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

[luketheduke86]

a lot of folks use multi-attack on close attacks. i understand what they're trying to do, but that's a sloppy job of it. multi-attack's cost reflects several options that are ranged attack specific.

I don't know about that, only the "covering attack" option seems to fit a ranged attack only. I think the ability to do +2/+5 damage or attack everyone around you is worth an +1 extra and could fit certain characters.

Enjoying the foreign builds Jab. Your Shadowcat and Nightcrawler builds look cool with Kurt looking like he'd be blast to run as a PC!

You might want to watch it with all that Kitty Pryde praise Jab, it may ruin your chances with Cyclone .

[Horsenhero]

Remember, Multi-Attack only adds extra damage if it's concentrated on a single target. It allows you to attack every target in your "arc" with a directed attack (thus no evasion), but, you get a -1 to the attack roll per target...so you can attack 8 people surrounding you, but, each attack suffers a -8 to hit penalty. There is no extra damage gained from such an attack, merely the ability to direct fire on multiple targets.

[Jabroniville]

Yeah, Multiattack's more limited in that regard. I think it fits best for the Chun-Li "Lightning Leg" and stuff like that- the boost to damage is still worth extra points, and it fits thematically.

[Jabroniville]

haha, super-butt cheeks. Surprisingly, this is about as LITTLE of her arse as this costume ever shows. Check out THIS shot:


PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock)
Created By: Chris Claremont & Herb Trimpe
First Appearance: Captain Britain #8 (Dec. 1976)
Role: Miss Fanservice (the '90s), Telepath, Ninja, Inscrutable Oriental, Confusing-Power Chick
Country of Origin: England (then Japan, kinda)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, Excalibur, The Exiles, X-Force, RCX, The Hand, The Crimson Dawn, The Hellfire Club, The Captain Britain Corps.
PL 10 (182)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Model) 2 (+6, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Skier) 1 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Stealth 6 (+12)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Attractive, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Defensive Strike, Defensive Throw, Equipment 2 (Swords), Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical 2 (Psychic Knife, Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Takedown 2, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
“Mutant Powers: Telepathy”
"Telepathy" Mind Reading 8 Linked to Communication (Mental) 2 (24) -- [27]
AE: "Telelocation" Senses 3 (Detect Sentient Life- Ranged 3) (3)
AE: "Psychic Knife" Damage 10 (Extras: Alternate Save- Will) (Inaccurate -1) (19)
AE: "Astral Form" Remote Sensing 7 (Sight, Hearing & Mental- 2 miles) (Feats: Subtle, Dimensional) (Flaws: Helpless While In Use) (23)

"Psychic Link With Brother"
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Capain Britain) [1]

"Ninja Training"
"Sneak Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Flaws: Limited to When Enemy Lacks Defense Bonus) [1]
Features: May Add Sneak Attack to Weapon Damage [1]

Equipment:
"Asian Swords" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sneak Attack +14 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Swords +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Sneak Attack +12 (+7 Damage, DC 21)
Psychic Knife +10 (+10 Mental Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Various)- She REALLY gets around. The fact that she's certain writers' favourite X-chick adds up.
Responsibility (Powers)- Her powers are in constant flux, and she loses some and gains others a lot.
Vulnerable (Mind Control)- Psylocke is more affected by Mind Control or changes to her body than others, as a result of her repeated-victimizations by others. This also gives her an issue with mental probes- she once disallowed Professor X from doing one on her, even when it would be helpful, thanks to past torment.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 32 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 19 (182)

Jim Lee: Hey, Chris, I gotta ask you something. I REALLY, REALLY want to draw another asian chick in this comic! I know half my chicks look like they're Chinese ANYWAYS, but I've got this crazy design here! See?
Chris Claremont: This looks like you just took Elektra's costume and coloured it purple...
Lee: ....
Claremont: GENIUS! But this costume design would look awesome on Psylocke. Hm, I will allow you to change her design, but only if I can apply my natural fetishes of cold, bitter women with authority problems. Deal? (ten bucks says this is how it really went)

-Psylocke's been under more changes and shifts that just about any X-Character. And when that list includes Emma "supreme villain, then magnificent bitch leader, then repentant, then Mean-But-Heroic British Bitch" Frost and Hank "Big smart guy, then grey ape, then blue ape, then blue lion thing" McCoy, that is SAYING something. Starting life as Captain Britain's supporting cast sister in his own UK comics, Betsy got co-opted by Claremont (who wrote much of that series) into his own X-Men, turning her from a sweet English telepathic girl into a cold-hearted, cynical Japanese bitch-ninja. She later became an icon of the 1990s, and not really in that good way- she DEFINES so many stereotypes: Bitchy, unrealistic women. Ninjas with swords. Eyes with no pupils. Costumes with frickin' THONGS on them. Mindless characterization and shifts for no reason into Grim 'n' Gritty forms... of course I was thirteen when I first saw her, so I was totally in love, so hey, whatever works for Marvel.

