The Atomic Think Tank

by **scc** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:59 pm

Really awesome stuff here. Love the cosmic stuff and magical entities. I know one from a marvel fighting game who is coming soon. Somewhat obscure. Could be my 100th build . I better start crackin. Great job on these!

by **Jabroniville** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:42 pm

QUASAR II (Wendell Vaughn)
Created By: Don Glut, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: Captain America #217 (Jan. 1978)
Role: Plucky Young Hero, Green Lantern Rip-Off, Cosmic Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Project: Pegasus, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Star Masters
Avengers Grade: C-Level (B-Level during his big '90s run)
PL 14 (223)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 11 (+13)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 5 (+7)
Expertise (SHIELD Agent) 3 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Cosmic Attacks) 3 (+12)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Protector of the Universe- Chosen of Eon), Defensive Attack, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 5, Power Attack, Teamwork

Powers:
"Quantum Bands"
Snare 15 (Feats: Reversible, Dynamic, Extended Range) (48) -- [63]

Force Field 8 [8]
Senses 7 (Detect Energy- Ranged 3, Acute & Analytical, Communication Link- Eon/Epoch) [7]

Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) [6]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Mind Shield" Enhanced Will Check 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Attacks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Cosmic Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Cosmic Area Blasts +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Snare +12 (+15 Ranged Affliction, DC 25)
Quantum Weapons +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+12-16 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +8 (+14 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Power Loss (Absorption)- Quasar's Absorbing powers do not work against effects created by Magic, or conisisting of Darkforce.
Responsibility (Protector of the Universe)- As the chosen of Eon, Wendell has been charged with a great number of tasks, many of which interfere with his daily life.
Reputation (Rookie Hero)- Quasar was considered the "baby" of The Avengers for several years of our-time.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 117 / Defenses: 18 (223)

-Quasar is kind of Mark Gruenwald's baby in the Marvel Universe, being one of his biggest opuses (the others being Squadron Supreme & his Captain America run). It was his chance to explore the universe, figure out what cosmics were all about (this was back when Marvel was REALLY into it's Ron Lim-drawn uber-starry guys), etc. Wendell Vaughn was a fairly generic everyman hero (in the Spider-Man vein) with Hal Jordan's power-set. He had a small but dedicated fanbase, and remains one of those beloved 'limbo' characters, killed or brought back whenever, just because he's not a major part of the Marvel U anymore. He's currently back, post-Annihilation, doing more Cosmic stuff in the background while other heroes star in their books.

-Having read the first Trade Paperback collecting his series, and flipped through another couple issues I own, I came to some observations. The book is fundamentally good, and full of information (Quasar does a lot of "finding the history of this character"-type stuff), but it is WAY. TOO. DRY. It reads more like an Encyclopedia of Marvel's Cosmic Scene, with a fairly uninteresting hero, than any kind of a dynamic series. It was like Gru just kinda wanted to outline all his stuff (he's a stat-junky even bigger than *I* am), at the expense of characterization. The art is usually quite good- Greg Capullo (who went on to do X-Force & Spawn, altering his style HEAVILY in the process) was just starting out, and made a lot of cutesy, big-eyed characters (Wendell's big eyes and baby-lips make him look like a 17-year old boy, and the fights actually make Quasar look a HECK of a lot more powerful than I anticipated- it features a scene where Quasar nearly EFFORTLESSLY defeats Venom. Venom at the time was the hottest new Spidey villain in decades, and had JUST debuted- so a win like that seemed almost completely bizarre.

-Quasar ends up much more powerful than he used to- in "The Annihilators", he's considered in the same class as Beta-Ray Bill, The Silver Surfer and Gladiator, and a bit above Ronan The Accuser (PL 13), so PL 14 seems like a good bet. He's little more than an upgraded version of what came before, with few new abilities- he's a GL with fewer options, but a still-wide bit of power.

