Jab's Builds: Cassidy, Herr Starr, The Saint of Killers

[Jabroniville]

MICROMAX (Scott Wright)
Created By: Alan Davis
First Appearance: Excalibur #44 (Dec. 1991)
Role: Forgotten '90s Hero, Shrinking Hero, Growth Guy
Group Affiliation: Excalibur, The Vanguard, F.I.-6, M.I.-13, M.I.-16
PL 9 (106)
STRENGTH 1/12 STAMINA 2/13 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Disk Jockey) 4 (+6)
Intimidation +0 (+2/+8 Full Size)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+4)
Technology 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Size Shifting"
"Small Size" Shrinking 16 (-4 Strength, Speed -2, +8 Defenses, +16 Stealth, -8 Intimidation) Linked to Enhanced Fighting 4 & Dodge 2 (42) -- [43]

AE: "Huge Size" Growth 10 (Str & Sta +10, +10 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -10 Stealth) -- (42 feet) (20)
Growth 3 (+13 Mass, +6 Intimidation, +1 Speed, -13 Stealth) -- (60 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-STR & STA Growths) (3)

"Mass-Shifting" Morph 2 (Flaws: Limited to Male Shapes) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Small Size +11 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Full Size +7 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4
"Small Size" Dodge +11 (DC 11), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4
"Full Size" Dodge -2 (DC 8), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +13, Fortitude +14, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Government Agent)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 51 / Defenses: 4 (106)

-Micromax kind of sucks. He's an Excalibur affiliate who is generally in the "Government Agent who ends up fighting the super-heroes because of an idiotic misunderstanding" vein of super-character, and he generally gets beaten up alot. His entire history seems to list only one real feat to his name- he grew super-big and surprised the Super-Magic-God Necrom, leaving him vulnerable to other attacks. The rest of the time, he's just getting curbstomped. Like a lot of these guys, it's a total mystery as to why he got a Card of his own, beyond "it was a current storyline and we didn't want to just repeat the same few heroes over and over again").

-Micromax is PL 9 at full size, sure... but he suffers from the same weakness as almost all Growing Guys- a good enough shot from ANYONE can take him down, because pretty much any character can Power Attack with impunity on someone with -2 to Dodge and +2 to Parry (most heroes are around +8 to +12 in accuracy!).

[Jabroniville]

LILITH
Created By: Howard Mackey & Andy Kubert
First Appearance: Ghost Rider #28 (Aug. 1992)
Role: Mother of Demons
PL 13 (275)
STRENGTH 12 STAMINA 14 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 11 (+15)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 2 (+11)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Queen of the Lilin), Chokehold, Close Attack, Improved Critical (Magical Blasts) 2, Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [5]
"Magical Might" Variable 15 (Magical Powers) [105]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Magical Blasts +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +14, Fortitude +14, Will +11

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Lilith seeks to take over the entire world, using her children The Lilin.
Power Loss (Depends on Followers)- Lilith's power can be dependent upon the number of her followers. If many are slain, she will slowly lower in power.

Total: Abilities: 114 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 120 / Defenses: 14 (275)

-Lilith was sort of the crux behind the whole "Midnight Sons" line- an immortal Demon Sorceress from Ancient Atlantis, she unleashed her children (an assortment of Demonic Mooks) against some beings who threatened her- these being Ghost Rider, Blaze, The Nightstalkers, The Darkhold Redeemers, Doctor Strange and Morbius The Living Vampire. Of course, they teamed up, killed her children, and erased her existence. She kinda-resurrected for a bit, but mostly vanished for a decade until the new Captain Britain series showed her trapped in Avalon, then joined Dracula's inner circle as an advisor/Elite Ally.

-Huh, no bio-site lists her magical capabilities. SO IT'S VARIABLE POWER THEN! She's very powerful- enough that Doctor Strange didn't try to just Magic her away, and she also holds sway over a bunch of Elite Demon Mooks. As a solo character, she could hold off the entirety of the Midnight Sons (her Marvel Card stats basically give her the full monty of "7s" for Strength, Mental & Energy Powers, and a "6" for Durability), but prefers to manipulate from behind the scenes.

[BlindPugh]

I'd forgotten Splice even existed. I had the comic where he debuted & he seemed such a random guy to be Wondy villain. I mean knives, against Wonder Man? And his little pellet things? Normally I'm a big fan of Z list villains, but this guy sucked big time.

[Devastation Bob]

So Jab, do you think Growth's weakness is more system related, or matches up with growing characters portrayal in comics?