-She's since been ALL OVER THE PLACE, developing TELEKINESIS of all things, Crimson Dawn eye-tattoos that gave her teleportation, etc. Fans have long since been too confused, but Chris Claremont is writing her AGAIN, making her a pet character (about the tenth bitchy woman to be so), so she'll pretty much show up in any work he's doing, no matter what.

-This is the version of Psylocke with which I'm most familiar, being a snarky, deadpan ninja with tons of stealth, quickness and elite martial arts prowess, being more in the 'finesse' group than the "kill everything in one shot" one. The Psychic Knife is a very deadly attack, and that and her Parry are the only full-on PL 10 things about her. The Knife is REALLY hard to hit with most of the time (nearly all it's hits come from the side or the back), so it's Inaccurate by a single rank, so hitting guys from the back is usually her best bet. Being rather fragile (Toughness +5 max), it's a good idea in general to be out of the way- she gets the most of her +14-15 Defenses & Improved Defense/Uncanny Dodge. Her Telepathy is at it's lowest ebb in this form, as it was rarely anything but a plot device in the comics. I barely even remember instances of her trying to read minds. Her earlier version actually possesses a lot more power in this regard- back before the ninja stuff. Altogether, she's an expensive PL 10, which is about right- most elite X-Men or Avengers-types end up in that range.



PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock)- Telepathic Early Version
Created By: Chris Claremont & Herb Trimpe
First Appearance: Captain Britain #8 (Dec. 1976)
Role: Telepath
Country of Origin: England
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, The Captain Britain Corps.
PL 8 (136), PL 10 (136) with Mind Reading
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 2 (+2)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Model) 2 (+6, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Skier) 1 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Attractive, Defensive Roll, Defensive Strike, Equipment (X-Uniform- Communiations, Protection +1), Improved Defense, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Telepathy"
"Telepathy" Mind Reading 10 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Effortless) (41) -- [55]

Dynamic AE: Communication 2 (Mental) (11)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Blast" Damage 8 (Extras: Perception Range +2, Alternate Save- Will) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Stun" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Telelocation" Senses 3 (Detect Sentient Life- Radius, Ranged 3) (5)
Dynamic AE: "Astral Form" Remote Sensing 9 (Sight, Hearing & Mental- 2 miles) (Feats: Subtle, Dimensional) (Flaws: Helpless While In Use) (30)
Dynamic AE: Mind Control 6 (24)
Dynamic AE: Illusion (All Senses) 8 (Extras: Selective) (Flaws: Resisted by Will) (40)

"Psychic Link With Brother"
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Capain Britain) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Mental Blast +8 Perception (+8 Perception Damage, DC 23)
Mental Stun +8 Perception (+8 Perception Affliction, DC 18)
Mind Control +6 Perception (+6 Perception Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+3 Uniform), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Brother, Brian)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 19 (136)

-'80s Betsy was a more supporting character. She was a tough little cookie, but not really a combatant, though her telepathic might was far in excess of her Ninja Version's. She's only PL 10 as far as Mind Reading goes- the rest of her is PL 8 at-best. Pricey, but not an A-Leaguer.

[Jabroniville]

BANSHEE (Sean Cassidy)
Created By: Roy Thomas, Werner Roth & Stan Lee
First Appearance: The X-Men #28 (Jan. 1967)
Role: Ethnic Stereotype (especially at first), The Old Cop, The Retired Hero, The Guy Who Gets Written Out
Country of Origin: Ireland
Group Affiliations: The NYPD, Interpol, The X-Men, Generation-X
PL 10 (162)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+10)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Interpol/Police Officer) 7 (+10)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 7 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment (X-Uniform), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Sonic Scream) 3, Improved Smash, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Sonic Scream"
"Sonic Flight" Flight 8 (500 mph) (Flaws: Winged Costume) [8]

"Loud Scream- Burst" Dazzle Hearing 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (30) -- [39]

AE: "Loud Scream- Cone" Dazzle 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (20)
AE: "Stunning Scream" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative, Ranged) (30)
AE: "Shake Apart Objects" Weaken Toughness 10 (Extras: Ranged, Penetrating) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (30)
AE: "Hypnotic Trance" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Cumulative, Area-Perception) (24)
AE: "Nauseating Scream" Affliction 8 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
AE: "Concussive Scream" Blast 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Concussive Cone" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)
AE: "Concussive Ram" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
AE: "Neutralize Scanning Equipment" Concealment (Hearing) 10 (Extras: Affects Others, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Machines) (20)