---

QUASAR II (Wendell Vaughn)
Created By: Don Glut, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
First Appearance: Captain America #217 (Jan. 1978)
Role: Plucky Young Hero, Green Lantern Rip-Off, Cosmic Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Project: Pegasus, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Star Masters
Avengers Grade: C-Level (B-Level during his big '90s run)
PL 11 (200)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 9 (+10)
Expertise (Alien Lore) 4 (+5)
Expertise (SHIELD Agent) 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Cosmic Attacks) 3 (+10)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Protector of the Universe- Chosen of Eon), Defensive Attack, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 4, Power Attack, Teamwork

Powers:
"Quantum Bands"
Snare 14 (Feats: Reversible, Dynamic) (Inaccurate -1) (43) -- [61]

Force Field 7 [7]
Senses 4 (Detect Energy- Ranged & Acute, Communication Link- Eon/Epoch) [4]

Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) [6]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Mind Shield" Enhanced Will Check 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Attacks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Cosmic Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Power Blast +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Cosmic Area Blasts +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Snare +8 (+14 Ranged Affliction, DC 24)
Quantum Weapons +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+10-14 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +8 (+14 vs. Mental Attacks)

Complications:
Power Loss (Absorption)- Quasar's Absorbing powers do not work against effects created by Magic, or conisisting of Darkforce
Responsibility (Protector of the Universe)- As the chosen of Eon, Wendell has been charged with a great number of tasks, many of which interfere with his daily life.
Reputation (Rookie Hero)- Quasar was considered the "baby" of The Avengers for several years of our-time.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 111 / Defenses: 14 (200)

-Quasar, like alot of Avengers, comes in over-pointed. Quasar was generally always more powerful than he was talented or skilled, though he was QUITE a bit more powerful than I first imagined- I figured him for a basic Plucky Rookie PL 10 with a ton of power, but then in his book he's kicking the ass of Venom, amongst others. Those bands are hella-powerful, allowing for +11 Damage Area Effects, a +12-14 Cosmic Blast, a Snare, Teleportation, Flight, etc., all while being protected with a Force Field (which he can further enhanced as part of his Dynamic Array). And you can probably Power Stunt more.

by **Jabroniville** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:48 pm

He looks like Image Comics had sex with modern Video Games. Screw you, Wraith.

WRAITH III (Zak-Del)
Created By: Javier Grillo-Marxuach & Kyle Hotz
First Appearance: Annihilation Conquest: Wraith #1 (June 2007)
Role: Plucky Young Hero, Green Lantern Rip-Off, Cosmic Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Project: Pegasus, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Star Masters
Avengers Grade: C-Level (B-Level during his big '90s run)
PL 10 (176)
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 4 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 5 (+7)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 12 (+12)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+10)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Great Endurance, Equipment 4 (Space Vessel, Assorted Gear), Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fearless, Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
"Cannot Feel Pain" Immunity 3 (Aging, Pain Effects) [3]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [11]
"Manifest Darkness" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Shapeable) [8]

"Polymorphic Weapon" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [10]
Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Variable- Slashing, Piercing or Bludgeoning, Reach 4, Penetrating 6) (14) -- (16 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Cosmic Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Power Blast +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Cosmic Area Blasts +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Snare +8 (+14 Ranged Affliction, DC 24)
Quantum Weapons +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Motivation (Destroy The Phalanx, Find His Father's Killer)- Wraith wants REVEEEEEENNNNNNNNGGGGGEEE!! How bad-ass and '90s is that?

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 34 / Defenses: 16 (176)

-This guy was an AWFUL part of the second "Annihilation" storyline, debuting as a hyper-'90s anti-hero who attacked Phalanx robots and made them afraid of him. He had dual whips and was super EXTREEEEEME and all that usual B.S.... about the most '90s-type character imaginable. He had no real personality, and they kept amping up how TOUGH AND SCARY he was in the mini-series. Imagine my surprise when I discovered he was created FOR Annihilation, making him debut about eight years too late to do any good. It says something that among all the Cosmic Marvel-based stuff that came out of the "Annihilation Waves", Wraith has yet to reappear. His series stuck out like a sore thumb compared to all the other cross-over stuff, and I think even Marvel knew that he sucked and wasn't going to sell.

-Wraith was also horribly overpowered, making him sorta like the also-Kree Marvel Boy/Protector/Whatever, in that he'd get new powers all the time, turn out to be immune to pain, and he'd go on Mook-Killing Tears, easily defeating hordes of Phalanx (remember, these guys used to challenge the X-Men one-on-one). He could be nearly any PL between 10 and 12 given his appearances, but he never beat anyone GOOD that I can remember (he convinced Ronan to break his brainwashing and join his side), and since it was his first appearance, we'll give him some "New Guy Stink" to make him a basic, over-pointed PL 10 who's really, really tough to bring down. He can damage weapons, blind people, and has a weird Variable Weapon that can do multiple variations, like a video game character.

by **Skavenger** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 4:55 am

I grew to really like Quasar as time went on. And if I had to pick between having space adventures with a telepathic dog or being an Avenger and having to deal with the X-Men being a pain (again)...

