Sojobo's Builds (Legion of Doom Reboot: Giganta)

[Sojobo]

The artist of the webcomic Dresden Codak, Aaron Diaz, made a series of blog posts, detailing his thoughts on how he'd reboot DC characters - both in story and art design. I for the most part like his story ideas, and while I don't like some of the art (Cyborg IS Richard Ayoade's Moss) or backstory (too much of Wonder Woman's history was rejected wholesale), Diaz's rebooted world still make an awesome M&M world, so I'm going to get to stat-ting!

Diaz prefaced his designs by stating his intentions, which were mostly to redesign elements to make the characters appealing to new and old fans. In doing so, his Justice League is extremely diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, worldview, backstory, and abilities. I'm going to continue that idea by ensuring each Justice League member has a definite M&M niche (no swiss army knife characters)... and I'm also going to try to make the Justice League with 210 pp each. I'll add my own little spin on things, modifying backstory I don't like, etc.

Of course, we have to start off with the Justice League's most powerful member, Superman.

Superman
PL13 (210pp)

ABILITIES (94pp)
Strength 16, Stamina 13, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 6, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 4

POWERS (63pp):

Clark Kent: Feature 1 (Shape-change into Clark Kent) • 1pp

Flight: Flight 11 (4000MPH) • 22pp

Invulnerability: Protection 3, Impervious Toughness 16; Immunity 10 (Life Support) • 29pp

Super-Senses: Senses 11 (Acute and Extended Hearing, Extended Vision 2, Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Ultra-Hearing, Vision Penetrates Concealment [except lead]) • 11pp

ADVANTAGES (10pp):
Extraordinary Effort, Equipment 3 (Fortress of Solitude), Inspire, Interpose, Languages (Kryptonian), Leadership, Power Attack, Ultimate Effort (Toughness)

SKILLS (20pp, 40 ranks):
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+10), Expertise: Agriculture 4 (+6), Expertise: Krypton 4 (+6), Expertise: Journalism 4 (+6), Insight 8 (+10), Perception 8 (+10), Persuasion 8 (+4)

OFFENSE:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 16, Toughness DC 31)

DEFENSES (23pp):
Dodge 10, Parry 10
Toughness 16, Fortitude 13, Will 13

Complications
Colu and the Omega Law: Kryptonians are marked for extermination; using Extraordinary Effort may draw Colu's attention
Relationships: Louis Lane, Jimmy Olsen, other Daily Planet co-workers; mother, Martha Kent
Responsibility: Promote social justice
Secret Identity: Clark Kent
Weakness: Kryptonite

Abilities 94 + Powers 63 + Advantages 10 + Skills 20 + Defenses 23 = 210pp

I decided to cap the Justice League's PL at 13, since I find the DCA builds a little too high for my tastes. Of course, Superman is right there at PL13.

Diaz's Superman is a return to his Nietzschean "overmensch" roots (general social justice and fighting for the working man, as opposed to authoritarian morality), so to mirror that I returned Superman to a very barebones flying brick, bereft of most of his random other powers (heat vision, super breath, etc.). I also removed his speedster abilities (Speed, Quickness): he's only fast when he flies (with Extraordinary Effort he's faster than the fastest man-made vehicle, the Space Shuttle), leaving the Flash all the speedster goodies. He doesn't get Power Lifting either, cuz at Strength 16 he can already juggle the heaviest airplane known to man (Antonov An-124) without batting an eyelash. This Superman's M&M role is what Superman is best at: inspiring others with his stalwart refusal to go down.

The big difference with this Superman's backstory is that Kryptonians are no longer humanoid: they are super advanced, near omnipotent space aliens who in their arrogance and meddling drew the attention of the cosmic Colu, enforcer of the Omega Law (advanced species can't uplift less advanced species). No more powers coming from a yellow sun: Kryptonians are GODS.

