazilians), and the "Jaguar Spirit". She had Jagwar while on a massive spirit quest, but abandoned him after he turned twelve to continue her journey. She ended up captured by Death (?), and the Mutanimals had Jagwar's back as he fought to save her life. This was the opening portion of the "Mutanimals" series, and was interesting, but ultimately kind of faltered (that kind of "Uncle Scrooge/Barksian Ducks" kind of story really hasn't sold well in the States in a LONG time), and the book didn't last long. Notably, Jagwar got a "Pin-Up" in one issue where he looked CRAZY vicious, way outside of the cutesy art designs they used for the actual comics.
-Jagwar is a PL 8, low-pointed animal-type hero, using many of my Jaguar build's powers, combined with an excellent melee fighter. He's more like a PL 7.5 on offense, PL 8 on defense, and is enough to challenge any individual Ninja Turtle in a pretty even fight, though I think the more versatile & Advantage-heavy brothers in green would eventually win.

MAN RAY (Jack Finney, aka Ray Fillet)
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #5 (Oct. 1989)
Role: Team Scientist, The Aquaman
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+4)
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+14) -- (Flaws: Limited to Biology)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+4)
Technology 7 (+11)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Animal Empathy, Fast Grab, Favoured Environment (Underwater), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Swimming 5 (16 mph) [5]
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

"Communicate With Sea Life"
Communication (Mental) 2 (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Sea Life) [8]
Comprehend 2 (Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Sea Life) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +9, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Motivation (Perservation of Sea Life)- Man Ray is determined to save the world's oceanic life, and often flies into a rage if he sees the environment being destroyed.
Vulnerable (Aquatic)- Man Ray is amphibious in nature, but he still requires regular supplies of water. Without regular dousing, he will grow dehydrated, and eventually die.
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 15 (125)

-Man Ray (or "Ray Fillet" as the toys called him) is the sea-worthy ally to the Turtles, debuting REALLY quickly (issue 5), but then becoming an environmental-based superhero. He got some Aquaman powers later on, and is generally the team's Strongman, alongside Leatherhead. He's a bit pricey thanks to his ability to communicate with sea life. He's a PL 8 Powerhouse-type character, but isn't too far over the limits of human strength, lifting 3,200 lbs. He's strong enough to manhandle The Shredder underwater, help Leatherhead tie up a gigantic snake, and punch it out with large bug-aliens.

LEATHERHEAD (Jess Harley in the Archie series)
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #6 (Aug. 1987)
Role: Team Powerhouse
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (100)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Cajun) 7 (+7)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+8)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
"Aquatic Hunter" Enhanced Skills 4: Stealth 4 (+8) -- (Flaws: Limited to Water) [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
"Tail" Reach 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude +9, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 15 (100)

-Leatherhead is one of the biggest recurring Turtles characters ever, showing up in virtually every continuity (save the movies), going way back to the mid-80s run of the Mirage comics. He was a tragic hero figure in the Mirage books, and was a hero in the Archie ones (being coerced into joining The Shredder), whereas the '80s cartoon portrayed him as a violent sociopath. Here, he was a hobo mutated by an evil witch into a Florida Gator-man, and after teaming with the Shred-head he ended up fighting in an Intergalactic Wrestling Federation match against the loser Ace Duck (the Archie books could get REALLY weird, okay?). He was popular enough to end up joining other TMNT co-stars in "The Might Mutanimals", where he stayed. I never really got an issue with lots of characterization from him (I was mostly curious why a guy I knew as a villain was suddenly a cheerful good guy), he just kinda said "Ut!" a lot when he was surprised or injured.
-Leatherhead is as strong as Man Ray, but packs a bit more Combat-related stuff (Power & All-Out Attack). He's got much less Skills & Advantages, however, rendering him a fairly cheap guy. He gains a few Alligator-related abilties (Enhanced Stealth, a long Tail to use his Unarmed Damage five-feet away), but nothing much. He IS a full PL 8 offensively, unlike Man Ray, so he might be able to take him in a fight.

WINGNUT
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #6 (Aug. 1987)
Role: Flying Guy, Weird Alien
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (122)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Aerobatics 8 (+12)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Wing Slash) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Alien) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 7 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 4 (+11)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Wing Harness), Favored Environment (Airborne), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improvised Weaopns, Ranged Attack 7, Sidekick 20 (Screwloose), Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing 2) [3]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- High Altitudes) [2]

"Enhanced Flight-Based Fighting" (All Have Flaws: Requires Wing Harness)
Enhanced Advantages 7: Agile Feint, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge [3.5]
Enhanced Dodge 3 [1.5]
Enhanced Parry 2 [1]

Equipment:
"Artificial Wing Harness" (Flaws: Removable) [11]
Protection 1 (1)
Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)
"Wing Slash/Flight-Assisted Punches" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Flight Assists +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 Harness), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Responsibility (Last Survivors of Hanua)- Wingnut & Screwloose are the only living creatures from Hanua, which was wiped out by Krang's armies.
Responsibility (Flightless)- Unlike the rest of their races, Wingnut & Screwloose cannot fly under their own power- their wings are far too underdeveloped. This shamed them greatly on their homeworld, and so they bought a set of artificial wings. If they are broken, Wingnut will go into a temporary daze until he recovers mentally from the shock.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 34 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 15 (122)

SCREWLOOSE
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #6 (Aug. 1987)
Role: Shrimpy Sidekick
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 7 (98), Sidekick Rank 20
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Stick) 3 (+11)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Alien) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 4 (+12)
Stealth 1 (+5, +13 Size)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment (Throwing Rocks +2, Stick +2), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Acute Scent) [1]
"Not THAT Slow" Speed 1 [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- High Altitudes) [2]

"Blood Drain" Affliction 4 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) [8]

"Small Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
(-2 Strength & Speed, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Stick +12 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Throwing Rocks +12 (+2 Ranged Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness -1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Responsibility (Last Survivors of Hanua)- Wingnut & Screwloose are the only living creatures from Hanua, which was wiped out by Krang's armies.
Responsibility (Flightless)- Unlike the rest of their races, Wingnut & Screwloose cannot fly under their own power- their wings are far too underdeveloped. This shamed them greatly on their homeworld, and so they bought a set of artificial wings.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 15 (98)

-Wingnut was a world-conqueror-type supervillain in the cartoon, but his Mutanimals version is a happy-go-lucky flying type. He avoided the rest of the team at first (he & Screwloose had their own partnership, and neither liked to talk about the past), but one issue dealt with his backstory. He & Screwloose (a talking mosquito that was a foot high and rode on Wingnut's back) where crippled, unable to fly, on an alien homeworld full of aerial characters. The two conspired to buy Wingnut a pair of artificial wings, and they became the best of friends, only to watch as Krang's armies wiped out their planet.
-Wingnut is very Advantage-heavy, packing most of the Agility-based stuff, Favoured Environment, the best Initiative of his team, and some Equipment (it's easier to wreck than a Device) that allows him to fly and use a Wing Slash ability (he never actually DID THIS that I can see, but I can't figure out how he'd come close to the PLs of his buddies otherwise). He's PL 7 on offense, and PL 8 on defense, because he's the hardest member of his team to hit. Screwloose is tiny and not much of a power-player, but his small size makes him REALLY hard to hit, as well as really accurate (he's so small he passes through most people's defenses). He's much better than you'd expect a 25-lb. skeeter to be, that's for sure.

DREADMON
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #14 (Sept. 1990)
Role: Speedster, Ethnic Stereotype
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Thief) 6 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Roll, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Trip, Power Attack, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
Speed 6 (120 mph) [6]

"Super-Speed Feats"
"Hit Everyone in Range" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst 4, Selective 4) (10) -- [11]
AE: "Rapid-Punches" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Super-Speed Punches +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 21 (109)

-Dreadmon was kind of annoying in the issues I have. He never did much of note beyond running at super-speed, punching guys, and saying "Mon!" at the end of every sentence. Apparently he's a street rat thief who stole a magical talisman that turned him into a Jamaican Wolf-man. He's a PL 7.5 offensive, PL 8 defensive Speedster, but not of much merit. He's got some low-key Quicksilver-type Speed Feats, though.

MONDO GECKO
Created By:
Ryan Brown
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #18 (Jan. 1991)
Role: Totally Radical Teen
Group Affiliations: The Mighty Mutanimals
PL 8 (103)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Music) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Skateboarder) 7 (+12) -- Uses Agility
Insight 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Daze (Skateboarder), Defensive Roll 2, Equipment (Skateboard), Evasion 2, Favoured Environment (While Skateboarding), Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Skateboard), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Teamwork

Powers:
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Tongue & Tail" Extra Limbs 2 [2]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [1]

"Skateboard-Boosted Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Accurate) (Flaws: Limited to While Wielding Skateboard" [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Skateboard Boost +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (The Mighty Mutanimals)
Prejudice (Freak)
Relationship (Candy Fine)- Candy split with Mondo when he became a mutant, but eventually the two got back together.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 19 (103)

-Mondo Gecko was one of my favourites as a kid- I thought he was the virtual embodiment of what being cool was all about- remember what I said about recognizing that Michelangelo was pandering to kids? Totally didn't pick up on it here. In the comics, he was a metalhead punker who got doused with mutagen and... I dunno, merged with his pet gecko, or something (did it ever get seen again?). In the cartoon he was raised by gangsters, but turned good with the Turtles' help, which I'm pretty sure is the origin story of about twenty OTHER mutant characters in that series... it was REALLY, REALLY bad for using a token collection of Plot Templates that they would just switch out several times a season.
-Mondo stats up as a pretty defensively-minded character with some neat tricks and a pair of Extra Limbs. He's also got a boost that he only gets while using a Skateboard, which makes him PL 7.5 on offense. Regarding his other powers: I never SAW him do any Wall-Crawling, but I figured it might be cool. For some odd reason, all the TMNT continuities out there threw out tons of mutated animal-people, yet never did a lick of research into what these animals actually were ABOUT, leaving them all basically generic dudes with their animalistic traits as little more than their appearances. Mondo could theoretically have TONS of gecko/lizard-related abilities like Regeneration, Scent, Wall-Crawling, etc., but instead he's just a scrawny teenager with a skateboard. Similar things about with his teammates- I'm just ASSUMING that some could use Scent or Low-Light Vision.

BAXTER STOCKMAN
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Oct. 1984)
Role: Mad Scientist, Useless Villain
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan (employee)
PL 8 (113)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+15)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 9 (+15)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Sci-Fi Gear- Ray Blaster +6), Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Fly Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
"Animal Senses" Senses 1 (Acute Scent) [1]

"Insect Control" Mind Control 4 (Extras: Area- 500ft. Burst +5) (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Limited to Flies -2) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 17)
Ray Blaster +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Responsibility (Going Insane)- Baxter slowly grows more mad the longer he is trapped in bug form. Eventually, he will lose all of his genius.
Addiction (Sugar)- Flies love sugar, and Baxter is no exception.
Weakness (Cold)- As a Fly, Baxter cannot survive for long in very cold locations.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 15 (113)

-Baxter Stockman was a recurring foe for the Turtles in the cartoon, starting out as a goofy, nerdy scientist under The Shredder's employ. This low-rent Jeff Goldblum (all of the nerd, but none of the sexy)
got doused with some mutagen and became an even BIGGER example of such by turning into a Human Fly. Pretty much the series' Butt-Monkey by this point (a tragic origin story, since he was actually a fairly mild-mannered dude), he had a bunch of science-based weird stories about transformations and new inventions and junk, but he eventually just turned into a joke. The 2000s cartoon & original Mirage comics got more play out of him as an elite scientist, but he eventually went nuts in both anyhow. He's a PL 8 Blaster thanks to his sci-fi gear, but he's pretty low-level. And yeah, he could control flies at one point.

ROCKSTEADY & BEBOP
Created By:
David Wise
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (tv series) (1987)
Role: Dumb Mooks, Increasingly-Bumbling Joke Characters
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 7 (75)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 2 (+0)
Expertise (Punk Thug) 6 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Blasters) 2 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+3)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 4 (Blasters +6 Multiattack, Grenades +6), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improvised Weapons, Ranged Attack 6, Startle, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Break Everything in Range" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Valuable Objects, Uncontrolled) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 20)
Blasters +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

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

Complications:
Responsibility (Da Shredder)
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 16 (75)

-Ah, Rocksteady and Bebop. Easily the Most Triumphant Example of that most popular of 1980s cartoon tropes- the Useless Villains. Initially a pair of street thugs mutated by Shredder into a Rhinoceros and a Warthog, they were actually THREATS... for an episode or two. They were stronger than the Turtles, MUCH tougher, and they gave them a pretty good beating if I recall. A couple episodes later, and they couldn't get their asses kicked FAST enough, and would get housed in a matter of seconds. They were so stupid that they earn NEGATIVES to all their Mental Stats here, and they very nearly earned an Archie Andrews-style "Break Everything Valuable In Range" power.... actually, y'know what, they deserve it. Through all the stuff they did, you had to wonder why Shred-Head didn't just off the pair of them, but I guess he'd become lonely sitting in the Technodrome all the time talking to Krang. They're a pair of dumb, borderline-retarded (maybe full-on retarded) thugs who are strong but fairly inaccurate for this world, making them PL 7 mini-Powerhouses. Enough to maybe bother the Turtles, but certainly not take on all four of them for any length of time.

Alright, finished my build of Slash! Now I just need a good image for him!... I'll type "ninja turtles slash" into Google Image Search to see what pops uOOOOOHHHHHHHH MMMYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!

SLASH
Created By:
David Wise
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (tv series) (1988)
Role: Evil Counterpart
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 9 (102)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+10)
Athletics 3 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Close Combat (Sword) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Palm Trees) 8 (+6)
Insight 1 (-1)
Intimidation 10 (+8)
Perception 8 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+5)
Stealth 5 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 (Multiple Blades), Follow-Up Strike, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Blades) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown 2

Equipment:
"Multiple Blades" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (9)

Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blades +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Obsession (Palm Trees)- All Slash cares about are palm trees (his favourite is his "Binky"). If you can promise him one, he will do whatever you want. If you destroy one, he will hunt you to the ends of the Earth.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 15 (102)

-Slash was a GREAT idea in the TMNT-verse, but sadly was done as kind of a dopey, dumb villain with an odd obsession (Palm trees? Really?). In the cartoon, he was the adorably-cute pet turtle of Bebop or Rocksteady, and then they mutated him into a big 'ol evil Turtle. And of course, following the rule of "Evil Counterparts", he needed to have the same outfit as the heroes, but black. And of course, it works EVERY SINGLE TIME. Slash was bad-ass, had weapons all over the place (fist-spikes, sharp kneepads, jagged blades everywhere), and kicked some shell, but he didn't really recur that often. In the Archie series, he was just an alien turtle, who by some strange coincidence was dressed just like the Fearsome Foursome, and he was duped by Krang into fighting for him. In the end, he just wandered off. He did a face turn and apparently died once the Archie series went TOTALLY nuts.
-Slash is a fearsome enemy, packing Tokka & Rahzar-level power, and he's a PL 9 ass-kicker, though his mental stats hold back his points cost by quite a ways. He's certainly no Skillmonkey, but he's dangerous.

USAGI YOJIMBO (Miyamoto Usagi)
Created By:
Stan Sakai
First Appearance: Albedo Anthropomorphics #2 (1983)
Role: Good-Natured Wandering Samurai
Group Affiliations: His Lord's Clan
PL 8 (133)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Sword) 3 (+12)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Samurai) 12 (+14)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Benefit 2 (Samurai), Equipment 2 (Katana), Defensive Attack, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Blades) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Samurai), Takedown 2, Ultimate Samurai Skill, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Katana" Strength-Damage +3 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Katana +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +9

Complications:
Responsibility (The Code of Bushi-Do)- Usagi must follow the way of the warrior to it's strictest form.
Enemy (Kinichi, Others)- Being a samurai hero in a world of adventure, Usagi's made a considerable list of enemies.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (133)

-Usagi Yojimbo is actually a LONG-running comic book series by Stan Sakai, but he showed up in TMNT continuity a few times, namely in the cartoon. Personally, I'd never heard of the guy (I was like TWO when he debuted, and I didn't read ANY indie comics until I was well into my twenties), and I thought he was kind of a wuss (I mean, a samurai bunny rabbit?), but apparently his series is quite beloved and has a lot of respect, despite the fact that I'm almost 100% certain I've never seen a single volume of it in a store. And I'm in a town with a lot of comic book shops- maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places- there aren't a lot of comics I read in the "U" portion of the shelves (especially since I don't read X-Books).
-For this build, I kinda had to go on "this is what an elite samurai at PL 8 should look like" since I remember little of his cartoon appearances, and I certainly never read his comic. I hope it covers all the basics- anyone who's a bigger Usagi fan than I can hopefully state anything I'm missing.
-For the record, here's what falls under "Expertise (Samurai)"- You speak Japanese, and are familiar with Japanese culture, customs and morals. You have a basic understanding of the arts, calligraphy, horseback riding, and military tactics. You know the code of Bushi-Do (whether or not you actually subscribe to it is a matter of personal preference), and you can immediately recognize someone's place in Japanese society by their body language and how they speak (normally an Insight Check).

KRANG
Created By:
David Wise
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (tv series) (1987)
Role: The Big Bad, Techno-Genius
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 8 (144)
STRENGTH
-3/7 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -2/0
FIGHTING 0/7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+2/+9)
Deception 7 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+11)
Expertise (Warlord) 7 (+14)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+6/+2 Small Size/+4 Android Body)
Perception 3 (+5)
Technology 7 (+11)
Treatment 2 (+9)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Equipment 20 (The Technodrome), Jack-of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Equipment:
"Multiple Blades" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (9)

Powers:
"Small Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
(-2 Strength & Speed, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

"Android Body" (Flaws: Removable) [46]
Growth 4 (Str & Toughness +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (8)
"Shapeshifting Arms" Shapeshift 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arm-Based Junk, like Pincers or Wings and Stuff) (14)
Enhanced Strength 6 (12)
Enhanced Agility 2 (4)
Enhanced Fighting 7 (14)
Protection 5 (5)
-- (57 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Android Body +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (+6 Body, DC 16), Parry +4 (+8 Body, DC 18), Toughness -1 (+8 Android Body), Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)
Obsession (Powering up The Technodrome, Conquering Earth)

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 63 / Defenses: 12 (144)

-Krang was an odd choice for a Turtles villain... in creating the cartoon series, they took one of the comics' more bizarre properties, a race of talking alien brains, and turned them into ONE evil talking brain named Krang, who for some reason teamed up with the ninja Shredder (who in this world was a technological genius) in order to get a killer new body (being a gigantic man with sunglasses and red undies). He was kind of a serious threat at first, but then he devolved into a goofy, pratfalling villain who spent all his time croaking when he talked and losing badly. Still, I was amazed in my teens when I flipped through X-Entertainment, a great pop culture-related website about everything nerdy (read here), and discovered that THEY MADE A TOY OF HIS ANDROID BODY. Seriously, all I ever remember seeing was that stupid bipedal walker thingie that just had his body in a glass case. That toy sucked- THIS thing was a huge monster that actually bothered to look like Krang did in the cartoon. Of course, the toy is kind of still sucky looking at it these days, but I can see it being awesome when you're 11 or something.
-Krang is tough to stat- I was gonna make him a technological genius, but it turns out SHREDDER needed to build his body and most of his junk. So he's just a wimpy brain who needs to be in the Android Body to kick some ass. He's only about as capable as one Turtle all by himself, but his power is mainly in carrying around new Equipment, or just the Technodrome in general. In a couple episodes, he had a chip in his suit that allowed him to grow to a hundred feet high, so there's that, too.

"GO NINJA GO NINJA GO!! GO NINJA GO NINJA GO!!"

VANILLA ICE
Role:
The Greatest Singer/Songwriter of All Time
Group Affiliations: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (someday, if there be justice in the world)
Played By: Robert Van Winkle
PL 5 (100), PL 10 (100) Rapper
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 7

Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+16)
Athetlics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Rapper) 13 (+20)
Expertise (Dancing) 14 (+20)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+4)
Vehicles 10 (+14)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, "The Ultimate Freestyler" Beginner's Luck, Skill Master 2 (Rapping, Dancing), Ultimate Dancing Skill, Ultimate Rapping Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Greatest Rap Star Of All Time)- Being the greatest is a tremendous responsibility.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (100)

-Among the more-notorious aspects of the second TMNT film was the random Stunt-Casting of the then-popular Vanilla Ice. Ice was a HUGE star at the time, but was already being decried the way Miley Cyrus is today for being a mindless mainstream performer (Bill Hicks did a great routine centred around him & M.C. Hammer having done... "favors"... for the Devil in exchange for fame and success). Nowadays, he's just a Pop Culture Joke and has been seen to be COMPLETELY exposed during his couple years of attention, but back then, he was popular enough to be seen in the movie. The Turtles' brawl with Tokka & Rahzar takes them into some random dockside club, where Ice is performing. While the crowd is frightened of the monsters, Vanilla randomly decides to FREESTYLE, and coins the Ninja Rap on the spot, complete with complex dance routines.
-This build reflects Vanilla Ice as the greatest performer of all time, gives him sky-high Presence, two ranks of Attractive (this was one of his big selling points, as even the "cool" rap acts wanted him signed because of his mainstream appeal), and high ranks in Vehicles (he was apparently a high-end Motocross & Jet Ski racer). I apologize for nothing.



Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Crushing Pin, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Tony Awards stuff:

* James Corden is the host- he's really moving up there. Though it's funny how Late Night has gotten over the past few years- Conan is barely even a whisper, everyone's all about Fallon (whom I HATE), Stephen Colbert's ratings have plunged thanks to both his ultra-fake "I'M SO EXCITED!" personality (it's painfully obvious to see that he's a natural introvert who can't really "fake" that so well) and his ultra-left-wing politics (which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't make them SUCH a big part of his show), and Kimmel is... still there.

* Two minutes in for the first Donald Trump joke. "The Tonys are SO DIVERSE that Donal Trump has threatened to build a WALL around this theatre!" And a bit of preaching about the diversity of Broadway. But really... they had a black Phantom of the Opera in the EIGHTIES and the world never shattered- The Way actually manages that kind of "Talent Before Appearance" thing very well... as long as everyone's still pretty hot. Tell that to the Disney Parks nerds who freaked over the "Black Elsa" at the new Frozen show at the Hyperion. Broadway's been doing "Colorblind Casting" for years.

* Megan Hilty's Dress 0_0 !!! Also, she was doing Noises Off, where apparently her costume consists of a pink negligee. I have made a terrible mistake by not going on vacation this year.

* Man, that poor chick had to perform for her musical's Big Song RIGHT AFTER losing out on "Featured Actress in a Musical"- she was literally in the back waiting to go on when they handed out the trophy.

* Four of the five nominees for "Lead Actress in a Play" were established celebrities- Jessica Lange, Laurie Metcalf, Michelle Williams & Lupita N'yongo. That's... really just par for the course with this category.

* Corden, the guy from Hamilton, Jane Krakowski (beloved by Hollywood people; "meh" to actual audiences... also, could her nose BE any faker. She's like "1.0 Michael Jackson" now) and two other B'Way types doing One Day More in a van. Awesome.

* Only having seen a weaker performance of Hamilton at the Grammys, I didn't quite get it yet, but after watching their performance here... yeah, I get it now.

* Wow, Hamilton didn't win for Hamilton. The OTHER guy won for Hamilton instead.

* Odd to see Jessie Mueller doing another show so quickly- two years ago, she beat out Idina Menzel for Lead Actress in a Musical for Beautiful, a Jukebox Musical about Carol King. And now she's already in another show, which is CRAZY turnaround for something that takes as long to put together as this).

* And the biggest shocker in Broadway history, Hamilton wins Best Musical!
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Transformers

Post by Jabroniville »

THE TRANSFORMERS:
-The '80s was an era of countless Merch-based cartoon shows- Star Wars had set off a craze of boy-themed toylines all over America when Kenner made a KILLING on their license, and He-Man was one of the originators of the "create a cartoon to sell toys" concept (this was a Mattel brainchild). G.I. Joe, Dino Riders, ThunderCats, BraveStarr, C.O.P.S. and more all came out within ten years of each other, and even a few girl-targeting properties came about with Strawberry Shortcake, Jem and the Holograms and more. But I think if you asked most boys at the time (certainly this was true among my group of friends), they would say that Transformers was king of the mountain.

Frankly, the show just combined EVERYTHING little boys loved- laser weapons, high-tech stuff, robots, fighting, dinosaurs, DINOSAUR ROBOTS, and more. The whole "More Than Meets The Eye"/Transforming gimmick set off a storm of "Gimmick-Themed" toys, to the point where most shows now had one concept of their own (Visionaries had holograms; Centurions had modular weaponry that could snap onto armor). And brilliantly, the designers at Hasbro didn't even have to get a whole line built- they just licensed OTHER stuff from Japan! Taking Takara's "Diaclone" and "Microman" transforming-toy toylines, they rebranded both as The Transformers. The concept was very new to America, and was an immediate smash. Soon, various companies' toys were rebranded as Transformers- this is why so many characters look odd and out-of-scale with each other. Dinobots came from a toyline that featured them as ridden mecha (they have PILOT SEATS), many of the Micromen are "common items" (boom box, Walther PPK, camera) that turn into robot men, while others are tiny, vehicle-based ones (the Mini-Cons like Bumblebee, Huffer, etc.). Micromen tended to be pretty cheap-looking, while Diaclones were well-detailed and full of "chrome" features- Dinobots, the Seekers and the Constructicons among them.

A story was formed by Jim Shooter, Dennis O'Neil and Bob Budianksy- Budiansky created most of the characters- taking the established toys and adding backstory. O'Neil came up with the name "Optimus Prime".

The show is pretty simple- there are good Transformers (Autobots) and bad Transformers (Decepticons)- the bad guys want to take over the universe, while the good guys are out to stop them. They travel to Earth and continue their fight there, while their home planet of Cybertron is also the source of conflict. Oh, and there's a pointless bit about them being trapped in suspended animation for MILLIONS OF YEARS, and this is rarely a major point (they just kinda show back up on Cybertron and the guys left there are like "oh, hey".). Oh, and everyone is based around transforming into an alternate form- when their Human Buddy asks why, he simply gets the answer "For DISGUISE!!" like it's the most brilliant idea ever... but really, it's almost never used for disguise- it's just to show them driving from one spot to another, and then they turn into robots again and start punching. Really, despite being called THE TRANSFORMERS, transformation isn't usually that big a deal.

Many things we'd associate with Toyline Franchises are common here- the bad-ass inhuman heroes have a Human Buddy (named Spike, who at least has a supporting cast including his hardhat-wearing father and crippled tech-genius friend). The villains include a frightening, powerful leader and an incompetent, cowardly henchman who schemes against him (a trope so iconic to him that it's named The Starscream in his honor). The heroes are led by a brave, upstanding, noble character who is the best of all his allies. There's a Tech Genius, a Second-In-Command, some Brutes, a Gruff Sergeant, and a "Kid Focus" character who's more friendly with the humans than the others, and looks the "cutest" and most-harmless.

Every kid I knew was obsessed with this show. The "Favorite Characters" were so uniform it was ridiculous- there were very few "Ensemble Darkhorse" characters in my Elementary School experience. Kids liked Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave (he both looked cool AND had the best voice in the series!), the Dinobots (Grimlock was ALWAYS first), Devastator and Ultra Magnus.

Things start out a bit small- there are so few villains at first that it looks like an absolute ROUT every time the Autobots & Decepticons fight- jobbers like the three guys who make up Reflector are frequent adversaries in scenes that see the numerous heroes overwhelm the baddies. Nonetheless, there's just a small-ish group of heroes, many of whom get established personalities (Ironhide is tough and humorless; Bumblebee is friendly; Gears is a grouch), and unique powers and attributes. But as time goes on, however, the roster goes out of control- even G.I. Joe doesn't feature this many named characters doing stuff on-screen! And most of the cast of dozens get a "focus" episode at least once, which pushes most of the OTHER characters aside. The heroes build "Dinobots" to help them out, while the Decepticons build the Constructicons, who soon form Devastator, turning the tide in most battles all by himself. Then there's Insecticons. Within a season or two, there are HUNDREDS of characters, with many not even getting "origin stories"- they just kinda show up like they've always been there.

Is the cartoon good? ... It has its moments, but retrospect and insight demands that G.I. Joe and Jem be considered as superior. They're more fun, funnier, and have more coherent characters (not being forced to show new ones every five seconds). Transformers is fun, but the plot frequently makes no sense, the characters can be one-note and annoying, and it can't even keep continuity straight. The writers couldn't agree on whether or not many characters could fly in Robot Mode, and the number of characters means that guys who are DEAD frequently appear in background scenes. The "Errors" section of the TF Wiki site (detailing erros in continuity, coloring and animation) for each episode is longer than the actual description of events in the episode in every single one of the episodes I've checked out! Of the '80s shows, it's perhaps the most-fun one to watch for "WTF?" moments and silliness.

THE TOYS:
The toys themselves were AMAZING for the time- to a kid, they were easily the best of any franchise- they ruled it over G.I. Joe, Ninja Turtles, Thundercats or He-Man. However, they're also one of the toylines that most-disappointed me when I became an adult- looking at some at a local Collector Con, I was shocked to see what were once amazing, highly-desirable toys were now tiny little plastic nothings with poor articulation. Really, most of the line just doesn't hold up. A few are still good (the Seekers, Optimus Prime, Dinobots... Diaclone in general is PRETTY good), but guys like Ironhide, Megatron, etc., are really weak. Even ones I thought were AMAZING, like Rodimus Prime, looked worse when I got older. The modern toys are actually far superior, sacreligious as it may be to say. They're bigger, more-complex, more-detailed, and more articulated- less weird stuff hanging off of them to make the transformations "work". Looking at various '80s toys now, and Dino Riders & G.I. Joe are kings of the mountain.

The names are some of the bitchingest in all of fiction, though- a true hallmark of the series: Bonecrusher. Grimlock. Soundwave. MEGATRON. Starscream. Skywarp & Thundercracker. Even the Rank & File tend to have awesome names- Cliffjumper, Sideswipe, Windcharger, Scavenger, etc.

THE MOVIE:
Transformers: The Movie came out in 1986, at the peak of the franchise. And IT. WAS. AWESOME. Seriously, it reminds me of Star Wars- not just in terms of the few homages (Lightsaber-ish Energy Weapons, Young Man Becomes Grand Hero stuff, etc.), but in the fact that it's literally one big set-piece after another. The heroes don't just get attacked by the Decepticons and flee Earth- one group gets attacked again and blow to pieces on a Planet of Junk, others end up trapped by Evil Judges who murder everyone- guilty or innocent- for pretend crimes (oh and also there's a sea full of robotic creatures), etc. The fights are epic, the music soundtrack is phenomenal (just the instrumental sets are awesome, but stuff like Dare and You've Got The Touch represent the pinnacle of '80s "You Can Do It!" Rock), there's fantastic dialogue, cartoon characters SWEAR ("Dammit" and "aw, SHIT!" were INSANE to hear coming from cartoon robots and men in 1986). Celebrity voice actors joined the festivities, with Leonard Nimoy, Judd Nelson, Eric Idle and even ORSON WELLES providing voices!

Oh, and CHARACTERS DIE. With new toys to be released and promoted (we'd see the debuts of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Springer, Arcee & Galvatron in this film, among others), the decision was made to KILL OFF a huge portion of the supporting cast. This included stalwarts like Wheeljack, Ratchet, Ironhide, the Insecticons... and even OPTIMUS FREAKING PRIME. And in so doing, gave him one of the most epic Death Battles in history, as he pummels his old foe Megatron, gets shot thanks to a cheap shot, and dies on the operating table, giving his companions one last bitching speech. Oh yeah, and the end boss is A TRANSFORMING PLANET. It's actually a shame the movie was so far before my time (I was five when it was released), so I only saw it as a teenager, years later.

Unfortunately, despite the movie's legendary status with fans, it was actually a major financial failure at the box office, and resulted in the G.I. Joe movie going Straight-To-Video instead (and Optimus's death was basically a rip-off of Duke's death in G.I. Joe. Facing backlash from people over Optimus dying, the decision was made to allow Duke to survive, even though HE IS CLEARLY DEAD if you watch the movie without sound- they added in "He's in a coma!" and "Duke's out of his coma" in post-production). There's also a bit of confusion, as it's earlier in the Production Order than some TV episodes, making it so Devastator is the only "Combiner" in existence. And sometimes the Dinobots lack one of their number.

THE FALL:
Alas, things couldn't last. Even the biggest hits tend to only live as a "Fad" for about three years or so, and the Transformers' time was up, New leader Rodimus Prime wasn't a big hit, the cartoon ended in 1987 (Japan undid that and kept going with their own continuity), and the new toys were selling less and less. The show came up against the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, and trust me- THAT one was big. Live Action Movie big. The toys completely destroyed Hasbro's stuff in sales. Very quickly, things took a shift towards the gimmicky- Pretenders, Actionmasters, guys who could turn into guns or tiny, easily-losable heads (the infamous "Headmasters") and more. With Micro Machines hitting huge in the early '90s, suddenly the entire line was producing MicroMasters- the last gasps of a dying fad. Transformers: Generation 1 died in 1993, about nine years after its inception. Truly one of the most-impressive toylines of its era- few ever last that long.

THE COMICS:
A Marvel comic book series lasted about as long as the TV show and toyline, and is a big source of information for many fans. Unfortunately, I never got into it. The few issues I've read are pretty bad, and the art is abhorrent. To be fair, though, this is absolutely the worst assignment any artist could ever get in the history of comics- you have to draw a cast of HUNDREDS. And they're all ROBOTS. Distinctly-designed robots. That have to also look like they can turn into vehicles. Oh, and you also have to draw VEHICLES (I personally know zero artists who are good at drawing both people AND vehicles). This effectively doubles an already-huge cast. Oh, and not everyone's the same height- you often have to draw five-foot humans, ten-foot robots, twenty-foot robots and GIANT ROBOTS all in the same panel, finding room for everyone.

But yeah, Simon Furman wrote it, and it's gotten a lot of props over the years. Given that I enjoy Larry Hama's G.I. Joe so much, maybe I should take a shot at it again, ignoring the bad art (Joe got uglier and uglier as time went on as well).

THE TRANSFORMERS FANBASE:
Are they still called "Transfans"? That sounds funnier these days. In any case, they're a HUGE group, somewhat prone to... well, doing everything that nerds do. Hating new stuff, hating all changes, obsessing over ridiculously-tiny details (Bumblebee/Cliffjumper/Bumblejumper), spending bajillions on collections, etc. Though "TFWiki" is one of the best Wiki sites ever- it freely admits the line and shows are silly as hell, and pretty much every paragraph is filled with jokes, and all screencaps point out ridiculous things. AND it's super, ultra-informative! Almost as much as the Star Wars Wiki, unfortunately, meaning that research will probably take FOREVER unless I just gloss over some things.

THE AFTER-EFFECTS:
As one of the biggest toylines of all time, the series has been rebooted countless times. While I missed out on the peak of Transformers as a kid (I was familiar with the characters and had seen a few episodes that I rented from local stores, but being born in 1981, I would have been three when it debuted, and only twelve when it ended- Ninja Turtles was far more important to my childhood), I was the perfect age to re-watch Transformers: Generation 2, which was basically the same show with new "between scenes" clips (the famous "Autobot/Decepticon Icon Switch" was replaced with a moving cube with screens on it). Unfortunately, this was WAY too soon to be rebooting the entire franchise, and despite some cool toys (mostly recolors of the old ones- this produced some odd things like technicolor Dinobots and a cool black-cabbed Optimus Prime), it only lasted a couple of years- the updated comic lasted even less.

Subsequent years have seen MANY more reboots, though the first line is the longest-lasting. Competing lines were quick, but absolutely every kid on Earth except one friend of mine found the GoBots to be a piece of crap wannabe. Eventually, Japan would release its own Transformers stuff, some of which boggles the mind (one is a ROMANTIC COMEDY ANIME called Kiss Players), and others are just terrible (I could only watch a few episodes of one of them). The best overall is probably Beast Wars, which used a smaller cast. Eventually, the 2000s would see the release of live action movies directed by Michael Bay, infamous for their terrible plots and explosions. The first one was okay Dumb Action, but suffered from having an ENORMOUS cast of humans who were utterly pointless (I remember the Sexy Lady Hacker being assisted by a gang of assorted other hackers, and tons of other superfluous dorks), and action scenes that couldn't even be "read" properly because all of the robots kept shifting around dramatically. The second movie was a ridiculous pile of crap, and I never saw the other two.

The series itself has a MASSIVE amount of Pop Culture Cache- probably the most out of any '80s Franchise. The toys are still all over shelves, there's pretty much always a cartoon out, and more. Transformers Animated was a badly-drawn one that was more goofy and had a ton on franchise in-jokes. Transformers Prime reunites some of the original voice actors, but is so absurdly-grim that the whole thing feels like a giant downer; all shows feature tons of Useless Human Sidekicks. Dreamwave Productions had a much-hyped line of books out, but artists went unpaid, books went late, and the art style eventually exposed itself as very-limited. IDW has a longer-lasting line, though I haven't heard much about it.

TRANSFORMERS STATS:
-Standard-Issue Transformers are incredibly-powerful- in-universe, they're shown as easily-overpowering human militaries. Even the "Backgrounders" seem up there in scale, akin to experienced human Super-Heroes. The leaders are above even THAT, with Combiners being forces of nature. And even THEY aren't the toughest guys!

Abilities:
* Transformers are hella-strong, but to a vague degree- they can lift tons pretty easily, but some guys are seen using Kryptonian-level abilities. They're physically tough, but limited (human-level threats like avalanches and floods are potentially-lethal)- no Stamina score either, as they're machines that need to be rebuilt and repaired. Generally they don't die, but in the movie they're magically-easier to injure, with common laser blasts to the chest resulting in instant fatalities- the early cartoon episodes feature them busting fenders and stuff- minor surface damage that makes them limp or need Ratchet to patch them up. Mentally they're pretty normal, though most are rather smart, having access to high technology.

Skills & Advantages:
* Technology is omnipresent, as is "Soldier". Some have good people skills, while Decepticons, Dinobots and Combiners have none. Advantages vary with experience and specialty.

Powers:
* I'm not the first person to build Transformers characters, and an agreement has largely already been reached- their trademark "More Than Meets The Eye" is usually handled by a single rank of Morph with the "Metamorph" Feat, allowing them to restructure their stats. 95% of Transformers are better fighters and probably more-expensive in their Robot Mode (better Fighting & Dexterity, Flight, Defenses, etc.), so that's the standard, while Vehicle Mode is the "Morphed" one. Most Autobots are standard-issue vehicles that you can find everyday people driving- cars, trucks and jeeps. Decepticons, as the bad guys, are more "militaristic"- fighter jets, tanks and living guns. They also tend towards dark blues and purples, while the Autobots use primary colors. Eventually they open up the floodgates and we get dinosaurs, animals (though not as many as you'd think- we don't see a LOT of animals until Beast Wars), Autobot fighter jets, and then there's a whole line of futuristic-looking stuff (hovercars & "Cybertronian" jets).
* As most Transformers can FLY, their vehicles modes serve absolutely-zero purpose other than to fit the "Gimmick", as their disguising properties are next to worthless, especially in large groups (though I wonder if any Decepticons ever saw a red Big Rig and a yellow Beetle next to each other and immediately attacked). I'll at least note what their "Alternate Modes" are, and many Animal-themed characters will feature THAT as the baseline, so that will be statted differently.
* I give most of them Senses (Extended & Low-Light Vision) because of their mechanical sensors. This doesn't come up often, though- a few characters are noted as being especially gifted in this regard (Cosmos, for example).
* Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects). Transformers are robots, who can be taken apart, move around freely in space, go underwater like it ain't no thing, and more. They don't really have "anatomies", and it's often random as to what can actually kill them (ie. laser blasts do little but hurt a bit; other times they're fatal), or whether or not they can be rebuilt (Ultra Magnus and Springer are literally TAKEN APART on the Planet of Junk, but are easily put back together- guys taking laser blasts to the chest are instantly-killed and everyone's like "NYO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OPE. DEAD.").
* Generally speaking, they can all Fly- this is random at first, but becomes omnipresent later on (especially in space). Guns are typically a function of Equipment, but some guys have guns attached- sometimes I'll just include both.
* Most guys have pretty good land speed- as Transformers are very large, they can outrun humans with ease, even without using their tires or jet engines.

Equipment, Devices, or Powers?:
This one's a bit tricky. Generally-speaking, everyone has weapons as gear they just carry around with them, and it's usually not specialized. I MIGHT go with Devices in some cases, but most of the time their powers are typical enough that Equipment will do. Other guys have authentic Powers. One difficult thing to assess is what counts as "Easily Removable". Technically, as robots, all of their gear is a PART of them- like Powers. But you can Remove them like a Device since... well, these guys pretty much ARE Devices. I figure I'll make anything that sticks OFF of a guy (say, Hound's shoulder-mounted Holographic/Illusion thingie) a Device, and something more-internalized (like the "Corrosive Gas" that Pipes can produce) is a Power. Most stuff guys have to carry (like Prowl's "Acid Pellets") are Equipment.

TRANSFORMERS AND SCALE:
BWAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OH MY GOD!! YOU GUYS!!

But seriously- don't even try to think about it. Coming from several different toylines (Diaclones like Optimus, Hound & Prowl are approximately in-scale with each other), the fact that artists often have no sense of scale, and the needs of quick art turnaround in both comic book and cartoon forms... it all adds up to mean that scale is absurdly out of whack.

* All of the tiny Microman vehicles are "Super-Deformed" and squashed, so that even Warpath (a tank), Seaspray (a hovercraft), and an A-10 Thunderbolt (Powerglide) are the size of Bumblebee's VW Beetle, and much smaller than things like police cars and corvettes.
* Most of the "Standard-Issue" characters are around the same height, whether or not their vehicle form is a sports car, a cop car, or an F-15. F-15s, for example, are SIXTY-THREE FEET LONG, yet Starscream is about the same size as Prowl (a cop car). Other vehicle forms include an Earth Mover, a bunch of Trains, a bloody AIRCRAFT CARRIER, and more- all are about normal-sized.
* More than one character represent the same kind of vehicle (two guys are Space Shuttles, for example), yet are different sizes.
* Frequently, characters act as transport for other characters. Ironhide was once placed inside of Ratchet's ambulance form, and several of the Jets could pilot Cyclonus or Scourge. Note that all of those characters are identical in size in both robot and vehicle modes. In one of the most-extreme cases, an army of Decepticons, including DEVASTATOR, could stand up within the body of Astrotrain, who is also normal-sized as a robot.
* Both dinosaurs and Dinobots are about as large to Transformers as dinos are to real people.
* Combiners within the same team are out of scale to each other, even though they're in the same line. Blast Off is a SPACE SHUTTLE, while Swindle is a jeep- they're about the same size. Long Haul, an Earth Mover, should be able to carry his entire team in his truck-bed. The Aerialbots include a helicopter and a Concorde jet. The Protectobots include a motorcycle amidst some flying vehicles.
* Combiners are doubly-ridiculous- they're frequently depicted in the TF fiction as several increments larger than they should be. Someone like Devastator or Menasor should only be about twice as tall as one of his vehicle components (his leg is just a vehicle on its "nose"), generally standing twice the height of any given Transformer... but Combiners are often drawn multiple stories tall! Hell, all Combiners are treated like they're mini-Kaiju, no matter what vehicles comprise their bodies! In several shots, you can clearly see that the sports-car component of a guy is now three or four times larger than it's supopsed to be!

Needless to say, Growth ranks are largely-immaterial- Mini-Bots are Growth 2 (Bumblebee generally looks to be about ten feet tall- not quite twice as tall as Spike or other humans), standard-issue Transformers are around Growth 6 (21 feet tall- most standard Transformers are approximately four times as tall as the average human). For the most part, only their Strength and Toughness matters- Leaders are a head or so taller than their subordinates, Dinobots taller than THAT, and then we get up to Combiners and Bases.

TRANSFORMERS TERMINOLOGY:
Combiner: Characters like the Constructicons, who can join together and form a single, much larger character (in this case, Devastator). Four guys form the limbs, while a central figure (often bigger) forms the torso. All but the originals use five- there are six Constructicons. Sometimes the final figure is called a "Gestalt".
Recolor: Characters that are identical other than their paint-jobs (or "palettes"- usually called Palette Swaps in video games). Starscream and his Seeker buddies were all just recolored version of the same toy.
Retool: Basically like a Palette Swap, but replacing certain parts as well (often the head). So it's not EXACTLY like just getting a different-colored version of the same toy.
Modes: The various forms are usually called "Modes"- "Robot Mode", "Vehicle Mode", "Animal Mode", etc.
Shelfwarmer: A notorious term, largely-invented by the TF fandom but which has extended to every toyline. "Shelfwarmers" are the name given to unpopular toys that are left clogging shelves for years- this used to be a GOOD thing to be around for so long- the '80s had less toy-turnaround- but nowadays it's seen as an indictment of a toy. Going to Toys R Us and finding fifty one one toy, years after it was released, is a sure sign it was crap. Often these get discounted or whatever, but you can STILL see them. This is often easier to detect with girls' toys, because the dolls are much bigger and flashier, so you can look at them and go "Hey, line X from Monster High is STILL HERE, while all the other new stuff is coming out" or "man, Doll Y is still here, while all the others in the line are gone."

WHO'S GETTING STATTED:
* Everyone in Generation 1 will be counted. HOWEVER, as an assignment like that would take me fifty years to complete, I'll instead do what I did with G.I. Joe- characters of notability will receive their own stats and commentary. Guys I liked will also get their own builds. Characters who don't fit certain sets will as well. However, most characters will be seen in "Templates"- one statline that counts for numerous individuals. These are as-noted below. Stats will follow the cartoon first, and the comic book if its more prominent or notable. If neither was a big deal, I'll simply leave what's on the toy.

And no, I'm not handling the other continuities. Too much work; don't care.

THE TRANSFORMERS:

AUTOBOTS:
Assorted:
Optimus Prime (THE Leader)
Ultra Magnus (Second-In-Command)
Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime (Presumptive Leader)
Wreck-Gar (Eric Idle!)
Sky Lynx (High-Falutin' Jet)
Quick Switch
Roadbuster
Whirl
Jetfire (Macross Jet)
Perceptor (Nerd)
Blaster (Music-Loving Summoner)
Blaster's Tapes (Ramhorn, Rewind, Steeljaw, Eject, Grand Slam & Raindance)
Wheelie (Friend Find; Look Behind!)
Arcee (The Chick)
Spike (Human Buddy)
Daniel (Kid-Identifying Character)

Regular Cars:
Hound (Human-Loving Guy)
Ironhide (Tough Brawler)
Jazz (Jive-Talkin' Fool)
Mirage (Illusionist)
Ratchet (Medic)
Blurr (Fast-Talker)
Kup (Grouchy Old Man... Robot?)
Inferno (Fire Truck)
Wheeljack (Nerdy Inventor)
Other Cars (Template-Based: Bluestreak, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker, Tracks, Red Alert, Skids, Smokescreen, Grapple & Hoist)

Mini-Guys:
Bumblebee (Kid Focus Character)
Brawn (Pint-Sized Powerhouse)
Gears (Grouch)
Cosmos (Flying Saucer)
Seaspray (Loser)
Huffer (Grouch)
Other Mini-Cars (Template-Based: Cliffjumper, Bumblejumper/Bumper, Hubcap, Windcharger, Beachcomber, Powerglide, Warpath, Pipes, Outback, Swerve & Tailgate)
Throttlebots (Chase, Freeway, Searchlight, Rollbar & Wideload)

Others (Template):
Sparkabots (Fizzle, Sizzle & Guzzle) -- (They make sparks)
Triggerbots (Backstreet, Override & Dogfight) -- (Flip-up guns)
Punch/Counterpunch (Double Agent)
Fastlane & Cloudraker (Clones who look alike in Robot Mode)
Jumpstarters (Top Spin & Twin Twist) -- (Flip-up Transformations)
Omnibots (Camshaft, Downshift & Overdrive) -- (Flip-up guns)
Power Dashers (Zetar, Aragon & Cromar) -- (Pull-back Dashers)

Triple-Changers:
Springer (aka the Green Guy Who Always Hangs Out With Arcee)
Broadside (xxxxx)
Sandstorm (xxxxxxx)

Dinobots:
Grimlock (ME GRIMLOCK KING!!!)
Snarl (xxxxxxx)
Slag (xxxxxx)
Sludge (xxxxxxx)
Swoop (Pteranodon)

Giant Bots:
Omega Supreme (Weird-Looking Base)
Fortress Maximus (A Toy That Could Kick YOUR Ass)
Metroplex (Giant City)

Combiners:
Aerialbots (Autobot Airplanes)
Protectobots (xxxxxxx)
Technobots (xxxxxxx)

Tiny Bots (Template-Based):
Powermasters (Getaway, Slapdash & Joyride) -- (Guys With Sentient Engines)
Targetmasters (Pointblank, Sureshot, Crosshairs, Landfill, Quick Mix & Scoop) -- (Guys With Sentient Guns)
Headmasters (Chromedome, Hardhead, Brainstorm, Highbrow, Nightbeat, Siren & Hosehead) -- (Guys With Separate Heads)
Action Masters (Rad, Rollout, Jackpot, Mainframe, Skyfall, Kick-Off, Over-Run, Sprocket & 2 Weapons) -- (xxxxxxx)
Micromasters (52 guys!) -- (Micro Machines Knock-Offs)

Pretenders (Template-Based):
Landmine, Cloudburst, Waverider, Groundbreaker, Sky High, Splashdown, Chainclaw, Catilla, Gunrunner, Pincher, Doubleheader, Longtooth, Crossblades & Skyhammer (Robots Hiding Inside of Guys- Because That Makes Sense)

DECEPTICONS:
Assorted:
Megatron (Super-Baddie)
Soundwave (Evil Tape Player; Bitchin' Voice)
Soundwave's Tapes (Frenzy, Rumble, Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Ratbat, Slugfest, Overkill, Squawktalk & Beastbox) -- (Extremely-Handy Minions)
Shockwave (Odd-Voiced Loyalist/Super-Baddie in the Comics)
Galvatron (Upgraded Megatron)
Cyclonus & His Armada (The New #2 Guy)
Scourge & The Sweeps (Galvatron's Henchman)
Reflector (3 guys) -- (Evil Camera)
Sixshot (Six-Formed Robot)

Seekers:
Starscream (The Starscream)
Thundercracker & Skywarp (Starscream's Goons)
Dirge, Ramjet & Thrust (The Coneheads)

Insecticons (Template-Based):
Shrapnel, Kickback, Bombshell, Barrage, Chop-Shop, Ransack & Venom

Combiners:
Constructicons (The Original Combiners)
Stunticons
Combaticons
Predacons (Gigantic Black & Red Animals)
Terrorcons (Weird Monsters)
Seacons ('80s-Colored Aquatic Animals)

Giant Bots:
Scorponok (Gigantic Scorpion- Colored like a '60s Marvel Villain)
Trypticon (Robotic Godzilla)

Others:
Octane
B. Chargers (Runabout & Runamuck)
Duocons (Battletrap & Flywheels)
Firecons (Cindersaur, Flamefeather & Sparkstalker)
Pounce & Wingspan
Triggercons (Crankcase, Ruckus & Windsweeper)

Tiny Bots (Template-Based):
Power Masters (Dreadwind, Darkwing & Doubledealer)
Targetmasters (Triggerhappy, Slugslinger, Misfire, Needlenose, Spinister & Quake) -- (Sentient Guns)
Headmasters (Skullcruncher, Mindwipe, Weirdwolf, Apeface, Snapdragon, Horri-Bull, Fangry & Squeezeplay) -- (Separated Heads)
Action Masters (Axer & 6 Weapons)
Micromasters (36 guys!) -- (Teeny-Tiny Villains)

Pretenders (Template-Based):
Skullgrin, Bomb-Burst, Iguanus, Submarauder, Bugly, Finback, Carnivac, Snarler, Roadgrabber, Icepick, Bristleback, Wildfly, Slog, Scowl, Birdbrain, Octopunch, Stranglehold, Bludgeon, Thunderwing & Roadblock (Guys in Weird Shells)

OTHER:
The Quintessons (Five-Faced Tentacled Robot Creators)
The Sharkticons (Menacing Hordes)
Unicron (Planet-Eating Robot Planet)


BUMBLEBEE
Alternate Mode:
Volkswagen Beetle
Role: "Kid Focus" Character
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (143)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6, +4 Size)
Technology 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Evasion, Luck, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Volkswagen Beetle) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Relationship (Spike)- Spike & Bumblebee are the best of friends.
Reputation (Shrimp)- Bumblebee is one of the least-powerful and smallest of the Autobots. This leads to others often not taking him seriously.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 54 + 10 / Defenses: 14 (143)

-Bumblebee is one of the most omnipresent characters in the TF franchise, and with good reason- in a setting specializing in giant, bad-ass robots, he's the tiny "cute" one that is closest to human size, and interacts with the humans most. So while Optimus, Ironhide & the others are all action heroes, Bumblebee could be your FRIEND. His toy was also one of the cheapest in the line- the poorer kids were never gonna get an "Optimus", but Bumblebees came CHEAP. The original toy was a Microchange penny-racer equivalent to the VW Beetle, and originally came in multiple colors- in America, he was usually yellow, but there were also releases in red to "make the line look bigger".
-In 1987, he got a redesign (thanks in the cartoon to an attack under the "Hate Plague" that spans the galaxy) and a new toy, becoming Goldbug. His face got a lot less cute (the friendly-looking robot faceplate got a mouth-covering and turned black), and he made an offhand comment about feeling "like a brand-new GOLD BUG!", at which point Optimus chuckles and says "And that'll be your name from now on, old friend- GOLDBUG!" A hilarious TF parody video shows the rechristened hero going "Uhhhh, actually..." before Kup interjects ("Don't feel too bad about, kid- at my age, you just feel like a PIECE OF SHIT!" at which point Optimus chuckles and rechristens him "Shitpiece"). This version isn't terribly-popular, and usually gets ignored- multiple other Bumblebee toys were released in the line, including Action Master and Pretender versions. His status as the "Kid Focus" guy continues on in the movies, where he's the car that Sam Witwicky buys in the first Transformers film, but eventually turns into a different kind of car.
-Bumblebee is among the tiniest and weakest of the Autobots, and gets by on pluck, luck and determination. His VW Beetle form is among the tiniest of the vehicles (and REALLY out of scale with the other toys), and he's one of the few with a "Cybertronian Version" seen first- a nifty little rounded Hovercar. He's much stronger than a normal man, but not vastly-superhuman- Strength 6 is just enough to lift twice his own weight (a VW Beetle weighs about 1,850 lbs.).

MINI-CARS TEMPLATE
Alternate Mode:
Various
Role: Toys For Poorer Kids
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (125)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5, +3 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 54 + 10 / Defenses: 9 (125)

-The Mini-Bots mostly come from the Microman toyline- they're typically very small Penny-Racer style toys, with simple transformations. With the cars, you simply flip up the head and legs, then pull the arms loose, and there you go. Others are straight-up bizarre, standing on "legs" made of the sides of a jeep. They're extremely small and out-of-scale with other characters, as even small cars aren't THAT much smaller than a regular police car. They're often depicted as half the height of standard-issue Transformers, and have strength to match- Cliffjumper is swatted away like a fly by guys like Megatron & Starscream.
-These guys are basically what happens when you take Bumblebee's statline and make him not one of the main characters. In other words, they drop in capability and well-roundedness. Though some have enough firepower to stay at PL 8, most are mere PL 7s with their guns- in Close Combat and Defensively, they're PL 7.5s- low enough that Bumblebee is superior to most, but still high enough than an ARMY of these things is still rather dangerous.

MINI-BOTS:
CLIFFJUMPER (Porsche 924 Turbo)- PL 8 (128):
All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 ("Glass Gas" Gun- Weaken Toughness 8- Cloud Area, Limited to Metals) [3]
-Often mistaken for a recolor of Bumblebee (both were released in yellow & red configurations), he's actually a completely different mold that just transforms the same way. He's noted for hating traitors to an obsessive level, and being really eager for a fight.
"BUMBLEJUMPER" (Porsche 924 Turbo)- PL 8 (125):
-So named because he's a mystery-figure of sorts- a yellow version of a Microman toy that was released on Cliffjumper cards in 1984. Fans nicknamed him "Bumblejumper" for being Bumblebee-colored with Cliffjumper's body, and eventually a more Transformer-like "Bumper" name was attached. A comic included him as a nod to the inter-TF-fan memes. No official toy was ever released.
HUBCAP (Porsche 924 Turbo)- PL 8 (129):
Deception 4 (+6), Extended Hearing 2 [4]
-Hubcap is notable to me pretty much entirely because I owned him as a kid. His "Generation 2" toy was one of the best recolors of the line, with a nice red chrome finish. The original toy looks so much like Bumblebee that mistakes are bound to be made (he's actually a yellow Retool of Cliffjumper)- he's actually a "third-year" release, too. His personality is that of a friendly con-man who enjoys playing tricks on people.
WINDCHARGER (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am)- PL 8 (131):
Evasion, "Magnetized Arms" Move Object 9 (Flaws: Limited to Metals, Fades) [6]
-Windcharger is the fastest of the early Transformers (his Vehicle Mode will have faster acceleration and a higher max speed). He's also quite impulsive, and his powers often fail due to over-exertion. He didn't appear much in the 'toon, and was killed in the Battle of Autobot City in the movie.
BEACHCOMBER (M1040 Chenoweth "Hellfire" Fast Attack Vehicle)- PL 8 (135):
INT 3, Equipment 2 (Sensors & Gear), Expertise (Naturalist) 8 (+11) [10]
-A peace-loving minor character, introduced out of nowhere. Kinda looks like a dune buggy to me.
POWERGLIDE (A-10 Thunderbolt II- "Warthog")- PL 8 (134):
Accurate Attack, "Concussion Bombs" Blast 8 (Flaws: Unreliable- 5 Uses) [9]
-Kind of an egomaniac. A tiny red fighter plane with the most articulation of the Mini-Guys (he has ELBOWS!).
WARPATH (M55101 Sheridan ARAAV Tank)- PL 8 (144):
"Different Shells" Blast 8, Dazzle Hearing 8, "Cryogenic Shell" Weaken Toughness 8 (Ranged), "Acid Shell" Blast 4 Linked to Weaken Toughness 4 (Ranged) [19]
-A hilariously-tiny little tank guy, with a big gun sticking out of his chest even in Robot Mode. Apparently has a lot of kinds of ammunition.
PIPES (Generic American Truck)- PL 8 (131):
"Corrosive Gases" Weaken Toughness 6 (Cloud Area, Limited to Behind Him Via Exhaust) [6]
-A retool of Huffer- a tiny blue truck.
OUTBACK (Toyota Land Cruiser)- PL 8 (125):
-A retool of Brawn- a brown jeep.
SWERVE (Pickup Truck)- PL 8 (128):
INT 3, Technology 4 (+7), Ranged Attack 4 [3]
-A retool of Gears- a reddish truck. Legendarily-bad aim, but a good metallurgist.
TAILGATE (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am)- PL 8 (131):
Stealth 6 (+8), "Bumper Magnet" Speed 7 (Flaws: Limited to When Following Another Metallic Thing) [6]
-A retool of Windcharger. Mistakes standard Earth machinery for sentient creatures like himself.