There's a personality core in Portal 2 that expresses my opinion perfectly.

by **Devastation Bob** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:06 pm

If memory serves, wasn't Wraith also a "cutter"? I was a big fan of the first Annhilation, and yeah, Wraith sucked pretty big time. He was the emo cosmo-goth nobody demanded.

by **Jabroniville** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:54 pm

EON
Created By: Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Captain Marvel #28 (Sept. 1973)
Role: Cosmic Mentor
PL 16 (391)
STRENGTH 11/16 STAMINA 10/15 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 14 AWARENESS 6 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 12 (+26)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 8 (+22)
Expertise (History) 8 (+22)
Insight 4 (+10)
Perception 10 (+16)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 8 (+7)
Technology 2 (+16)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Eidetic Memory, Jack-of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 8, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Immortal Entity"
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [7]
Immunity 12 (Aging, Life Support, Sleep) [12]
Impervious Toughness 13 [13]
Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
Senses 7 (Detect Energy- Ranged 4, Acute, Analytical) [7]

"Cosmic Mind"
Comprehend 4 (Languages 4) [8]
"Cosmic Sight" Senses 9 (Extended Vision 4, Analytical Vision, Precognition) [9]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Space) [2]
Quickness 14 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions) [7]
"Mental Detection" Senses 5 (Mental Awareness- Ranged 2, Radius, Acute) [5]

"One With The Universe: Cosmic Awareness"
Features 1: Directed Inspiration- May ask the GM a Question With an HP [1]
Senses 1 (Cosmic Awareness- Ranged 3) [4]
Enhanced Skills: Expertise (Current Events) 12 (+26) (Flaws: Requires Time) [3]

"Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 5 Linked to Mind Reading 8 [36]

"Variable Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (15 feet) [10]
Growth +5 (+10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, +1 Speed, -10 Stealth) -- (36 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-STR & STA Growths) [5]

Cosmic Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 3, Penetrating 8) (51) -- [57]

"Reanimate Dead" Summon 3 (Extras: Continuous, 8 Minions +6) (Flaws: Requires Dead Bodies) (24) -- [25]

AE: "Generate Psuedopods" Summon 4 (Extras: Continuous, 2 Minions +2) (20)Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Growth +2 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Blast +12 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10 (+15 Growth, +22 Force Field, +10 Impervious), Fortitude +12 (+16 Growth), Will +14

Complications:
Motivation (Protecting The Universe)

Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 229 / Defenses: 29 (391)

-Eon was Quasar's mentor for the first chunk of his book. He was a bit dry and unemotional given his role as Guardian of Life & Time, but he was okay at his job- choosing a Guardian Of The Universe to defend against various threats (Quasar was chosen to fight Maelstrom). He was pretty odd-looking, with his giant eye and occasional growth of hands, and the fact that he was all small and brown and stuff- kinda made him look like a big leafy turd with a face on it.

-Eon's power is nearly impossible to assess, because he was a Cosmic Being that never fought anything- he has some extra-normal powers (and he defines Cosmic Awareness), but he was generally a non-combatant who probably had little, if any, combat ability. In any case, he was weak enough that he could willingly sacrifice his life by allowing Quasar to kill him (when he was being controlled by another). He also has vast Cosmic Awareness, allowing him to discover pretty much anything about anything, but he requires time (a standard Flaw- basically a slower Skill that takes longer to assess or gather his checks or whatever)>

by **Jabroniville** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:57 pm

EPOCH
Created By: Mark Gruenwald
First Appearance: Captain Marvel #28 (Sept. 1973)
Role: Cosmic Mentor
PL 14 (315)
STRENGTH 9/14 STAMINA 9/14 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 12 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Cosmic Lore) 1 (+13)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 2 (+14)
Expertise (History) 1 (+13)
Perception 10 (+13)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 8 (+7)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Eidetic Memory, Jack-of-All-Trades, Ranged Attack 8, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Immortal Entity"
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [7]
Immunity 12 (Aging, Life Support, Sleep) [12]
Impervious Toughness 13 [13]
Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
Senses 7 (Detect Energy- Ranged 4, Acute, Analytical) [7]

