Proditor's Pad of Pop Culture and V&V. (NEW! Princess M'Krell and Singularity from Golden Heroes!)

[kenseido]

I think Nash called it right on this one. Hawk the Slayer is a D&D game, and the player running Crow wanted to play his Vulcan in the Star Trek game instead.

[Skaramine]

Definitely the Keep.

[proditor]

So the Keep is definitely the next movie I'm going to be doing, but there is going to be a major pit stop on the way there. I'm dipping back into comics for a little bit, well just one comic really, but it's a doozy...

[proditor]

FUTURE QUEST



Let's start out with a pocket summation from our own Ares:

Recently recommended to me by our own Voltron64, Future Quest is pretty much everything I want from a comic. It's well drawn, well written, has lots of action and character bits, it's not angsty and it's FUN. Oh my God but it's fun. I just . . . I don't want to spoil anything else because of how good this book is. I need to go out and catch up on this immediately.

It's basically this giant crossover between the classic Hana-Barbera action/superhero shows, with a slight re-imagining as far as costumes go. The only ones I'm kind of disappointed that I haven't seen so far is the Teen Force, but it's a blast seeing old school heroes like Birdman teaming up with more well known heroes like Johnny Quest, Space Ghost and the Herculoids.

He's right, this book is amazing. It's everything they should be doing (in my not so humble opinion) ion comics as opposed to the hand-wringing angsty crap they're doling out these days in most major titles. The line-up is HUGE!!! Seriously, the list of characters for this one title that still isn't even at 12 yet is staggering. I'll be tackling them to the best of my abilities, but if you spot something I missed, chime in by all means.

I think the best thing I can say about the book, is there was one point where Race comes crashing in to save the boys, and I heard the damn theme music in my head. It was so on point, and so perfectly Pulpy and over the top. I really can't say enough good things about this book.

Bonus: Johnny Quest theme song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TNWSGCiBzg (Also known as the best damn theme song ever).

Characters:
Race Bannon
Dr. Benton Quest
Jonny Quest (and Bandit)
Hadji
Jezebel Jade
Dr. Archimedes Zin
Number One
F.E.A.R. Agents
Birdman (and Avenger)
Mi-Tor
Snag
Ug
Todd Messick
Deva Sumadi
Frankenstein Jr.
Dr. Linda-Kim Conroy
Buzz Conroy
Multi-Man
Fluid-Man
Coil-Man
Cobalt
Space Ghost
Jan
Jace
Blip
Gravity Girl
Meteor Man
Vapor Man
Zandor
Tarra
Dorno
Zok
Igoo
Tundro
Gloop
Gleep
Omnikron

[proditor]

RACE BANNON







Race Bannon - PL 8

Strength 3, Stamina 3, Agility 3, Dexterity 4, Fighting 8, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 2

Advantages
Attractive, Benefit, Security Clearance 3: International Spy, Connected, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 5, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Instant Up, Luck, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Teamwork, Well-informed

Skills
Acrobatics 3 (+6), Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+10), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise: Criminal 3 (+5), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+6), Expertise: Espionage 6 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+7), Insight 3 (+5), Intimidation 5 (+7), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 2 (+4), Ranged Combat: Gun Training 2 (+6), Stealth 5 (+8), Technology 3 (+5), Treatment 3 (+5), Vehicles 3 (+7)

Equipment
Assault Rifle, Heavy Pistol, Knife

Offense
Initiative +3
Assault Rifle, +10 (DC 20)
Grab, +8 (DC Spec 13)
Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19)
Knife, +8 (DC 19)
Throw, +8 (DC 18)
Unarmed, +10 (DC 18)

Complications
Fame: As part of Team Quest, Race is front and center all of the time. He is well known as the hard as nails Ex-Navy SEAL bodyguard of the Quest family.

Motivation: Responsibility: Initially, Race was hired to be a bodyguard for Jonny, but as time has gone on, he now stays as the guardian of the Quest family.

Relationship: Jonny Quest: Race feels a paternal connection to Jonny and will risk life and limb to keep him safe.

Relationship: Dr. Benton Quest: Race is protective of the boy's dad and will go out of his way to protect him, or in most cases, rescue him.

Reputation: Hadji: Race feels a paternal connection to Hadji and will risk life and limb to keep him safe.

Rivalry: Other spies: Race is one of the best, and will occasionally make sure others know it too.