"Specialized Hearing" Senses 6 (Accurate Extended & Ultra-Hearing) [6]
"Screaming Deflection Field" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
Immunity 1 (Sonic Dazzles) [1]
"Cassidy Clan" Immunity 1 (Black Tom Cassidy's Blast Powers) [1]

Equipment:
X-Men Uniform (Communications, Wings for Flight)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Loud Screams +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Stunning/Nauseating Screams +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Shake Apart +10 (+10 Ranged Weaken, DC 20)
Hypnotic Trance +8 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 18)
Concussive Scream +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Concussive Area Screams +10 Areas (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)
Relationship (Cassidy Clan)- His family is screwed up. He beat his cousin Black Tom for the hand of Maeve Rourke, but she died in an IRA terrorist bombing, and Tom raised Sean's daughter Theresa without telling Sean of her existence. Tom wanted to punish Banshee, who crippled him, by hiding his daughter from him.
Relationship (Moira MacTaggart)- After Maeve, Moira was the love of Sean's life, and he was devoted to her, and heartbroken when she left him (needing to be alone, out of guilt for brainwashing Magneto).
Power Loss (Screams)- All of Banshee's powers are dependent on his ability to scream. If he is gagged, choked, injured in the throat area or otherwise unable to scream, none of his powers aside from Extended & Ultra-Hearing will be effective. He will also be depowered immediately if he ever uses Extra Effort for his scream- this happened A LOT.
Relationship (Generation-X)- Sean became a father figure to the Generation-X kids.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 19 (162)

-I actually liked Banshee a lot. The guy just didn't have much luck, though- he's a HUGE part of the original Giant-Size line-up, constantly saving the day, and gets tons of lip service from the writers, as he's arguably the most powerful member of the entire team, and most versatile (at one point, Magneto flat-out states that "among you, only HE is my equal!"). The problem was, Claremont & Byrne got tired of him and de-powered his Irish ass off the team JUST in time for him to miss out on the entire Dark Phoenix Saga, meaning that... guess what? NONE of the major X-Fans that came in BECAUSE of that storyline (and the resulting 80s grittiness) even remember the poor bastard! The guy was gone for almost all the REALLY legendary work done on the series, and didn't return for another DECADE, so Banshee remained this forgotten character for the entire span!

-So there Banshee sat on Muir Island, boinking Moira MacTaggart, and only showing up occasionally. He got a second run with the team in the early '90s, but it wasn't to last, and he & Moira became off & on as well. It wasn't until Generation-X came around that he got to play a major role, being the stodgy mentor to the young kids. I wasn't a fan of the Gen-X book (too much Jubilee, too many "potentially the most powerful mutant alive" types, weaker characterization, and horribly-exaggerated "Big Eyes & Heads & Hands" art on all the kids), but it was something. Despite all that, he was still unceremoniously killed off by Vulcan in a recent art. Sucks to be him.

-Banshee's fully-balanced on Offense, with a powerful Area Attack Blast & Dazzle, with a few handy Alt-Effects attached to it, making him a fairly versatile Blaster (though he's vulnerable, like most are. Not AS bad of a Glass Cannon, but he's only PL 7.5 in that regard). He's also one of the more skilled X-Men, though honestly that didn't come up a whole lot during his first run- it was boosted in the Gen-X years and more, once he'd gotten more of a solo focus.

[Jabroniville]

Yowza.

STORM (Ororo Munroe)
Created By: Len Wein & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975)
Role: Ethnic Stereotype (especially at first), Innocent Fanservice Girl, The Butch Lesbian ('80s), Team Powerhouse, The Leader
Country of Origin: Kenya/Egypt
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, The Morlocks
PL 11 (214)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (African Goddess) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Thief) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+8)
Investigation 1 (+5)
Perception 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Lightning) 3 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 12 (+14)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 2 (Queen of Wakanda), Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (X-Uniform), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lightning), Improved Smash, Inspire, Languages (English, Various African), Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Sleight of Hand), Startle

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Weather Control"
"Wind-Rider" Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]
Senses 3 (Detect Weather- Ranged & Acute) [3]
Immunity 10 (Weather Effects) [10]

"Lightning Bolt" Damage 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (34) -- [52]