---

* the following come from later lines, and are mostly-unrelated to the top names.

THROTTLEBOTS:
* A sextet of small robots that included the upgraded "Gold Bug"- their "Gimmick" was that you could roll them back and let go, causing them to move forward on their own (a LOT of '80s toys had this "Space Age" feature. They worked like balls on carpets). They were late comers, helping out during the Return of Optimus Prime, but doing little else. They look REALLY cheap for the most part, being very "square".

CHASE (Ferrari)- PL 8 (129):
"Radar" Senses 4 (Radius Radio Sight- Extended) [4]
FREEWAY (Corvette)- PL 8 (125):
ROLLBAR (Jeep CJ-7)- PL 8 (125):
-The leader in the comics. Seems to show up a lot there.
SEARCHLIGHT (Ford RS200 Rally Car)- PL 8 (135):
Perception 7 (+8), Environment 4 (Light), "X-Ray Vision" Senses 4 (Vision Penetrates Concealment) [10]
WIDELOAD (Dump Truck)- PL 8 (131):
Power Lifting 6 (100 tons) [6]
-Apparently absurdly-strong, despite being a super-tiny dump truck (which, as you might imagine, tend to be HUGE in real life).

SPARKABOTS:
* A trio of tiny bots that specialized in making little "sparks" when they rolled forward (pulled back like a Throttlebot).
FIZZLE (Baja Buggy)- PL 8 (125):
SIZZLE (Funny Car)- PL 8 (125):
GUZZLE (ROF Challenger 1 Tank)- PL 8 (125):
Blast 7 [14]

TRIGGERBOTS:
* A trio of tiny bots with "flip-up" guns.
BACKSTREET (Porsche Le Mans Race Car)- PL 8 (139):
Blast 7 [14]
DOGFIGHT (Grumann X-29 Fighter Jet)- PL 8 (140):
Blast 7, Evasion [15]
OVERRIDE (Suzuki Motorcycle)- PL 8 (139):
Blast 7 [14]

POWERDASHERS:
* Generic "pull-back" characters, but with more futuristic-looking designs. Mail-order only, and they don't show up in anything important.
ZETAR (Cybertronian Drill)- PL 8 (125):
ARAGON (Cybertronian Jet)- PL 8 (125):
CROMAR (Cybertronian Race Car)- PL 8 (125):

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... huffer.jpg[/img]

Seriously, some of those G1 Mini-Cars are REALLY stupid-looking.

HUFFER
Alternate Mode:
Generic American Truck
Role: Old Grouch, Toy For Poorer Kids
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 9 (131)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5, +3 Size)
Technology 6 (+9)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (American Truck) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 6 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +9 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Reputation (Grouch)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 54 + 11 / Defenses: 9 (131)

-One of the sillier-looking Mini-Bot toys was Huffer, who used improperly-placed exhaust pipes for arms, giving him a very odd, long-armed, scrawny appearance. His toy had a faceplate, while the character itself was not. His role in the show was mainly to gripe about everything (ie. he "huffs" along). In the cartoon, he was a non-combatant who hated fighting, hated being on Earth, and had to be motivated by his teammates. He gets a good "Strength Showing" in one episode by wrestling a time-tossed MAMMOTH into submission! He was killed under mysterious circumstances in the Movie, simply appearing in a mausoleum among other dead bodies. "Pipes" is a retool of Huffer.
-Huffer gets some props for his strength in the show, so I made him marginally-tougher than the other tiny 'bots.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... -gears.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... -gears.jpg[/img]

GEARS
Alternate Mode:
Pickup Truck
Role: Grouch, Toy For Poorer Kids
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 9 (132)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5, +3 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Great Endurance, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Pickup Truck) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 7 [7]
Senses 1 (Infravision) [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (12 tons) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 54 + 14 / Defenses: 9 (132)

-Gears, like Huffer, is a big grouch, and a debuting cast member. I REALLY didn't like him watching the show again as an adult, mostly because he was dumb-looking and spent most of his time whining and not doing much, while everyone around him kept shouting out his name (you'd be surprised how quickly you can learn to hate someone shrieking "GEARS!"). A funny later episode features the Decepticons capturing him for his unique "circuit board", the removal thereof turning him into a chipper, happy people-pleaser who was unable to refuse any request. For the most part, though, he's a very minor character. "Swerve" is a retool of Gears.
-Gears is basically a standard Mini-Vehicle character with some boosted strength (a key feature is his lifting/hauling strength and endurance). One note is that his Vehicle Mode has a "Leaping" function that can toss him 100,000 feet straight up (!), and he can float harmlessly back down (so Leaping/Safe Fall).

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... verse1.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... g1_toy.jpg[/img]

COSMOS
Alternate Mode:
Flying Saucer
Role: Odd Toy, Toy For Poorer Kids, Green Boob
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (146)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 11 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+5, +3 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 5 [5]
"Sees From On-High" Senses 5 (Extended Vision 5) [5]
"Space Broadcaster" Communication (Radio) 3 [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Accident (Frequent Crash-Landings)
Responsibility (Lonely)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 54 + 27 / Defenses: 9 (146)

-Cosmos is incredibly-strange, to the point where he barely looks like he belongs in the line- an Autobot FLYING SAUCER. Despite his odd appearance, he's a Microman toy like the other Mini-Vehicles. He's one of the few Transformers able to reach escape velocity. His enhanced vision makes him an ideal "Satellite/Spy" character, reporting on Decepticon activity from miles up, but this makes him quite lonely. His Vehicle Mode's powers would include low-level Space Travel and at least Flight 8 (this is easily-affordable by dropping of Strength or Fighting skills while in Vehicle Mode- the Metamorph Feat makes things like that a cinch). His cartoon VA was deliberately doing a bad Peter Lorre impression with Cosmos's voice. With his rounded Vehicle Mode and red headpiece, he looks entertainly like a green boob.
-Cosmos is a standard-issue Mini-Vehicle Autobot, but with some enhanced Senses and Communication powers- his schtick is to stay in orbit and send reconnaissance back to Earth.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... artoon.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... awntoy.jpg[/img]

BRAWN
Alternate Mode:
Toyota Land Cruiser
Role: Pint-Sized Powerhouse, Toy For Poorer Kids
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (150)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5, +3 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Toughness Check, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Land Cruiser/Jeep) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 8 [8]
Power-Lifting 2 (100 tons) [2]
"Giant Drill" Burrowing 8 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Shrimp)- Brawn is aware of his small stature, and constantly tries to make up for it with bravado and challenging much larger foes.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 54 + 24 / Defenses: 9 (150)

-Brawn had a REALLY weird-looking Robot Mode in the toys- seemingly-random bits of stuff all over the place, and his legs are made up of the side doors of his jeep-y Vehicle Mode. He was yet another of the "Recurring Minor Characters" in the first season, and typically acted like a powerhouse (even looking down on non-combatants like Perceptor), despite being fairly-small. In some episodes, his durability was quite spectacular- he would brawl with guys as powerful as MEGATRON, and take several laser blasts to the body and head without dropping. He was ultimately killed-off in the movie by Starscream (wielding Megatron's Gun Mode), though the fact that it was a mere blast to the shoulder (typically non-fatal to Transformers), and subsequent appearances in the background of COUNTLESS Post-Movie episodes, has led to the recurring theory that Brawn in fact survived his ordeal.
-Brawn's strength is played up a LOT early on (he even grapples Megatron), and his File Card says he can lift "190,000 lbs." (about 95 tons)- so he's a PL 10 melee fighter, but PL 7 with his Blasters. In other worlds, he's an in-close brawler.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 305j3q.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 1-jazz.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... fmovie.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 8-jazz.jpg[/img]

JAZZ
Alternate Mode:
Porsche 935 Turbo
Role: Jive-Talkin' Hero, Right-Hand Man
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (165)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 7 (+10, +4 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Evasion, Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Taunt, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Porsche) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 19 (165)

-Jazz has become an infamous character in the series- one of the main guys, but his obviously "black" jive-talkin' speech patterns turn him into a bit of a gag in pop culture (though at least they have an actual black man playing him- Scatman Crothers, one of the few voice actors in the cartoon series MUCH more notable for his other work). His Diaclone-based toy is a pretty good one- one of the tops of the early characters. He's a powerful warrior, but like Bumblebee is friendly and gets along well with humans. So overall, he's quite well-known and popular- most fans of the '80s would recognize him. This even extended into the first Michael Bay film, as he acts even MORE black, and is the only Autobot to DIE in the movie! Yes, "The Black Guy Dies First" extends all the way to robots.
-Unlike many "Debut Characters", Jazz survives the Movie, but does not reappear much in the series afterwards. This is due to the unfortunate death of Scatman Crothers of emphysema around the time the Movie came out. He was one of the oldest VAs in the series for sure- 76 years old is a pretty long lifespan for a longtime smoker.
-I figure Jazz to be as "classic" as you're gonna get for a standard-issue Transformers character- not too strong, not too weak. He's better than Bumblebee and any of the Mini-Bots, but not as good as a leader or Lieutenant-type character. He's well-balanced as well- 10/10 on both Attack/Damage and Defenses/Toughness- as he's rather "typical" for his kind, he's a good example of just how dangerous the Transformers would be in the real world or even a SUPERHERO world- there are DOZENS of PL 10 Autobots and Decepticons! He's also skilled, adapatable (this is apparently his "defining character trait", according to the bios), and charismatic beyond most other Autobots.

For those curious, here's the difference between your typical "Robot Mode" Transformer, and his "Vehicle Mode".

JAZZ
Alternate Mode:
Porsche 935 Turbo
Role: Jive-Talkin' Hero, Right-Hand Man
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (141)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 7 (+10, +4 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Evasion, Improved Defense, Set-Up, Taunt, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Four Tires" Speed 6 (120 mph) [6]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Humanoid Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 44 + 18 / Defenses: 15 (137)

-So as you can see, he loses the Ranged Attack, Flight, Dexterity, and some Defenses (a nice, contained Porsche is a hell of a lot easier to hit than a man-shaped being), as most Autobots cannot use Blasts in their Vehicle Mode. Most fight scenes involve the characters JUST in their Robot Modes, only occasionally using the Vehicle Mode for a good-sized Slam attack (thanks to some boosted Speed).

REGULAR CARS
Alternate Mode:
Various Cars & Trucks
Role: Backgrounders, One-Note Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +9 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 17 (145)

-These guys are Diaclone toys, and are much larger than the "Mini-Vehicles" crew, and transform into decent-looking Robots, not the occasional weird "what the hell is that supposed to be?" forms of the Minis. Most of them are standard-issue cars from the real world, making them look a bit generic in their Vehicle Forms. But really, that's kind of necessary in a line that can extend into the silly (Penny-Racer/Super-Deformed vehicles) or fantastical (giant Space Shuttle/Birds & Robot Animals). It "grounds" things that many of the baseline Autobots are these guys.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ge__1_.jpg[/img]

MIRAGE (F-1 Race Car- Ligier JS11 Racer)- PL 10 (169):
Illusion (Visuals) 10, Concealment (Vision) 2 [24]
-Mirage is a somewhat fussy, stuffy type used to the "finer things", and often looks down on his partners, who distrust and dislike him for it. Nonetheless, he is there for his team when they need him.

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... boxart.jpg[/img]

BLUESTREAK (Datsun 280ZX Turbo)- PL 10 (149):
Improved Critical (Blasters) 3, Improved Aim, Extended Range on Blasters [4]
-A chatterbox (before Blurr took the crown), and a big Sniper in the cartoon (he's been shown shooting down Seekers with single shots). He was played by Casey Kasem (who quit the show after the infamous "Carbomya" episode, as Kasem is Arabic and didn't appreciate an Arabic nation being called.... well, CARBOMYA), but didn't feature too much. He was never shown being killed during the movie, but nonetheless never reappeared afterwards. Shares the body-type of the more-famous Prowl.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... eswipe.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... pe+001.gif[/img]

SIDESWIPE (New Countach LP500S)- PL 10 (146):
Equipment (AE: "Rocket Launcher" Blast 10- Burst Area) [1]
-Looks kind of interesting, with a red body and big white rocket launcher on his shoulder, but he's a bit on the skinny side.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -sunst.jpg[/img]

SUNSTREAKER (Lamborghini Countach LP500S)- PL 10 (145):
-Another vain type, he freaked out when his finish was damaged. Twin brother of Sideswipe.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -trail.jpg[/img]

TRAILBREAKER (Camper Truck- Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux)- PL 10 (180):
Stealth 8 (+5 Size), "Force Field" Create 15 (Extras: Movable) (Flaws: Unreliable), AE: Move Object 12 [35]
-Looks like a redneck's truck. Not a lot of focus, despite being a Debut Character, but his Force Field is INSANE- protecting the team from giant explosions, floods, and more. It acts more like Create than the "Force Field" power does, though, as it often pushes stuff around.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rapple.jpg[/img]

GRAPPLE (Orange Crane- Mitsubishi Fuso)- PL 10 (152):
Expertise (Construction) 10 (+11), Power-Lifting 2 (50 tons) [7]
-Another late arrival for this crew, and didn't feature much, but was known for his disgust whenever one of his artistic creations was destroyed in battle (which was often).

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -track.jpg[/img]

TRACKS (Corvette Stingray)- PL 10 (146):
Equipment (AE: "Heat-Seeking Missiles" Blast 10- Homing 4, Ricochet, Unreliable- 5 Uses; AE: "Black Beam Gun" Concealment From Visuals- Cone Area Attack) [1]
-A narcissist who appeared out of nowhere one day (he wasn't on the initial Ark launch).

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... kidsg1.jpg[/img]

SKIDS (Honda City Turbo)- PL 10 (146):
Equipment ("Liquid Nitrogen Rifle" Blast 8 Linked to Weaken Toughness 8- Ranged) [1]
-Scarcely ever appears in the cartoon- he's a bit later than the other Cars, and so missed out on a lot of early appearances, then was left in redundancy with the rest of them.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... _robot.jpg[/img]

SMOKESCREEN (Datsun 280ZX Turbo)- PL 10 (158):
Deception 4 (+6), Equipment (AE: Missiles- Burst Area 9), Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) [13]
-A retool of Bluestreak & Prowl's body type.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... st_toy.jpg[/img]

HOIST (Pickup Truck- Toyota Hi-Lux)- PL 10 (153):
INT 3, Technology 6 (+9), "Crane" Extra Limb 1, Elongated 2 (Flaws: Limited to Limb) [8]
-A "maintenance man" of sorts, which is pretty much what Ratchet does, since, you know, THEY'RE ALL ROBOTS AND REPAIRS ARE REPAIRS NO MATTER WHAT, but what the hell. Also he has a British accent. Though one wonders why the rest of the Cybertronian characters all have AMERICAN ones, but given that this is a robotic race that includes obvious chicks with wide hips and round breasts, perhaps I'm overthinking a minor quirk of their culture. Hoist is a bit jovial, but doesn't get a lot of focus (the one time he did, it was because he was acting in a movie).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... leart1.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... rt_toy.jpg[/img]

RED ALERT (Fire Chief's Car- Lamborghini Countach LP500S)- PL 10 (154):
INT 2, AWA 3, Insight 3 (+6), Perception 8 (+11) [9]
-I always thought he looked REALLY cool, though I was unfamiliar with him as a kid. He acted like a paranoid "Security Guard" character, and was pals with the similarly-themed Inferno. He only really focused in one episode, where he went SUPER-paranoid thanks to a broken brain-circuit, and ending up being manipulated by Starscream over it. His toy is an impressive retool of Sunstreaker's.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... atchet.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... atchet.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... atchet.jpg[/img]

RATCHET
Alternate Mode:
Ambulance (Nissan Cherry Vanette SGL Coach)
Role: Medical Guy, Non-Combatant
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (147)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 10 (+15)
Treatment 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Laser Gun +8- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Ambulance) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Expansive enough to hold a regular-sized Autobot in the rear compartment)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +7 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility ("Weak")- Ratchet isn't the fighter his fellow Autobots are, and this causes him a lot of self-doubt.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 54 + 15 / Defenses: 18 (147)

-One of the most-important Transformers characters, and one of the most-omnipresent guys in all the fiction, is Ratchet. He's the all-important "Medical Officer" of the team, capable of fixing up anyone's damaged body parts (and that's A LOT of them)- however, he has low self-image, coming from his lesser fighting capabilities compared to the others. So he gets a lot of "Very Special Day" type of pushes, showing him provide heroics against some kind of insurmountable odds. Not a bad character, all things considered... of course, nobody I knew cared about him as a kid. We all just wanted MOAR GUNZ!!! Notably, his toy looks almost nothing like the cartoon, as Diaclones were supposed to be piloted mecha- he and Ironhide (his "Retool Buddy") have no heads, and instead get tiny "stickers" on an uplifted windshield, and sit on odd "Gun Bases".
-He is absolutely ALL OVER the comics, featuring heavily in arc after arc (and keep in mind this is a book that was forced to introduce DOZENS of new characters each year- to stick around in any manner is impressive)- including one gruesome story-arc where he's fused with Megatron. He's in the cartoon a lot, too. Interestingly, in the early days, Ratchet was supposed to be a FEMALE Autobot (going to the "the girl is the healer" section of the "Smurfette Principle"), which probably would have made the name association (Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) more clear.
-Despite his importance, however, he became one of the most-prominent deaths in the Movie: As Megatron and his goon squad enters the Autobot ship on its way to Earth, Brawn, Ratchet, Prowl and Ironhide are gunned-down- Ratchet & Ironhide being blasted by a fusillade of Constructicon & Megatron firing.
-Ratchet isn't an inventor/creator like Wheeljack, but is better at fixing up broken characters- I figure he also has a passing knowledge of life systems on any given planet. He lacks the firepower and skills of his teammates in the feild, however, meaning that he has to make up for it with higher will and clever use of his smarts.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -hound.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 85-001.jpg[/img]

HOUND
Alternate Mode:
Jeep J59
Role: Disguise Guy, Human-Lover
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (170)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Human Culture) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+8, +2 Size)
Technology 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Jeep J59) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Holographics" (Flaws: Removable) [20]
Illusion (Visuals) 10 (20)
"Imager" Senses 4 (Radius Radio Vision- Accurate) (4)
-- (24 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Loves Human Culture)- Hound secretly wishes that he WAS human.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 54 + 38 / Defenses: 16 (170)

-Hound showed up a lot in the early days, and is said in the supporting materials to love humanity so much he wants to BE a human! His Illusion tech is really good, and he's more-peaceful at heart than many other Autobots. He never appears after Transformers: The Movie, but is not shown being killed- gotta sell those new toys. Hound is closer to PL 9 than 10 most of the time, but still barely makes the cut- he's pricey thanks to his Holographic Displays (which can also "image" stuff and get looks at things). I gotta say though- he's got one of the coolest looking toys of the first generation- VERY well-detailed.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... -prowl.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... wl_toy.jpg[/img]

PROWL
Alternate Mode:
Police Car
Role: Second-In-Command, The Serious One
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 11 (171)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+11)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 8 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack, Acid Pellets- Ranged Damage 6 & Weaken 8- Ranged & Affects Objects), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Laser Blasts) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Police Car- Datsun 280ZX Turbo) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Reputation (Serious)- Prowl does not socialize.
Weakness (Unexpected Circumstances)- Prowl is easily freaked-out by things not going according to plan, and isn't good at improvising. If caught in a sneak attack (say, if Decepticons infiltrate a spaceship he's piloting), he can be caught Flat-Footed for a number of rounds past the first.
Rivalry (Grimlock)- As Grimlock is a walking pile of chaos and random actions, Prowl despises him. The feeling is mutual.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 54 + 19 / Defenses: 19 (171)

-I actually barely remember Prowl, except for the fact that he looked awesome- the giant "wing-tip" thing he does with his car doors is pretty cool, and police cars have a good color scheme anyhow. Prowl is the Second-In-Command (and in '80s shows, that was SERIOUS BUSINESS- the kids at school always made a huge deal out of the chain of command). His characterization is that of an ultra-serious stick-in-the-mud who isn't good at improvising or expecting the unexpected. He received the most-gruesome death in the movie, being blasted apart by a mere CONSTRUCTICON of all people (at least Brawn had the decency to die to a blast from Megatron's Gun Mode)- the single laser went clean through him, doing explosive damage, and just in case we didn't get that this wasn't just some "minor wounding" laser blast (unlike EVERY OTHER LASER BLAST IN THE HISTORY OF THE SERIES UP TILL THAT POINT), not only does it erupt in smoke and fire, but you see a close-up of his face as smoke POURS OUT OF HIS MOUTH, and his eyes glow brightly, before fading out suddenly.
-As a Second-In-Command in the "Authority Equals Asskicking Capability" world of the 1980s, Prowl MUST be better than his contemporaries. Not so much that he's invincible or whatever (hell, look at the movie- who jobs to a SINGLE CONSTRUCTICON?), but he's clearly gotta have something backing him up. It's certainly not his personality. To amp him up, I boost his Accuracy & Strength, his Toughness, and his Defenses- this makes him a high-end fighter. Not much personality, however. Also, he has "Acid Pellets" in his gun.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7 ... ickyg1.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0 ... nd_bee.jpg[/img]

SPIKE (Sam Witwicky)
Role:
Human Buddy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 3 (55)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Relationship (Sparkplug)- Spike is really close with his dad, and nearly loses it whenever his dad gets hurt.
Relationship (Bumblebee)- The two are inseparable pals.
Relationship (Carly & Daniel)- Spike later grows into a responsible, potty-mouthed adult, and has a son named Daniel with his blonde main squeeze named Carly.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 20--15 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (55)

-As important to the Transformers franchise as any robot is Spike Witwicky- the all-important Human Buddy character. See, while the show was all about robots fighting each other, it was determined that this ALONE couldn't make a show, and they had to appeal to children with a character with whom they could identify. Spike had it all- Generic White Guy looks, a "Cool Name" (there's a reason the Ninja Turtles's "Fifth Turtle" was named "Zack" and not "Steven" or something), and most importantly, he was a TEENAGER (dumb shows often made the "Kid Focus Character" a child like the target audience, forgetting that to little kids, TEENAGERS are the coolest people ever- they have all the freedom of children, but are bigger, stronger, have money, and can DRIVE).
-Spike was pretty bland in the show, and prone to getting into trouble. He had a Generic Girlfriend (Carly), hung out with his apparently-single dad (called "Sparkplug" because god forbid anyone ever have an actual name), and appeared to have nothing better to do with his time than hang out with robots and nearly get murdered by laser fire every week. But nonetheless, he actually got to... GROW UP AND BREED?!? What the HELL? EVERYONE knows that cartoon characters are supposed to have sexless lives trapped in the permanence of eternal youth, with only a "token relationship" around to produce some drama! This dude up and ages, then produces a child?? Insane.
-Spike is iconic enough that they even had him in the Live Action movies as one of 9,000 human characters, where he plays pretty much the same role (it's also handy exposition to have some dumb kid around to constantly ask questions and force the heroes to deal out exposition). But despite his importance as the "Kid Focus" character you were supposed to identify with... pretty much everyone I ever knew didn't give a rat's ass about Spike, and wanted the show to focus more on Grimlock, Devastator & Soundwave.
-Spike is a pretty-typical teenager, but he picks up some skills over time. As an adult, he's ST 2, STA 3, FIGHTING 4, INT 3, AWA 3, and has at least a +8 in Ranged Attacks. And usually some kind of robotic Powersuit- he's way below any established Transformer, still.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... lector.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... lector.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... lector.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... n_0012.jpg[/img]

A good look at size differentials in the show, really.

REFLECTOR (Spectro & Spyglass)
Alternate Mode:
Camera
Role: Backgrounders, Blueshirts
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 7 (117)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 3 (+3, +6 Size)
Perception 10 (+10)

Advantages:
Eidetic Memory, Equipment 5 (Laser Gun +7- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Camera Pieces) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Mode Notes: Largely-Immobile. Shrinking 16 with No Powers. Acts as Normal Camera.)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 4 (Str & Toughness +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +7 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +2

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Motivation (Power & Punishing)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 54 + 12 / Defenses: 13 (117)

-One of the weirder aspects of the early Transformers episodes is the omnipresence of these guys- a trio of generic types who have to combine together to form... a CAMERA? Yes, this marks him as a Microman figure (along with Soundwave & Megatron)- everyday objects turning into robots. He (they?) rarely says anything in the show, but back when the Decepticons were Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream, two Seekers and some Tapes, this purple trio showed up a lot as "filler" in fight scenes, helping to make it not look like the Autobots outnumbered the Decepticons 10 to 1. Sometimes, his model may have been used as a "Generic" Decepticon troop, as well- the equivalent of a Cobra "Blueshirt" in G.I. Joe. He was phased out after the Movie, especially now that we had some REAL material to work with in terms of Decepticon Backgrounders. In fact, the Series Bible actually specifically tells writers not to use this character after Season 1, as there were delays in releasing his toy.
-The weakest "big" characters in the series (at PL 7, they're below even the Mini-Vehicle generics of the Autobots), the components of Reflector are basically Jobbers, but are high enough level to be dangerous for any human being. +7/+7 ain't too shabby a set-up for a character- Daredevil or Spider-Man can't just shrug off that kind of punishment if they should hit. Like most low-end Decepticons, they're basically high-powered morons. Their Alternate Form is probably the most-useless of anyone- three guys forming the components that make up a single camera. This means that they Shrink down to a great degree... but of course can't move around or do anything until they transform back (so they don't exactly get charged "Shrinking" the way a normal character might).

VIEWFINDER- PL 7 (134):
"Perceptive Lenses" Senses 3 (Extended Vision +3), "Blinding Flash" Dazzle Visuals 8 (Burst Area, Touch Range) [19]
-Viewfinder is the central cog in the "Reflector" Camera Mode, and thus is the only one with the Lense and Flash powers.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ck_dw6.jpg[/img]

WHEELJACK
Alternate Mode:
Sports Car (Lancia Stratos Turbo)
Role: Mad Scientist
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 9 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+17)
Insight 1 (+1)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 3 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 9 (+18)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack, AE: Missiles- Blast 8/Burst Area/Unreliable- 5 Uses), Inventor, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Technology), Teamwork, Ultimate Technology Skill

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Sports Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Obsession (Building New Stuff)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 20 (174)

-Wheeljack is very important to the first part of the show, which makes me shocked that I have zero familiarity with him from my childhood. I KNOW I saw the episodes in which he was featured (via Generation 2's retellings), but I didn't remember him until my friend told me that Wheeljack was his favorite, and he has a specific heartbroken memory of watching the Movie and seeing him dead. Not KILLED, mind you- just DEAD; His corpse lying into a room as the lifeless Windcharger is dumped alongside him by a worried Arcee.
-He was a heroic example of a Mad Scientist of sorts- constantly building things that blew up in his face, or endangered his teammates. To the point where he ended up with a negative reputation from his allies, who got tired of this pretty quickly. He was notably the guy who created the Dinobots, effectively making him... a mother? Kind of...? Transformer Breeding is so hard to comprehend- they just kind of gloss over that guys can just sit there and create WHOLLY-FORMED LIFE just by going to the lab and slapping some stuff together.
-Of note is his cool head design- most Transformers were seen with moving mouths. But all kids knew the coolest ones had mouthplates- Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Grimlock and more all had these. Wheeljack not only had THAT, but these big headlights on each side of his head that lit up when he spoke. A very unique concept that made him stand out, as he's just a generic Car Robot otherwise. In continuities where flight is uncommon, he can STILL fly, via rockets in his forearms- this is because he's based off of a toy that was sponsored by an Italian airline. And notably, he was the very first Transformer seen on-screen in the original animated series- making him the first animated Transformer PERIOD. And after all that, he gets killed OFF-SCREEN in the Movie.
-Unlike most "Science Guys", Wheeljack isn't any worse at fighting than most of his teammates- he fits right in with the rest of the group in a firefight. He's just a lot more mentally-gifted than they are.

OTHER AUTOBOTS
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: Backgrounders, One-Note Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (132)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Laser Gun +8- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 54 + 15 / Defenses: 14 (132)

-These guys complete the rest of the Autobots- the Cars tend to be fairly-spry, and show up a lot, but these guys are mere filler and tend to be rather "Gimmicky", meant to sell different aspects of the toys- Instant Transformations, Double Agents and whatever. They're mostly balanced PL 8s.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 5-0000.jpg[/img]

OMNIBOTS:
* A trio of mailaway-only toys, that never appeared in the cartoon. They came from the Diaclone line, and their "Gimmick" was that they had weapons that could "snap up" while in car form (called "Assault Mode", like it was a third Form). They're supposed to be scouts, so they all have the same stats.

CAMSHAFT (Sports Car- Mazda RX-7 Series 2)- PL 8 (150):
Expertise (Scout) 4 (+5), Stealth 8 (+5 Size), Blast 8 [18]
-A stealthy scout prone to self-preservation (ie. he doesn't act like a hero).
DOWNSHIFT (Sports Car- Toyota Celica Supra/Celica XX)- PL 8 (150):
Expertise (Scout) 4 (+5), Stealth 8 (+5 Size), Blast 8 [18]
-An exciteable sort.
OVERDRIVE (Sports Car- Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer)- PL 9 (161):
INT 3, Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+10), Expertise (Scout) 4 (+7), Stealth 8 (+5 Size), Ranged Attack +2, Blast 8 [29]
-The leader.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/1/1 ... oy.jpg/img]

JUMPSTARTERS:
* A pair of guys whose "Gimmick" was that they could snap into their alternate mode instantly- they're "Spring-Loaded" so that when you pull them backwards, they race forward, tripping the "catch", and spring into place so that the robot is standing upright. A pretty cool idea... in theory. The problem, of course, is that the transformation needs to be ultra-simplistic, and form very basic, to allow the complex physics to work, and so you have a pair of very bulky toys (essentially a boxy torso with four unarticulated limbs and a small head). They are apparently quite legendary for being over-produced, becoming infamous "Shelfwarmers", and their only comic appearances came in the UK.

TWIN TWIST (Weird Cybertronian Twin-Drilled Thing)- PL 8 (136):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack, Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Transforming) [4]
-An uncontrollable, violent fighter.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... pinToy.jpg[/img]

TOPSPIN (Weird Amphibious Cybertronian Vehicle)- PL 8 (137):
Expertise (Traveler) 6 (+7), Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Transforming) [5]
-An adventurous traveler.

FASTLANE (Futuristic Dragster) & CLOUDRAKER (Futuristic Jet)- PL 8 (132):
-A pair of "Clones" whose "Gimmick" is that they were released in a two-pack, and had identical Robot Modes. Unless you looked close enough and saw a nosecone or some wheels or something. They appear ultra-briefly in the cartoon and some of the media. Fastlane is a wreckless adventurer, while Cloudraker is apparently claustrophobic and crazy.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... s_deer.jpg[/img]

MONSTERBOTS:
* The Monsterbots are a trio of 1987 releases, designed to transform into odd-looking mish-mash monsters. Pressing a button on their backs cause "Cold Sparks" (familiar to many '80s kids, as a LOT of toys had that kind of thing) to fire from their mouths. They appear only briefly in the Comics, and have little to do in the supporting materials, being both a late-ish release and something that quickly got overwhelmed by all the "_____Master" lines. They're basically Generic Autobots with a Blast Power.

GROTUSQUE (Bat-Winged Sabre-Toothed Cat Monster)- PL 9 (152):
"Breath Weapon" Blast 9, All-Out Attack, Power Attack [20]
-Grotusque treates life like it's a joke to be laughed at, even during disturbing or dangerous times.
REPUGNUS (Bug Monster)- PL 9 (153):
"Breath Weapon" Blast 9, Improvised Weapon, All-Out Attack, Power Attack [21]
-An unsavory type of Autobot who in some continuities has been discharged for insubordination or "nastiness". He's prone to some rather murderous urges, and it's for the best that he only sends this towards the Decepticons. His Alt-Mode is ridiculously-weak- it's just a backpack that flips up over his head to make a mask.
DOUBLECROSS (Two-Headed Dragon)- PL 9 (153):
"Breath Weapon" Blast 9, Benefit (Ambidexterity), All-Out Attack, Power Attack [21]
-The coolest-looking of the Monsterbots, Doublecross turns into a two-headed dragon. He's a bit crazy, thanks to two personalities swirling about in his head.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ch_art.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 87_toy.jpg[/img]

PUNCH/COUNTERPUNCH (Sports Car- Pontiac Fiero)- PL 8 (138):
Deception 10 (+12), AE: Morph 1 (Counterpunch) [6]
-An interesting concept for a toy/character- an Autobot who turns into a standard Vehicle Mode, but also has a separate ROBOT MODE that is a different color, and is a DECEPTICON. Yes, Punch is a double-agent- he spies on the Decepticons as "Counterpunch". He was in the cartoon for a bit, but primarily showed up in the Japanese 'toon, where he was Scorponok's Major Domo-type. He provided a great deal of information to the Autobots about Decepticon plots and movements. The toy is a tad simplistic, as his arms and torso just flip around to reveal the other color.

----

"But she's got a new hat!"

THE ____MASTERS:
With the toyline losing a bit of steam, and most of the "Big Releases" out of the way, Hasbro wanted to keep things going with new gimmicks and junk. In an odd move, they chose to give us a series of Transformers that came packaged with little tiny dudes- these smaller robot-y lookin' things (actually guys in suits) would transform into a head, an engine or a gun, and connect with the larger figure. This was supposed to "Boost Power" or whatever. This allowed Hasbro to release slightly-updated versions of some of the more-important characters, including a gigantic Powermaster Optimus Prime (one of my favorite toys as a kid, but one that today is kind of lame- there's zero articulation whatsoever in the legs, he has no elbows, and his "Base Mode" is pretty forgettable. At least he comes with a "regular" Optimus as well). Other guys like Blurr and Hot Rod got upgrades, too. There was also a handful of new characters.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... shairs.jpg[/img]

TARGETMASTERS (Autobots)
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys, "Special Gun" Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Targetmasters
PL 10 (161)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Targetmaster"
Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Aim, Improved Critical) (Extras: Multiattack) (33) -- [34]
AE: Enhanced Advantage: Sidekick 16 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Targetmaster Abilities)- The Robot Allies are either Sidekicks or a powerful Gun- though Easily Removable, the character can simply jump back. Getting rid of the Power requires the removal of the Ally character entirely.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 54 + 15 + 34 / Defenses: 14 (161)

-Targetmasters came with small figures that could turn into guns- this was supposed to give them enhanced firing capabilities, as the guy in Gun Mode could link minds with the wielder. They only featured in the cartoon's finale (a three-parter that also introduced the Headmasters), but were a bigger part of the comic book, and lived on to great extent in the Japanese extended series The Headmasters. Their gun set-up is fairly complex (you could theoretically make the entirety of the power come from the Gun Character instead)- it's either a Gun, or an Enhanced Advantage- you only get the benefit of the Sidekick if you lose the gun. I went with "Sidekick" over Minion as these guys are effectively separate characters, who can run around and do their own things. The Gun is not just a standard-issue gun, but an Accuracy-Boosting Blast.

CROSSHAIRS (Cybertronian Van/Buggy)- PL 10 (161):
-Notable for firing his weapon only when certain he won't miss.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 7-0002.jpg[/img]

POINTBLANK (Cybertronian Sports Car)- PL 10 (163):
Equipment 1 (Engine Block as Shield- Defenses +1), Sidekick is at 17 (no extra cost) [1]
-A 'bot of few words.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ation1.jpg[/img]

SURESHOT (Cybertronian Baja Buggy)- PL 8 (161):
-Egotistical.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ndfill.jpg[/img]

SMALL TARGETMASTERS
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys, "Special Gun" Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Targetmasters
PL 10 (169)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 1 [1]

"Targetmaster"
"Gun & Guy" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Aim, Improved Critical) (Extras: Multiattack) & Enhanced Advantage 16: Sidekick 16 (43) -- [45]
AE: "Guns as Guys" Enhanced Advantage 32: Sidekick 16 & 16 (32)
AE: "Gun & Gun" Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Aim, Improved Critical) (Extras: Multiattack) (33)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +9 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Doubled-Up Blaster +9 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Targetmaster Abilities)- The Robot Allies are either Sidekicks or a powerful Gun- though Easily Removable, the character can simply jump back. Getting rid of the Power requires the removal of the Ally character entirely.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 54 + 14 + 45 / Defenses: 14 (169)

-There was also a set of "Double-Targetmasters" who came with TWO men who could turn into guns! Smaller releases, they came in so late that they don't even feature in the Japanese Headmasters cartoon. They're a bit blocky and short, so their guns look positively HUGE in their hands, but they're among the simplest Transformers in existence- you just flip up the gun tips and stand them up- their arms and legs are connected to their bodies!
-A REALLY, REALLY complicated build to figure out, these Double-Targetmasters effectively have a pair of Sidekicks (18 ranks each) that can also form guns. In the end, I went with the three variants- Guy & Guy (36 ranks of Enhanced Advantage), Gun & Guy (a single Blast with a Sidekick), and Gun & Gun (when doubled-up, via peg-holes and pegs in each of the guns, the guns boost to extra power). This means that they're very expensive, but can only hit their full PL 10 stats with both Guns, thus losing the Sidekick.

SMALL TARGETMASTERS:
LANDFILL (Dump Truck)- PL 8 (171):
One Gun as 2 Ranks of Homing [2]
-The "Pigpen" of the Autobots.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ardart.jpg[/img]

QUICKMIX (Cement Mixer)- PL 8 (175):
INT 4, PRE 0, Expertise (Science) 8 (+12) [6]
-An absent-minded chemist with a temper.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 2-0003.jpg[/img]

SCOOP (Front Payloader)- PL 8 (171):
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+10) [2]
-A high-end tactician.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... emaker.jpg[/img]

GUN MODE GUYS
Alternate Mode:
Various Guns
Role: Tiny Toys, Sentient Guns,
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Targetmasters
PL 5 (76)- Sidekick Rank 16
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Template"
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
"Gun Mode" Morph 1 (Gun Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 6 (76)

-These guys are basically Cyborgs that transform into guns- not that great at fighting on their own (especially in a land of Giants), they're central to their partners' powers.

GUN MODE GUYS:
HAYWIRE (Gray Gun)- PL 5 (76):
-Came with Blurr, and is just as hyperactive.
PINPOINTER (Red Grenade Launcher)- PL 5 (76):
-Came with Crosshairs, and speaks rarely.
FIREBOLT (Gray Gun- "Electric Discharge Rifle")- PL 5 (85):
INT 5, AWA 3, FIGHTING 2, Expertise (Science) 8 (+13) [9]
-Came with Hot Rod. A quiet scholar who was frequently worried by Hot Rod's risks.
RECOIL (Black Gun)- PL 5 (76):
-Came with Kup, and like him, is the "old man" of the group.
PEACEMAKER (Red Gun- "Sonic Blaster")- PL 5 (81):
AWA 2, Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+8) [5]
-Came with Pointblank. An upbeat Nebulan cop.
SPOILSPORT (Red Gun)- PL 5 (76):
Ranged Attack 8 [4]
-Came with Sureshot, and annoys him by being equally a good shot.

"Small Targetmaster" Guns (came in pairs):
FLINTLOCK (Blue Gun) & SILENCER (Yellow Gun)- PL 5 (76):
-Came with Landfill. Flintlock is a rebel who found a calling with the Autobots, and is a "Heat-Seeking Stress Pistol". Silencer is a former pacifist who joined the war against the Decepticons after Scorponok destroyed his family's farm.
BOOMER (Blue Gun) & RICOCHET (Yellow Gun)- PL 5 (76):
-Came with Quickmix. Boomer is enthusiastic and brash, and is a Sonic Pulse Cannon. Ricochet is a depressive Submachine Gun.
HOLEPUNCH (Blue Gun) & TRACER (Yellow Gun)- PL 5 (76):
-Came with Scoop. Holepunch is a bureaucrat with no people skills and is a Dual Compression Cannon. Tracer is an ex-con looking to make things right and earn a pardon by fighting in the war- he's an Ion Cannon.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... de_002.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... onhide.jpg[/img]

IRONHIDE
Alternate Mode:
Van (Nissan Sunny-Vanette Coach SGL)
Role: Grizzled Veteran, Angry Brawler
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 11 (174)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 7 (+10, +4 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 13 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack, "Water Gun"- Liquid Nitrogen/Snare 10, Acids- Blast 7 Linked to Weaken Toughness 8/Ranged/Affects Objects, Mortar- Burst Blast 10), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Red Van) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Expansive enough to hold a regular-sized Autobot in the rear compartment)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Liquid Nitrogen +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Acid Spray +10 (+7 Ranged Damage & +8 Ranged Weaken, DC 17 & 18)
Mortar +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepti-creeps)
Responsibility (Loves Fighting)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 19 (174)

-Ironhide is another long-term "establishment" Autobot, having been with the franchise from the very beginning, and going all the way to modern times and movies. Just about every continuity needs one guy like him- a gruff, argumentative, hot-headed brawler who's always eager to bash the heads of "Decepti-creeps". He's not an asshole though (unlike MANY characters with this archetype)- he gets along plenty with Spike, Bumblebee and others. So he's better off than Brawn or Gears. He and Ratchet are Retools of the same toy, a piloted mecha with no head (so that their toys are actually pretty awful- headless things sitting on "Battle Platforms" with a little sticker for a head).
-Despite being one of the most-iconic and commonly-seen Autobots in the first seasons (probably because he's also voiced by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus), Ironhide is one of the simplest vehicles- just a red VAN. Not a cool Lamborghini, Corvette, Semi-Truck, or even a frickin' VW Beetle- the dude is something soccer moms use to pick up their KIDS! A very odd choice for "Team Bad-Ass". Not that it helps him- he dies along with various other "First Gen" characters in the Movie, gunned down along with Ratchet by Starscream, Megatron and some Constructicons. Ironhide gets one final moment, desperately crawling up Megatron's leg to prevent them invading Autobot City... but a disgusted Decepitcon leader simply goes "such heroic NONSENSE..." and calmly BLOWS HIS HEAD OFF with a single shot!
-Ironhide is a more-versatile brawler than most Autobots, and has a unique, varied "Water Gun" that can fire numerous substances. He's PL 10 at range like most "Standard" Autobots, but upgrades to PL 11 in close quarters, making him one of the best of the "First Generation" troops- it isn't until the Dinobots show up that Optimus has a better front-line fighter on his side.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 31ow6e.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... am_toy.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/e ... nation.jpg[/img]

STARSCREAM
Alternate Mode:
F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
Role: The Starscream (aka the Duplicitious, Conniving Bad Guy Who Wants to Replace His Boss)
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Seekers
PL 11 (189)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 6 (+7, +10 Size)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 11/Burst Area, Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Daze (Deception), Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Disarm, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle,

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (F-15 Eagle) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 6 [6]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (25) -- [26]
AE: "Null Ray" Affliction 11 (Toughness; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited to Technology) (22)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +11 Area (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Null Ray +11 (+11 Ranged Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Enemy (Megatron)
Motivation (Power)- All Starscream thinks about is power- he openly disregards his boss, insults teammates, and schemes his way into becoming the new leader of the Decepticons.
Responsibility (Coward)- Starscream will call a retreat ("RETREAT!! RETREEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAATTT!!!") the second things turn against him.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 54 + 45 / Defenses: 16 (189)

-Starscream- a character so iconic that TV Tropes immediately called his character archetype (that of the conniving henchman out to kill and replace his boss) "The Starscream". He pretty much immediately jumps in, insulting his boss, scheming behind his back, and trying to replace him. He's often so openly and flagrantly disrespectful and hostile that one begins to wonder why Megatron doesn't just shoot the guy who OPENLY TALKS ABOUT REPLACING HIM. It gets to the point where the fan theory that Megatron is actually in love with Starscream and can't bear to part with him ACTUALLY BECOMES THE ONLY RATIONAL EXPLANATION. Because it's not like he's that great a fighter- the dude's a coward who flees at the first sign of trouble.
-Starscream and his Seekers are interesting for numerous reasons- first off, they're some of the more notable Recolors in the line, as they're the same toy (a Diaclone "Jet Robo" figure) with different paint. Given that they're some pretty expensive toys, that reeks of money-grubbing and probably the kind of thing that annoys parents ("wait, he wants me to buy all THREE of these? But... they're just the same toy!"). They're also some of the few Decepticons who can blast away in Vehicle Mode with ease. They make up the majority of Megatron's frontline forces at first (it was them, Soundwave & Reflector, really). They're some of the harder toys to find intact- you cannot transform him without taking off bits and pieces of his Robot or Plane Mode, meaning that they're near-constantly loose. They're also a signifier of how much more "militaristic" the Decepticons were- while Soundwave & Reflector were common electronic objects, the Seekers were JETS. The Autobots, meanwhile, were jeeps, cars and trucks.
-Starscream received a "Pretender" and an "Action Master" toy as well, but was eventually given the axe in the Movie- in a VERY prominent scene, no less. Early on, he's establishing his core traits of deceit and betrayal, and when Megatron is badly-damaged in the Battle of Autobot City, the fleeing Decepticons are told to "jettison extra weight" by an injured Astrotrain (their transport). Starscream of course volunteers MEGATRON, who weakly declares "I... still... FUNCTION..." His lieutenant can only smirk "WANNA BET?" before dropping him out of airlock and sending him to oblivion. Douchiness thus intact, Starscream nominates himself (OF COURSE) for leadership of the Decepticons, and just HAS to do it in the most-auspicious surroundings possible- he has himself crowned with an ACTUAL CROWN in front of the entire assembled army! And then of course Megatron's upgraded form- Galvatron- shows up. "You, a KING? This is bad comedy!" And when Starscream fearfully questions whether or not his former leader has returned, the answer comes in the form of a powerful Laser Cannon shot to the chest- a blast so powerful it TURNS HIM GREY and causes him to crumble into rubble (the other Seekers also vanish after the Movie). Now THAT is a death!
-Starscream, for all his faults, is still a deadly warrior. He's a PL 11 Flying Blaster, just as deadly in the air as a jet as he is in Robot Mode (his Vehicle Mode even has guns all over the place- most Transformers at this point could not shoot much while a vehicle). He's got some Power Attack & Move-By Action to showcase him as the leader of the Seekers as well, not to mention that "Null Ray" (a blast which nullifies technology- he can use it from a gun, his finger or his Jet Mode- therefore, it's a Power). But check the Will Save- Starscream is still a born coward.
-The Seekers are rather effective in Robot OR in Vehicle Mode- they're nearly as pricey as Jets. This is largely-because they have their full power in those forms (their guns are usually on the outside) and they're faster, only dropping some Defenses.

STARSCREAM- JET MODE
Alternate Mode:
Cowardly Robot
Role: The Starscream (aka the Duplicitious, Conniving Bad Guy Who Wants to Replace His Boss)
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Seekers
PL 11 (185)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 6 (+7, +10 Size)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 11/Burst Area, Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Daze (Deception), Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Disarm, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle,

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 9 (1000 mph) [18]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Humanoid Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 6 [6]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Vaguely-Larger Probably" Growth +4 (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & STA Growths) [4]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (25) -- [26]
AE: "Null Ray" Affliction 11 (Toughness; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited to Technology) (22)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +11 Area (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Null Ray +11 (+11 Ranged Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Enemy (Megatron)
Motivation (Power)- All Starscream thinks about is power- he openly disregards his boss, insults teammates, and schemes his way into becoming the new leader of the Decepticons.
Responsibility (Coward)- Starscream will call a retreat ("RETREAT!! RETREEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAATTT!!!") the second things turn against him.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Disabled (No Hands)

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 56 + 49 / Defenses: 14 (185)

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... series.jpg[/img]

THE SEEKERS
Alternate Mode:
F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
Role: Rank & File
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Seekers
PL 10 (169)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 10/Burst Area, Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters), Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (F-15 Eagle) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) [25]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 54 + 43 / Defenses: 16 (169)

-The initial Seekers- Skywarp and Thundercracker- are essentially Starscream's "Goon Squad" in the series- a duo of Recolors who follow behind their leader, blasting away at whatever he hits. This is a bit of a Catch-22 for them- Starscream's prominence means that they're ALWAYS seen in episodes, so they get a lot of air-time (and a LOT of toys- if there's a Starscream toy, you can bet that two more Seekers are soon to follow- it's too cheap an option to produce NOT to do it!). But the fact that they're just the followers of a main character means that their role is to basically be a voiceless pair behind him- this means that there are few particularly-focused fans of either one of these guys, despite their popularity as characters. People just think they look cool.
-Some other Seekers appear later, without explanation- Dirge, Thrust and Ramjet, who are usually depicted with "conehead" tops, making them look a bit differently. Many fans leave their toys' heads untransformed to mimic their cartoon appearance, and separate them from the earlier trio.
-Skywarp and Thundercracker are dealt away with in the Movie, much like most of the "First Generation" characters- both are badly-damaged during the Battle of Autobot City (by unknown means), and casually-dumped out of Astrotrain's holding bay to make weight. They're among the Decepticons converted by Unicron into Galvatron's powerful army, though which character became which NEW character is the subject of numerous fan debates- the personalities have been so altered that it's basically irrelevant. Curiously, the other three continue forth after the Movie.
-Despite being a "Goon Squad", the Seekers are actually quite powerful and not to be trifled with- pricey AND powerful, at PL 10.

THE SEEKERS:
SKYWARP (F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (186):
INT 0, Teleport 8 [14]
-The only Teleporter in the Decepticons' ranks, Skywarp is a bit of a dunce and needs to be led- even the Series Bible calls him "sneaky but dumb". He was the first Transformer to be revived in modern Earth history, awakening and being altered from a pyramid-shaped flying vessel into an F-15. The loyal toady then immediately revives Megatron. In the Movie, either he or an Insecticon becomes Cyclonus, the new "#2" to the new Decepticon leader, Galvatron- it's probably supposed to be Skywarp, but the character is so different that Skywarp is effectively dead from this point on.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -g1_th.jpg[/img]

THUNDERCRACKER (F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (172):
-Almost a "Minion With An F In Evil" with sympathies for humanity, but is usually shouted-down by his fellow Seekers enough to bury this. His dark-blue jet form makes him one of the coolest designs in the First Generation. He gets little specific to do, but often showed up in the early days- in the Movie, he is reformatted into Scourge, and thus is effectively "dead".

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -dirge.jpg[/img]

DIRGE (F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (172):
-A gloomy Redeco of the Seekers, introduced later. He isn't a "conehead", but is usually left untransformed on that part so that he resembles Thrust & Ramjet.

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... thrust.jpg[/img]

THRUST (F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (172):
-A loud-mouthed braggart in red.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... et__1_.jpg[/img]

RAMJET (F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (173):
"Headbutt" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
-A white jet prone to headbutting people.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... oka_1_.jpg[/img]

SUNSTORM (F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (212):
"Radioactive" Affliction 10 (Toughness; Dazed/Stunned/Transformed to Random Behavior or Problems) (Uncontrolled, Area- 30ft. Burst, Aura +3) [40]
-This guy's somewhat-notable for appearing in only one single episode in the More Than Meets The Eye debut of the animated series. He was just a background guy, and never named on-screen. He never received a toy (or a proper name) until 2003. He's apparently radioactive and a bit of a nutter.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... isfire.jpg[/img]

TARGETMASTERS (Decepticons)
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Jets
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys, "Special Gun" Guys
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Targetmasters
PL 10 (154)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Targetmaster"
Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Aim, Improved Critical) (Extras: Multiattack) (33) -- [34]
AE: Enhanced Advantage: Sidekick 15 (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Targetmaster Abilities)- The Robot Allies are either Sidekicks or a powerful Gun- though Easily Removable, the character can simply jump back. Getting rid of the Power requires the removal of the Ally character entirely.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 54 + 15 + 34 / Defenses: 13 (154)

-The Decepticon Targetmasters include three new characters, in addition to updated forms for Cyclonus and Scourge. All three are Cybertronian Jets.

MISFIRE (Pink Cybertronian Jet)- PL 10 (148):
Ranged Attack 2, No Soldier Expertise [-6]
-Misfire is hilariously-inept, to the point where I find it amazing that they included all of his foolishness on his bio (he holds the record for failing the Decepticon Military College, and only "graduated" because the Autobots blew it up). I mean, which kid wants the toy of the INCOMPETENT villain?

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ngerg1.jpg[/img]

SLUGSLINGER (Blue Twin-Cockpitted Cybertronian Jet)- PL 10 (154):
-A duelist.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... boxart.jpg[/img]

TRIGGERHAPPY (Blue Cybertronian Jet)- PL 10 (146):
INT -1, AWA -1, PRE -1, All-Out Attack, Power Attack [-8]
-Looks kinda like a blue X-Wing. Completely nuts.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... enose2.jpg[/img]

SMALLER TARGETMASTERS (Decepticons)
Alternate Mode:
Jets
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys, "Special Gun" Guys
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Targetmasters
PL 10 (161)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 1 [1]

"Targetmaster"
"Gun & Guy" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Aim, Improved Critical) (Extras: Multiattack) & Enhanced Advantage 16: Sidekick 16 (43) -- [45]
AE: "Guns as Guys" Enhanced Advantage 32: Sidekick 16 & 16 (32)
AE: "Gun & Gun" Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Aim, Improved Critical) (Extras: Multiattack) (33)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +9 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Targetmaster Abilities)- The Robot Allies are either Sidekicks or a powerful Gun- though Easily Removable, the character can simply jump back. Getting rid of the Power requires the removal of the Ally character entirely.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 54 + 14 + 45 / Defenses: 13 (161)

-Like the Autobots, there's a trio of "Twin-Gunned" Decepticons with the same gimmick- the guns can be paired up, or attached together into a "Super-Gun". And again like the Autobots, they're more standard vehicles than Cybertronian ones, albeit brightly-colored and more-militaristic.

NEEDLENOSE (Gray Jet)- PL 10 (163):
Expertise (Fashion) 4 (+5) [2]
-A fashion designer who joined the Decepticons after his fashions were declared passe. Really. Shows up a LOT in the IDW series, for some reason (that section is enormous on his bio page).

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... -quake.jpg[/img]

QUAKE (Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank)- PL 10 (181):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack, Blast 9 [20]
-A berserker who's as big a danger to his teammates as his enemies. Like most Tanks, comes with his own Gun as a Power.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 1-0002.jpg[/img]

SPINISTER (Technicolor AH-64 Apache Helicopter)- PL 10 (163):
Deception 4 (+4) [2]
-A mysterious loner.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7 ... iburst.jpg[/img]

GUN MODE GUYS
Alternate Mode:
Various Guns
Role: Tiny Toys, Sentient Guns,
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Targetmasters
PL 5 (72)- Sidekick Rank 15
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+5)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Template"
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
"Gun Mode" Morph 1 (Gun Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 6 (72)

-The Decepticons also have guys who transform into their guns- they're usually Nebulan criminals, also put into cybernetic uniforms.

NIGHTSTICK (Black Gun)- PL 5 (79):
PRE 2, Deception 6 (+8), Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+7) [7]
-Partnered with Cyclonus, who hates his disohonorable pest of an ally. A master criminal who fires a beam of "Corrosive Darkness" (so... Blast/Weaken/Concealment Attack?). Curiously, he shares a name and appearance with Ricochet's partner. This is never mentioned, and may just be an oversight.
AIMLESS (Blue Gun)- PL 5 (72):
-Partnered with Misfire, and is also a terrible shot.
FRACAS (Gray Gun)- PL 5 (74):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack [2]
-Partnered with Scourge. A volatile scrapper.
CALIBURST (Blue Gun)- PL 5 (74):
Deception 4 (+5), Expertise (Acting) 2 (+3) [2]
-Partnered with Slugslinger. A failed actor.
BLOWPIPE (Gray & Purple Gun)- PL 5 (77):
INT 2, Expertise (Politics) 6 (+7) [5]
-Partnered with Triggerhappy, and a behind-the-scenes operator who resents his leaderly brother, Lord Zarak, for taking all the glory.
SUNBEAM (Purple Gun) & ZIGZAG (Black & Green Gun)- PL 5 (72):
-Partnered with Needlenose- he and Sunbeam pick on Zigzag, who is an incompetent mechanic infamous for leaving vehicles in WORSE shape than when he started!
TIPTOP (Purple Gun) & HEATER (Black Gun)- PL 5 (74) & PL 5 (74):
Tiptop- ST 5 [2], Heater- Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+5) [2]
-Partnered with Quake, they can't stand each other. Tiptop is a Circus Strongman whose carelessness led to his downfall, and seeks revenge on those he blames for wronging him. Heater shills illegal "pleasure pods", and is notably lazy.
HAIRSPLITTER (Purple Gun) & SINGE (Black Gun)- PL 5 (72):
-Partnered with Spinister. Hairsplitter is an unlikable bureaucrat, while Singe joined the Decepticons to get back at his beloved, who married Galen- an Autobot Targetmaster-Gun.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... uzzsaw.jpg[/img]

SOUNDWAVE'S TAPES
Alternate Mode:
Mini-Cassette Tapes
Role: Tiny Toys, Summoned Allies, Reconnaissance
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 6 (102)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Improved Defenses, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (1980s Mini-Cassette Tape Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* Notes: Immobile, Action-less, Miniature Cassette (Shrinking 20)

Protection 6 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasters +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Mute)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 58 / Defenses: 5 (103)

-Soundwave had a veritable army of these guys after a point- the intial handful soon gave way to numerous guys- they were good, cheap toys, and surprisingly-detailed considering their Alt-Modes are of 1980s-era Mini-Cassette Tapes (they unfold like friggin' origami with guns). They are among the most-useful and competent Decepticons, lacking power but making up for it in versatility and specialization. Their size, like most Transformers, can vary- they're about human-sized (Ravage & Rumble are about as big as Sparkplug & Spike), but several images depict them as looking only about half or a third as big as full-sized Autobots & Decepticons! They gain a LOT of Shrinking in Mini-Cassette Mode, but of course are immobile in this form, so they don't really get charged a lot for the Power. Also in the cartoon they're mute, but the toys featured them yammering on like everyone.
-Only Squawktalk came with the Soundwave figure- the others had to be purchased in Two-Packs- Overkill/Slugfest, Frenzy/Laserbeak, Rumble/Ratbat & Squawktalk/Beastbox (who can combine their forms to make a Mini-Combiner).

