Halt Evil Doer! thread IV - (Zombies!)

[Phrozen]

The Electric Ghost

Roger Turing was one of Doctor Moreau's attempts at transcending the shroud of death. Finding that Dr. Hebert West's chemical compounds a dead end, Moreau decided to go digital. Assuming control of the brain dead Turing who had languished in a coma for several years. Moreau was successful in uploading the man's memories to a computer system but found no response. Believing that the coma had lead to permanent non responsiveness, Doctor Moreau promptly forgot about the experiment and moved on to other fascinations. The fact was that Turing did wake up but didn't no how to respond. The weeks with no sensory input combined with spurts of information from web access has severely warped Turing's mind. When he was finally able to download himself into a robot body, the continuing lack of any sensation led to a rampage through the city. The Electric Ghost was stopped by Ink and Spot. Who both thought the robot was just another FRC creation that went haywire.

Turing has gone on to menace Freehold ever since. He has also worked as muscle for other villains who promise him the ability to feel. Though he potentially could have access to unlimited amounts of information, Turing's mind is much too degraded to actually process many functions other than raw emotion. Now, that Splotch knows the truth he kinda feels sorry for what is left of Turing which seems to be less and less in each incarnation.

Gyrfalcon

Kevin Gilbride was a drifter and petty thief. While moving through Freehold Gilbride tried to steal from one of The Gentleman's bookies. Catching Gilbride red handed, they brought him to the Hamilton University's chemical waste disposal and sealed Gilbride in a barrel. That barrel happened to be some remains of Doctor Moreau's experiments. Whatever was in that barrel transformed Gilbride into a hawk person. Seeking his revenge against the thugs who tried to kill him. Gilbride began calling himself Gyrfalcon after the large hunting birds native to Northern Europe. He has tangled with Splotch many times.

Unlike most Gyrfalcon actually likes his new form. He enjoys the flight, enhanced strength, senses, and razor sharp talons. Though the appetite for pigeons, rats, and mice is a little disconcerting. Recently, Gryfalcon has come under employ of the Gentleman as one of his enforcers. Gryfalcon thinks that O'Hara has finally recognized his strength and ability. In reality, The Gentleman just uses him as his own personal hunting bird.

Mazuku

One of The Gentleman's top captains. Mazuku runs Lowtown for The Gentleman and is responsible for bringing in new talent to the organization. Mazuku is a hard man. Coming over from Somalia as a boy Mazuku grew up in Lowtown and was shaped by it. Though not physically imposing his eyes reveal that he is one that is not unaccustomed in the slightest by violence. His name in Swahili means Evil Wind and Mazuku fully lives up to that nickname.

Mazuku is a metaman. His ability is to turn into any gas. Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide are his favorite forms but he can turn into any. In his gas form he of course is unable to be physically damaged though is susceptible to being dispersed by force or captured in a container. He can always eventually reform but it may take awhile. Mazuku's first name seems to be Asad.

[greycrusader]

I got some ideas for The Electric Ghost. Not sure if I like the Human Gargoyle name reminds me of the Sun Goblins. I think Gyrfalcon would be a better name for a Vulture like villain. Also I like the name Mazuku for a Hydro-Man/Sandman type.

Go right ahead. We're long past the point where I might put a lid on anyone's creativity.

I actually quite like the villain name "The Human Gargoyle", perhaps a pastiche/mashup of both the Grey Gargoyle and Vulture, or a villainous take on the Disney concept. But I like the Grfalcon as well; and considering all the variations on "-Goblin" that Mr. Parker has faced in his heroic career, it wouldn't be odd for Splotch to face more than one winged, craggy villainous predator.

Gryfalcon is definitely a suitable Splotch adversary; I can also see him being a Lady Grayhaven foe, maybe along with Crimson Wing.

Liked all the names really-Electric Ghost, Living Mummy (maybe the "Walking Mummy" to distinguish from Marvel's Prince N'Kantu), and Shogganoth (maybe Shogganaut?).

The name to me suggest the thing was an enemy of the Neverman (one or both) and/or maybe Starfall from the previous thread's 1970s material. Otherwise I see see the beastly creature tangling with Athena or Ymir, in a clash of mythos. Though Blackwing tracking the thing through Falconcrest is a chlling story I can imagine as well.

The Mummy must have crossed with Headless Horseman, Morwen, or the Hierophant, perhaps even Prince Cambrion. The Flower Power Crew could have encountered the thing as well.

The eras don't necessarily work out, but given the monstrous/preternatural leanings of some characters, encounters would still be possible.