Dynamic AE: "Tornado #1" Blast 11 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: 30ft. Burst) (34)
Dynamic AE: "Tornado #2" Blast 11 (Extras: 30ft. Cylinder) (34)
Dynamic AE: "Lightning Blast" Blast 11 (Feats: Indirect 1- From Above) (26)
Dynamic AE: "Weather Effects" Environment 6 (900 feet) (Cold, Impede Movement 2, Light, Visibility) (31)
Dynamic AE: "Wind Storm" Affliction 11 (Strength or Athletics; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (12)
Dynamic AE: "Wind Burst" Affliction 11 (Strength or Athletics; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (12)
Dynamic AE: "Wind Creation" Move Object 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (28)
Dynamic AE: "Wind" Features 2 (-2 Thrown Weapons, snuffing flames, etc.) (3)
Dynamic AE: "Blinding Fog" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 240ft. Burst +4, Selective) (17)

Equipment:
X-Men Uniform (Communications, Protection 1)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Weather Effects +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Wind Effects +11 Area (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Lightning +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 Uniform), Fortitude +7, Will +12

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)
Relationship (Forge, Others)- Storm had a VERY long off-and-on thing with the Inventor mutant, with them falling for each other, then him accidentally removing her powers. She hated him, then they kind of got into it again. Stuff got complicated, and they ended it. She's had a few boy-toys since then, but none bigger than...
Relationship (T'Challa)- Well they were the top two black characters in comics, so they kinda had to hook up, I guess.
Responsibility (The Queen of Wakanda)- Ororo now has the political responsibilities of royalty.
Responsibility (The X-Men)- As a major Team Leader, Storm has a lot of people to take care of.
Responsibility (The Morlocks)- For a long time, Storm was the overall leader of the Morlocks as well.
Rivalry (Callisto)- The ex-Morlock leader had a pretty big issue with the above Complication- she frequently taunted Storm, but also respected her as a warrior and demanded she take her role seriously.
Phobia (Enclosed Spaces)- Storm is claustrophobic, and will become crazed and desperate if she's enclosed in a small space- even places such as sewers make her uncomfortable.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 77 / Defenses: 18 (214)

-Storm has come a long way. As the most overall powerful of the early Giant-Size crew (though Banshee was at first), she was depicted as somewhat of an Innocent Fanservice girl, calling bathing suits "absurd strips of cloth" and going nude half the time, but eventually the creative team got a hold of themselves and turned her into a passionate, fiery, worthy leader of the team, eventually taking that role from Cyclops every time he went away (which was often, especially by the mid-80s). They did go a bit nuts in that era with the whole "Mohawked Lesbian Biker" thing (which the designer, Paul Smith, admitted was a joke gone way too far) which was supposed to be empowering and tough-ass back in the day, but now just looks hilariously embarassing (Nuklon of Infinity Inc. gets the same thing, even now that he's Atom Smasher).

-That kind of thing happens when the writer working on all your stuff (Chris Claremont in this case) has a MASSIVE fetish for super-powerful, leather-clad women with attitude problems and a general disdain for authority. He's likely not alone in that fetish, but man did Storm EVER get a push during his run. The era where she was depowered was actually ridiculously long (lasting approximately THREE Essential Collections- something like 60 issues or four to five years of storytelling!), but cemented her as a strong Marvel character & leader. All of that adds up to one of the greatest heroines of all time, and one of the best black characters (if not THE best) in all of comics- further proof that Marvel has it all OVER DC in terms of awesome super-heroines (they just lack the TOP dog- ie. Wonder Woman).

-Which is all the funnier considering that her designer, Dave Cockrum, intended to use her as a feline-esque Legion of Super-Heroes character until DC rejected him . Between her and Nightcrawler, DC essentially just HANDED Marvel the instruments of their ultimate fame and success, which I should hope sticks to them a bit now. Sure, there were no hints that they could've ever hit it big back then (and the X-Men didn't REALLY take off till the Dark Phoenix Saga sales-wise, which is post-Cockrum anyways), but WOW.

-Storm's a big-time expensive character, as I expected- she's an X-Man after all (they all have a great deal of power, yet are ALSO very skilled and good at fighting, as they've all had years and years of writers carefully powering them up with every passing issue). PL 11 best suits her, as she's arguably the most powerful X-Man of all, but has many exploitable weaknesses, the biggest of which being her low Toughness (she's PL 7 defensively). It's part of what I like about Marvel comics- the X-Men can be VERY powerful, but even someone as mighty as Storm has been taken out by a frickin' BYSTANDER throwing a brick at her head. A Glass Cannon to the extreme. Her powers are quite vast- three Area Damage effects, a standard Blast (Indirect- ie. from above), two Wind Storms, Fog, Wind (Features 2), Move Object, Weather Immunity & Detection, and Flight. Her ideal form in combat is to distract all the enemies with her Environment, hamper movements, Blasts and Area Effects while giving commands, allowing the rest of the team to mop up.



