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Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Marvel- Z

Post by Jabroniville »

Z:
Zaladane
Zaniac
Zaran the Weapon-Master
Zarathos
Zarrko, The Tomorrow Man
---
Zeitgeist/Everyman
Zenith
Zeus
Zero I
Zero II
---
Zhou Cheng
---
Zodiak
Zom
Zombie
Zorba
---
Zuras
---
Zxaxz
Zzzax
ZZZXX

Marvel- The Letter "Z":
One of the most rarely-used letters in the Alphabet, "Z" is called "Zed" in the majority of English-speaking countries (including the one that invented the language- England, plus Ireland, Australia, Canada & India), related to the Greek "Zeta". However, the Americans changed it to "Zee" because it then rhymed with all the OTHER letters, and thus fits into a song better- close proximity to the United States (and Sesame Street means that a lot of Canadian children pick up on the American way- I generally always default to that one. It isn't used a lot for names, and anyone unfortunate enough to have surname starting with "Z" is liable to spend a lot of time waiting for things. It is also the least-used letter in the English language, but appears more in American writing due to ending words with "-ize", "-ization" and "-yze" (analyze, organize, organization, etc.). It also has a tendency to replace the letter "S" when using Xtremely Kool Letterz, but this is largely-discredited as a cool thing to do.

As you might imagine, very few comic book characters have names starting with this letter. For decades, the Hulk foe Zzzax would have been at the end of anyone's Alphabetical list of Marvel Comics characters. However, Christopher Yost created a Shi'ar Imperial Guard member named "ZZZXX", thus taking the crown from the electrical bad guy once and for all. Typically, it'll be random, weird characters with atypical or foreign-sounding names (Zorba, Zom, Zarathos). Very few of the characters are important- pretty much the biggest name on the list is the Olympian All-Father, Zeus (who, naturally, is not really a Marvel creation).



ZARRKO, THE TOMORROW MAN (Artur Zarrko)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #86 (Nov. 1962)
Role: Throwaway '60s Villain
PL 11 (104)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 9 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+18)
Expertise (History) 6 (+15)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Technology 10 (+19)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 10 (Any Sort of Gear), Inventor, Ranged Attack 6

Equipment:
"Super-Gear"
"Radiation Gun" Blast 10 (20)
"Time Cube" Movement 3 (Time Travel 3) (6)
"Force Field Projector" Force Field 14 (Extras: Impervious 15) (29)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Radiation Gun +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3 (+17 Force Field), Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Power, Ending Thor)- Zarrko came back to the modern era to stop Thor before he took over the world. But it's pretty apparent that he also wants to put himself in charge of everything.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (104)

-Zarrko has a pretty cool concept (rather unusual for comics, though I assume Stan & Jack lifted it from some sci-fi story or another, as was usual for comic books at the time), that of a Civil Servant from the future who builds a time machine and goes back to the modern era to steal some weapons and rule his future. Unfortunately for Zarrko, Thor used his Hammer That Can Do Everything to go forward in time and beat the bad guy. Basically, it was a total throwaway one-shot story to fill space in Thor's book- the 1960s were a grand, inventive time for comics, but they definitely maintained their fair share of Filler. He would reappear a couple times over the years for other one-shots against Thor (including a fight against Kang in what I'm assuming is Marvel Team-Up since it had a Spidey/Iron Man team fighting them).
-Part of his gimmick seems to be to con/coerce the heroes into aiding him against a worse foe (Kang, Zarrko's timeline's rulers, The Time-Twisters), only to betray them or be betrayed. He even conned Dargo (the Thor of the 26th Century) into fighting Thor & Beta-Ray Bill, but the "Thor Corps" (I swear to God they made a Series III "Team-Up" Marvel Card with that very name). Later on, they revealed that the world government he was trying to unseat was actually ruled by a cruel & inhuman Thor, and so Zarrko's plan was to stop Thor in the past to save the world, making him a bit more of a semi-well-intentioned extremist.
-Zarrko is less of a "fight the hero" kind of guy, and more of a "plan an adventure around him" kind of guy- GMs/writers tend to use him as the guy to base a small adventure around, typically involving Giant Robot Minions, Time Travel, or some bizarre scheme to set up the hero to fight some OTHER sort of threat, before ultimately trouncing Zarrko in the end. He's an inventor and super-genius (rivalling Mister Fantastic & Doctor Doom in this respect, but being less smart overall- essentially, he's SMART, but his high Skills come from being in a future time where this stuff is more mundane, and thus it's more Skill-focused than actual Intelligence). His best thing in a fight is his Force Field Projector, allowing him to take Thor-class punishment while still being unable to be much of a fighter.

ZZZXX
Created By:
Christopher Yost & Dustin Weaver
First Appearance: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 (March 2009)
Race: The Symbiotes
Role: Venom Rip-Off
Legionnaire Basis: None
Group Affiliations: The Shi'ar Imperial Guard
PL 10 (162)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+4)
Intimidation 9 (+9)
Perception 6 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Tendrils) 4 (+9)
Stealth 2 (+9)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Powers:
"Symbiote Physiology"
"Spider-Like Movement"
Movement 3 (Wall-Crawling 2, Slithering) [6]
Speed 2 [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"Cellular-Morphing Qualities"
Features 1: Carries Pocket [1]
Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Morph 2 (10) -- [11]
AE: Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Blending) (2)

"Self-Created Webbing"
"Tendril Line" Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Tendril" Snare 10 (Feats: Split, Tether) (32) -- [33]
AE: "Slashing" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 10) (12)

"Possession" Mind Control 10 (Extras: Sustained +2) (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Grab-Based, Limited to One Target -2) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 25)
Tendrils +9 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Slashing Tendrils +9 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +3

Complications:
Power Loss/Weakness (Webbing)- If the Symbiotes use too much "Webbing", they will lose strength, or the ability to produce more, having used up too many of the symbiote's cells.
Power Loss (Fire & Sonics)- The Symbiote Race fears both fire and extremely loud noises. Being in proximity to either weakens them to the point of losing all his abilities, moreso with more powerful applications.
Weakness (Fire & Sonics)- Similarly, the Symbiotes take extra damage from fire and sonics. This depends on the writer (or the GM).

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 70 / Defenses: 6 (162)

-ZZZXX here is basically a lost Symbiote who was being kept in a jar by the Shi'ar, and released by Vulcan to serve his interests. He's apparently one of the most dangerous creatures in Shi'ar history, and one of the first Symbiotes shown to actually take over a host instead of just be used kinda like a permanent Device. This'n captured Raza Longknife of The Starjammers and used him against his will. However, he tended to just fight without a host most of the time, and is one of the only Symbiotes I've ever seen do that (most of them just move around like little blobs that need a host to do stuff). He was eventually fought off, then thrown onto one of the Many-Angled Ones in the fight against The Cancerverse. We've yet to see what happens when a Symbiote touches a Many-Angled One, unfortunately.
-ZZZXX has powers similar to Carnage and the Five Symbiotes, minus some of the things they gained from Spider-Man over the years (like Spider-Sense). He's dangerous as all hell, but limited compared to Venom & Carnage, lacking their fighting capabilities. This guy's limited to Snares & Slashing, but adds Mind Control (with some heavy Limitations- he basically controls only one person, who constantly fights against him).

ZENITH (Something Longknife)
Created By:
Terry Kavanagh & Dave Cockrum
First Appearance: X-Men Spotlight On.... Starjammers #2 (1990)
Race: Shi'ar
Role: The Rival Brother
Group Affiliations: The Shi'ar Imperial Guard
Legionnaire Basis: None (kinda looks like Wildfire, but that's taken by Impulse)
PL 12 (158)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 4 (+5)
Technology 2 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (Imperial Guard), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Absorb & Rechannel Energy"
"Energy Drain" Affliction 14 (Power Level; Impaired/Disabled/Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (42) -- [43]
AE: "Absorbed Blast" Blast 14 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Energy) (Flaws: Requires Energy Drain, Limited to Level of Energy Drained) Linked to Force Field 4 (13)

"Flight Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [22]
Protection 2 (2)
Flight 8 (500 mph) (16)
Movement 1 (Space Travel 1) (2)
Immunity 7 (Suffocation 2, Cold, Hot, Radiation, Vacuum, Pressure) (7)
-- (27 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Blasts +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Energy Drain +10 (+14 Ranged Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+7 Flight Suit, +11 Force Field), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Brother, Raza Longknife)- The two were now enemies after some split that occured in their past. It might have something to do with the fact that Raza is now an anti-Shi'ar Pirate.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 65 / Defenses: 14 (158)

-Zenith was a one-shot character introduced for a Spotlight mini-series- he was the brother of Starjammer member Raza Longknife, used a power-suit, and had the ability to Drain & Redirect Energy. He was killed in battle with Carol Danvers in her "Binary" identity, having been blown up upon realizing that he couldn't drain all her power, for it was limitless.

ZHOU CHENG
Created By:
Dwayne Swierczynski & David Aja
First Appearance: The Immortal Iron Fist #17 (Sept. 2008)
Role: Super-Assassin
Group Affiliations: The Ch'i Lin
PL 11 (255), PL 13 (255) vs. Iron Fists
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+10)
Athletics 13 (+18)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+16)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Demon Lore) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 10 (+13)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 6 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Diehard, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Languages (A Few Asian Languages), Last Stand, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 4, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Demonic Physiology"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2]
"Immortal" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

"Detect the Chi of Shou-Lao" Senses 9 (Chi Detection- Acute, Accurate 2, Ranged 5) [9]
Mind Control 6 (24) -- [25]
AE: "Bite" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -2) (8)

"Knows The Book Of The Iron Fist" (All Have Flaws: Limited to vs. Iron Fists)
Enhanced Fighting 4 [4]
Enhanced Dodge 4 [2]
Enhanced Will Save 2 [1]

Affliction 12 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Reaction +3, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Chi Powers, Limited to Iron Fists) [36]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
vs. Iron Fists +20 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Weaken Chi +12 Area (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (+19 vs. Iron Fists, DC 25-29), Parry +16 (+20, DC 26-30), Toughness +7 (+8 vs. Iron Fists), Fortitude +9, Will +7 (+9 vs. Iron Fists)

Complications:
Motivation (The Heart of Shou-Lao)- Zhou's mission is to slay the Iron Fist, and use his dead body as a portal to enter K'un-Lun and steal the heart of Shou-Lao for great power.
Relationship (Nadine)- Zhou is in a relationship with Iron Fist's secretary, but doesn't appear to care for her that much- he throws her aside after she reveals her pregnancy to him.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 74--37 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 82 / Defenses: 17 (255)

-Zhou Cheng is the main villain of the Fourth Trade of "The Immortal Iron Fist", and is basically set up to TOTALLY wreck Danny. I didn't care as much for this arc, as the villain was one-note (despite being pretty creepy, with a reptile head sticking out of a human neck, pushing the head back), the art worse, and it kind of ignored the whole meta-plot of the story. And I still never quite understood why NOBODY warns any of the Fists about these guys coming for them- Lei Kung's whole "what difference would it make?" thing was stupid, because once Danny got foreknowledge of what was going on, he GOT SOME FRIENDS TO HELP HIM, taking advantage of Zhou's Fist-centric powers.
-Zhou is a great fighter on his own (though Luke Cage and a few Immortal Weapons quickly put him on the ropes- his Bite attack actually hurts Luke, though), but becomes GOD-LIKE against an Iron Fist. His powers allow him to Drain Danny's Iron Fist Chi, fight more quickly, and dodge & parry better. Beating this guy (Danny ignored all of his training, and the Chi of Shou-Lao, and instead focused on his pure rage- the anger of an orphaned child and the unjust nature of it all- he ripped off Zhou Cheng's head with a super-punch) is arguably one of the biggest Feats Danny Rand has to his name- it's not as flashy or as Power-Geeky as "OMG HE HURT A SUPER-TOUGH GUY" or "OMG HE TIPPED THE HELICARRIER", but he basically one-shotted a guy who was BUILT SOLELY TO DEFEAT HIM.

ZERO II (Kenji Uedo)
Created By:
Matt Fraction & Kieron Gillen
First Appearance: Generation Hope #1 (Jan. 2011)
Group Affiliations: The Lights, X-Students
Status: Alive
Role: Token Evil Teammate
PL 8 (143)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Art) 6 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment (X-Student Uniform- Communications, Protection +1), Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Techno-Organic Creation"
Communicate (Mental) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Tendrilled People) [6]
Enhanced Will Save 4 (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Limited to Mental Attacks, Affects Others Limited to Tendrilled People) [3]
Variable 4 (Techno-Powers) (28) -- [30]
AE: Create Techno-Objects 6 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Continuous) (19)
AE: "Command Tendrils" Affliction 5 (Will; Entranaced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged, Progression +2) (20)

Summon Techno-Organic Creatures 6 (Extras: Heroic +2, Variable- Techno-Monsters) [30]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Techno-Fists +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Mind Control +7 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Uniform), Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Nihilist)- Kenji actively hates his teammates, and often just likes to destroy things.
Rivalry (Hope Summers)- Kenji hates Hope, and always talks about wanting to kill her.
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- Kenji is covered in weird techno-organic fibres.
Quirk (Summoned Creatures)- Kenji's little Techno-Creations are connected to him via tendrils, so can't go that far away from him.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 69 / Defenses: 8 (143)

-Kenji seems like a VERY weird character- a Token Evil Teammate of sorts, he's a bit odd and seems rather sociopathic by what I've read on him. His techno-organic powers went on the rampage a few times, and he often seems to be willing to "test" people far beyond what is necessary (often taunting Hope, and even trying to stab Magneto's eyes during training). Oh, and he's apparently a big knock-off of Tetsuo from Akira, which is made more obvious by looking at pictures of him going all "KANEEEEEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" with giant techno-arms and stuff. Things built to a head with him, as he Mind Controlled a group of Utopian mutants to crucify Hope, and he was killed by No-Girl (who was actually close with him).
-Kenji's rather complex (particularly for a character I've never read... well I read "Schism" but I forgot ever seeing him), featuring a bunch of VERY weird, unusual powers. He can Create stuff (a staircase appears in one picture) or Summon Minions (usually small, simple stuff, though his early "Out of Control Powers" appearance features a full-blown KAIJU), but I went with a full Variable for his baseline abilities. I've seen him use Hand-Binoculars (Extended Vision), spray a bunch of people with "steel & gristle" (Line or Cone-Area Damage), stretch (Elongation) and basically just look gross, so it's not SUPER-high level, but quite a bunch of stuff for a simple guy.

ZODIAK (Norman Harrison)
Created By:
Howard Mackie & Mark Texiera
First Appearance: Ghost Rider #10 (Feb. 1991)
Role: One-Shot Villain
PL 9 (129)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Expertise (Occult) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Crime) 3 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac"
"Scorpio- The Scorpion" Blast 10 (20) -- [24]
AE: "Aquarius- The Water-Bearer" Move Object 10 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (20)
AE: "Taurus- The Bull, Cancer- The Crab, Aries- The Goat & Leo- The Lion" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (3)
AE: "Sagittarius- The Archer" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (19)
AE: "Libra- The Scales" Force Field 4 (4)

"Flight- For Some Reason" Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]

"Pisces- The Fish & Capricorn- The Goat"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 5 (8 mph) (AE of Flight) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Energy Arrows +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Scorpion Sting +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+8 Force Field), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power, Killing)- Norman Harrison wanted power, but his power drove him to have a thirst for killing.
Enemy (Ghost Rider)- In his brief super-villainous career, Harrison encountered both Ghost Rider and once, Doctor Strange.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 10 (129)

-Norman Harrison made himself a deal with 12 demons, each representing a sign of the Zodiac, to give him ultimate power. However, he basically became a one-shot foe for Ghost Rider, never really making good on his threats, nor showing any link to the Jobberiest of Jobber Teams, the Zodiac Cartel. He was killed after being tossed into a subway station- his only piece of history being his Marvel Series III Card (which even points out his death)! I can't find any evidence as to what powers he got from Libra, Virgo or Gemini. He tends to carry around equipment and some Mooks, as well as a robot duplicate of himself, making him a bit more of a "planning" guy than someone you just fight.

ZANIAC (Brad Wolfe)
Created By:
Doug Moensch & Keith Pollard
First Appearance: Thor #319 (May 1982)
Role: One-Shot Villain
PL 9 (109)
STRENGTH
1/11 STAMINA 1/11 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0/7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3/-1

Skills:
Expertise (Actor) 3 (+6)
Insight 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Possession By Demon"
Enhanced Strength 10 [20]
Enhanced Stamina 10 [20]
Enhanced Fighting 7 [14]
Enhanced Skills 8: Intimidation 8 (+7) [4]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Fast Grab, Startle [2]
Reduced Presence 4 [-8]
Enhnaced Dodge 6 [6]
"Radioactive Knife-Projections" Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate 4) (Extras: Multiattack) [34]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Zaniac Powers +7 (+11 Damage, DC 27)
Radioactive Knives +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +11, Fortitude +11, Will +3

Complications:
Hatred (Women)- Brad Wolfe grew up extremely misogynistic, owing to years of abuse at the hands of his mother.
Normal Identity (Brad Wolfe)- Zaniac loses all power without demonic possession.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 92 / Defenses: 3 (109)

-A pretty one-off Thor foe, Zaniac was a stanard-issue misogynist thanks to receiving abuse from his mother at a young age. Playing a serial killer in a Slasher Movie, he played "The Zaniac"... and this went all wrong when he was possessed by a mystical creature that Dormammu had created centuries earlier. This creature always focused on misogynists, amplifying their hatred of women to enormous levels- Jack The Ripper, the terror of 1880s White Chapel, was actually the first of many inhabited by this beastie. The Zaniac set out to kill many "pretty pretties", but of course his first target was an associate of Thor. Zaniac was handily-defeated, apparently.
-Zaniac is just a low-level brawler who was set up for a single fight with the God of Thunder- anyone who tangles with THOR is pretty-typically tough, but he still went down pretty easily. PL 9 seems about right.

ZEUS (aka Jupiter, Jove)
Created By:
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Joe Simon
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Greco-Roman God of The Heavens, Thunder & Lightning, Law & Order, King of the Gods
Group Affiliations: Olympus
PL 17 (415)
STRENGTH
16 STAMINA 18 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 6

Skills:
Deception 8 (+14, +16 Attractive)
Expertise (King of the Gods) 10 (+16)
Expertise (Law & Order, The Weather) 8 (+14)
Expertise (Magic) 12 (+18)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+14)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+12, +14 Attractive)
Ranged Attack (Lightning) 2 (+13)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 7 (Skyfather), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lightning) 4, Improved Hold, Improved Grab, Inspire, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 3 (Nearly Any), Last Stand, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Ritualist, Startle, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Immortal God"
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [7]
Immunity 14 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects, Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) [14]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Power-Lifting 6 (100,000 tons) [6]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 15) [17]
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
Shapeshift 3 [24]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]

"Skyfather Might"
"Thunderbolt" Damage 17 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (86) -- [93]
Dynamic AE: "Thunderstruck" Blast 17 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (68)
Dynamic AE: "Skyfather Blast" Blast 20 (Feats: Dynamic, Extended Range 2, Indirect, Penetrating 14) (38)
Dynamic AE: "Weather Effects" Environment 10 (2 miles) (Cold, Impede Movement 2, Light, Visibility) (51)
Dynamic AE: "Wind Storm" Affliction 14 (Strength or Athletics; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 500ft. Cone +4) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (43)
Dynamic AE: "Wind Burst" Affliction 14 (Strength or Athletics; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (43)
Dynamic AE: "Wind Creation" Move Object 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (57)
Dynamic AE: "Wind" Features 2 (-2 Thrown Weapons, snuffing flames, etc.) (3)
AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (12)
AE: Teleport 10 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (46)
AE: "Skyfather Power" Variable 10 (70)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Blast +14 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Thunderbolt +17 Area (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Wind Storm +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +18 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +13

Complications:
Responsibility (Olympian Pantheon)- As a Skyfather, Zeus' duties are numerous.
Reputation (Man-Slut of Epic Proportions)- Hercules has got NOTHING on his father. Zeus will do it with anyone and anyTHING, taking any form to do it. Bull? Europa. Swan? Ganymede. Dude is NUTS for the ladies.
Relationship (Hera)- Hera is quite powerful and conniving. A more dangerous woman to cheat on may not exist. Just ask Zeus' many paramours.
Relationship (Hercules)- Zeus is frequently annoyed by his "favourite son", often seeking to teach him lessons, however cruel.
Reputation (Moods Like Children)- Prometheus himself has noted that Zeus and many of his fellow Olympians are "Ever as children", and tend towards over-reaction. Even today, Zeus flies off the handle with little

Total: Abilities: 134 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 40 / Powers: 193 / Defenses: 16 (415)

-Zeus is the King of the Gods in Greek Mythology, effectively being the most important God ever. Despite this, the Greeks made him possibly the MOST flawed of all the Gods- a man-slut of Mythical Proportions (literally), Zeus is probably most famous to us mortals for wenching his way across the world, falling for many comely faces and doing the nasty with them in all sorts of forms, all while his jealous wife, Queen Hera, punished the women terribly. Zeus was also power-hungry, fearful of those more powerful (Typhon chased him out of Greece), and fearful of prophecy (Zeus took power by defeating his own father and imprisoning him in Tartarus- and Cronus slew HIS father Ouranos) so much that he ATE the Titaness Metis when she was pregnant, thus giving birth to Athena through his own forehead. Despite all this, he was held as a Supreme Judge and was reasonably benevolent towards mortals- his tales of exerting Wrath upon the teeming masses are relatively few compared to his brethren.
-Marvel's Zeus is pretty much like the recognizable one of Mythology- a Man-Whore with a nasty temper and a scheming, annoying family. Marvel depicts him with red hair (most versions are white-haired like the marble statues now appear- though those statues were actually coloured rather garishly back in Ancient times. This makes him look a tad older but more regal), giving him an almost berserker-like appearance, which is rather fitting in its way. His story of greatest focus in the older days was an Avengers arc in which he led Olympus against The Avengers, blaming them for Hercules being beaten into a coma by The Masters of Evil. Extraordinarily powerful, he basically beat the living hell out of the Avengers once they broke past the other Gods- even an Anti-Power Geek like myself sprouted a halfie when he started taking the BEST SHOTS of Thor, Namor, She-Hulk & Monica Rambeau, basically coming back from everything and wrecking house. And THIS was the kind of "Uphill Battle" that comics does best- every hero going all-out, barely able to survive by somebody recovering and taking their own shot when Zeus takes out another teammate.
-Zeus slept with many mortals (Herc shows him disguised as mortal singer "Storm" in Korea- a parody/homage to "Rain"- to enjoy the pleasures of many groupies), and often gets shown to be a fool- an arc where he is killed and ends up in Tartarus shows him truly appreciate his son (Herc of course removes this), but when he's turned mortal in Hercules' most recent series, he's shown as an incompetent, over-confident blowhard who's fat and stupid (much of which could be easily excused by him being WASTED on booze, since his mortal form can't take it). But still, this guy is hardly as noble as Odin of the Norse Gods, but he's a bit less cold-hearted and vague- he's just kind of an asshole, which given his INSANE power levels, makes him truly frightening.
-Zeus is easily the mightiest of all the Greek Gods, and could hand ANY of the others their asses in a fight. The mythology depicted a Zeus so tough that any of the others wouldn't stand a chance without cheating (though I've read a myth where he's chased off by a River God because he forgot his Easily-Removable Thunderbolts)- he's basically Thor times Five, and any fight between him and the God of Thunder is essentially "Wow, it's a great showing for Thor- he's lasted almost FIVE MINUTES without dying!" rather than "It's a great showing for Thor- he won!" Thor has NO CHANCE against Zeus. NONE, whatsoever- in the great "Avengers (vs) Olympus" arc, Zeus handily wipes out an entire squadron of Gods & Heroes with a single blast (Cap & Dr. Druid are crippled permanently without Godly Healing, and Athena, Apollo & Hephaestus are done for the entire fight). He then brawls effortlessly with Thor, shrugs off a sneak attack from Namor (no easy feat), then casually grabs his arm and smashes him into the ground. Captain Marvel does a full-on Absorption/Reflection Blast of Zeus' best punch, and it only pisses him off. Eventually ALL the Powerhouses give'r at once, and Zeus is shaken but still just really mad- the heroes have to talk their way out when Hercules recovers from his coma and Zeus calms down. There was NO WAY they were walking out of that one without extenuating circumstances. As a fight against a Pantheon's Allfather SHOULD be.
-It says something that Zeus isn't even a melee fighter in general, yet is PL 14 Unarmed anyways- he's as strong as Hercules (in that Avengers arc, Herc recovers from his coma and fights his father- Zeus gets PO'd and smashes his face in, injuring Hercules further). His Thunderbolts are among the most damaging things any terrestrial Marvel Character can do, and he can throw out MASSIVE Area Damage (including a Ranged one that Explodes), Teleport and do whatever Magic he needs to- he even gets Variable as part of his Array to gain all that "extra stuff" that other Gods tend to use. He also has some weird powers, like giving & taking away Hercules' Godly Might, but that's rare enough that it can be explained as part of his "Benefit Package" for his King of the Gods Advantage up there.

ZXAXZ
Created By:
Louise Simonson, Carl Potts & Terry Shoemaker
First Appearance: Spellbinder #1 (Jan. 1988)
Role: Evil Magic Douche
Group Affiliations: None
PL 11 (291)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 11 (+14)
Expertise (Ruler) 8 (+11)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 4 (+8)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit 5 (Otherworldly Ruler), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Ritualist

Powers:
"Crown" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [45]
Shapeshift 8 (64)
Immunity 20 (Magical Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (10)
-- (74 points)

"Cloak of Flight" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [8]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (12 points)

Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]

"Control Over Order & Chaos... so Magic, I guess"
Variable (Whatever. Magic Stuff) 20 [140]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Magicky Stuff +8 (+12-14 Ranged Damage/Affliction, DC 29/24)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Hatred (Other Spellbinders)- Few Spellbinders can stand to be around others.
Motivation (Power)- Zxaxz initially mastered his powers to protect his homeworld from "The Other", and soon came to believe that doing so would require taking over ALL worlds.
Vulnerable (Bright Lights)- Zxaxz comes from a darker world, and bright lights are bothersome to him.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 206 / Defenses: 11 (291)

-Zxaxz is a character from the Spellbound book- something I've never heard of from the 1980s. Initially mastering his powers to save his homeworld, excessive use of the "Spellbinder" powers eventually drove him a bit nuts. He conquered his home dimension and enslaved numerous races. Two thieves stole his gear and attempted to find another Spellbinder on Earth, but Zxaxz followed- he was driven off by Erica Fortune, the one the thieves sought. He returned to Earth, and attempted to learn more about Erica, her family, and Earth itself, and continuously lost his gear to others. During the last of numerous fights between Zxaxz and Erica, something called "The Other" showed up, and the two pursued him through a portal- Zxaxz soon fell into a singularity alongside his castle, and his gear was subsequently destroyed.
-Zxaxz is your typical "Can Do Whatever" kind of Mage (apparently able to create portals the size of PLANETS, which is one bugger of an Area Effect on the Portal Extra of "Dimensional Travel"), but is like 19 feet tall. He tends to always lose to Erica Fortune (whoever the hell that is), so he's not THAT elite, but she's apparently a toughie if she can take out an Otherdimensional Dictator.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Archie Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

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ARCHIE COMICS BUILDS:

-Among the oldest comic book companies in existence is Archie Comics, formerly known as "MLJ" (after the first names of its three founders: Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit & John L. Goldwater). They were initially just one of numerous companies popping out superhero books, of which they were one of the big names (with acts like The Shield and The Black Hood becoming popular, Marvel's Captain America actually swiped the Shield's own logo for his first triangular shield!). However, all that changed in the December of 1941, when an attempt to rip off the popular Andy Hardy movies resulted in the creation of the Mirth of a Nation- Archie Andrews himself! Archie would soon leap way over his tights-wearing contemporaries in popularity and sales, and soon MLJ itself would change their name to match his. After a certain point, Archie's superheroes would go through more failed runs than the Doom Patrol, and would never gain traction again.

Nowadays, Archie is iconic for being the only kid-focused comic book company still in existence, and the sole survivor of what was once a THRIVING genre of comics targeted towards girls. See, back in the day, nobody CARED that superhero comics were all targeted at dudes, since there were OTHER GENRES OUT THERE. Romance & Teen Comics were there for girls, Funny Animal Books were there for kids of both genders, and then you had stuff like Superhero, True Crime and Horror for the boys. But, as comics "matured", and the old genres slowly died away due to various circumstances, soon there was only Archie left standing. Suddenly the fact that Superhero Comics had mostly-supporting females and sexy costumes and all of that was a "bad thing", and Marvel & DC were now "supposed" to target the female fanbase that, to that point, had never really existed in large numbers.

Archie, once the most popular book on the stands (no, really), is also notable for being the only comic book on the newstands, after Marvel & DC deliberately abandoned that format to chase higher sales at comic book shops (a move that eventually proved rather disastrous, however much sense it made at the time). It's almost more infamous for its "Generic Stories", static characters, and old-fashioned sentimentality as much as anything these days. Really, only the fads and slang change (it's been said by people I talk to that "if you want to see when a fad's about to die, wait until it appears in Archie Comics). Many of the same old themes persist over the years (the Love Triangle, Reggie chasing Midge & getting thumped by Moose, Jughead avoiding work and Big Ethel, Archie doing poorly in school or athletics). Attempts to expand the cast since 1960 have generally failed. The characters were much more chaste and good-natured than most actual teens (some more "authentic" movies set in even old-timey days admit that the boys were always trying to score with their girlfriends; in Archie they just want to kiss), and this looks even more obvious in today's era of open swearing, prevalent pornography, violent video games and internet bullying.

In this sense, though, I find Archie to be rather charming. While it was never actually accurate to real-life teens, it's endearing in its own way to see all these super-peppy kids having good old-fashioned antics. And, as one of the most iconic comic book casts ever, thety can still kick you in the gut on occasion with a REALLY good story.

Also- DEAR GOD THE FANSERVICE!!! Actually, thinking about it, Archie may have had THE MOST and THE BEST fanservice in all of comics for basically decades. With the Comics Code taking the balls out of the industry in the 1950s, comics were rather chaste for a very long period of time. Sexy outfits were extremely rare... except over at Archie, where Betty & Veronica were constantly depicted in the skimpiest bikinis thanks to the pen of Dan DeCarlo (a former Pin-Up Artist). Hell, if you were reading comics and wanted to see hot chicks, you could not POSSIBLY do better than Archie Comics- Dan's best stuff completely shames the work of just about anyone else. It always makes me laugh that for like fifty years, the dirtiest stuff was in the one book targeted towards young girls.

Archie also maintains an Iconic status in several regards- the characters are well-known enough to be reference-worthy in all kinds of media. Who DOESN'T know even supporting characters like Big Moose, Ethel & Miss Grundy? The famous Love Triangle is arguably one of the most famous of all time. And of course there's Jughead's HAT.

ARCHIE'S ORIGINS:
-See, the Andy Hardy series was a bunch of films based around Mickey Rooney as the title character, and his mischievous-but-charming antics in his hometown, usually based around trying to please his steady girl or make some money. Archie was naturally based off of Andy- he was likeable, but a bit of a troublemaker, usually screwing up by either over or under-thinking every problem that came his way.

The exact origins of Archie are a bit up in the air- problematically, the company has always been kept "in the family", and so the Official Line from Archie Comics is that everything was the idea of John Goldwater, the first Editor-In-Chief (Coyne & Silberkleit were businessmen with non-publishing degrees). UNFORTUNATELY, this has led to some amazing bullshit answers as part of the "History of Archie", which includes ludicrous things like Goldwater travelling around the United States as a lad, often finding two different women fighting over him (the story goes like "Ho ho, and he traveled to THIS part of the country, where AGAIN two girls ended up fighting over him!"), and THIS being the inspiration for the "Archie-Betty-Veronica" Love Triangle. Now, this comes off as not only complete fakery from a charlatan, but seems pretty clearly designed to give Goldwater's heirs "Credibility" to ownership of the company. As it was only very, VERY recent "Official History" books that contained this information (at the expense of Bob Montana, who MOST people consider the original Idea Guy of everything), I wouldn't hold too much credence to this "real life" history of John "Chick Magnet" Goldwater.

The REAL origins of the character concepts revolve around Bob Montana, the artist of the original story, and the man who came to be known as the first "House Style" artist. The first issue contains some bizarre situations to modern eyes (the VERY FIRST PANEL features an ugly, short red-haired kid demanding "Call me Chick!" to Betty Cooper, who's a new girl in town), but a lot of the same situations would still be recognizable to today's fans, SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER (keep in mind how little most superheroes today resemble their Golden Age counterparts). In the first tale, a young Archie "Chick" Andrews schemes his way into making good with Betty's father, but he and his buddy (a morose, ugly-looking kid named "Jughead") end up causing more trouble than good, and ruin everything- Betty's dad declares war on Archie.

Under Montana's pen, the cast would very quickly be rounded-out, and the town developed. Riverdale was the name of the town- it was your classic Everyday American Town, meant to represent everywhere people grew up (in fact, only The Simpsons's Springfield would ever surpass Riverdale in pop culture as this kind of place. Montana based it off of his hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts (his alma mater features the exact same replica of The Thinker on the front stoop)- Haverhillians would later claim to recognize characters like Miss Grundy and Pop Tate in some of the local characters.

ARCHIE FORMULATES ITSELF:
Soon, wealthy heiress Veronica Lodge would enter the town, and the eternal Love Triangle would begin. In its early days, the concept was simple: Archie loved Veronica, who loved status and The Finer Things, while Betty loved Archie, who was mostly-indifferent to her. Betty was a bit of Girl-Next-Door combined with Insane Stalker Chick (a trait that would be exaggerated with time). Archie's best pal was Jughead Jones, a quirky schemer in his own right, but Jug was usually just a sidekick with a much more sarcastic sense of humor. Reggie Mantle would be added to the cast, himself a prankster and enemy to Archie, particularly over the affections of Veronica.