The Electric Ghost is almost tailor made for an Ultramind II foe, though strangely I can see him as a foil for Big Answer and her longtime tabloid reporter boyfriend as well. Otherwise, an excellent Splotch or Nightwoman antagonist.

Mazuki I would like to see defined a bit more in terms of character and powers, but re-imaging a Sandman/Hydroman type as an elegant enforcer rather than a working class thug is an interesting take.

All my best.

[Charles Phipps]

Great comments, greycrusader!

In any case, part of the nature of comics is that there's plenty of occasions where you get characters from far in the past to face modern ones. Barring time travel there's also plenty of copycats who are one-shot villains in HED! (it's kind of getting undermined by the threads but part of the premise was originally most supervillains go to jail and stay there - but that's no fun!).

The Living Mummy was inspired by Morbius the Living Vampire and an HP Lovecraft story called "Cool Air" where, essentially, a scientist manages to save his life from a terminal disease by making himself a refrigerated corpse. I sort of imagine him as a life-force draining bandage-covered tragic villain.

One thing I decided to go with for Splotch villains is that his rogues gallery was essentially made of technologically made supernatural bad guys. I thought it was a nice theme.

Phrozen really ran with that concept.

Great stuff.

[Charles Phipps]

The Electric Ghost

Roger Turing was one of Doctor Moreau's attempts at transcending the shroud of death. Finding that Dr. Hebert West's chemical compounds a dead end, Moreau decided to go digital. Assuming control of the brain dead Turing who had languished in a coma for several years. Moreau was successful in uploading the man's memories to a computer system but found no response.

A pretty typical bit of irresponsible science from Doctor Moreau.

Believing that the coma had lead to permanent non responsiveness, Doctor Moreau promptly forgot about the experiment and moved on to other fascinations. The fact was that Turing did wake up but didn't no how to respond. The weeks with no sensory input combined with spurts of information from web access has severely warped Turing's mind. When he was finally able to download himself into a robot body, the continuing lack of any sensation led to a rampage through the city. The Electric Ghost was stopped by Ink and Spot. Who both thought the robot was just another FRC creation that went haywire.

I see him as having eventually evolved into a living lightning bolt. As a result, he can manifest in increasingly bizarre ways due to exposure to various energies and becoming more physics breaking as an entity. Several times, Splotch and Ink thought he died blasting everything with electricity.

Turing has gone on to menace Freehold ever since. He has also worked as muscle for other villains who promise him the ability to feel. Though he potentially could have access to unlimited amounts of information, Turing's mind is much too degraded to actually process many functions other than raw emotion. Now, that Splotch knows the truth he kinda feels sorry for what is left of Turing which seems to be less and less in each incarnation.

Bluntly, as Doctor Moreau says, a lot of the emotions we feel as people come from biology. While Turing remembers these emotions, he no longer allows them to define himself.

Gyrfalcon

Kevin Gilbride was a drifter and petty thief. While moving through Freehold Gilbride tried to steal from one of The Gentleman's bookies. Catching Gilbride red handed, they brought him to the Hamilton University's chemical waste disposal and sealed Gilbride in a barrel. That barrel happened to be some remains of Doctor Moreau's experiments. Whatever was in that barrel transformed Gilbride into a hawk person. Seeking his revenge against the thugs who tried to kill him. Gilbride began calling himself Gyrfalcon after the large hunting birds native to Northern Europe. He has tangled with Splotch many times.

I'm imagining him as the sort of professional thug that used to be extremely common in Marvel comics. Kevin thinks, wrongly, he's big time but is really a guy with an inflated sense of importance. He actually thinks, erroneously, he's one of Splotch's archenemies when his role is mostly "Insidious Seven Member 5#".

Unlike most Gyrfalcon actually likes his new form. He enjoys the flight, enhanced strength, senses, and razor sharp talons. Though the appetite for pigeons, rats, and mice is a little disconcerting. Recently, Gryfalcon has come under employ of the Gentleman as one of his enforcers. Gryfalcon thinks that O'Hara has finally recognized his strength and ability. In reality, The Gentleman just uses him as his own personal hunting bird.

Gyrfalcon actually took over the underworld of Freehold briefly during one of the Gentleman's prison stays. Needless to say, he ran the criminal underworld into the ground to the point that the Gentleman had to build it from the ground up (which actually benefited him tremendously).

Mazuku

One of The Gentleman's top captains. Mazuku runs Lowtown for The Gentleman and is responsible for bringing in new talent to the organization. Mazuku is a hard man. Coming over from Somalia as a boy Mazuku grew up in Lowtown and was shaped by it. Though not physically imposing his eyes reveal that he is one that is not unaccustomed in the slightest by violence. His name in Swahili means Evil Wind and Mazuku fully lives up to that nickname.