I don't care how hot the rest of her is- that haircut just doesn't work.

STORM (Ororo Munroe)- De-Powered Version
Created By: Len Wein & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975)
Role: Ethnic Stereotype (especially at first), Innocent Fanservice Girl, The Butch Lesbian ('80s), Team Powerhouse, The Leader, Bad-Ass Normal
Country of Origin: Kenya/Egypt
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, The Morlocks
PL 9 (146)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Expertise (African Goddess) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Thief) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+9)
Investigation 1 (+5)
Perception 6 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 12 (+14)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 2 (Queen of Wakanda), Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment (X-Uniform), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Persuasion), Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Trip, Inspire, Languages (English, Various African), Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Sleight of Hand), Startle

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: None (Thanks to Forge)"
"Elite Fighter" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Equipment:
X-Men Uniform (Communications, Protection 1)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 Uniform), Fortitude +7, Will +12

Complications:
Prejudice (Mutant)
Relationship (Forge, Others)- Storm had a VERY long off-and-on thing with the Inventor mutant, with them falling for each other, then him accidentally removing her powers. She hated him, then they kind of got into it again. Stuff got complicated, and they ended it. She's had a few boy-toys since then, but none bigger than...
Relationship (T'Challa)- Well they were the top two black characters in comics, so they kinda had to hook up, I guess.
Responsibility (The Queen of Wakanda)- Ororo now has the political responsibilities of royalty.
Responsibility (The X-Men)- As a major Team Leader, Storm has a lot of people to take care of.
Responsibility (The Morlocks)- For a long time, Storm was the overall leader of the Morlocks as well.
Rivalry (Callisto)- The ex-Morlock leader had a pretty big issue with the above Complication- she frequently taunted Storm, but also respected her as a warrior and demanded she take her role seriously.
Phobia (Enclosed Spaces)- Storm is claustrophobic, and will become crazed and desperate if she's enclosed in a small space- even places such as sewers make her uncomfortable.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 20 (146)

-De-Powered Storm is a whole different animal. She's left without her mutant powers, but makes do with her fists and her skills, gaining in almost every other category as a result. This Storm is stronger, tougher & faster than she ever was, has more Combat Advantages, and specializes in her Skills even more. It might seem odd that "modern" Storm loses alot of these gifts once her powers return, but really, when being a fighter is ALL YOU HAVE, you're going to focus much more on it. With her powers back, she'll have less time for them, and can focus back on her Weather Control. This storm is PL 7.5 offensively, PL 9 defensively.

[vitruvian]

PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock)- Telepathic Early Version
Created By: Chris Claremont & Herb Trimpe
First Appearance: Captain Britain #8 (Dec. 1976)
Role: Telepath
Country of Origin: England
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, The Captain Britain Corps.
PL 8 (142), PL 10 (142) with Mind Reading
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 2 (+2)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Model) 2 (+6, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Skier) 1 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Attractive, Defensive Roll, Defensive Strike, Equipment (X-Uniform- Communiations, Protection +1), Improved Defense, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Telepathy"
"Telepathy" Mind Reading 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Effortless) Linked to Communication 2 (Feats: Dynamic) (Mental) (49) -- [61]
Dynamic AE: "Mental Blast" Damage 8 (Extras: Perception Range +2, Alternate Save- Will) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Mental Stun" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Telelocation" Senses 3 (Detect Sentient Life- Ranged 3) (3)
Dynamic AE: "Astral Form" Remote Sensing 9 (Sight, Hearing & Mental- 2 miles) (Feats: Subtle, Dimensional) (Flaws: Helpless While In Use) (30)
Dynamic AE: Mind Control 6 (24)
Dynamic AE: Illusion (All Senses) 8 (Extras: Selective) (Flaws: Resisted by Will) (40)

"Psychic Link With Brother"
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Capain Britain) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Mental Blast +8 Perception (+8 Perception Damage, DC 23)
Mental Stun +8 Perception (+8 Perception Affliction, DC 18)
Mind Control +6 Perception (+6 Perception Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+3 Uniform), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Brother, Brian)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 62 / Defenses: 19 (142)

-'80s Betsy was a more supporting character. She was a tough little cookie, but not really a combatant, though her telepathic might was far in excess of her Ninja Version's. She's only PL 10 as far as Mind Reading goes- the rest of her is PL 8 at-best. Pricey, but not an A-Leaguer.