After a point, things would be set- the cast increased to feature the parents of the four major characters (of which Ronnie's dad Mr. Lodge would probably be the most important, as he became another enemy of Archie's). Even more odd characters showed up- titanic and aggressive Big Moose, his "gurl" Midge, genius Dilton, Jughead's own "Lena Hyena"-style chaser in Big Ethel, strict Miss Grundy & Mr. Weatherbee at Riverdale High, cafeteria worker Miss Beazley, Coach Kleats and more. In fact, by the late 1950s, the Archie cast that we would recognize today had almost completely formed, and the characters themselves had "normalized"- reading a comic from 1955 and a comic from 2015 would produce almost the exact same characters and reactions. The only things changing would be the outfits and the slang.

Most Archie stories in this and any other era would be simple- self-contained, 4-8 page tales where the characters engage in some kind of antics to get what they want: Archie wants to make some money or schmooze with Veronica (and he wants money in order to schmooze with Veronica). Jughead is lazy and wants to avoid work and girls. Reggie schemes to one-up Archie and/or Jughead, and make time with Veronica (or Midge, whose own boyfriend is a killer). Betty wants to get with Archie, and tries to scheme to put Veronica out of the way. Montana also wrote an amazing Sunday Newspaper strip, in an era when the "Funnies" were a huge, HUGE deal- the guys making Dick Tracy, Lil' Abner and more were making WAY more money than anyone ever did creating characters for Marvel & DC in the Golden, Silver or Bronze Ages of comics.

ARCHIE ENTERS A NEW ERA- THE 1960s SENSATION:
-By the late 1950s, a new face had become the "iconic" Archie Artist: Dan DeCarlo. Dan was a Pin-Up Artist who had an eye for fashion generally unseen among male illustrators, and put both of those skills to EPIC work on the line. Betty & Veronica, always curvy and MUCH more mature-looking than their supposed ages implied, now looked ASTONISHING under Dan's pen. Dan soon became the "House Style" artist, with all the other creators being expected to follow his style very, very closely. Stan Goldberg was the best at mimicking it, but Dan's own son also had a similar style. Samm Schwartz, probably the best "comedy" artist, had his own look (very thin, slender characters with simpler designs), and Harry Lucey was the OTHER Zen Master of Fanservice, with wide-eyed, fresh-faced characters.

The comics picked up on more trends as time went on- books from the '40s and '50s can look pretty much the same, but the 1960s brought hippies, Women's Lib and constant painfully-dated slang ("Groovy!" is a common refrain in almost any '60s book). The 1970s brought even more of this out there, as Disco was in. Betty Cooper gained a bit more character from the Feminist Movement and suddenly the insane girly-girl of previous years was now the ultimate Good Girl, in addition to being an athletic, sporty tomboy. Jughead became more iconoclastic than ever, marching to the beat of his own drum. Most of the other characters stayed pretty well the same, however. There was even a weird line of Christian-themed comics, as artist Al Hartley went all "Born Again" and decided to preach his own anti-evolution brand of Jesus-Freakiness.

Of particular note is the HUGE upswing in sales that came about after the Archie cartoon became a big deal- Archie even formed a band, which turned into a REAL LIFE band, whose huge song Sugar, Sugar became a sensation. And this is a little known fact, but for a period of two years, Archie was THE best-selling comic in America. Yes, not Batman. Not Superman. Not ANYTHING from Marvel. But in the late 1960s, Archie was absolutely #1, with most of the other books in the line trailing him only by a little bit. Side-character Josie was given her OWN band, and Josie and the Pussycats would themselves become pop culture icons of a sort. Sabrina the Teenage Witch also became very popular in her own right. Something that's easy to forget in the modern era is just how amazingly-big Archie once was.

Among the more odd titles was Life With Archie, which frequently put the characters in death-defying situations. Sure, they were Hardy Boys-class tales with smugglers and spies and junk, but it was a far cry from Archie's skirt-chasing antics of prior years. Here, DEATH was a possibility, and you'd see Archie trying to rescue tornado victims or people out of a burning building! Archie's Pop Culture Parodies would hit a point here, too, and never stop- parody stories from "The Mighty Archie Art Players" (featuring the characters playing roles from famous stories or movies) would be alongside complete alternate-universe stuff like The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., which parodied a contemporary spy show.

THE 1980s & 1990s- A STRANGE NEW WORLD:
-Things naturally kept on trucking with the same old stuff, even as sales eventually fell back to "normal" levels. The '80s didn't see a lot of new stuff, but by the '90s, we were seeing INSANE new books every year. As the 1990s saw the Comic Book Boom, Archie wanted their own piece- but rather than go for Blood 'n' Guts Ultra-Violence, they instead went for "were they on DRUGS when they wrote this?", as the company released book after book of the most bizarre, outlandish concepts ever. Riverdale High was a neat book featuring stories around the school itself, but Archie's R/C Racers? A book about RACING TOY CARS across the globe, and that was an ongoing?!? Jughead working as a time cop? Jughead getting transported to an alternate dimension where he runs a diner full of a dozen bizarre employees and fights against an Evil Business Tycoon? And those two books ran at the SAME TIME. Side books like Archie's Explorers of the Unknown (a Challengers of the Unknown homage, but with much better characters), Archie set in the future, and more were the name of the game.

Eventually, all of these books crashed and burned within a couple of years, and the Comic Book Crash was especially unkind to the company. They cut back on books, and pretty soon their entire business would count on the Digests- starting in the late 1970s and early '80s, these little digests collected dozens of old stories (of which Archie, which had been publishing in huge numbers since the 1940s, had a TON of) and reprinted them. At cheap prices, and containing several times the amount of stories you'd get in a new Comic (with the first and last story being new releases, so it's not JUST reprints), they were an obvious sale to tons of kids. As this was MY era of Archie, I remember spending a ton of time getting new books- each weekend I'd go to the store and pick one of the various Digests released, generally based off of my favorite characters (this meant Jughead's Double Digest, or Pals 'n' Gals- an anthology featuring the entire cast instead of focusing on just one character).

Archie also went through some public badness, as Dan DeCarlo, upset over receiving basically NOTHING for creating the Josie cast, sued the company. He died without seeing anything, but the public black eye the company received was outstanding- Archie had always been easy to make fun of for its milquetoast, super-nice comics, but this made people realize that they were NASTY- easily as bad as Marvel & DC were for keeping money out of the hands of creators and letting only the publishers have some. The fact that Archie had been going after any satirists and parodies (many of which are protected even from Copywrite law) did not help- even Robot Chicken had to pull their Archie Parody after a legal hassle, and music group The Veronicas also got sued for "stealing" the name. By the late 1990s, pretty much the entire old guard of artists & writers had died- Samm Schwartz, Dan DeCarlo & Harry Lucey were long gone, and only Stan Goldberg kept on truckin'.

THE MODERN ERA OF ARCHIE:
-Like I said, they've mostly been stuck in a holding pattern for years. They're kept afloat by the Digests, and what was once a vast publishing wing of original stories trickled down to basically a core set of books based around the Big Four characters. Dan Parent & Fernando Ruiz had since become the "go-to" artists since the 1990s, and were putting out most of the modern stuff. Jughead got some neat experimental stuff going in his own book, but his sales soon faltered (most-popular among adult fans for his iconoclastic nature, he was the least-popular among kids), and eventually both the Betty and Veronica solo books went by the wayside. Mini-Series and start-ups featuring Josie & the Pussycats and Sabrina all failed- Sabrina couldn't even maintain success thanks to the super-popular ABC sitcom featuring Melissa Joan Hart as the teenage witch herself!

This era became one of gimmicks designed to sell big quickly and make an easy buck- a Dynamic New Look! style was created that... well, looked like Generic Comic Book Art instead of the Archie House Style. This created a ton of anger amongst people who probably hadn't bought an Archie book since they were pube-less, and featured some really clumsy storytelling (the awkward dialogue comes straight from the Archie Novel Series of a decade or two earlier- they were all pretty bad, and the New Look stories were just reprints of that, in comic form). Cheryl Blossom, always inconsistently-shown, had pushes come and go, and she seemed to move out of Riverdale every other work. Archie soon crossed over with tons of things, each more outlandish than the last (Archie Meets Predator featured the movie monster KILLING most of the Archie cast! They soon met up with a Sharknado, KISS, Glee and others). The Digests went away, and soon only Double Digests were on store shelves. There's an Archie Horror line consisting of horrifying, "adult" series that involve things like incestuous rape (not kidding), hidden lesbian relationships and Archie beating his own father into mush after he's infected.

And the dramatic Life With Archie series spun off of the successful Married Life mini-series (set in a pair of Alternate Futures where Archie marries either Betty or Veronica), showing the cast as adults in a much more "adult" world (in the first year, Miss Grundy CONTRACTS A DEADLY DISEASE AND DIES!!!). Archie even added its very first GAY character, with Kevin Keller! The company had by this point become the publishing version of Clickbait, seemingly with a new headline-grabbing event every other month- some were sad attempts at keeping in the news (Kevin featured clumsy covers that were just him hanging out with George Takei going "Oh MY!" and stuff like that), while other more-valuable ones were still "PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO USSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!", such as Kevin's Gay Wedding in Life With Archie, or the ending of the LWA book with Archie getting SHOT AND KILLED by an assassin who hated the Gay Pro-Gun-Control Senator Kevin Keller.

Eventually, it all kind of came crashing down on the "Old Guard". Kevin and even Jughead were cancelled. And finally, the entire line was rebooted, with Mark Waid & Fiona Staples doing work on a brand-new Archie, starting off with a whole new continuity. This has led to updated versions of Jughead, Kevin and even Betty & Veronica, some of which has yet to be released. It's a big-ish deal, but as always, Archie is one of those genres that just doesn't SELL that well any longer- sales of the main series started high, but steadily dropped (though still higher than they were BEFOREHAND by a lot). And of course, the downside of all of this is that the last "original" Archie artists left, like Dan Parent & Fernando Ruiz, were suddenly left without much work- Ruiz in particular was basically told there was no more work for him after working for the company for more than twenty years. And that pales before Stan Goldberg, one of the oldest Silver Age artists still around, suddenly getting no work without any warning whatsoever, and dying a year later. Add to that a VERY public falling-out between the Co-CEOs (the half-brother of one heir, and the widow of another), culminating in legal proceedings, lawsuits and restraining orders, and you've got what has to be one of the more dynamic workplaces in comics.

So basically, Archie is dead- yet LONG LIVE ARCHIE. One of the longest-standing comics in existence.

------------------------

ARCHIE TITLES:
Giant-Size/Standard-Issue Comics:
Archie (1942-2015- 666 issues): Naturally, the signature title.
Archie (2015-present): The new, Mark Waid/Fiona Staples one. GET IT.
Archie's Christmas Stocking (1993-1999- 7 issues): A holiday book.
Archie's Explorers of the Unknown! (1990-1991- 6 issues): A failed Challengers of the Unknown homage.
Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica (1950-1987- 347 issues): B & V's signature book for years.
Archie's Jokebook Magazine (1953-1982- 277 issues)
Archie's Madhouse/Madhouse Ma-ad/Madhouse Glads (1959-1974- 94 issues): It featured deliberately off-the-wall stories that often made absolutely zero sense. 19 issues in, the book dropped the Arhcie cast, and started featuring monsters, sci-fi stuff and other "wacky short stories", often parodying the pop culture of the time. A few issues even featured HORROR stories, but the most-noteworthy part of the book was the creation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in #22. The Madhouse Glads were an attempt at creating ANOTHER Archies or Pussycats with a hippie-style rock band. The book finally went silly again before being cancelled.
Archie's Pals 'n' Gals (1952-1991- 224 issues): Another anthology book for the whole gang.
Archie's Weird Mysteries (2000-2003): An adaptation of the cartoon series.
Archie's Pal Jughead (1949-1965- 126 issues): Initially Jughead's signature book.
Archie's TV Laugh-Out (1969-1986- 106 issues)
Archie Americana Series (1995-2011): Great collections of numerous notable stories from each particular decade, though many are just "here's an issue about one fad from that era".
Archie 3000! (1989-1991- 16 issues): The gang in the future.
Archie Giant Series (1954-1992- 332 issues): An off & one title that included a lot of one-shots and recurring titles. Had longer page counts at first, but eventually settled into a standard format while keeping the name.
Archie at Riverdale High (1972-1987- 113 issues): School-based titles.
Archie and Me (1964-1987- 161 issues): A book focusing most often on Archie & Mr. Weatherbee as a comedic duo (making the Bee the "Me" in the title).
Archie & Friends (1992-2012- 159 issues): Basically "Archie + Other Characters".
Betty and Me (1965-1992- 200 issues): The signature Betty-focused title for almost thirty years, usually revolving around her and Archie.
Betty & Veronica's Summer Fun (1994-1999- 6 issues): A summer annual, mostly focusing on bikini stories.
Betty's Diary (1986-1990- 40 issues): A much-beloved "First Person Narrative" feature involving Betty writing occasionally-biased descriptions into her diary.
Betty (1992-2012): Replacing Betty and Me as the signature book for twenty years, it was cancelled in the modern era as sales fell on all the "Solo" books.
Betty & Veronica (1987-2015- 278 issues): The signature title following Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica.
Betty and Veronica Spectacular (1992-2009- 90 issues): A quarterly title.
Cheryl Blossom (1997-2001- 37 issues): Fitting Cheryl's ongoing mega-push around that time, Archie eventually gave up.
Cosmo the Merry Martian (1958-59- 6 issues): A short-lived comedy book.
Everything's Archie (1969-1991- 157 issues): This is the book chosen to focus mostly on his band "The Archies". As a result, I'd imagine the majority of Archies-related tales in the Digests come from this long-lasting book.
Ginger (1951-1954- 10 issues): Basically, it's Archie as a girl- Ginger was thick-headed, boy-crazy and prone to impulsive decisions. Sadly short-lived.
Jackpot Comics/Jolly Jingles (1941-1945): A silly side-comic that started off superheroes and other adventurous-types, but soon gave way to Funny Animal strips. Eventually, #10 gave us Super Duck, who eventually got his own comic.
Josie/She's Josie/Josie and the Pussycats (1963-1982- 106 issues): The only book featuring Josie and her friends.
Archie's Pal Jughead/Jughead (1965-1987- 352 issues): Jughead's signature title until a reboot.
Jughead's Diner (1990-1991- 7 issues): A bizarre, drug-addled comic featuring Jughead being transported to an alternate universe named "Dinersville".
Jughead's Jokes (1967-1982- 78 issues): Another Jughead-themed gag comic.
Jughead's Pal Hot Dog (1990- 5 issues): A failed comic featuring Hot Dog on sci-fi adventures.
Jughead's Time Police (1990-1991- 6 issues): Jughead solving crimes in time.
Katy Keene Special/Katy Keene (1984-1990- 33 issues): The signature title for Archie Comics' own super-model.
Kevin Keller (2012-2014- 15 issues): At one point, the ONLY comic book featuring a gay character as the star.
Lil' Jinx (1956-1957- 5 issues): Apparently not a big hit, she survives in Digest form.
Little Archie (1956-1983- 180 issues): A huge ongoing "The gang as kids" title.
Laugh Comics (1946-1987- 380 issues): A "Generic" title for the whole gang. It replaced Black Hood Comics, what with superheroes dying out.
Life With Archie (1958-1991- 286 issues): An adventure title that featured the gang in frequently-dangerous situations.
Life With Archie: The Married Life (2010-2014- 37 issues): A magazine-format title featuring the gang as adults in two parallel universes- one where he married Betty, the other Veronica.
Pep Comics (1940-1987- 411 issues): The original signature series for the Shield, he soon gave way to Archie as the main character- I only have a single issue, as the "generic" comic didn't make it out of the '80s.
Reggie/Reggie and Me (1980- 126 issues): An oddly-published REGGIE-themed book!
Reggie's (Wise Guy) Jokes (1968-1980- 55 issues): Wow I had no idea he was so popular.
Reggie's Revenge (1994-1995- 3 issues): The last time they ever tried this.
Riverdale High (1990-1991- 6 issues): A much-beloved, but short-lived, title about the school itself.
Suzie Comics (1945-1954- 59 issues): No idea.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Vol. 1 (1971-1983- 77 issues): The signature book for Sabrina.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Vol. 2 (1997-1999- 32 issues): A reboot inspired by the TV show.
Sabrina/Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Vol. 3 (2000-2009- 104 issues): The new signature book, adapted from the ANIMATED TV series.
That Wilkin Boy (1969-1982- 52 issues): Another Archie-like teen, as the HUGE surge in the line's popularity caused the writers to see just how much they could get away with.
Veronica (1989-2011- 210 issues): Veronica's signature series, cancelled along with Betty.
Wilbur Comics (1944-1965- 90 issues): An Archie-like teen getting up to the same sort of antics.
World of Archie (1992-1997- 22 issues): Another Archie-themed book.

DIGESTS:
Archie Digest (1973-2010- 267 issues): The signature Digest.
Archie's Double Digest (1982-Present): The ongoing signature Digest, once the smaller ones were cancelled.
Archie's Funhouse Double Digest (2014-Present): A newer "collection"-type book with various characters given focus.
Archie's Holiday Fun Digest (1997-2007- 12 issues): A rarely-seen year-end special.
Archie's All Canadian Digest (1996- 1 issue): A one-off.
Archie's Annual Digest (1975-1998- 42 issues): A rarer Digest that still came out more than once a year (did they not know what "Annual" meant?).
Archie & Friends Double Digest (2011-2014- 33 issues): An additional Digest, replacing Pals 'n' Gals.
Archie... Archie Andrews, Where Are You? Digest (1977-1998- 114 issues): A weirdly-named extra Digest featuring Archie.
B & V Friends Double Digest (2011-Present): The new Digest featuring the girls, with the silliest, most awkward name ever. Retains the numbers of the old Digest.
Betty & Veronica Digest (1980-2010- 208 issues): The ongoing signature Digest.
Betty & Veronica Double Digest (1987-Present): The ongoing signature Double Digest.
The Jughead Jones Digest (1977-1996- 100 issues): Jug's signature Digest.
Jughead's Double Digest (1989-2014- 200 issues): Jug's signature Double Digest.
Jughead and Archie Digest (2014-Present): The new Digest which reduces Jug to a "co-star".
Jughead and Friends Double Digest (2005-2010- 38 issues): Another signature Jughead Digest.
Jughead With Archie Digest (1974-2005- 200 issues): An awkwardly-named title that was Jughead's first. Though a co-star, it was a sign of his popularity for the time. My very first Archie comic was, in fact, the 100th issue.
Laugh Comics Digest (1974-2005- 200 issues): A "Generic" title that features the whole gang. the only one like it until Pals 'n' Gals came out.
The New Archies Digest (1987-1990- 22 issues): I have no idea how they ever managed to have that much material for a show that lasted fourteen episodes.
Tales From Riverdale Digest (2005-2010- 39 issues): Another "Generic" Digest, replacing Laugh directly.
World of Archie Double Digest (2010-Present): Another Archie-themed Digest.


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ARCHIE AND FANSERVICE:
-Like I said before, it continuously amazes me that for, like, THIRTY YEARS, the one comic book that had the most and the best Fanservice was from the ONE LINE that was targeted towards young girls. I mean... their audience is supposed to be girls under 12, and yet there's Betty and Veronica in the tightest dresses, and the TINIEST bikinis, issue after issue! And they GOT AWAY WITH IT COMPLETELY! I don't think I've ever seen Archie used in a Feminist Blog about how evil comic book artists were. I think it's because the artists always knew what they were doing, and never went Full Image Comics- as one person said about Dan DeCarlo (the main Archie artist)- "Nobody made the naught look as innocent, or the innocent look as naughty, as Dan".

And this goes way, WAY back. Bob Montana, the ORIGINAL Archie artist? The guy who decided on the visuals for basically every character? Dude had the women wearing impossibly-tight clothing almost immediately- in Sunday Strips dated to the late 1940s, Betty & Veronica are wearing dresses, sweaters and bikinis that are basically painted onto their skin- "Boob Socks" (the derogatory term for when each individual breast is fully-sculpted and drawn in by the artist as if the outfit was clinging to ever square inch of their skin, despite the fabric realistically calling for there to be stretching between them) and all. Their proportions are impossible, their breasts pointed towards the sky, and more.

And when DAN took over as main artist? Dude was a legitimate Pin-Up Artist (check his stuff out if you don't believe me- they even released a book of his old one-panel gags! He even made nudie pictures and gvae them to friends!), and drew the girls as such. But like I said... he knew how to make it look clean. Even when Betty & Veronica would engage in some athleticism, take their clothes off in the locker room, then shower all while having the same conversation... it never looked that dirty! Can you imagine if Mike Deodato drew that? Or Frank Cho? Dan was every bit the pervert those guys are, but I'll be damned- he made it look innocent! Maybe it's the "big-eyed" art style.

Never mind the bikini strips. ENDLESS bikini strips. String bikinis in the 1940s strips, even. And never mind that DeCarlo, Al Hartley and Harry Lucey were EPIC at drawing women. Many comics used to look like that- Phantom Lady was basically a Cheesecake Strip back in the day, after all. But the genre faded away with The Seduction of the Innocent claiming that the books made children perverted, and so all the companies shrank back... except Archie, who kept on trucking with their innocent-looking cheesecake. And it wasn't until the 1970s that other comic book companies brought back cleavage as a thing. Even in the more puritanical modern age, in which the relentless fanservice in comics now draws scorn instead of just wisecracks (sometimes it's earned, too, believe me)... there are the girls in bikinis, drawn by Dan Parent and his contemporaries!

Funny thing, too: Betty and Veronica? They're supposed to be like SIXTEEN. Seventeen, TOPS. So depending on where you are, they're underage, and almost certainly they're WAY too young for people the age of the artists to be drawing. There's even a PIN-UP BOOK of nothing but sexy drawings of the two- imagine if something came out for REAL GIRLS of those age groups- people would flip their crap, and with good reason. Yet it's pretty much accepted everywhere that they're supposed to be hot. What's the secret? Well, they don't LOOK their age- the artists draw them the same way they draw women in their 20s. They're the same height as mostly any adult (compare this to most Teen Shows, which utilized the "Teens Are Short" trope to denote youth. Something like Monster High or Ever After High does the same thing- the kids look like fresh-faced preteens and are a head and a half shorter than any adult- no WAY do they look their age). They don't look nearly as young as they're "supposed" to be- if I saw an actual 16-year old girl in a bikini or a dress like B & V wear, I'd never be inclined to ogle- hell, any woman under friggin' *22* looks like a child to me these days!

So what I'm saying is, Archie was still rad if you were a preteen boy in the 1990s :).

Just in case you needed any proof that Dan DeCarlo WAS, in fact, the master of fanservice:
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JUGHEAD reacts this way. JUGHEAD. JONES.

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ARCHIE ANDREWS
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Everyman, Scheming Teenager, Core of the Love Triangle
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 2 (58), PL 5 (58) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Singing) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Guitar) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Retail Bitch) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+2)
Insight 1 (+1)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Dedication- +2 to Acts Involving Betty and/or Veronica), Benefit (Quick Change), Equipment 2 (Ol' Bessie- Jalopy or Beater Car), Evasion, Leadership, Teamwork

Powers:
"Clumsy" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Valuable Objects, Uncontrolled) [2]
"Depending on the Writer" Enhanced Skills 4: Athletics 4 (+5) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Damage Valuables +2 Area (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Obsession (Girls)- Archie is OBSESSED with pretty girls- one in tight (or absent) clothing can send him into a "BOOIIIIIIIING!" instantly, and the slobbering dingus will do anything a pretty girl says.
Relationship (Veronica Lodge)- Veronica easily controls her "Archiekins", causing him to lose control and do whatever his "Lambiekins" commands.
Relationship (Betty Cooper)- Archie & Betty get along tremendously, and he admits he DOES enjoy the dating and the kissing and such- though Veronica controls him more, Archie cannot properly choose between the two. Though he frequently neglects her, he feels tremendous jealousy when she dates other boys, and will chase her as soon as she gets a makeover or something.
Relationship (Jughead Jones)- Archie's greatest friend in all the world is the quirky Jughead. Though he will defend his buddy against the insults of others, and is a near-constant source of Jughead's loan-money, he often abandons Jug to go chasing after girls.
Rivalry (Reggie Mantle)- Reggie is Archie's rival for Veronica's affections, and usually in sporting achievements as well. Despite this adversarial nature, the two are also part of the same group of friends, and can often be seen hanging out together.
Relationship (Fred & Mary- Parents)- Archie often takes his parents for granted, and is envious of the rich lives of others, but will ultimately always come down to Earth and appreciate his parents for what they've done for him.
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Relationship (Cheryl Blossom)- Occasionally, Archie takes the "third option" in the sexy, sultry Cheryl Blossom. Though he doesn't care so much for her personality, she's drawn with the full arsenal of Dan DeCarlo's Fanservice Six-Shooter, so the choice isn't up to him.
Enemy (Mr. Lodge)- Veronica's dad despises Archie's mere presence- the klutzy teenager has broken all manner of priceless artifacts in Lodge Mansion, and Lodge hates that the clown is dating his only child.
Enemy ("The Bee!")- Mister Weatherbee is another strict authority figure in Archie's life. As Archie is constantly late, clumsy or getting into some kind of shenanigans, it often falls on The Bee to lay down some discipline.
Responsibility (Riverdale)- Archie is a proud local, and will always seek to help out his hometown if need be.
Responsibility (Riverdale High)- Archie is a proud student at Riverdale, and defends it strenuously. Rival schools & sporting events are serious business.
Responsibility (The Archies)- Archie is the lead singer of a sometimes-local, sometimes international band.
Reputation (Clumsy)
Responsibility ("Poor")- Archie is generally light on change, often begging for advances in his allowance from his father. All of his jobs are generally pretty menial ones.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 7 (58)

-How do you possibly start to describe someone like Archie Andrews? Fitting more of a 1950s stereotype of a teenager than a real-life angst-missile of one, Archie is nonetheless one of THE most iconic characters in all of comics. I mean, EVERYONE's heard of him. And even though most adults haven't read a comic since their age hit double-digits, the Will You Marry Me? arc got MAJOR airplay in the news- how many OTHER characters could get married and hit that kind of publicity? In my last build, I said "Hell, imagine if they KILLED Archie- they long since stopped giving a crap about comic book hero deaths post-Supes, but ARCHIE? He's actually one of the last few true icons left in the biz"... and then ARCHIE DID KILL HIM OFF- and even though it was the Alternate Continuity of Life With Archie, it got actual mainstream press! Sure, some of them probably thought it was the actual guy, not getting the whole "Alternate" thing, but still- how many other guys could hit the news like that? In fact, despite his comics rarely selling anywhere near what Marvel & DC's do, I would imagine that more people are familiar with the tribulations in Riverdale than almost ANY superhero crap you could think of.
-Archie himself is, as I stated, pretty '50s in approach. Girl-crazy to the nines, he basically asks out any girl he spots, and rarely obsesses over one or two. Veronica Lodge pretty much has him by the balls on a consistent basis, leaving him to take poor Betty Cooper for granted, but either one can send him into Cartoon Character Libido Overdrive with a sexy outfit, and he rarely goes into much deep thought over his choices between the two of them (his weiner always sends him Ronnie's way, but Heterosexual Life Partner Jughead often sends him the "right" way as well. More on Pop Culture's most epic Love Triangle in history when I get to the girls, but in Archie's case, his indecisiveness kind of makes him look like a tool these days- there's alot more "going steady" as the acceptable form of dating rather than "date everything you can see" in the 21st century. But old habits die hard for this seventy-five year old.
-Other aspects of Archie are very much "Everyman" qualities- he's a poor student at times, impulsive to a fault and very clumsy, but ultimately polite, sincere and a good person. Many authority figures (Mr. Lodge & Mr. Weatherbee, mainly) have it out for him on a daily basis thanks to his breaking things, coming in late, being a doofus, etc., but even they ultimately admit that he's a nice guy. Of course, thanks to weird writing, Archie's skills at sports or school vary depending on what kind of story the writers want to tell. Sometimes he's a fixture of the Basketball team. Other times, he's struggling so bad he's about to be cut until Betty coaches him. Stuff like that.
-Archie stats up rather oddly- being expensive but low-level. He's not a BAD fighter, especially for what is essentially a Bystander, because he's got a lot of history fighting Superspies and Robbers and stuff (not even remotely kidding- every time a cop or spy show hit big in the '60s, you'd see Archie solving crimes and mysteries). Physically he's pretty normal for a teenage male, and he's likeable (high Presence) but not really good at avoiding obvious dunderheaded moves (setting two dates at the same time, f'rinstance), so his Wis is below average. He gets a large amount of Skills to reflect all the things he's done- Survival because he was a Camp Counsellor at Camp Whateveritisthisweek, Retail Bitch skills from whenever he worked at a movie theatre or grocery store (before being fired), and some investigative stuff for when spies come to town.
-I can't go any further without mentioning his Perform skills. The guy's the leader of the freakin' ARCHIES (apparently his ego is more intense than we thought- I wouldn't form a band with my closest friends and call it "The Jabs"), creating one of the world's finest songs with Sugar, Sugar (don't laugh... seriously, shut up). That speaks for itself. His Advantages require some explanation as well. Attractive is the ONLY thing that makes sense of how Veronica & Betty both want him- he's not so much handsome as irrepressively cute, making women love him in spite of themselves or that weird checkerboard thing on the side of his head.
-He's utterly dedicated to his whacky romantic schemes, gaining a Benefit for anything involving the two girls in his life. He's one of the best team leaders/Student leaders in Riverdale, giving him a lot of Leadership-keyed stuff as well. Quick Change denotes all those times he's had to leap from date to date with Betty or Ronnie, changing in and out of various outfits along the way. Evasion shows his ways of getting out of trouble. And his random, "Depending on the Writer" skills (he'll be incompetent one issue; skilled the next) give him Beginner's Luck. He has Ol' Betsy, his trusty, rusty automobile- a car that was a jalopy (a *1920s* car) all the way until 1983, at which point it was destroyed, and soon he got a 1960 Ford Mustang, which even in the '80s was twenty years old- he retains the same car all the way to the 2010s. In short, it's a hideous crap-pile whose breakdowns are a constant source of running gags.
-Finally, he gains "Clumsy", a Power of sorts that reflects his ability to completely wipe out whatever he comes into contact with. He'll slip on a puddle, smashing a glass window. He'll knock something over, setting off a chain reaction that destroys Mr. Lodge's just-bought Picasso original. It's Uncontrolled, but works in a Burst all around him. Objects beware when Archie comes knocking.

Comics Featuring Archie: Basically the whole line revolves around him, so as you might imagine, he's got a lot of them. He debuted in Pep Comics, which kept on truckin' until the 1990s, but got his own book only a short time after his debut. He also recieved a Digest & Double Digest, plus an Annual. There was Archie's Christmas Stocking (obviously only got released once a year), and numerous spin-offs and Alternate Continuities (Little Archie & Archie 3000 being the most Archie-centric).

ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF ARCHIE:
Other Eras:
1930s & '40s: Archie was quite similar (he very quickly dropped his insistence on being called "Chick"), but was a bit more of a luckless, cartoonish schemer, doing a lot of "Comedy of Errors" type so-and-so-heard-this stories. He was a bit... darker, in a sense, that he wasn't quite the halo-sporting nice guy he later became. He was very quick to get into a scrap, often brawled with Reggie (Something that would be taken a LOT more seriously in the modern era), and was much more of a frequent liar. Later eras of Archie make him much more well-meaning.
1950s & '60s: Arch had turned into more of a "good-natured Everyman", much more willing to help out others- it was just that he was over-eager and prone to F-ing up. He got a lot more adventurous, too- foiling crimes, discovering foreign spies, and more. He also developed a major skill in music- thought he had formed a three-piece band with Reggie & Jughead earlier, those Archies were never a big deal. The late '60s saw the Archie Explosion thanks to the cartoon and "real life" rock band (with the girls now added to the roster).
1970s-Modern Age: Archie became a lot more fad-oriented, locking onto every little thing. He often tried to emulate "Michael Jackstone" or other big celebrities of the day. As he became nicer, he became a bit more bland, truth be told.
Little Archie: Archie was the central character of Bob Bolling's Little Archie world. Still largely the same (and STILL part of a Love Triangle, despite being only six), Little Archie (ALWAYS called by that full name; no other character had "Little" before their name except in the titles) was nonetheless a bit more of an asshole- he would relentlessly bully shrimpy Ambrose Pipps along with the others. He also had an EVIL ARCH-NEMESIS in the Mad Doctor Doom.
Afterlife With Archie: Archie leads the people of Riverdale against the zombie apocalypse.

Other Continuities:
Archie 3000: Tales of Archie in a future time period, but with all of the same story tropes firmly in place- Archie was a scheming teen in a Love Triangle, always going over the latest fad (only this time it was haircuts that turned out to be an alien race living on people's heads- you know, like future-based comics tend to have). Most-notable is probably Archie's GIGANTIC Space Mullet.
The New Archies: Archie, with a classic '80s mullet, is featured as a Junior High School student, with much of the same cast. This is an alternate continuity, as it features a few random characters swapped out.
Archie 1: Archie appears in Prehistoric Times, with everyone dressed in loincloths and the like. Generally just a bunch of quick gag strips, often involving someone accidentally inventing something (such as "kissing", which is shaking hands- the characters act like this is INCREDIBLY naughty), largely based around the artist drawing the girls in sexy fur bikinis.
Archie's R/C Racers: Archie & Reggie lead rival REMOTE CONTROL RACE CARS in a race around the world (how many friggin' batteries is that? Those things sucked up battery power like a Game Gear on crack).

Life With Archie (2010s): Archie marries Veronica in one continuity, setting off despair for everyone in Riverdale (ESPECIALLY poor Betty, who at least eventually hooks up with Reggie). In the second, he marries Betty, and after a failed life in New York, they soon move back to Riverdale, where he and old buddy Ambrose Pipps become start-up businessmen while Betty neglects her family duties as Riverdale High's sexiest teacher. Here, he also takes an interest in a Teen Rock Band, helping a learning-disabled wallflower to come out of her shell, among others.