[Ares]

Micromax was kind of unique in that he was a size-shifter that could selectively control parts of himself. Normally he appears to have a physique more likely to be found amongs the typical comic fans, that of an overweight, balding guy of average appearance. By shrinking the gut, enlarging his muscles, messing with his scalp and such, he gave himself a much more 'heroic' appearance, that of the well muscled, strong jawed, handsome hero.

[Jabroniville]

So Jab, do you think Growth's weakness is more system related, or matches up with growing characters portrayal in comics?

I think it matches a bit. Growth tends to accelerate a guy's strength MUCH too far (most growing guys even at peak height aren't really stronger than The Thing or Sasquatch)- which can be countered by doing the sneaky "Growth, then more Growth but with no bonuses to power" trick, but most big guys can be hit by just about anybody in the comics. If you think about it, most Growing Guys don't do that well in fights, even though their size and weight should be a TREMENDOUS advantage. They tend to be the first guy dropped by the enemy powerhouse, both because it creates a cool visual to make a new villain look tough (Dropping a 60-footer), and because even humans at 60 feet are still just HUMANS and made out of regular ol' flesh and bone.

[Jabroniville]

BLOODAXE (Jackie Lukus)
Created By: Tom DeFalco & Pal Olliffe
First Appearance: Thor #499 (July 1992)
Role: Classic '90s Bad-Ass Villain
PL 11 (131)
STRENGTH 12 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
Impervious Toughness 7 [7]

"The Bloodaxe" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [29]
"Fire Line" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (33) -- (47 points)

AE: "Ice Beam" Snare 11 (33)
AE: "Axe Smash" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach, Affects Insubstantial 2, Dimensional 3, Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (24)
AE: "Cut Through Space" Movement 3 (Dimensional Movement 3) (Extras: Portal +2) (12)
AE: "Teleport Others" Movement 3 (Dimensional Movement 3) (Extras: Attack +0) (6)
AE: "Fire Blast" Blast 13 (26)
AE: "Destroys Illusions" Nullify 14 (Illusion Effects) (Extras: Simultaneous, Effortless) (Flaws: Touch Range) (14)
AE: Deflect 10 (10)
AE: "Tornado" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24) -- [31]
AE: "Wind Funnels" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Disorienting Groups" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Disorienting Winds" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
AE: Air Control 8 (16)
AP: "Wind" Features 2 (Nullify Thrown Weapons, Douse Flames, etc.) (2)
AE: "Wind Storm" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Instant Recovery, Limited Degree) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Axe Smash +8 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Fire Attack +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Ice Beam +8 (+11 Ranged Affliction, DC 21)
Fire Blast +8 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Tornado +8 Area (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Disorienting +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Winds +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +13 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +13, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Blood)- The Bloodaxe is a weapon that slowly possesses the user, just like The Black Knight's Ebony Blade. When Eric Masterson held it, he went so crazy that he committed suicide to end his rampage.
Normal Identity (Jackie Lukus)- If Bloodaxe is separated from the Axe for more than 60 seconds, she will revert to human form. Jackie's normal stats are Strength 0, Stamina 1, Agility 1, Fighting 2, Dex 2, Int 1, Awareness 2 & Presence 2.
Enemy (Thor/Eric Masterson)

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 36 / Defenses: 10 (131)

-Bloodaxe is sort of the big villain of DeFalco's run, using Skurge the Executioner's old axe on a new character (a female love interest of Eric Masterson's) to be a '90s bad-ass in addition to an evil character. Bloodaze threatened Eric as Thor & Thunderstrike a bunch, but soon lost the Axe to Eric, who went nuts and died. Marvel's Series IV cards portrayed Bloodaxe a bunch (she got her own card and a "Famous Battles" card), but really it was a one-year run at best.

-Bloodaxe is very powerful, but simplistic- she fights like a demon, and has tons of Wind-based offense and elemental attacks. Not a lot of fanciness, just ass-kick. She's powerful enough to challenge Thor & Thunderstrike, but I don't buy her as higher than PL 11 thanks to her short run. In my Builds, you have to EARN that- Thor enemies tend to be a pain that way anyhow, since they do so well in the first fight, then inevitably lose when Thor just tries harder next time. After repeated showings, the characters just lose more and more, until they end up jokes like Skurge The Executioner. Another reason to make Jackie PL 11- Skurge was PL 12, and I don't by some green newbie as being at his level, no matter how many times Thor beat his ass.