Defense
Dodge 8, Parry 9, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/3, Will 5

Power Points
Abilities 54 + Powers 0 + Advantages 33 + Skills 34 (68 ranks) + Defenses 11 = 132

-Race Bannon is an ex-Navy SEAL who was assigned to protect Johnny after his mother was murdered by terrorists. While originally it was just another job, Race has become part of the Quest family, and he is the de facto guardian for Dr. Quest's sons while the doctor is at work. Additionally, he protects the family and serves as their transportation expert, being well-versed in pretty much anything with wheels, wings, or fins.

-Race is a hyper-capable spy/soldier. He has multiple black belts, and is a crack sniper. He is versed in combat in almost any environment or situation, and can take advantage of his surroundings if caught flat footed. He is a powerful physical specimen and he apparently is undaunted by any odds. His sole goal is keeping Quest and his family safe, and he will go to the ends of the Earth to do it. He is also an extremely skilled investigator and spy, talents that often aid Team Quest in their various adventures.

-Holy crap, Race is a beast! I mean, he should be, but still! In the comic, he does all the cool stuff you loved in the cartoon; busting up bad guys, swinging in to save the day, shooting dinosaurs with an elephant gun. The guy is awesome. He's pretty easily the most capable character besides the super-powered folk, though he has some close competition in the form of Jezebel Jade and Devi Sumadi. In game terms, he can alter most of his caps, and he has a lot of status effect capabilities. His load-out is a more of a default "Hey, I happened to have my .45 and an M-16 with me today" sort of thing, as if he has access to Quest's labs or his personal arsenal, all bets are off. He could have jet-packs, bazookas, flamethrowers, lasers, you get the picture. End analysis, he is an extremely expensive PL7/8, and represents pretty much the top tier of non-super-powered folks in the FQ universe.

[Jabroniville]

Heh- awesome. I have zero familiarity with the Hanna-Barbera action-verse (it was never re-aired on Teletoon the way it was on Cartoon Network), so this should be informative. I just grew to hate the studio thanks Scooby-Doo

[Skaramine]

*gets the popcorn*

Awww yiss!

[RUSCHE]

YES!!!! Love some old school Hannah-barbara action. I have enjoyed the recent comics and to start off with Race is a great choice. Look forward to more. Personal favorite is Space Ghost.

[proditor]

DR. BENTON QUEST







Dr. Benton Quest - PL 4

Strength 1, Stamina 2, Agility 1, Dexterity 2, Fighting 3, Intellect 8, Awareness 1, Presence 1

Advantages
Benefit, Security Clearance 5: Top Secret, Benefit, Wealth 4 (multimillionare), Connected, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 14, Inventor, Luck (Edit Scene) 2, Skill Mastery: Expertise: Science, Ultimate Effort: Technology, Well-informed

Skills
Expertise: Business 1 (+9), Expertise: History 1 (+9), Expertise: Military 3 (+11), Expertise: Politics 2 (+10), Expertise: Science 6 (+14), Perception 2 (+3), Persuasion 3 (+4), Technology 6 (+14), Vehicles 4 (+6)

Equipment
Cell Phone (Smartphone), Dragonfly Supersonic Jet, Multi-tool, Palm Key Private Island Base

Offense
Initiative +1
Grab, +3 (DC Spec 11)
Throw, +2 (DC 16)
Unarmed, +3 (DC 16)

Complications
Enemy: Dr. Zin. Archimedes and Benton were once close comrades working together to better the world, but they fell out after their lab was destroyed in a terrorist attack. Now Zin seeks to stay one step ahead of Quest in all matters scientific. The relationship is very complicated however, and seriously fits the term "Frenemy".

Fame: Dr. Benton Quest is the rockstar of science. He is recognized worldwide as one of the three most brilliant people on the planet.

Motivation: Doing Good: Benton absolutely wants to make the world a better place. He makes things that are, or could be weapons, but everything is aimed at the ultimate goal of improving the lives of everyone in the world.

Relationship: Johnny Quest. Benton can be distracted by his latest projects, but the center of his world is his children. We will move Heaven and Earth, or storm the gates of Hell to protect his sons.

Relationship: Hadji. Benton can be distracted by his latest projects, but the center of his world is his children. We will move Heaven and Earth, or storm the gates of Hell to protect his sons.

Relationship: Race Bannon. More than just a bodyguard, Race has become a part of the Quest family.