THE NEW ARCHIES
Among the weirder and more hard-to-understand portions of Archie comics history revolves around the curiously titled New Archies. See, around the late-eighties early-nineties period, a new cartoon show came out that lasted just one season (13 episodes of two 10-minute pieces each), featuring Archie & the gang devolved into pre-teens, with pretty much the same dynamic as the regular comics. The name was never really explained (beyond the "New" referencing a new kind of way to show the Archie crowd), and changes were made alongside the original Archie canon. Ancillary characters like Big Moose & Midge were gone. "Fangs" Fogarty, the bully of the Little Archie universe, was brought in as a kind of bad guy for the cast to deal with. Chuck & Nancy, Riverdale's only black couple, were melded with Dilton Doiley, creating Eugene, a black nerdy kid (thus eliminating two archetypes for the price of one) and his would-be girlfriend Amani. The "Big Five" alongside Ethel were included along with Miss Grundy & The Bee, who were left at the same age they always were (Meaning they've looked sixty-ish since Archie & the gang were six years old till their teen years, never changing). Also never explained was the fact that they seemed to be a part of every school the Archies ever went to). Now, the show wasn't a big success, but Archie Comics made a go of it, even making a New Archies Digest, which I only saw one issue of (number 7 or something) and then never saw or heard from it again.

I think the show was a somewhat misguided attempt at creating a true age of marketing for Archie's main fans, most of whom are actually the pre-teen crowd. Unfortunately, the problem with that lies in the fact that pre-teens want to fantasize about living as TEENAGERS: driving, making it to the prom, high school dating, all that jazz, and not their own more pedestrian antics of just hanging around and babysitting and stuff. Problematically, New Betty & Veronica (I'll call them that to differentiate them from the younger or older parallel earth versions), were given horrible looks- Betty was a Plain Jane character, and Veronica had a gigantic pair of goofy sunglasses on the top of her head that weren't even in fashion in the EIGHTIES, much less during the time the show was on the air. I don't think Archie's mullet or Jughead's PURPLE hat helped matters much, either. And as such, this series, lacking in the nostalgic kiddie stories of Little Archie & the Good Ol' Gang, the parody-style adventures of the Explorers of the Unknown, or anything else for that matterr, has pretty much been ignored in history. Seriously, you can't even find their stories in Digest format nowadays, which I've even seen R/C Racers and Archie 3000 in as side-stories in there. Perhaps the continuity is too hard to pass off (Dilton, Chuck, Nancy & Moose suddenly vanishing in Junior High, replaced by Eugene, Amani & Fangs) for such a young audience, or perhaps it's just because the stories were never that good, but until they re-play the cartoon again (unlikely except for early Saturday mornings on some backwater station), we've seen the last of New Archie & the gang.

From the Archie Archive's Website:
The New Archies concept came about because, at the time, DIC and NBC wanted to do something with the Archie characters, but the standard teenage versions of the characters were under option to a movie studio, meaning no other studio could use them for a certain amount of time. So a compromise was reached wherein younger versions of the characters were created. Originally, the cast from the "LITTLE ARCHIE" comics was considered, but the network thought characters that were slightly older and "hipper" than that would have more appeal to the audience. The show became a hit and ran for a couple of years, enjoying a second life in syndication. Currently, it can be seen on the "Toon Disney" cable network. Meanwhile, "NEW ARCHIES" stories occasionally pop up from time to time in digests to this day.
Well there you go. There's the explanation. Calling it a "hit" seems a little hyperbolic (13 episodes?? That's a hit to you?), but whatever. The site also states that the digest lasted 12 issues (which adds up to like two or three years, which is kinda surprising since they didn't actually have an old archive to go back on).

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A.R.C.H.I.E.
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Everyman, Scheming Teenager, Core of the Love Triangle
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: P.O.P.
PL 6 (85)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Spy) 6 (+8)
Insight 5 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 3 (Spy Gear), Evasion, Leadership, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (P.O.P.)- A.R.C.H.I.E. is a lead agent of the heroic Protector Our Planet organization.
Enemy (C.R.U.S.H.)- Specifically the evil R.E.G.G.I.E.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (85)

-The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. was a parody of then-popular The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and features the gang as secret agents. Agent A.R.C.H.I.E. (no explanation for the acronym is ever given) leads the agents of P.O.P. against the evil agents of C.R.U.S.H. The stories... were not overly-good; typically comedic versions of spy stories.

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RED ANDREWS
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: Adventuring Archaeologist
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 7 (115)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Whip) 1 (+11)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 5 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 1 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Equipment 1 (Whip +1, Reach, Improved Disarm), Evasion 2, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Leadership, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Whip +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Angel Lodge)
Relationship (Wheels Cooper)

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (115)

-Archie's Explorers of the Unknown was a short-lived homage to DC's Challengers of the Unknown, featuring the Archie gang as a group of stereotypical "Action Star" characters, out to solve crimes and world-dominating schemes from supervillains. Archie was reimagined as the whip-wielding Soldier of Fortune leader of the group. The series (drawn by Rex W. Lindsey, who'd later become much more well-known for his work on Jughead) was short-lived, but has been reprinted a lot in the Digests- I actually remember my friends (who were more into superhero stuff) going on and on about this aspect, and I was a bit fascinated by it. The books were among Archie's more endearing attempts at giving props to older comic book stuff, and heavily-homaged Kirby. For the most part, it disappeared post-cancellation, but you'll see the occasional new story pop up (some featured Chuck Clayton & Cheryl Blossom as characters).
-Red Andrews is a PL 7 Soldier-type character (but of course does not carry guns), making him an effective combatant in a low-PL universe.

ARCHIE THE BARBARIAN
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: Inept Warlord
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: His Horde
PL 6 (71)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+6)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Barbarian) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+2)
Insight 1 (+1)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Sword +3), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Clumsy" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Valuable Objects, Uncontrolled) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Damage Valuables +2 Area (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Betty & Veronica)- The two serving wenches are generally seen as allies. Overly-sarcastic and disrespectful, but allies nonetheless.
Relationship (Jughead)- Jughead is Archie the Barbarian's #2 agent.
Enemy (Reggie the Warlord)- Reggie's evil hordes often threaten Archie's lands.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 14 (71)

-Archie the Barbarian is another goofy side-story, generally parodying the Conan pictures of the 1980s. In these tales, Archie is portrayed as this HUGELY-RIPPED, long-haired barbarian warrior, allying with an also muscular Jughead against the evil Reggie the Ruthless and his barbarian hordes. Generally, Archie the Barbarian is as inept as his original version, and actually seems to lose CONSTANTLY, being humiliated or chained up in Reggie's dungeon at the end of the story. The tales weren't terribly amusing, save for the sight of a muscular, long-haired Archie (he has his original haircut, but with long, stringy hair at the base)... and for the issue where they were captured by Amazons- a race of ten-foot tall women. Funnily-enough, the women are terrifying warriors who easily capture the heroes, but the old "File hidden in the cake" routine does the trick ("Not a single Amazon in the forest would accept a bribe... except me!" sez the guard)... well, not really- Betty forgets to put in in the cake, but since VERONICA cooked it, Archie simply uses it as a bludgeoning weapon to "beat the guard senseless". And then when the angry Amazons (mmm... army of angry ten-foot-tall women...) come for revenge, Archie cleverly puts up a sign for a "Ladies' Garment Sale" that leads the entire army astray!
-Archie the Barbarian is a pretty good fighter, but as the point of the issues is still comedy, he's faced with numerous butt-kickings over the course of Archie the Barbarian. So PL 6 will do for him.

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PUREHEART THE POWERFUL (Archie Andrews, aka Captain Pureheart)
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Everyman, Scheming Teenager, Core of the Love Triangle
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 10 (130)
STRENGTH
1/11 STAMINA 2/9 AGILITY 2/3
FIGHTING 3/9 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Singing) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Guitar) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Retail Bitch) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+2)
Insight 1 (+1)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Dedication- +2 to Acts Involving Betty and/or Veronica), Benefit (Quick Change), Equipment 2 (Ol' Bessie- Jalopy or Beater Car), Evasion, Leadership, Teamwork

Powers:
"Clumsy" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Valuable Objects, Uncontrolled) [2]
"Depending on the Writer" Enhanced Skills 4: Athletics 4 (+5) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [1]

"The PH Factor"
Enhanced Strength 10 [20]
Enhanced Stamina 7 [14]
Protection 2 [2]
Enhanced Agility 1 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 6 [12]
Enhanced Dodge +6 [6]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Fast Grab, Interpose [2]
Enhanced Skills 8: Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 8 (+9) [4]

"Jet-Boosters" (Flaws: Removable) [10]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (12 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Damage Valuables +2 Area (+2 Damage, DC 17)
PH Factor Strength +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +2 (+3 PH Boost)

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2 (+11 PH Boost), Fortitude +4 (+11 PH Boost), Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (Evilheart)- Pureheart's arch-nemesis is Evilheart, who normally is just a pest in his normal form.
Power Loss (PH Factor)- Pureheart's powers will only remain so long as his heart is pure- a kiss from an appreciative damsel is all it takes to get his horndog nature to nullify his strength-boost.
Secret (Identity)- Even Archie is unaware that he is Pureheart... until he next needs the powers, at which point he will suddenly remember again. At adventure's end, his mind always "clouds" over.
---
Obsession (Girls)- Archie is OBSESSED with pretty girls- one in tight (or absent) clothing can send him into a "BOOIIIIIIIING!" instantly, and the slobbering dingus will do anything a pretty girl says.
Relationship (Veronica Lodge)- Veronica easily controls her "Archiekins", causing him to lose control and do whatever his "Lambiekins" commands.
Relationship (Betty Cooper)- Archie & Betty get along tremendously, and he admits he DOES enjoy the dating and the kissing and such- though Veronica controls him more, Archie cannot properly choose between the two. Though he frequently neglects her, he feels tremendous jealousy when she dates other boys, and will chase her as soon as she gets a makeover or something.
Relationship (Jughead Jones)- Archie's greatest friend in all the world is the quirky Jughead. Though he will defend his buddy against the insults of others, and is a near-constant source of Jughead's loan-money, he often abandons Jug to go chasing after girls.
Rivalry (Reggie Mantle)- Reggie is Archie's rival for Veronica's affections, and usually in sporting achievements as well. Despite this adversarial nature, the two are also part of the same group of friends, and can often be seen hanging out together.
Relationship (Fred & Mary- Parents)- Archie often takes his parents for granted, and is envious of the rich lives of others, but will ultimately always come down to Earth and appreciate his parents for what they've done for him.
---
Relationship (Cheryl Blossom)- Occasionally, Archie takes the "third option" in the sexy, sultry Cheryl Blossom. Though he doesn't care so much for her personality, she's drawn with the full arsenal of Dan DeCarlo's Fanservice Six-Shooter, so the choice isn't up to him.
Enemy (Mr. Lodge)- Veronica's dad despises Archie's mere presence- the klutzy teenager has broken all manner of priceless artifacts in Lodge Mansion, and Lodge hates that the clown is dating his only child.
Enemy ("The Bee!")- Mister Weatherbee is another strict authority figure in Archie's life. As Archie is constantly late, clumsy or getting into some kind of shenanigans, it often falls on The Bee to lay down some discipline.
Responsibility (Riverdale)- Archie is a proud local, and will always seek to help out his hometown if need be.
Responsibility (Riverdale High)- Archie is a proud student at Riverdale, and defends it strenuously. Rival schools & sporting events are serious business.
Responsibility (The Archies)- Archie is the lead singer of a sometimes-local, sometimes international band.
Reputation (Clumsy)
Responsibility ("Poor")- Archie is generally light on change, often begging for advances in his allowance from his father. All of his jobs are generally pretty menial ones.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 75 / Defenses: 7 (130)

-With the superhero craze of the 1960s in full force, it was perhaps inevitable that we'd see the ARCHIE gang as full-fledged superheroes. Oddly this hadn't really been tried before... but back in the '40s, Archie's publisher actually HAD a bunch of successful superhero comics going! However, they'd fail again and again to bring them back to popularity, and so we were stuck with the silly stories of Archie as "Pureheart the Powerful"- a Flying Brick-style hero who debuted in October, 1965. In the first story, he was merely a dream of a sleepy Archie, and faced the villainous "Ice Cube"- it wasn't until the next year that the character reappeared, this time with a different story.
-In 1966, Pureheart became a "real" character- essentially, when Archie is feeling particularly "pure", or needs to focus on something, he can concentrate and become Pureheart- one of the few superheroes dressed in orange. Wearing a rocket-belt, he was still clumsy ol' Archie, but could still stop the bad guys. At the story's end, a cloud would surround his head, making him forget his superpowered alter-ego... until the next time Pureheart's powers were necessary.
-The stories were pretty short-lived (it pre-dated the new "Superhero Boom" caused by the campy Batman TV series that debuted the year AFTER Pureheart's origin, but certainly did not outlive it), but in the 1990s, comics underwent ANOTHER superhero boom. Here, Pureheart and his fellow "Superteens" got their own book. However, the industry wasn't strong enough to support such a silly book, and it was quickly cancelled.

ARCHIE'S PARENTS: FRED & MARY ANDREWS:
-Archie's parents have appeared since the earliest days, and usually in the same overall format.
-Fred is typically an easily-annoyed, bellowing man, quick to anger at his son's incompetence and accident-prone nature. Even back in the '40s he was a balding man with a mustache and a pronounced gut- something common among many authoritarians in the Archie books. Fred can often be seen disregarding Archie's begging for a raise or advance in his allowance, and is generally quite a comedic character (one of the few authority figures who has to deal with Archie 24/7).
-Mary, by contrast, is the Typical Housewife character to a "T". In the olden times, she looked positively ANCIENT- in many Teen Comedies (such as the Andy Hardy films), parents were typically played by extremely old actors, perhaps to emphasize the youth and vitality of the youngsters. But still, it's bizarre to read old Archie stories and see Archie's mom built like a football player, and have WHITE HAIR. Later reprints would often color her hair orange, which makes her look a lot younger. Since the 1980s, Archie's mom has slimmed down considerably, being given the new "dumpy mom" body- no longer obese, but kind of a "middle range"- nowhere near the hot-bodied women the teenagers are, Archieverse Moms are now a bit curvaceous without being really that attractive. They often retain double-chins and have very short, "mom-like" haircuts, instead of the flowing locks that denote youth.
-Mary is level-headed and kind-hearted compared to Fred, though in the early days she was very weepy and always worried. The version we see in later years is a lot more bland and "perfect"- she's a bit TOO stoic about things, and is also portrayed as this perfect combo of homemaker & "Working Mother". In the Little Archie comics, Fred is still pretty chunky but has all his hair- Mary, by contrast, is drawn FANTASTICALLY-hot- like the friend's mom you had a crush on when you were a kid.

Memorable Stories:
* Archie & Jughead are preparing to go on a camping trip, leading to Mary bawling her eyes out, terrified at the dangers that her "baby" could now face. Archie is embarrassed, while Fred is just laughing his ASS off at how silly Mary is acting. In a HILARIOUS shot, Mary starts moaning about some inevitable fatal event, only to turn around and scold Fred, who has now *literally* FOUND A TINY VIOLIN AND BEGUN PLAYING IT. The gang has finally calmed Mary down, and the boys go on their trip- cut to a scene of Mary sleeping soundly, with a big smile on her face... and now a wide-eyed, nervous FRED looking worried out the window.
* Mary overhears Archie & Jughead greeting each other with a series of cruel insults, and screams for her husband to intervene- "Fred! They'll come to blows any minute!" Fred just laughs her off, and points out something about men- "since men can't slobber over each other like WOMEN- they hide their true feelings with INSULTS!" These are actually deep terms of affection from the lads! Mary laughs, now understanding fully... unfortunately, a group of boys are planning on beating Archie for some shenanigans he pulled earlier, and when Mary overhears them describing Archie in all manner of unfavorable terms, she cheerfully tells the boys where Archie can be found ("ch-ee! Sold out by his own mother!"). Later, the parents meet back up, and Mary smiles and says "if you think he and JUGHEAD are close, you should hear what some of the OTHER boys call him!"
* One great one sees Archie whine about his family being so much poorer than the Lodges- comparing Fred unfavorably to Veronica's dad. Fred tries to laugh it off, but you can tell he's a bit hurt. However, Archie & Veronica don't come home that night, and Mr. Lodge is FURIOUS, proclaiming the immediate death of Archie for possibly doing unspeakable things. It's Fred's level head that saves the day, as he correctly surmises that the two kids probably just had their car break down at a local "makeout point" type of thing ("Come on, Lodge- a pretty girl... a dark night..."). The day is saved, Archie is innocent of wrongdoing, and he talks to his mom about how Fred is actually a pretty damn good dad on his own, being smarter and more clever than Mr. Lodge. Fred, in bed, overhears and goes "Let's see Lodge compete with THAT!"

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Jesus freaking CHRIST that is the most terrifying comic book cover I have ever seen. That is like every parent's worst nightmare brought to life.

LITTLE ARCHIE:
-A curious addition to the Archie-verse came when Bob Bolling began telling stories about Archie when he was a young boy- this is actually the first example I can find of the "Recycled As Babies" cliche- something that would eventually permeate ficticious worlds to the point where you can find examples of Baby EVERYTHING. And this series was POPULAR- it lasted from 1956 to 1983- a huge 180-issue run for a comedy book.
-This "Little Archie" (always called that- by adults, by friends, by everyone) was a mischievous, standard-issue kid that you see in a lot of stories around this time period, but with a few important differences. See, Bolling actually set out to make ART, here- some of these comics are among the best stuff the company ever produced. There's an amazing one where Caramel (Betty's cat) describes her life as a stray, helping her kittens find good homes, before settling in with the Cooper's- it ends, with her shedding a single tear over never seeing her kittens again. Another features Betty attempting to make time with Archie, who is annoyed by her insistence on walking him home. A cruel Archie forces her to go on this MASSIVE hike, despite her wearing her very best dress for the occasion. He takes her through briar patches, hordes of insects, mud, rocky patches, etc. In the end, a bedraggled, sniffling, filthy Betty is consoled by Archie, who apologizes for his behavior ("You're as brave as ANY boy!").
-This also showcases a great aspect of Bolling's work- Little Archie could be an ASSHOLE. Bolling realized that kind-hearted kids having kind-hearted adventures wasn't always the way to go. So Little Archie led his "Good Ol' Gang" against rival Evil Kid groups, sure... but they also bullied and teased poor Ambrose mercilessly, turning him into "that kid everyone makes fun of". The shrimpy, over-eager Ambrose always wanted to join the Gang, but was always rebuffed, or given impossible assignments. As someone who could be plenty big of an asshole when he was little (despite taking a fair share of bullying myself), this really struck me as something you rarely see showcased in the media (which usually gives us straight-up heroes & villains). In a later issue of the standard Archie series, Bolling drew another "Ambrose" story, where Archie is confronted with his past upon Ambrose's temporary return to Riverdale, and chickens out and avoids the guy... until Ambrose finds him and tells him that there's no hard feelings, and that he still kinda felt like he belonged with the group. Little Archie was also casually cruel to "Stupid Girls!" to the point of punching them when they pissed him off, one kid was named Fatty and another obese recurring character named Bubbles was constantly being made a fool of (in the 1950s, being a fat kid was something of an anomaly- even in the '80s, my class only had three fat kids. Nowadays, it's WAY different)- they REALLY understood how mean even the "normal" kids could be.
-There was also Mad Doctor Doom and his juvenile delinquent sidekick Chester- a generic Mad Scientist/Sidekick duo. Sometimes, Betty's older brother Chic would help out the kids whenever they needed an "adult" character to drive cars or fight the villains. Many stories revolve around Mr. Weatherbee's attempts to catch the fabled "Perilous Pike" in the local creek- classic old-timey "Kid's Story" stuff.
-There was some other neat stuff- Evelyn Evernever was a little girl who was an outcast whose only friend was her little doll. Sue Stringly was one of those rare examples of "The Poor Kid"- the one who's kind of an outsider, and ends up living in some filthy shack and dresses more slovenly than the other kids. A lot of the other stories were a bit tiresome, though- I hated Little Archie stories when I was a kid. Everyone had giant buck teeth, they were doing "Love Triangle" stuff even though NO six-year old boy I ever met gave a crap about girls, and a lot of the stories would have fit just fine with the teenage characters. Adding characters like Big (Little? Medium-Sized?) Moose, Dilton and more just made it more "same-y". It wasn't until much later than I saw a lot of Bolling's best stuff.
-Some of Bolling's work would affect the "main" comics line- Betty had a pair of siblings added, and they would appear occasionally in the teen strips (usually when Bolling himself was writing). Since it was a "Young Boys Strip", of COURSE Little Archie had a puppy playmate, and soon Spotty would pop up in the teen years. Eventually, however, Spotty would make fewer and fewer appearances- the writers & artists in modern times joke that he'd almost certainly be dead (though a small-ish breed like him can easily live ten years, and he was a PUPPY in the early stories)- he last appeared in 2009. Among the most-peculiar (and continuity-altering) things about the stories was the fact that Mister Weatherbee & Miss Grundy were in the exact same roles they were in the original comics- the principal and main teacher... of Riverdale ELEMENTARY school. And they look identical to their later versions, too. This is a bit nonsensical, and is generally just glossed over (especially as numerous stories reflect the amount of time the two have spent at Riverdale High).
-A "Reboot" of sorts was attempted in the 1990s, with a much more-cartoony art style and little "dot eyes" for the kids. This style change proved unpopular, and was quickly dropped. Little Archie Digest was a recurring feature on newstands for a few decades, but was eventually cancelled- the only time you'd see the stories was in the books of the respective teen characters, where they would be prefaced by a "Hey, remember the time we..." flashback-style panel.

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"Superfluous Black Characterrrrr!"
"My name is CHUCK."

CHUCK CLAYTON
Created By:
Unknown (seriously, for a comic written in 1971- Archie REALLY didn't give up their credits easily)
Role: The Black Friend, The Artist
First Appearance: Life With Archie #110 (June 1971)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 4 (44)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Art) 7 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+6) -- Uses Dex
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Nancy Woods)- Chuck's close girl is Nancy- the two are perfectly happy and bland together.
Obsession (Art)- Chuck gets into a lot of trouble with Nancy because he keeps ignoring her for his art.
Relationship (The Others)- Chuck is a good "secondary pal" to the others.
Relationship (Parents)- Chuck looks up to his dad, but often feels that pop is much too strict.
Responsibility (Riverdale High)- Chuck, as one of Riverdale's best athletes, is always going up against the demonic Central High.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (44)

-The 1970s was the era of comics where "Token Black Guys" were showing up ALL OVER THE PLACE as friends to the main kids in stories- Dennis Ketcham, Charlie Brown, Archie Andrews, and more were all finding new black friends to hang out with, now that it was considered "okay" to show people in *gasp* INTEGRATED schools! Before this, Editors & Executives usually lacked balls- they were afraid of offending people in the American South, and may have been censored in numerous ways- so it was only in the '70s that you could get away with it. Unfortunately, as most of the things that included black characters already had pre-set rosters, the characters ended up as mere "Tokens" (just look at Franklin in Peanuts, brilliantly-parodied by Token in South Park)- they exist simply to be a brown face in a pink crowd.
-Chuck is arguably the one with the most staying power out of all of them, despite never headlining his own series (he's only had a handful of major stories to his name as well- the Animal Krackers story that imagined the gang as animal-people, and the recent cartooning-themed run)- he's been around since the '70s in roughly the exact same position (ie. "Main friend of the gang who isn't one of the other main characters").
-Personality-wise, he's altered a bit. Initially he was pretty much just a generic kid- a dumb teenager like most of the others, but a bit more athletic (his dad WAS the gym coach and all...). He also had a bit of smart-mouthed arrogance to him. Eventually a Token Relationship was born when Nancy (who's last name is Woods, believe it or not- and if you think CHUCK was a flat character, you should see his GIRL. She couldn't BE more generic!) arrived in Riverdale, and they've been the most standard couple of the whole universe since then; their only arguments coming up when Chuck ignores her for his art. Yeah, that's right, the "school athlete" thing was probably deemed too obvious for a black kid (even though at the time it was probably rather unique and timely), so they made him the official stand-in for all the would-be artists out there, focusing on his graphical skills. Not a bad switch, I guess. But that's like... his only thing.
-I kinda like Chuck. He lacks many of the bizarre flaws the rest of the gang have to make him stand out more (Archie's foolishness, Jugs' weirdness, Reggie's ego, Betty's niceness, Ronnie's bitchiness, Dilton's genius, Moose's brawn/stupidity), which actually makes him pretty unique. He's a good enough character that he outlasted every other silly "Added Character" to the Archie mythos since then- you think it's hard for Marvel and DC to successfully introduce new heroes? Tell that to Jinx Malloy, Cricket O'Dell, Adam the Alien, Frankie Valdez, Maria Rodriguez, Cheryl Blossom, Debbie, Joani Jummp and Wendy "Double-W" Weatherbee, all of whom have appeared and disappeared since then.
-Chuck's fairly simple and straightforward, but boosted a bit given his time as the school's resident jock and boxer (I've read enough stories featuring him boxing to make it Build-worthy, I think), plus some artistic skills. He's devoid of many character flaws beyond overly-focusing on his art, which leads him to some duncey decisions (and an angry girlfriend), but otherwise is a PL higher than the 'normal' gang and not really bad at anything.

Other Continuities:
Life With Archie: Chuck & Nancy are married in both continuities (as far as I remember- it's kind of a mess because two comics run simultaneously). They STILL have issues regarding Chuck's career. At one point, Nancy does better as a writer than Chuck does as an artist, but they're such background characters it never really matters.
The New Archies: Chuck does not appear- instead, there's a black kid named Eugene, who has more in common with Dilton.

Memorable Stories:
* Chuck's debut stories, released simultaneously, are both pretty minor (he's just kind of there as a sounding board to others- in one, Archie & Reggie give him stupid advice on how to ask girls out (he chooses Jughead's method- JUST ASK HER). In the other, he introduces a mopey, "poor" Archie to his blinded cousin, who teaches him to appreciate how good he's got it (in fact, she gets almost the entirety of the dialogue in the comic, and is then never seen again).
* One I read years ago on the Silver Age-loving Unca Cheeks's website (one you can't really find intact anymore, sadly) features Chuck despondent at a party. When smart-guy Dilton asks him what's the matter, and tells him to just ask a girl to dance, Chuck blows up at him. In a move Cheeks (who I think was black) described as the most authentic thing ever written in comics about black people, Chuck blurts out "Oh COME ON- I can't ask a white girl to dance at a party! I'd just EMBARRASS her!" Feeling listless and like an outsider in his hometown, Chuck considers running away, and gets all the way to the bus station before Dilton leads the Claytons to the rescue. It's one of those rare stories that actually deals with race in an Archie comic, and it's actually handled in a different way than the obvious "Somebody evil has bigoted intentions" stuff you usually see (like when Samson Smythe didn't want Japanese people moving to their neighborhood in That Wilkin Boy!, or recent Kevin Keller stories where students and teachers want him to be less prominent due to his "girly boy" tendencies.
* Chuck discovers the comics an ancestor has made, just lying about in his attic. Upon checking, he discovers that this is the FIRST comic book ever created! He thus goes on a national tour, ending up at the San Diego Comic Con... at which point he stops being important, and the core plot takes over, involving Archie's visual similarity to the character "Wendell" ("In real life a guy like that could never rate those dolls!" Archie complains about the freckled redhead Wendell's girls Brenda & Cobina), and some evil villains out to steal the comic while dressed as MLJ Super-Villains & Heroes.
* A sweet-natured girl comes to Riverdale High, and is SO tiny, cute and delicate that the boys at Riverdale feel themselves growing weaker in her presence, afraid to startle her with "ruffian"-like violence. The best part is Chuck's father EXPLODING when he sees Chuck's "Sunday Punch" reduced to a tiny little gust (I still remember the sound effect *plip* as it harmlessly bounces off of a guy's chin)... and when the girls "cure" the boys of this silly "Protective Boyfriend" thing by bringing the girl to a party where the OTHER girls are wearing the exact same dress SHE is! The sight causes the tiny little thing to freak the f**k out, jump straight up in to the air, and threaten to murder every single bitch in the place. The boys just laugh and realize how dumb they've been acting.

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F/X CLAYTON
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: Token Black Guy
First Appearance: Life With Archie #110 (June 1971)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 6 (87)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Art) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Special Effects) 10 (+13)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+6) -- Uses Dex
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Effects Gear), Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Explorers of the Unknown)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (87)

-F/X was added to the Explorers team with issue #5, since I guess they need a black guy or something. A "Special Effects" expert on a team that already featured a demolitions guy and a genius, he was even more superfluous than he is with the Archie crowd, but there ya go. I don't think I've ever read one of Chuck's appearances with the Explorers (which is odd, if he showed up in the fifth one), so I don't really know how good he is.

Some observations (some are almost on-target for my build thread):
* Can anyone think of some random options to look at for doing Video Game Builds? Keep in mind my last game system was the frickin' Game Boy Advance, so I'll hate you if you ask for anything released after like 2003. I'm looking mostly at platformers, adventure, and action games circa the 1990s, which is more my era in terms of gaming. Maybe some odd options. So yes, I'm actually ACCEPTING REQUESTS. Sort of. Try not to ask for RPGs- the rosters are enormous, I haven't played most of them (making research tricky), and the powers are too varied.

* So Captain America's "Hail HYDRA" turn came as a result of a Cosmic Cube; a sentient little girl Cube being manipulated by the Red Skull. Well, DUH. Also, apparently the writer is the same one who did The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, which means I at least have to give it a chance, no matter HOW much the writer is including his own personal politics and biases to inform his writing. Which of course has the side effect of turning EVERY FREAKING DISCUSSION OF THIS COMIC INTO A POLITICAL ARGUMENT BECAUSE THANKS SPENCER YOU DOUCHE.

* Huh, those "differently-bodied" Barbie dolls (ie. some are skinny, some are athletic, some are Kardashian/Pam Poovey-esque) have finally come out. Aside from a recent cover of TIME, I haven't heard anything about them. Talk about a loaded subject, though- attacked by feminists for YEARS for her body type and what it does to little girls, I'm forced to think of all the other side-issues that come up regarding things like this. It's like... BOYS are constantly assailed with idealized bodytypes in their fiction & toys too, but of course that's never considered a main issue. However, boys are generally known to not suffer from body issues to anywhere near the degree that girls do. It also brings up the fact that "Boy Fiction" ALWAYS has ugly, deformed and monstrous characters as heroes, whereas "Girl Fiction" tends to not. But THIS is even complex, as of course boys rarely see their self-worth expressed in terms of looks, whereas girls can and do. But really... I know very few girls who'd even WANT to watch something about an Ugly Female Protagonist. Generally speaking, their idea of "fantasy" is different from most boys's- a male's fantasy is more like "I want someone to like me even if I was ugly," whereas a girl's is much more likely to be "I want to be prettier" (hence all of the "Ugly Duckling" style movies girls get).

* Looks like Bryce Dallas Howard & Margot Robbie are the current "celebrities who just show up in dozens of things". I always wondered if these sorts of things were decided in MEETINGS ("ya know what this year needs? Five million Jude Law movies! He'll be the next Cruise for SURE!"), or if Casting Directors just do a lot of "Me, Too" when looking at the actors appearing in other movies. Robbie hit big thanks to The Wolf of Wall Street (and, like Rosario Dawson's a few years back, her push comes on the tails of a nude scene in a high-profile movie... I wonder how much of that is coincidence- it's like a decade ago, when one nudie scene would give a Shannon Elizabeth an INSTANT push), but I've got no idea why Howard just kind of popped up in so many things (generally in supporting roles).

It reminds me of writing my Hollywood Hype Machine section on TV Tropes (which is really just commenting on the weirdness of celebrity careers over just defining tropes from the media), and how it just EXPLODED, because every year brings us dozens and dozens of wannabe celebrities we're all of a sudden just supposed to KNOW and accept as big freaking deals ("That dancing With Has-Beens show is huge! Let's make a chick from it into a megastar!" "Uh, but she looks like every other skinny blonde celebrity- does she even stand out as particularly talente--" "HUSH, YOU!"). You know how I complain about Sage in X-Men, and how writers get behind their own Precious Special Snowflake Pets? Well, Hollywood's the exact same way, except it's like rich studio execs who just decide these things.

-Ever After High is currently pushing Epic Winter, which naturally comes out in summer. It's subtitle should be F***k You, Disney, because this is WAY copying Disney's Frozen. New character Crystal Winter is obviously an Elsa-styled Ice Princess, and she's billed as the Daughter of the Snow Queen. And her parents are apparently being turned evil somehow, leading to a Party of Characters trying to help. Oddly, this one does NOT appear to be using Raven or Darling in a big light (are they gonna follow up on Darling awakening Apple White with a "True Love's Kiss", or are they gonna quietly pretend like that never happened?), and it's using a lot of the more-marginalized recent characters instead (Ashlynn, Briar... BLONDIE??). Also, we're probably gonna understand which Fairytale Prince Daring Charming is supposed to be... SPOILER ALERT- his first-ever doll is being released in a two-pack with the Daughter of Beauty & The Beast. Also, the trailer spoils the crap out of this anyways. One problem I'm seeing- almost all of the main characters in this one have identical faces, identical long hair, and are now wearing glittery winter clothing that includes skirts over snow pants. So... it looks like an army of clones out to save the day.