Where's the writeup for when she took over as Captain Britain? I always thought if they wanted to give her a power up, she should have gotten her own version of the power amplifying suit again instead of being transformed into an Asian fetishist stripper ninja. Although they'd need to have it tailored better than this, I admit:

[Jabroniville]

I have no idea what the general power levels were in that era, sorry. Capt. Britain's powers have always been ridiculously hard to pin down in all his eras, as he goes from Weapon Guy to Flying Brick (early-era Moore stuff) to Bulky Brick (his bumbling Excalibur version that couldn't possibly be over PL 10) to the modern-day Super-Brick who used Excalibur to kill a Dr. Strange-level Super Skrull. I would have no clue what they'd do to his sister, other than give her PL 9-ish Brick powers.

[Kreuzritter]

yeah, that's what it did. it was basicly your betsy-psylocke build with a flyingt-brick battlesuit. she did okay vs usual mooks and minions, but then she went up against brian's arch enemy in his own supersuit and she got crushed HARD.

Hard enough that when brian caught up with the guy, not only did he beat the guy within an inch of his life...

he took another look at betsy and crushed his head with a rock

[vitruvian]

yeah, that's what it did. it was basicly your betsy-psylocke build with a flyingt-brick battlesuit. she did okay vs usual mooks and minions, but then she went up against brian's arch enemy in his own supersuit and she got crushed HARD.

Hard enough that when brian caught up with the guy, not only did he beat the guy within an inch of his life...

he took another look at betsy and crushed his head with a rock

Moore-era Britain could also still project his force field some distance, to protect others or serve as a battering ram type effect. But other than that, yeah, flying brick. Except of course Betsy kept her telepathy, which was capable of killing foes by burning out their brains in extremis even back then, as well, and her precognition (which really should have warned her that Slaymaster goes for the eyes).

And it wasn't just that Brian looked at Betsy, Slaymaster was foolish enough to taunt him that he wasn't strong enough to kill a foe. Dumb, dumb move.

[Jabroniville]

BROTHER VOODOO (Dr. Jericho Drumm)
Created By: Len Wein & Gene Colan
First Appearance: Strange Tales #169 (Sept. 1973)
Role: Ethnic Stereotype, Mage
Country of Origin: Haiti
Group Affiliations: Heroes For Hire, S.H.I.E.L.D.
PL 10 (146)
STRENGTH 2/5 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+7)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Psychologist) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Magic) 10 (+13)
Insight 6 (+9)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Artificer, Ranged Attack 8, Trance

Powers:
"Master of Voodoo"
"Spirit of Daniel in Others" Mind Control 8 (Feats: Dynamic) (33) -- [45]

Dynamic AE: Fire Blast (21)
Dynamic AE: "Trance-Like State" Immunity 10 (Fire Effects) (Flaws: Immobile -2) (4)
Dynamic AE: "Control Lower Life-Forms" Mind Control 5 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Limited to Animals) (16)
Dynamic AE: "Blinding Fog" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 120ft. Burst +3, Selective) (15)
Dynamic AE: Teleport 5 (Extras: Extended) (Flaws: Uncontrolled- Requires the Loa's Allowance) (11)
Dynamic AE: "Summon Spirit of Daniel Drumm" Enhanced Strength 3 (7)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Possessed by Daniel 7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Fire +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

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

Complications:
Responsibility (The Gods of the Loa)- Brother Voodoo is subserviant to the wills of the Loa.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 18 (146)

-Brother Voodoo- a guy who debuted in the '70s and had his own short-lived run- has gotten a mini-push in recent years as the new Sorceror Supreme, but it kinda faltered- problems with magic books in comics and all that. I think his book got cancelled, and he's got a tough row to hoe. This is entirely Wiki-driven, so I have no idea what else there is. Who has two thumbs and hates statting up Mages? (points thumbs at chest) THIS GUY!!

[Jabroniville]

THE WINTER GUARD

-This team goes by many names- groups of Russian meta-humans formed initially under the name "The Soviet Super-Soldiers", and dealt with the Hulk in his own book (which was surprisingly big on foreign heroes, I'm noticing). Initially, the squad was made up of three mutants- Darkstar, Vanguard and Ursa Major, plus Iron Man foe The Crimson Dynamo, who was by this point an interchangeable guy in the armour. They were kind of antagonistic (Vanguard is a JERKASS in "Contest of Champions", bragging and acting like a tool while fighting The Thing), but ultimately good people, and they often teamed up with the heroes with whom they inevitably brawled with at first meeting. This was a recurring trend in comics by this point- the once-100% evil Commie Villains of the '50s and '60s were replaced with guys who were puppets of the state, but still genuine heroes who would do what's right when it came down to it. The Dynamo & Black Widow were only the first- more would come.