When Superman turns into Clark Kent, he is LITERALLY turning into Clark Kent: he has limited shapechanging abilities, and Clark Kent and Superman look nothing alike. He can also decide to shed his humanoid forms and revert to being a Kryptonian, becoming as powerful as your standard Silver Age Superman, but doing so will draw the attention of Colu and is best left as a plot device. This Superman willfully ignores much of his power out of fear of basically destroying the Earth (via Colu). Superman is extremely reliant on using Extra Effort and Extraordinary Effort, tapping into his consciously blocked Kryptonian powers, but risks drawing Colu's attention while doing so.

I'm going to take Diaz's take on Kryptonite (Colu converted Krypton into it) one step further: I've always decided that bits of a planet becoming a superhero's personal bane was silly, as is the entire "yellow sunlight, red sunlight, kryptonite radiation" thingy. Instead, Colu is to Kryptonite as an exterminator is to Raid: to make sure every last trace of a targeted "meddlesome" species is destroyed, it creates a substance that kills that species and spreads it throughout the universe.

[Sojobo]

I figured I might as well do Lex Luthor next, considering he IS Superman's arch-nemesis and because, mechanically, not much changes with him.

Diaz wanted to play on Superman's proletariat war against the corporate corrupt and military industrial complex (and perhaps to frame the current divide between rich and poor in the United States), so his Lex Luthor is focused more on being a tech/business mogul: he even looks like Steve Jobs/Bill Gates. He's still a super genius, but less mad scientist and more shrewd futurist/cult of personality leader.

Lex's criminal dealings have yet to come to the light; he is still the country's technorati darling, and the popularity of his company is tied to his squeaky clean, technomessianic image (again channeling Steve Jobs). Unlike Steve Jobs, Luthor secretly formed the Legion of Doom and is its financier, even though nobody in the Legion (except Cornelius "Gorilla" Grodd) realizes this. Unchanged, of course, is Luthor's extreme arrogance, megalomania, and his hatred for Superman.

Lex Luthor
as DCA Lex Luthor, except:

Advantages
Add Benefit (Cult of personality), Fascinate 2 (Deception, Persuasion), Inspire 2 (total ranks 4), Skill Mastery (Persuasion), Skill Mastery (Deception), Ultimate Effort (Persuasion).
Remove Skill Mastery (Technology), Ultimate Effort (Technology).

Skills
Add Deception 8 (16 total ranks; +20), Expertise: Business 5 (12 total ranks; +23), Insight 3 (10 total ranks; +13), Persuasion 10 (16 total ranks; +20).
Remove Expertise: Science 3 (9 total ranks; +20), Technology 3 (10 total ranks: +21)

Complications
Arrogance: Luthor is supremely arrogant, confident in his own abilities and in need of recognition for them.
Enemy: Superman.
Obsession: Luthor is obsessed with humbling and destroying Superman; he also is obsessed with maintaining an image of perfection in himself and his company, LexCorp.
Secret: Luthor is neck deep in criminal activity, and is the secret puppetmaster of the Legion of Doom

[Dark Koala]

Dude, freakin' awesome. I didn't even know Diaz had done this. I'ma have to check that out when I get the chance, but in the meantime, these builds are looking pretty sweet. I definitely agree with DCA's Power Levels being a bit over-the-top. Harley Quinn is PL 10? Seroiusly? But I digress. I very much like this version of Superman. Keep up the good work!

[Sojobo]

Next up, Wonder Woman!

Wonder Woman
PL13 (210pp)

ABILITIES (100pp)
Strength 10, Stamina 10, Agility 5, Dexterity 5, Fighting 10, Intellect 2, Awareness 4, Presence 4

POWERS (55pp):
Aegis of Truth: Easily Removable (-12pp)

Revelatory Reflection: Cumulative Perception Affliction 13 (Resisted by Will; Entranced, Compelled); Limited to Telling the Truth, Limited Degree, Visual Sense Dependent • 13pp
Shield Block: Enhanced Defenses 6 (Dodge 3, Parry 3), Impervious Toughness 10 • 16pp

Gladius of Lightning: Array (20pp), Easily Removable (-8pp)

• Lightning Blast: Ranged Damage 10 • 20pp
• Sword Strike: Strength-based Damage 3, Penetrating 13 • 1pp