BUZZSAW (Black Bird)- PL 6 (104):
Features: Recording Device [1]
-The only Mini-Cassette released with Soundwave, he was completely overshadowed with his Recolor, Laserbeak, in the fiction.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ox_art.jpg[/img]

RATBAT (Purple Bat)- PL 6 (103):
-A flying Bat Robot who's notable for his great fuel efficiency. This, in fact, led to him being elected Decepticon LEADER thanks to some goofy writing in the comic books, as fuel was at a premium at the time. He was even SUCCESSFUL in this role, making great plans and saving fuel- however, he was murdered by Scorponok, who then took command. Like most animal-themed Mini-Cassettes, he was basically a growling animal in the cartoon- in the comics, he was as chatty as anyone. He was an okay-looking toy for a Mini-Cassette that turns into a Bat, but his ears are among the most easily-lost pieces in the original Transformers line.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... erkill.jpg[/img]

OVERKILL (Tyrannosaurus Rex)- PL 7 (107):
ST 6, Improved Critical (Bite), Power Attack, Protection 7, Dodge -1 [4]
-A tiny white & blue Tyrannosaurus Rex toy (though his nose-horn makes him resemble a Ceratosaurus more). He appears briefly in only one single Transformers episode, and then never again. He and Slugfest are PL 6.5, owing to their saurian hitting power.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ugfest.jpg[/img]

SLUGFEST (Stegosaurus)- PL 7 (103):
ST 6, INT -1, AWA -1, Improved Critical (Tail), Power Attack, Protection 7, Dodge -1 [0]
-A cool-looking Stegosaurus.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... gthing.jpg[/img]

WINGTHING (Black Bat)- PL 6 (103):
-A Bat from the Action Master line, who makes a one-snap configuration into a Gun for Soundwave- not a Mini-Cassette.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... nowski.jpg[/img]

SQUAWKTALK (Blue Bird)- PL 6 (124):
Comprehend 3 (Languages), Summon Minion 5 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Beastbox, Replaces Squawktalk) [21]
-A bird who knows many languages, and constantly talks. Oddly, can combine with Beastbox to form Squawkbox.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... box_g1.jpg[/img]

BEASTBOX (Purple Gorilla)- PL 7 (139):
ST 6, Athletics 6 (+12), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Features: May Use Feet as Hands, Recording Device, Summon Squawkbox 5 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Squawktalk, Replaces Beastbox) [26]
-A gorilla who combines with Squawktalk.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ox_toy.jpg[/img]

SQUAWKBOX (Winged Robot)- PL 7 (138):
ST 7, FIGHTING 8, Athletics 6 (+13), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Comprehend 3 (Languages), Features 2: Increased Mass, Recording Device, Protection 8 [25]
-The Combined Mode of Squawktalk & Beastbox- statted up as a slightly-oversized Humanoid Robot who's closer in power to the Mini-Vehicles. A pretty cool idea, all things considered. I kind of like that sort of "outside the box" thinking. He is formed by a "Summon" Power from the other two- both have to be present, and he replaces both of them, and they split the cost.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ssette.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... rivers.jpg[/img]

RUMBLE & FRENZY
Alternate Mode:
Mini-Cassette Tapes
Role: Tiny Toys, Summoned Allies, Status-Affecters
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 12 (143)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Improved Defenses, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (1980s Mini-Cassette Tape Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* Notes: Immobile, Action-less, Miniature Cassette (Shrinking 20)
Protection 6 [6]

"Ground Pounders" All Powers Linked
Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Grounded Targets, Distracting, Last 4 Ranks Limited to Objects) [16]
Affliction 12 (Strength/Athletics; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Grounded Targets) [24]
Immunity 2 (Sibling's Powers) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasters +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Ground Pounders +10-12 Area (+10 Damage & +12 Afflictoin, DC 21-25 & DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 58 + 42 / Defenses: 6 (143)

-Among the more infamous debates in the TF-fandom is the "Rumble is Red, Frenzy is Blue/Frenzy Is Red, Rumble Is Blue" argument. See, they share a model in the series, and so coloring often gets mixed up. And it changes based off of the continuity- Toy Rumble is Red, G1 Cartoon Rumble is Blue, for example. MOST of the time, Rumble is red, but as the show is more prominent, Rumble is still associated as being "the blue one" (I know he was always blue/purple-ish to me). In Japan, they simply switched the characters' names in their dub. This is the kind of thing that can drive TF fans nuts, you see- I was familiar with the debates on this like TEN YEARS AGO. Though it seems to have died out, what with the aging of the fanbase.
-Rumble was near-omnipresent in the show at times- popping out of Soundwave's Mini-Cassette deck and slamming the ground with his arms- which transform into small piledrivers. Soon, Frenzy joined him, and the two would share powers, doing double-damage. And despite their small size (both robots were about the size of normal human beings), the effect was REALLY powerful- generally-speaking, if they touched the ground with their arms, the entire battlefield would shake, dropping Autobots all over the place. In the Movie, their attack even disengages DEVASTATOR. Frenzy, however, barely appeared, and usually it was left to Rumble, who showed up a lot in terms of being a backgrounder, or general scheming (he stole the cars that became the Stunticons).
-A manic brawler, Frenzy's typically seen alongside Rumble, and shares his powers in the cartoon (a combined Damage/Knock-Down Affliction Effect, doing more damage to the ground or buildings than 'bots). In the comics, he instead disrupts electrical systems, making him much more dangerous to Transformers. Rumble is himself just a dick- prone to bullying and picking on others, while ensuring that he cannot be attacked in turn. They're PL 6 in battle (being worse at fighting than their animalistic Mini-Cassette counterparts), but upgrade to PL 12 with those piledrivers knocking guys around. Naturally, their powers work best when everyone's on the ground- though Transformers can fly, they typically battle while land-bound, and so the Area Effect still works.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... erbeak.jpg[/img]

LASERBEAK
Alternate Mode:
Mini-Cassette Tapes
Role: Tiny Toys, Summoned Allies, Reconnaissance
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 6 (112)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 13 (+13)
Stealth 9 (+13)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Improved Defenses, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (1980s Mini-Cassette Tape Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* Notes: Immobile, Action-less, Miniature Cassette (Shrinking 20)

Protection 6 [6]
Features 1: Recording Device [1]
"Carries a Seeker Around" Power-Lifting 2 (3 tons) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasters +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Mute)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 61 / Defenses: 5 (112)

-Of all the Decepticons, it may be LASERBEAK who has the best record for success. Hell, even MEGATRON, the bad boss of bad bosses, gives him props in the movie, saying that "you RARELY disappoint me...!" His role is pretty simple, but devastatingly-effective- he's the Ultimate Recon Agent, flying in silently, latching onto something, recording some important exposition, and then relaying it back to base. He's not an effective fighter against a real Autobot, but he's still pretty dangerous to a normal human (in some images, he's noticeably larger than an adult man; in another, he's flying around with an unconscious STARSCREAM).

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 9-0005.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ge_usb.jpg[/img]

Different continuity, but that's pretty ingenious.

RAVAGE
Alternate Mode:
Mini-Cassette Tapes
Role: Tiny Toys, Summoned Allies, People-Catcher, Tracker
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 7 (119)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 8 (+12)
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+6)
Perception 9 (+9)
Stealth 8 (+13)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Defenses, Improved Initiative, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (1980s Mini-Cassette Tape Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* Notes: Immobile, Action-less, Miniature Cassette (Shrinking 20)

Protection 6 [6]
"Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
"Cat Senses" Senses 5 (Acute Scent, Extended Scent 3, Tracking) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Claws & Teeth +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +9

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Mute)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 52 / Defenses: 6 (119)

-Ravage was always pretty bitching- a Mini-Cassette Tape that turned into a PANTHER. His role in the show was simple- a human-sized threat to more-directly endanger Spike, Sparkplug and any other Human Victim of the Day. Since Ravage can fit through doors, chase people down hallways, and even be theoretically STOPPED by a human being (Spike was helpless against a 20-something foot-tall Transformer; Ravage was beatable), he was an ideal recurring threat. He's also the Decepticons's resident Tracker. Stats-wise, he's largely what happens when you make a leopard mechanical. He's dangerous to people, but most Transformers are a bit out of his league.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -sound.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ndwave.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ndwave.jpg[/img]

"SOUNDWAVE SUPERIOR; CONSTRUCTICONS INFERIOR."
-Soundwave, creating the greatest meme ever.

SOUNDWAVE
Alternate Mode:
Blue 1980s Mini-Cassette Tape Player
Role: Loyal Lieutenant, Minion Summoner
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 11 (202)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+9)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 12 (+16)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters), Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (1980s Mini-Cassette Player) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Form Notes: Shrinking 16, No Defenses, May Play Music)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) [13]
Protection 6 [6]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Electron-Scanning" Mind-Reading 8 (Flaws: Distracting) [8]
"Radar Array" Communication (Radio) 4 (Extras: Area, Selective) [24]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Responsibility (Loyalty)- Soundwave is absolutely-loyal to Megatron, or whomever else is then leading the Decepticons. This makes him one of the few that even paranoid sorts trust.
Enemy (Blaster)- The two have a specific rivalry.
Enemy (Brawn)- They fight a lot in the early days.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 54 + 52 / Defenses: 16 (202)

-It seems like every kid in the 1980s loved good ol' stoic Soundwave. And really, it makes a lot of sense, despite his lack of personality. #1: He was COMPETENT. In an army full of screw-ups, jobbers and cowards, Soundwave rarely sounded retreats and was almost never made out to be the buffoon. This was especially notable in the early episodes, when he was one of only a handful of outnumbered Decepticons, often fighting a ton of Autobots at once. #2: He LOOKED COOL. "Faceplate Guys" were almost always the coolest-looking characters, and his dark blue main color scheme was awesome. #3: He summoned Tapes, many of whom were very useful characters in their own right (especially Laserbeak and Rumble). And most importantly, #4: THAT VOICE. Frank Welker's electronically-altered deep, booming voice was EPIC, and I remember every kid in my grade trying in vain to mimic it as best they could. So we had this big, awesome, cool-looking guy with the Robot Voice From Hell acting as a competent lieutenant in opposition to that doofus Starscream.
-And it's funny: one of the biggest bad-asses in the Decepticon army turns into a freaking Mini-Cassette PLAYER. This innocuous Diaclone figure looks completely useless in his Alternate Mode, and yet it WORKS- it makes him more inherently stealthy than any other Decepticon (who's gonna freak out at a blue stereo?). Of course, it creates by far the most issues out of all the Transformers when updating the series to modern times- other guys can alter into similar objects, but who even carries portable stereos anymore? I've seen Satellite Soundwave & Broadcasting Truck Soundwave, but even then you have the issue of what to do with his TAPES. I guess it's better than his early Cybertronian Form- a big lamppost shaped like a "T".
-Soundwave is a pretty simple PL 11 Robot Warrior build, matching Starscream, Ironhide, Prowl and many others. He's competent, but no overwhelming, and doesn't really dominate battles (he's often seen getting tossed around by Brawn in melee, though the fights are rarely super-decisive). He's also a genius, able to build a device that can throw the Earth's tides out of whack. His most-useful ability is the one to shoot out little Mini-Cassette Tapes that turn into robotic panthers and junk, which I've chosen to not have as an actual POWER, but more a function of the character. If you statted it up like a Summon, it'd be Rank 10 for Rumble & Frenzy, 8 for Laserbeak, and 7 for most of the others- you'd need at least a +7 Extra for 11 Tapes, most of which are Heroic and Variable. He actually has the ability to read minds, but we don't see that often- he just uses it on Chip once.

Choosing to go the Summon route would look like this:
Summon 10 (Extras: Heroic +2, Multiple Minions +7, Variable- Various Robots) [120]

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... -eject.jpg[/img]

BLASTER'S TAPES
Alternate Mode:
Mini-Cassette Tapes
Role: Tiny Toys, Summoned Allies, Reconnaissance
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 6 (108)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Improved Defenses, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (1980s Mini-Cassette Tape Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* Notes: Immobile, Action-less, Miniature Cassette (Shrinking 20)

Protection 6 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasters +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Mute)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 58 / Defenses: 6 (108)

-Blaster, of course, has his own set of Tapes, but much fewer than Soundwave has. They were sold in pairs- Eject/Ramhorn, Steeljaw/Rewind, and Grand Slam/Raindance (who combine together to form Slamdance). Unfortunately, they almost never appeared in the cartoon- they show up in the movie to fight Soundwave's Tapes in order to show off the "New Merch", but after that it's only a handful of shots.

EJECT (Blue Robot)- PL 6 (xxx):
PRE 0, Expertise (Sports) 10 (+11) [7]
-An Earth sports-junkie.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... amhorn.jpg[/img]

RAMHORN (Red/Brown Rhinoceros)- PL 6 (112):
STRENGTH 7, FIGHTING 5, All-Out Attack, Power Attack [4]
-An ill-tempered fighter. Gets more use in the cartoon than any of his friends, as an angry sort is always good for inter-team conflict.

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... eeljaw.jpg[/img]

STEELJAW (Yellow Lion)- PL 7 (116):
Bite +2, Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent 4- Tracking) [8]
-An elite tracker. He & Rewind were sold so late that they appear in only a single arc of the show.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rewind.jpg[/img]

REWIND (Black Robot)- PL 6 (116):
PRE 0, Expertise (Trivia) 10 (+10), Eidetic Memory [8]
-Autobot Trivia Master, but sometimes doesn't remember things until it's too late- obviously, he is not mute like the others. His entire TFWiki page is told in the form of "Did You Know?" trivia.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... d_slam.jpg[/img]

GRAND SLAM (Red Tank)- PL 6 (137):
Equipment +1 (Smoke Ejector), Toughness +7, Summon Slamdance 9 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Raindance, Replaces Grand Slam) [29]
-A weary war veteran.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... _mtmte.jpg[/img]

RAINDANCE (Blue Cybertronian Hover Car)- PL 6 (150):
AWA 3, PRE 3, Investigation 6 (+9), Summon Slamdance 9 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Raindance, Replaces Grand Slam) [42]
-A daredevil photojournalist.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... mdance.jpg[/img]

SLAMDANCE (Blue & Red Robot)- PL 7 (124):
ST 6, Toughness +7, AWA 3, PRE 3, Investigation 6 (+9), Ranged Attack -2 [16]
-A weaker fighter, but a great investigation journalist.

W CASSETTEBOTS:
* Nobably, the four at the end are Limited Release figures from the Japanese Headmasters line, and thus will draw RIDICULOUS sums on eBay and the like- pairs going for over *$1000* are not unheard-of. All four pair off into Combined Forms. I don't normally do Japan-only ones, but what the hell?

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7c/G1toy_dile.jpg[/img]

DILE (Green Iguanodon)- PL 6 (135):
Senses 3 (Energy Detection- Acute, Ranged), Summon Legout 8 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Saur, Replaces Dile) [27]
-Sorta-named "Dial" or "CrocoDILE", he nonetheless resembles an Iguanodon thanks to his thumb-spike "Energy Sensors".

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3b/G1toy_saur.jpg[/img]

SAUR (Black Sauropod)- PL 6 (137):
ST 6, FIGHTING 6, Toughness +7, Movement 1 (Env. Adaptation- Aquatic), Summon Legout 8 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Dile, Replaces Saur) [29]
-An... aquatic sauropod? I guess? He has a fondness for cute things.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... ut_Toy.jpg[/img]

LEGOUT (Red & Blue Robot)- PL 7 (117):
ST 6, Toughness +7, Equipment +1 ("Wave Blasters"- Dazzle Hearing 10), Movement 1 (Env. Adaptation- Aquatic), Senses 3 (Energy Detection- Acute, Ranged) [9]
-A carefree sort.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/b/b ... graphy.jpg[/img]

GRAPHY (Red Pteranodon)- PL 6 (134):
Perception 11 (+11), Summon Decibel 8 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Noise, Replaces Graphy) [26]
-Aerial Recon, known for his calmness.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... _noise.jpg[/img]

NOISE (Blue Allosaurus)- PL 6 (133):
FIGHTING 5, Movement 1 (Env. Adaptation- Forests), Bite +2, Summon Decibel 8 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Graphy, Replaces Noise) [25]
-"Forest Investigation" Bot, and the most-violent W Cassette.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... el-art.jpg[/img]

DECIBEL (Red & Blue Robot)- PL 7 (117):
ST 7, Toughness +7, Perception 11 (+11), Movement 1 (Env. Adaptation- Forests) [9]
-Combined Form of Graphy & Noise. Loyal to Twincast (a Recolor of Blaster only in Japan), but comes off as overly-prim and proper to the other Cassettes.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... laster.jpg[/img]

BLASTER
Alternate Mode:
Red 1980s Mini-Cassette Player
Role: Happy-Go-Lucky Fun Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 11 (173)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 8 (+9)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Laser Blasts), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Mini-Cassette Player) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 54 + 19 / Defenses: 18 (173)

-Blaster is a guy I always disliked. The reasoning was quite simple- Soundwave was awesome, and so his Autobot Wannabe-Counterpart must be a lame-o. The fact that his Cassettes weren't as helpful didn't work in his favor, either. Nor was his "Cool Guy" attitude, which mostly consisted of constant-rhyming, using modern slang, and acting like a Radio DJ (one of the more annoying professions out there). He was omnipresent in the show after his debut, often as "The Funny Guy" and a good aid to others, though his Cassettes weren't frequently-seen. He only appears in the first bit of the Movie, as his other role (leading guerilla fighters against Decepticons on Earth) got cut before filming. In the Japanese series, Blaster and Soundwave pull an "Optimus/Megatron" on each other, FATALLY-INJURING one another in a massive brawl that sees Blaster tear off one of Soundwave's arms, causing his enemy to EXPLODE and thus finish him as well. Man, that Japanese cartoon sounds bitching sometimes. Blaster is resurrected as "Twincast" (in a sharp blue & yellow design), while Soundwave later becomes "Soundblaster".
-Blaster shows up so often, and acts as a solid counterpart to Soundwave enough, that he equals the latter's Power Level. This makes Blaster a very good Team Player at PL 11.

ACTION MASTERS:
-Among the most universally-disliked Transformers figures were the Action Masters. Why? Well... they DON'T F***ING TRANSFORM!! So, you know, there's an issue with them in the TRANSFORMERS FRANCHISE. Their "gimmick" is that they have an alternative fuel source that is more-efficient, but costs them the use of their transforming power. The toys are bigger and bulkier than other Transformers, given that they don't need any of the swivels and whatever that let them go from Robot to Alternate Mode- the result is that they look "softer" and more-cartoony, albeit not quite like their cartoon selves. They actually kinda look like Rescue Heroes versions of Transformers- very kid-ified.

The only real advantage of this much-hated line is the reintroduction of the "Classic" characters- Transformers was a bit infamous for dropping old characters, and so to suddenly see Grimlock, Jazz, Bumblebee & Inferno show up again was kind of neat. But this was the final year of Generation 1, and so they never appeared in the cartoon (which had long-since been cancelled), nor did they show up much in the comics.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2e/G1Rad_toy.jpg[/img]

ACTION MASTERS- AUTOBOTS
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Action Masters
PL 8 (114)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 48 + 14 / Defenses: 16 (114)

-The Action Masters are mid-tier Autobots, losing the Morph power in favor of... well, apparently they're stronger, but Action Masters are lame, so I drop that part. They either have giant guns or Minions that Alt-Effect into giant guns. Overall, they're PL 8.5

MAINFRAME (Red & Blue Robot)- PL 9 (145):
INT 5, Technology 6 (+11), Blaster 10, AE: Minion 5 [31]
-A computer dork. Came with Push-Button- a yellow & green robot that turned into a gun.
RAD (Red Robot)- PL 9 (148):
INT 5, Expertise (Science) 6 (+11), Technology 6 (+11), Blaster 10, AE: Minion 5 [34]
-A scientist. Came with Lionizer- a yellow lion that turned into a Gun.
JACKPOT (Black & Yellow Robot)- PL 9 (137):
Luck 2, Blaster 10, AE: Minion 5 [23]
-A gambler. Came with Sights, a black bird that turned into a gun.
SKYFALL (Red Robot)- PL 9 (141):
INT 3, Technology 6 (+9), Blaster 10, AE: Minion 5 [27]
-A weapon engineer. Came with Top-Heavy- a purple rhino that turned into a gun.
KICK-OFF (Black & White Robot)- PL 9 (118):
"Turbo Pack" Equipment 4 (Flight 8) [4]
-A gritty survivor of a Decepticon prison.
ROLLOUT (Orange Robot)- PL 9 (140):
Expertise (Spy) 4 (+5), Stealth 10 (+7 Size), Blaster 10, AE: Minion 5 [26]
-An impulsive, violent spy. Came with Glitch- a gray robot that turned into a gun.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/e ... un_toy.jpg[/img]

OVER-RUN (Red Robot)- PL 9 (131):
Vehicles 10 (+12), Equipment 12 (Giant Helicopter, Blaster 10- Multiattack) [17]
-An angry perfectionist.
SPROCKET (Orange & Yellow Robot)- PL 9 (131):
Vehicles 10 (+12), Equipment 12 (Giant Attack Cruiser, Blaster 10- Multiattack) [17]
-A bloodthirsty (... oil-thirsty?) Autobot more akin to Decepticons in battle.

-The tiny robot Tyrannitron (an orange & black T-Rex) came with Snarl. There's also, no kidding, a quintet of VEHICLES that come with new versions of Wheeljack, Prowl, Optimus, Over-Run & Sprocket.

GENERIC ACTION MASTER ALLY TEMPLATE
Alternate Mode:
Giant Gun
Role: Tiny Toys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Action Masters
PL 5 (68)- Minion Rank 5
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+5)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Alternate Mode" Morph 1 (Giant Gun Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
Protection 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 6 (68)

-These guys are so minor they're just Minions.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -whirl.jpg[/img]

DELUXE VEHICLES
Alternate Mode:
Various Cybertronian Vehicles
Role: Backgrounders, "Deluxe" Toys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (141)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 16 / Defenses: 15 (141)

-Roadbuster & Whirl come from the Takatoku Toys toyline in Japan- the company went out of business, and had two of their toys licensed from new owners Bandai, by Hasbro (therefore, you won't see them in the Japanese line). Neither appeared in the cartoon. As pretty big toys, I gave them a "Boost" over the "Standard Autobot Template".

WHIRL (Cybertronian Helicopter- Bell AH-1 Cobra)- PL 10 (144):
All-Out Attack, Equipment +2 (Paralyzo-Box- Ranged Affliction 12- Toughness; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) [3]
-Whirl wasn't used much in the supporting materials (in the olden days, he only shows up in the Marvel UK comic), owing to his less-humanoid appearance (he doesn't even have HANDS- just pincers). He's known for being crazy.

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 8-0002.jpg[/img]

ROADBUSTER (Cybertronian Jeep)- PL 10 (143):
Equipment +1 (Missiles- Burst Area Blast 10), Infravision [2]
-A pretty cool-looking Cyber-Jeep. Some very, VERY hard to find accessories- you can go broke finding them all. He grows withdrawn if he's not fighting.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/ad/G1Krok_toy.jpg[/img]

ACTION MASTERS- DECEPTICONS
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Action Masters
PL 8 (113)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 48 + 14 / Defenses: 16 (113)

-Like the Autobots, the Decepticons received Action Master toys.

KROK (Black Robot)- PL 9 (152):
"Earthquake Steps" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst), Blast 10, AE: Minion 5 [39]
-A former Soccer playing robot (??) who can make earthquakes with each step. Came with Gatoraider, a black & yellow crococile that turned into a "Concussion Cannon".

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... on_toy.jpg[/img]

BANZAI-TRON (Green Samurai Robot)- PL 9 (140):
Fighting 11, Blast 10, AE: Minion 5 [27]
-An evil martial arts Samurai-Bot (before Drift, even!). Came with Razor-Sharp, a purple & black crab that turned into a "Semi-Automatic Rifle".
GUTCRUNCHER (Green Robot)- PL 8 (113):
"Stratotronic Jet"- Equipment 10 [10]
-His specialty is in selling Autobot parts for scrap.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... ot_toy.jpg[/img]

TREADSHOT (Black & Gray Robot)- PL 9 (127):
Improved Initiative 2, Seize Initiative, Blast 10, AE: Minion 5 [24]
-A gunslinging type (his original Alternate Form was a Smith & Wesson Revolver. Came with Catgut, a wolf/cat-looking thing that transformed into a "Particle Blaster" Cannon.
AXER (White Robot)- PL 8 (123):
"Off-Road Cycle"- Equipment 8 [8]
-Doesn't appear in any comics until the modern era.

* Action Masters were also released of Soundwave, Devastator, Shockwave & Megatron. Soundwave came with Wingthing (a black & yellow bat), Devastator with Scorpulator (a black & yellow scorpion), Shockwave with Fistfight (a black & purple robot)

GENERIC ACTION MASTER ALLY TEMPLATE
Alternate Mode:
Giant Gun
Role: Tiny Toys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Action Masters
PL 5 (68)- Minion Rank 5
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+5)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Alternate Mode" Morph 1 (Giant Gun Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
Protection 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 6 (68)

-These guys are so minor they're just Minions.

POWERMASTERS:
* Yet ANOTHER section of "Gimmick" toys, this takes the same concept as the Target & Headmasters, but instead makes the Nebulans act as ENGINES, folding their legs up and folding into the chest cavity of Transformers. Only a handful were made- three for each faction, plus Powermaster Optimus Prime, a HUGE version of Optimus that takes his standard-body type, folds it up into the chest cavity of his trailer (which now has "legs" and arms), then attaches a giant head. So he looks a bit like a Combiner, except his legs are just the divided portions of his trailer. I LOVED this toy as a kid, as he towered over all of the other ones I owned... but I've since lost most of the guns and Hi-Q, his "Powermaster" partner.

The weak "fluff" reason why this is a thing is that the Nebulans, bitter over the Transformers' presence on their world, deliberately poisoned their fuel so that TFs couldn't use it. However, the Decepticons arrived and developed an alternate source with an evil scientist, whose good partner teamed up with the AUTOBOTS, thus creating a minor new faction war on their homeworld.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... boxart.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... sh_toy.jpg[/img]

POWERMASTERS- AUTOBOTS
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: Backgrounders, One-Note Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Powermasters
PL 9 (156)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Sidekick (Powermaster) 16, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 54 + 16 / Defenses: 15 (156)

-The three Powermasters really aren't anything special- just guys with Living Engines. The only benefit to their buddies (three of which are regular humans in suits; only Optimus gets an alien) is that the process allows them to take in Nebulan fuel (which has been treated to be poisonous to Cybertronians).

SLAPDASH (Race Car- Lotus 99T Formula-1 Car)- PL 9 (158):
Luck 2 [2]
-A likable ditz with good luck. Came with Lube (hee), a "temperamental tightass" (according to TFWiki) who usually screams at Slapdash.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/e ... de_toy.jpg[/img]

JOYRIDE (Baja Buggy)- PL 9 (158):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack [2]
-Not well-liked among the Autobot high command due to his lust for violence and uncaring, thrill-seeking nature. He came with Joyride, a human mechanic and ex-con looking to make a go of reforming himself.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... htfoot.jpg[/img]

GETAWAY (Mazda RX-7 FC3S)- PL 9 (161):
Expertise (Traps) 8 (+9), Hide In Plain Sight [5]
-An escape artist with a cool, logical head, even when in danger. His toy was oddly-static for such a large figure. Came with Rev, a human telecommunications expert.

* Optimus Prime came with Hi-Q, a brilliant Nebulan scientist.

THE HEADMASTERS:
* The originators of the "_____Master" concept, the Headmasters are formed from Nebulans who jumped into Robot Suits and became the HEADS of Transformers. This bizarre creation was given some weak-ass in-universe reasoning (they improve the fighting capability of their Transformer allies), and marked the death-knell of the series- The Transformers ended on a three-parter that originated the Headmaster Process. However, the show ended up going forwards in Japan, as the Headmasters became major characters, Ultra Magnus was killed, and Fortress Maximus was a major recurring character.

The Headmaster toys are quite cool-looking in their Vehicle/Animal Modes, but their Robot Modes (which are quite large) are a bit stiff, lacking articulation.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... facing.jpg[/img]

HEADMASTERS (Autobots)
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Headmasters
PL 10 (158)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Blast 10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]

"Headmaster"
Enhanced Advantage: Sidekick 16 (16) -- [17]
AE: "Boosted Stats" Fighting +1, Accurate Attack, Close Attack 1, Improved Initiative, Second Chance 2 (Mind Control, Perception Checks), Ranged Attack +2, Dodge +2, Will Save +2 (13)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Headmaster +11 (+9 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Headmaster Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3 (+7 Headmaster)

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Headmaster, DC 18-20), Parry +9 (+10 Headmaster, DC 19-20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6 (+8 Headmaster)

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Headmaster Abilities)- The Robot Allies are either Sidekicks or a Head that boosts stats- though Removable, the character can simply jump back. Getting rid of the Power requires the removal of the Ally character entirely.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 54 + 17 + 17 / Defenses: 16 (158)

-Headmasters are quite capable individuals (their status in the Japanese cartoon likely puts them all at PL 11 at minimum), and gain in fighting ability with the "Headmaster" process- they can either gain stats, or gain a Sidekick Advantage (in an extra character running around). Sidekick is a pretty pricey, good Advantage, but given that the Headmasters are merely PL 8.5-ish without the special head, they kinda need the boost in their fights. The first four are Cybertronian-looking vehicles, and the last three (which are smaller and cheaper), are standard-issue Earth vehicles.

BRAINSTORM (Cybertronian Jet)- PL 10 (182):
INT 9, Expertise (Science) 8 (+17), Technology 8 (+17), Inventor [24]
-A turquoise Future Jet, Brainstorm was the creator of the "Headmaster" process, and is generally treated like a "Mad Scientist" type, but more on the good side. He features a LOT in the Japanese Headmasters cartoon, to the point where I think he's the overall main character, but over here he was just in the final Three-Parter Transformers episode and then vanished, save for a supporting role in the comics. He came with Arcana, a gray & blue-suited Nebulan who is distant from others.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... artoon.jpg[/img]

CHROMEDOME (Cybertronian Car)- PL 10 (171):
INT 6, AWA 3, PRE 0, Expertise (Science) 4 (+10), Technology 4 (+10) [13]
-A peaceful academic forced into combat after the Decepticons attacked. He's quiet and reserved. A pretty cool-looking Robot Mode in the show, too. He came with Stylor, a fashionable, narcissistic red & yellow-suited Nebulan who wants to break him out of his shell.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rdhead.jpg[/img]

HARDHEAD (Self-Propelled Artillery Gun)- PL 10 (154):
PRE -1, Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+10) [-4]
-A stubborn Autobot known for being blunt and terse with people- thus giving him a reputation for rudeness. So... the Horsenhero of the Autobots, I guess :). He's got a cool vehicle mode- a tank-lookin' artillery gun with four sets of treads. He came with Duros, a green-suited Nebulan who was excited at the prospect of war on his boring homeworld.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ow_art.jpg[/img]

HIGHBROW (Cybertronian Twin-Rotor Helicopter)- PL 10 (164):
INT 4, PRE 0, Equipment +4 (Ranged Affects Objects Weaken 6 on Blasts) [6]
-An arrogant and wordy Autobot with Acid Pellet Guns. He came with Gort (yes, really), a blue & gray-suited Nebulan, but the two don't get along, as Gort is courageous & noble.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... lnepro.jpg[/img]

HOSEHEAD (Fire Truck)- PL 9 (151):
ST 8, FIGHTING 8, -1 Ranged Attack & Dodge, +9 Blasters, Toughness +9 [-7]
-A courageous, well-meaning Autobot with a search & rescue focus, but he gets flustered under pressure, and it causes him to screw up. He comes with Lug, a gray-suited Nebulan who's a confident jock- the two are working together to work on Hosehead's issues.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... chcoat.jpg[/img]

NIGHTBEAT (Porsche 959)- PL 10 (160):
ST 8, AWA 4, FIGHTING 8, -1 Ranged Attack & Dodge, +9 Blasters, Investigation 6 (+10), Toughness +9 [2]
-An Autobot Detective who sometimes bites off more than he can chew. Comes with Muzzle, a yellow-suited Nebulan who is also a detective.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 4-0001.jpg[/img]

SIREN (Mazda RX-7)- PL 10 (147):
ST 8, PRE 0, FIGHTING 8, -1 Ranged Attack & Dodge, +9 Blasters, Toughness +0 [-11]
-An ultra-loud guy who drives his teammates nuts. Comes with Quig, a black-suited Nebulan who is a quiet, soft-spoken librarian type.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... uncher.jpg[/img]

HEADMASTERS (Decepticons)
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: New Toys, Gimmicked Toys
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Headmasters
PL 10 (157)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+8, +11 Size)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 5 (+8, +2 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 6 (Blast 10- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 5, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]

"Headmaster"
Enhanced Advantage: Sidekick 16 (16) -- [17]
AE: "Boosted Stats" Fighting +1, Improved Initiative, Second Chance 2 (Mind Control, Perception Checks), Ranged Attack +2, Dodge +2, Will Save +2 (11)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Headmaster +10 (+9 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +7 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Headmaster Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3 (+7 Headmaster)

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Headmaster, DC 18-20), Parry +9 (+10 Headmaster, DC 19-20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4 (+6 Headmaster)

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Headmaster Abilities)- The Robot Allies are either Sidekicks or a Head that boosts stats- though Removable, the character can simply jump back. Getting rid of the Power requires the removal of the Ally character entirely.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 17 + 17 / Defenses: 14 (157)

-Decepticon Headmasters are typically animalistic in form, meaning their Modes are pretty much equal in cost (thus "Bites" and stuff will cost extra, not simply get bought off from lowered Fighting Ability). Their Will Saves are lower (like most Decepticons), and their Ranged Attack & Close Combat bonuses are as well, but they're a bit more dangerous.

SKULLCRUNCHER (Green & Pink Crocodile)- PL 10 (161):
INT -1, Stealth 0 (-3 Size), "Bite" Strength-Damage +2 (Penetrating 8) [4]
-A predatory consumer of Autobots who nonetheless constantly gives away his position by grinding his teeth in anticipation of his next meal. Still scares the hell out of his foes. Comes with Grax, a black & green-suited Nebulan who's an Evil Businessman who can add to Skullcruncher's intellect (+3 to Int).

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ndwipe.jpg[/img]

MINDWIPE (Pink Bat)- PL 10 (178):
"Hypnosis" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Visual Perception Area), Senses 1 (Danger Sense), Bite +1 [22]
-A robot obsessed with mysticism and holds seances to communicate with dead Decepticons... except he's a total fraud and it's never worked. Nonetheless, he has a creepy "Sixth Sense" and can hypnotise people, getting him a lot of use. He's a giant, long-tailed bat (whose tail is a complication for the toy- it actually works better if you unscrew and reposition it, as otherwise he won't stand up properly). Comes with Vorath, a black & pink-suited Nebulan Minister of Science, whose beliefs often clash with Mindwipe's more-mystical sensibilities. He'd been exiled for experimenting on live people.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rdwolf.jpg[/img]

WEIRDWOLF (Yellow/Orange Wolf)- PL 10 (156):
PRE -1, Bite +1 [-1]
-A deranged wolf who talks to himself all the time, using Yoda-like "reverse sentence structure". Weird, he is. He can bite in one form, and use a Sword in the other. Comes with Monzo, a white & blue-suited Nebulan "Hyperwrestler" and brute.

HORRORCONS:
* Apeface & Snapdragon are actually TRIPLE-Changers- they have an Animal AND a Vehicle Mode, in addition to their Robot Mode!

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... peface.jpg[/img]

APEFACE (Purple & Silver Ape & Jet)- PL 10 (183):
"Blasters" Blast 8 (Multiattack), Bite +1, AE on Morph: Jet Form [26]
-A loud, rude, obnoxious character who's always in everyone's face. Comes with Spasma, a black-suited Nebulan who's insecure over his relations- a despised noble family. Spasma turns not only into the Robot Head, but the Ape Head as well.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... boxart.jpg[/img]

SNAPDRAGON (Theropod Dinosaur & Jet)- PL 10 (168):
Bite +2 (Penetrating 8), AE on Morph: Jet Form [11]
-A chaotic evil, destructive warrior, who is only restrained by his absolute laziness. Doesn't appear in very much. Comes with Krunk, a simple-minded, white-suited Nebulan bodyguard who's loyal only to Zarak (the head Evil Nebulan).

SMALLER HEADMASTERS:
* The latter three are smaller and weaker than the others, making only PL 9. They all have extra-damaging Bite/Pincer Attacks, but still can't equal PL 10.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ribull.jpg[/img]

HORRI-BULL (Blue Bull)- PL 9 (156):
STRENGTH 8, FIGHTING 8, PRE -1, Toughness +9, -1 Ranged Attack & Dodge, +9 Blasters, Horns +2 (Penetrating 6) [-1]
-An awful slob, prone to making messes. Came with Kreb, a gray-suited Nebulan talk show host known for his rudeness and vulgarity.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... zeplay.jpg[/img]

SQUEEZEPLAY (Purple Bidedal Crab-Monster)- PL 9 (158):
STRENGTH 8, FIGHTING 8, Toughness +9, -1 Ranged Attack & Dodge, +9 Blasters, Pincers +2 (Penetrating 6) [1]
-A "saboteur" who really just breaks everything. Comes with Lokos, an "air pirate" smugger-type in a pink & purple suit.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... _g1_77.jpg[/img]

FANGRY (Red & Black Wolf/Lizard/Bat-Thing)- PL 9 (155):
STRENGTH 8, FIGHTING 8, Toughness +9, -1 Ranged Attack & Dodge, +9 Blasters, Bite +1 (Penetrating 4) [-2]
-Rebellious & foul-mouthed with a violent temper, nobody much likes Fangry. Comes with Brisko, a purple-suited Nebulan... evil cartographer?

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... laster.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... laster.jpg[/img]

DANIEL WITWICKY
Role:
Human Buddy, The Kid
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 6 (54)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Exo-Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [27]
Enhanced Strength 7 (14)
Protection 8 (8)
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Motorized Luge Board) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
Immunity 5 (Vacuum, Drowning, Suffocation, Cold, Heat) (5)
-- (33 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1 (+7 Exo-Suit), Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Relationship (Arcee)- WEIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDD....
Relationship (Spike & Carly- Parents)

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 20--15 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 6 (54)

-Daniel is another "Movie Debut" character, appearing alongside his buddy Hot Rod, engaging in youthful fishing-themed activities (The youth of 2005 are known for their love of fishing). He was introduced as Spike's son (via Carly), and a cheerful "Kid" character, not as much prone to the buffoonery of many of that type of character. Everyone seems to remember hating him, but he didn't get up to THAT much Jar-Jaring, truth be told. In a weird moment, he was reconfigured into being the head for Arcee in the final trilogy of the series, after several episodes of her fawning over him like a protective mother. That kid is gonna have one BITCH of a set of psychological issues when he grows up.
-Daniel is a typical "Kid" Character statistically, but also uses an Exo-Suit sometimes. The Suit empowers him physically, and allows him to transform into a speedy little vehicle while in a lying-down position.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... dtoyg1.jpg[/img]

POWERMASTERS (Decepticons)
Alternate Mode:
Various Vehicles
Role: Backgrounders, One-Note Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Powermasters
PL 9 (157)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Deception 5 (+7)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 7, Sidekick (Powermaster) 16, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 54 + 16 / Defenses: 15 (157)

-The Decepticons have three Powermasters of their own.

DREADWIND (F-16 Fighting Falcon Jet)- PL 9 (157):
-An ominous sort good at making everyone around him feel bad with his gloomy nature. Gets along well with his partner Darkwing. Comes with Hi-Test, a purple & gray-suited Nebulan who's a perfectionist. He gains strength via their connection, but the two will die if they are separated for too long.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0 ... er_Toy.jpg[/img]

DOUBLEDEALER (ICBM Missile Launcher Truck & Giant Bird)- PL 10 (161):
Equipment +1, "Missile" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst), Deception 9 (+11), AE on Morph: Giant Bird Form [2]
-A mercenary who's been a part of both Autobot and Decepticon factions- he's loyal only to whomever is paying him. Unique among Powermasters in coming with TWO allies- Knok (gray & red-suited money-grubbing Nebulan who knows little of his partner's duplicitous nature) and Skar (a yellow & purple bat). Knok can be plugged in to "unlock" his Autobot Robot Mode, while Skar unlocks a Decepticon Bird Mode.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/1/1 ... rkwing.jpg[/img]

DARKWING (Panavia Tornado GR1 Fighter Jet)- PL 9 (157):
-The terror that flaps in the night, Darkwing is cynical and gloomy, and wants to make sure everyone is more miserable than he is. Comes with Throttle, a gray-suited Nebulan thief.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... _cover.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -acvrb.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 4992_n.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... me_toy.jpg[/img]

OPTIMUS PRIME
Alternate Mode:
Semi-Truck Cab & Trailer (White Freightliner 96-Inch Cab)
Role: The Leader of Leaders, The Serious Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 13 (260)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 11 (+15)
Insight 3 (+8)
Intimidaton 3 (+8, +11 Size)
Investigation 3 (+8)
Perception 3 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 6 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Rank- Autobot Commander), Benefit 1 (Wielder of The Matrix of Leadership), Close Attack, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 8 (Laser Gun +12- Multiattack), Extraordinary Effort, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Laser Blasts) 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Inspire, Interpose, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round w/ HP Spent), Leadership, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 12, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Soldier), Takedown 2, Teamwork, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cab & Trailer) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"Summon Trailer From Hammerspace" Create 10 (Feats: Innate) (Flaws: Limited to Single Trailer) [11]
Summon Roller 2 (Self-Moving Vehicle) (Extras: Controlled, Continuous) [8]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 9) [17]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Blaster +14 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +14 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +13

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Enemy (Megatron)- It is deeply-personal, and the two often pair off to fight in mass battles.
Responsibility (The Matrix of Leadership)- Optimus is the guardian of the Matrix, which has the power to "Light our darkest hour".
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 50 / Powers: 54 + 50 / Defenses: 22 (260)

-Of all the Autobots, only one can be Most Bitchin', and that Autobot is Prime. Optimus has a lot of the standard traits of 1980s Leader-types- friendly, kind-hearted, self-sacrificing, and devoid of the many personality flaws of his more-wild subordinates. He's also far and away the best overall guy PERIOD, packing versatility and incredible skill combined with great power. But at the same time he avoids the numerous pratfalls associated with that kind of character ("Boring Leader Guy Syndrome", or just being Too Perfect and thus dull)- Optimus is actually SUCH A GOOD GUY that he almost transcends similar types of characters and becomes the Iconic Leader. Hell, he's so much of a great leader that if there was a team-up between the Avengers and the Autobots, I might just have to go with PRIME as overall commander! What Doctor Doom is to villains, Optimus Prime is to good guys- even people who like the grim bad-asses respect THIS Boy Scout!
-There's a fine art to crafting a character like that, and I think it all really works because of the way Peter Cullen voiced him. In the early days he was a blatantly-obvious John Wayne Impersonation, which helps give the guy some cred almost immediately- but later he developed this stern, booming, ultra-competent, serious voice. This was not a guy for screwing around, losing his temper, or just sitting around lecturing people. Optimus leads by EXAMPLE, and when the time comes, you know he'll sacrifice his life for any of his allies. He's also the best overall character on his team, able to beat up any Decepticon shorter than a Combiner, and hand Megatron his ass in hand-to-hand. Stuff that could come off as cheesy on almost any other character seems perfectly natural for the serious-minded leader of the Autobots.
-Optimus is based off of a Diaclone toy, like most of the bigger figures, and was named "Convoy" in Japan. And like many characters, you can measure his greatness by his death- in an attempt to copy the G.I. Joe movie (which was going to off Duke in favor of Lt. Falcon), Optimus was going to be iced alongside most of the "Early Era" Transformers. And WHAT A DEATH: The Decepticons invade Autobot City, laying waste to numerous characters in the process (Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet, Brawn & Wheeljack fall in short order)- Optimus hears the alarm and makes a triumphant entrance, complete with '80s "You Can Do It!" rock Power Ballad You Got The Touch, which plays as he mows down numerous Decepticons one after the other. And then he confronts his arch-nemesis- "ONE SHALL STAND, ONE SHALL FALL." And then he WHUPS MEGATRON'S ASS. Complete with inexplicable Jedi Laser Melee Weapons and Megatron begging for mercy. Only the youthful mistake of Hot Rod gets Optimus injured, but the damage is done- the Decepticons retreat in failure.
-And then we get the bad news: "The wounds are... FATAL." Peter Cullen delivers a MAGNIFICENT reading of "Do not GRIEVE... for soon I shall be ONE with the MATRIX..." He passes the role of leader to "old friend" (and new character) Ultra Magnus, and then fades away, complete with graying features. This is basically the Great Death Scene that people DREAM of writing for their characters, and I've seen perilously few that match it. Optimus cast such a large shadow that his death felt HUGE. So huge, in fact, that the entire rest of the show is still defined by him- Rodimus Prime, the eventual new leader, constantly felt overshadowed and incapable by comparison, and Optimus was teased once (he sacrificed himself AGAIN after being revived), and then resurrected FOR REALZ, taking the Matrix back from the new guy and becoming leader once more.
-Optimus is so huge that nearly every other Transformers anything since Generation 1 has included one as leader- even Beast Wars adopted Optimus Primal in the same general role. He's so awesome that despite his death being up there with Elektra's, Phoenix's, Supergirl's, and more, he's STILL not entirely defined by his death the way they were! His toys were the "Holy Grail" of the early days before the Combiners took over, and in recent years he's actually produced in various sizes so that ALL KIDS could afford him- not just the spoiled ones like me.
-Optimus Prime, as expected, is the Best of the Best as far as Transformers go. Devastator and other Combiners are certainly more powerful and dangerous, and the Dinobots are stronger and tougher. Other guys are faster (Blurr, Jets) or smarter (Wheeljack, Ratchet). But overall? NOBODY covers as much ground as Prime does. He's a better hand-to-hand fighter than just about anybody, a great shot, can mow down a half-dozen Decepticons all by himself, and his toughness is second-to-none. He's ALSO super-smart, a great strategist, a great communicator and has the best Will Save of his squad. He's so much better than his allies in the early seasons of the show that he's the only one who comes close to PL 13- the next best are guys like Prowl & Ironhide- PL 11s. Simply put, Prime rules.
-The Matrix of Leadership isn't exactly an easy thing to stat- it's only ever really used twice, and both times it's an effective Deus Ex Machina that enacts a "Power: Win Fight Automatically" effect. The first time it's used, it blows up Unicron in a single shot. The second time, it extinguishes the Hate Plague across the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. As such, I left it as a 1-point Benefit- ideally, the GM would only let you use it at the absolute last moment (it's a reward for Hot Rod earning his stripes as a hero in the Movie, and Optimus for triumphantly returning in The Return of Optimus Prime).

Also...

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... convoy.jpg[/img]

OH MY FREAKING GO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-DDDDDDDDDD.........

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... nferno.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ospray.jpg[/img]

INFERNO
Alternate Mode:
Fire Truck (Mitsubishi Fuso F-Series FT)
Role: Backgrounder, Search & Rescue Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (168)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Fire Truck) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Fire Truck is MUCH bigger than Inferno is, but keeps the same Toughness. Has an extending ladder)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Heat Resistant" Immunity 10 (Heat Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [5]

"Fire-Retardant Foam" Nullify Flames 8 (Extras: Ranged) (16) -- [17]
AE: "Water Gun" Blast 4 (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +9 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 40 / Defenses: 18 (168)

-Inferno is inexcusably given rather little to do in the series, given how much the target audience of young boys loves fire trucks. Seriously- they were REALLY FRIGGIN' COOL to me as a kid- the biggest, baddest vehicle you were likely to see on a regular basis. And yet the Autobot version of one is "Just Some Guy" in the show. Inferno just kinda popped up out of nowhere along with various other "Post-Ark" characters in the cartoon, as if we were just supposed to think he'd always been there. Usually he's just "The guy who puts out flames". He's also one of the better examples of "Transformers Scale Issues" in the series- a fire engine is a MASSIVE vehicle- he should easily be six times larger than most of his teammates- Porches, Corvettes and Ambulances are not known to be their size the way fire trucks are. And yet, Inferno is basically "just some guy" out there, not really standing out as any larger than his teammates. Kind of disappointing, all things considered. His mold was Re-Tooled to make Grapple (who's yellow).
-Inferno's the same as all the Car Transformers, but packs some "Firefighter" stuff on as well, and has +1 Will Save (he's known for a lack of fear about fire).

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... aspray.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ray_g1.jpg[/img]

SEASPRAY
Alternate Mode:
Twin-Propellered Hovercraft
Role: Toys For Poorer Kids, The Aquaman
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (124)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5, +3 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Laser Gun +6- Multiattack), Favored Environment (Water), Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Hovercraft) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 5 [5]

"Water Specialist"
Enhanced Fighting 3 (Flaws: Limited to on the Water) [3]
Enhanced Dodge 3 (Flaws: Limited to on the Water) [1.5]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Ranged Attack 1 (Flaws: Limited to on the Water) [0.5]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adapatation- Water) [2]
AE of Flight: Swimming 8 (8) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
On the Water +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +7 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
On the Water +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (+8 on the Water, DC 15-18), Parry +5 (+8 on the Water, DC 15-18), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 6 (124)

-One of the smallest and least-impressive toys in the line is Seaspray- a silly little hoverboat with very fragile-looking parts. He sucks at fighting on land, but excels in the water (so much so that Favored Environment alone won't cut it). Of course, Transformers rarely FIGHT in the water, thus making him a perfect example of "This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman!" in the series. He was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer, a VA known for his He-Man work (mostly as Skeletor)- he used his "Mer-Man" voice, utilized by "boinging" his lips up and down with his finger (in the manner of old Looney Tunes characters) while speaking- this always cracked up the people in the booth.
-And yes, yet another Transformer that completely messes up the "Scale" of the series- Seaspray is a HOVERCRAFT, and should be two or three times the size of Bumblebee at LEAST, yet is even smaller in the toys, and of comparable scale in the show. He should, in fact, be larger than most of the "Car" Autobots, but isn't. And he's far from the most egregious "Boat Out of Scale" character in the franchise, either.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... g_1426.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... erguru.jpg[/img]

DINOBOTS:
-If there was one set of characters that every boy in the 1980s just HAD to declare as awesome, it was the Dinobots. Seriously- ROBOTIC TRANSFORMTING DINOSAURS! It was basically impossible to IMPROVE on such an idea. Like a lot of early Transformers, their toys were based off of PILOTED MECHA in Japan- in their case, it left them with notable seats placed within some of their chest plates. Physically, they were among the larger toys, and among the most-articulated as well (just in case you thought there was anything holding them BACK).

In the cartoon, they were depicted as a trio of simple-minded morons, hastily-built by Wheeljack after the Autobots discovered some dinosaur bones next to the Ark. Based off of what were then the three most-recognizable "Stock Dinosaurs" (Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops & Brontosaurus), they were crazy and hostile, and nearly destroyed the base, and so they were basically put into "Sleep Mode", until Wheeljack revived them in order to rescue the Autobots from a Decepticon plot. The grateful Autobots rewarded the Dinobots with life, but they were sent to live far away from everyone else. A short number of episodes later and we'd see them AGAIN, and eventually they were recurring characters, helping out their allies but still occasionally causing trouble (due to their violent tempers, dislike of authority (even OPTIMUS PRIME couldn't tell them what to do), and the ease of manipulating them (by people like Megatron). As such, their appearances were not as constant as the other characters- this helped prevent them from becoming over-used. They featured as a running gag in the Movie, getting a few great lines ("Me Grimlock kick BUTT!"), but were given little in the way of "meat" to accomplish in the plot- they got their asses kicked by Devastator, got annoyed by Wheelie, and failed to do much against Unicron other than kick a tiny hole in his ass.

Shortly after their introduction, another pair were added (further Stock- Stegosaurus & Pteranodon... which is not a Dinosaur but is close enough for the concept to work), but surprisingly, this was all Generation 1 ever saw. Given the popularity of the group, I'm actually kind of shocked they didn't finagle some other form of Dino-Toy into filling out the roster- there are HUNDREDS of kinds of dinosaurs, and you could fill a HUGE roster with the most-famous ones! Just think- the Transformers line is missing Ankylosaurus, Deinonychus (or any Raptor), Allosaurus, Spinosaurus, Kentrosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Pachycephalosaurus, Styracosaurus & Struthiomimus! Can you imagine a COMBINER of these things? Who WOULDN'T want one? Japan got one for their Headmasters line, but it was a bit on the cheap side.

The crew was treated a bit differently in the comics, where Grimlock was treated as a genius whose simplistic dialogue was a mere "cover", and there was a deep respect between him and Optimus Prime. However, most of the crew was still treated like Archie's Big Moose, but dumber. Despite that, they are MUCH larger and MUCH stronger than regular Transformers- few short of Optimus, Jetfire or a Combiner would have a hope of defeating any of them. They are unusual in that their Dinosaur Mode is much more dangerous than their Robot Mode- they lack Flight as Dinos, but can use Flame Breath!

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 2-slag.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 3-slag.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 7-slag.jpg[/img]

SLAG
Alternate Mode:
Triceratops
Role: Back-Up Powerhouse, The Angry One
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Dinobots
PL 12 (167)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 12 (+10, +13 Size)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blasters +11- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Robot Mode has lower Strength, but a Sword makes up for the damage. It has no Flame Breath, but gains Flight 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 7 (Str & Toughness +7, +7 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -7 Stealth) -- (25 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [15]
Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Flame Breath" Blast 12 (Diminished Range -1) [23]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blaster +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Flame Breath +9 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +14 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Rivalry (Other Autobots)- The Dinobots do not get along well with their peers, and do not like taking orders. Slag in particular dislikes Optimus Prime.
Motivation (Destruction & Rebellion)- Slag is angry even by Dinobot standards.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 40 + 56 / Defenses: 23 (167)

-Slag, the Triceratops, has by far the worst attitude of the Dinobots- his name is even used as a frequent Autobot swear word! This is the equivalent of a human being named "Shit!" or "Goddammit!", and is perfectly-fitting for Slag's violent character (though in some parts of England, it's also a synonym for "slut", necessitating some humorous edits in their version of the original show). For the most part, he was just a glorified Backgrounder in both comics & cartoon, as he would just follow around Grimlock and attack whatever the boss attacked. That said, he's tough as nails. He can use his standard Blasters (Blast 11- Multiattack), or use Flame Breath in Triceratops Mode- it's stronger, but has less range and isn't Multiattacked. But it also can't be disarmed or damaged like Equipment can.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... sludge.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... sludge.jpg[/img]

SLUDGE
Alternate Mode:
Brontosaurus
Role: Back-Up Powerhouse, The Stupid One
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Dinobots
PL 12 (174)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+2)
Intimidation 12 (+10, +13 Size)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blasters +11- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Robot Mode has lower Strength, but a Sword makes up for the damage. It has no Flame Breath, but gains Flight 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 7 (Str & Toughness +7, +7 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -7 Stealth) -- (25 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [15]
Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Earthquake Stomp" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Affliction 12 (Strength; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Grounded Targets) [34]
"Sauropod Neck & Tail" Extra Reach [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blaster +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Flame Breath +9 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +14 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Rivalry (Other Autobots)- The Dinobots do not get along well with their peers, and do not like taking orders. Sludge thinks that only the strongest should lead, and that means Grimlock.
Motivation (Destruction & Rebellion)
Reputation ("Sludge DUMB!")- Sludge is called-out by everyone for being stupid... EVEN BY THE STANDARDS OF THE DINOBOTS.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 40 + 68 / Defenses: 23 (174)

-Sludge is amusing because he's one of those characters who gets the reputation as "The Stupid One"... on a team FULL of stupid characters! And also because a friend of mine got him for Christmas instead of Grimlock- disappointing enough (he'd naturally asked for the T-Rex toy), but then he had to go and watch the TF episode where Megatron outlines all of their personality flaws as part of an evil plot: "Grimlock is ARROGANT! Slag is VIOLENT!... And Sludge is STUPID!!" I mean, can you imagine having your big Christmas Gift toy being described on TV in such insulting terms? At least the other two could be perceived as cool personality traits (especially Slag's temper)- but STUPIDITY? It didn't help that he was obviously the least-cool of the first three (and both Snarl & Swoop end up cooler as well- Swoop is basically Mecha-Rodan!).
-Sludge is pretty much like Snarl & Slag, but is so stupid he makes the two of them look like Rhodes Scholars. He also apparently has a stomp that causes Earthquakes, not Fire Breath like the others.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -snarl.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... -snarl.jpg[/img]

SNARL
Alternate Mode:
Stegosaurus
Role: Back-Up Powerhouse, The Glum One
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Dinobots
PL 12 (166)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 12 (+10, +13 Size)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blasters +11- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Robot Mode has lower Strength, but a Sword makes up for the damage. It has no Flame Breath, but gains Flight 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 7 (Str & Toughness +7, +7 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -7 Stealth) -- (25 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [15]
Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Flame Breath" Blast 12 (Diminished Range -1) [23]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blaster +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Flame Breath +9 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +14 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Rivalry (Other Autobots)- The Dinobots do not get along well with their peers, and do not like taking orders.
Reputation (Loner)- Snarl is unsociable and tends not to speak.
Motivation (Destruction & Rebellion)- The morose Snarl is only happy when he is BEATING ASS.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 40 + 56 / Defenses: 23 (166)

-Snarl and Swoop were added to the Dinobots a handful of episodes after the original three showed up- Snarl is fairly-indistinguishable from the Original Three in concept- a big dumb Stock Dinosaur with a bad attitude. He even greatly resembles Slag & Sludge- a big gray quadruped with die-cast silver & red everywhere. In a peculiar bit, he was absent through a big chunk of the Movie (missing the big battle between the Dinobots and Devastator during The Battle Of Autobot City), but then suddenly popped up with everyone else later- it's likely different animators working on different scenes merely didn't communicate properly as to who was where. He has proven to be more-popular than "Original Trio" Sludge- Snarl received a Generation 2 model (a red one- not really a great color for him), while Sludge did not.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 718589.gif[/img][xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -swoop.jpg[/img]

SWOOP
Alternate Mode:
Pteranodon
Role: Back-Up Powerhouse, The Friendly One
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Dinobots
PL 12 (184)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 10 (+10, +13 Size)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blasters +11- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Robot Mode has lower Strength, but a Sword makes up for the damage. It has no Flame Breath, but gains Flight 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 7 (Str & Toughness +7, +7 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -7 Stealth) -- (25 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [15]
Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Flame Breath" Blast 12 (Diminished Range -1) [23]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Blaster +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Flame Breath +9 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 22), Toughness +13 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Rivalry (Other Autobots)- The Dinobots do not get along well with their peers, and do not like taking orders.
Reputation (Left Alone)- Though nicer than the other Dinobots, Swoop is often ignored because he's not only a part of that group, but a bit ugly by Transformer standards.
Motivation (Destruction & Rebellion)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 40 + 71 / Defenses: 25 (184)

-Swoop is the most-different of the Dinobots- he's the only one who transforms into a flying reptile (usually thought of as a dinosaur anyways), and rarely leaves that mode- most Dinobot scenes feature him flying in to assault the enemy with Flyby attacks while the others are biting and shooting fire. Creating alongside Snarl, his "Rrakk! Call me Swoop!" and kind of silly name made him iconic to my group of friends, as my bestie at the time kept repeating that line (and had the episode on *VHS*, which was totally unusual for the time!). He's the only Dinobot toy not to have a notable "seat" for a tiny figure, and is noted for his fragility- an intact Swoop is worth a LOT of money on the secondary market as a result.
-Swoop is a bit weaker than his friends (he's much more lightly-built, especially in Dinosaur Mode), but makes up for it with accuracy and the ability to Fly- the others are land-bound unless they're in Robot Mode (which they rarely are).