Mazuku is, interestingly enough, a lot smarter than people let onto him. He's also reasonably content in his current position. Being the Dragon to the Big Boss is a better position than actually being the Boss itself in many respects. Still, he has some disagreements with them, including the unwillingness to just flat out kill every hero in the town.

Mazuku is a metaman. His ability is to turn into any gas. Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide are his favorite forms but he can turn into any. In his gas form he of course is unable to be physically damaged though is susceptible to being dispersed by force or captured in a container. He can always eventually reform but it may take awhile. Mazuku's first name seems to be Asad.

Amusingly, Mazuku is also possessed of telekinesis that functions around his gaseous form. As a result, he's quite able to punch and smash people around easily.

[Daibhid C]

Microwave

Nice MJ-meets-Ultimate-Gwen.

Amusingly, the Weasal lost his hand when he figured out Jennifer was Splotch's girlfriend only to find out she had spent months training with her cousin in self-defense.

Is that a Super Stupor reference? If so, nice. If not, interesting coincidence.

[Charles Phipps]

The hand part is but I just happen to love the idea of subverting women in refrigerators.

[Phrozen]

I see him as having eventually evolved into a living lightning bolt. As a result, he can manifest in increasingly bizarre ways due to exposure to various energies and becoming more physics breaking as an entity. Several times, Splotch and Ink thought he died blasting everything with electricity.

I prefer the And I Must Scream themes that go along with his condition. Some villains have given him a nanotech body but soon found that Turing was too far warped to actual make creative use of it. That and the screaming and sobbing which seems to be the only verbal things he can do anymore. Really, The Electric Ghost is supposed to be a pitiful creature.

Noah Stein is perhaps the most compassionate to the Ghost even more so after his crippling. He tries to communicate with Turing when he finds him online. This means that Noah has also had to bear witness to Turing's continual mental degradation.

Its come to the point that Splotch doesn't even do the quips and jokes when fighting The Electric Ghost. It is more akin to putting down a mortally wounded animal then fighting a villain.

Bluntly, as Doctor Moreau says, a lot of the emotions we feel as people come from biology. While Turing remembers these emotions, he no longer allows them to define himself.

Dr. Moreau is wrong on this point. Its not that the emotions are being worn away by loss of biology. Its that Turing's losing the ability to reason and so his emotions are becoming less complicated more raw and a much less wide emotional spectrum.

I'm imagining him as the sort of professional thug that used to be extremely common in Marvel comics. Kevin thinks, wrongly, he's big time but is really a guy with an inflated sense of importance. He actually thinks, erroneously, he's one of Splotch's archenemies when his role is mostly "Insidious Seven Member 5#".

Splotch's nickname for him is 'Birdbrain' which he lives down to. He is still plenty dangerous and has a predator's cunning.

Gyrfalcon actually took over the underworld of Freehold briefly during one of the Gentleman's prison stays. Needless to say, he ran the criminal underworld into the ground to the point that the Gentleman had to build it from the ground up (which actually benefited him tremendously).

Freehold has a lot of competing gangs. It takes a firm hand and a lot of devious cunning to keep them under thumb and cooperating. Many couldn't do it. Splotch though he hates to admit it, cringes when he hears that the Gentleman has been deposed. That usually means that violence in Freehold skyrockets.

Mazuku is, interestingly enough, a lot smarter than people let onto him. He's also reasonably content in his current position. Being the Dragon to the Big Boss is a better position than actually being the Boss itself in many respects. Still, he has some disagreements with them, including the unwillingness to just flat out kill every hero in the town.

and seemingly supremely loyal. Mazuku is the only captain of the Gentleman that hasn't tried to replace him and whenever The Gentleman is deposed, Mazuku takes Lowtown independent and ready to be The Gentleman's power base when he returns. Though it isn't recorded when the two first met, it is believed that The Gentleman selected Mazuku along out of all the gangs in Lowtown when Mazuku was in his late teens. By that time already an accomplished gang leader. Many suspect that Mazuku is The Gentleman's chosen successor so is in no need to actually move against his mentor. He knows time is on his side.

Amusingly, Mazuku is also possessed of telekinesis that functions around his gaseous form. As a result, he's quite able to punch and smash people around easily.

Splotch was upset the first time he had to fight Mazuku. Fart jokes are lowbrow even for the Stein's. He was expecting a Samurai or Ninja or something based on the name.