The originals would later defect from the Soviet Union and get attacked by the Soviet Super-Soldiers, which was basically the same sorta deal. That form of the team consisted of Dynamo plus a handful of other heroes, most of whom are unknown nobodies- another Red Guardian (two others had come and gone by this point); Vostok (formerly Sputnik) the synthezoid (like Vision); Perun, a Russian Thunder God who took a Thor-type role; and Fantasia (later Fantasma), a scantily-clad sorceress babe.

When the Soviet Union fell, they were renamed "The People's Protectorate", and briefly teamed-up with The Avengers & Alpha Flight in one of the first comics I ever bought- a REALLY bizarre (it's still difficult to get into it and figure out what's going on these days- it involves the universe inside Shaman's magic pouch, Russian terrorists, a nuclear explosion, three super-teams with weird powers, and more) tale by Fabian Nicieza. They did the thing they ALWAYS do- brawl with the heroes, then team up for a mutual threat (OK, to be fair, that's how EVERYONE in the Marvel Universe greets each other- it's sorta like the "Universal Greeting" in the Transformers-verse, but with punching and long underwear).

After this, the two teams combined- forming The Winter Guard, a more era-neutral squad (those Russians and "General Winter"... well it saved them against Napoleon AND Hitler, so they kinda owe it a few). There was even a one-shot comic featuring a whole squad of the known-heroes, plus a bunch of newbies, though none of them ever went anywhere. They went a decade or so without mention (with Vanguard dying and coming back, then Darkstar doing the same), before getting a 3-issue mini a year ago, involving the team fighting the now-evil Fantasma and her army of Dire Wraiths (as they'd co-opted Rom the Spaceknight's old Rogues Gallery now that he was in Rights-to-the-Character hell). It was... kind of OK, but way too confusing, and the threat dealt with way too handily (well, three characters died, but they were C-List Fodder)- it seemed to be more of a series of one-panel attempts at becoming Memetic Bad-Ass fodder ("I'm a bad-ass bear with a hammer!"- actual dialogue) than any real consecutive narrative.


Where will the team go? Well, let's see- I'm gonna guess they'll appear in one storyline every five to ten years like normal, with the once-dead characters quickly being resurrected (or just replaced by a newbie with the same powers) by the next writer because HE remembered the team with a certain line-up (looking at you, Darkstar, Red Guardian & Vanguard), and they'll probably fight some heroes before teaming up. Am I a precognitive genius? Nah- that's just how the team always works.

[Jabroniville]

DARKSTAR I (Laynia Petrovna)
Created By: Tony Isabella & George Tuska
First Appearance: The Champions #7 (Aug. 1976)
Role: Hot Russian Babe, Soviet Defector, Green Lantern-Type
Country of Origin: Belarus (formerly Russia/The Soviet Union
Group Affiliations: The Champions, The Winter Guard
PL 10 (160)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+10)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Russian Agent) 5 (+7)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Attack (Darkforce) 4 (+10)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Costume), Improved Critical (Darkforce), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Darkforce Control"
"Black Hand" Snare 10 (Feats: Dynamic, Reversible) Linked to Blast 7 (46) -- [59]

Dynamic AE: "Blinding Tendrils" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered, Vulnerable & Impaired/Defenseless, Immobile & Disabled/Visually Unaware) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition +2) (Flaws: Limited to Visuals) (30)
Dynamic AE: "Black Blast" Blast 10 (Feats: Precise) (22)
Dynamic AE: "Improved Field" Force Field 4 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Impervious 8, Affects Others 8) (26)
Dynamic AE: "Black Objects" Create 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Movable) (32)
Dynamic AE: "Black Cloud" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (13)
AE: Teleport 7 (Feats: Increased Mass 3- 400 lbs.) (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (Flaws: Distracting) (24)
AE: "Wide Blast" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (18)
AE: "Blast-Ram" Damage 10 (Extras: 30ft. Line) (20)

Force Field 4 [4]
Flight 7 (240 mph) [14]

Equipment:
"Darkstar Costume"
Immunity 1 (Cold) (1)
Communications (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Black Hand +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+7 Field, +11 Full Field), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Russian Agent)- Though Laynia once defected, she currently serves the Winter Guard again.
Relationship (Iceman)- They kinda almost hooked-up, but Laynia always saw him as more of a friend until it was too late.
Relationship (Brother, Father)- Darkstar is devoted to her jerk of a brother Vanguard, and still honors her father, now known as The Presence.
Responsibility (Darkforce)- The Darkforce is a cold, unfeeling power source, and Laynia may often struggle against it- using her will against it's own.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 77 / Defenses: 13 (160)