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ck__1_.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ck_002.gif[/img][xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... imlock.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... imlock.jpg[/img]

GRIMLOCK
Alternate Mode:
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Role: Arrogant Powerhouse, The Most-Bitching Robot Ever, King
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Dinobots
PL 13 (187)
STRENGTH
13 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+5)
Intimidation 12 (+11, +14 Size)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blasters +11- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 11, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Robot Mode has lower Strength, but a Sword makes up for the damage. It has no Flame Breath, but gains Flight 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 7 (Str & Toughness +7, +7 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -7 Stealth) -- (25 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [15]
Protection 9 (Extras: Impervious 9) [18]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Flame Breath" Blast 12 (Diminished Range -1) [23]
"Theropod Bite" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Penetrating 10) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Bite +10 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Blaster +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Flame Breath +9 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +16 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Rivalry (Other Autobots)- The Dinobots do not get along well with their peers, and do not like taking orders.
Motivation (Destruction & Rebellion)
Responsibility (Arrogance)- Grimlock is easily-led into believing that HE should rule the Autobots, respecting only power and strength.
Hatred (Those Who Mis-Use Power)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 40 + 67 / Defenses: 25 (187)

-Grimlock of course is the leader and most-awesome of the Dinobots. Slightly more thoughtful than most of the others, he is nonetheless a giant bumbler with a HUGE arrogant streak, and he's prone to overreacting to everything and making bold statements about himself ("Me Grimlock KING!"). The comics portray him as a crafty genius who has the respect of Optimus because he fakes being an idiot (Simon Furman is pretty well linked to this character), but in the cartoon... he's just an idiot. His redeeming factor is his hatred of people who mis-use their strength, which usually causes him to end his numerous defections from the Autobots and fight on the side of right once more. In one episode, he was led by Megatron into abandoning the heroes out of jealousy (he wanted to be leader, in his arrogance)- he only turned back when Optimus took a shot meant for the Dinobot. Realizing the error of his ways, Grimlock turned on the Decepticons, routing them- he then apologized for his ego.
-As a robotic TYRANNOSAURUS, he is automatically most kids' favorite Transformer, and he's got the awesomeness to back it up. It helps that despite his stupidity, he was rarely a true screw-up, and he used his power EFFECTIVELY, becoming a dominant fighter. He was a hoot in the Movie, where he got some of the best lines and moments, including kicking a literal hole in a God's ass, and forcing Mooks to turn on their bosses by his sheer BOSS nature (Sharkticons' Boss: "Attack them!" Huge Grimlock: "No! Attack THEM!!" *Sharkticons are immediately intimidated into attacking their bosses*). He became a super-genius once, building the Technobots, and losing his smarts by transfering his newfound brain into their Combiner form- Computron. In one of his last moments in the American cartoon, he was one of numerous Animal-Mode Transformers summoned to a planet to stop a creature created by the designer of Unicron- Grimlock was thought-crushed by Trypticon, but instead followed the baddies back to their lab, flicked a random switch that stopped the monster, and then did a victory dance that demolished the entire laboratory.
-At PL 13, Grimlock is akin to Optimus Prime himself, and takes the Dinobot Statline and increases the hitting power and toughness- a truly remarkable fighter.

PRETENDERS:
-Pretenders never showed up in the American cartoon (as they were far too late), but the Japanese one featured them a lot. The comics also had to deal with them stealing space, though at least we got a few re-treads of original characters out of it (Bumblebee, Grimlock & Jazz got upgrades).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... enders.jpg[/img]

PRETENDERS (Autobots)
Alternate Mode:
Various Forms
Role: Big New Gimmick
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Pretenders
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 0 (+7, -3 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (+6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [6]
Protection 8 [8]

"Pretender Shell" (Flaws: Removable) [28]
"Controls The Shell" Summon Minion 8 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Feedback) (33) -- (34 points)
AE: Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 9) (13) & Regeneration 5 (5) & Morph 1 (Alternate Form) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 19), Toughness +8 (+12 Pretender Shell), Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 14 + 28 / Defenses: 18 (174)

-Pretenders are basically like weaker Transformers, but pack a special "Shell" that enables them to use special techniques. The Shells make these PL 8/8.5 Robots into PL 10 Defensive machines, and also lets them use the thing as a "Summoned Minion" that can fight for itself (with the cost that shots against the Shell hurt the controller).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d ... ix_toy.jpg[/img]

PRETENDERS (AUTOBOTS):
CLOUDBURST (Human Shell/Star Cruiser)- PL 10 (173):
PRE -1, "Shell" PR +3 [-1]
-Nervous and meek behind his charismatic shell. Uses a whip.
LANDMINE (Human Shell/Cybertronian All-Terrain Vehicle)- PL 10 (181):
Expertise (Explorer) 8 (+9), Expertise (Miner) 4 (+5), "Shell" Will Save +2 [7]
-Adventurous Indiana Jones-style explorer and "Asteroid Miner", but is very cautious outside of his shell. Uses a sword.
WAVERIDER (Human Shell/Cybertronian Submarine)- PL 10 (180):
Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic, Swimming 4 [6]
-Peaceful undersea treasure hunter. Uses an axe.
GROUNDBREAKER (Human Shell/Cybertronian Race Car)- PL 10 (177):
All-Out Attack, Improved Initiative, Seize Initiative [3]
-Shoots first. Asks no questions. Uses a Crossbow.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... gh_toy.jpg[/img]

SKY HIGH (Human Shell/Cybertronian Helicopter)- PL 10 (182):
INT 5 [8]
-A genius who lives in a fantasy world of knights & maidens and stuff to escape from the hell of battle, giving off the aura of craziness. Uses a pickax.
SPLASHDOWN (Human Shell/Cybertronian Hovercraft)- PL 10 (180):
Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic, Swimming 4 [6]
-An experienced nautical warrior. Uses a harpoon gun.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7 ... er_toy.jpg[/img]

GUNRUNNER (Jeep Shell/Helicopter)- PL 11 (183):
FIGHTING 9, Toughness +9/+13, Vehicles 10 (+12), "Shell" AEs into Equipment 5 (Giant Jeep) [9]
-A bizarre one who comes with a giant VEHICLE. He can either drive it as normal, or hide within its shell. He's an old warrior who's been driven into a despondent, grim personality thanks to an old failure that saw his entire unit killed. Now suffering from what is probably Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he refuses to promise "everyone's coming home safe". His "Alt-Mode" is just him straddling his backpack.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... la_toy.jpg[/img]

ANIMAL PRETENDERS:
* These two are notable for having ANIMAL shells, like Decepticons, rather than the big ugly human shell of their allies. Their Robot Forms do not transform.

CATILLA (Sabre-Toothed Tiger Shell/Robot)- PL 10 (181):
AGI 3, Stealth 14 (+11 Size), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Extended Scent & Hearing, No Transforming [7]
-An elite, stealthy hunter known for holding perfectly still for days as part of recon missions.
CHAINCLAW (Bear Shell/Robot)- PL 10 (174):
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Extended Scent & Hearing, No Transforming [0]
-A paranoid hypochondriac driven to savage rages.

SMALL PRETENDERS:
* So named because these later releases were much smaller than the others.

DOUBLEHEADER (Human Shell/Cybertronian Jet)- PL 9 (171):
-2 ST, -2 Toughness, -2 Blasters, Perception +4, Second Chance 2 (Will Saves, Perception Checks) [-3]
-Cool under pressure thanks to having two heads- one can make calculations and plans while the other deals with the emotional stuff. Has some of the standard "two-head character" package.
PINCHER (Human Shell/Scorpion)- PL 9 (189):
-2 ST, -2 Toughness, -2 Blasters, INT 6, Expertise (Science) 8 (+14), Wall-Crawling 2, Extra Limbs 4 [15]
-A crazy chemist with a laser torch.
LONGTOOTH (Humanoid Walrus Shell/Amphibious Vehicle)- PL 9 (169):
-2 ST, -2 Toughness, -2 Blasters, Will Save +2 [-5]
-A super, super-dedicated warrior who may be a little bit crazy.

MEGA PRETENDERS:
* These figures are unusual in that they have multiple transformations- both their outer shell and their inner Robot have the ability to Transform. The Shell and Robot can also combine together for extra power. In this form, they simply have the toughness of a Pretender Shell combined with a Vehicle.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... es_toy.jpg[/img]

CROSSBLADES (Human Shell/Cybertronian Dragster)- PL 10 (188):
Vehicles 12 (+14), Ultimate Vehicles Skill, Equipment 6 (Giant Helicopter), Has AE of Morph: "Super-Vehicle" Mode [14]
-An egotistical braggart of a pilot who can back it up through dedication and hard work.
VROOM (Human Shell/Cybertronian Dragster)- PL 10 (184):
Luck 2, Equipment 6 (Giant Motorcycle), Has AE of Morph: "Super-Vehicle" Mode [9]
-A guy who takes insane risks to get some joy out of life- generally seen fighting till the absolute last, and taking the most-dangerous missions.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4 ... er_toy.jpg[/img]

ULTRA PRETENDERS:
* Ugh. THESE guys come with TWO Shells- the outer one becomes a Combat Platform.

SKYHAMMER (Human Outer Shell/Hoverjet-Landspeeder Inner Shell/Cybertronian Car)- PL 11 (199):
ST +1, Toughness +1, Will +2, Ultimate Vehicles Skill, "Shell" Equipment 8 (Flying Fortress), Has two AEs of Morph: Hoverjet-Landspeeder Mode & Larger Robot Mode [16]
-The "ideal Autobot Warrior"- courageous, tenacious and clever. Unfortunately, he's also an utter dick. Constantly offers unsolicited, condescending advice.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... master.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -blurr.jpg[/img]

BLURR
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Hover-Car
Role: Fast-Talker, The Impatient One
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (167)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 3, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Notes: Fire Truck is MUCH bigger than Inferno is, but keeps the same Toughness. Has an extending ladder)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Speed +5 (250 mph) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +9 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +17

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Impatient)- Blurr wants everything to move FASTFASTFAST because he has no patience and wants things done immediately after all you can't expect him to just sit around and wait while you dawdle dawdle dawdle!!
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 54 + 21 / Defenses: 19 (167)

-Blurr was really well-known to me as a kid, as I was introduced to the franchise during the run when he was a recurring guy for a lot of the show. He made his debut in the movie, doing basically nothing but running up and talking really fast- his role afterwards was just "Filler". His voice, of course, was provided by John Moschitta Jr., the guy from the Micro Machines commercials, with his trademark (and world-record holding) rapid-fire dialogue that would be the envy of any auctioneer in the world. He was seemingly-everywhere- I think because his voicework gave him a distinctive personality that helped him stand out from the crowd. His omnipresence during "my era" of the TF fandom often leaves me with the impression that he was far more utilized than he really was. His Robot Mode is... oddly flat, in the toys. In the show, he was much more svelte.
-Blurr fights more like a lightweight than most Transformers of his size- his light build and enhanced speed make him more accurate and evasive than tough & strong. He has by far the best Initiative of the Transformers, and a bunch of Speed-themed stuff.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 72-kup.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -kup+a.jpg[/img]

KUP
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Pickup Truck
Role: Cynical Old Guy, Grizzled Veteran
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (159)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+12)
Expertise (History) 11 (+13)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Jack-Of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Weird Pickup Truck) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Reputation ("This Reminds Me of X")- Kup is prone to going on and on about how similar the current situation is to something he saw millions of years ago. Sometimes his story's even got all the facts right!
Disabled (Old)- Kup is prone to injuries and is more difficult to fix than other Autobots, who are often mere centuries old.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 20 (159)

-One of the weirder aspects of the Transformers mythos is that the characters are basically immortals, able to sit around and do nothing for literally millions of years without a care. So it's kind of odd that they feature a "Grizzled Veteran" character. I mean, even BUMBLEBEE is thousands of years old! Why does the group need an OLD GUY?? In any case, Kup debuted in the Movie, apparently having been part of the old guard for millennia despite us never having seen him before. His running gag was to constantly point out how similar the current situation was to something else he'd done ("This reminds me of the time..."), which is paid off in EPIC fashion at the Movie's climax, when they witness the full power of Unicron, and a characters dismissively goes "so what does THIS remind you of?" and the stunned vet can only go "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life..."
-Kup's toy resembled Blurr's, coming from the same general line, with big, bright chunks of plastic and die-cast metal making up both Cybertronian-looking modes. Even their heads more or less resembled the cartoon's. Both also received upgrades into the "____Master" lines, as Kup added a Targetmaster and an all-plastic Retool. Also, I have no idea how they came up with the name KUP, especially given the series's fashion for wicked-awesome names.
-Kup is effectively an ultra-experienced character with a lot of historical knowledge (such as the Universal Greeting) and tactical skill to make up for the fact that he's physically past his prime.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... ticons.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... el_toy.jpg[/img]

THE INSECTICONS
Alternate Mode:
Various Insects
Role: Goon Squad, Traitorous Minions
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Insecticons
PL 10 (153)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 7 (+10, +4 Size)
Technology 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Hide In Plain Sight, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot Mode) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Mode Note: Insecticons are treated like their Insect Mode is their "baseline"- Robot Mode is essentially the same but without the Insectoid Parts & Matter-Eating. They gain hands, however)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]
"Insectoid Parts" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
Extra Limbs 4 [4]
"Matter-Eating" Weaken Toughness 8 (Extras: Affects Objects Only +0) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Insectoid Parts +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Gluttony)- The Insecticons only care about eating things- objects, plant-life, energy, etc. They can be easily-bribed, even by duplicitous people.
Rivalry (The Decepticons)- The Insecticons's greed often leads them to likewise thinking with the Decepticons, but they are definitely separate. Both scheme against the other.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 54 + 30 / Defenses: 18 (153)

-The Insecticons form kind of a "Goon Squad" for the Decepticons, and were kind of a crappier counterpart to the Dinobots from the heroic side. I mean, who really cares about INSECT Robots, right? They debut in the cartoon with a bit of fanfare, and are bribed by Megatron with the promise of Energon- the greedy bugs are quick to go along, despite considering themselves "separate" from the rest of the Decepticon hordes. The original three were Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel, who had arrived on Earth millions of years ago, and were turned into insect-looking creatures by their computers. They allied with Megatron at first, but abandoned and later turned on him over various disagreements (largely related to their Energon rewards). In a later episode, they find out he plans to betray him, and thus control the minds of his whole army against him- when the plan fails, the Insecticons end up chased by a murderous squadron of baddies.
-It went on this way for a while, until the Movie, at which point all three were smashed about, run over, etc., during the Battle of Autobot City. They found themselves jettisoned out of Astrotrain along with Skywarp, Thundercracker and Megatron himself- the villains were reformatted by Unicron into new forms. HOWEVER... later Animation Mistakes and bad continuity resulted in Insecticons popping up all OVER the place in later shows- as they had once created a clone army of themselves, this was perhaps explainable. It's actually the fault of the MOVIE people, as the script for the film did not include the trio being scooped up and altered, whereas later episodes DID call for them as characters.
-The Insecticon toys were Diaclone-originals, and thus featured "cockpits" and a great level of detail, especially with their die-cast bits. They're actually pretty solid toys, holding up well over the years. Shrapnel is treated as the trio's leader early on, but soon Bombshell got a lot more focus.
-Insecticons, like most Animal-Themed 'Bots, are designed with their Animal Mode as their "baseline" form, and their Robot Mode is secondary. There's not a lot of reason for them to take Robot Mode, aside from the fact that they gain hands.

EARLY INSECTICONS:
* This is the only trio you're likely to see in the cartoon.

SHRAPNEL (Stag Beetle, Beetle)- PL 10 (173):
Electrical Blast 10, 10 [20]
-A perverse, savage fighter who repeats the last word of every sentence, sentence (like Jimmy Two-Times from Goodfellas- my favorite one-off Background Character ever, ever).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... ll_toy.jpg[/img]

BOMBSHELL (Rhinoceros Beetle)- PL 10 (194):
INT 6, Technology 8 (+14), "Cerebro-Shells" Mind Control 10 (Extras: Continuous +3, Touch Range -2) (Easily Removable) [41]
-A twisted manipulator who enjoys screwing with the minds of others thanks to his "Cerebro-Shells". He forces his victims to engage in humiliating and destructive acts, and has even turned these powers upon the Decepticons themselves, in order to punish a deceitful Megatron. He's also a bit of a technical genius, able to upgrade a human ninja into an assassin for Megatron.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... ck_toy.jpg[/img]

KICKBACK (Grasshopper)- PL 10 (166):
PRE 3, Deception 4 (+7), Leaping 10 (AE of Flight) [13]
-A "charming, likable" predator who excels at blackmail and manipulation.

DELUXE INSECTICONS:
* This four-'bot selection were larger than the original three, and were created by Takatoku Toys, not Takara. Because of this, they appeared in no cartoons, and have very little part in the overall story. They were a bit larger than the originals. I increase their Strength & Toughness, making them fully-balanced PL 10s.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... ge_toy.jpg[/img]

BARRAGE (Rhinoceros Beetle)- PL 10 (158):
ST 9, Toughness +10, All-Out Attack, Power Attack [5]
-Another Rhinoceros Beetle, this one is basically Chaotic Evil and completely merciless and cruel. He takes no prisoners, and is entirely Ax-Crazy. His toy has one of the most-articulated bodies in the Generation 1 era.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... op_toy.jpg[/img]

CHOP SHOP (Stag Beetle)- PL 10 (158):
ST 9, Toughness +10, All-Out Attack, Power Attack [5]
-Another Rhinoceros Beetle, this one is basically Chaotic Evil and completely merciless and cruel. He takes no prisoners, and is entirely Ax-Crazy. His toy has one of the most-articulated bodies in the Generation 1 era.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... ck_toy.jpg[/img]

RANSACK (Locust)- PL 10 (157):
ST 9, Toughness +10, Improved Critical (Unarmed) [4]
-A combat-craving simplistic type.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/94/G1VenomToy.jpg[/img]

VENOM (Cicada)- PL 10 (181):
ST 9, Toughness +10, Improved Critical (Unarmed), "Stinger" Weaken Toughness 8 (Extras: Affects Objects, Secondary Effect) [28]
-The Insecticons's Leader, though his paranoia over his position leaves him so messed-up that he does more harm than good.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... in_toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... otrain.jpg[/img]

ASTROTRAIN
Alternate Mode:
Space Shuttle Orbiter/Locomotive (JNR Class D51 Steam Locomotive)
Role: Military Transport
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 10 (148)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 10/Burst Area, Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters), Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Space Shuttle Orbiter) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: Morph 1 (Locomotive) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
* Vehicle Notes: Growth 20 with no ST & Toughness Growths; Power-Lifting 5, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 54 + 23 / Defenses: 16 (147)

ASTROTRAIN- SPACE SHUTTLE MODE
Alternate Mode:
Space Shuttle Orbiter/Locomotive (JNR Class D51 Steam Locomotive)
Role: Military Transport
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 10 (151)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: Morph 1 (Locomotive) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Growth +14 (+20 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [14]
Protection 5 [5]
"Massive Cargo Hold" Power-Lifting 6 (1,600 tons) [6]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 53 + 42 / Defenses: 12 (151)

-Astrotrain is among the most-seen of the Triple Changers- he can turn into either a train or a SPACE SHUTTLE, at which point he acts as Team Transport for the Decepticons. He's also one of the most-notable oddities in terms of Size Shifting in the franchise- in his Space Shuttle Mode, he is so large that Devastator, a Combiner, can STAND UP inside of his cargo hold! Yet in Robot Mode, he's no larger than anybody else! Given that the series puts a huge focus on "Size = Power", it's a bit odd to see him shrink down so in Robot Mode. Besides being "Troop Transport", he was just a standard-issue Decepticon, but at one point took over the whole army with Blitzwing, after they schemed to have Megatron & Starscream frozen in a sewer system.
-Astrotrain is an odd one in that his giant Space Shuttle Mode actually makes THAT his "Core Form", since a Metamorph can't go over the baseline.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... ch_toy.jpg[/img]

QUICKSWITCH
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Jet, Drill Tank, Laser Pistol, Hovercraft & Flying Puma
Role: Backgrounders, One-Note Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 9 (144)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Multi-Formed"
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Jet- Faster Flight) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [10]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Drill Tank- Multiattack Damage) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Laser Pistol- Blast 10 For Another Character) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Hovercraft) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Flying Puma- Fast Grab & Improved Critical- No Equipment) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Mood Swings)- Quickswitch is prone to wild, chaotic behavior.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 48 + 26 / Defenses: 16 (144)

-A late-comer, Quickswitch is one of the rare toys that had SIX DIFFERENT MODES. He went from Robot to Jet to Drill Tank to Hovercraft to Flying Puma to Laser Pistol. Unfortunately, the complexity of these changes left his base toy rather blocky and immobile (he looks like he's wearing a full diaper!), and none of the forms were particularly impressive. He arrived too late in the franchise to appear in much- only the Marvel UK book featured him at all, and he only appears in one scene of the original cartoon! His multiple forms are statted up as an array of Morphs. He is known for his rapidly-changing mood swings and chaotic, unpredictable personality.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 8-0003.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... rm_toy.jpg[/img]

SANDSTORM
Alternate Mode:
Dune Buggy & Sikorsky S-62 Helicopter
Role: Backgrounders, One-Note Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 9 (141)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Triple Changer"
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Dune Buggy) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Sikorsky S-62 Helicopter) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Mood Swings)- Quickswitch is prone to wild, chaotic behavior.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 48 + 23 / Defenses: 16 (141)

-An easily-bored Triple Changer. The cartoon introduced him as a descendant of beings who abandoned Cybertron millennia ago, and settled on another world. His pacifistic people required the help of the Autobots against a Decepticon invasion, and he gladly joined the battle. He only appeared in one other episode- it was pretty late in the line. Another pretty simple one, he shows that a "Triple Changer" is pretty much like any other Transformer, just with a new Alternate Effect to his Morph.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... _uk_60.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ckwave.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ve_toy.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ckwave.jpg[/img]

Behold: Still one of the most bad-ass comic book covers of all time.

SHOCKWAVE
Alternate Mode:
Futuristic Laser Pistol
Role: Homebase Guy, Ultra-Loyal Minion, Evil Inventor
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 12 (236)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 10 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+18)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 4 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 10 (+20)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blast 11- Multiattack), Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blast) 2, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Laser Pistol) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
* (Pistol Notes: Shrinking 4, Immobile, Bestows Accurate Multiattack Penetrating Blast 12 onto Wielder, with 2 Ranks of Improved Critical)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) [13]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Protection 6 [6]

"High-Powered Laser" Blast 12 (Extras: Penetrating, Multiattack) [48]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 22)
Blasters +12 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
High-Powered Laser +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Disabled (One Hand)
Responsibility (Logic)- Shockwave is a very literal, logical individual, and only considers things carefully.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 48 + 68 / Defenses: 17 (236)

-An ultra-logical, loyal soldier of Megatron's, Shockwave was left waiting on Cybertron for *MILLIONS OF YEARS*, then was like "oh hey guys" when the Decepticons got back into contact with him. Voiced by Corey Burton in an imitation of David Warner as "Sark" from Tron, he was kind of the eyes & ears back on Cybertron, where he built the "Space Bridge" that was a major plot point in the first seasons- he would just kind of sit back and wait for someone to show up, and fight the Autobots if they ever hijacked it (which they did. A lot). He was so loyal to the boss that when Megatron was thought-dead, Shockwave continued to monitor and message just in case, and then warned him when he revived that Starscream (who of course declared himself leader immediately thereafter) planned to destroy the Earth. He also ended up enslaving the Dinobots and imprisoning a bunch of female Autobots, but the heroes always manage to escape his clutches. His last appearance was in the Movie, where he was seen in several backgrounds, but didn't get up to much.
-All of this is a HUGE contrast to the comics, which portrayed him as basically an Evil Vulcan (Bob Budiansky states that his intention was to take Mr. Spock and make him a Decepticon), one who was merciless and terrifying, and took command of the Decepticons as soon as he got the chance. Traitorous and vicious, he was the focus of one of the greatest comic book covers of all time (The Transformers *scrawl of graffiti* Are All Dead), and this scheming nature and competence as leader (in contrast to Megatron's overly-aggressive tactics) extends into many of the other supporting materials, most of which ignore his fairly-dull Cartoon version. That said, he soon stepped down as leader when Megatron points out that Shockwave's hesitancy is a weakness, and he only beat Megatron in their "Duel Over Leadership" because the latter was exhausted.
-His Toy Version is one of the best "Turns Into Object" toys- his Futuristic Gun is much better than Megatron's weak attempt at a firearm, it makes lights and sounds, and his Robot Mode looks incredible (and articulated!), despite being one of the earliest toys released. Hell, Shockwave's ultra-unique, one-eyed imagery is a huge part of the reason for his continued popularity- even if he WASN'T a good character, he'd be popular.
-Shockwave is very dangerous- a PL 12 Blaster type who is ALSO a genius inventor (he's created Interdimensional Portals and a Time Machine). In the comics, he's likely PL 13-14- dangerous enough to take out a "Leader" character. Like many popular characters, he showed up again in one of the gimmicky lines (an Action Master, in this case). As the first "Gun Guy" I've statted, he shows pretty much how I do it- turning into an immobile gun ain't exactly a huge deal, and given M&M's rules (which favor numerical superiority quite heavily) it's actually a bit of a WEAKNESS (giving another character the opportunity to fire the Shockwave Gun effectively means only ONE person can now attack, when once TWO were shooting!). Therefore, I give the Morphed Gun version the ability to bestow the Accurate Feat onto the wielder- not the greatest, but it's something.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... clonus.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... onus+a.jpg[/img]

CYCLONUS
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Jetcraft
Role: Actually Loyal #2 Guy
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 12 (215)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+12)
Insight 1 (+3)
Intimidation 6 (+9, +12 Size)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 11/Burst Area, Laser Gun +11- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters) 2, Improved Smash, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Space Jet) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 6 [6]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) [30]
"Space Fighter" Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +12 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Missiles +11 Area (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Responsibility (Galvatron's Will)- Cyclonus ignores his leader's insanity with a cry of "All Hail Galvatron!"
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 56 + 52 / Defenses: 20 (215)

-With Starscream being killed in the movie, the boss needed a new #2. The choice? The exact OPPOSITE of Starscream- not a cowardly, duplicitous traitor, but an ultra-loyal, competent demon of a robot in Cyclonus. Based off of either Bombshell or Skywarp (see below), Cyclonus was very similar in appearance to Galvatron, being purple and full of organic, sweeping shapes instead of hard edges like Megatron, Soundwave, and the Seekers. Cyclonus and Scourge (a fellow newbie) then became the official "Go-To Guys" for Galvatron, and were constantly seen paired-off in episodes where the boss needed schemers to follow his orders. Here, he was treated much-more seriously than other Decepticons- loyal, eager, savage and cruel, he was rarely humiliated the way guys like the Seekers were, despite constantly failing.
-"Who Is Cyclonus?" is one of the oldest debates in the TF fandom. This all stems from some oddities in animation from the film and later TV episodes- in the Movie, both Bombshell (an Insecticon) and Skywarp (a Seeker jet) become a "Cyclonus", with Unicorn declaring "Cyclonus- the warrior... and his ARMADA", implying that one is the main guy, and the other is an "armada" (of one guy, apparently). The SCRIPT of the film points out that Cyclonus is supposed to have multiple duplicates, but these were not drawn in. HOWEVER, the very next scene features the "Armada" replaced by one of Scourge's "Sweeps" (other henchmen), and we never see this mysterious "Armada" again. This leads to a big debate over which character was intended to be the main Cyclonus, and it's compounded by the existence of the "dead" Insecticons in later episodes, and the fact that the film's script did not initially call for any of them to be part of the "remade" crew. Various attempts have been made at declaring who was whom in supporting materials, but none of this is really canon anyways, and it also kinda doesn't matter (the original characters are largely-dead and given new personalities).
-Cyclonus is a competent, powerful fighter, but his constant failures don't make him TOO good- he's just a better version of Starscream, packing much better defenses, and a PL 11.5-ish build. I also figure him for one of the few Decepticons who can hit Mach 1 in Robot Mode.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 47s1oz.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... urge+a.jpg[/img]

SCOURGE
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Hovercraft
Role: #3 Henchman, Tracker
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 11 (219)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+10)
Intimidation 6 (+7, +10 Size)
Perception 10 (+12)
Stealth 4 (+8, +2 Size)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 11/Burst Area, Laser Gun +11- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Disarm, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Set-Up, Startle, Teamwork, Tracking

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Hovercraft) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) [30]
"Space Fighter" Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Missiles +11 Area (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Responsibility (Arrogant)- Scourge thinks very highly of himself.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 56 + 50 / Defenses: 17 (219)

-Like a lot of "later series" Transformers, Scourge has a beard and a mustache for no apparent reason (I mean, he's A ROBOT). Created from the wrecked body of Thundercracker, Scourge takes the same job- Subordinate Jet-Fighter, but with a twist- he's a tracker who leads his own band of minions, called the "Sweeps". He's also Galvatron's personal tracker (oddly making him more of a "Seeker" than the actual Seekers). In the cartoon afterwards, he was pretty much just the latter half of "Cyclonus and..." going on missions for the boss and generally being beaten by the Autobots. Interestingly, his Alt-Mode looks kind of like a giant Space Boat in the toys- not exactly intimidating looking. It's a bit more sharp and angular in the cartoon, and thus fits a bit better. But his Robot Mode has those BITCHIN' wings, and that makes up for everything.
-His biggest feat overall remains the part of the Movie where he and the Sweeps dismember Ultra Magnus (initially they were supposed to DRAW AND QUARTER him), though of course he is rebuilt (whereas guys take "flesh" wounds from laser fire and die instantly). But otherwise, Scourge is merely a "pretty solid" character, hitting PL 11 like Starscream, but unable to score many solid wins, even as the leader of the Sweeps. Despite being weaker than Cyclonus, he costs more, having more Skills and just as many Advantages (including Teamwork, a TRUE rarity for Decepticons).

THE SWEEPS
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Hovercraft
Role: Goon Squad
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Sweeps
PL 7 (156)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+4, +7 Size)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+5, -1 Size)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Laser Gun +7- Multiattack), Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 5, Tracking

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 5 (500 mph) [16]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Hovercraft) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 1 [1]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) [21]
"Space Fighter" Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +7 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +2

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Responsibility (Cowardly)- Sweeps hate going anywhere where they might blow up. That said, they get blown up a lot.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 56 + 37 / Defenses: 12 (156)

-In an odd twist, the villainous Scourge is given his own personal band of henchmen to follow him around- named "The Sweeps". However, they are indistinguishable from Scourge himself, and despite only a handful being seen in the Movie where they debut (two at first, but soon Cyclonus's "Armada" becomes a third), there are soon LIMITLESS NUMBERS in the TV series. Notably and curiously, there was never a toy release for Sweeps until 2009 (WAY out of Generation 1)- since they were basically exact duplicates of their boss, I guess the idea was that you were just supposed to buy LOTS of him for an "Army Build". Personally, I think that's kinda dumb- making one red, one black and so on, and you get the completist nerds out there buying the same friggin' toy repeatedly just to get the new paint scheme! I have a horde of same-mold Dino-Riders figures for that exact reason :).
-Sweeps look cool (they're just like Scourge, after all), but are COMPLETELY worthless Mooks after a point- they die in droves, get shot by Galvatron during his many fits of rage, and can be easily-led into running into each other like they're freakin' Gargoyles Henchbots or something. PL 7 is the best they can get, despite their enormous size and points-cost.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 876487.jpg[/img]

THE SHARKTICONS
Alternate Mode:
Sharks
Role: Goon Squad
Group Affiliations: The Sharkticons
PL 6 (82)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Attack (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Intimidation 7 (+5, +6 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Bite), Improved Hold, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Humanoid Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Humanoid Mode has No Bite or Swimming, but Equipment 5- Multiattack Blasters 6 & Ranged Attack 6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Protection 2 [2]

"Shark's Bite" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Penetrating 8) [9]
Swimming 8 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Bite +4 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blasters +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Eating)- The Sharkticons are nearly-mindless consumers.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: -8 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 40 + 30 / Defenses: 11 (82)

-Another "New Toy" introduced in the Movie, the Sharkticons are the mindless minions of the Quintessons, and were there to consume whomever was unlucky enough to appear before the Kangaroo Court of the five-faced dickholes themselves. Whether the poor 'bot was declared "guilty" or "innocent", he was thrown to the Sharkticons, who devoured him alive. They appeared en masse and were prepared to kill the Autobots stuck on this particular homeworld, but the day was saved thanks to the timely intervention of Wheelie and the Dinobots. When the Quintessons's head flunky ordered the Sharkticons to "Eat them!", Grimlock merely roared and demanded "NO! Eat THEM!" The terrified Sharkticons then turned on their masters and tried to kill them. Post-Movie, the Sharkticons appear as henchmen to the Quintessons a few more times.
-Like most Mooks, the Sharkticons are pretty low-level compared to the heroes. But a high-powered PL 6 ain't nothin' to sneeze at, even if you ARE a 20-foot-tall Transforming Robot.

PRETENDERS:
-Pretenders never showed up in the American cartoon (as they were far too late), but the Japanese one featured them a lot. The comics also had to deal with them stealing space, though at least we got a few re-treads of original characters out of it (Bumblebee, Grimlock & Jazz got upgrades).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... behold.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... enders.jpg[/img]

PRETENDERS (Decepticons)
Alternate Mode:
Various Forms
Role: Big New Gimmick
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Pretenders
PL 10 (166)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Deception 3 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+4, +7 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4, -2 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack, Weapon +2), Ranged Attack 7, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (+6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [6]
Protection 8 [8]

"Pretender Shell" (Flaws: Removable) [28]
"Controls The Shell" Summon Minion 8 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Feedback) (33) -- (34 points)
AE: Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 9) (13) & Regeneration 5 (5) & Morph 1 (Alternate Form) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Weapon +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8 (+12 Pretender Shell), Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 54 + 14 + 28 / Defenses: 15 (166)

-Take your standard Autobot Pretender, and shift some stuff around to make a Decepticon. The first trio actually pair off pretty well with the Autobot versions (especially Submarauder & Waverider. There's even a "Cloudburst" and a "Bomb-Burst"). They're very similar to Autobots overall, but they tend to vary a lot more with their Shells.

PRETENDERS (DECEPTICONS):
BOMB-BURST (Bat Shell/Cybertronian VTOL Jet)- PL 10-12 (176):
Shell has Intimidation 8 (+11), Stealth 14 (+10), "Rust Rash"- Weaken Strength 10 Linked to Enhanced Strength 6 (Fades), Will +6 [10]
-A terrifying, stealthy hunter, prone to picking off Autobots one at a time. His Shell is known for causing "rust-rash" which boosts his own strength- all of this makes the shell portion cost more than the "Summon", and so his whole Shell costs 32 points instead of 28 (as the Shell is now the base power). Uses an energy axe.
SKULLGRIN (Ram-Skulled Monster Shell/Cybertronian Tank)- PL 10 (166):
Shell has Intimidation 8 (+11), Power Attack, All-Out Attack, Startle [0]
-He has split personalities- within his Shell, he is a snarling sicko. Without it, he is logical and vain. Uses a Sword.
SUBMARAUDER (Human Shell/Cybertronian Submarine)- PL 10 (173):
Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic, Swimming 4, All-Out Attack [7]
-A recluse who loves sea creatures, and thinks of himself like one of them. Goes savage in order to protect them. Uses a Sword.
BUGLY (Insect Shell/Hoverjet)- PL 10 (168):
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+10) [2]
-A strategist who obsesses over having power over others.
FINBACK (Bipedal Fish Monster Shell/Ray-Shaped Submarine)- PL 10 (175):
Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic, Swimming 4, Expertise (History) 6 (+6) [9]
-An "Old Sailor" stereotype to a "T", dropping old-timey knowledge and complaining about some vicious "rot" he suffers from. He became a Pretender in order to save himself from it, in fact.
IGUANUS (Iguana Shell/Cybertronian Bike)- PL 10 (166):
-A weirdo who moons over his shell, thinking it makes him closer to lizards.
ROADGRABBER (Car-to-Chariot Shell/Cybertronian Jet)- PL 11 (176):
FIGHTING 9, Toughness +9/+13, Vehicles 10 (+12), "Shell" AEs into Equipment 5 (Giant Car/Chariot) with another AE for the "Chariot" Form [10]
-Like the Autobots, these Pretenders also have a guy whose shell is a giant VEHICLE (in this case, a car that can turn into a chariot). This lunatic loves to torture others, but hides behind his Shell because deep-down, he's a dirty coward who only leaves it to watch his helpless victims die.

BEAST PRETENDERS:
* Again, mimicking the Autobots with a pair of Animals. However, these two are odd in that their Shell and Alternate Mode are the same animal- the outer one appears to be a normal animal with some mechanical parts, while the inner Robot is straight-up mechanical.

CARNIVAC (Wolf Shell/Wolf)- PL 10 (182):
AGI 3, Stealth 14 (+11 Size), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Trip, Extended Scent & Hearing, Tracking, Uses Strength-Damage instead of Weapon [16]
-A savage, but jovial Decepticon.
SNARLER (Boar Shell/Boar)- PL 10 (171):
All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Uses Strength-Damage instead of Weapon [5]
-A selfish opportunist, he nonetheless realizes that forming an alliance with the Decepticons is necessary. I have a particular story with this guy- a tangential friend (more the son of my mom's friend) had this guy when I went for a sleepover one night, and I was fascinated with him. When we played a "you get to play with whatever toy you can find with your eyes closed" game, I of course cheated and made sure I grabbed him! I was disappointed when I met him a year or so later and- still of course fascinated by this toy- found out that he'd since thrown it away! But yeah, this guy still looks kinda cool- one benefit of the Pretender Shells was they could have a lot of detail on a piece that didn't need to be articulated. The inner Robot isn't so impressive, however.

SMALL PRETENDERS:
* So named because these later releases were much smaller than the others. The inner toys were barely larger than Mini-Car types in reality, but in the fiction, they're the same size as other Transformers. I left them with the same level of Strength & Toughness, for the most part.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... on_toy.jpg[/img]

BLUDGEON (Skull-Faced Samurai Shell/Tank)- PL 11 (179):
FIGHTING 12, AGILITY 4, -2 Toughness, -2 Blasters, Perception +4, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Sword) [13]
-One of the absolute best designs of the Pretenders, Bludgeon looks so incredible that they made him Decepticon LEADER in the Marvel Comics (where he features in a HUGE role, and has way more impressive stats). Skullgrin is a vicious martial artist with an arcane code of honor and wields a katana (his toy has none, however). You can see how he would become popular.
STRANGLEHOLD (Human Gladiator Shell/Rhinoceros)- PL 9 (193):
-2 Blasters, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Grab, Prone Fighting, "Strength-Sapping Gun" Weaken Strength 10 (Ranged, Affects Objects) [27]
-A super-strong brawler with a strength-sapping gun.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... ch_toy.jpg[/img]

OCTOPUNCH (Humanoid Scuba-Wearing Octopus Shell/Crab)- PL 9 (175):
-2 ST, -2 Toughness When On Land, -2 Blasters, Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic, Swimming 4, Strength-Damage Instead of Weapon, "Harpoon Gun" Power-Lifting 6 [9]
-Stronger Underwater. Uses a Harpoon Gun to haul Icebergs around (!).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d ... dblock.jpg[/img]

ULTRA PRETENDERS:
* Only one, like the Autobots had.

ROADBLOCK (Steam Shovel Outer Shell/Demonic Wind-Cruiser Inner Shell/Tank)- PL 11 (182):
ST +1, Toughness +1, Will +2, Ultimate Vehicles Skill, Equipment 8 (Steam Shovel), Has two AEs of Morph: Wind-Cruiser Mode & Tank Mode [16]
-A fearless General who would be perfect if not for his demands that everyone follow him into such dangerous situations that the Decepticons consider it a PUNISHMENT to end up under his command!

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... ng_toy.jpg[/img]

THUNDERWING
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Shuttlecraft, Giant Oni, Starship
Role: Big New Gimmick
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Pretenders
PL 12 (200)
STRENGTH
8/13 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+12)
Deception 1 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+4, +7 Size)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+4, -2 Size)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 12 (+14)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Cyclone Cannon +10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 7, Startle, Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Forms) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) [12]
Protection 2 [2]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

"Pretender Shell" (Flaws: Removable) [38]
"Worn Shell" Strength +5, Protection 6 (Impervious 9), Regeneration 5, "Cyclone Cannon" +4, Increased Mass 4, Elongation 1, Morph 1 (Metamorph- Starship), AE: Morph 1 (Metamorph- Giant Oni) (46) -- (47 points)
AE: "Controls The Shell" Summon Minion 8 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Feedback) (33)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Worn Shell +10 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Cyclone Cannon +8 (+10-14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8 (+14 Pretender Shell), Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Involuntary Transformation (Crazed Rages)- Thunderwing occasionally goes into psychotic hazes where he is uncontrollable.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 38 / Defenses: 16 (200)

-A noble, great leader who would ordinarily be the greatest of his allies... but he's prone to going into violent hazes that cause mass destruction. The most-powerful Pretender, with a complicated set-up. Essentially, he wears the same kind of Shell as the others... but it has TWO Morphs (an Oni and a Giant Starship), extra Strength & Toughness, and even boosts the power of his Cyclone Cannon- this makes it the base power rather than the "Summon" effect, and increases his ovearll cost. At PL 12, he's up there with Leader-types.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... heelie.jpg[/img]

"Friend find; look behind!"

WHEELIE
Alternate Mode:
Tiny Cybertronian Car
Role: The Jar Jar Binks of The Transformers
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (144)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA -- AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 6 (+7)
Persuasion 6 (+7)
Stealth 5 (+10, +8 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Energy Slingshot +5), Daze (Persuasion), Fascination (Persuasion), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 9, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Blaster +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Responsibility (Speaks in Rhyme)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 54 + 10 / Defenses: 12 (144)

-Probably the most universally-hated Transformers character, Wheelie was introduced in the Movie (apparently just hanging around the Quintessons's new homeworld) with a ton of the classic "Kid Focus Character" Tropes attached to him- he's super-tiny, he has a high-pitched voice, he says "funny" and/or "cute" things (in RHYME, no less- "Friend find; look behind!"), and he fights by annoying the bad guys. Naturally, any fan over the age of eight HATED him, despite him having a pretty cool toy (it helps that he's the only Mini-Car of his generation to have a wholly-original mold, which was SHOW-ACCURATE, no less!). Naturally, his entire TF Wiki article is written in rhyme (I'd do the same, but I haven't the time).
-Despite appearing to be a "Jar Jar Binks" sort, he actually doesn't play that much of a role in the film (he just leads the heroes to where they want to go, and then doesn't do anything else important), and in the remainder of the show he's just a backgrounder. I saw quite a few "later series" episodes, and I don't recall ever seeing him, in fact.
-Wheelie is less-powerful than his allies (his only weapon is a tiny Energy Slingshot that barely does any damage), but has great defenses, accuracy and works perfectly as a distraction.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... gatron.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... tron_1.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... dcjosh.jpg[/img]

"I would have waited an ETERNITY for this...."
-Megatron, about to murder Optimus Prime.

MEGATRON
Alternate Mode:
Portable Fusion Cannon
Role: The Big Bad, Would-Be Galactic Conqueror
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 12 (238)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+14)
Intimidation 7 (+11, +14 Size)
Perception 2 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Benefit 5 (Rank- Decepticon Commander), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Cannon) 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Portable Fusion Cannon) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Cannon Notes: Operates as a Device for another character- bestows Blast 15- Accurate, Improved Critical 2, Ext. Range 2 & Penetrating 12)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) [12]
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 13) [21]

"Fusion Cannon" (Flaws: Removable) [35]
Blast 14 (Feats: Improved Critical, Extended Range 2) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (43 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Fusion Cannon +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +14 (+7 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Enemy (Optimus Prime)- Megatron holds special hatred in his heart for the leader of the Autobots.
Responsibility (Pride)- Megatron refuses to share credit or be anyone's servant. Even in the face of UNICRON, he basically makes demands and has to be threatened with oblivion in order to work for the planet-sized Transformer.
Rivalry (Starscream)- Megatron's #2 is openly-hostile and scheming, plotting to overthrow Megatron and be crowned "Emperor" of the Decepticon Army himself. Megatron tolerates this, either because Starscream is good at his job, or because he's in love with him (I prefer the latter theory). Megatron also glories in Starscream's humiliations.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 54 + 68 / Defenses: 15 (238)

-One of the "Great Villains" of 1980s cartoons, Megatron is perhaps the most fearsome of them all. While he's as prone to calling retreats as any of them, he never received the humiliation that befouled characters like Skeletor, Cobra Commander, Krulos and Hordak. Mumm-Ra was legit in his own right, but HE wasn't a twenty-foot tall killer robot with a giant cannon attached to his arm, nor did he ever SHOOT SOMEONE IN THE HEAD at point-blank range! Megatron had a great look (stark white and black makes him stand-out in a rather colorful line), a nasty gravel-ridden voice (Frank Welker in a non-animal role, and not just doing his "Doctor Claw" voice), and a bad attitude- his mission was simply to rule the world and hurt as many as people as possible.
-Megatron's history is that of a young soldier forged in battle, who led an uprising because he foresaw a future where the Transformers ruled an empire that spanned the universe. Oh, and he's a GIANT asshole who things that peace and co-operation is for WEAKLINGS and that everyone who isn't a Decepticon should be either dead or a slave. Lacking subtlety or anything in the way of humility, Megatron is a glorious, raging buttwipe of a bad-guy, and has zero good personal qualities at all.
-Curiously, Megatron looks almost nothing like his toy, which turns into a Walther P38- a real-world gun (this leaves his toy's Robot Mode looking rather silly, as his legs become very skinny since they're just the handle split in half). In the cartoon, he turns into a much-cooler-looking (the Walther looks like a regular pistol that's gone bulimic to me) sci-fi Fusion Cannon- this is still rather bizarre, as it means the LEADER OF THE BAD GUYS is reduced to turning himself into a weapon utilized by his inferiors (usually the scheming Starscream). It is for this reason that almost every OTHER continuity of the series changes his Alt-Mode into something more... epic. Sometimes he's a Stealth Bomber, and sometimes he's a Tank (he became this in Generation 2, gaining a pretty bad-ass look that nonetheless kind of ruins his theme, as it's a bit too colorful). Naturally, this decision was probably made due to certain restrictions against children's cartoons featuring "imitatable acts", never mind the fact that you could EASILY hold up a bank using a Megatron toy, the Walther was a no-go and it got replaced by a big "Sci-Fi Weapon" thing. Naturally, finding a toy that closely-resembled a real-world gun THESE DAYS in nearly-impossible, especially as people HAVE been shot and killed by police who mistook them for real guns.
-Megatron in the TV show was pretty much your everyday schemer, coming up with some plot that was generally about using power and intimidation to overwhelm humanity or the Autobots, and then he would be undone by the brave acts of the heroes. He was thus often forced to order retreats, but probably not as many as Starscream (who was constantly attempting to undermine his boss ANYWAYS- even OPENLY saying so). This lasted until the Movie, where his plan proved successful (the Decepticons murder several established characters, then infiltrate Autobot City and even kill OPTIMUS PRIME)... but he himself was badly-wounded by Prime in the solo fight of all solo fights (the Movie understood perfectly-well that when you have a Lead Good Guy and a Lead Bad Guy, you ALWAYS pit them against each other in a solo fight. That is simply how things WORK).
-An injured Megatron is declared by Starscream to be "dead weight", and so picks up the boss and hauls him to the airlock of their getaway ship/ally. Megatron, barely able to move, still whispers "I still functionnnnn...", but Starscream coldly goes "Wanna BET?" and tosses him to certain death! Megatron thus floats about in space, sure to die, until the planet-sized Unicron railroads him into accepting his offer- Megatron is thus eliminated, reborn as "Galvatron".
-Megatron is a truly-mighty warrior, but falls a bit short of Prime himself- PL 12 is enough to challenge Optimus Prime in battle, but he usually has to cheat to pull out the win on the PL 13 Autobot Commander. That said, watch the hell out for that Fusion Cannon- a +14 Blast is the single heaviest shot an "Early Series" Transformer can pull off, and +10 Accuracy ain't bad (he can also modify most of his caps around). Megatron is also quite fearsome, militarily-skilled, and a good fighter. Of the early Autobots, only Optimus or the Dinobots have a decent shot at taking him out.

MOVIE NOTES (Part One):

* Unicron's debut is AMAZING. Just the sight of this planetary object coming in from behind a sun, floating through space, with this wicked instrumental soundtrack that keeps building in anticipation of his onslaught onto this poor, unsuspecting world... tremendous stuff.

* Humorously, the victimized planet is a world full of robots, many of whom are CHILDREN. CHILD ROBOTS. What the...? Interestingly enough, the beings on that world know Unicron by NAME, yet apparently have no detection system that works on him. How does a PLANET sneak up on you?

* The animation is awesome- everything has multiple "lines" of shading on them (a hallmark of pricey 1980s-era anime), and there's debris flying EVERYWHERE when stuff goes down. I especially like the bit where the ship gets drawn back into Unicron's "mouth" as his jaws slowly clamp down on the planet. Only part about this scene that bugs me is the giant steel-jawed door doing cartoony "CHOMP!" noises as it repeatedly closes on debris. And in a nice bit, they pretty much SHOW YOU (not TELL YOU) why Unicron's doing this- the remnants of the planet are devoured, turned into sludge, and suddenly you see the innards gain in speed, and his body lights up. He's using planets to POWER himself!

* In a clever bit, it's the ORIGINAL Autobots sent on the silly "collecting Energon Cubes" mission to Earth- Ironhide, Ratchet, Prowl & Brawn are set up to be knocked out. And we get some quickie exposition with a suddenly-aged Spike ("Tell my son DANIEL I love him!"), and all the Autobots use names immediately to establish a who's who. It's hilarious to see how easily the Autobots die in this scene, too- Prowl dies without ANY DIALOGUE, and single shots are fatal. The shot of Prowl's eyes fading out while smoke pours from his mouth lets you know immediately how serious this is, and sticks with me ever since I first saw it. And a mere CONSTRUCTICON did that!

* I love Megatron's disgusted "SUCH HEROIC NONSENSE!" at Ironhide's Ben Grimm-like determination to stop him. Dragging himself across the floor to stop the Decepticon invasion of Autobot City, one of the toughest of the Autobots is casually shot in the head with a smirk.

* The soundtrack is amazeballs- gotta say it again. Unicron's theme and the whole "Shuttle Launch" sequence are great background music, we hear "80s Scream Metal" during the Decepticon assault, and now we get Dare as Hot Rod drives around. Inauspicious debut for the guy, too- young Judd Nelson's voice and the guy's sitting around fishing. Naturally, the Newbie Characters are all at Autobot City during the battle- Ultra Magnus, Kup, Hot Rod, Arcee, Springer & Blurr. And they look like the only defenders of the entire city until we see the dead bodies of some other Originals (like poor Wheeljack).

* Devastator completely annihilates the Autobots' defenses. Of course, in the SHOW, we'd already have seen multiple OTHER Combiners by this point (plus Omega Supreme), but the movie was put into production BEFORE they debuted, and as such, Devastator (who was being actively de-pushed and beaten by the new Combiners) is returned to his once-lofty role as "The Most Powerful Transformer Of All". He even does well against all four assembled DINOBOTS!

* Geez, I think Shrapnel is seen getting beaten up in like 90% of these scenes... And then there's OPTIMUS, making one of the most triumphant "Big Damn Heroes" moments in history. You Got The Touch plays, he transforms, and he immediately begins wiping out the Rank & File losers- Dirge, Thrust, Shrapnel, Thundercracker- even SOUNDWAVE takes a blast! And then the mother of all battles begins- the two glorious leaders stand across the field of battle and IT'S ON.

* And it's a doozy, too- Megatron scrapes and claws, throwing debris and pulling out a LIGHTSABER (notably, he loses his Fusion Cannon in the brawl). Then he pleads for mercy before Hot Rod screws everything up and interferes, directly causing Prime's fatal wounds. One last uppercut and a suddenly-battle-damaged Megatron takes a tumble, and now both leaders are beaten. The Decepticons retreat, Optimus having single-handedly turned the tide. Then Prime gets a fantastic death scene (complete with TURNING GRAY), and suddenly we get the whole "Matrix of Leadership" thing, which let's face it- was tacked-on and has absolutely nothing to do with anything that's come before. And Optimus passes it to Ultra Magnus, a BRAND-NEW CHARACTER called "old friend", who notably did absolutely nothing during all the previous fighting (though he DID make the decisions that ultimately saved the day- calling in Prime and transforming Autobot City to defensive mode... which really should have always been how it was set up. There's sticking to a gimmick, and there's being silly).

* Things change for the Decepticons as well, with the Constructicons, Soundwave & Conehead Seekers voting that the Insecticons and original Seekers get dumped out of Astrotrain to "lighten the burden" (why weight matters IN SPACE is beyond me, but whatevs). Curiously, as Starscream dumps Megatron out of airlock ("Oh, how it PAINS me to DO this!"), Soundwave doesn't lift a finger to help, despite saving his boss back on Earth. Then the Decepticons naturally descend into brawling for leadership, which produces a GREAT line from Soundwave, then several other odd bits (Astrotrain now has an interior the size of a football field and a hundred feet tall; Ravage can now knock a full-sized Decepticon over easily; Devastator can be undone by a simple ground-pound).

MOVIE NOTES (Part Two):

* Unicron & Megatron's dialogue is AMAZING- Unicron is this invincible god with a booming voice (though why you'd hire an ancient Orson Welles and then electronify his voice into ambiguity is beyond me), and delivers lines with pure disgust and epic-ness. Megatron, beaten and dying, is nonetheless all "NOBODY SUMMONS MEGATRON!" and starts making demands of the giant planet in front of him- such a great character touch ("your bargaining position is HIGHLY DUBIOUS. But very well..."). And now Megatron and his injured minions are transformed into Galvatron, Cyclonus, his "Armada", Scourge, and the Sweeps (who swiftly grow from two to FIVE in a single shot! There were only five original guys TOTAL aside from Megatron! Then there's seven guys on-screen aside from him!).

* Starscream is immediately dealt with as he's being crowned New Leader. Hearing Leonard Nimoy as a villain is interesting- he used to play villainous toughs before Mr. Spock, and you can hear why- his voice is VERY gravelly and imperious.

* Scale issues abound: Galvatron's size compared to Unicron shifts scene-by-scene to allow both to be legible and on-screen at once, and Cyclonus is seen being PILOTED by his boss, and is clearly over a hundred feet long and several times the size of any other Decepticon, before transforming into a normal-sized guy!

* Galvatron attacking Autobot City keeps the action going, and the Dinobots act like griefing RPG players who want to disrupt the GM's plans ("NO! I don't wanna get in the shuttle! I just wanna FIGHT!"). But Sludge manages to blow up a Sweep. And oddly you can see Snarl in a few shots, before he's replaced by Swoop once more. Funny how this movie is just CONSTANT action- now it's Ship-To-Ship Combat (Cyclonus wipes out Hot Rod & Kup's ship by himself), and then the heroes end up on the Quintessons's homeworld, first ending up in an ocean of mechanical monsters fighting Robo-Piranha and a Robo-Squid, then getting captured and fed to Sharkticons! Also Hot Rod now has a buzzsaw for a hand.

* On the Planet of Junk, we get ANOTHER fight scene, with Daniel using his dad's Exo-Suit to fight a Constructicon and... Shrapnel? HE GOT NULLIFIED HALF AN HOUR AGO! Then Galvatron has his Sweeps blow up Ultra Magnus, which is INSANE, considering this proves to be non-fatal, while single lasers are much-more dangerous earlier on. Magnus really gets screwed in this movie, too- his reign as leader is short and full of ass-kickings from outnumbering Decepticons, he's seen in his bad-ass Alternate Mode ONCE (and for all of ONE SECOND of screen-time!), and he basically gets to be the "James Marsden" of the film- the less-cool guy that loses out in the end.

* The Dinobots present their own Scale Issues on Quintessa- new character Wheelie is smaller than Sludge's HEAD, despite being a Mini-Vehicle-sized guy, and Grimlock utterly-squashes a Sharkticon beneath a single one of his feet. Dinobots are big, sure, but Grimlock is only a LITTLE bit taller than Hot Rod & Kup in most of their scenes! And Sharkticons are only marginally shorter than THOSE guys! For the "stomp" scene, Grimlock would literally have to be HUNDREDS of feet tall! For all their size, Sharkticons are essentially One-Hit-Killed Mooks, though.

* It's funny how the Sole Survivor of "That Planet Unicron Eats" pretty much exists soleley to give the monster a name to Hot Rod & Kup, and is then unceremoniously murdered by the Quintessons's "Kangaroo Court".

* TIME FOR ANOTHER FIGHT SCENE- in this case, the Junkions make their presence known, and start grabbing at the surviving Autobots with nets. The sound is all garbled up in parts in this DVD I think, because Weird Al's Dare To Be Stupid (a song & music video so epic it Out-Devos DEVO) is super-quiet, while the sound-effects are all loud. But it's ended by the timely arrival of one of the most epically-designed starships EVER- the giant "Screw-Ship" from Quintessa. I can't even imagine animating that bastard. And one "Universal Greeting" later, and now the Junkions are great friends and go to help FIGHT UNICRON.

MOVIE NOTES (Part Three):

* In a GREAT reveal, what do we uncover about Unicron? The Living Planet is A TRANSFORMER. Dude just casually shifts his whole surface around, pops out some limbs, and now he's a humanoid monster with demonic wings. Why would a planet need to transform? WHO CARES IT'S A TRANFORMER Y'ALL!!

* Naturally, he doesn't take Galvatron's betrayal well, and swallows him whole while promising to destroy Cybertron ("For a time, I considering SPARING your wretched little planet!... But now... you shall witness... It's DISMEMBERMENT!!"). Naturally the scale is again an issue, as he's the size of the entire planet in one shot, and in the next he can grasp characters with his continent-sized hands.

* The Final Battle is kind of a mess of stuff, as the Decepticons do nothing, and the Autobots invade Unicron's body and have to fight his innards (mostly rushing liquids and big claws). Bumblebee, Spike, Jazz & Cliffjumper, reduced to "also-ran/Stuck On Home-Base" status for the entire movie, suddenly get rescued and get to survive the picture. Wheelie does absolutely nothing post-Quintessa. Oh, and we get a NEW Leader-Brawl.

* See, Hot Rod ends up being the sole guy to fight Galvatron. He does pretty well (actually using his Vehicle Mode to use repeated Slam attacks), but soon Galvatron starts beating him... and then Hot Rod grabs the Matrix (still hanging from the villain's neck via a chain) and BOOM- it's all "ARISE, RODIMUS PRIME" and they yank a HUGE boost straight out of their asses here, because it turns out this unproven rookie who's been doing increasingly-clever things all movie is the "True Destined Leader". The Matrix makes him grow a few increments taller (despite being basically Galvatron's size earlier, I should note) and magically grows a TRAILER behind him (okay, it LOOKS COOL, at least... for the three seconds of screen-time it gets), and he throws Galvatron out of Unicron's body and sends him flying into space. And then the Matrix makes Unicron explode.