[Phrozen]

Freehold needs some lesser known local heros. May I suggest some names based on some of Freehold's history:

Blue Club: Based on the emblem of several Massachusetts civil war regiments. Many of these regiments were Irish/Irish-American.
Cannon & Anchor: Based also on the badge of the IX corps of the Civil War which was made up of Massachusetts Regiments.
Jack Tar: Slang for sailor. I would assume that Freehold was a big whaling and fishing city in the 19th century.
Boatswain: Another nautical reference.
Air Boss: A more modern nautical reference. Person in charge of a aircraft carrier's flight deck.

[Kysodeus]

Is there already a kid gang in HED? I've re-read Seven Soldiers recently, and the Gentleman and Mazuku remind me a bit of Don Vincenzo and Strato, the air golem. Is there a dockworker or sailor variant of the newsboy/squeegee kid/shoeshine sort of job? I'm thinking of the Goonies meet the Newsboys of Nowhere Street.

By the way, is there anything I should know before contributing more to this thread?

[greycrusader]

What you need to know:

1.Halt Evil Doer welcomes analogue of familiar heroes and villians, but please put an original spin or creative twist on them-no straight "Captain Ersatzes".

2.You needn't limit yourself to four-color comics for inspiration-the 1930s era pulps, classic literature, cinema, television, and anima have all been represented in the HED threads.

3.Fictional locales are more fun than real ones!

4.Acquaint yourself with the major topics covered by previous posters (remember, there were already three completed HED threads on the forum before this one).

5.Be creative, have fun, don't take the material too seriously, and enjoy yourself!

All my best.

[dirkgentry2000]

So, Charles has given approval for using HED characters in a WW2 adventure coming out later this here.
Here's the rough pitch - what do you guys think?

Working Title: Stonewalls Squad

Premise: the PCs are assigned to a multinational task force to take out a Operation: Bio-Blitzkrieg lab run by Count Fenris and guarded by various of the Uber Alles. The eponymous Sargent Stonewall is the PCs liaison with Allied High Command - helping them plan and launch their assault.

Several Golden Age HED characters (such as the first Steel Command are available as possible PC options).

Optional Dirty Dozen Approach -We include a sidebar for a different approach to the adventure in which the PCs are super-powered minor criminals "volunteered" for this mission. They gain their powers through a Project: Icarus mutation procedure. (We can incorporate character generation into the adventure quickly by pointing the GM towards the random character generator in the recently released GM's Guide for M&M - Jon Leitheusser already approved us mentioning that release.) In this variant approach, Stonewall plays the Lee Marvin role.

[Phrozen]

I prefer the Dirty Dozen. Throw a little Great Escape in there and I would be good to go.

[Charles Phipps]

I really like the enemy ideas, Phrozen.

Good stuff.

I'm currently debating fleshing out Inkgirl, nightwoman, and potentially some other Splotch villains.

I was also thinking of possibly doing other cities and/or the Patriots Academy.

What do you think?

[Phrozen]

Whatever happened to Doctor Tarantula?

[Phrozen]

Jack Tar

The current Jack Tar is actually the fifth man to use that name. The legacy of the name goes back to before the American Revolution. Outside of Freehold though, the Jack Tars are not well known. The first Jack Tar was active about 10 to 15 years before the American Revolution and battled British Press Gangs either fighting them off or rescuing the poor unfortunates that were captured by them. The second Jack Tar was active during the War of 1812 and into the 1830s battling both the British and the Macneers. The third Jack Tar didn't appear the late 19th century and was active in the Union movement but soon became known as a violent enforcer. The fourth Jack Tar debuted as a hero during WWII and helped make sure that Freehold's port was clear of spies and saboteurs. After the war it became quite apparent that the fourth Jack Tar was also a legbreaker for the the O'Hara criminal empire.

The fifth Jack Tar is a hero that dresses in an 19th century sailors uniform and domino mask. Though slightly stronger and tougher than a normal human, the fifth Jack Tar's real power is that he has several tattoos done in magical ink that can come to life. So far he has a parrot, crossed tomahawks, a bulldog, and finally a harpoon. Though none of the effects of those tattoos are lethal, they certainly are painful. Jack Tar is mostly active around the shipyards and docks of Freehold. Always targeting The Gentleman's smuggling operations. No one is quite sure why the current Jack Tar decided to use a name that was sullied by the last two men that took it.

"Yeah, he looks goofy in his sailor get up, but you stop laughing when you get a harpoon through your chest. That hurts." Though they battled when they first met due to a misunderstanding, Jack Tar has been an ally of Splotch for a long time. Though not as powerful as the shadow slinger, Jack Tar fights dirty and has an ear to the ground of an area of Freehold that Splotch doesn't visit often. Also, he has an awesome motorboat. Like the ones on Miami Vice.