Living Marble: Immunity 12 (Critical Hits, Life Support), Protection 3 • 15pp

Swift: Speed 5 (60mph), Leaping 5 (250ft) • 10pp

ADVANTAGES (14pp):
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Agile Feint, Attractive, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Improved Critical (Gladius), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Takedown, Uncanny Dodge

SKILLS (24pp, 48 ranks):
Acrobatics 4 (+10), Athletics 4 (+14), Close Combat: Gladius 3 (+13), Expertise: Mythology 4 (+6), Insight 10 (+14), Intimidation 4 (+8), Perception 8 (+12), Persuasion 6 (+10), Ranged Combat: Lightning Blast 5 (+10)

OFFENSE:
Initiative +5
Lightning Blast +10 (Ranged Damage 10, Toughness DC25)
Sword Strike +13 (Close Damage 13, Toughness DC28; Penetrating 13)
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 10, Toughness DC 25)

DEFENSES (17pp):
Dodge 13, Parry 13
Toughness 13, Fortitude 13, Will 13

COMPLICATIONS:
Accident: Being made of living stone lends itself to unique challenges
Inhuman: Diana is a stranger in a strange land
Motivation: To explore the lands of man

Abilities 100 + Powers 55 + Advantages 14 + Skills 24 + Defenses 24 = 210pp

Wonder Woman is a personal favorite of mine, partly because of how she transcended her insane origins as the brainchild of polyamorous, fetishist "feminist" William Marston to stand up there with Superman and Batman as part of THE TRINITY of superhero-dom. If her standalone comic sucks, I personally think its because she just doesn't have any compelling villains to fight because writers are too busy trying to make her into a symbol first instead of making her AWESOME first.

I have mixed feelings about Diaz's take on Wonder Woman. While I love the design of her costume, I'm not entirely sure about her being a living statue: while its cool in that its a unique power amongst the Justice League, I prefer Wonder Woman to be.. well, a woman. I also don't like that Diaz completely ignores much of Wonder Woman's history; instead of being the regal Princess of the Amazons, she's been stuck on a deserted, dead island for a thousand years until someone finds her, the automaton that outlived her creators. I like the mythological Pygmalion slant on Wonder Woman; I don't think it was necessary to kill off all the Amazons and Paradise Island at the same time.

Gone are the Lasso of Truth and her Amazonian bracelets, since Diaz eliminated all traces of the bondage fetish from his Wonder Woman; instead, the bracelets' defensive powers and the lasso's truth-finding abilities are merged into a shield that can reveal a person's inner self (aka, the truth) in its reflection - a clever nod to Perseus' mirror shield, the one he used to kill Medusa. She also has a gladius instilled with Zeus' lightning, which is her primary weapon and also replaces her tiara as a ranged weapon. She can't fly (Superman and Green Lantern are the dedicated flyers), and I was sorely tempted to give her back her Invisible Plane since she'd actually need it now, but I kept to what Diaz laid out.

M&M niche wise, I made Wonder Woman the balanced Warrior/Weapon Master, and since the traditional comic-book canon is that Wonder Woman is the ultimate fighter, I gave her a ton of combat Advantages; she can fully manipulate all her caps and do all sorts of nifty things in combat. I also had to give her Attractive; I mean, c'mon, she's Wonder Woman, even if she's still a statue. She's just really well carved.

[Sojobo]

Next is Wonder Woman's counterpart in the Legion of Doom, the re-imagined Giganta!

Giganta
PL13+

ABILITIES (56pp):
Strength 13/3*, Stamina 13/3*, Agility 4, Dexterity 2, Fighting 13/7*, Intellect 4, Awareness 3, Presence 2
*As Doris Zeul

POWERS (79pp):
Armor of Ares:

Battle Speed: Speed 6 (120MPH), Leaping 6 (500ft) • 12pp
Invulnerability: Impervious Toughness 10, Immunity 2 (Critical Hits), Regeneration 5 • 17pp
Godly Might: Enhanced Abilities 24 (Strength 10, Stamina 10, Fighting 6) • 48pp
Quick Change: Feature 1 (Transform from Giganta to Doris Zeul and vice versa as free action) • 1pp
Weapons of War: Feature 1 (Can create weapons out of thin air as free action, only usable by her) • 1pp