* Rodimus declares "The End of the Cybertronian Wars" (NOPE), and everyone celebrates.

THE SUMMATION:

The Movie's great fun throughout, and you can easily see why it stuck with the show's fans. But I can ALSO see why critics hated it- it's impenetrable to new viewers, and there's plenty for Original Generation fans to dislike as well:

* There is almost zero reason given for why anybody is doing anything- the Autobots are planning an assault on the Decepticons, but it gets countered. Exactly WHY anyone is doing this is left for long-time fans.
* Like any of the early characters? Well TOUGH- they all get either killed or neutered, and you're gonna watch the NEW GUYS and LIKE IT. Among the more-cynical "buy the new toys!" demands ever made.
* Springer, Arcee & Blurr are all introduced, but scarcely-ever transform or even DO ANYTHING to move the story forward. PERCEPTOR gets more to actually do. The others are just "Filler".
* Joining them are newbies like Wreck-Gar & Wheelie, who do one thing to help and then fail to matter any more at all. BUY THEIR TOYS!
* Ultra Magnus is kind of useless overall. His leadership leads to some good calls and some saves (though fans jump on him for his outburst "I can't think about that now!"), but he ultimately gets killed super-easily, is never seen doing anything REMOTELY bad-ass (his Alt-Mode is seen ONCE), and then Hot Rod just comes in and saves the day as the new leader instead.
* Cyclonus & Scourge are introduced with all this fanfare, but only Cyclonus gets to speak (and for a handful of lines) or do anything. The Sweeps at least manage to wipe out Ultra Magnus.
* Curiously, despite how well everyone remembers Optimus dying, the Autobots kind of just move on from that, and hardly grieve. Until the "Arise, Rodimus Prime!" bit at the end, you'd think they all just shrugged it off and forgot about him. I would have liked at least a bit more mourning, or a "What would Optimus do?"

I will say, at least Rodimus kind of EARNED his happy ending here. He F's up and gets Optimus killed, but he also does a bunch of good things afterwards, helps Kup and even learns a bit from him, and you can kind of believe he has potential in the end, which justifies him grabbing his "Instant Savior" Power.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... eg1toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... etfire.jpg[/img]

JETFIRE (aka Skyfire)
Alternate Mode:
Sci-Fi-Looking Jet
Role: The Green Ranger, Turncoat Bad Guy
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Autobots
PL 12 (209)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+8)
Intimidation 0 (+3, +6 Size)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 11/Burst Area, Laser Gun +12- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Disarm, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Giant Sci-Fi Jet) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 7 [7]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) [30]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Blaster +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Missiles +11 Area (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +13, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Life)- Jetfire is compassionate, and cannot bring himself to easily-harm innocents. This eventually turns him from the Decepticon cause.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 54 + 55 / Defenses: 18 (209)

-Jetfire is a famous 'bot for many reasons. To younger kids, he was sort of a "Green Ranger"- a lesser-seen good guy with a TON of power and a great look. His toy is flat-out one of the greatest Gen. 1 figures PERIOD. However, it's the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that makes him more interesting to adult TF fans. See, like a small handful of early toys, he's NOT from one of the Microman or Diaclone lines, and his basis is in something MUCH more famous that those two- he is, in fact, a redeco'd MACROSS figure, meaning he's of the same origins as Robotech- his original toy is just a Macross Super Valkyrie "Transforming Mecha". This figure, from Takatoku toys (like Roadblock & Whirl, among others- the licenser from Hasbro was known to go to Asia and pick up whatever looked interesting, even if it wasn't from the standard Takara lines), was licensed by Hasbro, and thus you won't see him in a lot of Japanese stuff (Takara doesn't want to give a rival toy company too much free publicity).
-Other interesting stuff: The toy is named Jetfire, while in the show he is named SKYFIRE- the reasons are unclear, but their are theories. As the toy was not a Takara original, his model was altered to avoid giving free publicity to Takatoku- the altered character thus needed a new name (since he no longer resembled his toy as much). A Series Bible indicates that the name change was "for legal reasons".
-In any case, the character wasn't in the show much, but he had a lot of stuff that is PERFECT for making a guy an "Ensemble Darkhorse"- he was thawed out and revealed to be a Decepticon, and an old friend of Starscream's. He was noticeably larger than the other characters, and EXTREMELY powerful, yet did not fully-comprehend the Decepticon cause. In fact, Starscream had changed much over the millennia, and soon "Skyfire" allowed his compassion for humans and some Autobot prisoners to override his loyalty to Megatron, and he was betrayed by his former friend. Skyfire sacrificed himself to stop the Decepticons's plans. He was later revived (which is odd, considering there was a memorial service held for him and everything), and later became a bit of a recurring guy, showing up in episodes here and there. He was possibly-killed fighting the Quintessons much later, and never reappears, but that episode featured a LOT of people who later turned up alive, so who knows?
-Jetfire/Skyfire is one of the most-powerful Autobots at PL 12, and is a pretty elite fighter who doesn't get a whole ton of use.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -G1Six.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ixshot.jpg[/img]

SIXSHOT
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Tank, Spaceship, Laser Gun, Off-Road Vehicle & Winged Wolf
Role: Would-Be Boss
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 11 (168)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+9)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+9, +12 Size)
Perception 5 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 7 (Laser Gun +11- Multiattack), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Multi-Formed"
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Spaceship- Faster Flight) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [10]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Tank- Multiattack Damage) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Laser Pistol- Blast 10 For Another Character) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Off-Road Vehicle- Environmental Adaptation- Rough Terrain) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Winged Wolf- Fast Grab & Improved Critical- No Equipment) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 6 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 48 + 29 / Defenses: 17 (168)

-Unlike the little-used Quickswitch, Sixshot saw a GREAT deal of use in some of the other franchises, though only got one episode in the cartoon (featuring in only a SINGLE SCENE, but of course he managed to utilize all six of his forms in a forty-second timespan). He was huge in Japan's Headmasters continuation, being the #2 to Scorponok (at that point, the new "Destron" leader), and even got to KILL Ultra Magnus- a crime later "avenged" when Sixshot later turned on his master and joined the Autobots. Like Quickswitch, he is a Six Changer and has a ton of weaknesses as a toy (only his SHOULDERS move!). I upgraded him to a PL 11 due to his reputation on his toy's card, as well as some of the boosts he gets later-on. In the comics, he's probably PL 12.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... vatron.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... tron_a.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... vatron.gif[/img]

GALVATRON
Alternate Mode:
Stand-Up Particle-Accelerator Cannon
Role: The Bigger Bad, Would-Be Galactic Conqueror, Chaotic Evil Killer
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 13 (248)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+14)
Intimidation 8 (+12, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Benefit 5 (Rank- Decepticon Commander), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Cannon) 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Stand-Up Particle-Accelerator Cannon) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Cannon Notes: May Operate as a Device for another character- bestows Blast 16- Accurate, Improved Critical 2, Ext. Range 2 & Penetrating 12)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) [12]
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 13) [21]

"Particle-Accelerator Cannon" (Flaws: Removable) [40]
Blast 16 (Feats: Improved Critical, Extended Range 2) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (49 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Particle-Accelerator Cannon +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +14 (+7 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Enemy (Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime)- Galvatron holds special hatred in his heart for the leaders of the Autobots.
Responsibility (Chaotic Evil)- Galvatron is extremely-violent, and is prone to attacking his own men for real or imagined slights.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 54 + 73 / Defenses: 19 (248)

-Galvatron was given life in the Movie- a badly-damaged (but still functioning) Megatron was refashioned by Unicron into a new form- very much the same (he carries a massive Cannon and turns into a Blaster of sorts), but with a new design. Gone are the straight lines and the black & white color scheme, and in their place is a smooth-lined, futuristic-looking warlord in purple. Though he was given a gravelly voice by Leonard Nimoy in the film, the cartoon series continued with Frank Welker in the role, doing his "Megatron Voice" once more, blurring the lines between the two. But while Galvatron was very much like Megatron, he also went a bit nuts (thanks to a lava bath early-on), later becoming a violently-temperamental psychopath prone to wiping out his own troops (usually an unfortunate Sweep or two) at a moment's notice. At one point, he gets so bad that even his loyalist troops sentence him to a Living Planet of Psychiatrists, which he then BLOWS THE HELL UP! His final mission in the cartoon was to try and blow up the Sun, Earth AND Cybertron, leaving him to rule over the rest of the galaxy!
-Galvatron is one of those guys who varies wildly by region- in the cartoon, he replaced Megatron, and is basically the same person at first, but becomes altered over time (to the point where some fans argue over whether or not he "still counts" as Megatron). Galvatron himself speaks as if he is a continuation of Megatron. In the comics, however, he is a "time-displaced" being who was once Megatron, and the two frequently meet up. His toy is one of the most well-articulated of Generation 1, and transforms into a light-up hand-held Futuristic Gun or his Stand-Up Artillery Device. Though the color scheme and head design are WAY off, and make him look like a totally different guy.
-Galvatron appears to be MUCH more powerful than Megatron in the cartoon- he obliterates Starscream in a single shot (in an impressive scene, he insults his old rival, shoots him, and we see Starscream's terrified body turn grey and crumble into dust. Galvatron merely crushes his usurper's gaudy crown), and later is seen shooting down a massive spacecraft with equal ability. Galvatron is essentially Megatron ramped up to PL 13- equal to Optimus Prime and Grimlock, the heavy-hitters of the Autobots.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... tzwing.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... tzwing.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... tzwing.jpg[/img]

BLITZWING
Alternate Mode:
Soviet MiG-25 Fighter Jet & Japanese Type-74 Assault Tank
Role: Rank & File
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Seekers
PL 10 (171)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 10/Burst Area, Laser Gun +10- Multiattack, "Sword" +1), Improved Critical (Blasters), Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Soviet MiG-25 Fighter Jet) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Japanese Type-74 Assault Tank) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
** Vehicle Notes: Extremely-large in Jet Form, can use Powers and Equipment, lowered Fighting & Dodge. Jet can use Guns, Tank can use Cannon)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Built-In Guns" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24) -- [25]
AE: "Built-In Cannon" Blast 12 (Inaccurate -1) (23)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Energy Sword +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Cannon +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 55 + 44 / Defenses: 16 (171)

-A Decepticon Triple-Changer, Blitzwing is easily-recognizable for his purple & beige color scheme. He's considered an unlikable, loudmouthed jerk by even his teammates, and was largely-used in the cartoon as a generic Goon. He appeared out of nowhere in the Second Season, at one point fighting Warpath (a fellow tank), and after that kind of just hung about as a "Generic Named Bad Guy" who could do random things. However, he DID manage one impressive showing in Five Faces of Darkness- HE was the Decepticon to discover that the Quintessons planned to annihilate ALL the Transformers, not just the Autobots, and tried to tell Galvatron about this betrayal (the Quints & Decepticons were allies at this point). Galvatron refused to believe him, and so he went to RODIMUS PRIME for help instead, and the day was saved. When Galvatron planned to destroy Rodimus, Blitzwing actually PULLED A GUN ON HIS BOSS, telling him that "the fight is over for now". Galvatron aquiesced, but banished Blitzwing from the Decepticon ranks forever.
-Blitzwing is effectively a Seeker with another Alt-Mode- the Tank Form gives him the benefit of a high-end Blast that's a full-on POWER, not Equipment. He's good, but gets pretty easily beaten by established characters every time he shows up. In the Movie, all he really gets to do is show up and lose to Hot Rod & Kup.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... sueart.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ceptor.jpg[/img]

PERCEPTOR
Alternate Mode:
MC-20 Microscope
Role: Team Scientist
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (160)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 13 (+15)
Stealth 5 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Equipment 5 (Laser Gun +8- Multiattack), Inventor, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Microscope) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Mode Notes: Shrinking 4, Largely-Immobile)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Perception Lens" Senses 8 (Extended Vision 4, Microvision 4) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 54 + 23 / Defenses: 17 (160)

-Perceptor is another Microman figure, as you can see from the fact that he transforms into a "regular object" and not a vehicle- in his case, it's something as mundane as a MICROSCOPE. It's kinda neat and all, but the magnification is only 14X thanks to the relative crudity of the lens (a REAL microscope is a hell of a lot more expensive than a child's toy). The toy ALSO transformed into a tank-like thing, but Perceptor never does this in the show, which usually features him as a fairly-small "Big-Sized" robot with an overly-wordy manner of speech, akin to many Comic Book Scientists. Generally speaking, he was not a major character in teh show, and never got a lot of focus (and only one episode all to himself). He was, however, often there as "The Science Guy" of the team, when Ratchet or Wheeljack wouldn't do. Notably, he was featured in the Movie, and SURVIVED it, unlike either of those two unfortunates. His role in the film was small (he basically gets three lines), but he's there with the group the whole way. This essentially makes him the longest-lasting Backgrounder on the show.
-Perceptor is not the warrior his allies are, making only PL 8 (the equivalent of a Mini-Vehicle). His specialty instead lies in scientific knowledge and innovation. He appears to have some form of extended vision.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 4227r8.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... magnus.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... magnus.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... magnus.jpg[/img]

ULTRA MAGNUS
Alternate Mode:
Freightliner COE With Special Cab
Role: Would-Be Leader, #2 Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 12 (194)
STRENGTH
12 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 11 (+13)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+4)
Stealth 4 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 8 (Laser Gun +12- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Soldier

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Freightliner COE) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"Summon Trailer From Hammerspace" Create 10 (Feats: Innate) (Flaws: Limited to Single Trailer) [11]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 7) [14]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Blaster +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +13 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +9

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Enemy (Cyclonus)- The two #2 guys often end up paired against each other in battle. There is mutual respect there, however.
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Responsibility ("I'm just a soldier...")- Ultra Magnus feels unworthy of the lofty heights of leadership, and instead focuses on heading smaller groups into battle.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 54 + 39 / Defenses: 21 (194)

-One of the coolest-looking Transformers was Ultra Magnus- another Movie debut, he oddly gets the least important stuff to do in the plot. He's basically a big red herring- he's given the Matrix of Leadership by a dying Optimus Prime, despite his protestations ("I'm just a SOLDIER! I'm... not worthy."), and is forced to make many command decisions, some of which work out, but most of which make him look a bit indecisive and/or weak because they all inolve losses: He retreats from Autobot City during Galvatron's first assault, blows up 3/4s of their escape shuttle to cover their route ("seeing as how the Decepticons would have blown up FOUR quarters of it, I'd say it was a good call!", notes Springer), and then leads the Decepticons away from his troops and tries to unleash the power of the Matrix to stop them. Throwing out the Movie's second dirty word ("OPEN, dammit! Open!"), he is corralled and torn to pieces by Galvatron's Sweeps, and the Matrix fails to open for him. He's later rebuilt, and instead HOT ROD is given the Matrix, and proves to be the TRUE next leader. Even being voiced by Robert Stack (using his classic "serious-but-somewhat-distant" tone) doesn't help him.
-This ends up giving him a bit of a negative reputation among TF fans, as all of this makes him look kinda weak (especially the "I can't DEAL with that now!" line, when he hears that the other shuttle was lost). HOWEVER, I'd argue that his decisions saved lives (he's the one who orders Autobot City transformed and Optimus Prime called to Earth; his sacrifice saves his team). And hey- he'd been the leader for five seconds. But all of this is basically secondary to the fact that he LOOKS COOL- the fact that he's a giant Truck With Cab (like Optimus & Rodimus) instantly gives him credibility, his toy's transformed form was HUGE, and he's extremely colorful.
-After the Movie, Ultra Magnus kind of takes the "Prowl/Ironhide" role as Subordinate Commander, usually leading side groups. He has a running feud with Cyclonus (Galvatron's #2) as well (though Cyclonus once rescues him from a black hole, believing that he deserves an honorable death, in battle- I always dig scenes like that). He's courageous and self-sacrificing, but actually thinks less of himself than others do- feeling he's an unworthy common soldier.
-One of the most-curious things about Magnus is the fact that his toy came with a white truck that was literally just an Optimus Prime toy cast in white. A WHITE OPTIMUS was thus a big thing among kids of my era, and it confused a lot of us, as we KNEW this was just "part of" Magnus, but it was never a thing in the show (one episode featured Optimus turning white, leading some kids to think that they had received a second-hand "White Optimus"). However, for the toy, this truck just "folds up" and ends up placed in the stand-up cab as the "chest" of the figure, and all of the extra side bits become his arms, legs and head. The toy has the articulation of a brick, unfortunately, but it's enormous- he's one of the tallest G1 figures (equal to the Galvatron toy, and MUCH taller than Rodimus or Optimus), though in the show is just a little bit larger than the others.
-Ultra Magnus matches Cyclonus at PL 12, and is just below Optimus & Galvatron- he's effectively "Mini-Optimus" in stats, finishing just below him in many categories. He lacks Optimus's true skillset and Advantages, however, resulting in a guy seventy (!!) points below his boss.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... erguru.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -arcee.jpg[/img]

Transformers Fanservice: This is indeed a thing.

ARCEE
Alternate Mode:
Futuristic Sports Car
Role: The Smurfette
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (173)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Stealth 5 (+9, +3 Size)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 9, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Pink Sports Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+9 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +11 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Relationship (Daniel)- Arcee is very protective of Daniel Witwicky, taking a role in "mothering" him and guarding him during battles.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 54 + 16 / Defenses: 20 (173)

-Among the more-hilarious aspects of the Transformers franchise is the overall deal with Arcee- the "Smurfette" of the series. First off, she's a GIRL TRANSFORMER. In a race made up (until that point) entirely of male-looking and male-voiced characters. Transformers as a rule are big, blocky and thick- "male" features by default but technically utilitarian traits. Arcee instead features a cinched-in waist, wide hips and LIPSTICK on her mouth. And think about it- why would a race of ROBOTS who reproduce by building stuff in laboratories need a "female", or even have a real understanding of gender? Also, of COURSE the only woman alive is PINK. And she has Princess Leia's hair, because they don't copy enough stuff from Star Wars yet. She show introduced a tiny handful of female Transformers later, but none received anything much for focus (one episode featured a group of guerilla-fighting females having been recurring nemeses of Shockwave on Cybertron).
-Oh, and fans NEVER GOT A TOY OF HER. Despite her being a character of major focus in the Post-Movie episodes (like most of them, she debuted with the film- created by Ron Friedman because his daughter was a fan of the series), since she's a female character in a "Boys' Line", she was doomed to never receive a toy until a couple of years ago, because "boys don't buy toys of girls" (a trope so recurrent that it's still an issue TODAY with toylines; even the INVERSION is true, as Monster High & Ever After High fans repeatedly cry to the heavens for dolls of never-or-rarely-produced male characters who are major features in the canon). Naturally, this is a recurring thing because it's kinda proven-true at times (I think that if Arcee-types sold WELL, we'd see a lot more of them; and some of the early male Monster High dolls proved to be shelfwarmers), so it's a combination of Actual Business Sense and Stupid Corporate Assumptions.
-So like I said, Arcee featured a lot in the Post-Movie series (the episodes I'm more familiar with). She seemed paired-up with Springer so often that Young Jab naturally assumed they were dating (or whatever the Autobot equivalent of that is). Since she wasn't an official toyline character, the comic book's writers were not forced into using her, and so she only features in some UK-only books. She also gained a very protective attitude towards Daniel, who was of course constantly endangered by the Decepticons's plans- this again is probably a reflection of the show's audience. Writers probably understood that little boys were scarcely-interested in romantic entanglements and other "gross" things, and so the primary female character became not a "love interest" of anyone, but a protective MOTHER, because it was one of the few male-female relationships young boys "understood". She didn't actually DO all that much in the show, however, and was often just one of those "also along for the mission" characters, with little direct focus. And in the finale of the series, she becomes a Headmaster, and Daniel becomes her HEAD.
-Also, she was voiced by the great Susan Blu, one of the more-underrated and iconic Voice Actors of the 1980s. Having voiced Lady Jaye of G.I. Joe (mmm.... Lady Jaye...) and, most-notably, STORMER from Jem and the Holograms (what I think is still her signature role), she is as iconic to that era to me as anyone.
-I statted up Arcee to be a more Accuracy/Defense-shifted version of the standard "Regular Car" Autobots. Much is made of her accuracy in some sources, though she hardly comes off as a bad-ass fighter in the SHOW, so PL 10 is where she stays.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ringer.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... rarcee.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... nger+a.jpg[/img]

SPRINGER
Alternate Mode:
Futuristic Sports Car
Role: Permanent-Assisting Character
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 11 (163)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+11)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 7 (Laser Gun +11- Multiattack), Improved Critical (Blasters), Interpose, Ranged Attack 9, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Armored Car) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Helicopter) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
** (Vehicle Notes: Car Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses.)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 6 [6]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 27)
Blaster +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 55 + 16 / Defenses: 17 (163)

-Easily the most-prominent of the "Triple-Changers" in the cartoon was Springer, or, as Young Jab knew him, "The Green Guy". He was ALL OVER those later-series episodes I watched, and usually paired up with Arcee. He was notable for having TWO potential forms- a Tank and a bad-ass looking Military Helicopter. He never got a lot of FOCUS- he was simply THERE. If Rodimus or Ultra Magnus was leading a mission, chances are that Springer was gonna be there backing them up. He even LOOKS like an "iconic later-series" guy- smoothed edges instead of blocky limbs, a higher level of detail, and he turns into futuristic Cybertronian-type stuff rather than an authentic Earth vehicle.
-His toy is pretty decent, but his Alternate Forms are... well, the Helicopter is just the Armored Car with a propeller on top. Not exactly the most-dynamic of changes. Compare him to say, Blitzwing, who goes from a Tank to a Jet by completely flipping over and changing color schemes! As a character, he seems to lack many extraordinary traits- he's neither overly-friendly nor super-serious. He's just "Some Guy", and is there to do some stuff. Kind of bland overall.
-Springer is very much in line with your "Ironhide" types- being a solid back-up and higher-end than your typical Transformer. His "Triple-Changer" thing may be a selling point with the toys, but in the show it makes little difference- he just kinda transforms into the vehicle when he wants to fly in Vehicle Mode.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ticons.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ticons.jpg[/img]

THE CONSTRUCTICONS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Construction Vehicles
Role: Combiners, Builders, Goon Squad
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Constructicons
PL 10 (151)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Construction) 10 (+12)
Intimidation 4 (+4, +7 Size)
Perception 2 (+2)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Construction Equipment) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Vehicle Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses.)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Form DEVASTATOR!!" Summon 2 (1/6th of a Summon 12) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 6 / Defenses: 18 (151)

-Among the most-iconic Transformers characters is easily Devastator- the combined form of The Constructicons. They were a HUGE game-changer in the overall series, as well. Up to this point, the Decepticons were a vastly-outnumbered force that was often stuck using Reflector's separate forms as "goons" in battles, and they were often overpowered by the numerous Autobots. The Constructicons changed everything- they replaced "Reflector" types as the "common background guys" quite readily, and suddenly their composite form was the Most Powerful Transformer around. And as the series's first Combiner, they were a HUGE deal. The concept of "Combining Robots" was of course pre-Transformers (Voltron being by far the most-famous in the early days, until Power Rangers became a phenomenon), but made PERFECT sense for the line- kids obviously loved Vehicle-Based Toys. And they loved Robots. And they loved Robots that TURNED INTO Vehicles. But Robots that turned into a BIGGER ROBOT? That's like an extra LEVEL of cool!
-The Constructicons themselves had some neat designs, though kind of "blended into" each other thanks to identical color schemes. The neon-green/purple coloring was pretty distinctive, however, making them STILL the most-recognizable of what came to be SEVERAL Combiner squads. In fact, with each new update to the TF universe, it seems there's ALWAYS still room for a Combiner Squad, and that Squad is nearly always the six Constructicons.
-The cartoon has some ugly continuity issues featuring them, as they were given a few potential origins, and a weird timeline- Megatron claims to have built them in some caverns at first, but later they're established as having been good guys who were brainwashed by Megatron. Whom they also built, WHILE they were evil. The toys feature some "Scale" issues- as all six are the same size in order to form Devastator, it leads to each of their Vehicle Modes being the same size, despite things like DUMP TRUCKS being positively enormous compared to Cement Mixers. Though there is theoretically some level of acceptable variation in size, as these things are not entirely uniform in real life, it is odd to see a Dump Truck, a Crane Truck and an Excavator be equal in size to Nissans and Lamborghinis in Robot Mode.
-The Constructicons themselves were very "basic"- just Generic Minions, alongside the Seekers, unless the Decepticons needed something BUILT, and then they were seen acting en masse. As Combiners, they share the cost of the "Summon" that is Devastator. An alternate way to do it would be to have Devastator be the baseline, and his COMPONENTS be a Summon, but I prefer my way, as the whole team was seen separate more than together.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rapper.jpg[/img]

THE CONSTRUCTICONS:
SCRAPPER (Payloader/Devastator's Right Leg)- PL 10 (157):
INT 4, Technology +4 [6]
-Scrapper is the Engineer of the group- they all build things, but Scrapper DESIGNS them. He's also the Team Leader, though that's often a meaningless term with Combiners unless they're flying separate from the rest of the army.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... er_toy.jpg[/img]

BONECRUSHER (Bulldozer/Devastator's Left Arm)- PL 10 (151):
-He's arguably got the weakest Robot Mode of the team- the treads of the Bulldozer split off to form his legs, making him look REALLY scrawny in that region. He loves destruction even more than his allies, to the point of obsession.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4 ... er_toy.jpg[/img]

SCAVENGER (Excavator/Devastator's Right Arm)- PL 10 (151):
-Scavenger is said to have a need for the approval of others. This leads him to constant digging up of various things in hope of finding something useful. He is largely-inconsequential, save for being the guy to deliver the fatal shots to Prowl in Transformers: The Movie- a curious case of "just some guy" killing an established, semi-important character. His toy has a similar "treads legs" issue to Bonecrusher.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... er_toy.JPG[/img]

MIXMASTER (Cement Mixer/Devastator's Left Leg)- PL 10 (175):
Transform (Components Within Drum to Mix of Components) 8 [24]
-Sort of a high-tech alchemist who specializes in mixing stuff together within his drum. He's a bit nutty, often repeating himself and acting crazy.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... 3-hook.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4e/DW_G1Hook.jpg[/img]

HOOK (Crane Truck- Nissan Diesel Unic Truck Crane/Devastator's Upper Torso)- PL 10 (154):
"Crane" Extra Limb 1, Power-Lifting 2 [3]
An elitist Art Snob, he sees other Decepticons as "peasants" who are beneath him.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7 ... ul_toy.jpg[/img]

LONG HAUL (Dump Truck- Hitachi DH321 Mining Dump Truck/Devastator's Lower Torso)- PL 10 (151):
-Feels he does too much work and gets too little glory.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 422892.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... stator.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... or+toy.jpg[/img]

DEVASTATOR
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Constructicons
PL 15 (177)- Summon Rank 12
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Equipment 12 (Solar Energy Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

"Finger Lasers" Blast 10 [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Power Loss (Sucks At Monster Fights)- Devastator is a high-tier, impossible threat to normal-sized Autobots. But, like a classic bully, he cannot hold up to someone his own size. Any other Combiner, or a City/Base Transformer (such as Omega Supreme) will make mincemeat out of him- consider his accuracy and defenses vastly-lowered against such threats. He is also easily-intimidated by anyone larger than himself.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area (both Optimus & Perceptor have done this), or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 48 + 55 / Defenses: 28 (177)

-Devastator was given easily the biggest push of any individual character in the early years of the Transformers cartoon- while the Dinobots got a ton of focus (and many multi-parters), and Optimus & Megatron were the leaders and thus in high demand, DEVASTATOR was treated as the be-all, end-all fighter of fighters. The dude could wade through entire Autobot squads like they were NOTHING, and was clearly more-powerful than even the Dinobots were. Only special circumstances were allowed to defeat Devastator- a shot in the right area, the ground crumbling beneath him, etc. He was also rather stupid, which became a trend for "Gestalt" characters (as they eventually called by the fandom)- the multiple personalities within them made them rather thick-headed and prone to poor decision-making. This was probably a way to make it so that they didn't overly-dominate the festivities, or try to take command from the weaker Megatron- they were TOO DUMB to take charge.
-Later, however, Devastator would suffer from the severe case of Power Creep affecting the series. With NEW Combiner Squads out there to sell, the TV show & comic began producing numerous rivals to his throne... and BOY did he get the short end of that stick. Soon, even the DECEPTICON Gestalts were basically whupping his ass to establish their own superiority- he was "putting over" everyone else, in wrestling terms, so that we would know that the NEW GUYS were superior troopers, and that we should TOTALLY buy all those new toys, rather than keep our lame, old Devastators.
-This even leads to a bit of an odd scene in the movie, as Devastator is treated like an overwhelming engine of destruction that wipes the floor with the Dinobots and helps demolish Autobot City while shrugging off major artillery fire from the Autobots trapped within their defensive positions. By this point in the show, we'd seen a handful of OTHER Combiners, plus Omega Supreme, many of whom were easily in Devastator's class (or above it). Some fan explanations basically explain that the OTHER Combiners were on other worlds, fighting separate battles, but the REAL reason is that the Movie and earlier season of the TV show were created somewhat-independently, and so these other Combiners (who should have been twenty years old by this point) just didn't EXIST yet, as far as the Movie's writers & animators were concerned.
-His toy is among the cooler-looking of the line, and avoids the "color clashing" that victimizes most Combiners- as all the Constructicons look basically the same (different variations of neon green & purple), Devastator looks like he's one solid Giant Robot. It also helps that they choose good Vehicle Modes for each limb- one foot is the Cement Mixer, allowing the mixer portion to be prominent. The other has a big scoop for a foot, making him look different. One of the arms is also the Crane, allowing that to stretch out a bit. And the big, solid figures are the torso. Devastator simply LOOKS impressive, and is detailed without being an eyesore mish-mash.
-Devastator also showcases the ludicrous issues with Scale in Combining figures. He should really only be between two and three times the height of a regular Transformer- his legs make up half his height, and are effectively just vehicles turned on their noses. However, the show sometimes showcases him at FREAKISH heights- in no way should he be able to grasp Optimus Prime's entire body with one fist. He's more than twice the height of most of the Dinobots, and in some of the comics is often drawn at virtually KAIJU-ESQUE sizes, taller than some multi-story buildings. His durability and strength are often out of phase with his components, as well- a giant Gestalt really shouldn't be more durable than any particular link in his chain- why, for example, would Devastator's chest be able to shrug off a laser blast that Hook could not? Why do attacks on his legs do nothing, when Grimlock could most-certainly injure Mixmaster with a solid bite? WHO KNOWS YOU ARE OVER-THINKING IT.
-Devastator stats up as a true menace- PL 15, keyed towards tremendous power (without suffering much accuracy-wise- he's easily able to strike many characters). +18 Damage & Toughness makes him better by far than Optimus Prime, Megatron or even any of the Dinobots, and gives a huge boost to the Decepticons' forces in the early days. Despite his great power, Devastator is only 25 points more expensive than any of his Component Parts- simply being big & strong without having any extra powers or abilities is rather cheap in M&M.

COMBINERS:
-Gestalts generally work as a big Summon, shared among five or six Transformers. The Summon counts as Heroic (it's an active character) and Controlled (it does what the components wish), but has the Flaws that it replaces the individual components, and requires all of them to work properly (missing an "Arm" guy means the Gestalt is missing an arm. Most groups are of five Transformers, but some (like Devastator, the most famous) requires six. As a general rule, they are extraordinarily strong (PL 15), but very stupid- to the point where you don't want them just hanging around all the time in that form. Many are "Scramble City" types that can form the arm or leg of ANY Gestalt- they're interchangeable. Nonetheless, they have a "standard" fitting, and some (like the Constructicons), only fit in one configuration. Some Combiners are basically equal to each other, but Scramble City types have a MUCH larger central figure that is of a higher level.

There are five types of "Combiners" in Generation 1:
1) Six-Man Configuration: The Constructicons (the original Combiners, oddly enough) are the only standard-sized one like this- six equal-sized figures that combine into one Gestalt (two form the torso). The Pretender Monsters form Monstructor in the same way (though he is much smaller in size).
2) Scramble City Configuration: Five-Man Configurations, with one larger central figure, and four others to represent the limbs. In these figures, the limbs are interchangeable, and anyone in the line can combine with any torso in the line. The majority of the Combiners are like this- the Stunticons, Combaticons & Terrorcons for the Decepticons, and the Aerialbots, Technobots & Protectobots for the Autobots.
3) Five-Man Configuration: Predaking is the only one- a combination of five equal-sized figures, leaving a short, wide torso. Predaking is noticeably larger than other Gestalts, as the baseline figures are much larger than your standard-issue Constructicon or something like it.
4) Targetmaster Configuration: Piranacon is the only one- he uses the Five-Man Configuration, but may alternate any figure onto any limb, as well as allowing one of the group to be used as a WEAPON.
5) Cassette Configuration: Soundwave and Blaster both have Robot Allies that can do this- pairs of Robots that can form into one, double-sized figure.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ns_001.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ns17sg.jpg[/img]

THE STUNTICONS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Four-Wheeled Vehicles
Role: Combiners, Goon Squad, Elite Minion
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Stunticons
PL 10 (150)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+13)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+4, +7 Size)
Perception 2 (+2)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Laser Gun +11- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 7, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Earth Land-Based Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Vehicle Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses. May still use Equipment)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Form MENASOR!!" Summon 3 (1/5th of a Summon 11) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Obsession (Destruction)- The Stunticons are easily-distracted by the thought of breaking things, to the point where they may disobey (or at least put off) orders if they have a demolition derby to attend, or something like that.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Enemy (The Aerialbots)

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 9 / Defenses: 17 (150)

-The Stunticons were created when Megatron grew jealous of the Car Modes of the Autobots- realizing that their forms allowed the Autobots to hide in tunnels and go places the Decepticons couldn't travel in their OWN Vehicle Modes (and too low to fly properly), he stole five human vehicles and customized them to become Decepticon warriors. He then instilled them with a hatred for Optimus Prime and all the Autobots, and ensured that they were capable of performing epic stunts. Their Car Modes proved handy, as humans at first assumed them to be Autobots- they stole some "superfuel" and then attacked various U.S. military bases. However, they were undone by the new Aerialbots- Autobot FLIERS that could also ransform into a Gestalt form- Superion defeated Menasor, saving the day.
-Afterwards, they became recurring villain in the show, being major factors in a few fights. They even got a great showing, forming Menasor and defeating Bruticus (the combined form of Starscream's loyal Combaticons) with a SINGLE PUNCH. However, after a point their toy has been out for long enough that it's OK to job them out- soon they are handily-defeated by Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus! Their last appearance is The Return of Optimus Prime.
-Stunticons are like Constructicons, minus the Skills, but more Athletics (unusual for Transformers) and better guns- all of their toys came with HUGE guns that went on the backs of their vehicles, making them among the few to use lots of Equipment in fights.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ter+01.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... master.jpg[/img]

THE STUNTICONS:
MOTORMASTER (Black Kenworth K100 Aerodyne Sleeper Truck & Trailer/Menasor's Torso)- PL 11 (165):
ST +1, FIGHTING +1, Toughness +1, Intimidation 8 (+11 Size), Power Attack, Equipment: Big Sword +2 (Inaccurate), Summon Roller 2 (Controlled), AE of Morph: Ramp Form [15]
-Motormaster is in-theory one of the coolest Decepticons of all time- his description implies that he's an all-black OPTIMUS PRIME. Unfortunately, that's not quite how his toy worked out- he was tall, sure, but not nearly Prime's size. His cab makes up his legs, and so he has really long '70s Rocker Boots, and they split awkwardly, creating an odd profile. His personality is that of a booming-voiced, evil tyrant, and he leads the Stunticons through fear. He holds particularly enmity for Optimus Prime, but Prime would whup him bad- in their only battle in the cartoon, the trucks had OH MY GOD THE COOLEST STAND-OFF EVER, because they rammed each other at FULL SPEED in Truck Mode. Optimus was left with a slight headache. Motormaster ended up a crumpled mess, with a ruined cab and a wrecked chassis. That'll learn him to mess with THE BOSS. Motormaster is nonetheless PL 11 (he's larger than his teammates even in the show), and has a big Sword. And can turn into a ramp upon which his "Roller" car can drive.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... +1+toy.jpg[/img]

BREAKDOWN (Lamborghini Countach/Menasor's Right Leg)- PL 10 (150):
-Another Lamborghini in the line, Breakdown is a paranoid maniac, believing that everything (including inanimate objects) is watching him.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ip_toy.jpg[/img]

DRAG STRIP (Tyrrell P34 Six-Wheeler Race Car/Menasor's Right Arm)- PL 10 (150):
-A reckless braggart who loves to win at all costs. His own allies (including Megatron) would gladly slag him, except his lust for victory makes him a "formidable foe" against the Autobots. As a six-wheeled race car, he actually looks pretty unique.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... nd+g+1.jpg[/img]

DEAD END (Porsche 928/Menasor's Left Arm)- PL 10 (150):
-Dead End is a pessimist who constantly obsesses over bad luck and the inevitable end of all things. Despite that, he spends a lot of time narcissistically primping hismelf and looking in the mirror.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... er_toy.jpg[/img]

WILDRIDER (Ferrari 308 GTB Sports Car/Menasor's Right Arm)- PL 10 (151):
All-Out Attack [1]
-A destructive asshole whose wild-riding causes tons of accidents. His teammates sometimes thing he "plays insane" to increase street-cred, but anyone who knows him believes that he's just crazy.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... enasor.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... udioox.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4 ... or_toy.jpg[/img]

MENASOR
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Stunticons
PL 15 (154)- Summon Rank 11
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 12 (Giant Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack, Sword +2- Inaccurate), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Sword +9 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Responsibility (Completely Nuts)- Menasor is comprised of four bots who hate the fifth, and as such is a mess of psychoses, prone to going on destructive rampages.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.
Enemy (The Aerialbots)

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 48 + 35 / Defenses: 28 (154)

-Menasor is just as powerful as Devastator, but suffers from a fatal flaw in his design- the five Stunticons have their minds melded to control him, but as four of them hate their leader (Motormaster, a brutal tyrant of a boss), he is left a chaotic jumble of psychoses. He is less a warrior and more of a natural disaster to unleash on the battlefield and hope it goes your way. Menasor is a bit of a mish-mash of colors- one limb is yellow, another red, and his torso is black- and in the cartoon, sometimes weak animation saw him appear as just Motormaster with some cars attached to his arms (ie. not just a guy with cars for arms, but cars literally placed ON TOP of his arms!). Not as bad as SOME guys end up being, but as his team isn't color-coordinated, he doesn't look as "uniform" as Devastator or Predaking.

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ticons.jpg[/img]

THE COMBATICONS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Earth Military Vehicles
Role: Combiners, Goon Squad, Elite Minion, Traitorous Bastards
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Combaticons
PL 10 (147)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+4, +7 Size)
Perception 2 (+2)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Earth Land-Based Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Vehicle Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses. May still use Equipment)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Form BRUTICUS!!" Summon 3 (1/5th of a Summon 11) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 9 / Defenses: 17 (147)

-The Combaticons are the third Decepticon Combiner, and were created by Starscream, who was then banished by Megatron for his latest failed coup. While exiled, he found and rebuilt several abandoned U.S. military vehicles, and downloaded some "personality components" of Decepticon political prisoners into them. When he found them lacking loyalty, he snarkily informed them that he build them without the necessary components to refuel, and thus they HAD to swear loyalty to him. Forming Bruticus, they handed Devastator his ass and forced Megatron to declare Starscream the new Decepticon leader. However, the Stunticons, watching nearby, figured that Starscream would be a more dangerous leader than Megatron, and so formed Mensaor and one-punched Bruticus into defeat (an odd case of UNDER-selling the new toy). The Combaticons & Starscream were exiled once more.
-Later, they assaulted Cybertron and enacted a plan to DESTROY EARTH as revenge against all Transformers. Only the combined forces of the Autobots & Decepticons stopped them, but Megatron tricked Optimus Prime into thinking Bruticus destroyed- he instead reprogrammed the menace to be loyal only to him. Later, the Aerialbots defeated the now-loyal Bruticus in battle, and after THAT, Defensor DESTROYED HIM, leaving only Swindle alive. He first sold his teammates' spare parts to various evil people, but Megatron forced him to find and rebuild them.
-Combaticons have the weakest baseline of most Combiners, but every one of them has some sort of boost- Brawl is a Tank and thus has a Gun as part of his Powers, and Onslaught is smart AND dangerous.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... laught.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... laught.jpg[/img]

THE COMBATICONS:
ONSLAUGHT (Anti-Aircraft Truck/Bruticus's Torso)- PL 11 (162):
ST 10, FIGHTING 10, Toughness +11, INT 3, PRE 1, Accurate Attack, Power Attack, Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+11), AE of Morph- Ramp [15]
-A "hands off" leader who likes to let others do his dirty work. He instead likes to plan battles, strategies and tactics from afar. He's no coward, though- he'll fight like a dog if things don't work out, to the point where his allies think he might be crazy.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -brawl.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 1guido.jpg[/img]

BRAWL (Leopard 1A3 Main Battle Tank/Bruticus's Left Leg)- PL 10 (170):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack, Blast 11 (Inaccurate) [23]
-A loud, violent, brash fighter who loves to raise a ruckus.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... _modes.jpg[/img]

SWINDLE (Jeep- FMC XR311 Combat Support Vehicle/Bruticus's Right Leg)- PL 10 (155):
PRE 3, Deception 8 (+11) [8]
An opportunistic scam artist, Swindle hustles above all other things.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... off_1_.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... st-off.jpg[/img]

BLAST OFF (NASA International Space Shuttle/Bruticus's Right Arm)- PL 10 (149):
Movement 1- Space Travel 1 [2]
-Blast Off showcases some of the series's bizarre Scale issues- despite being a freaking SPACE SHUTTLE, he is equal in size to Vortex's Helicopter mode. He's also an arrogant ass, prone to happily floating above the battlefield in Space Shuttle Mode, blasting away at enemies from afar.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... vortex.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... vortex.jpg[/img]

VORTEX (Helicopter- Kaman Aerospace SH-2 Seasprite/Bruticus's Left Arm)- PL 10 (148):
Equipment- "Glue Gun" Snare 10 [1]
-A vicious torturer who likes dragging victims along on a horrendous "ride" to get information out of them.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 1guido.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... uticus.jpg[/img]

BRUTICUS
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Combaticons
PL 15 (152)- Summon Rank 11
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 12 (Solar Energy Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 48 + 55 / Defenses: 28 (152)

-Bruticus is notably-stupid, even compared to other Gestalts. Despite that, Megatron wishes that he had an ARMY of Bruticuses, while Optimus Prime is thankful that he does not. He seems to lose more than the other Gestalts, however- once being one-punched by Menasor, and is later destroyed in battle by Defensor (an Autobot Gestalt).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... lbots2.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... _group.jpg[/img]

THE AERIALBOTS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Earth Planes & Jets
Role: Combiners, Argumentative Heroes
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Aerialbots
PL 10 (146)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+2, +5 Size)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+1)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Evasion, Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Earth Flying Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Vehicles may grow larger, but retain same stats. Lower Defenses, but increase Flight Speed to 8-9)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Form SUPERION!!" Summon 2 (1/5th of a Summon 12) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Enemy (The Stunticons)

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 9 / Defenses: 17 (146)

-When Megatron created the Stunticons- a band of evil Road-based Decepticons to join his army of fliers, Optimus Prime counteracted him with the Aerialbots- a band of flying, PLANE-based Autobots! At this point in the franchise, Autobots were generally seen as land-bound (save the Dinobots, and some early episodes where a bunch flew), and so the Aerialbots were major stand-outs. Unfortunately, they turned out to be a pretty big band of jerks, and had a tendency to run off and do their own thing. That said, the show got a LOT of play out of them at first, playing up their various personalities (their leader Silverbolt was cautious and afraid of flying; Air Raid was an unsympathetic douche), and they got to save the day on numerous occasions- at one point, they even go into the past and rescue Orion Pax, who is soon rebuilt into Optimus Prime. And they were also the very first Autobot COMBINERS, meaning the team now had the perfect counter for the Decepticon giants like Devastator!
-The Aerialbots are among the few Autobots not to have a Complication regarding their flying (they can all fly in Vehicle Mode, at least), but lack the Teamwork capabilities of most of their allies.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/e ... lt_toy.jpg[/img]

THE AERIALBOTS:
SILVERBOLT (Concorde Supersonic Transport/Superion's Torso)- PL 11 (165):
ST 10, FIGHTING 10, Toughness +11, INT 2, PRE 2, Accurate Attack, Power Attack, Set-Up, Teamwork Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+8), AE of Morph- Ramp, Will +2 [19]
-It sounds like a joke at first- that Silverbolt, an AIRPLANE, would have agoraphobia- the fear of heights. But this central aspect to his character actually created a good deal of mileage for the guy, and actually made him seem MORE courageous for surpassing such a crippling phobia for a flying character. Optimus Prime also showed great wisdom in making him the LEADER of the Aerialbots- if he had to worry about the OTHER guys, he wouldn't have time to worry about his fear! It also helped that Silverbolt was the only member of his team not to be a giant douchebot. His toy looks cool in Vehicle Mode, but suffers badly from some design issues, such as hand pegholes of a different size than all but a handful of other Transformers (limiting his weapon usage), and a very, VERY fragile join-point for his legs.
-His Vehicle Mode deserves some mention. The Concorde was once a very, VERY famous, iconic jet, and a huge symbol of luxury. The world's first (and most-important) SUPERSONIC jetliner, it was a passenger jet that could hit over Mach-2. The Concorde (always called "The Concorde", but it was a number of jets) was in operation for over thirty years, ending only in the post-9/11 downturn in the aviation economy. Silverbolt's the only Concorde in the line that isn't a tiny Micromaster- also notable is the fact that he is a very, VERY tiny Concorde, as the real thing is two-hundred and two feet long, which would dwarf not only the rest of the Autobots even in Robot Mode, but totally would not look right when combined with the other Fighter Jets. He also has one of the few names that got copied for Beast Wars.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... id_toy.jpg[/img]

AIR RAID (McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle/Superion's Left Leg)- PL 10 (146):
-Air Raid is a thrill-seeker with a dangerous lack of grace, patience and tact. His only goal in life is to have fun. He's usually seen in the cartoon threatening to go off half-cocked, forcing Silverbolt to maintain control of his team- naturally, he rips on his boss for being a "coward".

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... ht_toy.JPG[/img]

FIREFLIGHT (McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II/Superion's Right Arm)- PL 10 (146):
-A dreamer with a child-like sense of wonder and a tendency to get lost in his own thoughts. His teammates admire his personality... but his tendency to not stay in the real world often leads him into dangerous situations.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7 ... ve_Toy.JPG[/img]

SKYDIVE (F-16 Falcon Fighter Jet/Superion's Right Leg)- PL 10 (158):
INT 3, Aerobatics 6 (+15), Expertise (History) 4 (+7), Improved Defenses, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge [12]
-Skydive would rather READ about an aerial battle than actually take part in one. He's a bookworm with a fascination for history, but can also duplicate the flight patterns of anything he sees, making him the most-skilled Autobot Flier in existence. There seems to be little real evidence of this in the SHOW, however, where he's just kind of another guy.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0 ... ot_toy.jpg[/img]

SLINGSHOT (Sea Harrier Jumpjet/Superion's Left Arm)- PL 10 (141):
ST 8, PRE -1, Toughness +9 [-5]
-Considered a loud-mouthed, bragging jerk whose constant self-aggrandizing is a cover for his own insecurities, since he's the smallest and weakest Aerialbot.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d ... on_toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d ... perion.jpg[/img]

SUPERION
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Aerialbots
PL 15 (156)- Summon Rank 11
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 12 (Solar Energy Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.
Enemy (Menasor)
Obsession (Destroying the Decepticons)- Superion only allows himself to focus on killing the enemy.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 48 + 35 / Defenses: 28 (156)

-Superion would normally have all of the mental problems suffered by other Gestalts, but he combats this by "turning off" all othe other personalities in his head, and focuses entirely on destroying the Decepticons. This leaves him rather unemotional and aloof, and cannot engage on a social level with anyone. He's just as powerful as any other Combiner, however, and even MORE skilled- he often defeats his frequent nemesis, Menasor. He as a BITCHING name, though- "Superion" seems a bit more fit for a super-villain than a good guy, but it's another submission to the "Rad Transformers Names" list.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... y_jp_v.jpg[/img]

THE TECHNOBOTS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Futuristic Vehicles
Role: Combiners, Argumentative Heroes
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Technobots
PL 10 (149)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+2, +5 Size)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+1)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 8, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Weaker Defenses, Faster Land Speed)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Form COMPUTRON!!" Summon 3 (1/5th of a Summon 12) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Enemy (The Terrorcons)

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 9 / Defenses: 19 (149)

-The Technobots are one of the lesser-known Autobot Combiner forces- in the cartoon, they were created by Grimlock, who had been turned super-intelligent after absorbing energies within the power core of Cybertron itself. He transferred his superior intellect into the Technobots to give them life- a sacrifice that rendered him as bone-headed as before, but allowed them to defeat the Decepticon Terrorcons and their combined form, Abominus. The Terrorcons and Technobots were classic "opposite numbers" (ancient-looking monsters versus futuristic Cybertronian-style vehicles), being paired against each other in a handful of successive battles. Alas, they were released a little too late in the line to feature much, and they aren't that famous.
-In the cartoon, they were very "white & red" in terms of color scheme, but they're all different colors in the toys. Like a lot of later-series Combiners, they have a lot of mistakes in their Animation Models when viewed from the rear- it seems clear that the animators did not have any toys around to use as reference.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ershot.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... ot_toy.JPG[/img]

THE TECHNOBOTS:
SCATTERSHOT (Cybertronian Space Cruiser/Computron's Torso)- PL 11 (161):
ST 10, FIGHTING 10, Toughness +11, HUGE GUN- Blast 12 (Inaccurate), AE of Morph- Launchbase Thingie, All-Out Attack, Fearless, Power Attack, Will +2 [12]
-The Technobots's leader, he is aggressive and fearless in the way he wades into combat.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... fe_toy.jpg[/img]

STRAFE (Cybertronian Rocket Plane/Computron's Left Arm)- PL 10 (154):
All-Out Attack, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lasers) 2, Extended Range on Guns 4 [5]
-A nice guy who is nonetheless an AMAZING shot. It's just too bad that he goes FREAKING CRAZY thanks to being a bundle of nerves- he'll freak out and shoot until the target is dead.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... rcycle.jpg[/img]

AFTERBURNER (Cybertronian Motorcycle/Computron's Right Arm)- PL 10 (151):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack [2]
-A nasty rebel who hates authority, following orders, and being anything but angry. Even minor remarks from allies can send him into a furious rage- he's basically a Badass '90s Hero. And yes, he's a MOTORCYCLE- a pretty large one, given that he's equal in size to his allies. Actually pretty cool-looking, too- he's got a lot of extra bits on him, and looks much better than his allies.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... ne_toy.jpg[/img]

NOSECONE (Cybertronian Drill-Tank/Computron's Left Leg)- PL 10 (149):
-A "Slow & Steady" type often mistaken for lazy. He is a precise perfectionist, thorough and capable.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... Techno.jpg[/img]

LIGHTSPEED (Cybertronian Car/Computron's Right Leg)- PL 10 (153):
INT 3, Expertise (Astronomy) 4 (+7) [4]
-Intelligent, strong and fast, but years for "Something More" like the Autobot version of a Disney Princess. In his case, he wishes to soar the starways and explore "the vast mysteries of space". Unfortunately, he knows he's needed in the war. He's apparently allergic to Energon, and needs a special solvent to use it.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... imlock.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... putron.jpg[/img]

COMPUTRON
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Technobots
PL 15 (167)- Summon Rank 12
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Intimidation 9 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 1 (+1)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 12 (Solar Energy Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.
Enemy (Abominus)
Responsibility (Slow & Steady)- Computron lacks the personality flaws of many Gestalts, but he must slowly come to an agreement between the various personalities in order to figure out any problem, which often leaves him falling behind on the way to the battle.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 48 + 35 / Defenses: 24 (167)

-Computron was Yet Another Gestalt, and looks a bit odd- he's sort of a beige & brown guy with odd red & orange limbs. Computron is the smartest of the Gestalts, owing to Grimlock's sacrifice of his newfound brain-power. In the non-toon aspects, it's because the five personalities meld well, though his penchant for careful consideration often makes him late to the battle.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... _image.jpg[/img]

THE PROTECTOBOTS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Rescue Vehicles
Role: Combiners, Rescuers
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Protectobots
PL 10 (147)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+2, +5 Size)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+1)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Laser Gun +11- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Vehicles) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Weaker Defenses, Faster Land Speed)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Form DEFENSOR!!" Summon 3 (1/5th of a Summon 13) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 54 + 18 + 9 / Defenses: 17 (147)

-The Protectobots were another late-coming set of Combiners, and suffered the same "forgotten" fate as the Technobots did. They were a band of aliens who were dying, and when Omega Supreme saved them, he turned them into Combiners! However, the cartoon did not feature this- a lack of production time meant that they simply APPEARED one day. They were even voiced by the long-standing Transformers cast, not newcomers like the other Combiners.
-Protectobots are largely-similar to standard-issue Autobots, but are packing some VERY big guns, much like the Stunticons do. Three of their toys look pretty bad (very, very plain, with weak transformations), but Hot Spot & Blades look good.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... potToy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/8/8 ... otSpot.jpg[/img]

THE PROTECTOBOTS:
HOT SPOT (Mitsubishi Fuso Great Fire Engine/Defensor's Torso)- PL 11 (158):
ST 10, FIGHTING 10, Toughness +11, AE of Morph- Ramp, All-Out Attack, Fearless, Power Attack, Will +2 [11]
-A great warrior with great instincts. I love his Fire Engine look, though- better than Inferno's. His very recent release (a Combiner Wars dealie) is even BETTER.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d ... rstAid.jpg[/img]

FIRST AID (Ambulance- Datsun Vanette C120/Defensor's Left Arm)- PL 10 (158):
INT 4, Technology 8 (+12), Treatment 8 (+12) [11]
-An empathic and compassionate Autobot who cares deeply about all living beings... and even inanimate objects!

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... sg1toy.jpg[/img]

BLADES (Helicopter- Bell UH-1V Iroquois/Defensor's Right Arm)- PL 10 (150):
All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Close Attack 1 [3]
-A down & dirty street-brawler, and proud of it. He dislikes that his Vehicle Mode keeps him as a ranged fighter instead of up-close.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... etwise.jpg[/img]

STREETWISE (Police Car- Nissan 300ZX Turbo/Defensor's Left Leg)- PL 10 (148):
Close Attack 1 [1]
-Streetwise is... well, streetwise. And a bad-ass fighter.

[xxx]http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Groove/vehiclemode.jpg[/img]

GROOVE (Motorcycle/Defensor's Right Leg)- PL 10 (149):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack [2]
-A free spirit who likes to travel on the open road. Also a bit of a loner. And he also has one of the most HORRIBLE full-size Transformers toys ever released- his Robot Mode features nothing that can pass for legs (his seat splits apart to make "feet"). Afterburner is a much better "Motorcycle" Transformer.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ensor1.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... fensor.jpg[/img]

DEFENSOR
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Aerialbots
PL 15 (185)- Summon Rank 13
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 12 (Solar Energy Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Force Field 4 (Extras: Affects Others 18, Area- 60ft. Burst +2 on 18 Ranks) (Flaws: Fades, Immobile -2) [25]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.
Motivation (Saving Humanity)- Defensor considers humans "his kind".

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 48 + 60 / Defenses: 30 (185)

-Defensor is Yet Another Gestalt, but has a Force Field that slowly diminishes itself. This makes it almost entirely-worthless in the cartoon. His personality is a bit kinder than most aloof/stupid Gestalts, in that he loves and guards humanity, oblivious to the fact that he's really quite scary to most people.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... cons1a.jpg[/img]

THE TERRORCONS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Monsters
Role: Combiners, Goon Squad, Elite Minion, Vicious Assault Squad
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Terrorcons
PL 10 (144)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+1)
Intimidation 7 (+6, +9 Size)
Perception 3 (+2)
Technology 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 6 (Blasters +9- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Bite), Ranged Attack 2, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot Modes) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Robot Mode Notes: Loses Bite, but gains Ranged Attack +2)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
"Animal Bite" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 6) [8]
Senses 2 (Extended & Acute Scent) [2]

"Form ABOMINUS!!" Summon 3 (1/5th of a Summon 11) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Bite +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 54 + 27 + 9 / Defenses: 18 (144)

-The Terrorcons are a bit of a "last gasp" of the Combiners, and sort of showcase the fading idea-making of the creators. A team of MONSTER-themed Combiners seems like a wicked idea, but the characters are just bizarre, one-note doofuses with inane Beast Modes. Their forms are clumsy, awkward and don't even LOOK like anything in particular! Keep in mind that "Monsters" could have been almost anything- giant Dragons, Minotaurs, Multi-Armed Beasts, etc.- and we were left with "square-shaped maybe-Wolf-thing" and "skinny Rodan". Like some of the other late Combiners, they sort of just "appeared" one day, and mostly fought the futuristic Technobots (they contrasted, you see- Ancient Monsters versus High-Tech Cybertronian Stuff). In one episode, they were inexplicably doing the bidding of the Quintessons, as well. Even the comic used them sparingly, as they showed up, jobbed to the Technobots, then got wiped out by Starscream along with dozens of other side-characters that weren't being used anymore.
-Terrorcons are a modification of the "Combiner Type"- they're better scrappers with powerful Bites, but are crazy-stupid and uncharismatic. Like most Beast Mode-type guys, their Robot Mode is the cheaper, less-interesting option.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rr_001.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -gurrr.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... rr_toy.jpg[/img]

THE TERRORCONS:
HUN-GURRR (Two-Headed Dragon/Abominus's Torso)- PL 11 (153):
ST 10, FIGHTING 10, Toughness +11, Power Attack, Second Chance (Perception Checks), Perception +4, AE of Morph- Ramp [9]
-A great tactical mind that is COMPLETELY wasted on a psychopathic, gluttonous bastard who only lives for his next meal. His orders are often barely understood beneath the sound of his smacks and grunts while he chows down on whatever he can get his two mouths around. His "Base Mode" is notable for not really looking like anything- he just kinda links up to Citybots and that's it.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 8-0001.jpg[/img]

RIPPERSNAPPER (Bipedal Shark/Abominus's Left Arm)- PL 10 (144):
-Possessing one of the strangest, and weakest, Alternate Forms in the series- a SHARK with arms and legs. This looks about as silly as it sounds- awkward and goofy. Rippersnapper lashes out due to a MASSIVE inferiority complex- he is in fact seeing his own flaws in others, and attacks those responsible. He hates the way all carbon-based lifeforms smell. May or may not deserve Expertise (Candygram).