Defense
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 3, Toughness 2, Will 5

Power Points
Abilities 38 + Powers 0 + Advantages 31 + Skills 14 (28 ranks) + Defenses 11 = 94

-Dr. Benton Quest, along with his wife Ellen, were part of an international group of scientists working together to try and find a way to end warfare as part of project Zarathustra. A tragic terrorist attack resulted in the death of Ellen, and Benton went into seclusion as he tried to find a way to change the world for the better. He left with his sons, Jonny and Hadji, and picked up a bodyguard in the form of Race Bannon. This quirky bunch began adventuring across the globe, investigating strange phenomena and seeking new ways to expand Quest's various projects. They eventually started to encounter strange otherworldy portals that could potentially affect the entire planet. They teamed up with Inter-Nation to try and solve the mystery of these portals, and that's roughly the start of Future Quest.

-Dr. Quest always sort of struck me as an almost absentee father. I guess that's the other main reason to include Race, I mean in the cartoon, Bannon was off with the kids while Quest was creating something to save the day. It was obvious he loved his sons, but he just wasn't front and center. This continues a little bit in Future Quest comic, but the vibe is different somehow. Maybe it's the change in writing from the 60's to now, but I think it comes across in the comic that the boys are his life. The main reason he is doing all of this insane science work is so that his legacy to his sons will be a safe world.

-Boy is this guy the support character! He's almost worthless in a fight, but he's in better shape than you'd think due to all of the adventure science he and his family get up to in their "off time". He's insanely rich, and has a knack with science and machinery. He is straight up, one of the three smartest people in his world, and it's arguable that only his humility keeps him from claiming the top seat. Doc's got an island base, his own supersonic plane, and a lab full of goodies like hover platforms, jet packs, laser guns, etc. If you decide to use the Quest team as fully prepared and loaded for bear, they should be able to curb-stomp almost anything just due to the toys in Quest's lab. Dude took out a laser cannon with a mirror. Respect.

And an added bonus! Palm Key Island and the Dragonfly!!

PALM KEY ISLAND


Palm Key Private Island Base - PL 3

Toughness 6, Size Awesome

Features:
Communications, Computer, Defense System, Dock, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System 2, Workshop

Power Points
Abilities 6 + Powers 0 + Advantages 0 + Features 15 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Defenses 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 21


THE DRAGONFLY


Dragonfly Supersonic Jet - PL 6

Strength 14, Defense -2, Toughness 12, Size Huge

Features:
Alarm 2, Autopilot 2 (+8), Communications 1, Navigation System 1, Remote Control

Powers
Flight: Flight 9 (Speed: 1000 miles/hour, 2 miles/round)
Immunity: Immunity 4 (Environmental Condition: Cold, Environmental Condition: Pressure, Suffocation (All))

Power Points
Abilities 8 + Powers 22 + Advantages 0 + Features 7 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Defenses 5 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 42

[Jabroniville]

Bannon had a fantastic appearance on The Venture Brothers as well, even getting a smidgen of respect (BROCK SAMSON called him "one of the best"). Of course, now they're no longer allowed to directly reference Johnny Quest like that, so it's now "Action Johnny" and pals.

Kinda funny how HB has basically turned so much of their 1960s/70s output into self-aware gags and silly shows at this point.

[marcoasalazarm]

Love, and that is LOVE "Jonny Quest". And Bannon is always a capital-B Badass. Even voiced by Robert Patrick on the "Real Adventures", for some extra badassery.

Good work with Roger and Benton. Looking forward to the rest.

And there is one thing that I love of "Future Quest" is that it gives respect to the shows. "Harvey Birdman" is hilarious, yeah, but I pretty much hoped for a return to the guy kicking rear end for a long time. Team come true, right here.

[kenmadragon]

Man, this brings back a lot of childhood memories. My brother and I used to watch Jonny Quest whenever it came on (mostly reruns, at that point), and it was always cool. Before I learned of who the Fantastic Four were, the Quest family and friends were what I thought of when it came to "adventure family".

[proditor]

I'm glad folks seem to like these!

I'm trying to get Jonny and Bandit up, but I keep getting that 403 forbidden error. Let me try decoupling Jonny from Bandit and posting them separately.