Rage of War: Giganta's Strength, Stamina, Fighting, Regeneration and Mass increase by 1 every time she is angered (i.e, misses an attack, fails a check, etc.), her Size increases by 1 every three times. These increases are not limited by PL • X

ADVANTAGES (8pp):
Benefit 4 (Status and Wealth), Connected, Great Endurance, Improved Smash, Quick Draw

SKILLS (33pp, 66 ranks):
Acrobatics 6 (+10), Athletics 8 (+21), Expertise: Archaeology 8 (+12), Expertise: History 8 (+12), Expertise: Mythology 8 (+12), Expertise: Magic 2 (+6), Insight 2 (+5), Intimidation 10 (+12), Investigation 2 (+6), Perception 6 (+9), Technology 4 (+8)

OFFENSE:
Initiative +4
Unarmed/Weapons +13 (Close Damage 13, Toughness DC28)

DEFENSES (13pp):
Dodge 10, Parry 13
Toughness 13, Fortitude 13, Will 10

COMPLICATIONS:
Enemy: Wonder Woman
Motivation: Thrill-seeking and becoming filthy rich
Possession: Ares is slowly taking control of Giganta's body
Power Loss: Giganta's powers are fueled by rage. Effects that neutralize Giganta’s anger also reduce her Strength, Stamina, Impervious Toughness, Fighting, and Regeneration. Those traits suffer the Impaired condition if Giganta fails her resistance check by one degree, the Disabled condition to those traits if she fails by two degrees, and she loses all powers if she fails by three degrees; these failures do not trigger Rage of War.

Abilities 56 + Powers 79X + Advantages 8 + Skills 33 + Defenses 13 = 189 + X pp

At first I groaned when I saw that Wonder Woman's counterpart was going to be Giganta; I've always considered her to be even lamer than most of Wonder Woman's usual enemies. I was hoping Diaz would reboot Circe or Ares, but I realized he probably didn't because a god-like entity wouldn't play nice with the Legion of Doom. So instead he chose Giganta, probably because the only character lamer than Giganta is Cheetah. Sure, the character design is kinda cool: Giganta is a Roman Gladiator vs. Wonder Woman's Greek hoplite, but she seemed to lack any depth, the way Lex Luthor is a challenge for Superman or the Joker is a challenge for Batman.

Then I looked at the origin story: after Wonder Woman's appearance, world governments sent agents to find Paradise Island and find any artifacts/technology they could use to create their own superheroes. Doris Zeul was a mercenary relic hunter (sort of borrowing from Cheetah's origin), the only survivor from her team, who found magical armor supposedly worn by Ares, giving her inhuman strength and durability that increased as she became more enraged. And now she fights for the highest bidder.

I blinked, and thats when I realized this Giganta = evil Lara Croft + the Annihilator + the Hulk. The key part of that equation was Lara Croft - Doris Zeul must have been a badass adventurer to survive the traps set on Paradise Island, and I though Croft's cosmopolitan jadedness would be a great foil to Wonder Woman's curious, optimistic naivete. So this Giganta is a definite bruiser in a fight - she doesn't have as many tricks as Wonder Woman, but once a fight starts, she just keeps getting stronger and stronger without limit - but in other arenas, she's shrewd and cunning. Anger doesn't blind her like most rage=strength types; she uses it as a weapon. I also added in the Croft-like motivation that she does what she does because she's bored, and I borrowed Taliesin's power loss complication from his Hulk build. Since this is a villain, I didn't care about pp totals, and I certainly didn't care about adding in an X-power - I think all good villains should have one, personally.

[Sojobo]

I decided I'm going to make all of the Justice League members with 210pp or less (though with differing PL's). Also, I have a rather whacky idea of how to implement Batman and his sidekicks...

[Speed Monkey]

Diaz's reboots kick DC's new 52s' collective butts and your builds are great. Great thread. Thanks.