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 9-blot.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/ed/G1Blot_toy.jpg[/img]

... Seriously, what the hell is that?

BLOT (Weird Square-Shaped Monster/Abominus's Right Arm)- PL 10 (144):
-Another horribly-weak design, Blot looks REALLY stupid, and not like any particular monster at all! He's basically a big, square-shaped beast with a generic animal head and some tiny limbs. One of the few things both Autobots and Decepticons can agree upon is that Blot is without a doubt the STINKIEST creature in all creation. He's a slow-witted brute who follows anyone who shows him a modicum of respect- Hun-Gurrr realizes this.

[xxx]http://www.tfu.info/1987/Decepticon/Sin ... emode2.jpg[/img]

SINNERTWIN (Two-Headed Dragon/Abominus's Left Leg)- PL 10 (146):
Second Chance (Perception Checks), Perception +4 [2]
-Yes, they really included TWO two-headed dragons on a team of "Generic Monsters". If that don't put a fine point on how weak these guys were, nothing does. Sinnertwin LOVES killing, but is terrified of small creatures. His toy features an easily-broken head, thanks to a poorly-laid out body.

[xxx]http://www.tfu.info/1987/Decepticon/Cut ... lemode.jpg[/img]

CUTTHROAT (Armless Rodan Monster/Abominus's Right Leg)- PL 10 (144):
-His bloodthirsty frenzies freak out even other Decepticons. He also wastes fuel- Ratbat must hate him.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... ominus.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... us_toy.jpg[/img]

ABOMINUS
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Terrorcons
PL 15 (152)- Summon Rank 11
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 12 (Solar Energy Rifle- Blast 16- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 48 + 55 / Defenses: 28 (152)

-Abominus (there's ANOTHER really cool name) is not a warrior- he's an animal. He's too monstrous to even give proper orders- his leaders simply point him in the direction of the thing they want broken. His toy is a bit odd-looking- it doesn't clash so badly color-wise, but he has VERY thin, long legs, and disproportionatly-short arms. He's at least one of the most poseable Gestalts, thanks to Hun-Gurrr's articulate body. Abominus is powerful, but Superion defeats him by VIBRATING, thus breaking the beast into his component parts.

Reading more of John Byrne's FF run, and there's some more interesting stuff:

* Nova is actually falling in LOVE with Galactus! She loves his aloof nature and primal power, while confessing feminists would have a fit over her saying that. Oh, and she callously leads Galactus to the SKRULL THRONEWORLD. As the Skrulls had hidden their energies from Galactus for centuries, Nova simply LOOKED IT UP SPECIFICALLY, and led Galactus right to it! And it's one of those scenes that reminds you of the power of both characters- Nova wades through an entire Skrull Armada with ease, while Galactus annihilates the Throneworld and seven BILLION living being an instant. Suck it, Frank Castle- Frankie Raye just did your best, a million times over. That's a LOT of dead evil people.

* Curiosuly, while Byrne has written one of the few stories where Galactus straight-up gets his ass kicked by mortal superheroes, he's ALSO responsible for some of the grandest, most-fearful "showings" of the character. EVERYONE talks about how mighty he is. When he shows up at the Trial of Reed Richards, everyone present, from Gladiator to Lilandra to the FF, basically loses their shit- most of the audience descends into blind panic. One man, a survivor from a Galactus-eaten world, puts his Revenge Plan into action... only to chicken out at the last second, because he's so afraid of the guy.

* Speaking of the Trial... it's a bit weird. Okay, so Galactus is at his lowest ebb of power, and Reed votes to save his life- he can't allow ANYONE to die if he can avoid it (fast-forward to Hickman's Infinity stuff...). Galactus thus survives, vows to spare the Earth once more, and declares Reed Richards his FRIEND. And now Reed's put on trial by Majestrix Lilandra for the deaths of seven billion Skrulls. The Watcher interferes his ass off (saying he's been given full allowance for this, as "it's too important" not to), finds ODIN as a witness, and Odin defends Reed with the knowledge that Galactus IS of universal importance- he's there to "test" worlds, and those that survive him gain glory and the honor of surviving until the end of our universe. It's a bit weird to see alien beings know who Odin is, given that their own Gods rarely show up. Also, Sue JUST NOW puts two and two together and is all "Oh, that means the Norse Gods MUST exist!", never having really thought of it, despite having known of Thor for years.

* Also, JOHN BYRNE HIMSELF shows up at the Trial, because he writes the in-universe FF comic, and is told to base it off of the REAL FF's adventures. And the Watcher brings him along as "chronicler" (this is Assistant Editor's Month, known for these kinds of kooky antics, by the by). And at the very end, the Watcher, Galactus and ETERNITY show up to basically show everyone what Galactus's true purpose is, and everyone lets Reed off without a hitch. Marvel got a few letters over this one, as the moral of the story is basically "sure billions died, but it's for the greater good", which is a BIT odd.

* Sue is pregnant again, and Ben & Johnny declare her barred from missions. "Tough" she says, and overrules them both.

* There's a big multi-issue arc dealing with journeys into the Negative Zone, and the strange worlds within. Quite interesting stuff, though I've never heard it referenced since- it comes off more or less as a series of one-offs, the way old Sci-Fi shows & novels (or I guess some new ones) would be like. You get to see some strange culture, then discover some secrets about it, and it's all wrapped up at the end. In one, a Sentient City is treated with its former denizens like a God, but the FF screw up and get it killed. In another, a race that's been searching for a home for millennia discover a horrible truth about themselves. It's kind of a reminder of the old "We're EXPLORERS!" aspect of the FF that gets dropped here and there.

* We see the debut of Kristoff Vernard, who at this point looks all of five years old. I'm guessing I missed an age-jump at some point. There's also a full issue seen from Doom's perspective, and it's a great look- he's equal parts brilliant (realizing his Head Scientist wishes to kill him, he has the man "test" his latest invention that was meant for Doom himself- he dies in agony), loving towards his people, protective of them, and wise. You see his caring side, especially towards Kristoff, the orphaned boy he took in after his mother was killed trying to aid Doom. And then Kristoff lets slip that "it's said Magneto's power rivals even yours" and Doom snaps and nearly strangles him. PERFECT touch- Doom is many great things, but also a gigantic psychopath, and you should never forget that.

* That issue also features an infamous bit and a "Take That" from Byrne to Chris Claremont. See, in an X-Men story, Dr. Doom & Arcade had teamed up against Storm of the X-Men. During the tale, the arrogant Arcade lit a match against Doom's armor as a kind of gag, and Doom just sat there. Byrne, FURIOUS over this, wrote a story into HIS comic where Doom discovered his Doombot (of COURSE it was a Doombot) with the damaged part of the armor, and asked him where it came from. When he heard that Arcade had lit a match on "him", Doom demanded "and how did you kill him for such a transgression". The Doombot only replied that he did NOT kill Arcade, as he thought Doom might have need of him later. So Doom blew up the robot, pointing out that NONE may touch Doom. Jim Shooter called out this specific incident in one interview as to the kind of childish bickering that went on at the Marvel offices, and why you need an Editor-In-Chief- otherwise, creators start picking fights with each other in the comics themselves.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... eacons.jpg[/img]

THE SEACONS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Aquatic Monsters
Role: Combiners, Goon Squad, Undersea Squad
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Seacons
PL 10 (151)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+6, +9 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 6 (+9, +3 Size)
Technology 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 6 (Blasters +9- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot Modes) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "Gun Mode" Morph 1 (Gun) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
** (Robot Mode Notes: Loses Bite, but gains Ranged Attack +2)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Senses 2 (Extended & Acute Scent) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 6 [6]

"Form PIRANACON!!" Summon 2 (1/6th of a Summon 12) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Robot Mode Blaster +10 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 55 + 27 + 6 / Defenses: 16 (151)

-The Seacons: What would happen if some toys were designed by a ten year old boy... and then colored by his ten year old sister.
-Among the weirder-looking groups of Transformers are the Seacons. And y'know what? I think they're AWESOME. They're goofy as hell, and colored like a bomb exploded the entire 1980s all over them, but that's what's so MAGNIFICENT about them! I mean, my God, their Team Color Scheme is purple, pink, LIGHTER PINK, and light blue! It's like if Lisa Frickin' Frank did the paintjob... but they're still giant ROBOTIC LOBSTERS, OCTOPI AND BIPEDAL SHARKS!
-The Seacons were a very, very, VERY late release, to the point where the cartoon missed them entirely. Similarly, the comics only feature them for a tiny bit before Starscream killed them in that "Kill all the characters we're not using" issue. Unique among Combiners, they are SIX in number, like the Constructicons, but they do not combine together as one creature. Instead, they link up like any other Scramble City Combiner, but with a sixth guy (any one other than Snaptrap, who is always the torso) acting as a GUN. This actually makes Piranacon a TARGETMASTER, of sorts! I think that if *I* were Transformers writer, I'm afraid that it would read as The Seacons: Guest-Starring Megatron and Some Other Guys.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... ap_toy.jpg[/img]

THE SEACONS:
SNAPTRAP (Tortoise/Piranacon's Torso)- PL 11 (157):
ST 10, FIGHTING 11, Toughness +11, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Sword +2 (Inaccurate), Lacks Gun Mode [6]
-Snaptrap, the LEADER of the Seacons, is best-described as a deranged, unstoppable, brain-eating killing machine. Can you see why I love these guys? Oddly, he's also a TORTOISE, which is a bizarre animal choice for a team themed around aquatic monsters (he's not a Sea Turtle, either... but given that his teammates include a Shark and a Coelocanth with legs, maybe he's a Sea Turtle... with Arms & Legs).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4 ... lg1toy.jpg[/img]

TENTAKIL (Squid/Piranacon's Left Leg)- PL 10 (162):
Deception +6, Improved Grab, Ambidextrous, Extra Limbs 6 [11]
-One of the best-looking Seacons, Tentakil is a superficially-nice guy for a Decepticon. He is complimentary, graceful and honorable. And then he'll murder you. I love how his Squid Form has a giant angry face on the front.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/6/6 ... gg1toy.jpg[/img]

SEAWING (Manta Ray/Piranacon's Left Arm)- PL 10 (158):
INT 1, Stealth +8, Darkvision [7]
-Seawing is pretty rad- a blue, black & gray Manta Ray who is said to glide down silently behind friend and foe alike and screw with people. He openly-desires command, to the point where I guess he's the "Starscream" of the Seacons. He's also said to hate bright lights. His Animal Mode looks bad-ass, but his Robot Mode features ridiculously-tiny feet.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/7/7 ... eg1toy.jpg[/img]

OVERBITE (Bipedal Shark Monster/Piranacon's Weapon or Right Arm)- PL 10 (162):
Bite +2 (Penetrating 6, Inaccurate), Stealth +8 (+11) [11]
-One of the more-bizarre aspects of the entire Transformers franchise may be the fact that they felt the need to include TWO Bipedal Sharks in the line. Seriously, Rippersnipper AND Overbite? Did the world really require a BIPEDAL SHARK to be one of only a handful of Alt-Modes that were duplicated in the franchise? Overbite's personality is pretty generic- a "relentless hunting machine". Though he apparently makes a hobby of sinking oil tankers and picking off the human survivors.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d ... rg1toy.jpg[/img]

SKALOR (Bipedal Coelocanth/Piranacon's Right Leg)- PL 10 (151):
-A pretty unique idea- Skalor is a COELOCANTH, which surely is pretty low on the list of many people's favorite animals, despite its fame to Paleontologists, Zoologists & Cryptozoologists. He also suffers from the Cybertronian equivalent of a glandular problem, which causes him to absolutely REEK. Apparently his only character trait is that he doesn't care about his teammates's pleas to get it looked at- "not my problem". he's also hilariously bright pink.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... rg1toy.jpg[/img]

NAUTILATOR (Lobster/Piranacon's Right Leg)- PL 10 (158):
FIGHTING -1, INT -1, AWA -1, Pincers +2 (Split, Penetrating 4), Extra Limbs 6 [7]
-A classic bungler, so incompetent that all his allies hate him. His only positive quality is a tendency to accidentally bring up treasure once he's been rescued- the Seacons often force him to be the "Gun" of Piranacon, so that they don't have to merge with him mentally (it's said that this even improves Piranacon's performance)! Curiously, he was not included in the "Piranacon" giftset, and many images disclude him as well!

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... on__1_.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... anacon.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... anacon.jpg[/img]

PIRANACON
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Seacons
PL 15 (180)- Summon Rank 12
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

"Targetmaster- One Forms The Gun" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [41]
"Skalor- Corrosive Slime-Shooter" Blast 12 Linked to Weaken Toughness 14 (Extras: Affects Objects, Ranged) (66) -- (68 points)
AE: "Tentakil- 50,000 Volt Lightning Rifle/Seawing- Dual Proton Blaster/Whatever Overbite's Is" Blast 16 (Feats: Variable) (Extras: Multiattack) (49)
AE: "Nautilator- Heat-Seeking Torpedo Cannon" Blast 15 (Feats: Ricochet 3, Extended Range 2) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (50)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Torpedo Cannon +15 Area (+15 Ranged Damage, DC 30)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.
Obsession (Hunting & Killing)- Piranacon will not stop attacking until he is either dead or out of energy. This is so extreme that Snaptrap has had to install a timer to prevent Piranacon from staying formed for too long.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 48 + 76 / Defenses: 27 (180)

-Piranacon is the sum total of the six Seacons- notable on the surface because like Devastator and Predaking, he has a color scheme. But unlike them, his is the most feminine, '80s-style color scheme imaginable, which is why he is SO RAD. In part because he's also among the most-implacable Decepticons- a ravenous killer who will never stop until he physically cannot move any longer. Naturally, Megatron is a big fan of his soldier.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/ed/Snarlertoy.jpg[/img]

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/1/1 ... shells.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... tmodes.jpg[/img]

PRETENDER MONSTERS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Monsters
Role: Combiners, Goon Squad, Tiny Toys
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Pretenders
PL 9 (146)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 5 (+7, +5 Size)
Technology 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Monsters) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Protection 5 [5]

"Form MONSTRUCTOR!!" Summon 2 (1/6th of a Summon 12) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [6]

"Pretender Shell" (Flaws: Removable) [15]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 5) (7) & Regeneration 5 (5) & Morph 1 (Alternate Form) (5) (17) -- (18 points)
AE: "Controls The Shell" Summon Minion 5 (Feats: Mental Link) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Feedback) (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7 (+9 Shell), Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 54 + 10 + 6 +15 / Defenses: 11 (146)

-Smallest of the Pretenders, the "Pretender Monsters" were tiny, TINY figures (standing barely taller than a Micromaster) that sat inside a slightly-larger shell with zero articulation. Curiously, their fictional appearances (which are few- they were a very late addition, and even Simon Furman wasn't stuck using them) all depict them as normal-sized Transformers. Most of them are so tiny that it's difficult to tell just what their alternate versions ARE. Their Shells are also very fragile, aging poorly and often growing SPOTS thanks to PVC breakdown.
-The most unique aspect of these otherwise pathetic, cheap toys is the fact that they are COMBINERS, able to form "Monstructor", the tiniest Gestalt in the line. For their "fiction" versions, probably just use the Terrorcons & Abominus as templates instead of these.

PRETENDER MONSTERS:
BIRDBRAIN (Bird-Monster Shell/Alce/Monstructor's Lower Torso)- PL 11 (157):
Extended Vision 2 [2]
-Birdbrain turns into an Alce, a very-obscure male counterpart to a female winged griffin in European Heraldry. Sometimes he attacks the wrong person because his vision can be "spotty", despite being far-reaching.
BRISTLEBACK (Bullette Shell/Quadrupedal Land Shark/Monstructor's Right Arm)- PL 10 (162):
Loses Speed With the Shell [-2]
-Bristleback HATES being a Pretender, but was forced to take the Shell since his steel skin dissolves in Earth's atmosphere. His Shell makes him much slower than the others, and it's only made him meaner with time. His toy is one of the G1 toys MOST-susceptible to "Gold Plastic Syndrome", a condition where the metallic-flecked plastic (which is usually gold, hence the name) is EXTREMELY-fragile, to the point where toys have been known to crumble in people's hands.
WILDFLY (Winged Ghoul Shell/Bird/Monstructor's Left Arm)- PL 10 (158):
-Wildfly is a murderous creature who attacks and destroys at random. He thinks he's a clever jokester and the "life of the party", but even the Decepticons find his sense of humor "base and predictable".
SLOG (Hunchbacked Pointy-Armed Monster Shell/Chunky Headless Thing/Monstructor's Upper Torso)- PL 10 (162):
Expertise (Art) 6, "Magnetism" Move Object 8 (Damaging, Limited to Metals) [19]
-A refined Decepticon, Slog was hired on as a sculptor who made great art that recorded Decepticon greatness. When it was discovered he was a good fighter, he got made into a soldier, and now attempts to turn his fallen foes into works of art. However, he feels ill at ease with the Decepticon cause at times, and his superiors look down on the fact that the Autobots seem to admire his art.
SCOWL (Squat Sharp-Toothed Monster Shell/Odd-Looking Werewolf Thing/Monstructor's Left Leg)- PL 10 (151):
"Sonic Scream" Dazzle Hearing 8 [16]
-Scowl HATES the fact that his super-deformed werewolf-like alternate form is considered "cute" rather than scary. As such, he prefers his more-monstrous Shell. Has supersonic screams.
ICEPICK (Hunchbacked Clawed Monster Shell/Odd-Looking Werewolf Thing/Monstructor's Right Leg)- PL 10 (158):
Expertise (Demolitions) 8 [4]
-Icepick believes that obsolete things should be destroyed. Nonetheless, he is extremely-cheerful, and focused on his job of demolitions.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... ctorg1.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... or_toy.jpg[/img]

MONSTRUCTOR
Role:
Combined Form
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Pretenders
PL 11 (142)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 5 (+7, +5 Size)
Technology 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 6 (Blasters +10- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 48 + 18 / Defenses: 20 (142)

-A "legendary, ancient evil" in the supporting materials, this guy is supposed to be ultra-tough, capable of instilling everything alive with fear, and decaying anything with his touch. Of course, his actual TOY is a combination of several ultra-tiny figures, meaning that his total size is comparable to Rodimus Prime- not Devastator!

OTHER DECEPTICONS
Alternate Mode:
Various
Role: Assorted Gimmicked Toys
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 8 (119)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 5 (+6, +4 Size)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Various Things) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7 (+9 Shell), Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 54 + 14 / Defenses: 15 (119)

-This is a standard Template for the "Other Decepticons"- the various assortment of guys that, like the "Other Autobots", don't really fit anywhere else, and didn't feature much in anything. Essentially, it's a list of the least-interesting characters.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... ap_toy.jpg[/img]

THE DUOCONS:
* The Duocons have the weird gimmick of being villains formed from a combination of TWO Vehicle Modes- you pop one into the other, and this "action" allows an Automatic Transformation to take place. They are among the worst-looking toys in the entire line- big, blocky toys with little articulation, and bottom halves that are standard, untransformed vehicles. Like a mechanical centaur with tires. I stat them up as if they can either Morph OR use both Vehicle Forms, which works like a Summon when in Morphed mode.

BATTLETRAP (Apache AH-64 Helicopter & Blue Ford F-150 Camper Truck)- PL xx (xxx):
Morph Linked to Summon Car 4 (Heroic +2, Controlled) [20]
-Battletrap is the more sane of the two, and loves to play with his targets, as a cat might play with a rodent. The Helicopter pops into the truck, and thus "transforms".
FLYWHEELS (F-14 Phantom II Fighter Jet & Self-Propelled Howitzer)- PL xx (xxx):
Morph Linked to Summon Tank 4 (Heroic +2), Tank Gun Blast 8 [32]
-The two components of Flywheels do not get along- he has a split personality, and both halves of himself are very jealous of each other, and despise one another at the same time. He loses the "Controlled" part of the Summon, but has the Blast inherent to most tank-based Transformers.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/2/2 ... ut_toy.jpg[/img]

BATTLECHARGERS:
* These guys are silly-looking 1986 toys whose gimmick is that they "Autotransform" via the pullback of a motor. They have zero arm articulation. They resemble cars that suddenly sprung up and grew heads. Infamously to the fandom, their personalities resemble Beavis and Butt-head, who of course debuted years later.

RUNABOUT (Lotus Turbo Espirit Sports Car)- PL xx (xxx):
INT -1, AWA -1, PRE -1, Morph has the Extra "Reaction" [-5]
-The slightly-more-articulate of the duo, he usually goes along with Runamuch just to avoid boredom (a condition to which he is very susceptible).
RUNAMUCK (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am)- PL xx (xxx):
INT -1, AWA -1, PRE -1, Leaping 4, Morph has the Extra "Reaction" [-1]
-Runamuck is a totally-insane hooligan, and afraid of heights (despite having Leaping). His obsessions include breaking stuff, graffiti, and laughing to himself.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/1/1 ... t_mode.jpg[/img]

POUNCE & WINGSPAN:
* These two have the gimmick that they are clones that resemble each other in Robot Mode, but have totally-different Alt-Modes. Unlike most of these guys, these two got an appearance in the cartoon- albeit only as background characters for one episode.

POUNCE (White Puma)- PL xx (xxx):
Stealth +8, Intimidation +4, PRE -1 [4]
-He does the dirty work other Decepticons find repugnant- the dirtier the better for him. He's anti-social, vicious and silent.
WINGSPAN (White Eagle)- PL xx (xxx):
Expertise (Counter-Intelligence) 8, Investigation 8, Insight 8 [12]
-Seems weaker than Pounce, but he's an elite counter-intelligence agent.

TRIGGERCONS:
* Like the Autobot "Triggerbots", the Triggercons have "flip up" guns that are part of their anatomy. They're a bit smaller than most.

CRANKCASE (Off-Road Four-Wheel Drive)- PL 8 (139):
ST -1, Toughness -2, PRE -1, Blast 7 [8]
-An unlikable asshole who hates everyone and everything. A former janitor who was bullied frequently, and now he reacts by hating on everyone.
RUCKUS (Baja Buggy)- PL 8 (140):
ST -1, Toughness -2, Blast 7 [15]
-A loudmouth who's always screaming, and wins at all costs.
WINDSWEEPER (B-1B Lancer Bomber)- PL 8 (139):
ST -1, Toughness -2, Blast 7, Expertise (Janitor) 4 [12]
-A janitor who loves his job, to the point where he's got OCD. His toy is the only one of the three that doesn't look stupid.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... artoon.jpg[/img]

FIRECONS:
* These guys had those ever-present 1980s "cold sparks" that shot from their mouths. They can move via a pullback motor, but don't have much movement otherwise.

CINDERSAUR (Bipedal Horn-Nosed Lizard)- PL 8 (139):
ST -1, Toughness -2, INT -2, AWA -2, PRE -1, Blast 7 [0]
-A colossal moron with pyromania matched only by his stupidity.
FLAMEFEATHER (Bipedal Bird Monster)- PL 8 (139):
ST -1, Toughness -2, AWA -2, PRE -1, Blast 7 [4]
-Apparently the most crazed warrior of the entire Decepticon army, to the point where he was thrown out of the Decepticon Military Academy for being TOO VIOLENT. That's nearly impossible!
SPARKSTALKER (Bipedal Insectoid Monster)- PL 8 (139):
ST -1, Toughness -2, INT 3, Technology +6, Blast 7 [19]
-A brilliant cryptologist who could hack into Autobot databases... but was instead made a Firecon. This waste of resources makes him inadequate. He is actually one of the very few early-run Transformers I ever owned- I distinctely remember this guy's odd-looking form.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... octane.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c ... ne_toy.jpg[/img]

OCTANE
Alternate Mode:
Truck Cab with Fuel Tanker/Boeing Twin-Engined 767 Jet Plane
Role: Fuel Transport
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 10 (147)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 9 (+10)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Missiles- Blast 10/Burst Area, Laser Gun +10- Multiattack), Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 8, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Boeing 767) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
AE: Morph 1 (Truck Cab) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
* Vehicle Notes: Growth 20 with no ST & Toughness Growths; Power-Lifting 5, lowered Fighting & Dodge)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 54 + 21 / Defenses: 16 (147)

OCTANE- JET PLANE MODE
Alternate Mode:
Truck Cab with Fuel Tanker/Boeing Twin-Engined 767 Jet Plane
Role: Fuel Transport
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: Morph 1 (Truck Cab) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Growth +14 (+14 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (160 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [14]
Protection 5 [5]
"Massive Cargo Hold" Power-Lifting 4 (400 tons) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Missiles +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 89 / Defenses: 12 (145)

-Octane is another Triple Changer, known for being a bully, cheat and a liar, in addition to a penchant for cowardice. The Decepticons don't trust him, but keep him around because he's handy at spotting fuel stores. He has a notable role in the cartoon, albeit a short-lived one: exiled by Galvatron (for an episode in which he kept the giant Trypticon for himself, gaining fuel in the Democratic Republic of Carbomya... an episode that caused the Arabic Casey Kasem to quit the show in disgust), he ends up seeking asylum with the Autobots, before he makes a deal with the ghost of STARSCREAM. However, the duplicitous dead Decepticon is foiled once more, and both go on the run.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 2003_9.jpg[/img]

THE PREDACONS
Alternate Mode:
Assorted Animals
Role: Combiners, Goon Squad
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Predacons
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 7 (+6, +9 Size)
Perception 6 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 1 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 6 (Blasters +10- Multiattack), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Hold, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Seize Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 5 (60 mph) [5]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Robot Modes) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Robot Mode Notes: Loses Natural Weapons, -3 Speed & -2 Strength, but gains Ranged Attack +2 and a +2 Sword, plus Flight 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Senses 2 (Extended & Acute Scent) [2]
"Natural Weapons" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Penetrating 6) [7]

"Form PREDAKING!!" Summon 3 (1/5th of a Summon 12) (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled) (Flaws: Requires Other Constructicons, Replaces Individual) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Natural Weapons +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blaster +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Robot Mode Blaster +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 43 + 26 + 9 / Defenses: 17 (145)

-I recall seeing a LOT of these guys, as they were a somewhat-late release, and thus I was the right age to find 'em. The cartoon featured them a fair bit in its final days, and their distinctive appearances would make them pretty popular as a visual thing. They stand as one of the more eye-popping sets of toys nowadays- they stand out by being VERY brightly-colored, with a rather uniform color scheme- they're orange, red, black & have a bit of yellow. This lets them "meld" together in their Gestalt Form (Predaking). It also helps that they're FRIGGIN' HUGE. Seriously, Predacons are physically some of the larger standard-issue Transformers, and when you add in the fact that they're COMBINERS, you've got a heck of a toy on your hands.
-Sadly, they don't seem to have been popular toys- TF Wiki alleges that they were among the "Shelfwarmers" of their generation, and also added that animal-themed Transformers rarely sold well. This always surprised me, because A) I thought the idea was rad- animal-changing transformations are always cool, and B) they would base an ENTIRE SHOW around this concept a decade later. I think they manage to hold up better than a lot of TF toys, myself, though they still have their issues. A big one is that their Robot Forms tend to be pretty poor- very tall, skinny, stiff-looking robots which are just the "bellies" of their Animal Modes, now standing upright. Their Animal Modes also lack articulation, this being the late '80s and they hadn't really perfected such things yet. But man... that rockin' color scheme, combined with being a bunch of robotic bulls, rhinos & big cats? How can you NOT love these guys?
-Predacons are sort of like Terrorcons & Seacons- deadly physical adversaries that feature an "Animal Mode" as the baseline. They maintain guns in both Modes, but the Robot Mode gains a Sword of a unique energy type. Going by the toys, they should be ENORMOUS, and high-powered, but in the cartoon, they're just standard-issue height, and Predaking is certainly no tougher than other Gestalts. As a rule, they're also pretty thick-headed, aggressive and brutal.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 2003_9.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... orclaw.jpg[/img]

THE PREDACONS:
RAZORCLAW (Lion/Predaking's Torso)- PL 10 (168):
INT 2, AWA 2, PRE 1, Intimidation +2, Perception +6, Stealth +8 [23]
-The leader of the Predacons, he's unlike the others in that he is actually a well-maintained individual. Rather than being an ultra-violent psychopath, he's a calm, dedicated, patient hunter, perfectly willing to stalk his prey for hours before striking. "All Business" on missions, he's favored by Megatron/Galvatron, and even prefers to face his foes with honor (a DECEPTICON with HONOR?!?)... but make no mistake- Razorclaw loves the hunt. Nothing brings him more joy than killing others. He got some focus in the cartoon with an episode featuring himself and Springer of the Autobots going all Enemy Mine on an alien world made up like Medieval Fantasy- he allowed himself to be used as a ridden mount so that Springer could slay a dragon and save a fair maiden... but only because the maiden convinced him that it was in his best interests. He tried to attack as soon as he could.
-His toy features a "Sonic Sword", and a slightly-different color scheme- the black body and yellow head "pop" a bit, and center the other red & orange Predacons a fair bit, making Predaking look quite cool.

[xxx]http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Tan ... lemode.jpg[/img]

TANTRUM (Water Buffalo or Bull/Predaking's Right Leg)- PL 10 (164):
"Blaster Horn" Blast 9, Intimidation +2 [19]
-A violent, impatient sort, like most Predacons. Wields an Electro-Sword. His Animal Mode is somewhat-vague- he looks sort of like a Water Buffalo or Cape Buffalo, but is often just called a "bull".

[xxx]http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Hea ... emode2.jpg[/img]

HEADSTRONG (Rhinoceros/Predaking's Left Leg)- PL 10 (167):
INT -1, "Acid Horn" Weaken Toughness 8 (Affects Objects, Secondary Effect) linked to Natural Weapon [22]
-Stubborn and tenacious to the point of insanity- he refuses to give up, but he's also incompetent and stupid, doing things that make no sense long past the point others would have given up. He's listed as smug and arrogant on his toy, but it also mentions his insecurity. Wields whatever the hell a "Diffraction Sword" is.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... WMTMTE.jpg[/img]

RAMPAGE (Tiger/Predaking's Left Arm)- PL 10 (152):
Leaping 6 (500 feet), Split on Natural Weapons [7]
-A bundle of violent rage- Rampage (AWESOME name) explodes at the drop of a hat, and can only be calmed by watching television. The dumber the show, the better (bios often list MTV rock videos)- he can watch those for HOURS, and it's the only way you're gonna get him to not just randomly attack his allies. He can leap for hundreds of feet, and uses a "Thermal Sword".

[xxx]http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Div ... lemode.jpg[/img]

DIVEBOMB (Eagle/Predaking's Right Arm)- PL 10 (163):
Split on Natural Weapons, Flight 7, Stealth +6 [18]
-A loner who barely tolerates the presence of even his fellow Predacons, to the point where his least-favorite thing is to share a personality with them as Predaking. His favorite thing is targeting individual victims from up high, and then makes like his name says. Wields a "Laser Sword".

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0 ... kingg1.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/b/b ... daking.jpg[/img]

PREDAKING
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Predacons
PL 15 (177)- Summon Rank 12
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Intimidation 10 (+9, +15 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Sword +2), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Killer Robot"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Protection 5 [5]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

"Targetmaster- One Forms The Gun" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [41]
"Skalor- Corrosive Slime-Shooter" Blast 12 Linked to Weaken Toughness 14 (Extras: Affects Objects, Ranged) (66) -- (68 points)
AE: "Tentakil- 50,000 Volt Lightning Rifle/Seawing- Dual Proton Blaster/Whatever Overbite's Is" Blast 16 (Feats: Variable) (Extras: Multiattack) (49)
AE: "Nautilator- Heat-Seeking Torpedo Cannon" Blast 15 (Feats: Ricochet 3, Extended Range 2) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (50)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Sword +9 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Blaster +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +18, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.
Enemy (Sky Lynx)- Sky Lynx seems to have Predaking's number, often trouncing him.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 48 + 76 / Defenses: 27 (177)

-Predaking is pretty uniform in color scheme, as the Predacons all have significant amounts of black, orange, yellow or red on them. He's a bit more squat, since he's comprised of five equal-sized figures, so one can't form a large central torso. Not only is he exceptionally large, thanks to the large size of the Predacons, but he's also HEAVY- 2.2 lbs is MASSIVE for a child's toy! Predaking is notable among Gestalts for being fairly "stable"- since the Predacons are pretty uniform in personality, they fuse well, and maintain control (they're a favorite of their boss as a result). Unfortunately, he suffers from some of the "Badass Decay" suffered by the Gestalts- he is repeatedly demolished by Sky Lynx, so the point where he comes off as the WEAKEST Gestalt.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... tion_3.jpg[/img]

HOT ROD- Early Movie
Alternate Mode:
Futuristic Race Car
Role: Would-Be Leader, Fun-Loving Young Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (158)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+4)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 7 (+7)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Diehard, Equipment 6 (Blaster +10- Multiattack), Evasion, Improved Critical (Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 8, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Hot Rod) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Faster Speed, Lower Defenses)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blasters +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Immature & Impatient)- Hot Rod lacks the wisdom that comes with age.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 18 (158)

-Hot Rod, played by then-hot Judd Nelson, was the main hero of Transformers: The Movie, and was a different sort of guy- an Eager Young Man type, he spent some time playing around with young Daniel early on, showed his reckless side by crashing through a barricade and annoying the older Kup, but soon came running into battle half-cocked and made a mess of things- when he saw Megatron faking submission in order to shoot at Optimus Prime, Hot Rod leapt into the fray. Unfortunately, Megatron easily overpowered him and used him as a human shield that enabled him to fatally-wound the Autobot leader. Hot Rod begged forgiveness, and then had to watch as the triumphant Prime nonetheless succumbed to his injuries.
-This set off a bit of a Heroic Arc in the film, as he helped out the other survivors of the battle, and used accumulated skills and a bit of smarts in various ways- he saved Kup from a mechanical octopus, reattached his limbs, helped escape the Sharkticons, and later used the Universal Greeting ("Ba-whip granna weep nini-bong!") to make peace with the Junkions. In the end, even KUP was a bit impressed, and then Hot Rod was the only one to get all the way through Unicron's innards and face Galvatron. The reborn Decepticon leader beat the pants off him, and prepared to choke him (not sure how that works on a robot but okay) to death... only for the kid to grab the Autobot Matrix of Leadership from around his neck! Having carried it around as a prize, the egomaniacal Decepticon was undone, as Optimus's disembodied ghost said "ARIST, RODIMUS PRIME!" and the kid suddenly grew in size and power, whupped Galvatron, and unleashed the power of the Matrix, saving the day.
-This version of Hot Rod is from the Movie, where he's got great potential (a full PL 10 Autobot), but lacks experience and maturity.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... +prime.jpg[/img]

RODIMUS PRIME (aka Hot Rod)
Alternate Mode:
Futuristic Race Car
Role: Newbie Leader
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 12 (207)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+12)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 7 (+9)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Autobot Commander), Daze (Deception), Diehard, Equipment 6 (Blaster +10- Multiattack), Evasion, Improved Critical (Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Leadership, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 10, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Hot Rod) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Faster Speed, Lower Defenses)

"Summon Trailer From Hammerspace" Create 10 (Feats: Innate) (Flaws: Limited to Single Trailer) [11]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 6 [6]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Blasters +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +12, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Immature & Impatient)- Hot Rod lacks the wisdom that comes with age.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 54 + 31 / Defenses: 22 (207)

-Hot Rod becomes "Rodimus Prime" upon gaining the Matrix of Leadership- he grows in size and power, and becomes the Autobot commander. Unfortunately, he still has a lot of inexperience, and has to grow into the role of leader. This is kind of the purpose of his Character Arc, but fans didn't take to him as much as Optimus, even though that was basically the POINT of the character- that he WASN'T as good a leader as Optimus Prime. I get both sides- Rodimus was in no way the character Optimus was (Optimus was an EPIC leader), but it's not like he got an unfair push or was shoved down fan's throats as a replacement: We KNEW he wasn't good in enough!
-I will say that the various toys of the guy usually look INCREDIBLE- the early Autobots tend to be on the "plain" side, in that they're standard Earth-based vehicles, so only a handful really stand out in Vehicle Mode. Hot Rod & Rodimus have the 1950s-style paint-job, giant engine sticking out of the hood, etc.- the Vehicle ITSELF is a selling point! Now... his "Carries a Cab" mode... that's a little weird. I mean, who's ever seen a vehicle like THAT? I guess we're supposed to accept that it's an aspect of being Autobot Leader. The "Rodimus" Robot Mode is also a little stiff-looking, lacking articulation. Since his generation of guys (including Kup & Blurr- it's VERY obvious just from looking at their Robot Modes that they share a design concept) were designed with animation first, toy SECOND (unlike the previous toys, which were adapted from other lines), they fit their models a bit more. Though there's a lot of stuff with Rodimus and his toys regarding "Show Accuracy", as his paint-scheme changed in the toy, leaving his stickers with the wrong background (and his color not entirely matching the show), and a few minor design elements shifting around.
-Rodimus Prime is stronger and tougher than he used to be, and slowly gains experience and leadership abilities with time.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... -prime.jpg[/img]

HOT ROD- Post-Movie
Alternate Mode:
Futuristic Race Car
Role: Would-Be Leader, Fun-Loving Young Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 11 (185)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+12)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6, +0 Size)
Technology 7 (+9)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Diehard, Equipment 6 (Blaster +10- Multiattack), Evasion, Improved Critical (Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 10, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Hot Rod) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Faster Speed, Lower Defenses)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blasters +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Immature & Impatient)- Hot Rod lacks the wisdom that comes with age.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 54 + 18 / Defenses: 22 (185)

-Rodimus Prime becomes "Hot Rod" again following The Return of Optimus Prime, in which Optimus re-takes the reigns. As he takes the Matrix of Leadership back, Rodimus reverts to his prior form (which begs the question as to why Optimus doesn't grow & shrink based off of the placement of the Matrix- I know he was REBUILT as "Optimus", but still). He has the added experience of Rodimus, but less overall power.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... edited.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... e_mode.jpg[/img]

WRECK-GAR
Alternate Mode:
Giant Space Motorcycle
Role: The Wacky Guy, Allied Commander
Group Affiliations: The Junkions
PL 11 (189)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Attack (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 9 (+13, +7 Size)
Technology 8 (+10)
Vehicles 8 (+10)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 7 (Blaster +10- Multiattack, "Decelerator Laser"- Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated Affliction 10, "Energon Axe" +2), Evasion, Improved Critical (Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage for 1 Round w/ HP Spent), Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 10, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Motorcycle) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replace Flying With Speed 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Junkion Physiology" Healing 4 (Flaws: Limited to Self, Requires Parts) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Axe +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Blasters +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Decelerator Laser +12 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Deranged)- Wreck-Gar usually only speaks in statements learned from television, and appears insane.
Motivation (Making Messes)- Wreck-Gar will immediately destroy any tidy rooms until they resemble his "Home Sweet Home!"
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 54 + 20 / Defenses: 20 (189)

-Wreck-Gar is a bit of an odd character in the film, both in-universe and in-concept. He's sort of a "Heroic Ally" type of character- someone not affiliated with the heroes, but who joins them on the final mission. In the Movie, Wreck-Gar rules the individuals of the Planet of Junk (a long, flat Space Barge full of metallic refuse), and attacks the Autobots when they touch down and try to gather the remains of Ultra Magnus. With the classic strings of Weird Al's Dare To Be Stupid (an epic song that out-Devos Devo), they harrass the Autobots using bizarre battle tactics like racing around a la Road Warrior on motorcycles... then upon crashing, jump up and SWITCH PLACES, the motorcycle transforming to Robot, and the Robot to motorcycle, before continuing on. It's only when Hot Rod & Kup meet the others that things settle down, as Hot Rod offers the universal greeting, offers Wreck-Gar an "energon goodie", and then everybody starts dancing around like imbeciles for a while. They even rebuild Ultra Magnus! After that, they all leave the Planet of Junk on some SPECTACULAR spaceships, but the Junkions don't really factor in to the final battle- they're just present to sell a "Wreck-Gar" toy.
-Wreck-Gar himself was voiced by Monty Python star Eric Idle, and speaks entirely in cliches and sayings from American TV shows- especially ads. He's also one of the numerous Movie characters to feature a metallic beard. Later on in the show, he becomes a recurring ally, albeit one who lives apart from the others. At one point, he was sent to the past with other Autobots to the time when the Quintessons ruled Cybertron, and later got brainwashed by those same villains via submliminal messages in his favorite TV programming. Thankfully, that time Blaster was able to counter the transmission with one of his own. He was last seen in The Return of Optimus Prime, having fallen victim to the Hate Plague that was infecting the universe. For his appearance in Transformers Animated, the self-referential show naturally used "Weird" Al Yankovic himself as his voice actor.
-Wreck-Gar is a good fighter and a great driver, as well as being a better general than you'd think for someone who is crazy as balls.

[xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... artoon.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... e_shot.jpg[/img]

COMMON JUNKIONS
Alternate Mode:
Giant Space Motorcycles
Role: Wacky Allies
Group Affiliations: The Junkions
PL 7 (140)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Attack (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 9 (+13, +7 Size)
Technology 8 (+10)
Vehicles 8 (+10)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Blaster +8- Multiattack), Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Futuristic Motorcycle) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replace Flying With Speed 7)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Junkion Physiology" Healing 4 (Flaws: Limited to Self, Requires Parts) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blasters +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +2

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Deranged)- Junkions usually only speak in statements learned from television, and appears insane.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 54 + 17 / Defenses: 11 (140)

-Regular Junkions are Wreck-Gar's allies, but rarely feature all that much- usually, Wreck-Gar just leaves the Planet of Junk himself. They did not receive a toy until modern times, usually getting a single release alongside Wreck-Gar.

[xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... y-lynx.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static9.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... e_form.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static8.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... e_form.jpg[/img]

SKY LYNX
Alternate Mode:
Space Shuttle with Crawler Transport
Role: Arrogant Ass, Interstellar Transport
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 14 (243)
STRENGTH
15 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+4, +10 Size)
Perception 4 (+6)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Blaster), Improved Trip, Interpose, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 12, Sidekick 22 (Giant Lynx)

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Space Shuttle) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Faster Space Travel, Lower Defenses, Drops the Sidekick usually)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 12 (Str & Toughness +12, +12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -12 Stealth) -- (60 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [25]
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 9) [13]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

"Nose Blaster" Blast 14 (Extras: Multiattack) [42]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Blasters +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +16 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Reputation (Arrogant Ass)- Sky Lynx is always trying to convince others of his magnificence. He is often called "Commander Modesty" by his allies.
Disabled (No Hands)- Sky Lynx is one of few Transformers with no real hands.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 38 / Powers: 54 + 86 / Defenses: 29 (243)

-I never really cared much for Sky Lynx, who I remember seeing a LOT back in the day. I think a lot of it was his grandiose, high-and-mighty attitude, which combined with his non-human Robot Mode to make for an unlikable sort. It's too bad, really- he's got one of the more epic toys in the line (a very large Space Shuttle with a weird "Robot Cat" summon). But he's just so WEIRD- one of the only "Space Shuttle" guys who's actually noticeably huge, he ruins it by barely transforming at all. He just turns into a slightly-different-shaped shuttle, as his head and tail stick out, making him look like a giant Pterosaur.
-Sky Lynx appears in the episodes immediately following the Movie, and becomes a pretty big part of the show afterwards (gotta sell that big-sized toy). He acted as Interstellar Transport, as he was one of the largest Autobots, and capable of travel through space. As the show had by this point gone from "shenanigans on Earth" to "shenanigans in space", it was only fitting that they have a MEANS of getting from place-to-place (this is also why the whole team suddenly became able to fly regularly).
-Sky Lynx can actually back up a lot of his bragging, as he proves powerful enough to handle GESTALTS if he needs to... albeit one time, he just sorta tripped Predaking over and he immediately split into his Predacon component parts. Being powerful enough to take on a Gestalt makes you around PL 14- he's accurate AND strong. He's one of the largest, and most expensive, Transformers of them all, owing to a solid statline in addition to a Sidekick and a Blast that comes from his own body, not Equipment.

[xxx]http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... t_form.jpg[/img]

LYNX ATTACHMENT
Alternate Mode:
Crawler Transport for Space Shuttle
Role: Summoned Minion (sorta)
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 11 (107)- Sidekick Rank 22
STRENGTH
13 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Intimidation 8 (+5, +9 Size)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Trip, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Robot Legs" Speed 6 (120 mph) [6]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Crawler Transport) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Immobile, Can Hold Passengers)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 8 (Str & Toughness +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (30 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 5) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +12 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (No Hands, Mute)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 44 + 26 / Defenses: 19 (107)

-Sky Lynx curiously enough comes with an attachment component (a Crawler Transport- a miniature version of the things that drive Space Shuttles and other things to the launch pad) that not only holds passengers, but transforms into a huge LYNX.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 18-023.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... upreme.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... 47-001.jpg[/img]

OMEGA SUPREME
Alternate Mode:
Base, Rocket & Tank
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 16 (261)
STRENGTH
16 STAMINA -- AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+8)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+7, +14 Size)
Perception 8 (+8)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Cannon) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robot in Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 5 (120 mph) [5]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Rocket Base) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Mode Notes: May Fly, But Not Walk Around, Lower Defenses, but Summons Tank)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 14 (Str & Toughness +14, +14 Mass, +7 Intimidation, -7 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -14 Stealth) -- (90 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [29]
Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 17) [23]
Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]
"Giant Cannon" Blast 18 (Extras: Multiattack) [54]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+19 Damage, DC 34)
Blaster +10 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +19 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Enemy (The Constructicons)- The Constructicons were turned evil by Megatron millennia ago, and betrayed Omega Supreme. He has thirsted for revenge ever since.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 57 + 113 / Defenses: 33 (261)

-Omega Supreme is the very first "City Bot", and at the time was easily the largest figure in the entire line- a Transformer that turned into a BASE. With a distinctive, non-human head atop a large grey body, hands that were really just forceps, and more, he was a colossal beast of a robot. Oddly, I've never seen any of the episodes that featured him, so I didn't even know he existed until adulthood. I imagine his toy would look pretty cool to kids, though he's got nothin' on most of the later Huge Robots (especially the villainous ones)- his Alt Mode is a peculiar-looking base with a rounded track (that forms "wings" on his back), and the tank on the base actually moves around via a battery-powered motor! Omega Supreme, like Sky Lynx, was licensed by a company called Toybox rather than Takara. As a result, he was never released to the line in Japan.
-In the cartoon, he is established as having been a great "Guardian Robot" millennia ago, charged with defending the greatest city on Cybertron. When his friends the Constructicons (the same ones... built by Megatron years later on Earth...) were altered by Megatron into Decepticons, they betrayed him and destroyed the city when he was away. Horrified, he was nearly turned irreversibly-evil himself, but escaped. Driven by revenge, he managed to follow them to Earth and renew his attack on his old friend.
-Omega was given the "Hey man, you're awesome! All kids should buy you!" push right away, but the showrunners made a silly, if necessary, decision that placed him way off on Antarctica or wherever, so that he didn't overwhelm every battlefield all by himself. Me, I woulda made him an Energon-Guzzler that COULDN'T be activated that often if they didn't wanna over-use him. He shows up from time-to-time, often as interstellar transport (pre-Sky Lynx)- he was beaten by Decepticons covered in impervious "Electrum", and was later blown apart by Centurion Droids on Cybertron, but put back together by the Autobots. His characterization varies- sometimes he's a 'bot of few words (terse and mechanical), while at other times, he talks normally. He's also subject to a hilarious Art Shift in the comics, which first depict him as a GIANT, and then suddenly shrink him to the point where he's just a head taller than a standard Autobot! His durability falters as well- at one point, BUZZSAW (one of Soundwave's Cassettebots) wipes him out in one salvo!
-Omega Supreme is tougher than tough, and is essentially a "+1" version of a Gestalt Transformer, minus all the stupid. His Base Mode is largely-meaningless save as a transport for others, but his Blast is a PART of him (raising his cost by a lot), and he's got +9 Impervious, the highest so far (most Transformers don't have ANY). He's PL 15.5 offensively, and PL 15 defensively- a major-league threat.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/b/b ... ex_toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/a/a ... remlin.JPG[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4 ... roplex.jpg[/img]

METROPLEX
Alternate Mode:
Small City (!!!)
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 18 (356)
STRENGTH
23 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+8)
Intimidation 8 (+7, +20 Size)
Perception 6 (+8)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 12 (Missiles +14- Burst Area), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Guns) 2, Minion 9 (Scamper), Minion 6 (Slammer), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robot in Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 5 (120 mph) [5]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Multi-Leveled City) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Compact Moving Base Form) (6)
** (Mode Notes: First is Immobile. Has Helipad, Launching Mechanism & "Parking")

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 20 (Str & Toughness +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]
Growth +7 (+27 Mass, +13 Intimidation, +6 Speed) -- (672 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [7]
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 17) [22]

"Giant Hands & Feet" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) [32]

"Gigantic Super-Guns"
Blast 22 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (67) -- [68]
AE: "Six-Gun" Enhanced Advantages 31: Sidekick (31)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+23 Damage, DC 38)
Blaster +14 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +25 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Responsibility (Sure He Could Be Doing More)- Metroplex, despite being among the greatest warriors in the universe, constantly feels as if he should be doing MORE.
Enemy (Trypticon)

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 50 / Powers: 58 + 170 / Defenses: 38 (356)

-Naturally, Omega Supreme was quickly overtaken as "Biggest Transformer", and one of the numerous names popping up was METROPLEX- a CITY Transformer! Naturally, this completely fails to hold up scale-wise (an actual city that turned into a creature would be so big that you couldn't even make it and a single other character out in one frame), but hey- it SOUNDS impressive. Most of the Scramble City Combiners can attach to his form in some way, forming additional "bases" via ramps and such. His weapons are even capable of being wielded by the "Leader" figures like Silverbolt, and were otherwise configurable all over his gigantic frame. Being stark white & black with some GIGANTIC red guns, he cuts one of the most-impressive figures of the entire Gen. 1 line.-nfortunately, despite being ridiculously-awesome (I've seen a few as an adult, but knew no kid who owned one), his toy was prone to snapping in half at the waist, as they gave him the robot equivalent of a corset- a teeny-tiny joining-point for a waist that was a third the width of the rest of the figure. Numerous other points are also dangerously-fragile as well. Young boys, famous for their gentle natures and soft dexterity, of course had nothing to fear. His 2010 updated toy is even BETTER, gaining a ton of detail, articulated finger joints, and even ARTICULATED EYELIDS via a switch on his head. This thing is NUTS.
-Metroplex was built and attached to the larger Autobot City at some point, but was prevented from helping out much during the Movie via a broken "Transformation Cog" (the cartoon appears to use "Metroplex" and "Autobot City" interchangeably at points, and distinctly at others- naturally, the continuity sucks here). Eventually, he was fixed in time to combat the Decepticons's own giant, the tyrannosaurs Trypticon. Later, he had his EYES REMOVED while he wasn't paying attention (by Starscream, who was a ghost that was possessing Scourge at this point), and went berserk before being KO'd by a photon charge placed in his head. Later, his cog is broken AGAIN, and the Autobots style Trypticon's. In his last appearance in the cartoon, he is switched-off by Rodimus Prime over fears of the Hate Plague possessing him- Metroplex agrees.
-Metroplex also comes with three OTHER figures, one of which boosts him like a Targetmaster would, giving him an Accurate Blaster to go along with his standard Equipment (some Missiles). As you might imagine, being 700 feet tall (give or take), strong enough to beat up a Mechanical Godzilla (not Mechagodzilla), throw the Kremlin around (he is literally holding it like a dollhouse in one picture), having three pals to go along with you, AND being a good fighter... all kind of adds up to make you rather expensive. At PL 18, I would actually give Metroplex a good shot at taking out any version of Godzilla- his natural height is even SUPERIOR to that giant's!

SCAMPER
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Six-Wheeled Sports Car
Role: Backgrounder, Assister
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (132)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Laser Gun +8- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Cybertronian Sports Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Replaces Flight with Speed. Lower Defenses and no Blasts)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 54 + 15 / Defenses: 14 (132)

-Scamper is a monochromatic, all-black sports car of sorts.

SLAMMER
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Drone
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (77)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
None

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Tank Treads" Speed 6 (120 mph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Tank Gun" Blast 10 [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Cannon +6 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: -16 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 73 / Defenses: 14 (77)

-Slammer is a white drone tank.

SIX-GUN
Alternate Mode:
Cybertronian Six-Wheeled Sports Car
Role: Backgrounder, Assister
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (155)- Sidekick 31
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Guns), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Giant Guns) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
** (Vehicle Notes: Essentially an Immobile Tool For Another)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Guns For Arms" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) [24]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 54 + 39 / Defenses: 16 (155)

-Six-Gun essentially makes Metroplex a Targetmaster, as he transforms into a set of guns.

[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... _eye_4.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... us_toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... us_244.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... aximus.jpg[/img]

FORTRESS MAXIMUS
Alternate Mode:
Small City & Battle Station
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 18 (337)
STRENGTH
23 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 1 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+13)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 0 (+2, +12 Size)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 5 (+8, -12 Size)
Technology 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 12 (Missiles +14- Burst Area), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Guns) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 12, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robot in Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 5 (120 mph) [5]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Multi-Leveled City) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Battle Station) (6)
** (Mode Notes: First is Immobile. Comm. Room, Prison Cell, Elevator)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 20 (Str & Toughness +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]
Growth +7 (+27 Mass, +13 Intimidation, +6 Speed) -- (672 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [7]
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 17) [22]

"Giant Hands & Feet" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) [32]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]

"Gigantic Super-Guns" (Feats: Restricted to Giants) (Flaws: Easily-Removable) [41]
Blast 22 (Extras: Multiattack) (66 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+23 Damage, DC 38)
Blaster +14 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +25 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +10

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Responsibility (Sure He Could Be Doing More)- Fortress Maximus, despite being among the greatest warriors in the universe, constantly feels as if he should be doing MORE.
Normal Identity (Inert)- Fortress can only move with Cerebros controlling him.
Enemy (Scorponok)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 58 + 147 / Defenses: 39 (337)

-The final "Big Transformer" released, Fortress Maximus was easily the largest, at a staggering twenty-two inches high. This puts him up there with the biggest toys of the 1980s, though the Dino Riders Brontosaurus (which I now happily own) is longer at 36", and the G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flagg toy is larger than even THAT. He was introduced at the tail end of the cartoon, featuring in the Rebirth episode that saw the rise of the Headmasters. When the evil Nebulan scientist Zarak created the city-sized Scorponok to be his "Headmaster" partner, the good guy Cerebros did the same, allying with Spike to rebuild an abandoned old city into Fortress Maximus! Spike himself became Cerebros's Headmaster partner, effectively meaning that the toy reflected this odd nature- Spike is the head of Cerebros, who is the head of Maximus. He begins losing to Scorponok in the finale, but when Zarak threatens Spike's son Daniel, a newly-enraged Fortress whups some ass, knocking Scorponok back into "City Mode".
-Fortress Maximus is called "a weary and reluctant warrior", a pacifist who is forced to fight the evil of the Decepticons. In the Headmasters cartoon, he is actually the LEADER of the Autobots after a point (Optimus having sacrificed his life to save Vector Sigma, the computer), and has the origin that he's an old pacifistic soldier (which is probably where his TF Wiki bio gets that from). Here, he's typically seen in his Regular-Sized Mode (Cerebros basically isn't a thing), and simply controls the entire transforming super-structure "Maximus" during big battles.
-Fortress Maximus isn't that much different from Metroplex statistically, but doesn't have a Targetmaster companion. Instead, his head is Cerebros, who is more or less in charge (the same is true of "Fortress" in Japan)- so the whole this is almost like Equipment or a suit for the latter character.

CEREBROS
Alternate Mode:
Communications Room, Fortress Maximus's Head
Role: The Head of Fortress Maximus, Pacifist Warrior
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 9 (170)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 1 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+13)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 5 (+8, +2 Size)
Technology 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Laser Gun +8- Multiattack), Inventor, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Communications Room) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "Headmaster" Morph 1 (Robot Head) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
** (Mode Notes: Immobile Communications Array)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Headmaster"
Enhanced Advantage: Sidekick 14 (Spike Witwicky- With Transforming Armor) (14) -- [15]
AE: "Boosted Stats" Fighting +1, Accurate Attack, Close Attack 1, Improved Initiative, Second Chance 2 (Mind Control, Perception Checks), Ranged Attack +2, Dodge +2, Will Save +2 (13)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Headmaster +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Headmaster +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +8 (+10 w/ Spike)

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Responsibility (Pacifist)- Cerebros dislikes violence, and wishes to keep humans out of the conflict between Transformer armies.
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 55 + 30 / Defenses: 17 (170)

-Cerebros is a brave, pacifistic Autobot who mourned the way humanity was being forced into the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons.

[xxx]http://static5.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... iffith.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... iffith.jpg[/img]
[xxx]http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... pticon.jpg[/img][xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/f/f ... g1_toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... roplex.jpg[/img]

TRYPTICON
Alternate Mode:
Small City (!!!)
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 17 (318)
STRENGTH
23 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 8 (+7, +20 Size)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 12 (Missiles +14- Burst Area), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Guns), Minion 8 (Full-Tilt), Minion 6 (Brunt), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robot in Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 5 (120 mph) [5]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Multi-Leveled City) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Compact Moving Base Form) (6)
** (Mode Notes: First is Immobile. Has Helipad, Launching Mechanism & "Parking")

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 20 (Str & Toughness +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]
Growth +7 (+27 Mass, +13 Intimidation, +6 Speed) -- (672 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [7]
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 17) [21]

"Giant Hands & Feet" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) [32]

"Gigantic Super-Guns"
Blast 22 (Extras: Multiattack) [66]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+23 Damage, DC 38)
Blaster +12 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +24 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Hatred (Water)- He's constantly being thrown into it. Doing so seems to neutralize him to.
Enemy (Metroplex)

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 48 / Powers: 58 + 167 / Defenses: 38 (318)

-Trypticon is the Decepticon counter to Metroplex- and probably has the coolest concept of them all- a titanic, vicious, robotic black TYRANNOSAURUS REX. Yes- he's effectively a transforming version of Mecha-Godzilla. Trypticon was created out of a HUMAN CITY by the Constructicons, but naturally is nowhere near large enough to actually get that size. Trypticon appears a few times after his introduction, but is constantly neutralized by his opposite number among the Autobots, and thrown into a giant body of water (in his only non-Metroplex episode, he was undone by an Energy-Draining Dragon who had summoned all of the animal-themed Transformers to a planet). His toy was enormous, and even had battery-powered WALKING, but was nonetheless smaller than Metroplex & Fortress Maximus. Humorously, he is one of those '80s cartoon characters voiced by Brad Garrett, the future Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.
-Trypticon is one of the mightiest of all Decepticons- able to easily-squash a Gestalt or two... but is noticeably weaker than Metroplex, having lost to him EVERY TIME THEY FIGHT. As such, I sadly cannot give the Grey Godzilla the full PL 18. Being dumb as a bag of hammers, he's also MUCH cheaper and less-skilled than the other Base-Mode guys, too.