"Cosmic Mind"
Comprehend 4 (Languages 4) [8]
"Cosmic Sight" Senses 9 (Extended Vision 4, Analytical Vision, Precognition) [9]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Space) [2]
Quickness 10 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions) [5]
"Mental Detection" Senses 5 (Mental Awareness- Ranged 2, Radius, Acute) [5]

"One With The Universe: Cosmic Awareness"
Features 1: Directed Inspiration- May ask the GM a Question With an HP [1]
Senses 1 (Cosmic Awareness- Ranged 3) [4]
Enhanced Skills 16: Expertise (Current Events) 12 (+26), Cosmic Lore 8 (+19), Space Traveller 4 (+18), History 5 (+18), Technology 2 (+14), Science 3 (+15) (Flaws: Requires Time) [8]

"Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 5 Linked to Mind Reading 8 [36]

"Variable Size"
Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (15 feet) [10]
Growth +5 (+10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, +1 Speed, -10 Stealth) -- (36 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-STR & STA Growths) [5]

Remote Sensing 21 (Visual, Hearing) (8,000 miles) (Feats: Dimensional, Subtle) (Flaws: Physical Body is Defenseless) (44) -- [50]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Growth +2 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blast +8 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +9 (+14 Growth, +19 Force Field, +8 Impervious), Fortitude +12 (+16 Growth), Will +14

Complications:
Motivation (Protecting The Universe)

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 200 / Defenses: 19 (315)

-Epoch was the daughter of Eon, birthed in its womb upon the latter's death- she has all the powers of Eon, but at a much lower level, and she's horribly inexperienced. As such, she is dependent upon Quasar to be her Guardian, and isn't as good in a fight (not that either Cosmic Entity did much fighting). We never really saw much of her, as Quasar's own series died out not too long after her debut, and she didn't get much play on the Cosmic Scene afterwards. Too bad- she's among the very few "female" Cosmic Entities.

by **Jabroniville** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:51 am

Gazman wrote:Hey, Jab! Thanks for the shout outs. But if I'm influencing your super snazzy builds, something has gone way out of whack on these boards. Case in point: Extended Range. Duh. Cosmic dudes need to be able to blast across the vast emptiness of space. My dudes don't. Yours do. Good call.

Yeah, the Extended Range thing was something that hit me all of a sudden in my 2e building days- I was like "who ever uses THIS feat?" and then I remembered that Cosmic Guys tend to fight at a huge distance- it's like how people forget that on "Star Trek", alot of ships are way further apart.

by **Jabroniville** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:00 pm

COSMO THE ROCKET-DOG
Created By: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Wellington Alves
First Appearance: Nova #8 (Jan. 2008)
Role: Greatest Character Ever, Talking Animal
Group Affiliations: The Guardians of the Galaxy
PL 9 (146)
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Investigation 5 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Expertise (Knowhere Security Guard) 6 (+9)
Expertise (History) 2 (+5)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Telekinetics) 9 (+9)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Security Officer of Knowhere), Great Endurance, Equipment 3 (Translator, Space Suit), Fast Grab, Improved Trip

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Communication (Mental) 4 (Extras: Area-Burst, Selective) Linked to Mind-Reading 8 (Feats: Dynamic) (41) -- [52]

Equipment:
"Doggy Space Suit"
Immunity 5 (Immunity to Heat, Cold, Pressure, Vacuum, Radiation) (5)
Protection 2 (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Bite +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
TK Blast +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
TK Burst +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Mental Blast -- (+7 Perception Will Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+4 Suit, +12 Force Field), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Though Cosmo can speak and use Telekinesis quite well, he cannot use his paws to easily manipulate objects.
Responsibility (Security Officer of Knowhere)

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 15 (146)

-Who doesn't love Cosmo? A telepathic, telekinetic Soviet-era Cosmonaut-dog, who somehow is director of security of Knowhere, the giant floating severed head of a Celestial on the edge of the galaxy. He's that perfect mix of "so stupid & comicky" and "cleverly silly" that you can't help but laugh. The fact that he acts JUST ENOUGH like a real-life dog in his mannerisms and behavior, alongside speaking broken Russkie-English. He's a side-character in the Nova/Guardians stories, backing up the heroes, but when he gets into the thick of things, he proves himself pretty well. One arc of "Guardians" resulted in Cosmo's death, alongside the majority of the supporting cast. But of course, it was a TIME TRAVEL story, so the final death toll got reverted for the most part. But then Guardians has pulled that trope off too many times by the end, and fans kinda got sick of it.