NANCY WOODS
Created By:
Unknown (seriously, for a comic written in 1971- Archie REALLY didn't give up their credits easily)
Role: Black Guy's Black Girlfriend
First Appearance: Pep Comics #309 (Jan. 1976)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 2 (29), PL 3 (29) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Expertise (Art) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Relationship (Chuck Clayton)- Nancy's constantly annoyed by Chuck's focus on his art.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (29)

-Nancy's a pretty Flat Character in the Archieverse- she only has two moods: upset that Chuck is ignoring her, or wanting him to succeed more at sports. Otherwise, she's just kind of "around" as Chuck's satellite character, or as "one of the girls" in group scenes. Not a lot to her, really- the most interesting story involved her competing with Veronica vicariously through Chuck & Archie's athletic achievements. Their selfishness and ego got the better of them, until they convinced the BOYS they were enemies, thus ruining the teamwork that made them so good. They were basically a pair of Lady Macbeths, but their actions were undone by Betty & Jughead... who Betty had to rescue when he called out the villainesses of the story, and got a beating for it.
-Nancy's so minor that her last name has changed upwards of six times, finally settling on Woods once they got a website to actually keep track of all this crap.

Other Continuities:
Life With Archie: Nancy shows up in Life With Archie married to Chuck (I think in both continuities)- they STILL have issues regarding Chuck's career. At one point, Nancy does better as a writer than Chuck does as an artist, but they're such background characters it never really matters. A black girl shows up in The New
The New Archies: Nancy does not appear- however, a NEW black girl named Amani shows up (with GIANT "afro pigtails"), and is usually paired up with Eugene, the other black kid. Amani never really does anything aside from stand there and be black, like a lot of "Token" character added to things.
Afterlife With Archie: In a bizarre twist, Nancy is revealed to be in a lesbian relationship with GINGER LOPEZ of all people. So... two of the most pointless side characters in Archie history get "slashed" together.

WILBUR:
-Wilbur is basically an Archie wannabe created by Archie's very own company (THREE MONTHS before Archie debuted! Though he probably started copying the more popular character later). Wilbur Wilkin is a clumsy, somewhat-dopey guy who nonetheless has TWO women fighting over him... so basically he's absolutely like Archie. Oh, wait- his steady girl is blonde, and the scheming wannabe is brunette. So TOTALLY different. The book was popular enough to last for an astonishing TWENTY-ONE YEARS (meaning he outlasted Captain America, Namor, Jay Garrick & Alan Scott with ease), but there was a four-year gap between 1959 & 1963, and the book only lasted two more, annually-released, issues after that point. Despite his success, the character does not appear in the Digests, and has basically been erased from history. Archie would re-use his last name for Bingo Wilkin only a few years after Wilbur's final appearance.

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This is absolutely, without a doubt, the iconic Betty Cooper Image.

BETTY COOPER
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Girly Girl, The Tomboy, Unlucky In Love, The Nice Girl
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 4 (78), PL 5 (78) Defenses
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Feminine Activities) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Masculine Activities) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Tambourine or Guitar) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Teen Reporter) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Retail Bitch) 2 (+4)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 5 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Vehicles 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (+2 to Situations Involving Her Archiekins), Daze (Persuasion), Favored Enemy (Brunettes), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Set-Up, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Obsession (Archie Andrews)- Betty's love for Archie is so all-encompassing that it borders on stalking. Her parents are concerned, and her friends don't get it.
Relationship (Veronica Lodge)- Betty's best friend is also her greatest romantic rival. As Archie generally prefers Veronica's company, Betty finds herself at odds. She also finds Ronnie's materialism and selfishness tiresome, but values her friendship too much to do anything about it.
Relationship (Family)- Betty is extremely-close and loyal to her parents, and never argues & rebels against them the way the others do with thier folks. Her worst arguments are generally over her obsessiveness with Archie.
Relationship (Cheryl Blossom)- Betty & Cheryl actually started hanging out once upon a time (Betty felt bad over a prank the others played on Cheryl), and enjoyed each other's company, despite Cheryl's obnoxious personality.
Relationship (Jughead Jones)- Jughead is one of Betty's dearest friends, and they're among the only ones in the group who usually get along. Jughead admires Betty's finer qualities, while Betty finds Jughead's nature quirky rather than annoying. Still, he could stand to be a little LESS omnipresent whenever she's baking.
---
Reputation (One Of The Guys)- Occasionally, Betty chafes under the role of "tomboy". When she tried out for the BOYS Baseball team, she faced a lot of criticism from both sexes, and sometimes dislikes being treated as a rough & tumble member of the gang, compared to the more ideally-feminine Veronica. On many occasions, Betty can be seen deliberately trying to suck worse at sports so as to not "show up" Archie, or to beg for his "help" in improving her abilities.
Responsibility (Riverdale High)
Relationship (Adam)- When she was annoyed with Archie, Betty actually grew close to a new guy named Adam, who was the most bland character ever created. Eventually she decided to date both boys.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (78)

BETTY AT THE BEGINNING:
-Betty Cooper is pretty much the idealized example of the "Nice Girl" in fiction these days- when people discuss Love Triangles, there's usually the meaner, less-sympathetic "Veronica", and the more good-natured "Betty". Granted, that's not how she STARTED OUT, but that's certainly what she's been since at least the 1960s. Betty debuted in the very first Archie story, and was the new girl in town, being a bit stand-offish with this snot-nosed redhead trying to impress her. Naturally, Archie screws up and makes an enemy of Betty's prominent dad... but soon things shifted entirely. Pretty quickly, Archie set its course on a Love Triangle- Betty worshipped Archie, who chased Veronica, who was somewhat indifferent and aloof to the whole thing, but generally liked to lead Archie around.
-A big gag early on was just HOW obsessed and conniving Betty was- she was CONSTANTLY out to hamper Veronica any chance she got, and was frequently driven to violent rages by Archie's lack of care towards her. If Archie said something insensitive (which was, well, constantly), Betty would BELT him- a frequent gag saw a dazed Archie lying on the floor. This Betty was impulsive, dangerous, obsessive and very feminine- like Ronnie, she was always seen in dresses, and had very long blonde hair. Essentially, her character was unlucky in love.
-Sometime around the 1950s & '60s, Betty shifted in personality, as writers made her more and more sympathetic. With "Women's Lib" becoming a big thing, Betty became more of a "positive" character, demanding equal rights and privileges, and in the process actually became more of a TOMBOY. Of course, she still wore dresses occasionally, and DEFINITELY loved the "girly" things like pink, diaries and all that junk, but generally speaking, Betty was rough & tumble, could fix cars and win at sports as well as any boy, and was more often than not seen in slacks, jeans or shorts. Her long hair soon shifted to a messy, unfussy ponytail, as if you get it out of the way of her activities- a quick "code" for "this is a tomboy". But of course, Betty didn't GIVE UP the feminine things- the aforementioned diary was one thing, but she ALSO became a Domestic Goddess all the same. Betty was now the official "cook" of the gang, making picnic baskets and baking meals that Archie (and, naturally, Jughead) couldn't resist.
-Betty also became much, MUCH nicer. To the point where she was basically an angelic archetype. And she OWNED that role, too- when the Will You Marry Me? Potential Future story came about and Veronica was seen as the girl Archie was asking, news reports were going "Poor Betty!" And in an era of comics when Bad Girls and Nasty Chicks were the norm, Betty was head and shoulders above the lot as the nicest character around. Her violent tendencies were reduced a bit (though both girls were known to clock Archie on occasion), and her crush on Archie became more precocious and silly rather than dangerously-weird. Betty was essentially "The Perfect Girl"- tough AND feminine, and not diminished by either aspect (her room is a cacaphony of pink hues, yet real-life female skateboarders are affectionally referred to as "Betties"). As Jughead put it in one story (when he was, naturally, badgering Archie of his mistreatment of Ms. Cooper), "Mothers DREAM about their sons dating girls like Betty!"
-Betty often runs the risk of becoming a bit bland by being so kind- this is often given as the reason why "Nice Guy" heroes find trouble in the media (comics, but also movies- which favor Bad Boys and Rebels). However, Archie Comics kind of averts this by making her just one of the group, so that her kindness is in contrast to the selfishness of Reggie & Veronica, the slovenly nature of Jughead, and Archie's thoughtlessness. So you can get a lot of stories out of Betty running some charity for orphans, helping the homeless, befriending an outcasted student, or seeing a good side in a "negative" character. The point is, THERE IS POTENTIAL THERE- not every character has to be a vicious jerk.
-That said... Betty is GREAT fun when she gets jealous. That dark side is still there, and her love of Archie is her Kryptonite- this turns her into a manipulative, violent psychopath on occasion (in MANY issues, she decides to "Girl It Up" and flirt, with disastrous results to the male psyches of Riverdale; in others, she breaks stuff).

BETTY and SHIPPING:
-Betty also has phenomenal relationships with the rest of the cast. Her love of Archie is obviously a driving force. She & Veronica have a weird friendship, as they hang around with each other constantly... but fight tooth and nail over the same boy (Mark Waid found this so unrealistic that he took it away in his Archie run). Betty is seen by most (including Ronnie's father) of reigning in Veronica's worst impulses. Betty is a great "centre" character to the groups of girls- Veronica makes less sense hanging out with, say, Ethel, Midge or Nancy. Betty gives them a reason to hang out. And of COURSE there are her friendships with Reggie and Jughead... EASILY the two biggest "Ships" of the Archie fandom.
-Generally speaking, you see Betty paired off with Reggie by younger girls (who are way into the "Bad Boy" thing, and idealize Reggie as the deep-down nice-guy they think he is, and sometimes becomes in certain comics- in Life With Archie's future storyline, they're paired off), and her paired off with Jughead by older fans- their relationship is TRULY unique in the books. Generally, Jughead is the biggest woman-hater around, finding women repulsive and evil. But BETTY, he likes. Betty, he likes so much, that he frequently SINGS HER PRAISES to his buddy Archie. On occasion, the Archie writers even play with the idea of something going on between the two of them- Jughead admits that Betty is the perfect woman ("If I ever WILLINGLY kiss a girl... it'll be you!"). There's one where Jughead is called in as a "ringer" to replace a sick Archie on a date... and Betty finds herself having a GOOD TIME with him, as Jug is pretty fun at the amusement park. And naturally, Jughead's misogynistic nature is an ideal thing to play with- the ONE GIRL he likes strokes people's inner FanFic Writer.

BETTY'S STATS:
-Betty stats out to be one of the best teens in Riverdale- exceptional at studies, athletics and interpersonal skills. Betty is the most likeable person in town, and is well-thought-of by everyone from the faculty to Reggie to Veronica's own father, who frequently beseeches his daughter to learn a few things from her more noble friend. In a few strips, Betty is STRONGER than Archie, too- I've read one where they can't pull off a Surfing Doubles Contest... until SHE starts lifting HIM.

BETTY'S FAMILY (Hal, Alice, Polly & Chic):
-Betty's family unit was typically made up of her simple, Housewife-y mom and her busy, middle-class father, who generally disapproved of his girl's obsession with the lazy, clumsy, caddish Archie Andrews. Mrs. Cooper, at least, saw the good side of Archie and was generally there to settle her husband down. Hal Cooper used to be a REALLY loud blowhard over Archie, but settled down a lot as Betty became more tomboy-like- the two could often be seen working on cars together. Later on, Betty's mother Alice (yes, her name is really ALICE COOPER- isn't that awesome?) became one of the few mothers in the gang to be seen working a lot, giving us a lot of "Working Mom" stories (in one, Alice grew upset that she'd turned her daughter into a "Latchkey Kid").
-In Little Archie, Betty was given a PAIR OF SIBLINGS, which was a pretty odd retcon for what was already fifteen-ish years of continuity. I would imagine older sister Polly was there to add a bit of beauty & hawtness to a book about young children (probably why Little Archie's mom was MILF City at the same point), as she was a teen in these stories. Older brother Chic (taking his name from Archie's original nickname) was there to drive the gang around, or engage in physical activities like brawling with a bad guy. However, I can honestly say I can't recall seeing either of them appear in Little Archie books (of which I have only a few, to be fair). In any case, they weren't major characters. Bob Bolling, who wrote those stories, ended up introducing them in the MAIN continuity, making Betty the only major character in the cast who had ACTUAL SIBLINGS until the 1990s... which is weird, when you think about it. I know very few Only Children, and Archie has almost nothing BUT.
-In the non-Little books, Polly is shown as a world-travelling, successful reporter living in San Francisco, while Chic is actually a SECRET AGENT for the U.S. government, and often arrives to family reunions in disguise. Both are much older than Betty, and so rarely appear, though some of the last years of the Betty title saw Polly move back home to Riverdale... having a lot of pretty bland adventures. Generally, she was just there as a sounding-board for Betty, when Veronica couldn't be (as the issues tend to be ABOUT Veronica).

BOOKS FEATURING BETTY:
-Betty & Veronica had a whole lot of books to themselves, generally as a duo- Digests AND regular comics. However, 1965 saw the debut of Betty and Me (the "Me" was usually Archie- I always took the "Me" to be the audience), which lasted almost thirty years (and 200 issues)- it was here where Betty kind of shifted into the character she became for realz. 1986 saw Betty's Diary, a neat, somewhat sweet look at life through Betty's eyes, as she tried to make sense of her day. Some of these stories were actually rather bittersweet or just plain SAD, as she gave her own POV over being dumped in favor of Veronica. Her solo book got relaunched in 1992, lasting another twenty years.

Other Eras:
1940s: Betty drops almost all of her Skills & Advantages- here, she is a hard-luck loser with only a handful of domestic skills, and more of a schemer than persuader. Betty in the old stories is so nutty that one featured her repeatedly trying to MURDER Archie after he broke her heart one too many times- the final panel ended with a BOOMERANG headed towards Archie in a hospital bed. She's honestly a bit of a DOPE in these, too- fitting a "Dumb Blonde" archetype as well.
1950s & '60s: Betty became more and more standardized with time, eventually forming a friendly duo with Veronica. By the end of the '60s, she was a fully-realized Women's Libber, sporting a ponytail and some sporty interests.
1970s-Modern Age: Betty's kind-heartedness went to an extreme, to the point where she's an archetypical "Nice Girl". Sometimes this can go TOO far, but it's a nice contrast to the rest of the gang. Betty is thoughtful, mindful and careful in this era, and her love for Archie is more of a quirk than an obsession.
Little Archie: Some of the sweetest Little Archie stories feature Little Betty trying SO desperately to get Little Archie to pay attention to her- the one I referred to before features him walking her home, and cruelly taking the messiest, dirtiest, most-dangerous way possible (ruining her nicest dress), ending with Archie being impressed by her bravery (and... giving him a lock of her hair. Is this a thing that people actually do? In any case, Betty's three toys that narrate the thing with bookend scenes were impressed by the sight of a happy Betty slumping over in bed, with a lock of hair and a ruined dress).

Other Continuities:
Archie 3000: Basically Betty with a wilder ponytail.
The New Archies: Betty is giving a much longer ponytail, and loses the make-up, looking much more like a tomboy. The pink overalls help.
Archie 1: Betty appears here, generally in her more clueless state.
Archie's R/C Racers: Betty's on Archie's team.
Archie the Barbarian: Betty & Veronica appear as Serving Wenches more likely to snipe at Archie than compete over him. In fact, they're generally a Greek Chorus that comments on everything.

Life With Archie (2010s): In one continuity, Betty marries Archie, and the two move to New York to pursue careers in business. Both fail, and end up moving back to Riverdale, where Betty becomes the new Vice Principal... and neglects her marriage AND her job all at once, trying to do too much. Mr. Weatherbee ends up having to set her straight, before she ruins everything. In the other continuity, Betty is forced to watch Archie marry VERONICA, in a frankly HORRIFYINGLY sad tale, especially as the writers piled failures on her. Her life was essentially a wreck until she finally hooks up with a more-mature Reggie. Their relationship becomes tested when he starts a Reality Show featuring her cooking business and his own auto body shop, and they're made to "fight" on-camera in ways that legitimately anger her.

Memorable Betty Stories:
* In an amazing one, Betty & Archie get his jalopy stuck in a pond, and have to head to the local motel, where they plan on spending the night. They let this slip to the parents in the WORST WAY POSSIBLE, and Mr. Cooper arrives demanding that "if you're going to take my daughter to a motel room, you should see fit to marry her!" Further double-entendres only make things worse (especially since Betty comes out just wearing a towel, thanks to her clothes being soaked in the pond).
* In one fantastic 1940s Sunday Comic strip, Arch cruelly responds to Betty asking for a date with "GO JUMP IN A LAKE!" Later, Archie actually watches Betty ACTUALLY DO THIS (she saw some of his clothes on a log, and thought he was drowning), and immediately begs her to go out with him. It ends with her sweetly leaning into his shoulder, looking up with innocent eyes, and going "and if you don't take me to the church social... I'll POISON myself!"
* Betty decides to be a "Bad Girl" and live life the way she wants to- so she decks herself out in dark stockings and a leather skirt, puts the moves on Dilton as a test (who basically cracks into a million pieces at the hawtness), and then forces Reggie to take her to a vicious fraternity party. There, Reggie is nearly beaten up, and Betty finally realizes the error of her ways and takes him home.
* A FANTASTIC one for Betty/Reggie Shippers- the two get frustrated over constantly being left aside by Archie & Veronica, and after Reg saves Betty's life and she rewards him with a knitted sweater, they begin to slowly date. They grow closer and closer, enjoying each other's company... and finally lean in for that kiss. And then use the names of the people they REALLY love. Both crack up and howl with laughter, admitting that was silly, and go back to their respective crushes once more.

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WHEELS COOPER
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Driver
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 7 (101)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Insight 4 (+7)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 5 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Vehicles 10 (+15)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (+2 to Situations Involving Her Archiekins), Daze (Persuasion), Equipment 2 (Motorcycle), Favored Enemy (Brunettes), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Vehicles

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Explorers of the Unknown)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (101)

-"Wheels" Cooper was the Explorers' driver & pilot- a high-flying motorcyle stuntwoman of sorts.

SUPERTEEN (Betty Cooper)
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Girly Girl, The Tomboy, Unlucky In Love, The Nice Girl
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 10 (133)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3/4
FIGHTING 4/9 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Feminine Activities) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Masculine Activities) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Tambourine or Guitar) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Teen Reporter) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Retail Bitch) 2 (+4)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 5 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Vehicles 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (+2 to Situations Involving Her Archiekins), Daze (Persuasion), Favored Enemy (Brunettes), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"The PH Factor"
Enhanced Strength 9 [18]
Enhanced Stamina 6 [12]
Protection 2 [2]
Enhanced Agility 1 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 5 [10]
Enhanced Dodge +5 [5]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Fast Grab, Interpose [2]
Enhanced Skills 8: Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 8 (+9) [4]

"Jet-Boosters" (Flaws: Removable) [10]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (12 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Superteen +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+11 Superteen), Fortitude +4 (+10 Superteen), Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (Evilheart)
Secret (Identity)- Even Betty is unaware that she is Superteen... until she next needs the powers, at which point she will suddenly remember again. At adventure's end, her mind always "clouds" over.
---
Obsession (Archie Andrews)- Betty's love for Archie is so all-encompassing that it borders on stalking. Her parents are concerned, and her friends don't get it.
Relationship (Veronica Lodge)- Betty's best friend is also her greatest romantic rival. As Archie generally prefers Veronica's company, Betty finds herself at odds. She also finds Ronnie's materialism and selfishness tiresome, but values her friendship too much to do anything about it.
Relationship (Family)- Betty is extremely-close and loyal to her parents, and never argues & rebels against them the way the others do with thier folks. Her worst arguments are generally over her obsessiveness with Archie.
Relationship (Cheryl Blossom)- Betty & Cheryl actually started hanging out once upon a time (Betty felt bad over a prank the others played on Cheryl), and enjoyed each other's company, despite Cheryl's obnoxious personality.
Relationship (Jughead Jones)- Jughead is one of Betty's dearest friends, and they're among the only ones in the group who usually get along. Jughead admires Betty's finer qualities, while Betty finds Jughead's nature quirky rather than annoying. Still, he could stand to be a little LESS omnipresent whenever she's baking.
---
Reputation (One Of The Guys)- Occasionally, Betty chafes under the role of "tomboy". When she tried out for the BOYS Baseball team, she faced a lot of criticism from both sexes, and sometimes dislikes being treated as a rough & tumble member of the gang, compared to the more ideally-feminine Veronica. On many occasions, Betty can be seen deliberately trying to suck worse at sports so as to not "show up" Archie, or to beg for his "help" in improving her abilities.
Responsibility (Riverdale High)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 6 (133)

-Betty as "Superteen" is pretty much just like Pureheart.

FRANKIE VALDEZ
Created By:
Unknown
Role: Lesser Reggie
First Appearance: Archie Comics #265 (Sept. 1977)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 1 (12)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Guitar) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Dancing) 4 (+5)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Relationship (Maria Rodriguez)
Reputation (Hot-Blooded Show-Off)

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (12)

-Frankie came in alongside Maria as the "Latin couple" of Riverdale high, back when Latinos were basically just seen as white people with a bit of an accent, much unlike today (though in actuality, "Latino" isn't so much a race as a cultural group, as their genetic make-up could have just about ANYTHING in it, given the interracial mixing of any place below Texas). Archie made an attempt at "Another Chuck & Nancy" with this rather combative couple, but it never really took- Frankie's personality was way much like a slightly nicer but weirder Reggie, and he never got a concrete motivation going. It was generally accepted that Frankie was kind of self-promoting and slick in a Reggie-ish way, and he was WAY more hot-blooded (flying into a frenzy when Maria wore a skimpy bikini to the beach- he tried to wrap her up with a blanket). In another, he was the Director of the school play, and refused to allow his girlfriend to audition, feeling he'd be accused of favoritism. And so Maria had to wear a disguise, give a horrible performance as an over-actor... then unveil herself (gaining lipstick and curves in the process in an "artistic cheat")- Frankie finally rolls his eyes and caves that she's a good actress after all.
-He & Maria were basically ignored after a point, only showing up in Digests for years, until a couple later storylines re-introduced them both as having moved back to Riverdale (yeah, at the same time- clumsy storytelling). They're still pretty much nobodies. There was a possibility of a Love Triangle between the two and Brigitte (a friend of Betty & Veronica's, known for being a good singer... and being Riverdale's only overweight teenager).
-The "Latino Friend" role was also once taken up by a guy named Carlos, who showed up with Archie & Chuck in a bizarre story that saw them help a lady get her car door open... only to realize they'd helped a man's ex-wife STEAL the car! And after a scheme to clear their names, they caught the lady red-handed trying to get the car repainted in an illegal shop... at which point the exes met up again and fell back in love out of pity for the other's predicament. The boys basically just shrugged and moved on ("instead of three criminals, we're more like three CUPIDS!").
-Frankie is basically a slightly-better Bystander with some skills.

MARIA RODRIGUEZ
Created By:
Unknown
Role: Token Latina
First Appearance: Archie Comics #265 (Sept. 1977)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 1 (19), PL 2 (19) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 1 (+3, +5 Attractive)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Acting) 4 (+6)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Relationship (Frankie Valdez)

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (19)

-Maria was occasionally the more interesting of the duo, but had less character flaws. Most of the stories I read about her involved her reactions to Frankie's antics, like the time he wouldn't let her try out for the play he was directing. Another odd one was one of those "fighting Central High" bizarre stories where she was an aide to Betty & Veronica as they saved Archie and got some secret football plays back from the goonish Central City guys (what WAS it with that rivalry?). Maria's personality tended to shift a bunch as writers bounced around different ideas- she was very cute & innocent at first, with her hair up, and quite naiive. Other times, she was a feisty, fiery Latina archetype. She suffered the same fate as Frankie eventually, and vanished.

DILTON DOILEY
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Science Guy, The Nerd, Bookish Kid
First Appearance: Pep Comics #27 (May 1942- sort of)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 0 (58), PL 3 (58) Defenses, PL 6 (58) Inventor
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (History) 2 (+10)
Technology 8 (+16)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Equipment 5 (Supercomputer, Garage Lab), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Many), Ranged Attack 3, Skill Mastery 2 (Science, Technology), Ultimate Technology Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Reputation (Genius)- Dilton frequently comes into contact with people who need his help for things- from school to time travel.
Reputation (Weakling)- Tiny and slight, Dilton chafes at being the shortest person around, and feels nervous around girls as a result.
Relationship (Cheryl Blossom)- Believe or not, they actually ran this for a few issues- they met online without knowing the other's identity, and actually got along.
Relationship (Brigitte Reilly)- Dilton eventually had a relationship with Riverdale's only chubby girl.
Relationship (Danni Malloy)- The two had a brief partnership leading towards romance, but they split when Dilton's solo book got cancelled.
Responsibility (Riverdale High)

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (58)

-Riverdale's own "Teen Genius", Dilton quickly went from "The Smart Kid" to "the guy who can let you get away with ANY kind of plot"- generally speaking, Dilton stories go all the way into full Science Fiction. I've reach Archie stories, COMPLETELY IN CONTINUITY, where the gang is shrunk to tiny size, travel through time, fight evil robots, switch bodies, or gain a variety of super-powers. ALL because this kid made something in his garage. And then they turn around and treat him like he's just "the smartest kid in school", because why not? Dilton himself is rarely a major character, despite the frequency of his appearances- usually, he's just a means to an end- he comes up with something, and the gang gets involved and have to work their way out of it.
-Dilton, like a lot of background characters in Riverdale, had a small run at a solo book in the early '90s, teaming up with a girl genius known as Danni Malloy as they encountered many super-scientific things in Dilton's Strange Science, but like most of that era's books, it didn't last (it was cancelled after a mere five issues). Poor "Dilly" is always a backgrounder otherwise, and the only times he shows up and it's NOT about science, it's about him trying to ask out a girl- he becomes nervous due to his puny size and general lack of confidence. As Archie is way too confident (most of the time- sometimes the story demands he's got to work up his nerve) and girl-crazy to be the "Shy around girls" nice guy type, that whole problem for teenage males has fallen entirely to Dilton. Which is kind of a pity- the terminal shyness many people experience as teenagers is relatively ignored in the Archie universe aside from Dilton. Curiously, despite being a glasses-wearing Science Guy, Dilton is NOT treated like a typical nerd- it's actually JUGHEAD who's into comics, sci-fi and manga, while Dilton ONLY focuses on his studies and little else.
-Dilton, as expected, is the unrivaled Skillmonkey/genius of all the Archie characters, having ridiculously high ranks in all sorts of Skills, but being the worst overall combatant by far. He's so good at building things and knowing stuff that he can create robots with emotions and machines that can replicate actual items, such as food & water. The comics pretty much go WAY into the depths of comic-book super-science. The only thing that limits his Skills from boosting into the +20 region is the fact that his inventions often fail to work more than a few times, explode quickly, or otherwise go the wrong way (kind of like that "genie gives you your wish, but it doesn't go the way you planned" sort of side effect).

Other Eras:
'40s & '50s: Dilton actually took a while to properly form- in the 1940s, he was a typical bookish kid, and a "prototype" of sorts was named Theodosius in Pep Comics #27. The next time, he was named "Dilbert". These two nerdy names soon shifted into "Dilton" in 1950, which is a name I've literally never heard anywhere else. By the '50s, we were adding sci-fi elements to the stories. Some artists drew him a bit differently- he's a standard-issue short kid under Dan DeCarlo & Stan Goldberg, but Al Hartley made him positively HOBBIT-like, fully half the size of the other students. His glasses shift a lot with the era, too- he used to have giant round glasses in the old days (sort of the "fashion" for bookworm characters), but nowadays they're more likely to be merely a bit large, rectangular framed glasses.

Other Continuities:
Archie 3000: He's there from what I can tell, but it didn't last long.
The New Archies: Dilton was actually EXILED from this version- instead, we had a black nerd named Eugene, who was paired off with a girl named Amani. This was probably to add a black character, and they felt that Dilton was perhaps superfluous if they were just gonna use Chuck. Personally, if I were an Archie writer, I'd do a story where we find out what became of him. Hey- Fangs Fogarty & Little Ambrose got send-offs in Bob Bolling Archie stories, why can't poor, un-used Eugene?
Archie 1: Dilton appears only VERY rarely, as it's often Jughead who's given "I invented _____"-related gags.
Little Archie: A tiny Dilton appears on occasion, but not a lot. Fewer Invention-related storylines, and he had little else to do.

Life With Archie (2010s): Dilton actually played a very important role, though a bizarre one. See, while this was a very Soap Opera-esque story (well, pair of stories), the VERY FIRST ISSUE introduced us to the fact that Dilton (now balding and with a giant curly beard) was now TRAVELLING THROUGH THE MULTIVERSE, observing different sequences of events. This culminated with Dilton helping out both versions of Archie (and a whole horde they find in the Multiverse) do something to stop the evil Fred Mirth. Dilton soon left the series after that.

Dilton's Parents:
-The exist... and that's all. Seriously, they don't even really have NAMES. They appear proud of their son, but also a bit weirded out by his genius. In one story (in which Chuck is envious of Dilton's acheivements, and tries to copy his success), we see that his parents are put-out at the sight of Dilly bringing home ANOTHER trophy.

Memorable Dilton Stories:
* Not a lot, really. Most are typically Dilton-RELATED: the gang comes to him for an issue, and Dilton's invention gives them something that soon goes horribly wrong. One notable story featured Archie going back in time to visit his Little self. Another features Archie & Mr. Weatherbee having their minds switch bodies, and learn about how difficult it is to be the other.
* One story I remember features the gang hooking him up with an equally-short girl (who had the typical DeCarlo Female Physique). Another had him and Big Ethel coming together over their mutual freakish heights (his tiny; hers huge) and the fun that gets made of them for it, and ended with them going on a particularly happy date- it was particularly weird because it was one of my very FIRST Archie stories period, and in it Jughead acts uncharacteristically like an asshole. He flees from Ethel like normal, but when he sees her chatting with Dilton, he gets nasty and a bit weird, casually walking by to disrupt their conversation, and then actually ASKING ETHEL OUT ON A DATE, forcing her to choose between him and Dilton! We'd never really see this level of nastiness from Jughead again, nor any of the Ethel/Dilton thing.
* Dilton's Strange Science seemed inspired by the '80s "Teens Get Into Science-Related Hijinx" genre of film (Weird Science, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and Back To The Future were all big at the time), and featured a sexy Science Girl in Danni (though they really missed the boat in not giving her Sexy Librarian Glasses). Unfortunately, Dilton's not really a popular character (more of a means to an end for the stories), and so it only went from 1989 to 1990- a full calendar year featuring only five issues. I don't think we've ever seen Danni again. The stories involve goofy stuff like digging beneath the Earth's crust and finding some mole people, and facing a giant monster.

GIZMO DOILEY
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Science Guy, The Nerd, Bookish Kid
First Appearance: Pep Comics #27 (May 1942- sort of)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 3 (86), PL 4 (86) Defenses, PL 6 (86) Inventor
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (History) 2 (+10)
Technology 8 (+16)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Equipment 5 (Supercomputer, Garage Lab), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Many), Ranged Attack 4, Skill Mastery 2 (Science, Technology), Ultimate Technology Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Explorers of the Unknown)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (86)

-Gizmo Doiley isn't actually more skilled than Dilton at science- he's just a better fighter, owing to his status as a member of the Explorers of the Unknown. His enhanced Ranged Attack means that he can be QUITE deadly if he has the right invention, but of course he's gotta BUILD the thing, first.

THAT WILKIN BOY:
-This series was an attempt by Archie Comics at replicating its own success. Remember, in the late 1960s, Archie was producing the MOST successful comics on the market! This success naturally caused them to want to release more and MORE titles, and one of those was That Wilkin Boy, a story about an Archie-like troublemaking teen named Bingo Wilkin (as a kid, I think I assumed that the title referred to "Wilkin" like it was a verb, as if it were Wilkin' or something). He was well-meaning and had his own group of friends, but was generally always beaten down by his own incompetence or bad luck. Unlike Archie, he had only ONE steady girl, and the strips generally revolved around him dealing with his girlfriend's ignoramus of a father (Mr. Smythe actually shows up MORE than his daughter, from what I can remember).
-The book lasted for an impressive thirteen years, dying out in 1982, at which point That Wilkin Boy repeats became omnipresent in the Digests, where most modern Archie fans encountered them. They're... not great. It's basically Archie but with a worse supporting cast. Bingo isn't as likeable as Archie since he's not as much of a screw-up, Sam is a generic girl, and Tough Teddy is a weak foil. They get way more mileage out of Mr. Smythe and Bingo's Uncle Herman as foils for each other, but neither is that great either (Smythe is just an angry buffoon; Herman is a bit too unflappable and smug to be interesting).
-Bingo has only shown up a couple of times in modern history- he met up with Jughead in one story, where it turned out they were COUSINS- the two share Uncle Herman, because one Editor looked into a Jughead story that mentioned an "Uncle Herman". Fun fact: years and years ago, I decided to re-read my Archie books, and out of curiosity (because I remembered how odd this was from when I was a kid), I decided to WRITE DOWN every time they met one member of the gang's Aunt or Uncle. This was SUCH a recurring story concept that every single member of the main cast had a HUGE roster of siblings to their parents, to the point where it got kinda silly. I mean, it's not unheard of for people to have lots of siblings, but it was blatantly obvious that the writers were just creating one-off characters for each story, never really mattering in the futre. And yes, I'm aware that reading old ARCHIE COMICS and writing down the minute aspects of their continuity is the kind of thing a crazy person does.
-Because of this familial link, Bingo began appearing in the Jughead Digests of the time, though once again always in repeats. The last time he really showed up, it was in a Battle of the Bands storyline that featured his band The Bingos (yes, a HUGE rip-off of The Archies) up against the Archies, the Pussycats, and the Madhouse Glads. Because of all the hippie-style stuff in the book, Bingo's stories look way more dated than most older tales you'll see in the Digests- there's no mistaking those bell-bottoms, flowers and nehru jackets for anything else.