[proditor]

JONNY QUEST






Jonny Quest - PL 4

Strength 0, Stamina 1, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 4, Intellect 3, Awareness 1, Presence 1

Advantages
Defensive Roll, Luck 2, Minion 2, Set-up, Teamwork

Skills
Athletics 5 (+5), Deception 3 (+4), Expertise: Current Events 1 (+4), Expertise: History 1 (+4), Expertise: Science 1 (+4), Investigation 1 (+4), Perception 1 (+2), Stealth 1 (+7), Technology 1 (+4), Vehicles 1 (+3)

Powers
Child-size: Shrinking 4 (-1 STR, -2 Intimidate, +4 Stealth, +2 active defenses, -1 size rank; Innate; Permanent)

Offense
Initiative +2
Grab, +4 (DC Spec 10)
Throw, +2 (DC 15)
Unarmed, +4 (DC 15)

Complications
Fame: Jonny is world famous as part of Team Quest and is often the most visible member.

Motivation: Thrills: Jonny is an impetuous thrillseeker. It tends to get him into trouble

Relationship: Hadji: Jonny would do anything for his brother Hadji.

Relationship: Dr. Benton Quest: Jonny is very protective of his father.

Relationship: Race Bannon: Jonny idolizes Race as a mentor and guardian.

Defense
Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 2, Toughness 2/1, Will 6

Power Points
Abilities 30 + Powers 9 + Advantages 7 + Skills 8 (16 ranks) + Defenses 8 = 62

-Jonny is the son of Drs. Benton and Ellen Quest. He was part of the family group that was involved with Project Zarathustra, and grew up alongside the world of science and invention. After his mother's tragic death, Jonny's dad began exploring the world in an effort to bring something great to the world. Along the way, Jonny got an adoptive brother, Hadji, and a bodyguard/mentor; Race Bannon. Jonny continues to travel with his family around the world seeking to solve mysteries and bring something of lasting value to humanity. His impetuous nature gets him into a lot of trouble, but between his luck, his training under his father and Race, and his family, he's emerged unscathed.

-Jonny is an interesting character. I mean, the original series was called Jonny Quest, but generally they had to have Race or Benton do something to save the day, along with some incredibly lucky thing one of the kids would to make everything right. It was very typical 60's writing, though the interactions were more adult and reminiscent of modern cartoons. Flash forward to the comic, and Jonny is still brash and adventurous, but now he's also more engaged and thoughtful. Not like naval gazing, but there's more depth to the character. This is a good thing as he could get "Just strangle that kid" annoying in the cartoon.

-For the build, Jonny is built mostly like a really early combo of Race and Benton. Jonny has learned some fighting from Race, and both adults have taught the kids the value of teamwork. A holdover from the shows is that the kids often set up bad guys to be taken out easier by one of the adults, and that comes into play on his sheet. Also, they have insane amounts of Luck, but I decided to cap it at 2. I also upped his Strength to a 0 as I feel like the kids are in ridiculous shape between all of the adventuring and Race's mentoring.

[proditor]

BANDIT





Bandit - PL 4
Strength -1, Stamina 2, Agility 2, Dexterity 0, Fighting 1, Intellect -4, Awareness 2, Presence 0

Advantages
Fast Grab, Improved Hold

Powers
Animal Senses: Senses 7 (Acute: Olfactory, Extended: Olfactory 1: x10, Extended: Hearing 1: x10, Low-light Vision, Tracking: Olfactory 2: full speed, Ultra-hearing)
Bite: Strength-based Damage 1 (DC 15)Fast
. . Leaping: Leaping 1 (Leap 15 feet at 4 miles/hour)
. . Speed: Speed 1 (Speed: 4 miles/hour, 60 feet/round)
Lap Dog: Shrinking 6 (-1 STR, -3 Intimidate, +6 Stealth, +3 active defenses, -1 size rank)

Offense
Initiative +2
Bite: Strength-based Damage 1, +1 (DC 15)
Grab, +1 (DC Spec 9)
Throw, +0 (DC 14)
Unarmed, +1 (DC 14)Complications
Disability: Bandit is a little dog. He has no hands, he isn't all that big.

Relationship: Jonny: Awesome master who Bandit protects. Also Jonny is best master because bandit gets to sleep in his bed sometimes.

Relationship: Dr. Benton Quest: Awesome master who Bandit protects.

Relationship: Race Bannon: Awesome master who Bandit protects.

Relationship: Hadji: Awesome master who Bandit protects.

Reputation: "That annoying #$%^&ing dog!!!"

Defense
Dodge 5, Parry 4, Fortitude 2, Toughness 2, Will 2

Power Points
Abilities 6 + Powers 22 + Advantages 2 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Defenses 0 = 30

-So this is Bandit, the somewhat annoying, somewhat endearing minion of Team Quest that helps/hinders their progress as the story dictates.