-Cosmo's interesting, being a Jean Grey-like mix of Telepathy & Telekinesis, alongside his Doggie-based abilities and his Skills. He's pretty capable (and has been shown in the comics to be pretty powerful if he gets going), but isn't a battlefield specialist or even that experienced at fighting, given that he spends most of his time back at HQ. So he's a pretty good PL 9 (145), packing defensive power with his Force Fields and some good offensive Blasting power (both Mental & TK-Bludgeoning).

by **Jabroniville** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:04 pm

ROCKET RACCOON
Created By: Bill Mantlo & Keith Giffen
First Appearance: Marvel Preview #7 (Summer 1976)
Role: Sardonic Animal Buddy, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Guardians of the Galaxy
PL 10 (135)
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Space Soldier) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+9, +13 Size)
Technology 6 (+9)
Vehicles 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 6 (Guns, Translator), Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Guns) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Move-By Action, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

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

"Fast For a Little Guy" Speed 2 (4 mph) [2]
Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]

Equipment:
"Giant-Ass Guns" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Giant-Ass Guns +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Prejudice (Appearance)- Rocket is in fact a talking Raccoon, and this makes some others take him less seriously.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 17 (135)

-Rocket Raccoon is a rarely-seen character throughout most of comics history, showing up as an Earthly Raccoon given advanced intelligence. He hung around as kind of a goofy concept for a while, but never hit it big until "Annihilation: Conquest" came in and suddenly made him an ally of Star-Lord during his big run, and thus, he's a Guardian of the Galaxy, taking up a role as the team's Comic Relief and the "This Is So Retarded" guy who hangs a lampshade on all those weird things that could only happen in comic books. Like when the team was searching for possible names for their group, he pops up with "Rocket Raccoon & His Human Hangers-On". The guy's got comedy skillz.

-Even so, he can get serious, and is one of the most fiercely loyal of the entire Guardians, being among the least-likely to just disappear and to his own crap (like Drax, Gamora, Phyla...)- now he's even getting a MOVIE APPEARANCE, with the new "Guardians" film being announced. Funny for a guy who was so minor, Peter David once had his skin appear in a trophy room to get rid of pesky fans whining for his return.

-Rocket shows up kinda like how I wanted, but surprisingly cheap. But then, his best power comes from Equipment instead of Devices, and he's a tiny Raccoon-Man (though note that he's usually drawn a fair bit bigger than a real raccoon, so I only stuck him with Shrinking 4). So he's not very strong, requires his weapons to do any sort of damage, and is REALLY easy to hurt if anyone gets a shot in on him. It helps that he's got a ridiculously-high Defense score (he's PL 8 defensively still), but he's not exactly a well-rounded PL 10. But it fits; he's not the team Powerhouse- he's more of a Skillmonkey/Blaster.

by **Skavenger** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:38 pm

Jab, I can honestly say that getting Cosmo and Rocket Raccoon on the same day just left a smile plastered on my face all day. I'm curious, did you only go off the Guardians books for Rocket, or did you ever read his original miniseries?

Besides the awesomeness of his good friend, the walrus with laser tusks (comics are awesome), it was an interesting read (I liked the idea that genetically enhanced animals would be used to watch over/treat people with medical issues, since their presence would be comforting without the human intelligence).

by **Jabroniville** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:18 pm

I just went by Guardians- I've never read his earlier stuff. I think I was only vaguely aware of Rocket's existence until "Annihilation: Conquest". It does indeed sound rather odd, and very "70s"- it's no surprise to me in which decade the guy was created.

P.S. Woof- some of these Cosmic Guys take a lot longer to build than most regular characters. Thank goodness I actually had a large amount of headway thanks to a bunch of guys I already statted out in 2e (Doing translations of 2e to 3e is usually really quick), because guys like Eon take me a heck of a lot of time to do.

by **Jabroniville** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:24 pm

Ah, comics- Will you ever run out of women with odd skin colours?

Not if *I* have anything to say about it!