-Darkstar's unusual in that she's a foreign hero who actually got a protracted push from Marvel, mainly due to her link to The Champions, an honest attempt at making a team out of the most bizarre possible combination (Hercules, Angel, Ice-Man, GHOST RIDER, Black Widow, etc?). She joined the team after realizing her fellow Russians were truly evil (like every other Russian hero eventually did), stuck around for a while, then moved back to Russia by the time the series ended, where she basically stayed forever. There was a 'will they/won't they' thing with Iceman that never went anywhere (the book was cancelled too quickly for it to pan out), and she hung around with the losers of the Soviet Super-Soldiers and Winter Guard hanging around her neck like an anvil. She was eventually killed after FINALLY making it back into the X-books, during that whole "Weapon XII" arc.

-She got resurrected as quickly as she was killed in the four-part "Winter Guard" series, having replaced her SECOND replacement, who died in the process. Comics are weird sometimes. But hey, Darkstar's back! And she's... doing... nothing... again. Oh well.

-An interesting power-set, Darkstar is basically using all of her powers Arrayed off of a massive Snare/Blast effect, which was powerful enough to hold back Sunfire for a fairly long time. That Linked set-up reflects the fact that it's Snaring AND Constricting foes. She's also got half-a-dozen side-powers, including a Force Field, various types of Blasts & Area Damage effects, a Darkness wave, and the ability to create objects out of the Darkforce itself. The Area Attacks & Teleport are not Dynamic (meaning she has to drop the full power of her Force Field to use them- a dangerous trick for someone who is otherwise much easier to hurt), but the rest is.

-There were two other short-lived Darkstars, like I said. Each is likely PL 9 with Area Attacks, and considerably less-Skilled than Laynia is.

[Jabroniville]

VANGUARD (Nicolai Krylenko)
Created By: Bill Mantlo & Carmine Infantino
First Appearance: Iron Man #109 (April 1978)
Role: Over-Protective Brother, The Braggart
Country of Origin: Belarus (formerly Russia/The Soviet Union
Group Affiliations: The Exiles (not the world-travelling team), The Winter Guard
PL 10 (126)
STRENGTH 9 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Hammer & Sickle) 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Russian Agent) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Blast) 4 (+9)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit (Russian Agent), Close Combat, Defensive Attack, Equipment (Hammer & Sickle), Improved Critical (Hammer & Sickle), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Energy Field- Absorption & Redirection"
Force Field 10 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Impervious) [20]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Withstand Damage, Ultimate Toughness Save [2]

"Hammer & Sickle" (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Vanguard) (Flaws: Easily Removable) [17]
Force Field +0 (Extras: Reflect 11, Redirect 11) (22) -- (25 points)

AE: "Melee Weapons" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (7)
AE: "Hammer Toss" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Ranged 12) (12)
AE: "Firing Towards the Earth" Flight 5 (60 mph) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Hammer & Sickle +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Hammer Toss +9 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Enhanced Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Reflection +9 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+13 Force Field), Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Russian Agent)- Though Nicolai once defected, he currently serves the Winter Guard again.
Relationship (Sister)- Nicolai is devoted to his sister Darkstar, and will attack anyone he feels is threatening (or hitting on) her.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 15 (126)

-Vanguard was a brash braggart who runs around telling everyone how awesome he is in "Contest of Champions". He's RIDICULOUSLY 'old school comics' in his appearance, with his hair-showing mask, gigantic cape, Russian symbols (the Hammer & Sickle) as weapons, etc., so he doesn't appear too much these days. It was like Marvel was attempting to make him a great character, but he ended up just being some nobody- he's currently leading the Winter Guard, but expect the next writer to forget that.

-PL 10 all-around, Vanguard has a VERY strong reflective field that allows him to repel almost any attack, unless guys like The Thing go all "Power Attack- Extra Effort" on him and put him out. I'm not quite sure on his exact strength, however, as he's been shown going hand-to-hand with Ben Grimm himself (and not doing too badly), in addition to using his Force Field, so I'll give him minimal ranks (12 tons' worth) and call it even. Curiously, Wikipedia doesn't even mention that bit. And like almost everyone here, he fails to meet his PL caps for points spent.

[Ares]

I always preferred this version of Psylocke:



Why? Because not only did she have her original personality and wasn't wearing a stripperific outfit, she was a telepath that realized that she wasn't as tough as her fellow heroes, and as such, wore ARMOR. Yeah, it's skin tight armor that shows off her curves, but it covers all of her and just the thought was nice.