Bingo's Cast:
* Samantha Smythe- A pretty typical, good-natured Everygirl type.
* Samson Smythe- A boorish, muscle-headed jerk and Samantha's dad. Notably hates Bingo.
* Mrs. Smythe- Much more understanding than her husband. Pretty typical Housewife type.
* Mr. Wilkin- An easily-annoyed dad. He was differently-built than most Archie Dads, in that he wasn't obese or skinny- he was built more or less like a typical 40-something- normal-sized, but with a small gut. Also, he wore thick-rimmed glases. He was typically bothered by his son's antics, and had a REAL hatred of Samson Smythe, his next-door neighbor.
* Mrs. Wilkin- Bingo's mom- a standard-issue Housewife archetype, like Mrs. Smythe. Neither really appeared much.
* Uncle Herman- Showed up more than Bingo's parents- he lived at Bingo's place, had a huge history and was full of trivia and various skills, and generally befuddled his foil Smythe with his antics, and constantly outsmarted him. Generally on Bingo's side.
* Tough Teddy- Bingo's rival for Sam's affections, he was WAY too much like Reggie, and was notable for his '60s shades. He also played in The Bingoes, alongside an untalkative kid named Buddy.

BINGO WILKIN (Woodrow Wilkin III)
Created By:
Frank Doyle & Dan DeCarlo
Role: Archie Knock-Off
First Appearance: That Wilkin Boy #1 (Jan. 1969)
Group Affiliations: The Bingoes
PL 1 (19), PL 3 (19) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Guitar) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Samantha Smythe)
Rivalry (Tough Teddy)- Teddy is a bit of an adversary (particularly for Sam's affections), and a bit of a friend.
Rivalry (Mr. Smythe)- Sam's dad despises Bingo, and finds him worthless.
Relationship (Rebel)- Bingo has his own hound-dog looking pet. Who of course gets his own thought balloons.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (19)

-That Wilkin Boy was way more "hippie" than Archie was (usually only Jughead was totally hippie-esque), as nearly EVERYONE was barefoot constantly, wore bell-bottoms and other '60s gear, and the older generation always had to react to these weird kids. Bingo was more than a little bit like Archie, but could be more thick-headed- in one story, he repeatedly insists that he be in charge of his "weaker" girl Samantha, who it's pointed out in the strip is MUCH stronger than him- Bingo comes around in the end after she easily outlifts him. The most important relationship in the strip was Bingo's with his girlfriend's dad. But Smythe, unlike say, Mr. Lodge, was an idiotic blowhard and a scary-looking fitness fanatic, so there was a very real danger he'd just beat the crap out of poor Bingo some time. Later issues actually portrayed Smythe as a BIGOT of all things (he used the word "Nip"! In an ARCHIE COMIC!), but he had his nicer moments, particularly with his daughter.
-Bingo is basically Archie minus a bunch of stuff, not really having anything to bring to the table of his own.

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mmm... barefoot hippie...

SAMANTHA SMYTHE
Created By:
Frank Doyle & Dan DeCarlo
Role: The Girlfriend
First Appearance: That Wilkin Boy #1 (Jan. 1969)
Group Affiliations: The Bingoes
PL 3 (35), PL 4 (35) Defenses
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 1 (+3, +5 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Tambourine) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Relationship (Bingo Wilkin)- Though God knows what she sees in him...
Relationship (Sampson- Father)- Sam cares for her father, but finds him a bit tiresome and needlessly negative regarding just about everything.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (35)

-Samantha is Bingo's sole love interest, altering the Archie tropes by a bit. She's a former "gets around" type of girl, who used to have every boy in school at her beck and call, until one night Bingo (who she usually just strung along or used as a "backup date") had to turn her down because of a prior arrangement, revealing that she loved him all along. Or something. She's kind of like Betty in personality in the main strips, but tends to be much weepier and histrionic. Despite that, life with her father has left her being physically stronger than Bingo. Yeah, a Betty with arms of steel? And always walking around barefoot because she's a dirty hippie? HELLO, WAIFU.
-Sam's a bit tougher than the usual Archie girl, but isn't super-great or anything. She's basically like Betty. Hilariously, she's a full fourteen points pricier than Bingo the loser.

SAMPSON SMYTHE
Created By:
Frank Doyle & Dan DeCarlo
Role: Nasty Dad
First Appearance: That Wilkin Boy #1 (Jan. 1969)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 3 (23)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Intimidation 4 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Fast Grab, Power Attack

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Enemy (Bingo Wilkin)- Smythe despises the lazy boy next door, and hates that his daughter loves him.
Relationship (Sam- Daughter)- Sampson is very protective of his little girl, and among his only good qualities is his willingness to sacrifice for her happiness.
Rivalry (Herman, Mr. Smythe)- Sampson dislikes both of his adult male neighbors as well, and frequently argues with them.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (23)

-Sampson, or "Smythe" as he's known to much of the cast is like your worst nightmare in a girlfriend's father. Rather than just being ornery and annoyed around you like MOST dads (like say, Mr. Lodge), he's also a giant workout roid-freak who hates your guts, wants his daughter to find someone better than a "wimp" like you, and hates minorities. He's a PL 3, unlike most of the Archie cast, and is altogether pretty horrible to be around. One of the more straight-up negative characters in Archie history. Sampson is strong, but not good at defenses- he's too arrogant and thick-headed to block properly.

KATY KEENE
Created By:
Bill Woggon
Role: Model Queen
First Appearance: Wilbur Comics #5 (Summer 1945)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 1 (35), PL 3 (35) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Expertise (Model) 8 (+12, +14 Attractive)
Expertise (Acting) 4 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+7, +9 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Ultimate Modeling Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Sis)- Katy's sister Melissa often gets into trouble.
Relationship (K.O. Kelly & Randy Van Ronson)- Katy has numerous male love interests, but was often forced to choose between the muscular boxer and the wealthy blond.
Rivalry (Gloria Grandbilt)- Gloria is envious of Katy's successes, and wants them for herself.
Relationship (Lucki Lorelei)- Lucki is Katy's supersticious best friend.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (35)

-Among the weirder side-stories in Archie Comics is the saga of Katy Keene. She was introduced in 1945 as a standard-issue "Model" character (ie. Fantasty For Little Girls), and became a pretty big success. Her book was notable for allowing fans to write in their own ideas for dresses and outfits and such, and soon all of the Archie books followed suit (even LITTLE ARCHIE). She received her own title four years after her debut, and it ran for 12 years. However, she flamed out in the 1960s, and didn't appear for twenty years afterwards- Archie having moved on entirely to Teen Books by that point.
-Katy received a new lease on life thanks to a peculiar "Katy Keene Fan Club", run by a guy named Craig Leavitt, who was like SUPER-obsessed with the character (a grown man interested in a fashion-obsessed line designed for little girls? WHAT A WEIRDO!). He created a Katy Keen Fan Magazine, which ran for eighteen issues (dying in 1983). They held "Katy-Cons", even! Archie finally bowed to fan pressure and brought Katy back in a revival... but it never really went anywhere. All I recall as a young fan was the occasional "Hey everyone! Katy Keene still exists" ad, and a lot of work that only seemed to bring up how big the character ONCE was, not how big she IS. Honestly, she's all but vanished from history, save for the occasional reprint in Archie Digests these days.
-Having read a bunch of the stories... they ain't great. The art style is bizarre to the point of going into the Uncanny Valley- it averts the Archie House Style completely, giving us ultra-tall Model-Figure physiques with bobble-heads and giant eyes that are basically made of eyelashes. And the plots are pretty generic- Katy goes somewhere, gets into some hijinks (usually because of her sister, who was a child in the original stories, but became a teenager in the '80s), the end. She's the ultimate in blandness as a character- a smiling, happy person with no personality flaws.
-Katy is a smart, charismatic, level-headed individual with great success in acting and modeling. Not much to her, but it's a good example of how pricey even a Bystander-level person can be if they're good enough at their job.

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VERONICA LODGE
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Veronica, Rich Bitch, Egomaniacal Girl
First Appearance: Pep Comics #26 (April 1942)
Group Affiliations: The Archies
PL 1 (35), PL 3 (35) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Deception 2 (+7, +12 Attractive)
Expertise (Socialite) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Business) 3 (+3)
Expertise (Singing) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Keyboard) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 1 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+7, +12 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit (Daddy's Money), Daze (Persuasion), Favored Enemy (Blondes), Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Archiekins)- Veronica always has Archie at her beck and call- however, she appears to only barely tolerate him most of the time, and often goes out with other men. She only REALLY focuses on him when BETTY wants him.
Rivalry/Relationship (Betty Cooper)- The two are dearest friends (hurt Betty, and Veronica will END YOU), but Ronnie is still a bitter rival in love.
Motivation (Fame)- Veronica is deeply jealous of celebrities, and always wants to become an idol of some kind.
Reputation (Spoiled Bitch)
Rivalry (Jughead Jones)- Veronica is constantly annoyed by Archie's best friend- she and Jughead are the only two characters to routinely trade vicious insults in the 2000s era.
Rivalry (Cheryl Blossom)- Archie choose Cheryl as a third option in the Love Triangle set Veronica on a road to despising Cheryl, a sexier & more spoiled version of Veronica.
Relationship (Reggie Mantle)- Veronica & Reggie are similar in mentality and temperament, and she frequently dates Reggie when Archie screws something up, but there's ultimately no love there.
Reputation (Lethal Chef)- Veronica's jell-o is known for its toughness and resistance to cutting. When Veronica promised Archie a home-cooked meal, the boys in town literally lined up to say their goodbyes- even REGGIE!!

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (35)

-Veronica was added VERY quickly in the Archie stories- Bob Montana based her off of the "Boston Brahim" Lodges (he'd briefly worked for them when he lived in Haverhill, Mass.), and added the name of popular actress Veronica Lake. Veronica was basically the Elite of the Elite- a prim, proper, beautiful girl who was, with her black-as-black hair, painted-on clothing and superior attitude, the subject of every man's fantasies. In fact, Archie basically dropped Betty then and there and went for Ronnie exclusively. In the early days, she was among the few characters who was LESS mean at first- she was more stoic and aloof, but would be prone to berserk rages should Archie piss her off. And since this Archie was an embarrassing, scheming wreck, her rages were actually usually justified completely.
-The famous Love Triangle formulated quickly, with Betty always attempting to surpass Ronnie in Archie's mind, but it never worked. As time went on, Ronnie got a bit more cruel, often putting down Betty. By the 1960s, she'd become the character we know and love today: vicious, selfish, imperious and impolite. However, she actually became really close with Betty, in spite of their feud over Archie- many stories involved just the two of them as friends- level-headed Betty being a nice contrast to the somewhat-clueless Ron, who often assumed less of others, and took her station for granted (translation: Veronica never checked her privilege).
-It's tough to say just where he feelings lie with her Archiekins, at times. She often just barely tolerates his presence- like she's just ALLOWING him to go out on dates with her. Most stories involving them actually feature Archie preferring to date her, only for her to dump him over something silly, like him not being dressed right, or (usually) him not having the money for their date. This puts him back into the arms of Betty. However, other strips play up the fact that whenever BETTY has access to Archie, Veronica gets jealous- maybe the "forbidden fruit" thing? Maybe straight-up competitiveness? The later years actually have her legitimately care for him, but in the early days, you could say Ronnie was way more negative.
-Veronica often toes the line between "Bitch With A Heart Of Gold" and flat-out "Bitch"- in many stories, her rudeness is appalling and her insults cruel. However, the later years have done some weird things- as she got her own solo book and the '90s moved on, Veronica got a whole lot more kind, as Archie Comics as a whole got a lot more bland, and didn't want to "offend" people with mean characters. This led to Veronica being whitewashed into someone who was way more "Heart of Gold" than "Bitch", and this was a real negative for the character. Sure she can't be ENTIRELY mean or some stories just don't WORK- but she's THE VERONICA of the Love Triangle- she's SUPPOSED to be a bit mean and controlling. So much of the strip works better if that's the case- especially the way she domineers over Archie. As someone I know said, "If they released Archie today, it'd be Betty and Betty, not Betty and Veronica." Too much niceness flattens out the strip.
-Hell, Veronica got so kind-hearted that Archie had a campaign for little girls to see "Are you a Betty or a Veronica?" I remember seeing a few parents who were MORTIFIED that the Veronica they remember was now being held up as some kind of positive thing to be! Naturally, they hadn't seen her more positive side in recent years. But that shows you just how far they went.

Other Eras:
1940s: Veronica was a bit kinder back in the day, and her rages against Archie were more understandable given that he was a scheming little dick.
1950s & '60s: Veronica gets increasingly-mean as time goes on, to the point where she's basically the villain in numerous stories. At the same time, she actually becomes friends with Betty, forming a unique friendship. In the '60s, she tends to be very much the "party leader", deciding where the gang is going to go and when. Numerous strips deal with her getting involved with the hippie subculture (she "adopts" Jughead when he goes hippie, and another time she's taken in by a charlatan who preaches peace but just wants money- Mr. Lodge is wise to his scheme, being able to smell flim-flam from a mile away).
1970s-80s: Veronica shifts to be NICER again, as you're more likely to see her as a protagonist. She's still vain and selfish, but she cares deeply for Betty, and will savage anyone who wrongs her.
1990s-Modern Day: Veronica becomes so nice it actually hurts her character a bit. Seriously, in one Kevin story, the big argument is which one of them has the best idea to run a CHARITY CARNIVAL. This is VERONICA LODGE here, people! She should think that charities are for peasants and that poor people should WORK for a living!
Little Archie: Little Veronica is basically like Teen Veronica- manipulative and snobbish, though she dresses a bit cheaply given she's supposed to still be rich. She still usually controls Little Archie's behavior, in spite of him being way too young to care that much about girls.

Other Continuities:
Archie 3000: Veronica is there with the rest of the gang, just with wilder hair.
The New Archies: Veronica has easily the WORST redesign, as she now has short hair parted in the middle, a huge bow, and big SUNGLASSES on top of her head.
Archie 1: Veronica is here, and in fur bikinis. So very many fur bikinis.
Archie's R/C Racers: Pretty sure Ron was there. Don't ask me to read one.
Archie's Superteens: Veronica did not appear as a super-character in the old days, but in the 1990s revival, she became the villainess Miss Vanity. I'm not sure what her powers were, however.
Archie the Barbarian: Betty & Veronica appear as Serving Wenches more likely to snipe at Archie than compete over him. In fact, they're generally a Greek Chorus that comments on everything.

Life With Archie (2010s): Veronica marries Archie in one continuity (and frequently chafes with his inability to work effectively, while she takes over her father's company). In the other, she hooks up with Reggie Mantle.

Memorable Stories:
* Mr. Lodge & Smithers confer with each other, and realize that Betty is too good for Veronica, and that she deserves a better friend. And so they are casually-dismissive of her when she next arrives at Lodge Mansion, suggest that Ronnie doesn't want to meet with her, and give her the brush off. Betty, a single tear rolling down her cheek, sadly leaves. Cue the next day, when Veronica sees Jughead, who ERUPTS at her "DON'T TALK TO ME!!!" When a shocked Ronnie asks what's up, Jughead lets slip the way Betty was treated. Veronica, horrified, immediately tears back to her home and EXPLODES. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGHHHH!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIEND!?!?!!?" Lodge & Smithers are flabbergasted and terrified, and Ronnie sets them straight immediatley.
* Veronica, in an Al Hartley story (before he went crazy-religious, so it's skimpy bikinis and Pamela Anderson-like lips & physiques), breaks it off with the "boring" gang so that she can hang out with some exciting new guy. The dude, a classic "biker", joins up with his group of toughs, and IMMEDIATELY another dude is like "you may have found her... but you'll have to fight me for her!" And then they start FIGHTING! A shocked Ronnie is taken away by another guy, who intends to make her "my Moll", and when he gets rough with her, she goes "Daddy said those Jiu-Jitsu lessons would come in handy!", sends the guy flying into the air, and calmly goes back to her "boring" friends.

Veronica Comics:
-The only one of note is really 1989's Veronica- Betty's solo book pre-dated Ron's by more than twenty years. This book was usually called Veronica in _______, showing her visiting some foreign country. Oftentimes, her LIFE would be endangered by some random circumstance.

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ANGEL LODGE
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Veronica, Rich Bitch, Egomaniacal Girl
First Appearance: Pep Comics #26 (April 1942)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 8 (112)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 2 (+7, +12 Attractive)
Expertise (Socialite) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Business) 3 (+3)
Expertise (Singing) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Keyboard) 6 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 1 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+7, +12 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit (Daddy's Money), Daze (Persuasion), Fast Grab, Favored Enemy (Blondes), Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Startle, Uncanny Dodge

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Archiekins)- Angel always has Archie at her beck and call- however, she appears to only barely tolerate him most of the time, and often goes out with other men. She only REALLY focuses on him when BETTY wants him.
Rivalry/Relationship (Wheels Cooper)- The two are dearest friends (hurt Betty, and Veronica will END YOU), but Ronnie is still a bitter rival in love.
Responsibility (The Explorers)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 14 (112)

-The most peculiar of the Explorers of the Unknown, Angel was Veronica reimagined as a MARTIAL ARTIST of all things.

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-Probably the most-known thing about Archie to outsiders is the famous "Love Triangle". In the old days, it was really just "Archie loves Veronica, Betty chases Archie, Archie is annoyed by Betty"- straight-up comedy played entirely for laughs. Betty's failures were treated as amusing rather than sad, because everything was so screwball that you couldn't feel real empathy. But by the 1960s, Betty was more of a "Sad Hard-Luck Girl" who was still able to snuggle with Archie on occasion- in so doing, she became a much more sympathetic character. Archie was then seen as LIKING Betty- he was just controlled by the manipulative, flirtacious Veronica. Ron grew a bit more selfish and conniving, making Betty enormously sympathetic, but there was just enough friendship between them (generally, without Archie around, they get along FABULOUSLY) to keep them friendly. That mentality held up for more than fifty years- Archie was eventually seen as having a hard time choosing when it really came down to it.
-In the Love Showdown story of the '90s, they made a big deal about Archie FINALLY making his selection... and he went with the third option, choosing CHERYL BLOSSOM (herself basically a more buxom, fanservicey, nasty version of Veronica, who by this point was a BIT more sympathetic). Eventually, this just turned into him being interested in THREE girls, making him into an even BIGGER cad. Archie was never really TERRIBLY sympathetic with regards to love, but he was seen as such a nice guy the REST of the time that you kind of have to forgive him this one personal flaw. Besides, could YOU turn down girls drawn by Dan DeCarlo?

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MR. LODGE (Hiram Lodge)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Rich Daddy
First Appearance: Pep Comics #31 (Aug. 1942)
Group Affiliations: Lodge Industries
PL 1 (43), PL 3 (43) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Business) 10 (+14)
Expertise (Landscaping) 2 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Wealth), Contacts, Ultimate Business Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Veronica- Daughter)- Mr. Lodge loves his daughter, but finds her selfishness and arrogance tiresome. He often wishes she'd take more after Betty.
Responsibility (Lodge Industries)- Lodge is a wealthy businessman, and his attempts to make more money often causes him to come into clashes with the gang (usually if he's buying up something close to their hearts).
Rivalry (Archie Andrews)- Though Lodge is often forced to admit that the boy means well, he is constantly angry at the destructive, clumsy, stupid youth, and hates that his daughter is interested in him.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (43)

-The most important "parent" character in the comic is actually Mr. Lodge of all people- Archie's dad appears a lot, but Lodge is involved in Archie stories, Veronica stories, and even stories featuring the entire gang, with great regularity. Part of this is because Lodge Manor is actually the #3 set-piece of the Archie franchise, after the Choklit Shoppe and Riverdale High itself. Plus, his relationships with the cast are so important- he's a strict father to Veronica (he hates that she's so spoiled), a great ally to Betty, a great enemy to Archie, and he even has some fun interactions with JUGHEAD. He's often used as an example of a "heartless businessman" who needs to be taught a lesson (one story features him looking down on the homeless, only to discover a respected old colleague in a soup kitchen after his company failed), but there's also many positive examples- such as his appreciation of Betty and his digust with Veronica's snobby attitude (it's often given that he moved the family to Riverdale to prevent her from becoming a spoiled Country Club Socialite).
-The majority of his stories, however, involve his rivalry with Archie Andrews. Lodge often HATES the boy- ordering him thrown out of Lodge Mansion after he either broke a "priceless vase", or wrecked some aspect of Lodge's business. In this, Lodge is a fierce, feared rival, and Archie is often all "Eep!" and tries to either avoid Mr. Lodge (whose name, actually, is "Hiram"), or try to get in good with him by doing something around the Mansion, or helping out his business (as this is ARCHIE, the results are either disastrous or accidentally-brilliant). Of course, there's also the constant stories about spies, saboteurs and thieves trying to get into the mansion. Though politics are usually not mentioned in Archie comes, one story in which the teens are shrunk down (this is Archie Comics- that happens in a LOT of stories. These kids have been shrunk down more often than Ray Palmer) features them flying in a paper airplane- when someone suggests that they lean to the left, Veronica notes that "My daddy HATES people who do that!"
-Lodge is drawn with a different body type than most of the other fathers- he's got a pretty normal build, contrasting Fred Andrews & Hal Cooper, and the skinny Mr. Jones. However, he's had white hair for as long as Archie has existed- some flashbacks show him with black hair going gray early on in Veronica's life, but even in Little Archie his hair is white as a sheet.
-Lodge is a skilled, savvy businessman and has some smarts to him, but not much of a physical character (just enough to grab and throw out Archie on occasion). He used to just be described as a millionaire, but the meteoric rise of the higest-echelon of wealthy people in the world has turned him into a BILLIONAIRE, just to keep up appearances.

Other Continuities:
* Generally speaking, if Veronica's in a continuity, Mr. Lodge will be there somewhere. He doesn't appear in Archie 1, but he makes frequent appearances in Little Archie, oddly looking the same as in the mainstream continuity. Apparently the dude just got white hair young.
* Most notable of all these is his appearance in Life With Archie, which uses him as a SHOCKINGLY evil figure! In one story, he's conspired to convince Archie to DIVORCE BETTY and instead marry Veronica, who has fallen apart emotionally without him! However, it turns out he's been manipulated and controlled by various dark figures, and is suffering from a major breakdown. Assume this version has more ranks of Deception.
* In the Mark Waid series, Lodge is again much more adversarial, carrying a grudge againt Archie for wrecking his house while it was still being build, and manipulating things so that he can become the mayor of the small town of Riverdale, on his way to become a powerful politician. He even conspires to hire Archie's dad to head to another COUNTRY just to get Archie out of his hair (but Arch finds out about it and berates Lodge, not realizing that his dad overheard; Fred, to his credit, declares that "I HATE bullies!" and refuses Lodge's job offer).

Memorable Lodge Stories:
* Jughead's been shamefully dressing like a filthy hobo in torn jeans and belly-shirts, and so a disgusted Veronica gets her father involved. To shame him, Mr. Lodge & Smithers decide to dress in the same clothing and see how ridiculous it looks. Instead, Jug congratulates them and says "Doesn't it feel GREAT?", and they actually think for a second, and AGREE. It ends with a disgusted Veronica looking at the three men lounging about in rags.
* In one story, Veronica is mean to Betty over something regarding a nice new dress- in the story's climax, Betty wows the crowd by showing up in a nice designer gown. When Ronnie openly wonders how Betty could afford such a thing, Betty just looks over at Lodge (who'd overheard Veronica's grandstanding), who winks at her.
* One funny story sees Archie learning to play marbles, but the older Lodge & Smithers laugh at his horrible attempts, as they were playing way back when marbles was a BIG DEAL. I still remember the scene where Archie messes up a shot, and Lodge just goes all "Snrkk- did you see that, Smithers?" and Smithers has TEARS IN HIS EYES while he proclaims "We'd have eaten him for BREAKFAST in my old neighborhood!"

LODGE MANSION:
-Mister Lodge owns a HUGE house, with a somewhat-varied layout (ie. the artists don't really care, so it just has rooms like whatever)- the only really important bit is either the living room or the pool; both are frequent hangouts for the gang. The locale of the mansion appears to be pretty close to the rest of the town- characters never treat it like it's a major journey- it looks to be just outside of the standard city limits, with no other houses around it. Riverdale appears to lack a real "socialite" community- a bonus for Hiram; a downer for Ronnie. Despite that, you'll frequently see fancy parties thrown at Lodge Mansion, full of giant snobs with Upper Crust New England Accents and all that. They'll also got the opera and other places- as Veronica's rival Cheryl Blossom lives in close-by Pembrooke, it's possible these people hail from that place.

People At Lodge Mansion:
Hermione Lodge: The least-important parent of the Big Four, Hermione (named years before Harry Potter came out, just in case anyone asks) is as generic a character as it gets. She's been subject to frequent changes over the years- initially she was a Classic Snob, often speaking with her eyes closed, an elaborate hair-bun, and one a' them "Rich Lady Smoking Stick" cigarette-thingies. Her role in a story was typically to just stand there and show that Veronica DID, in fact, come out of somebody's womb instead of being born immaculately. However, later years saw her become much more of a "standard mom"- she's skinny and attractive compared to the somewhat-portly moms of Reggie, Betty and Archie (though all of those got hotter as the years went by as well)- she looks like a very slim woman with trendy (albeit white) hair and regular people clothes. This Hermione is more fun, friendly and exciting than the Generic Wallpaper seen before.
Gaston: Seen a bit in old stories, but rarely post-2000, Gaston is a Generic French Chef (French Chefs are/were a MAJOR source of snobbish pride amongst rich folks), frequently shown to be snobbish and temperamental (both common stereotypes associated with both the French AND Chefs). However, at times he seems to be appreciative of Jughead, who's one of the few people to truly appreciate him. At other times, he's just yelling at the kids to quit interfering with his work.
Cousin Leroy: The little-seen Leroy is one of those "Random Cousin" characters who appear in fiction, largely to give the main characters someone younger to communicate with, without the trouble of making it a brother or sister or something. Kind of a weird trope, when you think about it... I guess the writers don't want to have to use the character ALL the time, so just having a relative who can randomly drop by is better. Leroy is your classic pest- a prankster with a nasty sense of humor and a slingshot- it's unclear as to which Lodge he's related to by blood, and he DEFINITELY doesn't act like a rich kid- he looks more like a little punk with weird hair and a bad attitude. He reappears in Life With Archie as a teenager at Riverdale High, and one of Archie's students.
The Maids: Veronica was often seen with a French maid named "Fifi" or something like that (translation: Dan DeCarlo wanted to draw a sexy girl in a maid's outfit), but they're never major characters. In one story, Archie becomes too attracted to a new Maid, and so Veronica arranges for her to be replaced by a hideous Cockney-speaking governess.

SMITHERS
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Rich Daddy
First Appearance: Pep Comics #31 (Aug. 1942)
Group Affiliations: Lodge Industries
PL 3 (38)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Butler) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab

Powers:
Power-Lifting 1 (Flaws: Limited to Teenagers) [0.5]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Lodge Mansion)- Smithers ist he caretaker of the Lodge household, and takes his job seriously.
Rivalry (Archie, Jughead)

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 15--7.5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0.5 / Defenses: 1 (38)

-Smithers is the most-frequently seen member of the Lodge Staff- usually showing up to toss Archie or Jughead out (this happens so often that he earns a Power for it!). Some fun stories involve him kind of joking along with Mr. Lodge like they're pals (often over something stupid Archie did)- I've mentioned the bits like where they enjoy dressing like slobs. I also remember one story where Archie ends up taking care of the Mansion because, while the Lodges are about to leave on vacation, Smithers arrives with the horrible news that "My sister is terribly-ill- I must fly home at once!" and Lodge kindly offers up his private jet without a word.

BIG MOOSE (Marmaduke Mason)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Big Guy, Overprotective Boyfriend, Muscleheaded Moron
First Appearance: Archie's Pal, Jughead #1 (Jan. 1949)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 6 (38)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Sports) 5 (+6) -- Uses Agility
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Perception 3 (+1)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Midge- Muh Gurl)- Moose adores his girlfriend, and will murder anyone who comes close.
Enemy (Reggie)- As Reggie is constantly trying to score points with Midge, Moose has particularly murderous intent for Riverdale's resident sleazebag.
Reputation/Disabled (Stupid)- Moose is generally known as a thick-headed "Straight-F" student. In some stories, he'll have legitimate learning disorders- in others, he's just straight-up cartoonishly "D-uh, where is the Leaning Tower of Pisa?" dumb.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (51)

-Infamous for colossal stupidity is Big Moose- the dumbest of the Dumb Jocks (a Middle School teacher of mine actually decried Archie comics for its negative stereotypes, calling out Moose's "d-uh" verbal tic specifically). With his classic "D-uhhh...", simian physique and horrible grasp of the English language (he once threw an important letter in the trash because he assumed they just misspelled "litter" as "letter" on the side), Moose is colossally, medically-dumb. And of course the story with him is usually that he's a violently-overprotective boyfriend to his beloved Midge. If he sees Reggie hitting on "My GURL!", he'll wallop Reggie into the next week- and in many stories, if he sees ANY boy so much as BREATH in her direction, it's endsville for them.
-Used for such broad comedy, Moose is actually a fun side character and iconic in his own right- in the great Simpsons gag, it's MOOSE who gets the dialogue ("D-uhhhh- stay out of Riverdale!"), owing to his distinctive, recognizable Verbal Tic. You can ALSO tell some fun stories about how he's a clod who attempts to get things right. Of course, the stories about him can waver- more-serious tales will be about his severe lack of intelligence (he appears legitimately mentally handicapped in early tales; in '90s stories, he's explicitly given dyslexia... which WILL NOT make you THAT dumb, really). His violent nature is hilarious, but of course don't quite work in a "real-world" setting, especially nowadays- one or two brutal attacks on Reggie would probably result in a suspension or something. As Archie Comics is usually there for COMEDY, this is rather gleefully ignored.
-Most "Moose Stories" are fundamentally from the same set, though there's at least a few: #1) Reggie tries to hit on Midge, while avoiding the Moose's violent reprisals (usually by trickery- this always ends up with a pummelled Reg). #2) Moose is the star athlete (Football or Wrestling, usually), and has to win the big match against the rivals at Central. #3) Moose tries to "class up". #4) Moose tries (and fails) to control his anger. #5) Moose has to pass one final test to make the school team.
-Archie's artists are often distinguished by their "Moose" designs- while the girls all have the same curvy physique, and the boys mostly share one as well, Moose can vary TREMENDOUSLY between artists. Al Hartley drew Moose as a lumbering, long-armed gorilla of a man, with a tiny head and a small porkpie hat. Samm Schwartz's was less-lumbering, but still a bulky hulk. In The New Archies, he's so bulky that he'd downright chubby. Some artists drew him as a really tall, ripped guy- more Ah-nuld than an ape-man.
-Moose is pretty rare, a PL 6 Archie Comics character! A walking mass of muscle (more fat or muscle depending on the artist), he's lifted things beyond the possible range of human beings before (One story has him lift an entire car- with Reggie in it!- right over his head). He can tear fence posts out of the ground, lift 1 ton weights with "100 lbs" written on them (Reggie prank, don't ask), throw guys through brick walls, etc. It's a cartoony series, what can I say? So Moose has authentic superhuman powers, and enough combat ability to hold up against most comic universe's Thugs.
-Moose is almost impossibly-dumb- the kind of guy that makes Bebop & Rocksteady look like Reed Richards. He can barely spell, could not name the location of the Leaning Tower in Italy (Jughead had to EAT A FRISBEE while asking "what am I eating, Moose?", and somehow "Pizza" is allowed... and why was JUGHEAD allowed to just sit there during an oral exam, and then talk to the student? THIS ONE-PAGE GAG STRIP MAKES NO SENSE!!!). He scores Straight Fs. He scarcely knows how to read- like Beavis & Butt-head, you actually start to wonder how he EVER got to be in a class with the normal kids. In real life, he'd basically have failed everything and been left back... unless Riverdale's teachers aren't as fair as they're typically shown, and have been PASSING HIM just to get him on the football team!

Memorable Moose Stories:
* Moose is trying desperately to control his temper at Midge's urgings. Eventually, Reggie hits on and hits on and HITS ON Midge, while Moose seethes with fury... until MIDGE beats the crap out of Reggie instead!
* One funny one I recall has Jughead trying to get Moose to control his anger, urging him to make a "BIG smile!", while curling his lips up with his fingers. Moose responds with a "GRRRRRR..." with a HUGE, killer Slasher Smile complete with insanely-murderous eyes, causing Jughead to lose it and run away.

Moose's Family:
* His parents are little-seen- I can't even recall what his mother might look like. His dad basically looks like an older Moose in a business suit- he appears to be a pretty normal person. In some stories, apparently a sister named Marsha has appeared. Moose naturally thrashed Reggie for dating her.

Alternate Versions of Moose:
* Moose is one of the most commonly-seen Side Characters, despite never earning his own book. So he probably appears in more that these- just in a background role.
Little Archie: Moose can rarely be seen- he looks absolutely hilarious in this form, as he's got this muscular physique on a little kid's body.
The New Archies: An friendly tough guy to contrast Fangs Fogarty's bulky, bullying persona.
Archie 1: I've seen him there at least once.
The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.: M.O.O.S.E. was actually seen as a member of C.R.U.S.H. at one point.
Life With Archie: Midge & Moose actually BREAK UP- Moose ends up dating a pretty, peace-loving blind girl in one continuity, and goes on to become the MAYOR! He becomes the janitor of Riverdale High in another. This one actually gives us a sweet story surrounding the death of Miss Grundy, as Moose apologizes for being so "stupid", and Grundy scolds him for using such a term, explains dyslexia to him, and helps him with his studies- he owes his success in life to her.

SPIKE MASON
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Big Guy
First Appearance: Archie's Pal, Jughead #1 (Jan. 1949)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 8 (79)
STRENGTH
5/8 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+9)
Expertise (Sports) 5 (+6) -- Uses Agility
Expertise (Stuntman) 6 (+5)
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Perception 3 (+1)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Strength-Enhancing Suit" (Flaws: Removable) [5]
Enhanced Strength 3 (6 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Power Suit +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Midge- Muh Gurl)- Moose adores his girlfriend, and will murder anyone who comes close.
Enemy (Reggie)- As Reggie is constantly trying to score points with Midge, Moose has particularly murderous intent for Riverdale's resident sleazebag.
Reputation/Disabled (Stupid)- Moose is generally known as a thick-headed "Straight-F" student. In some stories, he'll have legitimate learning disorders- in others, he's just straight-up cartoonishly "D-uh, where is the Leaning Tower of Pisa?" dumb.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 14 (79)

-Spike Mason is humorously only a little better than Big Moose is- he's the "Stuntman" of the Explorers, which isn't really that notable on a squad of martial artists, inventors and soldiers (like... he's gonna save the day by barely-surviving things?). He's really just notable because he's still the Team Strongman. He also wears a suit that enhances his strength "by a factor of... uh, ten!"