NEBULA
Created By: Roger Stern & John Buscema
First Appearance: The Avengers #257 (July 1985)
Role: Space Pirate
Group Affiliations: The Guardians of the Galaxy
PL 10 (138)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 6 (+11)
Expertise (Space Pirate) 10 (+14)
Expertise (Tactics) 8 (+12)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 1 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+7)
Technology 3 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Intergalactic Space Pirate, Wealth), Defensive Attack, Equipment 9 (Wrist-Blasters), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasters), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7

Equipment:
"Wrist Blasters" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
"Image Inducer" Morph 4 (Humanoids) (20)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Wrist Blasters +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Power)- Nebula wants total power- wealth alone isn't enough for her.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (138)

-Nebula was interesting to me as a kid, since I decided that Thanos was awesome, and his "granddaughter" must be as well. She's a fairly one-note villain, being a Space Pirate obsessed with power, flying around the galaxy in a super-huge space cruiser, The Sanctuary II. She had a couple stories to her credit until "The Infinity Gauntlet", where Thanos cruelly tortured her (for her audacity in claiming a familial link to him) by leaving her permanently in a state between life and death. In the weirdest twist of the whole "Gauntlet" storyline, she ended up GRABBING THE GAUNTLET, resulting in everyone divebombing HER, including the Cosmic Beings in attendance. I thought it was kind of silly that, after Thanos did this great, smart battle against the Cosmics, we got Nebula casually doing the whole thing AGAIN, but off-panel. In all, she's the most bizarre character in the thing- nearly every other character has a role (be it observers like Starfox, schemers like Mephisto, Cannon Fodder like the heroes- especially Namor & She-Hulk, human-level "this is crazy" guys like Cloak, and super-heavyweights like the Cosmic Beings), but Nebula is just kinda... there, as an example of Thanos' cruelty, until she suddenly becomes our second-tier villain.

-It kinda says something that while this series set off a HUGE amount of stories involving Thanos, The Silver Surfer, The Cosmic Beings, Adam Warlock, The Infinity Watch and more... we basically never saw Nebula in any kind of a big role again. She actually gets more hints of relevance for that time she almost blew up the universe using an Earth scientist's super-device. After the "Gauntlet" story ended, she appeared on only two separate occasions that I can see- turning into a cyborg during a prison break (and killing her crew), and showing up as one of those nameless "Grace" followers of Gamora in the first part of her "Annihilation" story. Of course, it makes zero sense why Nebula would be under someone else's command, but then, her time in the sun was long ever.

-Nebula isn't any kind of a supreme bad-ass as a fighter (she's basically using Wrist Blaster Equipment to meet her offensive caps, and is PL 8 defensively), but the challenge with her is the fact that she's using a Star Cruiser powerful enough to wipe out a Skrull Armada, has a TON of Space Pirates at her beck and call, and could have God-knows-what kind of space tech lying around.

by **Jabroniville** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:30 pm

I love how her bikini actually shows LESS SKIN than her current comic-book outfit

.

GAMORA
Created By: Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Strange Tales #180 (June 1975)
Role: The Most Dangerous Woman In The Universe (but not really), Miss Fanservice, '90s Action Girl
Group Affiliations: The Guardians of the Galaxy, The Infinity Watch
PL 11 (174)
STRENGTH 8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+13)
Athletics 5 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+15)
Deception 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+11)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Technology 4 (+5)
Perception 8 (+10)
Vehicles 3 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Stealth 5 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Cunning Fighter (Attack instead of Bluff to Feint), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Blades, Translator), Evasion, Fearless, Improved Critical (Blades), Improved Initiative, Great Endurance, Last Stand, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 5, Takedown 2, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
Regeneration 4 [4]

"Godslayer Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [11]
Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical 3) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (17 points)

Equipment:
"Gamora's Blades" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blades +13 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Godslayer +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Adam Warlock, Richard Rider)- Gamora was kinda with Warlock for a long time, but eventually hooked up with Nova in a subplot that never really went anywhere.
Reputation (Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe)

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 12 (174)

-ahhhh Gamora, the living embodiment of Comic Books in the 1990s. OK, the whole "Daughter of Thanos, brutalized and turned into the ultimate girlish weapon" origin is kick-ass and original. The idea that this chick is the super-tough "Most Dangerous Woman In The Universe" is cool, too. The problem? It's all talk. Gamora basically NEVER kicks ass in the way she's supposed to- I can't think of a single important character she's actually beaten, and all she ever does is goonsweep. How does she get a rep like that without actually being that dangerous? Some "Gamora Respect Threads" out there contain some decently-impressive feats, but most of them involve stunning a held-back Thing, or one-shotting RAGE, which can't be super-high on someone's list of awesomeness.

