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GAUNTLET (Joseph Green)
Created by: Dan Slott, Stephano Caselli & Eric Powell
Role: Big Bad Drill Instructor
Team: Drill Instructor, Head of Camp H.A.M.M.E.R., Avengers Resistance
PL 10 (150)ST 18 (+4) DEX 16 (+3) CON 20 (+5) INT 14 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 18 (+4)
Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Bluff 2 (+6)
Computers 2 (+4)
Drive 5 (+8)
Gather Information 2 (+6)
Intimidate 6 (+10)
Investigate 2 (+5)
Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+6)
Knowledge (Tactics) 8 (+10)
Notice 5 (+8)
Pilot 3 (+6)
Profession (Soldier) 10 (+12)
Search 4 (+7)
Sense Motive 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Survival 4 (+7)
Feats:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Benefit (Rank), Dedication (Military Service), Diehard, Dodge Focus 4, Endurance, Equipment (Communications), Improved Critical 2 (Gauntlet Blast, Rifle), Improved Grab, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Teamwork
Powers:
"Non-Removable Alien Gauntlet Weapon"
Blast 11 (Extras: Penetrating) (33) -- [36]
AP: Snare 10 (Feats: Reversible, Chokehold, Tether) (23)
AP: Move Object 8 (16)
"Block Attacks" Shield 2 [2]
Super-Senses 1 (Detect Alien Weapons, Ranged) (Limited to The Tactigon) [1]
Saves:
Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Reflex +5, Will +6
Combat:
Attack +9, Damage +4 (+10 Gauntlet Attacks), Defense +6 (+10 Dodge, +12 Gauntlet Block), Initiative +3
Complications:
Responsibility (U.S. Military/Government)
Responsibility (Recruits/Trainees' Safety)
Abilities: 42 / Skills: 64--16 / Feats: 18 / Powers: 38 / Saves: 6 / Combat: 30 (150)
-Gauntlet is one of the nice bits of "The Initiative" series. He's your stereotypical Big Bad Drill Sergeant Nasty-Ass, and he's got the typical "deep-down a good guy" mentality where he doesn't want bad things to happen to the good soldiers he's trained), but I like him anyways. Part of it is his powers- he's got a high output of damage, but he's as vulnerable as all hell- basically a big tough human being underneath all that power. The fact that his power is JUST Blasting is nice- comic book writers nowadays can get all over the place in terms of weird specifics and complicated origins- this is just some alien weapon that fell from space and linked to a guy. He's just a Blaster on a U.S. Soldier, and he works for that.
-He started out as a Yes-Man, but has moved around to the Avengers Resistance after leaving Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. when "Dark Reign" was going down. I'm not much for most of Marvel's big arcs, but I've read all my roomate's trades of that era, and "Initiative" stood out as the best book dealing with this whole thing. I don't talk about a lot of modern comics on here, but I think Civil War was a good idea on paper translated into horrible storytelling and characterization in the actual books (I don't hold the "Mr. Fantastic once spoke out AGAINST Registration ten years ago" thing against the writers, but the whole group of Pro-Reg guys going full-bore evil and doing insane things?). Secret Invasion was also cool in ways, but the big death was WASP? And then Captain America finally returns, but in the most boring way humanly possible, without anybody being all in awe of him and stuff? Then Norman Osborn gets all this power in a GREAT example of character-based storytelling (his sh*t-eating grins and ass-kissing during press interviews was great), but then just decides to randomly go nuts and attack Asgard in the dumbest thing a villain has done to screw up his own plan in YEARS? I mean, the guy just had the keys to the kingdom handed to him, so now he decides to publically break the law, shove it in the President's face, and then go to a war he had very little chance of actually winning? Whu??
-So yeah :). Gauntlet's okay, and it looks like his story is about over, as there's not much else left for him, and he went back to fight with U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan.
-Gauntlet luckily went right down as a PL 10 (150), with a focus on high-powered offense (he can modify his caps, but has a very good soldier-like Attack +9 at his base), and comparatively little defense. He's not helpless, but he's PL 8.5 that way, which fits his non-optimization in real life. He's got good all-around stats, and great Soldier-type skills (Something that'll go a bit down in cost once 3rd Edition comes out). Gauntlet can Blast, Grab, Move Stuff, or block incoming attacks, and also detect the Tactigon, a rival's weapon. Oh, and his "Weapon" isn't really a Device any more- the only way to remove it is to basically laser it off his arm. And really, any power with THAT Drawback would be every power every hero has had, ever ("Cut Out His Eyes" isn't an acceptable Power Loss/Flaw for Cyclops, for example).
by Kreuzritter » Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:48 pm 
. I could just finish the 'good' Initiative characters, and then work on the Thunderbolts, I suppose. I always did mean to get around to them.