MIDGE KLUMP
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Flat Character, Protective Boyfriend's Girlfriend
First Appearance: Archie's Pal, Jughead #1 (Jan. 1949)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 1 (18), PL 2 (18) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Big Moose)- Moose & Midge are close, though she often finds his stupidity and violent nature tiresome and lecture-worthy.
Relationship (Reggie Mantle)- Midge seems to waver- she either dislikes Reggie strongly, or smiles and giggles when he hits on her.
Reputation (Forbidden Fruit)- Because Big Moose will tear anyone who hits on Midge into little tiny pieces,

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (18)

-Midge has comparatively little to her other than her relationship with Moose, though we occasionally get other sides (apparently her parents were divorced in Archie's only storyline dealing with that concept). Honestly, even her LAST NAME is basically unknown to all but the most obsessive Archie fans. She's the "Forbidden Fruit" of Riverdale, being hotly contested by all the dudes in town when Big Moose is out of the picture, but otherwise, she's His Gurl, and anyone talking to her is gonna be missing a few teeth pretty soon. Initially, she was ONLY Moose's Girlfriend as far as storylines were concerned, but it more modern times, the whole "Girls hang out together in huge groups" trope all of a sudden took root (it of course reflects real life a bit more than only two girls ever hanging out together), and modern Midge was getting way more regular page-time as a backgrounder with Betty & Veronica as a "third buddy" type of thing.
-Midge is a little spitfire of her own (she was drawn more petite in the older stories), able to freak out if she has to (often to fend off a boy when Big Moose isn't around), and a little more likeable and athletic than most girls- being a jock's girl is probably tough work in this universe. And yes, that is her real last name. Very classic "Thrown in at the last second" stuff there, folks- I doubt that took any thought at all.

Alternate Versions of Midge:
* There's not a lot to really go on- in most cases, only Moose will appear. She's been seen in only one Archie 1 story that I've read, and you can find her married to JUGHEAD of all people in one of the two Life With Archie continuities. A major story featured her long, difficult pregnancy, and the way she constantly had to try and make Jughead settle down and not work so hard. In a bizarre twist, the Archie Marries... story that preceded LWA actually had her marry Jughead OFF-PANEL, with Jug merely dropping the news on Archie, who'd been living outside of Riverdale. This was obviously done for shock value, but makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE in context, as it means that Jug was keeping HIS OWN MARRIAGE from his best friend.

RIVERDALE HIGH:
-Many of the stories in Archie's books take place at Riverdale High. Based off of the High School Bob Montana attended for a few years in his teens (a kid from a family of travellings performers, he greatly admired the "simple, small-town" mentality of places like the fictional Riverdale he helped create), it's usually depicted as green & blue, with The Thinker out front (just like the real-life Haverhill High). It's depicted as a pretty standard small-town school, and the only one in Riverdale- most classes are available, but the budget is always a concern.
-Riverdale High typically has most students appear to be the same age- the rarely-seen "Frosh" (I had no idea what that term meant as a kid, so it always confused me) are usually shown at half the size of the older teens). As the Archie crew tend to be 16-17, and are either going into summer (with no mention of graduation), or awaiting the start of the school year if it's already summer, they're juniors. Which is odd, because we NEVER see seniors referred to- there's no graduating class; nor is anyone but the Main Cast seen running for School Office or on the football or any of that kind of stuff you'd normally see seniors doing in school-based stuff. It's like Riverdalian School caps out at the eleventh grade.

MR. WEATHERBEE (Waldo Weatherbee)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Strict Principal
First Appearance: Jackpot Comics #5 (Spring 1942)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 1 (28), PL 3 (28) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Military) 2 (+5)
Expertise (History) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Benefit (High School Principal), Startle

Powers:
"Ponderous Mass" Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Rivalry (Archie Andrews; The Others)- Mr. Weatherbee is constantly on edge over the antics of the gang- ESPECIALLY Archie, who's well-meaning buffoonery ofter causes injury, embarrassment, and anger to the boss.
Rivalry (Superintendent Hassle)- The Bee greatly fears the unannounced visits of the strict, argumentative Superintendent, who generally sees some form of antics from the teens, and loses it. At other times, the antics cause the reverse effect, and come off as excellent.
Disabled (Age & Weight)- Mr. Weatherbee is terribly out of shape.
Relationship (Mother)- The Bee's mom is actually a motorcycle-riding "Cool Granny" character, often trying to get her son to lighten up.
Relationship (Wendy Weatherbee)- The Bee is notoriously overprotective of his niece, and often looms over boys he sees talking to her.
Repuation (Boring)- The Bee's speeches are notorious for making students fall asleep.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 5 (28)

-Among the more distinctive Archie characters is the strict, overbearing Principal, Mr. Weatherbee. Usually depicted as the longtime, elderly principal of the school, "The Bee" is ponderously obese, but is truly feared by the students, who usually go running when he bellows. He's usually shown as angry in the early days, as Archie was way more antics-oriented back then- he often had a single tooth in his head, and extra wrinkles. One wonders just how much he resembled the Haverhill Principal upon whom he was based. Even with some minor redesigns, he's still got that ridiculous toupee (which looks like a tiny, upturned spider), pince-nez glasses (beyond out of fashion), and the "old-school fat-guy" suit. Stories featuring Weatherbee as a major player were often in the Archie and Me series, which lasted for over twenty years.
-The modern era has shown a much kinder side to the Principal, who is often forced to admit that the teens mean well. That said, he's usually still the victim of Archie's foolhardiness- even in the SUMMER he can't escape the lad, as he's often the Camp Counsellor at various camps staffed by the gang, or is trying to enjoy himself at the beach. There are times when the kids save his job, when he refuses to send a stray puppy to a shelter (upon hearing what'll happen if he's not adopted), and more.
-In one PHENOMENAL story, he responds to Betty & Veronica's insulting terms of Miss Grundy (whom they view as old-fashioned and out-of-touch; Grundy accidentally overhears, and walks away sniffling while Archie & the Bee are shocked) by banning girls from "male" classes, demands that they go back to only wearing dresses instead of slacks, and more. And when the angry Women's Libbers go on the attack, the Bee merely says "But I was only following your advice, girls! Those were all innovations introduced by MISS GRUNDY!", whom he says he asked to retire. The next panel features dozens of angry girls outside, protesting the Bee's unfairness, while demanding the return of "Ms. Grundy" to service. Grundy merely smirks and says "They've upgraded me from a MISS to a MS. Not bad, chief! You're almost smart enough to be a woman!"

Other Versions:
* The Bee is a constant in most Archie-verses. He appears in the same general role in Little Archie and The New Archies, going against the continuity that he's been a long-serving Principal at the High School. He's also in Archie 3000. In Life With Archie, he actually finds love with Miss Grundy (!!), who tragically dies of an illness soon after- the later issues involve him grieving, moving on with his life, and training the new generation of educators (including Archie & Betty, who becomes the new Assistant Principal).

Other Eras:
1940s: The Bee was seen as a more threatening figure, as likely to kick the students in the ass as much as anything.
1950s-Modern: Mr. Weatherbee grew less-violent with each passing year, as his bluster would occasionally turn more towards being a "stern authority figure" prone to disapproving glances as much as bellowing and screaming.

MISS GRUNDY (Geraldine Grundy, aka Ms. Grundy)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Strict Teacher
First Appearance: Pep Comics #30 (Aug. 1942)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 0 (19), PL 2 (19) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 5 (+8)
Expertise (English) 3 (+6)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 1 (+3)
Perception 1 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude -1, Will +5

Complications:
Rivalry (Archie Andrews; The Others)- Miss Grundy is constantly being forced to witness the antics of Archie & the gang, and frequently hands out detentions or sends them to the Principal's office.
Reputation (Strict & Old-Fashioned)- The students mostly believe Miss Grundy to be a washed-up old spinster.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (19)

-Initially depicted as a hostile, crabby old woman, Miss Grundy is based on the librarian at Haverhill High School. Like the Bee, she was given a single tooth in her head, and drawn as positively ANCIENT (even her white hair was drawn as a wig- as it would leap off her head during times of fright!). The years have shifted her into more of a benevolent, wrinkle-free woman, but never gave her much shape. Miss Grundy is so well-known that she's typically used as the ONLY teacher at Riverdale High- despite an apparently full Faculty, the school typically uses her as the director of the school play, the art teacher, the English teacher, and more. The only exceptions come from Professor Flutesnoot for science, the two Coaches, and the little-seen Miss Haggly (who's never the main character). This "Economy of Character" is largely because she's RECOGNIZABLE- SURE, Riverdale has Miss Hammly as the Drama Teacher... but nobody KNOWS that character. You use Miss Grundy, and it's immediately obvious to everyone reading who she is and what she's like. It saves time and gives the reader a recognizable face without having to waste time on introductions.
-Miss Grundy's strictness, like Mr. Weatherbee's, diminished a bit over the years- she's MUCH more likely than the Principal to yell at or lecture a student, but in the old days, she was basically a screaming harpy. And of course she has endless "Miss Grundy's softer side" stories, like a Riverdale High issue in which her apartment burns down, ruining the only picture she has of her parents. The students try to cheer her up, and even put her up somewhere, but her grief is handled in a much more mature, rational way than you typically see in "kids books" like this (even after a party to help her get over it, she finds herself unable to stop thinking about it)- naturally, the gang work hard to restore everything in her old place (including the picture).
-Numerous stories showcase the old-fashioned spinster as being a bit more of a Woman's Libber than you'd think, and having various "Hidden Depths". Grundy is seen leading the Cheerleading Team at times, instituting more magnanimous rules, and more. Also, she once saved Frank Castle's life.

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FACULTY FUNNIES:
* I swear to God, this was real. Faculty Funnies was a short-lived book in which Mr. Weatherbee, Miss Grundy, Coach Clayton & Professor Flutesnoot were given actual SUPER-POWERS as a result of one of Archie's Science Fair experiments! So naturally, they decide to PUT ON TIGHTS and go around solving crimes while in-costume. This idiotic idea wasn't really taken that seriously (Miss Grundy's power is to extend ONE ARM), and the only crimes they ever solved were on the Hardy Boys level of danger, but it's still a pretty bizarre experiment. A mere five issues of this series were produced, at which point their powers wore off and they retired from super-heroics. I like to think that this is still in continuity... though I cannot BELIEVE anybody ever thought this would be an acceptable idea for an ongoing comic book series.

Their powers were:

Mister Weatherbee: "Trouble-Sense" (Danger Sense) -- owing to his natural abilities at detecting troublemaking students.
Miss Grundy: An extendable right arm (Limited Elongation, Improved Trip, Fast Grab) -- owing to her... always having to point at the chalkboard during class. No seriously, that's how they explained it.
Coach Clayton: "Super Lung" power (Affliction 7- Hindered/Prone, Cone Area) -- the most practical super-ability in a fight, it was owing to his whistle-blowing during gym class.
Professor Flutesnoot: Withstanding Electrical Shock (Immunity 5) -- owing to his frequent victimization of Archie's failed experiments.

COACH KLEATS (Full Name Unknown)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Angry Gym Coach
First Appearance: Pep Comics #24 (Feb. 1942)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 1 (13)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Coach) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Athlete) 6 (+6) -- Uses Dex
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Ponderous Mass" Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Riverdale High's Teams)
Enemy (Central High)- The school full of evil people constantly seek to befoul Riverdale High.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 4 (13)

-Another ancient character, Coach Kleats is the early-on Gym Coach at Riverdale High, generally teaching EVERY sport, coaching all of the teams, and also teaching Gym Class. This poor guy was doing all of this all by his lonesome until Coach Clayton debuted in the 1970s. Kleats is as strict as the other teachers, and comically obese like Mr. Weatherbee, but is shorter. Belligerent and bellowing, he's also subject to the Archie/Reggie prank wars, Jughead's laziness, Moose's stupidity, and various other antrics.
-I can only recall a few "Coach Kleats" stories of much importance- in one, Coach Clayton warns the boys that Kleats could be fired if the school football team loses too often. In another, he is humiliated when the boys suggest he attempt to SHOW THEM how to do things like run the bases or slam-dunk a basketball. They're attempting to embarrass their obese coach, and when he huffs and puffs to the base, it's Coach Clayton who jumps in, tells him not to kill himself... and then turns around and teaches the BOYS a lesson. He suggests Reggie try to put a fastball past Kleats. A smirking Reggie figures he'll show up the old man, but ends up seeing his best pitch "going into ORBIT!" Then Kleats casually sinks ball after ball through the hoop (without looking, even). Clayton points out to the boys that Kleats didn't HAVE to be agile or fast- he was strong and ACCURATE, which was just as good.
-Coach Kleats isn't the best athlete around, but has enough precision left in his game to show up the boys if need be. Otherwise, he's a bit like a less-intelligent Mr. Weatherbee.

COACH CLAYTON (Harry Clayton, aka Floyd Clayton)
Created By:
Frank Doyle & Bob Bolling
Role: Calm Gym Coach
First Appearance: Life With Archie #125 (Sept. 1972)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 3 (42)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+3)
Expertise (Coach) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Athlete) 6 (+6) -- Uses Dex
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Riverdale High's Teams)
Enemy (Central High)- The school full of evil people constantly seek to befoul Riverdale High.
Relationship (Chuck & Alice)- Harry is a calm, rational father-figure to his son Chuck.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (42)

-A little while after Chuck debuted, we would meet his father- Floyd (later Harry) Clayton, the new Phys Ed. teacher, Basketball & Wrestling Coach at Riverdale High. Level-headed and calm, he was a much more stoic figure than the cartoonish Coach Kleats, and thus became a bit of a "leveling" figure in the wacky Riverdale High Faculty- reasonable and unlikely to bellow at the top of his lungs. Worse for humor, but good for the occasional story when a proper mentor was needed. Strong, generally-flawless black characters (who, as I've mentioned before, were rarely given serious character flaws for numerous reasons back in the day) like Coach Clayton once had Young Jab convinced that all black people were naturally rad :).

MR. SVENSON
Created By:
Unknown
Role: Ethnic Stereotype, Janitor
First Appearance: Archie's Jokebook #35
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 0 (8), PL 1 (8) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Custodian) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Riverdale High)

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (8)

-A curious side character, Mr. Svenson is a quirky, Swedish custodian/janitor at Riverdale High (not many High School-based things show the CUSTODIAN). Generally he's seen to be kind-hearted, friendly and cheerful, and always willing to lend a hand where it's needed. One of the few Svenson-specific stories features him winning the lottery, and thus drawing attention from numerous greedy and/or whiny people who want free hand-outs. Svenson, to the shock of everyone, and the shame of his detractors (who figured him for miserly and greedy), chooses to invest all of his money in the SCHOOL, which needs all sorts of things fixed up. Svenson meekly announces that he alreayd HAS a job he loves, and the school needed the money more than he did. Curiously, despite having half the school regularly demolished by the gang's antics, he seems to like all of the kids, by yiminy.

MISS BEAZLEY (Bernice Beazley)
Created By:
Unknown
Role: Catastrophic Cook
First Appearance: Unknown
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 0 (2), PL 1 (2) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
None

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Depending on the Story" Enhanced Skills 8: Expertise (Cook) 8 (+8) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Riverdale High)

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 2 (2)

-Even the CAFETERIA LADY is given a character at Riverdale High! Bernice Beazley is either the world's worst chef... or a pretty damn good one, depending on the story. See, writers can't agree on which makes the better story, and so we get a lot of "Cordon Bleugh"-type gags about her food, as well as the occasional story where the kids miss her and want her back if she quits or is fired (a "Save Our Beazley" campaign is announced, but one kid is shouted down when he suggests handing out pins with the initials). Somehow, she is the only cafeteria worker in a school with hundreds of students, though some stories deal with her complaints that the kids just go to nearby foodcourts.
-Like most cooks & chefs, she's cantankerous, curt and rude to everyone- she remains the only person at Riverdale High who can scream at Mr. Weatherbee and get away with it. Naturally, this makes the occasional nice moment with her mean all the more (frequently, the kids beg for her return, leading to a single tear from the haggard old woman's face). In Life With Archie her daughter Bella comes in and tries to SEDUCE ARCHIE like some low-rent Cheryl Blossom, but the arc is quickly ignored until much later, when she confesses her mistake. Not that there was any danger in Archie cheating on Betty (his wife in that storyline).

Other Faculty Members:
* With a VERY huge roster as far as High School-based things go (seriously, most shows only ever have, what? The Principal and one teacher? Even Degrassi High only ever had a couple at any given time), Riverdale can tell numerous kinds of stories. Not many things have a main teacher, a Science teacher, TWO coaches, plus the custodian & cook all have distinct characters, after all. The only other teacher seen regularly is Miss Haggly, who, like Miss Grundy, is an ancient old schoolmarm with a nasty attitude. You usually only see her in the early days, and only for strips that don't call for only ONE teacher to be present (otherwise, every script-writer is just gonna use Grundy). She even appears in the 1940s newspaper strips, as Bob Montana drew her with wild "old lady hair" instead of her later, "Founding Fathers"-style haircut. Other teachers have included Maria Rodriguez's father Raymond (a Vice Principal in lieu of Mr. Howitzer) and Miss Hammly in Drama (though naturally, Grundy will direct all of the plays). There's also the Bee's secretary, Miss Phlips (not Phillips. Not Philips. But "Phlips")- the only attractive female teacher who regularly occurs.

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There's also the tale of Miss Clutchgrapple, the ludicrously-sexy teacher just out of college. The boys find it difficult to stay on the study plan in her class (can you BLAME them?), instead getting her to talk about her college days. Mr. Weatherbee, once he settles down from watching her (he calls Miss Grundy "Chad", then walks into a wall), eventually recommends she leave teaching, and become a make-up counter girl- "*sigh* Mr. Weatherbee convinced me that I'd be a better teacher once I'd AGED a bit." Can you imagine if they wrote a story with that moral NOW? "Nah, you're too hot to be a teacher- wait until you ugly up a bit with age, or else the boys will be too distracted by your ridonkulous physique."

VICE PRINCIPAL PATTON HOWITZER
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Military Man
First Appearance: Unknown
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 5 (56)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+4)
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Military) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Riverdale High)
Obsession (Discipline)- Howitzer wishes to instill students & faculty alike with his own style of rigid military discipline.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (56)

-Howitzer debuts as Riverdale's replacement Principal when Mr. Weatherbee is badly-injured after another of Archie's accidents. While Waldo contemplates retirement, the students are forced to undergo horrifyingly-strict military-style discipline from the ex-Drill Sergeant, who even begins to make the FACULTY engage in Physical Training at school! The sight of rail-thin Miss Grundy and obese Coach Kleats doing calisthenics is indeed pretty funny. Howitzer eventually drives the students to BEG the Bee to return- he's finally convinced after realizing he's been wallowing in self-pity for too long. However... he soon gets annoyed by the barrage of requests from the students & teachers who see him as an easy mark (a far cry from the '40s, when he was a much-feared gasbag), and soon HIRES BACK Howitzer- to be his Vice-Principal! Suddenly, everyone seems much more willing to do things themselves!
-Howitzer is an impressive physical specimen, barrel-chested and well-built- I imagine him to have the most impressive stats of the Faculty. With a gun in his hands, he's possibly a PL 6- otherwise, he's PL 5.

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PROFESSOR FLUTESNOOT (Elmer Flutesnoot)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Strict Teacher
First Appearance: Archie's Pal, Jughead #1 (Jan. 1949)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High Faculty
PL 0 (13), PL 1 (13) Defenses
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+10)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Inventor

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Teaching Science)

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (13)

-The other most-likely teacher to be seen in class, Professor Flutesnoot (named for his gigantic nose- longer than even Jughead's) is the Science Teacher at Riverdale High. A frequent gag sees Archie blow something up in Chemistry Class (in a great funny one, he gives Archie some acids for an experiment, and a HORRIFIED Mr. Weatherbee can only reply "You. Let ARCHIE. Have ACID?")- otherwise, he is seen proudly overseeing Dilton's science experiments.

CENTRAL HIGH TEMPLATE
Created By:
Unknown
Role: School of Evil
First Appearance: Unknown
Group Affiliations: Central High
PL 1 (15)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+4) -- Uses Dex
Deception 7 (+7)
Insight 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Obsession (Dishonesty)
Enemy (Riverdale High)

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (15)

-Among my favorite tropes utilized in Archie Comics is that of the EVIL SCHOOL- Central High is depicted as an entire school of dishonest, manipulative liars out to win against Riverdale at all costs. They steal mascots, sabotage sports equipment, cheat during games, and manipulate students' personal lives, all in order to win at whatever the current game is (usually football, but also wrestling, basketball, eating contests and more- and yes, Jughead may be the most-frequent victim of their schemes). They've been seen attempting to break up people's relationships, overfeed Jughead before an eating contest, throw "Lady Macbeth"-style girls into Riverdale to cause feuds between the male students, and more. Hilariously, even their TEACHERS are in on it- the teachers are depicted as smirking, angry-eyebrowed guys with their hands on their hips, proudly admiring their students' cheating. Their school colors are consistent- Central High kids where red & white to contrast Riverdale's softer blue & orange.
-Central High students attach this template- most are athletes, and ALL are liars.

BIG ETHEL (Ethel Muggs)
Created By:
xxxxxxxxx
Role: Man-Chasing Uggo
First Appearance: xxxxxxx
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 2 (39), PL 4 (39) Defenses
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+4)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Architecture) 6 (+7) -- Flaws: Limited to Dollhouse Sizes
Expertise (Cook) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+4) -- Uses Dex
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Favored Foe (Over-Eating Kids With Funny Hats), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Hold

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Obsession (Jughead Jones)- Ethel is constantly chasing after Jughead, with amorous intentions in mind. As in, LITERALLY chasing him.
Reputation (Ugly)- Ethel is the singular ugly girl in a school of gorgeous Dan DeCarlo designs.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (39)

-Oh Big Ethel, how things are funny when you're involved. See, she was initially just a one-note gag: the unwanted Lena Hyena/Sadie Hawkins-style admirer of the LAST guy in town likely to fall for her (not only was she hideous, but he didn't even like HOT girls!). And ugly she certainly was- an elongated face, a single tooth at the front of her mouth (a la Miss Grundy back in the day), a bob haircut that was out of fashion even in 1963, a body that made Olive Oyl look like Scarlett Johannsen, and the fashion sense of a schoolmarm. Pretty much the MAJOR exception to the "Every chick in Archie Comics has the same body type" rule. Most of the time, she was a mix of sympathetic and funny- she chased Jughead, cried when she couldn't get him, but it was kind of darkly humorous because it was all so hopeless. She was so insane that you didn't really feel PITY, either.
-Fast forward a few dozen years, and plenty has changed. There's more pathos to her character, and she has traits OTHER than chasing Jughead and trying to wile him. She builds miniature dollhouse stuff, she's athletic, and she even dated a blind boy for a while (it was supposed to be a moral about not judging by appearances, but it's kind of broken when you think about what it says- She's so ugly that only a BLIND BOY could love her). As Jughead warmed to women over time, he also went on a few willing dates with Ethel after feeling sorry for her, and treated her more like a human being (he still has no interest in ROMANCE, but he can at least be in her presence without freaking the f*** out and running away). Of course, when they gave him his OWN Love Triangle, they skipped poor Ethel, who was left as a hanger-on, because nobody could believe her as a reasonable symbol of love (note: the semi-recent "New Look" storyline featured Jughead semi-hooking up with ANOTHER girl, when nary a mention of the poor Gonkish Ethel). A lot of stories make Jughead seem more callous and cruel, given that their relationship gets less-cartoony at times (by contrast, one strip features her announcing a victory in a Dog Show- Jughead then asks "Congratulations! And what did your DOG win?").
-What's REALLY funny is that eventually Ethel was merely "odd-looking" instead of "hideous man-beast". She's drawn with actual lips, all her teeth, semi-modern hairstyles (as modern as they get in ARCHIE COMICS, anyways), she actually has bosoms (more like A-Cups, but still better than "shaped like the inside of a spoon" like the old days), and her only hints of being ugly come from her still-long face. One of the more notable art shifts over the years (arguably the biggest- most of the mom characters are now pretty hot, and Jughead's mom went from "Jughead in Drag" to "attractive older woman" to "OK looking woman with "Jones Nose"). Artist Fernando Ruiz has since admitted that Archie Editors actually put down a "no ugly people" rule, since "Kids don't like reading about ugly people" (have these people EVER SEEN A CARTOON EVER?)- this may explain why she suddenly started looking more presentable.
-Ethel was also used for one of the bizarre Al Hartley Spire Comics stories (which were essentially a soapbox for his hardcore, Born-Again Christian beliefs)- in it, she imagines herself as a beautiful model who is still dead inside because she doesn't have Jesus's love.
-This is a mid-range Ethel, covering most of the bases. She's actually one of the most athletic and strong members of the cast- she's able to capture and hold down guys like Jughead, and one story had her kick some serious ass on the wrestling team (against MALES). She's got some moderate Skills (often based on chasing poor Jughead), Endurance, Favored Foe (with a rather narrow focus), Intimidation (just LOOK AT HER), and some grappling talents to hold unwilling boys down. Ethel can be rather scary.

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JUGHEAD JONES (Forsythe P. Jones III)
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Weird Guy, He-Man Woman-Hatur, Big Eater
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 2 (64), PL 4 (64) With Food Involved, PL 5 (64) Defenses
STRENGTH
1/3 STAMINA 1/3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2/4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 7 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Expertise (History) 8 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Involving Chefs
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Drums) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Chef) 5 (+7)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+4)
Insight 5 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit (+2 to Any Situation Involving Food)), Daze (Deception)), Favored Enemy (Dark-Haired Rich People), Taunt

Powers:
Immunity 1 (Seduction) [1]
"Big Eater" Weaken Toughness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Actually Edible Materials) [2]

"Power Boost" (Flaws: Limited to Situations Involving Food or Big Ethel) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [1]
Enhanced Strength 2 [2]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 2 [2]

"Beanie" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [4]
Movement 3 (Time Travel 3) (6 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Boosted +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (+4 With Food, DC 12-14), Toughness +1 (+3 Boosted), Fortitude +2 (+4 Boosted), Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Archie Andrews)- Jughead is devoted to his best pal, though frequently makes fun of him and lectures him.
Relationship (Betty Cooper)- The only girl Jughead likes is Betty- whose praises he always sings to Archie.
Rivalry (Veronica Lodge)- Jughead & Veronica despises each other, and waste no effort in their war of words. Jughead frequently tries to pull Archie from her clutches.
Rivalry (Reggie Mantle)- Jughead & Reggie prank each other on a constant basis.
Rivalry (Trula Twyst)- Jughead's arch-nemesis is the manipulative, evil Trula.
Obsession (Food)- Jughead can almost never resist the allure of food. He is banned from every "All-You-Can-Eat" buffet in town, and both Betty & Ethel tend to use freshly-made things to manipulate him.
Secret (The "S" Sweater)- Not even ARCHIE knows the secret of why Jughead always wears a blue sweater with an "S" on the front.
Relationship (Hot Dog)- Jughead will defend his dog from anyone.
Secret (The Time Police)- Jughead actually uses his Beanie as a Time Travel device. However, this is absolutely 100% kept secret at all times. And hasn't been used since the 1990s.
Reputation (Lazy)- Jughead is infamously hateful of anything involving effort.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 8 (64)

-Oh, Jughead, how you are my favourite. I think Jug appealed to me as a kid because I, too, hated dames (cooties, and all). Nowadays, he's just spectacular for so many OTHER reasons aside from horrible misogyny. He stands out as the most distinctive character in the Archie-verse- there's absolutely nobody else like him in fiction. Plenty of characters have "weird buddies", but nobody matches the nature of the woman-hating/asexual, prank-pulling, wiseacre, lazy-ass, gluttonous-yet-goodhearted Jughead Jones.
-Jughead debuted in the earliest strip as Archie's ugly, frowning, big-nosed sidekick, usually getting roped into Archie's schemes (while making fun of him for them). Looking about twenty years older than the rest of the kids, he wore a distinctive crown that would soon become iconic. Amazingly enough, those hats were REAL. Created from teenage boys taking their father's old fedoras, cutting triangles into the brims, then folding them up, these hates were often called "beanies" or "whoopee caps", and those who wore them were often called JAGHEADS. Archie artists soon started taking artistic license and simplifying the hat's design down, to the point where the realistic beanie was soon now a large grey CROWN with a circle and a rectangular button on the side. The "S" Sweater is more mysterious- another story has the Jones family about to move away featured Jug ALMOST telling Archie the secret of the "S", only to have it revealed at the last second that the Jones family WASN'T moving after all.
-Jughead eventually shifted character, like so many of the others- instead of being a kind of dopey, frowning guy, he became a bit sly, conniving and brilliant. He gained a much friendlier image (an early strip shows him gathering flowers by PICKING THEM OFF GRAVES), a younger appearance, and a much more helpful nature to others. Samm Schwartz, a stand-up comic turned comic writer & artist, became "The Jughead Guy"- as a kid, I hated his art, because he made Betty & Veronica look ugly (blockier bodies & odd lips), but retrospect makes it clear that he was the best "humor" guy by far- his pratfalls (often appearing only in the background- one strip features a fat woman falling into a small rain puddle, her limp hand sticking out in a subsequent panel), slapstick and facial reactions were the best. Dan DeCarlo & Harry Lucey were best for fanservice, but neither was nearly as good at comedy.
-Jughead's relationships are varied and complex. With Archie, Jug tries to rein in his excesses (and vice-versa), keeping him on a path away from girls (especially Veronica). Jug, as stated, feels that women bring only trouble, so he tries to protect his good buddy. Plus, women leave Archie with no time or money for Jugs. With Veronica, Jug has his worst rival, and she can't stand the slob. Reggie is even worse, being a prankster with the target often on Jughead, so they have a massive prank war going. With Betty (as I've gone into before) we have a very interesting and unique partnership, where if Jughead tries to push ANY girl on Arch, it's Betty. It helps that she's one of the top cooks in Riverdale. The adults tend to view him differently. The teachers admit he's intelligent, but hate his laziness and slovenly behavior. Pop Tate loves his service, but hates his tab. The only one who loves him unconditionally is Hot Dog.
-Jughead and Women: Like I said, he rejects women. Most of the time. Jug had his OWN Love Triangle for a while (I'll explain later), as well as a relationship with what basically amounts to a chick version of Archie. Otherwise, he avoids "dames"- his long-running race away from the Gonk-ish hideous trollbeast known as Big Ethel is a big gag in the series.
-Jughead & Conformity: Jughead's weirdness and quirkiness are also major factors- he isn't into what anyone else is into, and marches to the beat of his own drum. Despite that, he'll be the first member of the gang to hook up with any sort of youth subculture, and eventually shifted into a bit of a standard-issue nerd: he becomes a manga nut, is into video games, and reads comic books. This is in contrast to Dilton, who is bookish, but not much into science fiction.
-Jughead & Popularity: Jughead received his own book in 1949- a year AHEAD of Betty & Veronica. It proved popular, too- his antics were wackier than the other characters', and the book lasted for years. The 1990s saw a relaunch and TWO short-lived spin-offs, and he managed both a Digest and a Double Digest- Betty & Veronica were forced into being a DUO for such things. Unfortunately, the years were slightly less-kind. Jughead appealed to male audiences more than female, and as Archie became more girl-focused, he lost a step. When I asked the Archie creators at the Calgary Comic Expo, they pointed out that while Jughead is EASILY the most-popular character among adults, he's the LEAST popular among the core group of young girls, who prefer stories about Betty & Veronica and romance. This left Jughead in kind of a no man's land- his books sold the worst, to the point where his ONGOING was cancelled a few years back, with no real mention made of the future (it wouldn't be until the Relaunch/Reboot that we'd see a new series). Both of his Digests were also gone, and Jughead With Archie gave way to Jughead and Archie Double Digest- the only Digest bearing his name.
-Jughead, like Archie, gets honest-to-God powers. He can run like the wind if food is involved (or Big Ethel is chasing him)- so he can blast off at Speed 2 if he sees a "Pop Tate's Special" sign or something like that. He is totally 100% immune to a single Interaction- Seduction. No woman can properly seduce him (one time, a cousin of Ronnie's decided to "test" Archie's loyalty to Ron by attempting to seduce him... mistaking Juggie for Arch, she left frustrated a few minutes later after putting on her absolutely Fanservicey display ever going "That boy would be safe in a HAREM!"), which makes him the sole possessor of that ability in all Archie Comics. Last of all is his Matter-Eater Lad-style power. Jughead has frequently proven able to consume ANY amount of edible matter (he once prepared for a Hamburger Eating Contest by eating 50 burgers earlier in the day) no matter what- easily giving him a Power- but he doesn't get any of the Immunities or Non-Edible Eating powers that it normally bestows, meaning he pays the first 5 pp, then pays 1 for the next four.
-Jughead is one of the odd ones to stat up. He's a worse fighter and weaker than Archie unless a Rich Dark-Haired Person is invovled (Reggie fits the bill), but his wall-to-wall Complications can give him a TON of Hero Points in any encounter. He's got lower Abilities than much of the gang (but is pretty high in Awareness for THIS group), but makes up for them with Betty-like skill at various things. He's knowledgeable on all things Food-related, is a great Drummer, and has various investigative skills picked up from Archie. Hot Dog as a Sidekick isn't really a boost, as he's got lower stats than your common Wolf across the board (despite being nearly as intelligent as some people- and MORESO than Big Moose)- I'm not giving him his giant Super-Science Dog House that he had in that crack-induced "Archie" period that involved the R/C Racers, Jughead's Diner and Time Police, but he's still pretty bright- able to understand and react to people accordingly.