-But back the the whole "90s" thing- it's all there. She's a kick-ass "Man with T*ts", as some writers have scandalously described such Action Heroines. She wears the skimpiest outfit known to comics (and it's only gotten skimpier over time- turning what was once a plunging neckline thingie into a modern-day Power Thong with two straps of fabric covering her naughty bits and that's all). She kills tons of people using bladed weapons. She's insane and partially evil (sometimes via mind control). She even has vaguely-defined super-powers that take a backseat to her standard Mook-Killiness. It's like the collection of every single 1990s Comic Book Trope personified into one individual. I think she was actually created using the faps of a dozen Nineties-era 13-year old boys

.

-Hilariously, one comic thread about the upcoming "Guardians" movie is focused almost entirely over how Gamora will be dressed- the initial Concept Art has her a bit more conservatively-dressed, and of course her fans are upset about it

. I'd pretend I'm not a fan of her just cuz of her outfit, and my preference for more modest ladies in less-objectionable outfits, but then I'd have to hide about a hundred naughty DeviantArt pictures of all said ladies while I said it.

-Okay, so Gamora showed up a LOT during Annihilation and general cosmic stuff, eventually moving on to the Guardians of the Galaxy. She's doing some on/off thing with Nova that gets barely touched upon (as both characters are rather busy, what with all the constant events going on), and she kills alot of people, but it's mostly background stuff- she hasn't notably killed anyone of importance to the plot in a while (or ever). She basically turned into a background character in "Guardians", offering up about zero characterization or anything else of note.

-Gamora's one of those classic pain-in-the-ass Cosmic Builds. Why? Because most of her bios mention that she's SUPER-STRONG AND DURABLE, yet there's not a shred of evidence to support that in any book I've read in a long time. It's one of those vague powers that has likely been utterly forgotten over time- it's not even MENTIONED in her "Annihilation" series Bios at the end of Book Three (and those bios actually bring up old minor powers of Ronan's), though at least once something had referred to her mysteriously-disappearing super-strength (she tossed someone quite a long ways in one scene, but was back to Goonsweeping the next). And then there's the "Best Martial Artist in the Universe" thing, which would EASILY put her into PL 14 territory if you added that to her strength (because of the way accuracy evens out with damage potential in this system). So where to put her, stat-wise? I ended up going with moderate Super-Human Strength (Spider-Man level), along with a very good +15 to-hit bonus, which is easily modified by her horrifying amount of Combat Advantages. So she can hit +20 accuracy in Hand-to-Hand if she wants, or dish out more power instead.

-So Gamora ends up being a very strong PL 11 character with a NASTY Sword (it can "slay cosmic beings", despite never actually doing anything of the sort- yet another example of her awesomeness being "all talk"), basically because of a huge Improved Critical rating and it's Penetrative power, the Attack Bonus of a fairly elite martial artist, and enough Combat Advantages to allow her to do just about anything she needs to in a fight. Altogether, pretty terrifying, but not QUITE up to her "Can Kill Anyone" reputation, since she's, well, NEVER KILLED ANYONE IMPORTANT.

by **Earth-Two_Kenn** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:16 am

Maybe Gamora's killed a lot of important characters. The problem is that important characters don't stay dead.

Personally, I want to see a DC /Marvel team-up where she teams with that Daxamite Green Lantern guy.
"Sodam & Gamora" has a certain ring to it.

The Atomic Think Tank

Jab's Builds: He-Man, Ram Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms, Fisto

Re: Jab's Builds: Mephisto, Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre

Re: Jab's Builds: Mephisto, Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre

Re: Jab's Builds: Mephisto, Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre

Re: Jab's Builds: Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre, Quasar, Wraith

Re: Jab's Builds: Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre, Quasar, Wraith

Re: Jab's Builds: Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre, Quasar, Wraith

Re: Jab's Builds: Galactus, Nightmare, D'Spayre, Quasar, Wraith

Re: Jab's Builds: Mephisto, Blackheart, Galactus, Nightmare

Re: Jab's Builds: Galactus, D'Spayre, Quasar, Wraith, Eon, Epoch

Re: Jab's Builds: Galactus, D'Spayre, Quasar, Wraith, Eon, Epoch

Re: Jab's Builds: Quasar, Eon, Epoch, Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon

Re: Jab's Builds: Quasar, Eon, Epoch, Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon

Re: Jab's Builds: Quasar, Eon, Epoch, Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon

Re: Jab's Builds: Quasar, Eon, Epoch, Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon

Re: Jab's Builds: Quasar, Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, Gamora

Who is online