FULL-TILT
Alternate Mode:
All-Terrain Car, Trypticon's Chest-Piece
Role: Easily-Lost Side Character
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 8 (119)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 5 (+6, +4 Size)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (All-Terrain Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7 (+9 Shell), Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 54 + 14 / Defenses: 15 (119)

-Full-Tilt came with Trypticon, and just himself on the thing's chest. He doesn't do anything in the cartoon, but you can see him briefly. His tiny gun is considered one of the most easily-lost objects in Transfandom.

BRUNT
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Drone
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 8 (85)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE --

Skills:
None

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Tank Treads" Speed 6 (120 mph) [6]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Feats: Metamorph) (Bits of Trypticon's Base Mode) [7]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 2 [2]

"Tank Gun" Blast 10 [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Cannon +6 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: -16 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 80 / Defenses: 14 (85)

-Brunt is the equivalent of Slammer- a purple Drone Tank. His "Transformation" is just taking him apart and placing his bits in various parts of Trypticon's Base Mode.

Yeah, I read what the Red Skull said, and I'm like... I get that it's 100% in-character for the Skull to say that, AND believe it. It's "Far Right/Neo-Nazi 101", AND is frequently-said by those people, in Europe and abroad. That it links up with what Trump and some other Republicans and Right-Wingers in the States say about the Syrian refugee thing, and what that means, is a complex issue and may be worth bringing up. BUT, given that the writer is apparently an openly-Left Wing guy and attacks Republicans on his Twitter account, then it's very clearly an attack on the right. If a Republican comic book writer made Republicans out to be heroes, and put the words of leftists in the mouths of THE MOST EVIL CHARACTER EVER (a guy so evil, that noted assholes like Wilson Fisk, The Wizard and the Mandarin were DISGUSTED by his presence), then people would rightly be pissed. So why is it magically okay if you're just attacking the right?

It brings to mind some of the weirder things about politics in comic books:

* Most comic book writers and creators seem to be leftists (this goes WAY BACK- Mark Evanier points out that many older Jews in the '50s & '60s were Democrats- as this was also the demographic of many comic book creators, you had a lot of link-up. Both Stan & Jack, for example, were Democrats). Many of the liberal/Democrat causes du jour are thus given a lot of sympathetic insight- immigration, civil rights, gay rights/pride, etc., and you'll see a LOT more attacks on the right. This is notable with Hawk & Dove, which was supposed to show the positives of BOTH sides, but instead just turned into various writers showing that Hawk was a close-minded asshole and Dove was super-correct and amazing (naturally, this happened once the Objectivist, more Conservative, Steve Ditko left the series). A Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans issue explicitly says the entire team is liberal except for the "Conservative" Wally West, who of course acts like a giant imperious ass when a Russian superhero comes to America, and is proven wrong in the end. And then there's Green Arrow.

* It's to the point where Conservatives like Bill Willingham have people looking over their shoulders constantly, worried that they'll put their "evil rightist beliefs" into everything, even if they don't. Sure, Willingham was all "Abortion is EVIL and you should NEVER MENTION IT" and "Israel is AWESOME" in Fables, but it wasn't preached endlessly, and no, he DID NOT just rip on Obsidian's homosexuality in JSA.

* HOWEVER, many traditional superhero comics (in particular, the whole "powerful person ignores the law or bends it, and does their own thing, including violently-assaulting criminals, because they care about WHAT'S RIGHT" thing) actually strike me as more conservative than liberal. Larry Hama, one of those writers whose work I like but I'll gladly-admit seems to hate his own vocation, has straight-up called superheroes a "fascist" thing. So there's this weird dichotomy of comic book writers being openly-liberal while going all "yeah, but the law CODDLES criminals" and writing these lawless supermen who often have zero government oversight.

* Never mind that Stan Lee was correct in his sentiment that comics should avoid "taking sides" in political debates, as all you're gonna do is piss off half your audience. Stephen Colbert got into this issue when he took over The Late Show, as his left-wing preaching rubbed viewers the wrong way, and he ended up trailing JIMMY KIMMEL in the ratings, much less Jimmy Fallon (who I HATE, but is at least smart enough to stay out of it). And keep in mind I LOVED The Colbert Report, and found it one of the most brilliant examples of satire ever. I think this is why stuff like King of the Hill and South Park are so good- they may lean towards one side or the other, but damn it- they'll satirize BOTH SIDES and absolutely not let up on them.

-The whole Liberal/Conservative thing can even be tricky in the comics themselves. I've read people on this very site call the "Superhuman Registration Act" an inherently-Conservative thing. Even though it TOTALLY WAS NOT. "Government Control" is like Liberal 101.

But then... that causes issues for people in the REAL WORLD as well. Watching a PBS documentary on Prohibition was illuminating in this regard- one Historian joked that people have somehow got it in their heads that Prohibition had to have been a Conservative issue. But it WASN'T. Because people don't realize that the ultra-Christian population used to be DEMOCRAT in nature, not Republican- they were more likely to abstain from alcohol (hence Prohibition, which started with the most-religious, and became more and more popular as women- who were banned from bars & saloons and had to suffer at the hands of drunken husbands, gained political power and the vote... in fact, Prohibition was actually favored by the majority of the population thanks to the women's vote, and people always forget this), hate violence, and be anti-war. It wasn't until Reagan courted them in the '80s that things shifted, and now suddenly Christians were vocally pro-gun, NRA-membership warhawks. But people act like it was always this way.

Sorta like how for years, the DEMOCRATS were "the racist party", and the more Southern one. It wasn't until the 1960s, with Kennedy & LBJ being vocal pro-Civil Rights people, and the Republicans capitalizing on this by appealing to pissed-off, disenfranchised white southerners out to "keep their way of life" (aka "... YOU KNOW..."), that things shifted. I've heard that it wasn't until Mondale ran for President in the '60s that minorities basically turned against the Republicans for good (something they're still paying for, though it paid off for them at first). So this whole "Democrats Peaceful & Good. Republicans Racist & Evil" perception is newer than people think- Republicans have just been burned by being on the wrong side of history in the Civil Rights era. Cripes, people forget that the Democrats got American into Vietnam!

But Again About Cap:
* But really, this whole thing comes down to what some Marvel writers have admitted is a blatant sales tactic- generate controversy and "They did WHAT?!? Well I'm going to the comic shop to BUY that issue, and I'll READ IT so that I can justify being good at pissed-off! THAT'LL show them!" reactions. And let's not pretend that publishers haven't openly-lied before (what somebody mentioned was the "TONIGHT! Someone DIES!" stuff, but we've had other hoaxes perpetrated before in the name of generating sales, too). EVERYONE's gonna be talking about this silly "Cap is a HYDRA Sleeper Agent" thing for months, and Marvel will reap the benefits. Now, this can easily happen in a way that will damage the character- we all saw how badly a poor writing decision can hurt a character with the Clone Saga. But it's so early in the story to be PO'd about anything.

* I WILL say that "Everything You Know is WRONG!" is still consistently my least-favorite kind of comic book story. It's short-sighted, stupid and usually messes up what came before. Granted, sometimes this has IMPROVED things- Magneto being a Holocaust victim gave LOADS more to that character than had ever existed under his "Generic Silver Age Moustache-Twirling Villain" schtick under Lee & Kirby. But usually all you do is hurt a character- "Really? Xavier did something evil in the past AGAIN?" or "Really? Something ELSE new about Cap's origin?" Hell, when I did the "Captain America" set of builds, I even commented on the several times Marvel had ALREADY DONE THIS with his origin- establishing that Protocide was an experiment before Steve Rogers, and that Isaiah Bradley was essentially the same thing (and also some legend to the black superhero community). So if they added ANOTHER permanent thing (if that's what they end up doing), then they're basically making Cap's origin dumber. But again... I'ma wait till it's over, and I'ma wait and see if the next writer doesn't just axe it.

[xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... ok_toy.jpg[/img][xxx]http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... magnus.jpg[/img]

SCORPONOK
Alternate Mode:
Small City & Battle Station
Role: Elite Monster
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, The Headmasters
PL 18 (354)
STRENGTH
23 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Politics) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+12)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+6)
Technology 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 12 (Missiles +14- Burst Area), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Guns), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 12, Startle, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness Save, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robot in Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 5 (120 mph) [5]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Multi-Leveled City) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Humanoid Robot) (6)
** (Mode Notes: First is Immobile.)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 20 (Str & Toughness +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]
Growth +7 (+27 Mass, +13 Intimidation, +6 Speed) -- (672 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [7]
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 17) [22]

"Giant Limbs" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (32) -- [34]
AE: "Giant Claws" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (12)
AE: "Electro-Stinger" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate) (1)

Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]
"Arachnid Legs" Extra Limbs 6 [6]

"Gigantic Super-Guns" (Feats: Restricted to Giants) (Flaws: Easily-Removable) [41]
Blast 22 (Extras: Multiattack) (66 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+23 Damage, DC 38)
Electro-Stinger +11 (+25 Damage, DC 40)
Blaster +14 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +25 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +10

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Motivation (Power)
Enemy (Fortress Maximus)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 58 + 155 / Defenses: 39 (354)

-Another of the last GREAT Transformers toys, Scorponok is a beautiful, savage beast of a figure. It's a bit of genius to take something like a scorpion (one of those "inherently evil" animals in fiction) and upgrade it to Kaiju scale and make it a monstrous Base at the same time. It really makes him stand out from the rather-forgettable Fortress Maximus (who comes on the heels of TWO bipedal, Humanoid/City City-Bots already). In the cartoon, he was a robot built from scratch by Lord Zarak, the secret ruler of Nebulos. And the toy is a thing of BEAUTY, too- enormous, well-detailed, finely-sculpted, and with numerous pieces of articulation (including each of his legs).
-Like Fortress, it's a bit unclear as to whether or not he's a separate being, or just a tool controlled by another. In Japan, Scorponok eventually became ruler of the Decepticons- a role he also enjoyed in the comics. This made him a major, MAJOR character- much unlike the guy who only showed up in the last three episodes of the American cartoon.
-Scorponok, unlike Trypticon, is equal in power to his giant rival- he's packing a TON of hardware (enough that only the arrival of Fortress Maximus stops him from wiping out the entire Autobot forces on Nebulos), a few Arachnid features (Extra Limbs, Pincer Claws), and even a giant Electro-Stinger tail.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/sc ... artoon.jpg[/img]

LORD ZARAK
Alternate Mode:
Scorponok's Head
Role: Easily-Lost Side Character
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons, Nebulos
PL 8 (153)
STRENGTH
2/8 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Politics) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+12)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6, +8 Size)
Perception 3 (+6)
Technology 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Dictator of Nebulos), Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Inventor, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robot Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [28]
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) (11)
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) (2)
Flight 7 (250 mph) (14)
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) (2)
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Scorponok's Head) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)
-- (35 points)

"Telekinesis" Move Object 8 [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Robot Body +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4 (+9 Suit), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 44/ Defenses: 20 (153)

-Lord Zarak is the evil secret ruler of Nebulos, having taken over the planet with his band of Telekinetics. When his band (called The Hive) kidnapped the Decepticons and forced them to accept his comrades as "Headmaster" and "Targetmaster" partners, he gained even MORE power, and the mighty Scorponok was just icing on the cake. They lost, and were booted off the planet, but he & Galvatron left while competing over rulership of the planet. He does not appear to transform into a vehicle- just the relatively-small head of Scorponok, which is greatly enhanced because of a giant helmet placed over top of Zarak. In Scorponok's Beast Mode, Zarak sits as a chest compartment.

FASTTRACK
Alternate Mode:
Six-Wheeled Assault Buggy
Role: Easily-Lost Side Character
Group Affiliations: The Decepticons
PL 8 (119)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 5 (+6, +4 Size)
Technology 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (All-Terrain Car) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blaster +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7 (+9 Shell), Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 54 + 14 / Defenses: 15 (119)

-Fasttrack also comes with Scorponok. He can scoot down one of Scorponok's ramps with the push of a button.

THE QUINTESSONS
Alternate Mode:
None
Role: Treacherous Bastard Race
Group Affiliations: Quintessa
PL 8 (135)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+12)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Technology 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Inventor, Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Living Machines"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Hoverchair Thingie" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (The Transformers)- The Quintessons wish to exterminate all of the descendents of their own creations.
Responsibility (Cowards)- Quintessons tend to flee the second things turn against them.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 54 + 14 / Defenses: 18 (135)

-The Quintessons looked to be a one-off goofy "Random Encounter" threat in Transformers: The Movie, but turned out pretty much immediately to have a darker role to play- they were revealed to have been the CREATORS of the entire race of Transformers! However, they're also giant cowards, and fight only through treachery and deception- their goal: to destroy every Transformer in the universe. There are a few different "types", but most are pretty minor (among them are the Prosecutors- like the one seen in the Movie asking for verdicts, owl-eyed Scientists, and Guards)- the main ones seen are the "Judges"- five-faced entities on egg-shaped bodies. Most of the varieties have tentacles. Despite their importance to the franchise, there was never been a toy of them released in Generation 1. But I do love the designs- one of the better "inhuman" alien designs you're likely to see.
-Quintessons are not great warriors, but they're brilliant and duplicitious.

[xxx]http://static4.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... adside.jpg[/img]

BROADSIDE
Alternate Mode:
Vague Jet Fighter, Aircraft Carrier (!!!)
Role: Out-Of-Scale Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (139)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack, Missiles- Burst Damage +8, Axe +1), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Jet Fighter) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Guy" Morph 1 (Aircraft Carrier) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Protection 4 [4]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Axe +7 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +10, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 55 + 20 / Defenses: 18 (139)

BROADSIDE- AIRCRAFT CARRIER MODE
Alternate Mode:
Vague Jet Fighter, Robot
Role: Out-Of-Scale Guy
Group Affiliations: The Autobots
PL 10 (163)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA -- AGILITY -3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7, +1 Size)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (Laser Gun +9- Multiattack, Missiles- Burst Damage +8, Axe +1), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Jet Fighter) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
AE: "More Than Meets The Guy" Morph 1 (Robot) (Feats: Metamorph) (6)

"100% Sensical and Consistent Transformer Size"
Growth 11 (Str & Toughness +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -11 Stealth) -- (50 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [23]
Growth +14 (+26 Mass, +12 Intimidation, -12 Dodge/Parry, -12 Stealth) (Flaws: Limited to Non-ST & Toughness Growths) [14]
Protection 4 [4]
"Can Carry the Entire Autobot Army" Power-Lifting 9 (20,000 tons) [9]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 10 [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Axe +7 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Blaster +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +15, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (The Decepticons)
Power Loss (Flight)- Whether or not Autobots can fly is wildly-inconsistent. First they could, then they couldn't, and then plenty were doing it (if sometimes only in space).
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 39 + 62 / Defenses: 34 (163)


-Probably the most bizarre and egregious case of "WTF is the scale they're using here?" in the Transformers universe is the little-known Broadside. One mode is a simple Jet, but his second? He's a freaking AIRCRAFT CARRIER. One of the largest moving structures ever invented by man, and he transforms into a NORMAL-SIZED GUY. Even in a universe where mass-shifting is normal, that is CRAZY-PANTS- never mind that "Size = Better" too, so it's kind of weird that he's a pretty normal guy otherwise. Also, his toy mentions that he gets seasick in the water... and is afraid of heights. And also his toy is ugly and stiff. His cartoon appearances are a bit stronger- at one point, he FLATTENS Devastator by landing on him... by transforming into his Aircraft Carrier mode in MID-AIR and just dropping down!
-Broadside is drawn as being of a pretty good size, so I made him a bit on the strong side. Like a lot of the "Super-Giant Alternate Form" guys, he's more-expensive in Vehicle Mode, and so that would be the "baseline" to go with- his mass and strength are rather difficult to determine (and that Slam that crushes Devastator would probably break PL caps, depending on his sheer weight), but overall he's a PL 9 fighter who's PL 10 in Alt-Mode.

-----

Check out her posting history sometime. I swear 90% of it is SJW-style whining and flagrant overdoing of the "my political alignment is the CORRECT one!" stuff. She's the one who was all "Welcome to Fightin' Words" when someone said they didn't like Runaways, because OH MY GOD THEY HAVE A TRANSGENDER IN THE CAST, and so Scots (who I know is trans, as under "Narsil" she was always on about that), and she was the one who was all freaking out in my topic about "Comedians rants about political correctness", using dialogue that sounds like that of a comic book supervillain ("You may not like to think that the world is changing. But it is changing nonetheless"- it comes off REALLY CREEPY and mind-control-ly).

The funny thing, was, I thought my comment DID straight-up make a link between Trump and Hitler! It was all "that his comments and Hitler's line up is a topic worth discussing" and then she's all "OH MY GOD THEY SAY THE SAME STUFF AND ARE THE SAME ARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I'd bet money she's also the one getting people Warnings for saying "SJW" or "Fat-shaming" (Horsenhero got a warning for pointing out that Americans were fatter than ever- a FACT WHICH IS TRUE). And the LAST person to spout a bunch of far-left, Republican-hating rhetoric on the thread was named "Mad Hamish", which is both suspiciously-also-Scottish and also responsible for a small number of posts.

I think we have a stalker :).

--------

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/4 ... atalog.jpg[/img]

MICROMASTERS:
-The late '80s were not a good time for the Transformers franchise. Like G.I. Joe, they were a bit long in the tooth, and new franchises were popping up all over the place to challenge their adcendancy. One of the more-popular toys of this era were Micro Machines- a series of teeny-tiny little cars. Basically Hot Wheels that shrank in the wash, they were used in larger "bases" upon which they could drive around. And so the Transformers franchise took a piece of that action, releasing an entire line of miniaturized robots, said to be "man-size" in their world. Did it work? Well, the line lasted a few more years that they might otherwise have lost, but the cold fact is the fandom never really took to the characters, and they're now mostly-forgotten.
-The characters were sold in group-packs, called "Patrols" or "Squads"- usually in four or six. The team dynamics actually prove interesting, as since they're sold in groups, they actually mention each other in their bios at times. Other characters were singular, and came with larger Vehicles or Bases. Sometimes TWO characters formed a single vehicle as well. Despite their tiny size, the toys are more-detailed than many "Mini-Vehicles" from the 1984 line, and their Vehicle Modes actually look rather neat. So I can't call the thing a TOTAL failure.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/b/b ... hicles.jpg[/img]

MICROMASTERS (Autobots)
Alternate Mode:
Various Tiny Vehicles
Role: Swarm of Good Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Micromasters
PL 6 (106)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Metal Body" Protection 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Blaster +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 48 + 4 / Defenses: 9 (106)

-Micromasters are supposed to be man-sized (though some parts of the fiction give them the size of regular Transformers), and as such, they're VERY tiny. In-story, they're supposed to be more "fuel-efficent" than the "Guzzlers" at giant sizes. Exactly how much of a challenge they can be to a full-size Transformer is beyond me, but I don't imagine them to be very tough.

OFF-ROAD PATROL:
* A team of Covert Ops specialists. Very independent, from each other and from the rest of the Autobots.

POWERTRAIN (Sleeper Cab)- PL 6 (106):
-A cautious, by-the-book leader, but also pragmatic enough to know how to use his teammates' more-adaptable natures.
HIGH JUMP (Land Rover Defender)- PL 6 (108):
Stealth +4 [2]
-An infiltrator and rule-breaker.
MUDSLINGER (Blue Pickup Truck)- PL 6 (106):
-Has a real chip on his shoulder. A reckless sort who hates being criticized.
TOTE (Red Minivan)- PL 6 (106):
-Clever and adaptable.

RACE CAR PATROL:
ROADHANDLER (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am)- PL 6 (108):
Evasion, Improved Defense [2]
-A tough-guy leader who gets angry when others underestimate him due to his size.
FREEWHEELER (Lamborghini Countach)- PL 6 (108):
Evasion, Improved Defense [2]
-An easygoing type who was never meant for a life of war. His teammates understand that he's basically been forced into it.
SWINDLER (DeLorean DMC-12)- PL 6 (107):
ST -1, Toughness -1, Luck 2, Evasion, Improved Defense [1]
-The weakest of his team, but a smart guy able to see his way out of scraps. Notably the only Transformer in the line based off of a DELOREAN, that most-iconic of vehicles in the 1980s.
TAILSPIN (Porsche 962 Race Car)- PL 6 (108):
Evasion, Improved Defense [2]
-A careless type who's also a wild shot.

[xxx]http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... patrol.jpg[/img]

RESCUE PATROL:
FIXIT (Ambulance)- PL 6 (109):
Fearless, Will +2 [3]
-A courageous Leader who never gives up.
RED HOT (Fire Engine)- PL 5 (106):
Fearless [1]
-A thrill-seeker known for wasting fuel on his way to greater danger.
SEAWATCH (Blue Hydrofoil)- PL 5 (106):
Environmental Adaptation- Water, Swimming 8 [10]
-Devoted to protecting innocent people and the environment (especially at sea).
STAKEOUT (Ford Taurus Police Car)- PL 5 (106):
-The overzealous ex-leader of the team. After a disastrous battle, he agreed to cede leadership to Fixit. It's believed that he was designed to look like the police cars used in the movie Robocop.

BATTLE PATROL:
* A team of actually pretty cool-looking military hardware, considering they're ultra-tiny.

BIG SHOT (Denel G6 Self-Patroled Gun)- PL 7 (114):
Blast 8 (Unreliable- 5 Uses) [8]
-A dutiful sort who's major flaw is that he's too by-the-book.
FLAK (Self-Propelled Artillery- TOS-1 Buratino)- PL 7 (114):
Blast 8 (Unreliable- 5 Uses) [8]
-An anal-retentive drill-instructor and strategist who operates with the OK from Big Shot.
SIDETRACK (Roland Anti-Aircraft Missile Launcher)- PL 7 (114):
Blast 8 (Unreliable- 5 Uses) [8]
-A single-minded fighter who focuses on destroying one (and only one) target until it is obliterated, before moving on to the next. The name, naturally, is ironic.
SUNRUNNER (E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning)- PL 6 (106):
-Like many fliers, looks down on anyone who's stuck on the ground.

CONSTRUCTION PATROL:
* A team that basically looks like Constructicons that've been placed in the wash for too long.

TAKEDOWN (Cement Mixer)- PL 6 (109):
Expertise (Construction) 10 (+11), -4 Soldier [3]
-The "foreman" of the team. A great builder, but weak on tactics.
CRUMBLE (Gray Crane Truck)- PL 6 (108):
Expertise (Construction) 8 (+9), -4 Soldier [2]
-Loves beauty, but is himself prone to accidents and demolishing things.
GROUNDPOUNDER (Orange Earth Mover)- PL 6 (108):
Expertise (Construction) 8 (+9), -4 Soldier [2]
-A "Dig First, Ask Questions Later" type. I don't imagine he calls before he digs.
NEUTRO (Yellow Bulldozer)- PL 6 (110):
Expertise (Construction) 8 (+9), Expertise (Art) 4 (+5), -4 Soldier [4]
-Stoic, but he wants the war to be over so that he can focus on his interpretive sculpture.

AIR PATROL:
* Known for their precision and lack of collateral damage while on missions. They make a Force Field when in formation, but unfortunately tend not to get along.

EAGLE EYE (Boeing McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18C Hornet)- PL 6 (119):
Improved Aim, Evasion, Extended Vision 3, Force Field 8 (Extras: Impervious) (Flaws: Requires Others) [13]
-Great vision, but a poor leader.
BLAZE MASTER (Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low Helicopter)- PL 6 (142):
"Corrosive Spray" Blast 4 Linked to Weaken Toughness 6 (Affects Objects, Ranged), Force Field 8 (Extras: Impervious) (Flaws: Requires Others), Improved Aim, Evasion [36]
-Cynical and frightening, even to his allies. Fires a corrosive spray.
SKY HIGH (Concorde Supersonic Transport)- PL 6 (116):
Improved Aim, Evasion, Force Field 8 (Extras: Impervious) (Flaws: Requires Others) [10]
-An unflappable optimist. Also a FREAKING CONCORDE, despite being super-tiny.
TREADBOLT (Stealth Bomber)- PL 6 (120):
Improved Aim, Evasion, Stealth +8, Force Field 8 (Extras: Impervious) (Flaws: Requires Others) [14]
-A stealth expert who makes most of his teammates hate him by constantly "practicing" on them. Based off of the then-famous Stealth Bomber (considered the coolest of all vehicles by my schoolmates and I), though the dimensions of the figure make him comically-fat.

MONSTER TRUCK PATROL:

BIG HAULER (Green Semi-Cab)- PL xx (106):
-A big "Negative Nelly" type who uses his cynicism to fuel his success.
HEAVY TREAD (Six-Wheeled Tractor-Pull Funny Car)- PL xx (106):
-Pulls cruel pranks on the Decepticons. His desire to constantly top himself has become an obsession to the point of weakness, making him a little nuts.
HYDRAULIC (Ford Bronco)- PL xx (106):
All-Out Attack [1]
-An unsubtle type who charges in head-first.
SLOWPOKE (1940s Ford F-150 with Monster Truck Tires)- PL xx (106):
-An ornery complainer. Stubborn to a fault.

HOT ROD PATROL:
* Act like a bunch of "hep cats". All are based off of specific cars from times gone by, unlike the more "modern" Transformers in the line.

BIG DADDY (Chevrolet Bel-Air 1957 Convertible)- PL 6 (108):
Improved Defenses, Evasion [2]
-An inexperienced leader. Those in the know say that with a bit of years behind him, he'll be one of the best the Autobots have.
GREASER (1934 Ford Deuce Coupe Hot Rod)- PL 6 (108):
Improved Defenses, Evasion [2]
-An illegal racer who used to hang out with some VERY unsavory types, before seeing the light and joining the Autobot cause. Haunted by his past. Also based off of the car that has led to people infamously thinking the Blinded By The Light song features the line "Lit up like a DOUCHE", because nobody knows what a "Deuce" is anymore, and the singer has a speech impediment in that line.
HUBS (1941 Willys Coupe Hot Rod)- PL 6 (101):
ST -1, FIGHTING -1, Dodge -1 [-5]
Energetic, but a weak fighter in way over his head. Big Daddy recognizes this and tries to protect him.
TRIP-UP (1966 Ford Mustang Fastback Hot Rod)- PL 6 (108):
All-Out Attack, Power Attack [2]
-A fight-starter prone to being overly-aggressive. Has a Kenne-Bell Supercharger to speed himself up, and often leads poor Hubs astray.

MICROMASTER COMBINERS:
* This peculiar bunch are Combiners, but of a different sort than you're used to- they're actually a pair of tiny Robots that can each form HALF of a vehicle, combining with a partner-robot to make a BIG vehicle. Well, a vehicle twice the size of a REGULAR Micromaster. They can theoretically combine with any other Micromaster, but most of them only look right if they're with their partner.

METRO SQUAD:
* A band of rescuers.

OILER & SLIDE (Tanker Oil Truck)- PL 6 (106):
-Oiler under-fuels himself for the sake of others, to the point of danger. Slide plays it cool so that others won't see how much he cares. Oiler is basically the "truck" part, while Slide is just the tank of oil.
POWER RUN & STRIKEDOWN (Hovercraft)- PL 6 (106):
-Power Run acts cool, but deep-down thinks that the Decepticons may be RIGHT about Autobots being a weaker breed. Strikedown is a bothersome pessimist who is constantly shooting down the ideas of others.
ROADBURNER & WHEEL BLAZE (Yellow Fire Engine)- PL 6 (106):
-Another tiny Fire Engine in the line. Roadburner is a big-time hero who is always out to save others, but the constant loss of war wears on his spark. Wheel Blaze is eager to a fault- his messes often require cleaning up.

ASTRO SQUAD:
* An exploration team who can fly through the cosmos with ease- various reports give them ludicrous levels of speed, so I went with a middle-road approach.

BARRAGE & HEAVE (Lunar Explorer)- PL 7 (116) & PL 6 (112):
Barrage: Space Travel 2, Expertise (Astronomy) 4 (+5), Toughness +2, Will +2 [10], Heave: INT 3, Expertise (Astronomy) 8 (+11) [6]
-Barrage is the toughest of the team- the first to join the fight, and the last to leave it. Heave is a mild-mannered astronomer, but joined the fight nonetheless. He tempers Barrage's fight-y side. Both guys notably look like they could be a lone vehicle.
PHASER & BLAST MASTER (Space Shuttle)- PL 6 (110) & PL 6 (111):
Space Travel 2 [4], Blast Master has All-Out Attack [5]
-Yet another Space Shuttle in the line. Phaser is the second-in-command, and keeps his partner in check. Blast Master is a reckless enthusiast for battle.
MOONROCK & MISSILE MASTER (Missile Transporter)- PL 6 (110) & PL 12 (138):
Space Travel 2 [4], Missile Master has Blast 12 (Ext. Range 4) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Unreliable -2) [32]
-Moonrock is a space-case hippie philosopher. Missile Master is an anal-retentive control-freak (after all, only HE carries the missile).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... rTruck.jpg[/img]

TRANSPORTS:
* These Micromasters each come with a large Battle Platform Vehicle that they share as Equipment they have to drag around. Each can become a Battle Platform.

MISSILE LAUNCHER: Equipment 7 ("Twin Missiles" Blast 10- Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Ext. Range 4- Unreliable, AE: Ramp Form, AE: "Artillery" Blast +8- Multiattack (35 points)
RETRO & SURGE (Crane Truck)- PL 10 (111):
Equipment 4, "Crane" Extra Limb [5]
-Retro is a combat veteran who's seen too many cities fall- he will die before he sees another. Surge is an eager rookie who likes Retro's stories. Each has their own Crane.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... rTruck.jpg[/img]

TANKER TRUCK: Equipment 6 ("Missiles" Blast 10- Area- 30ft. Burst, Ext. Range 4- Unreliable, AE: Ramp Form, AE: "Artillery" Blast +8- Multiattack (26 points)
PIPELINE & GUSHER (Orange Backhoe Truck)- PL 10 (109):
Equipment 3 [3]
-Pipeline is defensive and unemotional. Gusher is a wild and exciteable one- perfect contrasts.

STATIONS:
* These guys are sold singular, and with large "stations" that are effectively two-story houses that fit one guy.

FIRE STATION: Equipment 8 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Speed 6, Guns- Blast 8- Multiattack, AE: Platform Mode, Extra Floor) (37 points)
HOTHOUSE (A-10 Thunderbolt Ground Strike Airplane)- PL 7 (114):
Equipment 8 [8]
-A cautious, introspective type.

CONSTRUCTION STATION: Equipment 9 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Speed 6, Missiles +10 Burst Area, AE: Platform Mode, Extra Floor, Radar Dish) (44 points)
IRONWORKS (Yellow Semi-Truck)- PL 10 (115):
Equipment 9 [9]
-A crazy guy who builds weird creations that dot the landscape around his base. Other Autobots suggest he be removed from his position, but there is a lack of Autobots to man the Station, and so there it sits.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/9 ... ownToy.jpg[/img]

VEHICLES:
* Single figures who ride giant vehicles that are still smaller than your standard Regular Car Autobot.

ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE: Equipment 9 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Speed 7, Guns- Missiles +10 Burst Area, AE: Cannon Blast 11, AE: Blasters +8 Multiattack, AE: Base Mode) (45 points)
GROUNDSHAKER (Fictional Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (115):
Equipment 9 [9]
-Drives like a maniac, and based off of a potential "F-19" that was never produced.

ROCKET BASE: Equipment 10 (Gargantuan Size, Strength 12, Toughness 12, Speed 5, Gunner Pod- Blast 6, Big Laser +10, AE: Base Mode, Launch Pad, "Rocket" Equipment 3, "Shuttle Rover"- Equipment 1) (47 points)
COUNTDOWN (Moon Rover)- PL 8 (132):
Equipment 10, FIGHTING +4, Accurate Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Blast), Power Attack, Ranged Attack +4 [26]
-The single-largest Transformers toy of 1989, which just you just how much the line had shifted by that point. Countdown himself is a legendary space hero- a Buck Rogers type who's flown around the galaxy, righting wrongs and unseating galactic tyrants. Now he fights Decepticons, and longs for the day when he can go back to his old position. His base is effectively a vehicle that BECOMES a base, and contains both an interplanetary rocket and a tiny Roller Car. I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to find a completed one of these.

BATTLEFIELD HEADQUARTERS: Equipment 12 (Gargantuan Size, Strength 12, Toughness 12, Speed 7, Blasters +8 Multiattack, Missiles +10 Burst Area, Ext. Range 2- Unreliable, AE: Base Mode, Launch Pad, AE: "Space Shuttle" & "Fighter Jet" Modes) (60 points)
"Space Shuttle" Huge Vehicle- Space Travel 2, "Jet" Huge Vehicle- Flight 8
FULL-BARREL & OVERFLOW (Tractor-Trailer Rig)- PL 10 (118):
Equipment 12 [12]
-Entertainly, these two combine to form a smaller version of their H.Q.! The H.Q. itself has a boatload of weaponry attached to it, AND can Transform into two DIFFERENT vehicles- both of them flyers! This is basically an Alternate Effect of the Rig itself (even Batman is allowed a full Batboat as an Alt-Effect of his Batmobile, so it's legal and established). Full-Barrel is a "Full Speed Ahead!" type of guy. Overflow is a calm, meticulous type who tries to control Full-Barrel. Unfortunately, he's the REAR of the Big Rig!

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/e ... rector.jpg[/img]

MICROMASTER TRANSPORTS:
* Micromasters that could link up with Vehicles they dragged around.

ERECTOR (Yellow Semi-Cab)- PL 8 (112):
Equipment 6 (Crane Trailer- Guns +9- Multiattack, Crane, Battle Platform Mode) (29) [6]
-Horrifed by the destruction of war, and strives to stem the loss of life and collateral damage. His name is as hilarious as his appearances in the fiction are short. He pulls a HUGE Crane Trailer, and is rather-detailed (he has WINDSHIELD WIPERS only 3.2 mm long). He's one of many Trademarks lost to the franchise, as the "Erector Set" makes now own full copywrite, and toy companies aren't allowed to just use each other's names as easily as they could in the '80s. Some goof-offs decided to stage a big campaign to get him nominated to the Transformers Hall Of Fame, leading to an odd bit of fame for a guy who, at that point, had only ever had a single official line in anything.
OVERLOAD (Blue Semi-Cab)- PL 7 (117):
Equipment 9 (Carrier Trailer w/ Jet Mode- Large Size, Flight 8, Guns +8- Multiattack) (42), Expertise (Soldier) +4 [11]
-An obsessive desire to become the best battlefield tactician has led to him going a bit nuts after he tried TOO HARD to find out how Decepticons think. Despite his now non-combat posting (his superiors got worried), he still thinks about it.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0 ... bshock.jpg[/img]

MICROMASTERS (Decepticons)
Alternate Mode:
Various Tiny Vehicles
Role: Swarm of Good Guys
Group Affiliations: The Autobots, The Micromasters
PL 6 (104)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Blasters +6- Multiattack), Ranged Attack 2, Startle

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Flight 7 (250 mph) [14]
"Robot Legs" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Metal Body" Protection 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Blaster +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Enemy (The Autobots)
Disabled (Lack of Energon)- Transformers require lots of energy to function.
Involuntary Transformation (Separate Components)- Some odd things can break apart a Gestalt- being shot in a specific area, or simply being subjected to an earthquake. In these cases, the Gestalt breaks down and the separate Combiners fall to the ground. They seem to be unable or unwilling to just pop back together once this happens.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 48 + 4 / Defenses: 8 (104)

-Decepticon Micromasters are better at Intimidation, but lack teamwork, like most Decepticons.

MICROMASTER PATROLS:
RACE TRACK PATROL:
* Reckless, unlawful drivers known for engaging in illegal "street races" (which I guess is a thing on Cybertron).
BARRICADE (Ligier JS31 Formula 1 Car)- PL 6 (104):
-A cruel ex-gang leader prone to leading street races. Often angrily dresses-down his teammates.
GROUND HOG (Dodge Shelby Charager Funny Car)- PL 6 (107):
Technology +6 [3]
-A team player who gladly fixes the others. He steals parts from the Autobots to accomplish this.
MOTORHEAD (1987 Callaway B2K Corvette)- PL 6 (104):
-Obsessed with Barricade's approval, to the point where it causes him to not pay attention while in battle ("did Barricade see what I just did?").
ROLLER FORCE (Baja Buggy)- PL 6 (104):
-Views everything as an obstacle to his success- including his allies.

MILITARY PATROL:
* Brutal, unrelenting bullies. Their power-hungry nature causes infighting that holds them back.
BOMBSHOCK (Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank)- PL 7 (123):
Blast 8, Power Attack, Soldier +4 [19]
-And older, merciless warrior.
TRACER (AH-64 Apache Helicopter)- PL 6 (104):
"Rotor As Melee Weapon" Strength-Damage +2 (Multiattack 8) (Removable) [8]
He respects Bombshell enough to make him the only Decepticon who wants his superior officer PROMOTED, instead of killed.
GROWL (FMC XR311 Combat Support Vehicle)- PL 6 (104):
-A sadistic bully who's perfectly-happy just killing people, but voices ambition because he's afraid everyone will think it a sign of weakness if he doesn't.
DROPSHOT (Armored Personell Carrier)- PL 6 (105):
Fearless [1]
-Feels no pain, nor fear.

AIR STRIKE PATROL:
* Act like miniature Seekers. Each is as ambitious as Starscream, too.
WHISPER (F-19 Stealth Fighter)- PL 6 (106):
Stealth +4 [2]
-Represents a fictional "F-19" jet. He's in command because he's brave than Nightflight, smarter than Storm Cloud, and bolder than Tailwind.
STORM CLOUD (Dassault Rafale Fighter Jet)- PL 6 (123):
Technology +6, "Scramblers" Nullify Senses 8 (Area- Radar Perception) [19]
-A less-capable version of Starscream- he's too stupid to really pull it off. His electromagnetic scramblers affect enemy radar, and he's a good hacker as well.
TAILWIND (A-10 Thunderbold Ground Strike Plane)- PL 6 (104):
-A quiet opportunist, waiting for his time to strike.
NIGHTFLIGHT (Grumman F-14D Tomcat Fighter Jet)- PL 6 (109):
Stealth +6, Deception +4 [5]
-A spy out for cheap kills. Seen as cowardly by his allies.

[xxx]http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/or ... patrol.jpg[/img]

SPORTS CAR PATROL:
* A "road clearance" unit out to remove debris from the field of battle before the main strike. Typically they just demolish everything.
BLACKJACK (1988 Ford Probe GT Turbo)- PL 6 (110):
AWA +2, Luck 2 [6]
-The cleverest, not the strongest. Very lucky.
DETOUR (Corvette Indy Car)- PL 6 (105):
Evasion [1]
-Good at tactical retreats. Does so mainly out of vanity.
HYPERDRIVE (Mitsubishi X2S Concept Car)- PL 6 (104):
-A violent jerk. No depth to him at all- he's just a vicious asshole.
ROAD HUGGER (Ferrari 408 Integrale Concept Car)- PL 6 (109):
INT +1, AWA +1, Fearless [5]
-A brash, defiant warrior, contemptuous of all authority. Smart and brave, though.

COMBINERS:
* Like the Autobots, they've got six-packs of guys made up of duos who have to combine together to make up a whole vehicle (though a couple look serviceable when alone).

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5 ... l-toys.jpg[/img]

BATTLE SQUAD:
* They've got good tracking systems, and attack from afar.

DIRECT HIT & POWER PUNCH (Cannon Transport)- PL 6 (120):
Power Punch has Cannon (Blast 10- Removable) [16]
-Direct Hit is the leader, promoted to his level of incompetence, as he was a great warrior, but not so good at leading (this is called the "Peter Principle" in business, and is a major problem, as a business that's been around long enough will inevitably have EVERYONE promoted to the level where they can no longer succeed, leading to a squad on incompetents). He's a tenacious targeter, however. Power Punch is a loyal #2, who blames the squad's problems on the others, not the boss.
HALF-TRACK & MELTDOWN (Anti-Aircraft Half-Track)- PL 6 (104):
-Half-Track is an over-eager guy who gets so hyped-up he starts talking at lightning speed. Meltdown is an angry sort who just wants to run into everything.
VANQUISH & FIRESHOT (SR-71 Blackbird Fighter Jet)- PL 6 (112):
Vanquish: Stealth +8 [4]; Fireshot: Stealth +6, Perception +6, Investigation 4 [8]
-Vanquish is a stealthy, ambitious type who flies under the radar. Fireshot is a paranoid intelligence-gatherer. Unfortunately, all he ever picks up is people making fun of him for thinking he's important enough to be worth plotting against.

CONSTRUCTION SQUAD:
* Mini-Constructicons, who love creating newer shrines to the Decepticons.

STONECRUNCHER & EXCAVATOR (Yellow Crane Truck)- PL 6 (110):
Expertise (Construction) 8 [4], Stonecruncher also has Extra Limb 1 & Elongation 2 (Limited to Crane) [6]
-The 9,000th Crane Truck in the Transformers line. Stonecruncher is an eager frat-boy type who cries "Decepticons RULE!", while Excavator is a quiet sort.
GRIT & KNOCKOUT (Purple Backhoe)- PL 6 (108):
Expertise (Construction) 8 [4]
-Grit thinks that the Decepticons will rule the world, and is eager to help build that empire. Knockout gets in over his head, and faints when he gets too excited.
SLEDGE & HAMMER (Dump Truck)- PL 6 (108):
Sledge: Expertise (Construction) 2 [1], Hammer: Expertise (Construction) 8 [4]
-Sledge is a warrior first, builder second. Hammer is smart, but lacks imagination.

TRANSPORT:
* They come with vehicles that can also transform.

INTERSTELLAR JET: Equipment 9 (Large Size, Strength 8, Toughness 9, Flight 8, Guns- Missiles +10 Burst Area, AE: Aircraft Carrier Mode) (37 points)
FLATTOP (F4 Phantom Jet)- PL 6 (112):
Equipment 8 (Mini-Boat "Aircraft Carrier", AE: Mini-Interstellar Jet) [8]
-Comes with a miniature AIRCRAFT CARRIER (basically a small dinghy at this scale, however). He likes to strafe from afar, using the automated setting on his Carrier to double up.

MINI-JET: Equipment 9 (Large Size, Strength 8, Toughness 9, Flight 8, Guns- Missiles +10 Burst Area, AE: Mini-Cab Mode) (37 points)
ROUGHSTUFF (Military Cab)- PL 6 (109):
Equipment 5 (Mini-Jet, AE: Big Cab) [5]
-Sort of a mini-Optimus Prime, he carries a massive Cab that converts into a Jet. He's a trigger-happy sort who thinks "aiming" is for sissies. Because of this, the Decepticon command has put him as far from the front lines as possible.

TRANSPORTS:
* These Micromasters each come with a large Battle Platform Vehicle that they share as Equipment they have to drag around. Each can become a Battle Platform.

CANNON TRANSPORT: Equipment 6 ("Missiles" Blast 10- Area- 30ft. Burst, Ext. Range 4- Unreliable, AE: Ramp Form, AE: "Artillery" Blast +8- Multiattack (26 points)
CEMENT-HEAD & TERROR-TREAD (Blue Dump Truck)- PL 10 (107):
Equipment 3 [3]
-Cement-Head "talks the talk", while Terror-Tread has to "walk the walk" and back up his threats.

STATIONS:
* These guys are sold singular, and with large "stations" that are effectively two-story houses that fit one guy.

GAS STATION: Equipment 8 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Speed 6, Guns- Blast 9- Multiattack, AE: Platform Mode, Extra Floor) (40 points)
GREASEPIT (Monster Pickup Truck)- PL 6 (112):
Equipment 8 [8]
-A surprise-artist who jumps people who try to refuel at his tiny gas station.

AIRPORT: Equipment 9 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Speed 6, Missiles +10 Burst Area, AE: Platform Mode) (42 points)
AIRWAVE (Grumman F-14D Tomcat Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (113):
Equipment 9 [9]
-A redeco of Nightflight. He's a crook who used to take bribes to look the other way during airbase inspections. As a result, the other Decepticons don't much like him.

VEHICLES:
* Single figures who ride giant vehicles that are still smaller than your standard Regular Car Autobot.

HELICOPTER: Equipment 9 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Flight 7, Guns- Missiles +10 Burst, AE: Blast 11, AE: Blasters +8 Multiattack, AE: Base Mode) (52 points)
SKYHOPPER (Dassault Rafale Fighter Jet)- PL 10 (115):
Equipment 11 [11]
-A pyromaniac who just likes to watch stuff burn. Not the brightest bulb in the drawer. A redeco of Storm Cloud, too.

INTERSTELLAR SHUTTLE: Equipment 9 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Flight 7, Guns- Blast 11 (Multiattack), AE: Blasters +8 Multiattack, AE: Base Mode, Detachable Tiny Ship- Flying Motorcycle Statistically) (69 points)
SKYSTALKER (Porsche 959 Sports Car)- PL 10 (117):
ST -1, Toughness -1, Deception +4, Equipment 14 [13]
-A wimp who makes up for it by scheming connivingly.

[xxx]http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/3 ... se_toy.jpg[/img]

ANTI-AIRCRAFT BASE: Equipment 9 (Huge Size, Strength 10, Toughness 10, Speed 7, Guns- Missiles +10 Burst Area, AE: Cannon Blast 11, AE: Blasters +8 Multiattack, AE: Base Mode) (45 points)
BLACKOUT & SPACESHOT (B-1 Bomber Jet)- PL 10 (108) & PL 10 (109):
Equipment 4 & 5, respectively [4] [5]
-Blackout's job is to inspire the troops with speeches. However, he is a coward who will run at the first sign things aren't going his way- only the bravery of his teammate keeps him from doing so constantly. He is the only Micromaster toy able to turn his head. Spaceshot is a truly-valiant soldier who will give his all for even the most hopeless causes.


UNICRON
Alternate Mode:
Giant Planet
Role: Living Planet, Ultimate Evil
PL 21 (568)
STRENGTH
29 STAMINA -- AGILITY -3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 12 AWARENESS 6 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 4 (+16)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 9 (+21)
Expertise (History) 4 (+16)
Intimidation 1 (+7, +22 Size)
Investigation 4 (+10)
Perception 9 (+15)
Persuasion 3 (+8)
Technology 4 (+16)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Jack-of-All-Trades, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round w/ HP Spent), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 12, Startle, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Robots In Disguise"
Senses 2 (Extended & Low-Light Vision) [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"More Than Meets The Eye" Morph 1 (Giant Planet) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

"Space Traveller"
Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) [6]
"All-Seeing" Remote Senses (Vision & Hearing) 20 [60]
Comprehend 4 (Languages 4) [8]

"Cosmic Mind"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Space) [2]
Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks) [3]

"100% Consistent & Sensical Transformer Size- Planetary Scale"
Growth 30 (Str & Toughness +30, +30 Mass, +15 Intimidation, -15 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -30 Stealth) -- (192 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [61]
Growth +54 (+84 Mass, -84 Stealth) -- (16,384,000 feet) (Extras: Permanent +0) (Flaws: Limited to Non-STR & Toughness Gains) [54]
"Planetary Crust" Impervious Toughness 27 [27]

"Tentacles" Snare 13 (Extras: Multiattack, Reaction +3) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Being Inside of Him -2) [52]

"Phenomenal Cosmic Power"
Move Object 20 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Perception Range) (61) -- [64]
AE: "Far-Reaching Torturous Blast" Blast 16 (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to His Own Empowered Creations -2) (16)
AE: "Devour Worlds" Damage 26 (Extras: Affects Objects Only +0, Limited to Planets, Distracting) Linked to Weaken Toughness 26 (Flaws: Affects Objects Only +0, Limited to Planets, Distracting) (13)
AE: "Sense Energy" Senses 22 (Detect Energy- Ranged 17- 1,600 trillion miles, Acute & Analytical, Tracking) (22)

"Empower Others"
Morph 2 (Other Robot Forms) (Extras: Affects Others Only +0, Continuous) [12]
"Power Boost" Variable 4 (Extra Robotic Might) (Extras: Affects Others Only +0, Continuous) [32]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+29 Damage, DC 44)
Torturous Blast -- (+16 Perception-Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative -5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +30 (+14 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +14

Complications:
Motivation (Devouring Planets)
Weakness (The Autobot Matrix of Leadership)- It is the one thing that can destroy Unicron.
Quirk (Thinner Shell)- Though he has a huge Toughness save, Unicron's shell is relatively-easy to damage for giant robots. Many things can infiltrate his body from the making of "small" wounds that otherwise do no damage.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 419 / Defenses: 52 (568)

-Unicron debuted in the Movie as the kind of legendary Grand Ultimate Villain you usually only see in comic books- a LIVING PLANET that devours other worlds. Oddly enough, he appears with absolutely no warning or foreshadowing, or even an explanation as to WHAT he is, or where he came from- he just shows up, is Unicron, and eats a planet. Then he's talking to Megatron and "re-writing" he and his injured teammates into newer, more-powerful warriors, declaring that "the Autobot Matrix of Leadership" is the only thing that can destroy him. This is technically a weakness in the plot, but really all you care about is "HELLZ YEAH A GIANT PLANET IS FRICKIN' EATING GIANT ROBOT PLANETS, BITCH!!!" And then the giant planet TRANSFORMS INTO A HUMANOID ROBOT.
-So it turns out that Unicron was built to be a planet-devourer by an evil scientist who wanted to scour the universe clean so that he could experiment on stuff, but Unicron was mighty and rebellious, and just kinda went off to do his own thing. You can tell that he's devouring worlds for sustenance, at least (the movie cleverly shows this by showing the materials of a planet cause his internal systems to operate, and his body to light up). No idea how he knows about all this stuff, but he's been around since the Dawn of the Universe, so he's probably just a good study. He makes a bargain with Megatron and his dying soldiers, remakes them into newer, more-powerful fighters, and sends them to destroy the Matrix. However, the newly-rechristened Galvatron plans to betray his new master and punish him with the Matrix... but a Decepticon cannot use it, and so Unicron agonizes him with some kind of far-reaching blast, and then promises "for a time, I considered SPARING your wretched little planet. But now... you shall witness... it's DISMEMBERMENT!" Only the timely intervention of Hot Rod saves the day, as he wrests the Matrix from Galvatron's giant trophy necklace, unleashes its power, and "lights their darkest hour"- Unicron simply explodes, his head scooting across the cosmos.
-Unicron gets an Origin Story in the TV show, and even reappears (sorta), as his head is reactivated by the ghost of Starscream. Unicron gives him a new body so that he can resurrect the two of them... but Starscream of course betrays him (because he's STARSCREAM), and the head is sent off once again- his components are later used by a super-genius Grimlock to build the Technobots.
-Unicron is a GREAT menace, though- just an implacable, cosmic bad-ass with an aura of invincibility around him. A lot of that comes from that VOICE- sure, it's a bit weird to receive a "get" like Orson Welles, then electronically-alter his voice so that it barely sounds like him, but he's got this immense basso profundo rumble that REALLY pulls off the whole "Grand Cosmic Villain" thing. He's humorless, vicious and demanding, but not without some funny lines (largely insulting Megatron/Galvatron: "Your bargaining platform is... DUBIOUS." "You EXAGGERATE."). Welles, of course, hated the project (declaring that his name was "such and such" and that he defeated "something or other" but was then blown up by "somebody"), which I would imagine a once-famous and well-thought-of performer would feel about voicing a cartoon character meant to advertise a toyline.
-Bizarrely, despite being the Main Villain of Transformers: The Movie- a film all about selling toys... they NEVER MADE A TOY OF HIM. One was about to be produced, standing at 12" high and packing a voice chip and a "Planet Mode" transformation, but it was cancelled due to flimsy arms, a faulty chip, and cost concerns (this was before they made many GIANT Transformers). It wasn't until 1996 that most fans had seen the model mock-up. It would actually be 2003 before we'd see ANY Unicron toys- this one was meant for the Armada cartoon, and is EPIC. It's tall, well-built, and even looks like the character (complete with the giant Inexplicable Bat-Wings)- a proper re-tool in 2010 made him look almost exactly like the Movie version.
-Naturally, he causes a MESS in terms of Scale. As he's a moving, talking PLANET, he's beyond enormous. And yet there are countless scenes where other characters are visible while he's mostly in-frame. At one point, he picks Galvatron up between his fingers and SWALLOWS him- the size of the villain to Unicron's fingers means that Galvatron would have to literally be miles tall to make that "work". Various other characters are seen fighting him, causing similar issues.
-Unicron is as powerful as you'd expect, and essentially unkillable without the Matrix holding him back. Thankfully I've already statted up two planets before (GOD I love comics!), so the whole "Size" thing was easy enough to figure out.

xxxxxxxxxx



xxxxx


Growth 1 (Str & Toughness +1, +1 Mass, +0 Intimidation, -0 Dodge/Parry, -1 Stealth) -- (8 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [3]
Growth 2 (Str & Toughness +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Growth 3 (Str & Toughness +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Growth 4 (Str & Toughness +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
Growth 5 (Str & Toughness +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Growth 7 (Str & Toughness +7, +7 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -7 Stealth) -- (25 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [15]
Growth 8 (Str & Toughness +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (30 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
Growth 9 (Str & Toughness +9, +9 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -9 Stealth) -- (36 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [19]
Growth 10 (Str & Toughness +10, +10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -10 Stealth) -- (42 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [21]
Growth 11 (Str & Toughness +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -11 Stealth) -- (50 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [23]
Growth 12 (Str & Toughness +12, +12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -12 Stealth) -- (60 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [25]
Growth 13 (Str & Toughness +13, +13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (75 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [27]
Growth 14 (Str & Toughness +14, +14 Mass, +7 Intimidation, -7 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -14 Stealth) -- (90 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [29]
Growth 15 (Str & Toughness +15, +15 Mass, +7 Intimidation, -7 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -15 Stealth) -- (105 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [31]
Growth 16 (Str & Toughness +16, +16 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -16 Stealth) -- (120 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [33]
Growth 17 (Str & Toughness +17, +17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (150 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [35]
Growth 18 (Str & Toughness +18, +18 Mass, +9 Intimidation, -9 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -18 Stealth) -- (170 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [37]
Growth 19 (Str & Toughness +19, +19 Mass, +9 Intimidation, -9 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -19 Stealth) -- (210 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [39]
Growth 20 (Str & Toughness +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]
Growth 25 (Str & Sta +25, +25 Mass, +12 Intimidation, -12 Dodge/Parry, +6 Speed) -- (480 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [49] 96
Growth 26 (Str & Sta +24, +24 Mass, +12 Intimidation, -12 Dodge/Parry, +6 Speed) -- (576 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [49] 96
Growth 27 (Str & Sta +27, +27 Mass, +13 Intimidation, -13 Dodge/Parry, +6 Speed) -- (672 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [49] 96
Growth 24 (Str & Sta +24, +24 Mass, +12 Intimidation, -12 Dodge/Parry, +6 Speed) -- (384 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [49] 96


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules, Power Girl
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares // Superman, Wonder Woman
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword), Hawkman
+16: Captain America, Black Canary
+17: Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, Batman

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones, Batman, Hawkman
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix, Aquaman
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite, Atom-Smasher, Supergirl II
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts, Mary Marvel
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse, Wonder Woman I
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker // Wonder Woman II, Power Girl
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift, Ultra-Boy
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects) // Superboy I, Mon-El, Captain Marvel
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust // Superman (Modern)
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe), Superman I
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)



OTHER:
Unicron


POWER LEVELS:
MELEE:
PL 2.5: Spike
PL 3.5: Daniel,
PL 4: Hubs,
PL 4.5: Gun Guys, Swindler,
PL 5: Tiptop, Action Master Allies, Micromasters,
PL 6: Tapes, Sharkticons,
PL 6.5: Overkill, Slugfest, Beastbox, Legout,
PL 7: Reflector, Squawkbox, Ravage, Steeljaw, Decibel, Small Pretenders, Wheelie, Sweeps, Perceptor, Countdown, Junkions,
PL 7.5: Mini-Cars, Cosmos, Ratchet, Small Targetmasters, Seaspray, Monster Pretenders, Triggercons, Firecons,
PL 8: Bumblebee, Gears, Other Autobots, Targetmasters, Small Headmasters, Pretenders, Other Decepticons,
PL 8.5: Huffer,
PL 9: Hound, Banzai-Tron, Powermasters, Blurr, Quickswitch, Sandstorm, Slingshot, Nautilator,
PL 9.5: Regular Cars, Wheeljack, Seekers, Inferno, Gunrunner, Skyhammer, Insecticons, Astrotrain, Constructicons, Stunticons, Combaticons, Aerialbots, Technobots, Protectobots, Seacons, Octane,
PL 10: Brawn, Jazz, Ramjet, Headmasters, Deluxe Insecticons, Blitzwing, Arcee, Terrorcons, Predacons, Hot Rod (Rookie),
PL 10.5: Starscream, Soundwave, Scourge, Motormaster, Onslaught, Silverbolt, Scattershot, Hot Spot, Snaptrap,
PL 11: Prowl, Ironhide, Blaster, Shockwave, Bludgeon, Sixshot, Springer, Hun-Gurrr, Monstructor, Hot Rod (Experienced), Wreck-Gar, Lynx Attachment,
PL 11.5: Cyclonus, Thunderwing, Jetfire,
PL 12: Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, Megatron, Galvatron, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus Prime,
PL 13: Optimus Prime, Grimlock,
PL 13.5: Sky Lynx,
PL 14.5: Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Superion, Abominus, Piranacon, Predaking,
PL 15: Computron, Defensor,

GUNS:
PL 5: Swerve, Slamdance,
PL 6: Tapes, Sharkticons, Micromasters,
PL 7: Mini-Cars, Gears, Cosmos, Brawn, Reflector, Seaspray, Wheelie, Sweeps, Monster Pretenders, Other Decepticons, Triggercons, Firecons, Junkions,
PL 7.5: Huffer, Ratchet, Action Masters, Small Pretenders,
PL 8: Bumblebee, Other Autobots, Bludgeon, Perceptor, Countdown,
PL 8.5: Action Masters, Pretenders, Quickswitch, Sandstorm, Terrorcons (Beast Mode), Seacons (Beast Mode),
PL 9: Hound, Misfire, Deluxe Vehicles, Powermasters, Monstructor, Predacons,
PL 9.5: Regular Cars, Small Targetmasters, Small Headmasters, Inferno, Terrorcons (Beast Mode), Seacons (Beast Mode),
PL 10: Jazz, Wheeljack, Targetmasters, Ironhide, Seekers, Headmasters, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, Skyhammer, Blurr, Insecticons, Deluxe Insecticons, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Arcee, Constructicons, Stunticons, Combaticons, Motormaster, Onslaught, Aerialbots, Silverbolt, Technobots, Scattershot, Protectobots, Hot Spot, Hun-Gurrr, Snaptrap, Octane, Predacons (Robot Mode), Hot Rod (Rookie),
PL 10.5:
PL 11: Prowl, Starscream, Soundwave, Blaster, Grimlock, Thunderwing, Sixshot, Scourge, Springer, Rodimus Prime, Hot Rod (Experienced), Wreck-Gar,
PL 11.5: Cyclonus,
PL 12: Shockwave, Megatron, Jetfire, Ultra Magnus, Missile Master,
PL 13: Optimus Prime, Galvatron, Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Superion, Computron, Defensor, Abominus, Piranacon, Predaking, Sky Lynx,
PL 14.5:

PARRY:
PL 3: Spike,
PL 3.5: Daniel,
PL 5: Gun Guys, Action Master Allies,
PL 5.5: Swindler, Hubs,
PL 6: Tapes, Sharkticons, Micromasters,
PL 6.5: Overkill, Slugfest, Beastbox, Grand Slam, Slamdance, Saur, Legout, Decibel,
PL 7: Reflector, Ravage, Sweeps, Barrage, Triggercons, Firecons, Junkions,
PL 7.5: Bumblebee, Mini-Cars, Cosmos, Small Targetmasters, Action Masters, Seaspray, Perceptor,
PL 8: Huffer, Ratchet, Other Autobots, Targetmasters, Wheelie, Countdown, Other Decepticons,
PL 8.5: Gears, Quickswitch, Sandstorm, Monster Pretenders,
PL 9: Brawn, Hound, Deluxe Vehicles, Powermasters, Small Pretenders,
PL 9.5: Regular Cars, Wheeljack, Small Headmasters, Inferno, Insecticons, Constructicons, Stunticons, Combaticons, Aerialbots, Terrorcons, Nautilator,
PL 10: Jazz, Seekers, Deluxe Vehicles, Pretenders, Blurr, Deluxe Insecticons, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Arcee, Technobots, Protectobots, Seacons, Octane, Predacons, Hot Rod (Rookie),
PL 10.5: Gunrunner, Skyhammer, Motormaster, Onslaught, Silverbolt, Hun-Gurrr, Lynx Attachment,
PL 11: Prowl, Ironhide, Starscream, Soundwave, Blaster, Bludgeon, Sixshot, Scourge, Springer, Scattershot, Hot Spot, Snaptrap, Monstructor, Hot Rod (Experienced), Wreck-Gar,
PL 11.5: Shockwave, Cyclonus,
PL 12: Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, Thunderwing, Megatron, Jetfire, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus Prime,
PL 13: Optimus Prime, Grimlock, Galvatron,
PL 14: Piranacon, Predaking, Sky Lynx,
PL 14.5: Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Computron, Abominus,
PL 15: Superion, Defensor,

DODGE:
PL 2.5: Spike
PL 5: Gun Guys, Action Master Allies,
PL 5.5: Daniel, Swindler,
PL 6: Tapes, Sharkticons, Micromasters,
PL 6.5: Beastbox, Grand Slam, Slamdance, Saur, Legout, Decibel,
PL 7: Reflector, Ravage, Sweeps, Barrage, Triggercons, Firecons, Junkions,
PL 7.5: Bumblebee, Mini-Cars, Cosmos, Small Targetmasters, Action Masters, Seaspray,
PL 8: Huffer, Ratchet, Other Autobots, Targetmasters, Wheelie, Perceptor, Other Decepticons,
PL 8.5: Gears, Deluxe Vehicles, Quickswitch, Sandstorm, Monster Pretenders,
PL 9: Brawn, Hound, Powermasters, Small Pretenders,
PL 9.5: Regular Cars, Small Headmasters, Inferno, Insecticons, Constructicons, Technobots, Protectobots, Terrorcons, Seacons, Predacons,
PL 10: Jazz, Wheeljack, Seekers, Headmasters, Pretenders, Blurr, Deluxe Insecticons, Astrotrain, Bludgeon, Blitzwing, Arcee, Stunticons, Combaticons, Aerialbots, Scattershot, Hot Spot, Hun-Gurrr, Snaptrap, Octane, Hot Rod (Rookie), Lynx Attachment,
PL 10.5: Ironhide, Gunrunner, Skyhammer, Motormaster, Onslaught, Silverbolt,
PL 11: Prowl, Starscream, Soundwave, Blaster, Sludge, Sixshot, Scourge, Springer, Monstructor, Hot Rod (Experienced), Wreck-Gar,
PL 11.5: Slag, Snarl, Shockwave, Cyclonus,
PL 12: Swoop, Thunderwing, Megatron, Jetfire, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus Prime,
PL 12.5: Grimlock,
PL 13: Optimus Prime, Galvatron, Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Superion, Defensor,
PL 14: Abominus, Piranacon, Predaking, Sky Lynx,
PL 14.5: Computron,


PL 3: Spike Witwicky,
PL 5: Targetmaster Guns, Actionmaster Allies
PL 6: Daniel Witwicky, Eject, Rewind, Ramhorn, Grand Slam, Raindance, Dile, Saur, Graphy, Noise, Micromasters; Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Ratbat, Wingthing, Squawktalk, The Sharkticons, Micromasters
PL 7: Slamdance, Legout, Decibel, The Junkions, Micromasters (Big Shot, Flak, Sidetrack, Barrage, Overload); Reflector, Ravage, Overkill, Slugfest, Beastbox, Squawkbox, The Sweeps, Bombshock
PL 8: Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Bumblejumper, Hubcap, Windcharger, Beachcomber, Powerglide, Warpath, Pipes, Outback, Swerve, Tailgate, Throttlebots, Sparkabots, Triggerbots, Ratchet, Cosmos, Seaspray, Punch/Counterpunch, The Jumpstarters, Camshaft, Wheelie, Perceptor, Scamper, Slammer, Six-Gun, Erector; Downshift, Doubledealer, Gutcruncher, Axer, Duocons, Battlechargers, Pounce & Wingspan, Triggercons, Firecons, Lord Zarak, Fasttrack, The Quintessons
PL 9: Huffer, Gears, Overdrive, The Monsterbots, Hosehead, Powermasters, Actionmasters, Quickswitch, Sandstorm, Doubleheader, Pincher, Longtooth; Horri-Bull, Squeezeplay, Fangry, Darkwing, Dreadwind, Krok, Banzai-Tron, Treadshot, Strangehold, Octopunch, Pretender Monsters
PL 10: Brawn, Jazz, Mirage, Bluestreak, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker, Tracks, Skids, Grapple, Smokescreen, Hoist, Red Alert, Wheeljack, Hound, Inferno, Whirl, Roadbuster, Blurr, Kup, Headmasters, Targetmasters, Arcee, The Aerialbots, The Protectobots, The Technobots, Pretenders, Broadside, Micromasters Vehicles & Stations; Skywarp, Thundercracker, Dirge, Ramjet, Thrust, Sunstorm, The Insecticons, Headmasters, Targetmasters, The Constructicons, The Stunticons, The Combaticons, The Terrorcons, The Seacons, The Predacons, Octane, The Pretenders, Micromasters Vehicles & Stations
PL 11: Ironhide, Prowl, Blaster, Springer, Silverbolt, Red Hot, Scattershot, Gunrunner, Skyhammer, Wreck-Gar, Lynx Attachment; Starscream, Soundwave, Scourge, Sixshot, Motormaster, Onslaught, Hun-Gurrr, Roadblock, Roadgrabber, Bludgeon, Monstructor
PL 12: Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, Jetfire, Ultra Magnus, Missile Master; Rumble & Frenzy, Shockwave, Cyclonus, Thunderwing
PL 13: Optimus Prime, Grimlock; Galvatron
PL 14: Sky Lynx
PL 15: Superion, Defensor, Computron; Devastator, Menasor, Abominus, Piranacon, Predaking
PL 16: Omega Supreme
PL 17: Trypticon
PL 18: Metroplex, Fortress Maximus; Scorponok
PL 21: Unicron
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Egyptoid
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Re: Elders of the Universe

Post by Egyptoid »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu May 02, 2019 8:12 am THE ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE:

I actually really like the concept of The Elders of the Universe.