[Jabroniville]

CYBER (Silas Burr)
Created By: Peter David & Sam Keith
First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents #85 (Sept. 1991)
Role: Classic '90s Bad-Ass
PL 11 (222)
STRENGTH 9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7)
Deception 6 (+9)
Expertise (History) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Criminal) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+7)
Intimidation 8 (+11)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 7 (+10)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Close Combat 4, Contacts, Diehard, Equipment 2, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Track

Powers:
"Adamantium Skin" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 11) (Drawbacks: Weak Point- Face) [14]
Power-Lifting 1 (12 tons) [1]
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Senses 5 (Detect Brain Waves, Ranged 2, Acute, Tracking) [5]

"Hallucinogenic Adamantium Finger-Claws" All Powers Linked
Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 6) [7]
Weaken Strength 11 (Extras: Progressive +2) [33]
"Confusion" Affliction 11 (Fort; Impaired/Defenseless/Transformed to Confused- Random Actions) (Extras: Cumulative) [22]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Claws +13 (+11 Weaken & Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +13 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +9, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Sadism)- Cyber is a longtime soldier, murderer and overall sadist, happy to kill for the sake of causing pain and destruction.
Enemy (Wolverine)

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 81 / Defenses: 11 (222)

-I hate characters like Cyber. It's like, some writer goes "Hey, y'know what'd be REALLY bad-ass? If Wolverine fought ANOTHER guy with claws! Only... this guy's claws secrete POISON! And his SKIN is made out of Adamantium, too! AWESOME!" Peter David, I'm ashamed of you for creating this fanboy's-wet-dream monstrosity. He was so tough that even WOLVERINE was afraid to fight him! They were actually good enough to de-push and kill him off in the late-90s (during the "No-Nose Wolverine" arc- his adamantium was supposed to go into Logan again, but he rejected it and went feral- we actually lost Cyber AND most of the Dark Riders in the same storyline!), but he's since returned with links to Wolverine's son Daken (I'm just amazed they went fourty years of Wolverine being established as older than dirt before giving him a 'son he never knew'- I've seen guys at most in their thirties be pushed down that road).

-This is 1990s, original body Cyber, and as expected, adding a Mercenary build onto a Wolverine Hater build (ie. claws, protection, etc.) gets pricey. He's a PL 11 guy who is on Logan's level who can punch it out with a powerhouse, stab people, use the rare Confusion-based power (an Affliction- that's basically what a "hallucinogenic drug" is), Weaken them like a poison, and detect people from far away. Oh yeah, and he's super-strong and has ADAMANTIUM SKIN, as well (but not on his face, letting me use the "Weak Point" Drawback that allows Critical Hits to avoid the Protection). So he's a bad dude all-around, and can really do a number on guys like Logan. After he died, he took over the body of another mutant, this one a guy with super-strength who later ALSO had his skin replaced with Adamantium, essentially turning into a heart attack-prone guy with the same powers.

[Jabroniville]

Hey Ghost Rider fans, help a brother out. Can any of the various Riders summon their bikes from nothing? Bio-sites indicate that Vengeance can, but what about the others? One site says that Ketch had several pre-made Bikes, but for some reason I thought at least one of them could just turn ordinary rides into a Hellfire Bike. Any comments would be helpful, thanks.

[BlindPugh]

Couldn't tell you about Ketch, but I'd swear blind that I've seen Blaze create a bike out of pure hellfire & nothing else back in a 70's book.

[Thorpacolypse]

God, I hate Cyber, too. And I love Iron Age stuff. But he sucks worse than Pym to me, and THAT'S saying something.

[Woodclaw]

God, I hate Cyber, too. And I love Iron Age stuff. But he sucks worse than Pym to me, and THAT'S saying something.

Quoted for truth.

[Ares]

Cyber might actually be in the running for the 'Most Generic Costume Ever' award Jab usually gives Piledriver. A black chin exposing bodysuit and Colossus arms?

[Spam]

That's a girl?

[Devastation Bob]

Hey Ghost Rider fans, help a brother out. Can any of the various Riders summon their bikes from nothing? Bio-sites indicate that Vengeance can, but what about the others? One site says that Ketch had several pre-made Bikes, but for some reason I thought at least one of them could just turn ordinary rides into a Hellfire Bike. Any comments would be helpful, thanks.

In the one-shot Punisher Ghost Rider and Wolverine vs. Blackheart, Hearts of Darkness, Dan Ketch is without his usual motorcycle, and is able to summon Ghost Rider and infuse an old junkpile motorcycle with hellfire and use it. I don't recall it having the skull shield on front, but it had the flaming wheels and all that other good stuff.

Not sure about Blaze or whoever angel Ghost Rider is now. Is he still an angel?