Jughead Through the Eras:
1940s: Jughead was a hideous, morose-looking figure, always quick with a jibe. He was a bit of a lazy ass even back then, but was also a bit of a dumb screw-up. His addiction to food was profound even back then.
1950s: Jug becomes a much nice person under the pen of Samm Schwartz. He becomes nice to children, generous and giving to others, and more. He kept his "edge", though- he was still lazy, gluttonous and snarky.
1960s, '70s & '80s: Jughead becomes a bit of a "hippie", as his natural laziness jives well with that movement. His relationship with Betty becomes a lot more friendly, and the two form a mutual friendship.
1990s: Jughead shifts in nature a bit- the start of the decade gives him THREE girlfriends (!!), an adventure in a parallel universe comprised of diners, a job in the Time Police, and more. He becomse more and more likely to hook up with some kind of youth subculture as well- he's linked to the punk movement, skateboarding and more- one bizarre issue even features him shaving things into the side of his head and joining a pack of skateboarding punkers (I hate punkers), including the brilliant, wheelchair-bound Anita, who is the FOURTH Love Interest character introduced in about three years. She (and the punkers) wouldn't last long.
2000s: Jughead enters a new "status quo" with Rex Lindsey doing most of the art. He gains an arch-nemesis in the manipulative psychology expert Trula Twyst, a lecturer in health food nut Googie Gilmore, and his adversarial nature actually picks up a bit- this is one of the nastiest Jugheads ever.

Other Continuities:
Archie 3000: Jughead appears, with a slightly spikier, longer haircut.
The New Archies: Jughead now features a PURPLE crown instead of his trademark gray one.
Archie 1: Jughead actually appears more than most of the other characters (even ARCHIE, it seems), often inventing something, and coming up with new words for his inventions.
Archie's R/C Racers: Jughead is on Archie's team.
Archie the Barbarian: Jughead is Archie's second-in-command- not as ripped as Archie, he's nonetheless sporting big muscles and really long hair.

Life With Archie (2010s): Archie marries Veronica in one continuity, setting off despair for everyone in Riverdale (ESPECIALLY poor Betty, who at least eventually hooks up with Reggie). In the second, he marries Betty, and after a failed life in New York, they soon move back to Riverdale, where he and old buddy Ambrose Pipps become start-up businessmen while Betty neglects her family duties as Riverdale High's sexiest teacher. Here, he also takes an interest in a Teen Rock Band, helping a learning-disabled wallflower to come out of her shell, among others.

Memorable Jughead Stories:
* Oh god, SO MANY.
* Generally, any story involving a prank war with Reggie will be among the funnier Archie stories.
* In the very first issue of a relaunched Jughead comic, Jug, in a VERY moody, depressing story, reveals that he's going to be moving away from Riverdale. Instead of cartoonish sadness, everything is depicted in bleak, dark tones with tons of shadow (and Doug Crane on art)- characters cry single tears instead of bawling their eyes out, and everyone goes on and on about how they can't believe what's happening. There's even a scene featuring Jughead SCREAMING TO THE HEAVENS, his image reflected back in a rain puddle, crying out "I can't believe this is happening!! It's a NIGHTMARE!!" We get some backstory via flashbacks- Jughead arriving in Riverdale and being stand-offish, him messing with the faculty with his general weirdness (putting dots on ping-pong balls so that he looks like his eyes are open during Miss Haggly's History class; juggling in the halls), and more. In the end, Jughead gives a tearful Archie his legendary "S" sweater, prepares to tell him its secret... and then everyone comes running, declaring with joy that Mr. Jones has TURNED DOWN his job offer, and so the family can stay in Riverdale. Very dramatic, and WAY out of the ordinary for a comedy line.
* Another Doug Crane one sees Jughead fall in with an ancient jazz musician called "Crazy Willie Jim". The two bond instantly over their drums, and Jug tries to mimic his act. Until the inevitable happens, and Jug goes to a session only to learn than Jim has died. Shedding a single tear, he picks up his sticks and hammers out the same tune Willie had perfected all those years before.
* Jughead buys a giant bag of penny-candy, and prepares to chow down... but constantly sees some frowning, hungry-looking kid staring at it. Annoyed, Jug tries to avoid him for several pages, before finally just GIVING the kid the damn thing. The resulting hug has him beaming with happiness... leading to the girls mocking him as they walk by, for smiling like an idiot.
* Archie & Reggie spend time making fun of Jughead while at the beach, thanks to him being so lazy. They eventually decide to play a prank on him, throwing a wooden box with "dynamite" written on the side into a fire. Screaming with mock fright, they alert Jughead, who BOLTS towards the box, takes it off the flames, and jumps into the lake to put them out. The boys have a good laugh, describing the situation to the newly-arrived girls... only to be scolded. Even Ronnie points out that Jughead ran TOWARDS the danger, instead of away from it, and that technically, he would have just SAVED THEIR LIVES. The final panel is the boys slaving over their "good buddy", who doesn't get what all the fuss is about.
* Archie witnesses a huge fight between his parents, and blames himself (Fred thinks Mary is babying their son). Bawling, he runs to his friends, and they all begin fearing the worst ("You don't suppose there will be a DIVORCE, do you?" "Well, they were yelling awful loud, and--") before Jughead just EXPLODES at them. In detail, he points out how an argument like that won't make "a DENT!" in a twenty-year marriage. The gang chide his bluntness and lack of sympathy... until they wander back to the Andrews household, and find his parents in each other's arms, coo-ing at each other and muttering each other's names. "Now how does a guy who hates girls as much as he does know so much about ROMANCE?"

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Jughead's Love Triangle:
* The early '90s were a VERY weird time for Archie Comics in general, and especially for Jughead. Among the more bizarre things they did was give Jughead a pair of weird sci-fi books (a time-cop adventure with Archie's sexy female descendant, and one where he... manages a diner), and then A PAIR OF GIRLFRIENDS.
* This bizarre story came about from the same Jughead run that featured the "Jug moves away" story mentioned above. Again given drama and actual emotion, Jughead reveals in a diary that "it's not that I hate girls- I just had my heart broken when I was younger!"- it turns out that a childhood crush on Joani Jummp, the girl-next-door, resulted in heartbreak when his family moved away. In the same issue, he meets a sexy rocker-chick who's into the same kind of music he is, and begins feeling those funny tingles for the first time in forever. And just as he's about to unsteadily step into the dating pool... JOANI MOVES TO RIVERDALE. Initially, this is treated as dramatic, incredible stuff, with Jug actually being terrified out of his mind, insanely confused ("oh, JOANIE" he cries, after kissing her for the first time, "Now I'm more confused than ever!"), and more.
* This came off as REALLY deep stuff to me when I was a kid, and later re-reading it as a teen. Retrospect says it's way more "Fan-Ficcy" and a bit clumsy at times- the whole "Oh actually, I'm not like X, I'm like Y!" is a classic Retcon that comes off very awkwardly. The fact that JUGHEAD JONES was now dating also shocked fans, who pretty much seemed to hate it. The following issues actually dropped the drama and made it straight-up "Wacky Dating Hijinx", with bizarre situations like Jughead walking into the Chok'lit Shoppe with a girl on each arm, both of them kissing him on the cheek and hanging onto him- something that even ARCHIE never could pull off with Betty & Veronica. Essentially, it was the world's least-dramatic Love Triangle. The best part was seeing the aloof, lecturing JUGHEAD now forced to eat crow, as he ended up doing the same thing he'd always warned Archie about for years.
* Eventually, fan complaints (and Archie's own staff) intervened, and the arc was dropped. Even THAT was handled dramatically, however, with Jughead & Debbie having the mother of all fights when he accidentally stands her up by having dinner at Joani's. Debbie looks ENRAGED in one shot (again- not cartoonish stuff- actual human-looking anger), and Jug says some stupid thing that ends up with him getting dumped ("it depends- what are you having for dinner?"- NICE GOING, JUG. That's your "I'm sorry it happened to you, Courtney- but now you know how I FELT." line right there). Next up, Debbie's suddenly got a line of guys waiting to date her, while she's all going "tee-hee" like a train of dudes following you is totally a normal thing. Jughead prepares to go back to Joani... except it's revealed that she's MOVING TO ALASKA. Her & Jughead end up having a real, tearful goodbye (though at one point, he has a freak-out when she says "the only way I could stay here is if we GOT MARRIED!"), and they cap off the whole Love Triangle Arc like that. Except, because it's Archie, Jughead's Time-Travelling Space Girlfriend January McAndrews shows up halfway through to talk him through his troubles.
* The following issue is also pretty cool, as Jughead suddenly becomes a woman-hating SONGWRITER, singing about how horrible women are and how "they all done me WRONG!" This, naturally, is like CATNIP to the female population of Riverdale, leading to numerous songs that go increasingly-sexist until Betty & Veronica refuse to play them, and they get Big Ethel involved- the goofy Ethel (mostly kept out of the arc because it was too serious, and her own issues become kinda sad if you think about them for too long) ends up having a heart-to-heart with Jug, who basically confesses that he's done with romance, but isn't really willing to hate on all women anymore.

Debbie: Debbie initially came off as a cool rocker-chick with a short haircut & bangs, but shifted into a "Generic Hanger-On Girl". She's basically an entirely different character after her first appearance.
Joani Jummp: Joani is actually REALLY weird- her sole personality trait is a desperate, all-consuming love of JUGHEAD JONES. She hangs off of him, staring into his eyes, passionately going for kisses... it's almost like some weird male fantasy about the Loving Girlfriend or something. Unlike most girls in Riverdale, Joani has super-curly, long hair, making her stand out in group shots. She also has a father and chubby older brother, both of whom disapprove of Jughead and try to break them up (in the break-up story, they're seen high-fiving each other when Jug & Joani realize they won't see each other again). Joani actually appears on a few covers in her time, while Debbie gets far fewer.

JUGHEAD'S DINER:
-The most bizarre of the Archie tales is one in which Jughead finds himself tossed into "Dinersville", a world filled with... restaurants. Seriously, it's the most drug-inspired Archie book ever, as Jughead ends up owning a down-on-its-luck diner in its quest against "Slimy" Sal Monella, whose restaurant empire threatens to become a monopoly. Jug's employees consist of a trio of Broadway-singing triplets, a fat guy, a baby, a guy with Elvis hair, an old lady, and about a thousand OTHER people... I'm beginning to understand why his diner always struggles. He has like FIFTEEN EMPLOYEES, and you only ever see one or two people ever EATING there!
-The book was short-lived, dying after seven issues. Dan Parent, the artist of the book, would eventually become the "Signature Artist" of the entire Archie line in the late '90s.

Jughead's Family:
* Jughead deals a lot with his family, who are more flat characters than anything. They're most-notable for the fact that they're one of my most-favorite Cartoon Cliches- the parents who look like clones of their children. Like Milhouse's parents in The Simpsons, the Jones parents look almost EXACTLY LIKE EACH OTHER, to the point where Jughead could be the result of inbreeding. Both Mr. & Mrs. Jones (Forsythe Jr. & Gladys, technically) are skinny, long-headed, long-nosed individuals. Well, they WERE...
* Both Joneses are pretty strict parents, always out to lecture their son into doing chores. Both are frustrated by Jughead's laziness and his tremendous appetite, and both yell at him pretty often (granted, he usually deserves it). Jughead's dad is a balding, moustached Jughead (though he dropped the 'stache when they went out of style back in the '90s), while his mom is basically Jughead in a dress with a hairbun. Until they pulled off a major continuity switch with the creation of "Jellybean", Jughead's little sister. Since the sight of a female Jughead with a pregnant belly would probably drive thousands to suicide, it was instead decided to make Mrs. Jones into a prettier-looking housewife with curly hair- she now looked like a NORMAL WOMAN, of all things! And so this was her "standard" for about ten years, until they scaled back and started making Mrs. Jones into some kind of "happy medium" between the two styles- she now retains the "Jones Nose", but to a lesser degree. In any case, she doesn't look as alien as she once did.
* Jellybean is a unique thing- a baby conceived, born, and aged to toddler-hood within the current operation of an Archie Comic. This makes Jughead the SECOND member of the "Big Five" to have a sibling. This story arc ran through a handful of Jughead issues, ending up with the birth of Forstyhia (nicknamed "Jellybean" after a jellybean truck overturning led to the baby being born on the side of the road). Jughead would become a doting older brother, and we'd get a lot of Look Who's Talking-style shenanigans as well. We saw a different side of Jug (who wasn't normally so over-protective of anything besides food), but none of the stories were terribly interesting.

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HOT DOG
Role:
Family Pet
PL 1 (8), PL 3 (8) Defenses
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 2 (+1)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Natural Weapons +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Addiction (Eating)- Hot Dog is as gluttonous as his owner.
Relationship (Jughead Jones)- Hot Dog is as loyal as any dog. Unless...
Obsession (Bitches)- Hot Dog is easily-led away by any female dog. Big Ethel has used this to her advantage many times.
Disabled (Animal)- Dogs cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects. Hot Dog, however, can typically understand English.

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 4 (8)

-Finally, we come to Hot Dog. Hot Dog was initially ARCHIE's dog in his 1968 debut (it's believed that they wanted a "mascot" for the cartoon, but wires got crossed and the Archie writers made the wrong person Hot Dog's owner), but the mutt/sheepdog thing later became Jughead's. Hot Dog can typically think for himself (and seem to understand his master), and is basically like Jug as a dog- lazy, gluttonous and snarky. The only difference is that Hot Dog is ARCHIE-LIKE in his pursuit of hot bitches. Of particular note is a short-lived, VERY weird series featuring Hot Dog and a sidekick dog engaging in sci-fi adventures, because it turns out his doghouse doubles as an entrance to a HUGE lab. Oh, and Hot Dog is a genius. Naturally, this comic did not last long.
-Hot Dog isn't much of a fighter- despite being a sizeable sheepdog-ish mutt, he's been seen off by particularly-fighty housecats in the past. If you're using his Sci-Fi Adventures version, give him INT 4, Inventor, Technology 8 and probably some Ranged Attack.

SQUINT JONES (Forsythe P. Jones III)
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Weird Guy, He-Man Woman-Hatur, Big Eater
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 7 (103)
STRENGTH
2/4 STAMINA 3/5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6/8 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 7 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Expertise (History) 8 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Involving Chefs
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Drums) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Chef) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Escape Artist) 6 (+8)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+4)
Insight 5 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit (+2 to Any Situation Involving Food), Daze (Deception), Favored Enemy (Dark-Haired Rich People), Second Chance (Falling), Taunt

Powers:
Immunity 1 (Seduction) [1]
"Big Eater" Weaken Toughness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Actually Edible Materials) [2]

"Power Boost" (Flaws: Limited to Situations Involving Food or Big Ethel) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [1]
Enhanced Strength 2 [2]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Boosted +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +6 (+8 With Food, DC 16-18), Toughness +3 (+5 Boosted), Fortitude +2 (+4 Boosted), Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Red Andrews)- Squint is devoted to his best pal, though frequently makes fun of him and lectures him.
Relationship (Wheels Cooper)- The only girl Squint likes is Wheels- whose praises he always sings to Red.
Rivalry (Angel Lodge)- Squint & Angel despises each other, and waste no effort in their war of words. Jughead frequently tries to pull Archie from her clutches.
Rivalry (Nitro Mantle)- Jughead & Reggie prank each other on a constant basis.
Obsession (Food)- Squint can almost never resist the allure of food. He is banned from every "All-You-Can-Eat" buffet in town.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 10 (103)

-Squint Jones is an elite Daredevil & Escape Artist, giving him better Defenses & Abilities.

"Teeny weeny magic beanie,
Pointing towards the sky;
Give me muscle, power, vigor,
Form a super guy!"


Unlike Pureheart and Superteen, Captain Hero has an arsenal of bizarre weaponry (like exploding bubble gum), and demonstrates other powers, such as "super-breath" and transforming his head into a steel drill.

CAPTAIN HERO (Forsythe P. Jones III)
Created By:
Vic Bloom & Bob Montana
Role: The Weird Guy, He-Man Woman-Hatur, Big Eater
First Appearance: Pep Comics #22 (Dec. 1941)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 10 (145)
STRENGTH
1/10 STAMINA 1/8 AGILITY 0/1
FIGHTING 2/9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 7 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Expertise (History) 8 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Involving Chefs
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Drums) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Chef) 5 (+7)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+4)
Insight 5 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit (+2 to Any Situation Involving Food)), Daze (Deception)), Favored Enemy (Dark-Haired Rich People), Taunt

Powers:
Immunity 1 (Seduction) [1]
"Big Eater" Weaken Toughness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Actually Edible Materials) [2]

"Power Boosts"
Enhanced Strength 9 [18]
Enhanced Stamina 7 [14]
Protection 2 [2]
Enhanced Agility 1 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 7 [14]
Enhanced Dodge +7 [7]

"Random Powers"
Shapeshift 3 (Examples: Turning Head into a Drill; Super-Breath; Exploding Bubble Gum) [24]
Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Boosted +9 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +0 (+1 Boosted)

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +1 (+10 Boosted), Fortitude +9, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (Evilheart)
Power Loss (Beanie)- Jughead requires the beanie to transform into Captain Hero.
---
Relationship (Archie Andrews)- Jughead is devoted to his best pal, though frequently makes fun of him and lectures him.
Relationship (Betty Cooper)- The only girl Jughead likes is Betty- whose praises he always sings to Archie.
Rivalry (Veronica Lodge)- Jughead & Veronica despises each other, and waste no effort in their war of words. Jughead frequently tries to pull Archie from her clutches.
Rivalry (Reggie Mantle)- Jughead & Reggie prank each other on a constant basis.
Rivalry (Trula Twyst)- Jughead's arch-nemesis is the manipulative, evil Trula.
Obsession (Food)- Jughead can almost never resist the allure of food. He is banned from every "All-You-Can-Eat" buffet in town, and both Betty & Ethel tend to use freshly-made things to manipulate him.
Secret (The "S" Sweater)- Not even ARCHIE knows the secret of why Jughead always wears a blue sweater with an "S" on the front.
Relationship (Hot Dog)- Jughead will defend his dog from anyone.
Secret (The Time Police)- Jughead actually uses his Beanie as a Time Travel device. However, this is absolutely 100% kept secret at all times. And hasn't been used since the 1990s.
Reputation (Lazy)- Jughead is infamously hateful of anything involving effort.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 95 / Defenses: 8 (145)

-Captain Hero is similar to Pureheart and Superteen, but has a few different tricks, such as bizarre Shapeshifting powers.

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JANUARY McANDREWS
Created By:
Rich Margopolous & Rex Lindsey
Role: Lady Cop
First Appearance: Jughead's Time Police #1 (July 1990)
Group Affiliations: The Time Police
PL 4 (69), PL 5 (69) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (History) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Time Police) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Time Police Gear, Time Travel Watch), Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Jughead Jones)- January quickly fell for her clever partner.
Responsibility (The Time Police)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (69)

JUGHEAD's TIME POLICE:
-Another one of the weird 1990s comics- Jughead is revealed as a person of VAST importance in the future (a la Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), and time-travel shenanigans require his help. His aide in these missions to stop time-travelling criminals is January McAndrews, a Marshal in the Time Police. Freckled and with red hair, January is the descendant of Archie Andrews himself... and falls in love with Jughead. and VICE VERSA. Yes, Jughead was really making the kisses with a FEMALE VERSION OF HIS BEST FRIEND. This is, of course, the guy whose sexuality has been the butt of jokes for DECADES thanks to his unwavering loyalty to his best pal combined with his disgust with the opposite sex. So, you know, this didn't help.
-Most of their adventures are pretty pedestrian- the origin story involves Morgan Le Fay (another Marshall from the future) taking some future weapons and going all "I'm a wizard now!" with them in the past- she is undone thanks to Jughead, January and Merlin (himself a retired Marshall). Certain wrongs must be righted throughout time (Marco Polo MUST discover spaghetti in China, for instance). GENE COLAN of all people worked on a couple issues! The book was cancelled after only six issues, so it obviously wasn't a big hit. Artist Rex Lindsey would move on to become the signature Jughead artist after a point, however.

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TRULA TWYST
Created By:
Frank Doyle & Rex Lindsey
Role: Manipulative Bitch, Jughead's Arch-Nemesis
First Appearance: Jughead #89 (xxxxx)
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 0 (45), PL 2 (45) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 8 (+11, +13 Attractive)
Expertise (Behavioral Sciences) 9 (+13)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Investigaion 5 (+7)
Perception 1 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Fascination (Deception), Favored Enemy (Teenage Boys), Ultimate Behavioral Sciences

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Obsession (The Mind of Jughead Jones)- Trula constantly befuddles "Juggers", and sometimes claims to be attracted to him!
Reputation (Manipulative Bitch)
Responsibility (Jughead Under Surveillance Team)

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (45)

-Trula Twyst was a great little storyline in the Jughead books last decade, and I kind of wish they'd do more with it. Forming her "J.U.S.T. Cause", she tracked Jughead, reading into his motives and personality traits, and created a complex plot to make him drop his distaste for romance (through placing herself in his location at every point, making him fascinated with her). This "epic" three-parter ended with Trula finally convincing Jughead that he might have been ROMANTICALLY INTERESTED IN HER. The fact that a woman could do this to Jug made all the other boys in Riverdale High interested in her (I mean, if the He-Man Woman-Hater could fall for a girl, she MUST be awesome, right?), and suddenly Trula was the most popular girl in school, with her pick of guys to date. WHICH WAS HER PLAN ALL ALONG. Doctor Doom, move over, you have been replaced in the Magnificent Bastard arena with a teenage girl.
-Trula appeared several more times over the years to vex Jughead, usually coming out as a surprise ending. Jug never trusted her after her initial manipulation, and she gleefully manuevered him and others about like puppets on strings as a villainous Femme Fatale. Awesome stuff. And in actuality, she was the only person who almost NEVER got comeuppance from Jughead- his frequent victims Veronica & Reggie almost NEVER pull one over on him, but Trula? Trula nearly always remained victorious. At various points, she made Jughead convinced he spoke only French, subliminally write her initials everywher he went, and made him DISLIKE HAMBURGERS. This makes her one of the most unique Archie Comics females, and I wish they'd do something with her- she just kind of popped up in random backstories as a nemesis, and only in Jughead's book.
-Trula is a true Manipulator Goddess, possessing a MASSIVE Insight, Behavioral Sciences, and Deception Skill Level for an Archie character. The others simply aren't on her level- she'd crush them, sending them on wild goose chases, having them questioning their deepest held beliefs, and eventually subvert everything for a winning score for her. I think I'm in love.

THE SAGA OF TONI TOPAZ:

-In 2012, a new character appeared in Jughead's Double Digest #176- calling herself "Two-Fisted" Toni Topaz (god that sounds dirty, but it's a reference to her ability to eat hot dogs with one in each fist. So it's nothing dirty- it's just a reference to her skill at grasping weiners). She was an ancillary character in a tale that was mostly about Jughead searching for his lost little sister at a carnival. Toni manages to defeat Jug in an eating contest (!!!!), but volunteers to help find little Jellybean, proving herself to be a good person. She appeared in a couple more stories, and that was it...
-HOWEVER, an interesting thing happened, and you get more of the story if you do a little digging. I've asked Fernando Ruiz (who drew the story) about this in person and online, just to satisfy my curiosity, and he basically said that the character was Created By Committee, Poochie-style, in order to "add more diversity" to Riverdale. Basically, a group of Archie staffers gathered together and added traits to her, culminating in a Rihanna-inspired black girl with pink hair and purple clothing. And "since nobody really liked Chuck" (sez Ruiz), she was pushed as Riverdale's new minority character. Except RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT, they basically stopped producing new content for the Digests, AND Jughead lost his solo book. So now we had an orphaned "Hot New Character". Except we still had DIGEST COVERS, yesiree.
-And so the most inane thing occurred- you would see Digest cover after Digest cover, full of happy smiling faces (this was during the "everyone must be smiling on every cover" Editorial Edict at Archie, as well). There would be Archie, and he'd be smiling and dealing with the flirtacious advances of a smiling Veronica, a smiling Betty, and... a smiling Toni Topaz? Okay, then. And then there'd be another cover. And ANOTHER shot of Toni Topaz. And ANOTHER one! Basically, this character who'd appeared in all of TWO STORIES TOPS was now getting COVER TIME on the big-selling Digests. Because Riverdale needed more diversity, Toni, "The blandest Archie character ever!" (Ruiz again) was essentially rivetted onto covers like she was important... except the means to showcase her were now already gone. Because, as always, COMICS ARE WEIRD.

REGGIE MANTLE
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Prankster, Archie's Rival
First Appearance: Jackpot Comics #5 (Spring 1942)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 2 (44), PL 4 (44) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Pranks) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Guitar) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Set-Up, Startle, Taunt, Ultimate Pranking Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Rivalry (Archie Andrews)-
Relationship (Veronica Lodge)- Reggie constantly wants to date Ronnie, and schemes to be first in her mind. That said, he rarely seems to moon over her, and is always there for...
Relationship (Midge)- Reggie lusts for Midge openly, and frequently harrasses her whenever Big Moose, her beau, isn't around.
Enemy (Big Moose)- Moose will gladly beat down Reggie for hitting on his "gurl".
Obsession (Pranks)
Rivalry (Jughead Jones)- Reggie & Jughead are natural enemies, and frequently get into prank wars with each other.
Reputation (Blowhard)- Reggie openly refers to himself as "Reggie the Great" in the third person, and even his looks and fancy car cannot help him when he begins bragging to any hot girl he meets.
Obsession (Winning & Getting Attention)- Reggie likes to win and be the centre of the spotlight. He once rose a fuss at a baby shower because he wasn't everyone's focus.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (44)

-Reggie was just a rival at first- attempting to steal Ron from Archie, and often succeeding (he had money, whereas Archie never did). He also pranked most of the gang, focusing on Jughead. Eventually, though, he became a friend to the gang, often hanging around with them in spite of his jerikish nature, as his wise-guy gags made him more of "that friend who mocks everybody and is sarcastic" than an outright villain like he had been. Still, Reg is a scoundrel. He still pranks Jug more often than not, tries to steal Ron from Arch and Midge from Big Moose (which makes him nearly suicidally psychotic, in most people's view), and always makes fun of his friends, but they occasionally show his brighter side. OCCASIONALLY... as in much less than Ronnie (who still has Betty as a best friend)- he usually hates kids and is usually the least helpful person ever (making you wonder why anyone even HANGS OUT with the guy), ruining people's dates for fun, but even HE shows a positive side once in a while. It's pretty clear that he's kept a member of the group because otherwise, it's hard to justify reasons why he would otherwise show up in group settings (like Pop Tate's or Lodge Mansion). They want a bad guy, but they also want the dynamic effect he has on stories, and so he stays. Though when you think about it, he's probably nicer than the entire cast of Friends. Hell, he's practically the Proto-Chandler- a friend who's really kind of a sniping, sarcastic ass (in one story, Archie goes into a boxing match hesitantly- shuffling down the "long walk" down the aisle, and Reg says "Don't worry Arch- you won't be WALKING back!")
-Reggie's always had a tough row to hoe, as you can see. Constantly flitting between being a villainous rival and a "nice guy at heart" (most later, or more serious, stories showcase the latter), he's never maintained his own solo series for very long. The semi-famous (amongst Archie fans) Reggie and Me, Reggie's Revenge, and Reggie's Jokebook are mostly pretty short-lived attempts at solo stardom- his longest-running title was an impressive 126 issues long, but died in 1980 and has never returned for more than a Limited Series. He's very much the odd man out: Archie is the Core book, Betty & Veronica are the most popular books given the mostly-female fanbase, and Jughead has the most potential for comedy (both slapstick and snarking), as well as the largest male fanbase. Reggie is just left out of that- he's got his supporters, but his character isn't as deep as the rest of the "Big Five", so despite having "Headliner Status" (ie. his head is up there in the Dan DeCarlo-drawn "Five Floating Heads" set-up at the top-left corner of many books -when did comics get AWAY from that, anyhow? I always loved that mini-roster pic), he's pretty much a constant "also-ran". He's higher up than everybody else on the Popularity Tier, but lower than the main four who can actually have ongoing books.
-Stories in which Reggie is explicitly the villain are usually Archie/Veronica/Reggie Triangle stories, or Athletics stories that don't involve Central High. Reggie is typically seen as a superior athlete to Archie, and spends most of his time bragging about it. Archie thus has to train in order to show up Reg on the field (even in TEAM SPORTS, where ideally you're supposed to, you know, CO-OPERATE). Stories in which he's the good guy are typically ones where he's part of the group in an adventure story, or the notable one where he & Betty date. As a "Bad Boy" archetype, Reggie is popular with a lot of younger female fans, who focus on his nice qualities.
-The easiest way to tell he's the most minor of the Big Five? Imagine his parents. Most would never know their names (even *I* have to Wikipedia it, and I remember crazy crap like Hermione being Veronica's mom's name, and Betty's mom actually being named ALICE COOPER in one of those odd coincidences), and they certainly have the least amount of characterization of all the Big Five's parents. I think I've only ever seen Reg's mom TWICE, and it's for a panel or two at at time.
-Also as the least-iconic member of the Big Five, Reggie has been allowed to change his hairstyle over the years. Archie & Jughead look pretty much the same as they did in 1960, while Betty's been wearing the Tomboy Ponytail for decades, and Veronica consistently has long black hair. Reggie's been allowed to have sideburns, a mini-ponytail, shaggier hair, slicked-back hair, etc., because he's just "that guy with the round head and black hair" visually. He's not as important to "keep right" as the others.
-His lack of regular book and status as a character 'outside' the core but slightly in it makes him the most variable in appearance of the gang. While the main four haven't changed notably since the 1960s (usually going back quickly after a hair change like Betty's occasional pigtails or the 'long hair with topknot' look), Reggie's had mullets, short slicked-down hair, slicked BACK hair, shaggy hair, sideburns, etc.
-Reggie is PL 2 thanks to his physical Abilities being a bit higher than the Archieverse norm (he's nearly always a better athlete than Archie in any given story- even those where Archie is GOOD at sports), and he has Sneak Attack. Really, Reg's sneakiness is reflected all over his stats- his Craft Pranks skill, decent Bluff & Stealth ranks, Startle, Taunt (who ELSE but Reggie would have this?), Set-Up, etc. He's also a little bit attractive (though his Charisma isn't nearly to Ronnie's level, as his blowhard nature makes him unappealing to many girls) and rich (enough that he has a sweet car and constant 'bread' for dates.

Reggie Through the Eras:
1940s: Reggie is more of a vicious jerk, frequently coming to blows with Archie.
1950s-Modern: Reggie after this point becomes more of a "prankster that still hangs out with everybody"- he's mean to everyone, but still gets to be part of the group. SOMEHOW.

Other Continuities:
Archie 3000: Reggie shows up in the same role, with slightly spikier hair.
The New Archies: Reggie is now a smart-assed pre-teen, with huge hair.
Archie 1: Reggie is usually the jerk villain in these bits.
Archie's R/C Racers: Reggie runs his own EVIL R/C Car team!
Archie the Barbarian: Reggie is treated as an evil Barbarian Warlord and rival to Archie.

Life With Archie (2010s): In the more "realistic" series, Reggie exchanges his buffoonery for a semi-serious look at adult life. He actually marries BETTY in one continuity, and works on a Reality Show with her- his garage business mixed with her cooking business. In the other continuity, Reggie tries to run his father's newspaper after the old man nearly dies of a stress-induced heart attack.

Memorable Reggie Stories:
* Fitting his nature, good Reggie stories tend to be good stories for OTHER characters. One notable one I recall is when Reggie's dad is jailed after writing some articles about military over-spending because he refused to give up his sources. A despondent Reggie is given a lot of sympathy from the other characters, and solves the problem in the only way he knows how: chicanery and blackmail! He photographs the judge for the trial flirting with his secretary, and one conversation later, Ricky Mantle is free!

Reggie's Family:
* Reggie's parents, like I said, are by far the least-important of the Big Five. His father Ricky is seen as the mustache-wearing owner of the Riverdale Gazette newspaper, which brings in enough money to keep Reggie comfortably more well-off than all of his friends (save Veronica, of course). His mother, named Vickey, basically never appears- you see one or two shots of a woman who might as well be Alice Cooper or Mary Andrews with black hair, and that's it. In one of the more bizarre twists of Life With Archie, the 2010 series actually introduced Reggie's older BROTHER, Oliver Mantle, as a more-responsible sibling.

NITRO MANTLE
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Prankster, Archie's Rival
First Appearance: Jackpot Comics #5 (Spring 1942)
Group Affiliations: The Explorers of the Unknown
PL 6 (80)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Pranks) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Guitar) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Demolitions) 10 (+10)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Demolitions Gear), Set-Up, Startle, Taunt, Ultimate Pranking Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Explorers of the Unknown)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (80)

-Reggie is the "Demolitions Expert" of the Explorers, packing a lot of gear that probably has him hitting higher than his pretty-low PL.