THE ASTRONOMER
Created By:
Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers
First Appearance: Silver Surfer #4 (Oct. 1987)
Role: Cosmic Cartographer
Group Affiliations: The Elders of the Universe
PL 12 (292), PL 14 (292) Astronomer
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 10 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8) Expertise (Science) 9 (+19)
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 7 (+17) Expertise (Space Traveller) 14 (+24)
Expertise (History) 4 (+14) Insight 3 (+8)
Perception 11 (+16) Technology 9 (+19)
Vehicles 6 (+10)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Elder of the Universe), Diehard, Great Endurance, Jack-of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 7, Tracking, Ultimate Space Traveller Skill, Trance

Powers:
"The Power Primordial"
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Immortality 3 (1 week) [6]
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [3]
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Other Elders) [1]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]
Senses 15 (Sense Distance, Detect Energy- Ranged 10, Acute & Analytical, Tracking) [15]

"Far-Seeing Eyepiece" (Flaws: Removable) [8]
Senses 9 (Low-Light Vision, Extended Vision 8- 1 billion miles) (9 points)

Teleport 15 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (60) -- [61]
AE: "Hand Lasers" Blast 13 (Feats: Extended Range 2- x400 ft., Split, Penetrating 8) (37)


Complications:
Obsession (Astronomy)- The Astronomer has devoted his millennia-old existence to cataloguing the entire cosmos and all it's splendor- he rarely deals with individual beings.
Power Loss (Barren Worlds)- Though he wields incredible power, The Gardener cannot create something from nothing- without first seeding a world, or having plant material available to him, he has little power.

-The Fantastic Four book from the Marvel SAGA System outlines other powers for this guy, including Gravity, Light & Radiation Control, none of which are listed anywhere else, so I'm not sure where that comes from.
This is from the Astronomer Write-Up from Marvel FASERIP, which corroborates the SAGA version:

Powers
Immortality: Like all Elders Astronomer has been bared from Death's realm
Invulnerabilities: Class 1000 resistance vs Heat, Cold, Electricity, Radiation Toxins and Diseases
Power Primordial: Unearthly, with the following abilities/power stunts.
  • Electromagnetic Radiation detection / manipulation / generation
    Solar Regeneration (heal in sunlight)
    Teleportation
    Cosmic Awareness

True Invulnerability: Good
Life-support: Shift-Z

Talents
Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics

Contacts
Elders of the Universe

also, a cut and paste error may have put a complication from the Gardener on the Astronomer.

Thanks for the writeups, your work had made my GMing in the marvel universe a walk in the park
(Central Park, no doubt)
<<<<< <<<< MARVEL SUPERHEROES :arrow: Thunderfury Comics >>>>>>> >>>>>>
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's RoninArmy Build Dump

Post by Jabroniville »

Lol, so THIS thread just became a little more important.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

The Externals

Post by Jabroniville »

THE EXTERNALS:
-Welcome to that horrible morass of evil that all comic book readers fear to tread... the realm of The Liefeld.
-The Externals (or High Lords- they could never settle on a permanent name, which was very confusing for the narrative... Jim Shooter would not approve). That's gotta go down as one of those weird things in comics. Basically, Gideon came in to the later "New Mutants" issues (right before the "X-Force" switch) to teach Roberto DaCosta (aka Sunspot) about business and stuff, after killing the boy's father. But it turned out Gideon was really one of many Immortal Mutants who was searching for the new 'birth' of an immortal. Gideon was revealed to have this big group of Externals who hung around him (all supposed to be captains of industry who had this Freemasons-like control of world affairs. It turned out to be Cannonball, not Sunspot, who was the "New Immortal", and so Gideon tried to kidnap him/threaten him/etc. into joining them, as if that would ever work. Before this happened, though, there was backstory heaped on, including Cable coming back in time solely to lead this "new" High Lord (aka Sam) to adulthood to change the future, the explanation that prior immortal mutants (Selene, Apocalypse himself) were really Externals as well, and more. In the meantime, he had Suspot tortured and powered-up (because when you're a villain, it's a really good idea to torture a powerful character and then give him MORE POWERS), Sunspot escaped, joined X-Force, and beat up Gideon.
-And I mean they KICKED HIS ASS. See... Gideon had been given a solid little push in the Liefeld years, but he still managed to get his ass handed to him more than once (Black Tom one-shot-KO'd him), and once Liefeld left the books and Fabian Nicieza took over full writing duties, The Externals concept fell by the wayside. Gideon captured X-Forcers Siryn, Warpath & Boomer, taunting Cannonball to come get them- he did (indirectly; he'd promised Gideon earlier to never intrude on External affairs. So he had the rest of X-Force do it instead). And it was horrifically easy. Yes, this wannabe Master Manipulator was just sitting in his mansion with his buddy/mentor Saul, and then X-Force just drove right through the damn front wall in a tank, beat the living CRAP out of both guys, then taunted them about how much they sucked. As you can imagine, this was the end of the Externals as any real kind of threat.
-Then they did a KIND of face turn as they REALLY only wanted to talk to Sam to find out how he could cure the Legacy Virus (which was ACTUALLY killing Externals- a fire-using External named Nicodemus burned out and died on-panel, shocking Saul & Gideon). Truth be told, this story (in X-Force #37) was actually quite well done, and made some good points on the part of Sam Guthrie, who ripped on the Externals for doing nothing of value with eternal life, while he knew men who'd done far more, with much less time. Art by Paul Pelletier, long before I noticed his work on "Titans" (he was the guy who drew a SUPER, ultra-hot Argent), and when he did stuff in Marvel's Cosmic & Hulk lines recently.
-You'd think that was leading to something big, but then you'd forget that comics changes creative teams a lot by the mid-to-late-'90s, which would result in the whole thing being RAPIDLY dropped, as X-Force runs into a room one day to see Selene (an External who was NEVER seen hanging around the others- the '90s involved the X-Books dropping almost ALL of the 1980s-era villains), stealing the life energy of ALL the surviving Externals (Saul, Gideon, Krule, Absalometc.), then taunting Sam that he was NEVER immortal all along! Which of course doesn't explain that one time he get his guts ripped apart by Sauron and healed within a half an hour, but that's comics for you. Storyline dropped, Gideon's never seen again, The End.
-This was SO poorly-done and rapid-fire that TO THIS DAY, you will find fans who claim that it was done to appease the lawyers for the "Highlander" franchise, who were allegedly going to sue Marvel. It's been proven wrong since, however. Still funny, though.

GIDEON
Created By:
Rob Liefeld & Fabian Nicieza
First Appearance: The New Mutants #98 (Feb. 1991)
Role: Power-Copier, Rich Bastard, Behind-The-Scenes Manipulator
Group Affiliations: The Externals, Ophrah Enterprises
PL 10 (190)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Deception 7 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 10 (+14)
Expertise (History) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Sailor in Columbus' Voyage) 2 (+6)
Insight 5 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 4 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Wealth- Billionaire), Chokehold, Daze (Deception), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Languages 2 (Many), Ranged Attack 8, Takedown, Taunt

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Copying Power Signatures"
Variable (Powers of Others) 8 (Quirks: Requires 2-5 Rounds to Activate -2) [56]

"Immortal High Lord External"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Regeneration 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Stolen Strength +11 (+xx Damage, DC xx)
Stolen Powers +10 (+xx Ranged Damage, DC xx)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Wealth)- Gideon is greedy as sin.
Responsibility (The Externals)- As the head member of a secret enclave of Immortal Mutants, Gideon has many responsibilities.
Obsession (Sam Guthrie)- The revelation of a new High Lord in Sam "Cannonball" Guthrie filled Gideon with hope- he was prophesized as the one who could "save" the Externals from an unknown future. His methods for gaining access to the boy would include kidnapping, torture and manipulation. All the worse that he got the wrong guy originally.
Enemy (Sunspot)- Gideon manipulated Roberto da Costa as a young man, and eventually had him trussed-up and tortured, all because he thought Bobby was the External (it was actually teammate Cannonball). This made him a very angry, very powerful enemy in Sunspot.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 61 / Defenses: 16 (190)

-Gideon is one of those guys set out right away in Liefeld's "New Mutants" run to be a Master Villain/Big Bad to X-Force; leading Sunspot away to become a junior super-villain and result in a brawl with his old teammates. What ended up happening was much worse. First, Gideon's initial push (Nicieza had him beat up the New Warriors once) ended with a casual ass-kicking from Black Tom Cassidy. Shortly, Liefeld left "X-Force", and Fabian Nicieza had Bobby getting betrayed before any interesting team stuff went on, and X-Force came in to rescue him.
-Gideon is more of a Mastermind than a Powerhouse, being a rich boy with a base and whole industries working for him. His "Stealing Genetic Matrixes" power (that also worked on robots, somehow) is a classic "Liefeld Power" (ie. he couldn't think of one easily, so he designed a costume first and a power-set second- this happened with almost ALL of the "Image Guys"), and isn't very tough anyways (40 pp of new powers is decent, but not much compared to plenty of other similar characters), since X-Force easily routed him before he could react. He's generally not much in a fight, and depends upon other beings' presence to do ANYTHING.

SAUL (Garbha Hsein)
Created By:
Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza & Marc Pacella
First Appearance: X-Force #10 (May 1992)
Role: The Mentor, Asian Stereotype
Group Affiliations: The Externals
PL 10 (149)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 8 (+10)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+8)
Expertise (History) 10 (+14)
Insight 4 (+9)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+8)
Perception 4 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Blasts) 2 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+5)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 5 (Wealth- Billionaire), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Blast) 2, Languages 2 (Many), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Ultimate History Skill, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Plasma Blasts, Plus Magical Abilities"
Blast 10 (Feats: Split) (21) -- [24]
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)
AE: Teleport 8 (16)

"Mystical Senses" Senses 2 (Detect Magic, Ranged) [2]
"Mystical Flight" Flight 4 (30 mph) [8]

"Immortal High Lord External"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Regeneration 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Plasma Blasts +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Area Effects +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

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

Complications:
Responsibility (The Externals)- As a member of a secret enclave of Immortal Mutants, Saul has many responsibilities.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 15 (149)

-Saul was Gideon's mentor-figure of sorts, a VERY old-looking asian fellow who was old enough to have met a young-looking En Sabah Nur before he became Apocalypse. He found the big Celestial Ship, but Nur stole it from him, leaving him for dead. Revealed as an External, he just hung around with Gideon to speak in those random old mentor-ly phrases about the future and junk, and he was shown to be rather powerful, despite getting his ass kicked easily against an opponent that was ready for him. He one-shot blasted Warpath, Siryn & Boomer with a huge burst, but he was pretty easily taken down by Rictor & Shatterstar later on.

CANDRA
Created By:
Howard Mackie & Lee Weeks
First Appearance: Gambit #1 (Dec. 1993)
Role: Femme Fatale
Group Affiliations: The Externals, The Assassin & Thieves' Guilds of New Orleans
PL 10 (166)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 7 (+10)
Expertise (History) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+11)
Insight 5 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 5 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Wealth), Daze (Deception), Diehard, Fast Grab, Languages (Several), Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Telekinesis"
Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (21) -- [22]
AE: "TK Bolts" Blast 10 (20)

"Molecular Activation of Genes" Variable (Random Powers) 4 (Extras: Affects Others Only +0, Ranged) [32]

"Immortal High Lord External"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Regeneration 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Telekinesis +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Wealth)- Candra is greedy as sin.
Responsibility (The Externals)- Candra does not meet with the other Externals, though she is one.
Vulnerable (Jewel)- All of Candra's energy is in some jewel (to prolong her longevity or something). When it got blown up, she died.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 62 / Defenses: 15 (166)

-Candra is a big-time Gambit opponent (back when his popularity was at it's peak, and he earned his own solo series- remember THOSE days?) who was tenuously linked to the rest of The Externals by virtue of being Immortal (though she allegedly used her Telekinesis to control herself molecularly enough to avoid aging). She had great power over both the Guilds in Gambit's hellhole New Orleans home (The Thieves & Assassins' Guilds), and her costumes seem to alternate between "Generic Body Armour" and "Selene-Level Slut". She died pretty quickly, after putting all her life energy in some jewel that got blowed up. I guess. For stats, I took generic Telekinesis, made it Precise, and allowed her to "Activate Genes" which is sorta like Fabian Cortez's ability to amp up others' powers- Affects Others Variable, allowing 20pp worth of abilities (I thought I was super-clever for coming up with this, but then checked the rules and they flat-out tell you that's how to build the power... *sniff*...). No idea how it really worked in practice, though- this is pretty much a Wiki-built build.

ABSALOM (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza & Marc Pacella
First Appearance: X-Force #10 (May 1992)
Role: Butt-Munch
Group Affiliations: The Externals
PL 8 (131)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Cowboy) 4 (+6)
Expertise (History) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 3 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Pistols) 4 (+10)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit (External), Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Spines), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Spine Growth"
"Spines" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Reaction +3 for 8 Ranks) [28]

"Immortal High Lord External"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Regeneration 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Spines +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (The Externals)- As a member of a secret enclave of Immortal Mutants, Absalom has many responsibilities.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 15 (131)

-Absalom is basically a nobody character, but he had a unique one-issue soliloquy at one point. He debuted with a group of other Externals (Gideon, Nicodemus, Saul & Burke), all talking about Gideon's mistake in choosing Sunspot as the new High Lord, and his decision to set Crule against X-Force. He was antagonistic there, but didn't really do anything other than that. A later issue (MUCH later... after thirty issues, you could be forgiven for having no recollection of the guy), he was dying of the Legacy Virus (having already lost Nicodemus & Burke to it), explaining his past as a cowardly thief in the Wild West days, and how he'd shot an aged Caleb Hammer (an old forgotten Marvel Cowboy hero) in the back when he refused a duel. He was doing this "grappling with his own imminent death" thing, was ultra-grouchy (to be expected), and was killed with the rest of the gang by Selene.

CRULE
Created By:
Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza & Marc Pacella
First Appearance: X-Force #12 (July 1992)
Role: The Scrapper, Wild Man
Group Affiliations: The Externals
PL 9 (125)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Close Combat (Claws) 1 (+11)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+5)
Expertise (History) 6 (+6)
Insight 4 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 8 (+8)
Stealth 5 (+10)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment (Gear), Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown 2, Tracking

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Enhanced Physiology"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Sight) [4]

"Immortal High Lord External"
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Regeneration 4 [4]

Equipment:
"Hair Whip" Damage 3 (Feats: Reach) (4) -- (5)
AE: "Clawed Gauntlets" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Clawed Gauntlets +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Dealing Death)- Crule is one sick bastard -- Gideon last saw him in charge of the ovens in a Nazi concentration camp, and it's stated that he's a savage who enjoys dishing out torment.
Responsibility (The Externals)- As a member of a secret enclave of Immortal Mutants, Crule has many responsibilities. He ignores most of them, but he's still linked to the others.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 14 (125)

-Crule is a purple-skinned member of the "Rob Liefeld School of Super-Powers", meaning that his exact abilities were never really clear- he's your everyday Scrapper Archetype, with a mix of the Wolverine rip-off gear: Claws (on gauntlets or natural?), sharp teeth, various pointy things, and a physical, berserker fighting style. He's stated to be praising Ishtar, meaning that he could be among the OLDEST of the Externals, but he was so animalistic and savage that it didn't matter. He was hired by Gideon to kill Cable (since Cable had Cannonball), but ended up fighting X-Force instead, and they easily defeated him (I mean, he's ONE GUY), blasting him out of their stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. This put him in a body-cast for MONTHS, and he was next seen willingly helping the X-Forcers to hunt down Gideon (since he hated the other Externals anyways)- the team reciprocated by dumping him in the Pacific Ocean, in one of those "only in comics" scenes (Sam was beside himself at the team's explanations" "What else were we to do?" "What if he'd recovered and attacked us?" "The cast he was in floated, so we figured--"). He was casually offed like the rest of the Externals.
-Crule's your everyday PL 8.5 Scrapper, and isn't actually that BAD, considering his only win is against a surprised, non-Blasting Cannonball, and Shatterstar & Feral made short work of him. Rictor's Vibe Blast knocked him hundreds of feet down to Earth, and his Regeneration was REALLY slow in healing him. His "1990s Vague Mutant Powers" syndrome rears itself, as various sights claim him to be a Strength/Speed/Claws/Senses guy, and I have no reason to disagree (he WAS visually tracking X-Force, in any case). His only other fights involve getting beaten down by Gideon (who copied his Genetic Template), and murdered by Selene.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

The Marauders

Post by Jabroniville »

THE MARAUDERS:
"The Mutant Massacre" was a pretty classic X-Men story. Coming out in the mid-80s, it was really the big bridge between the Bronze/Dark Age-y 1970s & 80s eras of comics, and what came out in the 90s. The X-Men books were always some of the most mature, violent and kill-happy books around (with people like Proteus, Joe MacTaggart, Jean Grey/Phoenix and that secretly-mutant kid in New Mutants all dying in rather poignant and excellent stories), they'd been fairly light on doing it most of the time. There was DEATH, but each one was always very important, and the bodies didn't fall like rain.

"Mutant Massacre" changed all that- in the opening salvo, a recognizable Morlock, Tommy (a girl with rainbow skin and 2-D shape-shifting powers), was brutally murdered by a gang called The Marauders, who professed that "We kill mutants. You're next." The Marauders proceeded to off DOZENS of people, right there on the panel, lazing down poor hobo Morlocks left, right and centre. Background characters who'd been around for years, like Anna-Lee, were murdered in horrific ways, and by the end, a community of hundreds of mutants was reduced to a scattered band of eight or nine named characters (Callisto, Ape, Erg, Tar-Baby, Caliban, Sunder and a few others). It was horrifically bloodthirsty. The carnage in the story was so... visceral, even though I was reading it years after it had originally come out in the comics- while the Iron Age was typified by over-killing and way too much blood, you really picked up that this was a genocidal act, and was truly horrific.

Not to mention what happened to the X-Men & New Mutants. Still being led by Magneto (who'd reformed to see Xavier's way, and replaced him while Chuck was gallavanting around the stars with Empress Lilandra), they were caught with their pants down by this hyper-professional mercenary outfit, leaving Nightcrawler horribly mutilated and Kitty Pryde a living ghost (both of whom were written out of the X-Books and into Excalibur following this, bridging a MAJOR gap in X-history), Colossus a killer for the second time (it always means more when it's the gentle ones, people- if Wolverine had killed a Marauder, it would've meant nothing), and the New Mutants mentally scarred from walking down into the Morlock Tunnels and seeing just what had happened. After this, the X-Men shifted rosters a bit, Excalibur was formed to be the happier, weirder book, Magneto joined the Hellfire Club and eventually turned bad again, and the X-Books got even darker, culminating with Inferno (aka "the really boring story where Claremont did crap-tons of acid and wrote a 'The World Goes Nuts' story that off-roaded a ton of popular characters and never got called back on because it kinda sucked'), and leading to the TRULY dark early 90s. The group also introduced Sabretooth to the X-books (he'd been a throwaway Iron Fist villain created by Claremont & Byrne), which had a MAJOR influence on Wolverine, finally giving him a recurring solo nemesis to fight.

But enough about the X-Books & Mutant Massacre. The Marauders were bad-ass. A totally different group of villains, they were very Iron Age in design- only a few wore garish tights, some were in street clothes, and they actually killed. Not just threatening to, like goofy-ass X-villain groups like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, The Savage Lang Mutates or people like that- they hacked down Morlocks like they were nothing, and seriously wounded three X-Men. What's funny is that the two teams only really met in battle ONCE in the Massacre- just the first fight. And the Marauders really came out on top. After that, it was just scattered fights here or there with different pockets of teams. Different writers & books got involved (Walt Simonson's Thor and Louise Simonson's X-Factor & Power Pack), producing a bunch of new Marauders not seen in the main group, like Prism and Blockbuster, designed for short-term Jobbing Duty. So The Marauders were left basically untouched and un-revenged, so the X-Men could get them back later.

It sorta happened during Inferno, and a bunch of silly things and a link to Mister Sinister happened, resulting in what totally ruined the group for me: The Clonings. See, Riptide was killed in a brilliant moment in the first X/Marauder battle. But then he was brought back, because the master geneticist cloned him. So then ALL the Marauders started dying, just to get more killiness into the battles, and then they'd just get cloned so we wouldn't have to be without them. This REALLY sucked, as it made these characters mean NOTHING in the long run. It's like Dragon Ball Z when Vegeta dies for the 900th time. I mean, why should you care, when they'll just wish him back in a month, right? Same deal here. There's no bad-ass legacy for The Marauders left anymore, because almost every one of them is different from the "original", when back in the 80s, these were some background villains with some LEGITIMATE bad-ass credentials.

Even so, I like The Marauders and what they stood for. Rather than being a joke like the Serpent Society, or a legion of Mooks in tights like the Zodiac Cartel, they were legitimately dangerous, and had REALLY scary powers, not just weak schticks like Gimmicked Snake Eggs or Electro-Whips. It was the Iron Age of Comics done RIGHT. Vicious, nasty and scary.

The Marauders 1980s Roster:
Scalphunter- The "leader" technically, in that he was always in the front of group shots. But really, they fought more like Hack'n'Slash gamers, killing everything without using much strategy. More of a Gun Guy than a powered mutant.
Arclight- Super-strong female in an era getting packed with them.
Prism- Throwaway guy in the X-Factor title, easily killed.
Vertigo- Token hot chick, actually a member of the Savage Land Mutates. Mind-warping Vertigo field.
Malice- Rarely showed up with the big team, but had lots of background stuff. Body-possessor.
Riptide- Psychotic autofire-blasting guy.
Sabretooth- Iron Fist villain turned into a Wolverine Opposite Colour Villain.
Blockbuster- Throwaway guy in X-Factor & Thor, not really affiliated with the main team.
Scrambler- Street clothes-clad power-nullifier and plot device guy.
Harpoon- Generic Blaster-type with weapons.

SCALPHUNTER (John Greycrow)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Romita, Jr.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986)
Role: Recurring Background Villain
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 10 (150)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 8
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 2 (+6)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Mercenary) 8 (+11)
Expertise (History) 2 (+5)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 8 (+11)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 5 (Hardware), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Rifle) 2, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (4), Power Attack, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork, Tracking, Ultimate Aim

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Ageless, Healing & Weapon-Making"
"Ageless" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
"Fast Healing" Regeneration 4 [4]

"Super-Fast Weapon-Making"
Enhanced Advantages 1 (Quick Draw) [1]
Enhanced Skills 3 (Technology 6, +8 total) [3]
Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Weapon-Crafting) [2]

Equipment:
"Hardware Suit"
Protection 1 (1)
"Specialized Rifle" Blast 7 (Extras: Autofire) (21) -- (22)
AE: "Blasting Rifle" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- Burst) (Quirk: Limited Range- 15 feet) (20)
Assorted Other Equipment as Needed (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Rifle +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 Suit, +6 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- Greycrow is a mercenary plain and simple, and will do just about anything, and kill anybody, for money. For the sheer fun of it, he murdered several Morlock CHILDREN, then bragged about it to their adoptive mother, before killing her as well.
Prejudice (Mutant)

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 15 (150)

-Scalphunter is kinda-sorta the leader of The Marauders, but really, that group has basically one tactic: Kill Everything, and he just says "go kill"- not a lot of leadership involved, y'know? One of the least-dying Marauders, John Greycrow has only been killed & cloned ONCE by Mister Sinister. He had those classic "Vague Mutant Powers" that became REALLY common in the Iron Age, where it was clear he was some kind of mutant, but they never really explained what his powers were. He just walked around with his scary goatee and long hair, in a suit comprised entirely of mechanical implements that he snapped together to make guns. Seemed rather odd, but he killed a crap-load of people, so who were we to make fun? It later turned out he was some long-lived mercenary with ties to Gambit, and later on Nightcrawler convinced clone-Scalphunter that he had no soul and was worthless, breaking him mentally.
-And few could deserve it better. A pure cold-hearted psychopath, he murdered Annalee of the Morlocks (a sad old woman who tried to mind-control several children, including Power Pack, into being her adopted family) and several of her children, all the while talking about "they were born", and that was reason enough to kill them. Now THAT is pure, unadulterated villainy.
-Scalphunter is a good example of a trade-offed guy (+13/+7), but his powers are kind of hard to explain, as it's never been fully described just what he did. The SAGA Marvel RPG explained him as a Tracker-based mutant, but his whole thing revolves around the quick-making of Guns, so I threw in some of that as a Mutant Power- Limited Quickness and Enhanced Skills & Quick Draw. He's also in good shape despite being a World War II veteran (Immunity- Aging), and can regenerate from some harm over time, but not too quickly (Regeneration). At PL 10 (150), he's quite good, especially with his high-powered Rifles (much better than the paltry "guns" used in the Equipment guidelines in the rulebooks), but is weaker on Defense by a considerable ways (PL 8.5). He's really a Skillmonkey mixed with a low-powered Ranged Fighter, effective as a strategist and team-fighter.

PRISM (Robbie, last name unknown)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Louise and Walt Simonson
First Appearance: X-Factor #10 (Nov. 1986)
Role: Sacrificial Mook
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 9 (110)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+2)

Advantages:
Improved Aim, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Crystalline, Absorbing Body"
Immunity 30 (Life Support, All Energy Attacks) [30]

"Energy Redirection" Mimic 6 (Flaws: Limited to Energy Powers, Limited to When Touched By Energy, Fades) (30) -- [32]
AE: Environment 5 (Light) (10)
AE: "Redirect Ambient Light" Affliction 9 (Fort; Visual Daze, Impair & Unaware) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Energy Redirection +8 (+0-10 Damage, DC 15-25)
Initiative +2

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

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)- Prism is a mutant, and an obvious one, with a crystalline body no one could miss.
Reputation (Easily Killed)- Even for a Marauder, Prism dies a lot. He has died a total of four times and been cloned after the first three, so he has a rep as a weakling.
Reputation (Arrogant)- Despite his easily-killable nature, Prism is a braggart and very over-confident.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 62 / Defenses: 9 (110)

-Hah, Prism sucks. Created seemingly to be a sacrificial lamb of his crew, his appearance is all of two or three pages long. He pops up in X-Factor #10, after the bad-assery of the first group of Marauders, suddenly showing up with Sabretooth and Blockbuster, adding to the team. He cracks some jokes, blinds Iceman, redirects an Optic Blast into Cyclops, and then explodes horribly when Marvel Girl telekinetically throws him into a wall. That's it. He showed up three more times as clones (or possibly Regenerated material, but probably just clones like the other Marauders), also getting his ass kicked quickly. He's probably the most one-note guy of his entire team.
-Prism is a funky little character to stat. His whole schtick is Energy Absorption, which works a bit different in 3rd Edition, but Mimic works just as well- perhaps even better. All you need is three Flaws attached to it- it's limited to Energy-Based Powers (Blasts, light, etc.), Limited to when he's been hit by attacks (baseline Mimic allows you to just scan guys), and it Fades because he's run out of energy. Quite elegant and simple, really, and it saves points heavily. He can mimic up to 30 ranks of Blast (so a Penetrating Burst Optic Blast 10 or something), as well as shed absorbed light as a Dazzle or Environment power. And of course in addition to that Mimic, he has to be invulnerable to what hits him or else it's pretty worthless. Therefore, he's got 20 ranks of Immunity to make him impossible to injure with ANY Energy Attacks. A potential Game-Breaker on some people, he needs it, because...
-Aside from this one pretty good attack (making him a PL 9 Blaster with a LOT of variability), he's completely worthless, however. Dumb, arrogant and one-note, he shattered from a simple wall-smash (a baseline Telekinetic ability), and even COPS killed him once. Seriously, a super-villain killed by THE POLICE? Sure, they were possessed by demons, but c'mon, it was just bullets. Nobody in comics dies to bullets! This results in Prism being a mere PL 4.5 defensively, which is as pathetic as you can get.

SCRAMBLER (Kim Il-Sung)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Romita, Jr.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986)
Role: Power-Nullifier, Background Villain
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 11 (111)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+8)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Mercenary) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 3 (+3)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: System-Scrambling"
"Power Nullification" Nullify 14 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Broad- All Metahuman Effects, Simultaneous, Effortless, Sustained +2) (Flaws: Close Range) (70) -- [72]
AE: "Control Powers" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled Powers) (10)
AE: "Disrupt Brain Systems" Affliction 12 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Power Nullify +8 (+14 Nullify, DC 24)
Power Control +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Dirupt Brain +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)
Motivation (Murder)- Scrambler is as blood-thirsty as his comrades, and enjoys stealing people's powers away from them, so that they can be easily killed by his comrades.
Power Loss (Nullify)- Scrambler cannot Nullify effects that are outside the user's body- he has to actually touch them physically.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 72 / Defenses: 13 (111)

-Scrambler is a lethal addition to his team, not because of sheer power, but because of the nature of his abilities. With a touch, he can disrupt and 'scramble' the systems of anything. "Systems" being brainwaves, technology, powers, etc. As a walking Power Nullifier, he can effectively take out a team's most powerful members with a touch, leaving them horrifically vulnerable to further attack. However, he received almost no charactization beyond "evil murderer", and he was so vulnerable to normal attack that he could barely be considered of battlefield use beyond his one big trick. And yes, he's got the same name as North Korea's deceased Great Leader.
-Scrambler's one-note (though he has a few Alt-Effects based off of Wiki's explanation of further power use- both Affliction-based), but it's a HELL of a note, making him a PL 11 guy in terms of Nullification. Nullify works mainly the same way, as Scrambler can touch someone (a Flaw), and remove their full powers at will- "Broad" exists for "powers of a particular type", which includes Metahuman Powers, then made it Effortless & Simultaneous (meaning all powers got nullified, and he wasn't penalized for failing), AND upped the Duration, allowing him to keep someone's powers nullified for as long as he was awake. Eventually guys got their powers back, but with a +14 Nullification in progress, plenty of people would fail the test.

BLOCKBUSTER (Michael Baer)
Created By:
Louise and Walt Simonson
First Appearance: X-Factor #10 (Nov. 1986)
Role: Powerhouse, Throwaway Bad-Guy
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 10 (92)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Intimidation 9 (+9)
Perception 3 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Startle, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Enhanced Physique"
Impervious Toughness 8 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +9 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +3

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)
Motivation (Ego)- Blockbuster is easily shamed by people, and if he's embarassed, he will go to any lengths necessary to salve his wounded pride. This resulted in him attacking The Mighty Thor solo.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 12 (92)

-Haha, gotta love guys like Blockbuster. Louise Simonson's X-Factor title crossed over into Mutant Massacre, and added a few members to the group- including Sabretooth, Prism and this guy, who was a generic Big Dumb Powerhouse type of guy. But unlike Prism, HE got a good showing- HE's the guy who crippled Angel, setting off the events that led to his turning blue and gaining bad-ass powers for the first time in his super-hero career. He & Harpoon grabbed Angel while he was protecting Artie, and Blockbuster rended his wings while Harpoon nailed him to the wall, changing X-Factor (and Warren) forever.
-Of course, after he got this showing, he ended up going against THOR, who crossed over into the Mutant Massacre (mostly because Walt Simonson was married to X-scribe Louise I bet). Thor chased off the Marauders a couple times, leading to Sabretooth mocking ol' Blockbuster for not being "up to the job" of Team Strongman. 'Buster took offense, and promised to kill Thor. And coincidentally, this was right when Hela, Goddess of Death, magically de-powered Thor, rendering his bones brittle as an "old woman's", leaving Thor vulnerable to attack. So Blockbuster jumped in, smashed up Thor's left arm and would've killed him if Angel hadn't recovered and attacked him. Thor used the time bought to swing his hammer around, make some Thor-y comments, and straight-up smashed Blockbuster's face in, for one of the few Marauder deaths of this cross-over.
-Like most of his team, Blockbuster was cloned a few times, doing far less than challenging Thor. Pretty standard boring Powerhouse, really.
-Blockbuster's a PL 9.5 guy on offense, being about as good a fighter as a PL 10 Powerhouse usually is, but a notch weaker. Enough to cripple a severely-weakened Thor, but he couldn't dish out damage like Colossus or The Thing. He's super-strong, but not THAT strong. Defensively, he's lower in level (8-8.5), leaving him highly vulnerable, despite his great durability.

HARPOON (Kodiak Noatak)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Romita, Jr.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986)
Role: Recurring Background Villain, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 10 (135)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+7)
Close Combat (Harpoon) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Hunter/Survivalist) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Harpoon) 6 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment 2, Defensive Roll, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Harpoon), Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged & Cover/Concealment) 2, Quick Draw, Teamwork 2, Tracking

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Energize Metal With Bio-Energy"
"Corroding Blast" Blast 10 (Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Electrical or Energy Descriptor, Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating) (Flaws: Limited to While Holding Metal) (Drawbacks: Diminished Range- 10/20/50) Linked to Weaken Toughness 5 (Extras: Ranged, Secondary Effect) (Flaws: Same) (34) -- [35]
AE: "Stun Blast" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2) (Extras: Cumulative Effect, Ranged) (Drawbacks: Diminished Range- 10/20/50) (31)

"Arctic-Borne" Movement 1 (Environment- Arctic & Ice) [2]

Equipment:
"Harpoons" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 7) (Drawbacks: Diminished Range- 10/20/50) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Harpoon +10 (+6 Close/Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Stun Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Corroding Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage & +5 Weaken, DC 25 & 15)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- Harpoon is a heartless mercenary, killing hundreds of Morlocks, including helpless ones.
Prejudice (Mutant)
Reputation (Country Mouse)- Harpoon is from a small village in Inuit lands, and is unfamiliar with the big city, especially one like New York.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 37 / Defenses: 15 (135)

-Harpoon was a pretty cool background Marauder, and one of the most lethal: Most of the really big death scenes of Morlocks came at the hands of a far-flung Energy Harpoon, which frequently dissolved their bodies and cooked them from the inside-out. EXTREMELY lethal, he was responsible for the near-permanent injury of Shadowcat, sending her out of the "X-Men" main series and into "Excalibur", but was notably much more vulnerable and kind of cowardly. He actually took a LOT of ass-kickings over the course of "The Mutant Massacre" storyline. It's actually kind of funny- though the first couple fights happen REALLY quickly, the next several dozen issues of the cross-over just have various numbers of Marauders pairing off and doing stuff, often at a very relaxed pace, interacting with groups of heroes at their leisure. Harpoon runs afoul of X-Factor (slicing open The Beast), Power Pack, Plague/Pestilence (who gets saved by Apocalypse, who KOs Harpoon), THOR, etc. during his span.
-Kind of a Flat Character, though. He doesn't really do much other than taunt people and kill, and he spends a LOT of time running away- from Wolverine, Thor and others. His sole character traits seem to be that he "was really impressed by seeing big cities, because he's an Inuit". Yeah.
-Harpoon is a dangerous PL 10, nearly making PC-level points expenditures. He's got a Blast as long as he's carrying his Metal Harpoons (which are themselves Equipment), either Stunning or REALLY doing some damage, as they Penetrate the target and boils them alive with a Weaken effect running simultaneously (a Secondary Effect does a little bit of extra damage). Thrown Weapons are a tad different in this edition, not doing the annoying "Touch Range plus Thrown ranks per a certain amount of feet plus Mighty to the full rank of damage" think that's WAY too complex and fills up too much space- it replaces that with a "Diminished Range" Drawback-y thing that merely reduces the full extent of your attack (all Ranged attacks are the same range otherwise, between 25, 50 & 100 feet, not based on rank like in 2nd Edition). Harpoon's a deadly Blaster, but suffers from their usual weaknesses- he's not even remotely Min/Maxed in terms of Defense, so he's going to be easy to hit and bring down if he doesn't kill his enemies in the opening salvos of combat.

VERTIGO II (Real name unknown)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Michael Golden
First Appearance: Marvel Fanfare Vol. 1 #1 (March 1982)
Role: Recurring Background Villain, Status Affecter
Group Affiliations: The Marauders, The Savage Land Mutates
PL 10 (117)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+5)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Jungle Survival) 5 (+6)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Seize Initiative, Teamwork 2

Powers:
"Mutate-Given Powers: Vertigo Field"
Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed & Impaired/Disabled & Stunned/Incapacitated & Unaware) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Extra Condition, Concentration Duration, Selective) [60]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Vertigo Field (+10 Burst Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Destruction)- Vertigo, especially with the Marauders, is all about causing pain and destruction. Her Savage Land self appears less so.
Power Loss (Vertigo Field)- Vertigo's powers are vast, but highly acrobatic people such as Nightcrawler and The Beast, who are extremely used to dizziness and vertigo, can often handle her powers and move unharmed.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 15 (117)

-Vertigo is one of those characters that just DEFINES "Team Player", especially for a villains group. Just like Scrambler, she's a Status Affecter- one of those nasty power sets that's not that useful on your own, but excels and dropping tons of enemies' skills and abilities to the point where they're easy pickings for the rest. Her origin's a little weird- she's one of those throwaway mooks that ended up in the Savage Land Mutates as a Chris Claremont creation, and of course this guy throws NOTHING away (part of why he gave Carol Danvers such a huge push all the time back then- one of his first Marvel gigs was the Ms. Marvel book), so she got shifted over to The Marauders because they needed another lady and he had some idea to re-use this character. Then she died, and got cloned some. And there's still a Vertigo on the Mutates sometimes, which implies that the Marauder ones have ALWAYS been clones, but it's not like she has any personality, so who cares?
-Yeah, that's not a nice power to be hit by. Sure it's only Affliction 10, but it's got TWO Effects running simultaneously in a sixty-foot range that's Selective (meaning she can hit you with it while she's beside her teammates- something VERY few Area Effecters can do), and she can do it every round as long as she Concentrates. This is extremely dangerous and effective, but very expensive, and it leaves her a one-trick pony since it's all she really does. That's her whole thing- jump in, Seize Initiative and set off her Veritgo Field, screwing up the entire team so the rest of The Marauders can do as much damage as humanly possible. She's a lightweight in combat, though, and it generally only takes one or two punches to bring her down. But she's almost always the first member of the team you want to disable.

MALICE (name unknown)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & Rick Leonardi
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #214 (Feb. 1987)
Role: Recurring Background Villain, Possessor
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 10 (137)
STRENGTH
-- STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+6)
Deception 12 (+16)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+6)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Possession"
"Incorporeal Body"
Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [21]
Immunity 2 (Suffocation) [2]

"Psionic Entity"
Concealment 3 (Visuals & Hearing) (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Continuous Duration +2) [12]

"Possession"
Affliction 14 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Continuous Duration +3) (Flaws: Instant Recovery) (Noticeable: Choker Appears -1) [55]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (No Damage, DC 0)
Possession +6 (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Destruction)- Malice is as crazy as all the other Marauders, and just likes to cause mayhem for it's own sake.
Prejudice (Mutant)

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 90 / Defenses: 16 (137)

-Malice wasn't even really a Marauder at first- she just showed up in the same storyline, possessing Dazzler, who was then undercover in Lila Cheney's band and doing her own thing away from the X-Men. Malice took her over, then later took over Polaris (who was in Comics Limbo before that), doing a long-running thing there, this time as a field leader for The Marauders. She popped up in modern times with the team, taking over Omega Sentinel (then an X-Man) and stuff. Me, I don't like possessor-types, ESPECIALLY when they mix the ultra-cheap game-breaky stuff like Insubstantial & Invisible on TOP of it- It's almost unbreakable, and it makes for some boring storytelling most of the time. Also, I don't understand why there are TWO Insubstantial Possessor characters named Malice in Marvel Comics. It seems to be that they're both different characters, so it's weird.
-Malice is full-on dangerous, just like the rest of The Marauders, packing another one-note ability. She's permanently Insubstantial, Invisible at-will (she can appear when she wants to be, or just use her voice), and can possess people, which requires me to "build" the power ground-up, as it doesn't exist just yet. Basically, it's a Touch Range Cumulative Mental Affliction, acting exactly like Mind Control but in close, with the caveat that you must join the physical body of the person you're attacking (it costs 4 points/rank, which fits the increase in Mind Control cost in general). In Malice's case, this also allows Continuous Duration, meaning that if she possesses someone, they're done- she's in control permanently, until she sees fit, or is forcibly removed.

ARCLIGHT (Phillipa Sontag)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Romita, Jr.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986)
Role: Recurring Background Villain, Brutish Chick
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Startle, Teamwork 2

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Seismic Shockwaves"
Affliction 10 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (35) -- [37]
AE: "Seismic Line" Affliction 10 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (35)
AE: "Seismic Cone" Affliction 10 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Grounded Targets) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (35)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Seismic Shockwave +10 Area (+10 Affliction & +10 Damage Burst, DC 20 & 25)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude +11, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- Arclight is an aggressive, psychotic murderer who loves to brawl, and cares for little else. Even her relationship with Scalphunter appears to be entirely physical.
Prejudice (Mutant)
Backstory (Vietnam Vet)- Arclight went crazy in Vietnam, and the memories of that place still haunt her. It drove her desire towards bodybuilding and later, killing.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 37 / Defenses: 12 (145)

-Arclight is a pretty bad-ass, psychotic lady. Strong as hell, mean and incredibly violent, she's the Team Powerhouse when Blockbuster isn't around (like that first fight), and kinda journeyed around the "Mutant Massacre" storyline. Embarassingly, she got KO'd by Jack Power of all people, after having really good showings against the X-Men (knocking Colossus through a wall and separating huge groups with collapsing walls), and later became a background character that never did much of anything.
-Arclight is a standard Powerhouse with nothing fancy, except for her "Shockwave" power. She's a bit more balanced that most (+10/+10 on offense, but PL 9-ish on defense). Her power is essentially a large-breadth version of the Groundstrike common to Powerhouses, and expensive enough to be it's own power rather than an Alternate Effect of pure Strength. It allows her to Trip guys in a massive Burst, as well as Lines or Cones, in addition to sheer Damage. Most Groundstrikes just damage, well, the GROUND, but Arclight's are so powerful that they basically knock people into chasms, tip structures over, and collapse entire hallways- the kind of thing that hurts guys no matter where they are. The light that her attacks give off is just flavour- not worth statting.

RIPTIDE (Janos Quested)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Romita, Jr.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986)
Role: Recurring Background Villain, Blaster, Mass Killer
Group Affiliations: The Marauders
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Throwing Blades), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover & Concealment) 2, Ranged Attack 7, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Spinning"
"Hard to Hit Cleanly" (Extras: Sustained +0)
Protection 5 Linked to Immunity 5 (Entrapment) [10]
Enhanced Dodge 5 [5]
Enhanced Parry 3 [3]

"View All-Around" Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
"Blade Storm" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating) (40) -- [41]
AE: "Blade Burst" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (40)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Blade Storm +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Blade Burst +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+8 Spinning), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Destruction)- Riptide is a braggart and a murderer, enjoying the dying screams of dozens of fatally-wounded Morlocks.
Prejudice (Mutant)

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 14 (133)

-Riptide's probably the most visually interesting of The Marauders, which is why he's usually in the forefront of big pictures, despite lasting the least amount of time of the original roster. He's a white-haired, evil spinny guy, who tosses out crap-tons of shurikens and knives, and killed more Morlocks en masse than any other member of his team. I guess the others liked protracted suffering, but ol' Riptide loves volume. Gotta respect that in a villain. His dramatic nature made for one of my favourite moments EVER as a comics fan, as Colossus is angered to his absolute breaking point upon seeing Nightcrawler mortally wounded, and Shadowcat potentially maimed. Furious, he walks with great pain through an entire Bladestorm, ignores the damage, and coldly grabs Riptide by the throat and SNAPS HIS NECK in front of a horrified group of X-Men and Marauders. In a great silhouetted panel, he promises Harpoon "Make peace with your Gods, LITTLE MAN, because YOU-ARE-NEXT!!" The Marauders wisely choose to ferret away.
-Riptide showed up a bunch more times, but was less lethal for the rest of them (makes sense- that kind of power is a Gamebreaker), and generally more of a background guy. That's kind of why I hate the whole "Sinister Clones Them" story- it makes everybody less dramatic, and now they no longer matter as people.
-Riptide's power is incredibly lethal, but like the others, he can be one-note-ish. He can either throw out a Multiattack that's Penetrating, or a Selective Burst that isn't. Either are equally bad- Blast 10 is enough to do a ton of damage to hordes of less-tough people, especially with his 60-foot range, and the Penetrating Blast crippled Nightcrawler, and nearly did the same to Colossus.
-His "Spinning" Power is constructed much like the one in "Ultimate Power", which is a mix of Toughness, resisting grappling & bonds (I just used Immunity because it's the same damn price) and enhanced ability to Dodge, all of which are Sustained in Duration, allowing him to turn it off (and become more vulnerable if Nullified). He can also see all the way around him. Altogether a REALLY scary Blaster, but that's about all he can do- kinda limited in Skills otherwise.

SABRETOOTH (Victor Creed)
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Byrne
First Appearance: Iron Fist #14 (Aug. 1977)
Role: Rescued Obscure Villain, Dark Mirror Image Villain, Claw Guy, Psychotic Murderer
Group Affiliations: The Marauders, Team X, The X-Men, X-Factor, Weapon-X, The Mutant Brotherhood
PL 11 (206)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+12)
Close Combat (Claws) 2 (+13)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Military/Mercenary) 10 (+10)
Expertise (History) 3 (+3)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 13 (+15)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 10 (+12)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+8)
Stealth 6 (+10)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Chokehold, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Favored Foe (Wolverine), Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Claws) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Hold, Languages (A Few), Last Stand, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Healing Factor & Claws"
"Claws" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) [3]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]

"Animalistic Physiology"
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 1 [1]

"Healing Factor"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Poison, Disease) [3]
Regeneration 10 (Every Round) (Feats: Regrowth) [11]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Diehard, Great Endurance [2]

"Super-Senses"
Senses 11 (Acute, Accurate & Extended Scent, Extended & Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking 2, Ultra, Extended & Accurate Hearing) [12]

"Impregnable Mental Defenses" Impervious Will 7 [7]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Claws +13 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +12

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +13, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Killing)- Sabretooth enjoys the hell out of murder and mayhem, and makes no bones about it. A sadistic killer to the extreme, he is immoral even by the standards of most super-villains.
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- With his sheer size, musculature, and fangs, Sabretooth is a stand-out, and most would distrust him.
Enemy (Wolverine)- The epic relationship here extremely malicious. Both would drop everything just to beat the crap out of the other.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 76--37 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 16 (206)

SABRETOOTH (Victor Creed)- With Adamantium Skeleton
Created By:
Chris Claremont & John Byrne
First Appearance: Iron Fist #14 (Aug. 1977)
Role: Rescued Obscure Villain, Dark Mirror Image Villain, Claw Guy, Psychotic Murderer
Group Affiliations: The Marauders, Team X, The X-Men, X-Factor, Weapon-X, The Mutant Brotherhood
PL 11 (216)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+12)
Close Combat (Claws) 1 (+11)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Military/Mercenary) 10 (+10)
Expertise (History) 3 (+3)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 13 (+15)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 10 (+12)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Chokehold, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Favored Foe (Wolverine), Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Claws) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Languages (A Few), Last Stand, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Healing Factor & Claws"
"Adamantium Claws" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 11) [15]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]

"Adamantium Skeleton"
Protection 2 [2]
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]

"Animalistic Physiology"
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 1 [1]

"Healing Factor"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Poison, Disease) [3]
Regeneration 8 (Every Round) (Feats: Regrowth) [9]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Diehard, Great Endurance [2]

"Super-Senses"
Senses 11 (Acute, Accurate & Extended Scent, Extended & Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking 2, Ultra, Extended & Accurate Hearing) [12]

"Impregnable Mental Defenses" Impervious Will 7 [7]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Claws +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude +13, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Killing)- Sabretooth enjoys the hell out of murder and mayhem, and makes no bones about it. A sadistic killer to the extreme, he is immoral even by the standards of most super-villains.
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- With his sheer size, musculature, and fangs, Sabretooth is a stand-out, and most would distrust him.
Enemy (Wolverine)- The epic relationship here extremely malicious. Both would drop everything just to beat the crap out of the other.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 72--36 / Advantages: 35 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 16 (216)

-"Mirror Image Villains" are among the most common tropes used in comic books, and for good reason. Who better to fight the super-hero than a guy with nearly the exact same powers, but used for evil, letting the hero confront himself in a more literal kind of way. Now, it tends to get over-done, especially if the hero fights DOZENS of guys with a similar concept to himself (Iron Man and his endless Evil Armoured Guys, Spider-Man and his Symbiotes & Animal-Themed Guys, The Flashes and their Fast Guys, and especially Wolverine and his Claw Guys), but when there's an epic villain, it seems to work.
-Enter Sabretooth, a pretty forgettable Iron Fist villain, who ended up being one of those freelance guys who just bounced from book to book as a Filler Villain (like Mr. Hyde), but he was a Chris Claremont guy... which of course, means that he just HAD TO take part in the X-Books EVENTUALLY, and thus he showed up with The Marauders partway through the story arc, almost as an afterthought. He wasn't part of the big X-Fight, but just casually showed up dealing with Power Pack and making fun of Blockbuster for failing against Thor. Right away though, he ended up squaring off with Logan, who claimed to remember him- and the next X-Men issue featured a non-stop Sabretooth battle as he tore through the X-Mansion, nearly killing Rogue and Psylocke (who proved herself against him), before Wolverine chased him off.
-That pretty much led to the eons-long war between the two, as Wolverine quickly became Marvel's most popular character, which made this one-time Filler Villain an EPIC bad-guy, which had all the requisite good and bad effects. Thus, he got a HUGE backstory as a former Weapon X operative, Logan's old mentor then rival, the murderer of Logan's love Silver Fox, and such. It was also established that Creed was just plain BETTER than Wolverine, and he'd do crazy bad-ass things like hunt him down every single time on his birthday, and beat him within an inch of his life, just to prove that he could. There was also a "Luke, I Am Your Father" subplot, but it was dropped when Larry Hama (Wolvie's writer) rejected Claremont's idea.
-The bad things came in the 90s, though, as Wolverine got more and more prevalent. Sabes got over-done as a villain, showed up way too often in his own Limited Series and such, had TWO X-Books feature him as a member of the team against his will (while faking an innocent animal's mind in one time, and using the trademark Make You A Good-Guy By Force Shock-Collar), and he even got 'killed' a few times. This kind of 90s Anti-Hero crap did away with both him & Venom as important characters pretty quickly, even though he was still a feared enemy. Even in modern times, you don't see nearly as much of him as you used to.
-For stats, Sabretooth is a deadly scrapper, being strong and fast as hell, and a good old-fashioned PL 11 fighter, though he doesn't quite meet a lot of his caps. Like most Healing Guys, he doesn't bother with a lot of Defense comparatively (and he uses All-Out Attack most of the time ANYWAYS). His strength level is up for grabs sometimes, as in early appearances, he was one-punching Rogue across the entire X-Mansion roof and squishing iron barbells between his hands casually, but was later seen as just a pretty big guy who kicked ass. I decided on the "3 tons" Strength 7. He's got Speed, Leaping, a hell of a lot of Senses, an Impervious Will (because he's frequently shown as avoiding mental scans and fakery- at times, this goes straight up into Immunity to Mental Effects, so adjust at-will), dangerous Claws, and Regeneration 10, allowing him to recover from a rank of Damage in each round.
-Note the second build, representing Creed with a now-common power-set of Adamantium Claws & Skeleton. This kinda got added in during the end of the 90s (or early 2000s), when they ran out of crap for Creed & Logan to do to each other, but he's had it sucked out of him at least once. It boosts his Strength & Claw damagebut he's a bit slower, losing Stealth, Fighting Ability and some Regeneration, so he's still a PL 11 guy.

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

The Marauders:
Gambit
Lady Mastermind
Mystique
Sunfire
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