EVILHEART (Reggie Mantle)
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: The Prankster, Archie's Rival
First Appearance: Jackpot Comics #5 (Spring 1942)
Group Affiliations: The Archies, Riverdale High
PL 10 (113)
STRENGTH
1/11 STAMINA 2/9 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2/8 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Pranks) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Guitar) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Athlete) 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Set-Up, Startle, Taunt, Ultimate Pranking Skill

Powers:
"The Opposite of the PH Factor"
Enhanced Strength 10 [20]
Enhanced Stamina 7 [14]
Protection 2 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 6 [12]
Enhanced Dodge +6 [6]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Fast Grab [1]
Enhanced Skills 8: Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 8 (+9) [4]

"Jet-Boosters" (Flaws: Removable) [10]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (12 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Boosted Strength +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +11, Fortitude +10, Will +4

Complications:
Rivalry (Archie Andrews)-
Relationship (Veronica Lodge)- Reggie constantly wants to date Ronnie, and schemes to be first in her mind. That said, he rarely seems to moon over her, and is always there for...
Relationship (Midge)- Reggie lusts for Midge openly, and frequently harrasses her whenever Big Moose, her beau, isn't around.
Enemy (Big Moose)- Moose will gladly beat down Reggie for hitting on his "gurl".
Obsession (Pranks)
Rivalry (Jughead Jones)- Reggie & Jughead are natural enemies, and frequently get into prank wars with each other.
Reputation (Blowhard)- Reggie openly refers to himself as "Reggie the Great" in the third person, and even his looks and fancy car cannot help him when he begins bragging to any hot girl he meets.
Obsession (Winning & Getting Attention)- Reggie likes to win and be the centre of the spotlight. He once rose a fuss at a baby shower because he wasn't everyone's focus.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 69 / Defenses: 5 (113)

-Evilheart is the super-powered version of Reggie. That's right- he was once such a bad guy in the comics that his alter ego was the FOCUSED POTENTIAL OF HIS EVIL.

RIVERDALE HIGH STUDENT TEMPLATE
Created By:
Various
Role: Background Characters
First Appearance: Various
Group Affiliations: Riverdale High
PL 0 (9), PL 1 (9) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 3 (+3)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Various

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (9)

-So many background characters in the Archie-verse... you'd never think it from looking at their Core Cast. There's the Big Five. Then the major supporters Dilton, Moose & Chuck. Big Ethel. Then Moose & Chuck's girlfriends Midge & Nancy round out the "core", though they're barely a factor in most stories. Then there's Mr. Weatherbee & Miss Grundy at school, and to a lesser extent the rest of the Faculty (Coaches Clayton & Kleats, Prof. Flutesnoot, Miss Beazley & Mr. Svenson). Then the parents of the Big Four. It's a fair bit of people, but for a series that runs almost 70 years, it's pretty easy to keep track of.
-Then you run into this crowd. See, Archie's tried A LOT over the years to add various members to the cast. Chuck & Nancy were the very last successful ones (after Ethel & Midge joined the cast circa 1958-1960-something), coming out in the mid-70s, until Cheryl Blossom's off-and-on success since the '80s. So they haven't had a lot of luck. Still, it's a metric TON of people, always attempting to shake up the status quo. But as many (some here) have noted, Status Quo in the Archie-verse isn't just God, it's the Father, Son & The Holy Ghost as well. Virtually every new character undergoes a process where they show up half a dozen times in various books to 'get over' after their big debut issue, then they sporadically show up in the background, and then they slowly get forgotten. Some of these people have the nastiest cases of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome I've ever seen.

JINX MALLOY- PL 7 (51):
-"Jinx" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Continuous +3, Free Action +2) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [42]
-Betcha don't even KNOW this one. Jinx is a VERY one-note character; a lonely kid who's upset because his very presence causes disaster to strike. As in... the earth tears open, poisonous snakes crawl about, lightning strikes- the works. It's a ludicrous Power to give someone in-game, but fits the character perfectly- a constantly active Aura Of Destruction, causing constant, instant damage to everyone around him outside of his own control, no matter what he's doing. Simply horrifying. His character was supremely minor, but he did have a girlfriend for a couple stories- Lucky Penny, who could neutralize his bad luck.

CRICKET O'DELL- PL 0 (19):
-Perception 5 (+5), Senses 8 (Detect Money- Ranged 3, Acute, Analytical, Tracking) [10]
-Cricket's another one-noter, appearing in 1962 as a freckled redhead of a girl who could smell money. You wouldn't think that would be something you could get a lot of laughs out of, and you'd probably be right. But there she was, sniffing out money hidden in boxes, guessing the value of items, etc., essentially possessing a far-reaching Super-Sense with it. Truly bizarre stuff. She actually has a bit of a following, with various characters being astonished by her gift (Mr. Lodge was depressed that his own daughter didn't have the same abilities).

WENDY WEATHERBEE- PL 0 (12):
-Expertise (Artist) 4 (+4), Attractive [3]
-Wendy Weatherbee's one of the most recent additions to the Archieverse. She's also one of the most visually unique Archie characters, having actual dyed hair (a rarity here, unlike in real life) and a dress style all her own, frequently wearing patchwork stuff and other "outcast" things,. Sorta like Alley Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club, but without the unnecessary makeover. A great design by Fernando Ruiz. Her whole schtick is basically being a Girl Jughead of sorts- kind of a weirdo, but likeable (she has a pet iguana & tarantula, for instance). Unlike Jugs, though, she's constantly seeking attention, latching onto whatever guy is there at the moment, until they run screaming at the site of Mr. Weatherbee, her protective uncle. Poor "WW" just doesn't get it. I haven't seen her on a cover in a while, so I think the character kind of petered out, which is too bad- she was kind of an edgy addition to the cast (well, as "edgy" as Archie ever can be, anyways).

DANNI MALLOY- PL 0 (39):
-INT 8, AWA 2, Expertise (Science) 8 (+16), Technology 8 (+16), Inventor, Ultimate Science Skill [30]
-I liked the Danni character- she lacked alot of the problems that plagued almost every single one of the "brand-new love interests" that suddenly overwhelmed Archie Comics in their awkward Iron Age phase. See, Joani Jummp, Debbie, Jeff (Ethel's blind boyfriend), Anita (Jughead's crippled love interest), etc., were all completely flat characters with almost no defining characteristics. Their entire character was wrapped up in a love/liking for a certain other character, and there was nothing else to them. This irritates me looking back at the Jughead Love Triangle that fascinated me when I was younger, as it's clear that Debbie & Joani were basically the same person, and their relationships with Jug weren't anything near as complex as Archie's with Betty & Ronnie. Now, Danni was different. She was as smart as Dilton (though of course always got kidnapped and needed to be rescued), a little sly, and they had kind of a competitive/they really admire each other thing going on. So it kind of sucked that she disappeared entirely once Dilton's Strange Science[/ui] was cancelled.

BRIGITTE REILLY- PL 0 (15):
-Expertise (Singing) 12 (+12) [6]
-Brigitte is a notably aversion to Only Six Bodies trope in effect at Archie Comics. Debuting in the late 1990s, she was a slightly-chubby girl (more along the lines of Hollywood Pudgy than an actual fatty) who was ignored by most of the guys, but was this awesome singer that everyone loved. I don't think she had much purpose OTHER than to be a moral tale about judging by appearances, which is why we don't see her very much (especially compared to Ethel, who embodies that MORESO), but it's certainly nice to have some recurring cast out there in crowd scenes. The Archie gang now has enough people to fill an entire classroom in a single grade. Brigitte was occasionally seen dating Dilton.

ADAM CHISHOLM- PL 0 (15):
-PRE 3 [6]
-Adam is easily the blandest character ever- his entire purpose is to be a Love Interest to Betty. In an arc of the Betty book, Betts met this nice-boy type who had an immediate crush on her. Betty was therefore subject to a Love Triangle of her OWN, especially after growing closer to the kid. A reader poll was taken asking which of the two Betty should date- the answer was "Date Both!" The best part of the whole thing is Archie all of a sudden feeling jealous because Betty is showing somebody ELSE some attention for once.

GINGER LOPEZ- PL 0 (18):
-Expertise (Fashion) 8 (+8), Expertise (Editor) 2 (+2), PRE 2 [9]
-One of the most bizarre origins of an Archie character ever, Ginger was created when Cheryl Blossom was removed from Archie Comics due to one of their random Editorial Decrees in the 2000s. With a bunch of Cheryl Blossom stories to reprint, Archie went with the bizarre solution of EDITING those issues to create a "new" character, turning Cheryl from a redhead into a dark-haired Latina with blonde bangs named "Ginger Lopez". Due to fan backlash (I mean, really, WHO DOES THAT?), Cheryl returned, and Ginger was spun off into becoming her own character. Less of a bitch like Cheryl was, she modified into more of a unique character- her theme is generally "Fashion-Obsessed", as she's usually trying to showcase her fashion designs. The best part of her character is unquestionably randomly spouting "I'm not just some two-bit copy of Cheryl Blossom!" in an Amazing Race parody issue of Betty & Veronica.

RAJ PATEL- PL 0 (14):
-PRE 1, Expertise (Director) 6 (+6) [5]
-Raj Patel fills out yet another part of the Riverdale Racial Quota (though really, a HIGH SCHOOL should be expected to be a bit multiracial as a general point of fact, especially in a more "Generic American Town"). He was initially supposed to be the son of a guy who owned a local candy shop/convenience store, but an Indian friend of an Archie editor got them to change him to a doctor. Because, you know, Indian DOCTORS aren't totally a stereotype either! Of course, this one's a POSITIVE example, so it's okay. Raj is also a wannabe film director with a crush on Betty, and he took the gang with him on an adventure to India. His name is about the most generic Indian name ever (basically like if a white dude was named "John Smith")- also given as a suggestion by this Mystery Friend. Most of this info comes from Fernando Ruiz himself, who was defending/explaining the character from accusations of blandness from someone on the Archie Fan Forum (before it got nuked). Raj has a younger sister who was moved up a grade so that she could appear in stories with the gang.

TOMOKO YOSHIDA- PL 0 (14):
-PRE 1, Expertise (Director) 6 (+6) [5]
-A Japanese exchange student who's done very little for a character that's almost fifteen years old. Basically fills out another notch on the "diversity card".

JASON BLOSSOM- PL 0 (19):
-ST 1, STA 1, PRE 1, Benefit (Daddy's Wealth), Deception 6 [10]
-Jason is the twin brother of Cheryl, who is a much more important character. Jason's just kind of an ass, but has dated Betty on occasion.

OTHER CHARACTERS:
Adam the Alien- A white-haired teen who was actually a space alien trying to discover his home planet- he could teleport, change his shape, and levitate.
Eyeda- A girl with an eye for a head. Generally used for bizarre gags, and moved on to the Sabrina book after disappearing for years.
Bunny & Cedric- Pembrooke Academy snobs who mostly hang out with Cheryl & Jason Blossom as sounding-boards for their opinions.
Googie Gilmore- A vegan health-food nut who constantly hararasses and lectures Jughead like a good Straw Hippie.
Anita Chavita- A '90s character from the Jughead book, closely following the "Debbie & Joani" saga. She was a paraplegic genius black girl who was all "Don't pity me!" and joined Jughead's band of Skateboarding Punk friends (during the dreaded "Cornrow Haircut" phase of that book). This was actually the first interracial romance in an Archie Comic (in *1992*!).
Claude & Raoul Hopper- A ridiculous pair of guys that would show up at random in various strips based around the mall. Both of them were breakdancers, and would constantly use their dancing to either make money or save lives. Despite having the same last name, Claude is black and Raoul is white. Of course they were created in the 1980s.
Dexter Howard- A college freshman who was to be a love interest for Betty. An Editor FREAKED when the writer & artist intended to have her date a BLACK MAN (they have basically called the Editor out for being flat-out racist; not just cowardly in a "well we might lose sales in X region." sort of way), and so he got turned white before the story's release. He didn't reappear much.
Jeffrey: A blind boy who was dating Big Ethel back when she was gaining more characterization. He was a bit clever and good with a joke, but the "Moral" of the story was a bit weird because OF COURSE Ethel could only find love with someone who couldn't see her.
Kim Wong: A Chinese girl who moved to Riverdale. Her & Tomoko occasionally appear in the same strips, giving us the odd case of having TWO Asian characters around- not just a single one to represent all people with epicanthal folds.
Austin, Brandon & George: Three guys set up in a Double Digest Fan-Write-In campaign to see which of them would get to date Cheryl Blossom. Naturally, after taking up the main story in FOUR STRAIGHT ISSUES, they failed to reappear more than a couple of times each. Austin was a rugged outdoorsman, Brandon a rich computer expert (who was a bigger klutz than Archie and was initially seen as black in the solicitation), and George a master chef. George won, while the other two dated Betty & Veronica.
Kumi Tanura: Another Japanese girl, with stories written by an actual Japanese artist. Her mother keeps Japanese traditions & etiquette, and Kumi has issues speaking English.
"The New Kids": An entire GROUP of new kids was added a few years back, after their own school closed and was "merged" with Riverdale High. This got a bit multi-issue storyline, but unfortunately didn't make much of an overall dent. It was a pretty obvious attempt at "adding MOAR DIVERSITY" in a less-silly way than "each week, a new minority shows up", and some of the characters were a bit more fun, but Archie already HAS a huge cast, and so these numerous kids didn't offer too much. At least one of them shows up in the "Gossip Gallery" in the Mark Waid Archie series, however.

POP TATE
Created By:
Bob Montana
Role: Soda Jerk
First Appearance: Pep Comics #46 (Feb. 1944)
Group Affiliations: xxxxxxxx
PL 1 (13)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Restauranteur/Cook) 8 (+8)
Insight 3 (+3)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Chok'lit Shop)- Pop's restaurant is constantly in danger of going bankrupt, or being bought out by an evil, godless corporation.
Relationship (The Gang)- Pop is on a first-name basis with the entire group, but is usually annoyed by their gigantic lines of credit.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (13)

-Pop Tate's restaurant was based on a pair of soda shops in Haverhill, Mass. (Crown Confectionery and Chocolate Shop on Merrimack Street, and Tuscarora on Winter Street)- Bob Montana even based Tate himself (initially with a thin, gray-haired appearance) off of the Greek owners of those places, and in so doing, ended up creating another iconic Riverdale location. Not really an in-depth character on his own, he's mainly there to give the teens ANOTHER hang-out (the same way Friends had the coffee shop with the massive couch that was eternally reserved, and many shows have a bar set). And MAN is that Chok'lit Shop a constant source of the exact same story: Pop's has a rival down the street, and might have to close. Pop's is on land that's being bought up by an evil corporate entity, and might have to close. Pop's is losing money, and may have to close. I think I've read one Pop-focused story that didn't go down that way, and it was when he went on his first vacation in years, found himself immediately miserable, and flew right back to Riverdale.
-Pop often has to deal with Jughead owing him money on his "tab" (something that doesn't even seem to exist anymore), which frequently grows to ludicrous lengths. And only occasionally will you EVER see someone else working there (generally it's a plot point that Archie or Jughead has to get a job, and ends up helping out at the Shop)- thanks to "Economy of Character", one single person owns, operates and runs a restaurant that's open for at least twelve hours a day, serving up to twenty people at a time.
-But really- THAT SET. Absolutely nothing on this Earth says "1950s teenagers" like a square-tiled soda shop catering to the younger crowd. You can still find the occasional place like this (one photographer used the local restaurant DaDeos to replicate it for an Archie-themed photo shoot), but they're a dying breed. Many restaurants actually deliberately attempt to replicate the style (both A&W's & Dairy Queen), but of course it's never quite the same.

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CHERYL BLOSSOM
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Worse Version of Veronica, Man-Eater, Miss Fanservice (even by ARCHIE standards!)
First Appearance: Betty & Veronica #320 (1982)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 0 (22), PL 3 (22) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 6 (+11 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+6, +11 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit (Daddy's Money), Benefit (+2 to Situations Involving Fame), Daze (Deception), Favored Foe (Teenage Boys)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Obsession (Getting Famous)
Relationship (Archie Andrews)- "Something about that red hair enflames me so!"
Rivalry (Pembrooke Versus Riverdale)- The people of Pembrooke look down on the folks in Riverdale as "townies".
Reputation (Spoiled Bitch, even by Ronnie's Standards)
Rivalry (Veronica & Betty)

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (22)

-Cheryl Blossom's an odd part of Archie history. She debuted in the mid 1980s alongside her more generic brother Jason, as a pair of preppies from Pembrooke, a rival town of Riverdale. Disrespecting the others as "Townies", Cheryl was nonetheless rather taken with Archie, competing with both Betty & Ron for him. Now what Archie would have that attracts ALL THREE women is unknown to science, but the evidence is right there. Now Cheryl was sexy. As in, sexy by ARCHIE standards, when every woman ALREADY has the "Dan DeCarlo"-drawn body-type down to an exact science. But Cheryl? Cheryl was basically Pamela Anderson in her prime, but with red hair. Even her FACE was a little different, having extra-big lips and more seductive, long-lashed eyes compared to the other girls. Pretty much Fanservice incarnate. And in her debut appearance, she tries to go TOPLESS on a Riverdale beach!
-This may have led to her disappearance within a few years, actually, as no doubt mothers would be unimpressed by Ms. Sexpot steaming up the pages of the "innocent" Archie books (of course, they never were- but the Fanservice was never THIS overt!). It was the mid '90s before they brought her back as a HUGE shock ending to the Love Showdown, one of the very first Archie "Event" stories. Returning to Riverdale to win over Archie once and for all, Cheryl became a major Archie character. A MAJOR one. To the point where she was appearing in a Limited Series every month (one series would end, and another would begin), get tons of covers, then her own recurring series, etc. Her publicity in the Archie-verse nearly rivaled Wolverine's in Marvel, let's just put it that way.
-Ultimately, it wouldn't last. As the character was always basically "Veronica Plus One", a bitcher, sexier, harsher variant of the Rich Bitch archetype, her OWN shift into "Jerk With a Heart of Gold" status (which you pretty much have to do when she's the protagonist) really just made her "Veronica As Before". They shifted her character focus from "girl stealing Archie from his intended" to "girl who wants to go Hollywood", and that lasted a while, but people grew tired of her. Before a couple years had passed, her own book was cancelled and she 'retired' from Archie Comics again, this time announcing her moving away and "giving" Archie up to Betts & Ron. She'd return in less than a year, but was done as a main character, instead showing up from time-to-time flirting with Reggie, e-dating Dilton (seriously), and finally getting a new boyfriend via some reader poll. So she was around, but not as anybody important.
-Cheryl stats up as a cheaper, less-skilled Veronica, less likeable and charismatic (people actually seem to LIKE Veronica's company- few people find Cheryl anything but annoying... unless they're male), but still packing two ranks of Attractive (in a world where every single woman is built in a way that makes normal girls green with envy, SHE stands out as "The Hot One"). Very much the same thing, which is kind of the problem with her character.

Cheryl's Parents:
* Pretty generic, but friendly characters. Her dad was richer than even MISTER LODGE was, but lost his fortune and ended up employed by Lodge.

Other Continuities:
* Cheryl doesn't have the history most other characters do, and so you see a lot less of her. She showed up in a more modern Explorers of the Unknown story as "Blaze Blossom", a CIA Contact, and had a notable run in Life With Archie, suffering from breast cancer. This more "mature" turn had her become a much more sympathetic, nice character, and she was still in chemotherapy by the time the series ended.

---

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JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS:
-Among the few indicators of who the "True Fans" are in the Archie-fandom is the answer to the question of "which version of Josie is better- She's Josie or Josie & The Pussycats?" Because ALL True Fans know that She's Josie, a creation of Dan DeCarlo using characters of his own invention, is the superior work.

It seems obvious that, during the early years of Josie's run, the focus was more on her as a female counterpart to Archie than anything else. Think about it: the red hair, the "typical teenager" tag, the two potential mates (one a good-natured down-to-earth blonde grease-monkey, the other a vain, spoiled rich snob), the bitter rival for said affections of one of them, and even the early position of Pepper as her best friend; an iconoclastic, sarcastic, Jughead Jones-like figure always there to point out the absurdities of Josie's life.

Alot of early issues revolve around this concept. Rather than a focus on the band "Josie & the Pussycats", it's about Josie's daily life, trying to date a guy named Albert, while Alexander & Alexandra scheme behind her back for various evil purposes. It should be noted that Alexandra, an obvious rip-off of Veronica Lodge, down to the dark hair and rich stereotypes, is far more evil than the basically good Veronica could ever be. Curiously, this whole series initially takes place in Riverdale as well (as shown by a few comics that have a crossover or two with some Archie characters), yet the two groups rarely meet; we NEVER see Josie & the gang in Archie stories, nor in their classes (where usually there is the whole "Archie gang" along with generic background kids), despite the fact that we all know Riverdale has only one high school. What are they, drop-outs? They're obviously only teenagers....

Of course, later they're shown living in "Midvale", which is quite possibly the only name more generic in Americana than "Riverdale"... and eventually they're just assumed to have graduated from High School.

Later on, in the years following the early '60s, the ONLY focus of the series seems to have become the band and their trials and tribulations. With Melody as the dumb, hot one (Curiously, she is one of the only women in Archie mythos actually drawn with a non-Betty & Veronica body type, given the Cheryl Blossom-like Pamela Anderson figure, a sure sign of how she's supposed to be hotter than every other woman), Valerie as the sarcastic, wise one (edging out Pepper), and Josie as the good-natured basically normal one, with Alan M. as a roadie and Alexander as their manager, and the scheming Alexandra trying to get in on the fame of the group. Unlike the Archies, however, the Pussycats are often given a fairly standard, non-shifting fame: They are quite well-known, and constantly shown making music videos and the like, whereas The Archies shift between garage-band, school-band, club-hopping indie band, or MTV-interview-requested national band. This shift save Alex & Alexandra's millionaire father, and friends outside the group. Pepper Potts was basically eliminated from continuity as if she'd never existed, since she was now irrelevant. What was she gonna do? Follow them around on tour? Also gone were poor Albert & his pal "Sock".

The reason for the change? With the massive success of The Archies, Hanna-Barbera came to Archie and asked if they had any OTHER "Hip, Young Musical Properties" around which they could base a show. And so Archie was like "ummm... SURE!" and simply re-wrote Josie into a bandleader.

Funnily enough, Archie Comics has attempted many Josie comebacks, aside from the usual appearances in the Digest magazines. When the movie came out, based off of the nostalgic cartoon series (which, by the way, was total crap. It was basically Scooby Doo with actual musical montages in the chase scenes. Alexander was even voiced by Shaggy's voice actor, and showed it. Everyone was decked out in VERY retro '60s clothing, and there was really nothing good about the series save a "so bad it's good" flavor), Archie wisely tried to capitalize. Josie got her own book back, and the Digest versions of old stories were now prefaced with a big "It's Time For Another... Josie & The Pussycats Story!" much like the Little Archie "remember when we...." moments placed before old collected stories of his book in the Digests.

Unfortunately, the movie bombed. Considered an embarrassment (even earning late-night comedians' jokes about failed movies years after it's release), and a signifier of dying careers (Rachel Leigh Cook has all but vanished since the movie came out, not making another film, and let's not get started on Tara Reid's fall from grace... only Rosario Dawson, a nobody at the time, survived thanks to Alexander and Sin City coming out years afterward, making this an "Old Shame"), the movie failed big-time. And presumably the comics did as well, as I only recall one single issue ever being released, though they probably pushed out a few more. And back Josie goes, to the Digests with her old stories being all we have left.

Personally, I like the non-rock & roll-group adventures of Josie alot more than the other crap they always pull. Most of their rock star stories either involve whacky hijinks while playing for Arab oil barons, shooting videos, or trying to make their gig while Alexandra tries to pass herself off as a Pussycat. The humdrum life of boring-old chick Archie and her pals are alot more interesting, and create far funnier, more believable moments.

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JOSIE McCOY
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Girl Version of Archie
First Appearance: She's Josie #1 (1963)
Group Affiliations: The Pussycats
PL 1 (36), PL 3 (36) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Guitar) 4 (+7)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Set-Up, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (The Pussycats)
Rivalry (Alexandra Cabot)- Alexandra is annoying, and constantly schemes to join the band.
Relationship (Alan M.)

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (36)

-Josie debuted as a nice, average redhead with a dark-haired buddy who was a bit off-kilter (the odd duck known as Pepper... it was the '60s, y'know?), having to choose between a nice guy (Albert) and a conniving rich boy (Alexander Cabot III). It was the brainchild of Dan DeCarlo, the man who perfected the "Archie House Style" and is generally considered the greatest of all their artists. Very nice, very quaint stuff back in the day, and most of those old stories hold up.
-Six years later, the Archie cartoon show and Sugar Sugar hit HUGE, resulting in a scramble for like-minded TV & music tie-ins. 1968-69 was a MONSTER year for Archie, as they actually surpassed Superman's sales for the first time ever, and were arguably the most successful comic book company around. Their decision: alter the Josie book to feature ANOTHER "cartoon band", and The Pussycats were born. Me, I never liked the change- Pussycats stories tend to be rather trite and boring, break zero new ground that "The Archies"-themed strips did, and the shift in formats resulted in Albert, Pepper and Socrates (Pep's boyfriend) all coming down with Chuck Cunningham Syndrome. Okay, so the boys were lame characters and we got Valerie in exchange, but Pepper was almost as good as Jughead at the sass-mouth.
-Josie herself was a pretty basic character, maintaining many Archie-ish traits, but lacking his bad luck and clumsiness. Named after DeCarlo's wife, Josie was a sweet girl, but her steady boyfriend Alan M. (replacing Albert once the Pussycats came around) left her with way fewer stories to tell. She's another low-end version of Betty, but with some investigative pluck (since the Pussycats solved a ton of mysteries, much like the Scooby Doo gang). And yes, her name is now "McCoy", after being called "James" or "Jones" up to the year 2000 or so. No idea why the decision was made, really.

OK fine- long version.

Scott Lobdell took what was once the best book on the market (which, admittedly, had lost several steps since its peak), and made it into crap. Here's some stuff from the list of his atrocities:
* Storm under Claremont was one of Marvel's better characters- passionate, dangerous and bad-ass enough to lead the X-Men without ANY POWERS for several years. Under Lobdell? All she did was shout "Goddess!" a lot and spout off a bunch of silly, over-the-top declarations. Storm with FULL POWER was less bad-ass than Powerless Storm under Claremont. I can barely remember a single thing the character ever did on Uncanny.
* Iceman & Archangel, who admittedly were basically hoisted on the Gold Strike Force because Jim Lee only wanted his favorites on his vanity team (the Blue Strike Force) and were from the weak X-Factor book, did nothing whatsoever in Lobdell's run. Iceman was the most background-y character ever. Both were in pointless relationships that never went anywhere. They almost literally didn't matter.
* Colossus was another great character under Claremont- a peaceful, patient man put into a war that forced him to take several lives, watch friends & family die, and more. Lobdell just made him a generic whiner, and what should have been an AMAZING story (him turning on his team to join the Acolytes) was instead just some dull nothing.
* He wrote most of Bishop's stories. Bishop now stands as one of that decade's lamer heavily-pushed characters.
* Jean Grey mattered less when alive under Lobdell, than she did dead under Claremont. Again, a once extremely-important character reduced to mere wallpaper because Lobdell couldn't write interesting people.
* He co-created Generation-X, a shitty attempt at making The New Mutants for a new era. And instead he made a retarded team of people with retarded codenames (Skin? M?!? HOW IS A FUCKING LETTER A CODENAME LOBDELL). And absolutely none of them mattered. Jubilee was one of the most-pushed X-characters for a time, and Gen-X was basically the moment when she stopped mattering. Chamber was Yet Another Fucking Telepathic/Telekinetic Character. Skin & Synch have both died without ever mattering, or reaching any potential. Not all of that is directly on Lobdell's head, as he wasn't the ONLY writer of the book (and it was probably his best work), but still- how do you create that many X-characters who don't matter?
* Not only created Maggott, but created the adult version of Marrow, who was a shameless attempt at copying everything about Wolverine with a new character.

In short, he is, more than anyone, responsible for how the X-Titles became more known for mediocrity than goodness.

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VALERIE SMITH (aka Valerie Brown)
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Black Best Friend, The Sensible One
First Appearance: She's Josie #xx (xxxx)
Group Affiliations: The Pussycats
PL 1 (36), PL 3 (36) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Bass Guitar) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 1 (+3)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 3 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Set-Up, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (The Pussycats)

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (36)

-Valerie debuted with the "Pussycats" concept, being added to the band at it's inception, replacing snarky bookworm Pepper. She was a MUCH bigger deal at the time (nowadays she's just "The black one"), since she was the first black Archie character, one of the first recurring black characters to appear regularly in a comic since the WWII era (when they were given names like "Whitewash" and "Ebony"), and usually depicted as the smartest and most streetwise of the entire Pussycat crew. This was advanced even FURTHER in the cartoon series (where she was the first recurring black cartoon character on TV, period), where she was a technical genius and inventor! For the time, it was pretty epic.
-Valerie is typically given the least to do of the Josie characters these days, save for a big arc in the main books when the Pussycats started teaming up with The Archies to do a dual concert, and Valerie & Archie ended up FALLING IN LOVE. This was treated rather maturely, though Betty & Veronica weren't exactly pleased (the confessed they'd realized what was going on, but that nobody really MEANT for it to happen). Also, this means that Archie was now shooting above his own age group, as the Pussycats had since graduated. They even did a "Sequel" to The Married Life featuring Archie marrying VALERIE in the future, and raising a cute biracial musician daughter together.
-Valerie's still kind of the Deadpan Snarker of the team, making comments about Alex, Alexandra and Melody for the most part, but is otherwise pretty basic. She's more costly than Josie herself (the main character!) because of her aforementioned smarts occasionally making it's way into the comic series.

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MELODY JONES (aka Melody Valentine)
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Miss Fanservice (even by the standards of a Dan DeCarlo character), Innocent Fanservice Girl
First Appearance: She's Josie #1 (1963)
Group Affiliations: The Pussycats
PL 1 (28), PL 3 (28) Defenses, PL 4 (28) Hottie
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Drums) 6 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+4, +9 Attractive)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Daze (Persuasion), Fascination (Persuasion)

Powers:
"Ears Wiggling When Danger Approaches" Super-Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]
Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Stunned/Transformed to Stupid Drooling Idiot) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Reaction +3) (Flaws: Limited to Those Attracted to Women, Uncontrolled) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (The Pussycats)
Reputation (Dumb Hottie)- Melody is considered thick-headed by everyone else. She's also considered an evil threat by most of the women in town, who wanted to ban her presence. The Pussycats were only able to call them off by hiring a MALE hottie.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 6 (28)

-Rounding out the trio is Melody, the Fanservice goddess of the Archie universe until Cheryl Blossom came around in the mid 1980s. Drawn by DeCarlo as pretty much an idealized, ridiculously curvy creature (a hippie club owner described "That thing her head rests on... it's gangbusters! Like, WOW!"), but alas, she was stupid to Big Moose levels. She was the source of a ton of "Dumb Blonde"-type jokes, cat-calling, guys falling over themselves to impress her, and general Big Moose-type "misunderstands an old saying or what someone just said" gags. They never really developed her character too far beyond that, but what the hey? She's the sex appeal, even going back to She's Josie #1.
-One of the funniest Josie comics featured the girls dressed as showgirls for some play they were putting on (yes High School girls dressed in Vegas-style skimpy suits it's Dan DeCarlo drawing just roll with it), and Alexander comes by and asks what they're up to. Unfortunately, Josie tells him that Melody went to get something... while wearing the uniform. Alexander sees what the suit looks like, FREAKS OUT ("OMIGOSH!! She'll wreck the town!"), and so begins the quest to find her. And the trail is easy to follow- the first sign is a man who's SLAMMED HIS CAR INTO A TREE, leaning out of the totaled vehicle while still holding the steering wheel straight out, while he stares behind him with a slack-jawed imbecilic look on his face. Next up, they find a motorcycle-driving police officer... bouncing his bike six feet off the ground as he rides along a fence, also while staring back. EVENTUALLY, they find Melody before she destroys too much of the town.
-Melody comes pretty cheap since she's so blatantly giblet-headed, but she's got some unique stuff. She's got the highest Attractive/Bishoujo rating in the Archieverse, and even has a POWER representing her unwilling ability to turn men into supreme morons at the sight of her (a personal favourite Josie story features Melody being stalked by a young boy who fell in love at first sight- the girls actually find it adorable, and Melody even KISSES HIM, sending him into orbit- complete with giant smoke cloud. Alexander admits that'd probably be his reaction, too). It's pretty cheap since its Limited across the board, but hey, these girls are NPC-types for the most part. I left in her Danger-Sense from the cartoons for the hell of it.

ALEXANDER CABOT III
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Rich Suitor, Band Manager
First Appearance: She's Josie #1 (1963)
Group Affiliations: The Pussycats
PL 0 (18), PL 2 (18)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Band Manager) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)
Persuasion 2 (+2)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Daddy's Wealth)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Josie)- In the early days, Alexander had a thing for Josie.
Responsibility (The Pussycats' Manager)

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (18)

-Alex is kind of a weenie, and not that great a character. He was pretty much just a Reggie Mantle rip-off at first, but was kind of "The Veronica" as well to Albert's "Betty", as he was constantly scheming to get Josie away from Albert and into his own arms, using his wealth, etc. How many rich people ARE their in the Archieverse anyways? I sure as heck didn't go to school with any millionaires' kids. When the "Pussycats" concept debuted, Alex was shifted into their namby-pamby wuss of a manager, constantly scheming to get gigs and publicity for the girls, and his Josie-chasing took a backseat (I can't even remember a single issue where he tries to hook up with her, actually). For some reason, his being voiced by the guy who did "Shaggy" in the Scooby-Doo cartoons made him an EXACT copy of Shaggy in the cartoon, right down to the hippie speech patterns, though his outfits were even GOOFIER.
-Alexander's one great moment in the comics came when some old people were selling their possessions to make ends meet. The gang expects Alexander to be all huffy and superior about everything, but after getting to know the couple, he delivers an antique of theirs to some dealer, and tells them that it's worth a TON of money. Oh, and that his rich daddy needs a housekeeper to watch over one of their summer residences, so the old guy gets a job. The couple are tearfully embracing over having a reason to feel useful once more, and for their good fortune... at which point Alexander reveals to the group that "the dealer said their antique was worthless! Now was that a nice thing to say?"- he's basically just made the whole thing up to give 'em a good turn!
-Alex isn't too great at many things, and even has lower Ability scores than most of the "Generic" boys in Riverdale. His Pop Culture & Business Expertise are both okay, so he's a passable Band Manager (though he still puts them into awkward situations or embarassing mishaps). He's also a bit of a coward, but that's not really shown in his stats other than his low Will Save.

"What happened to Albert and Pepper from Josie & The Pussycats? I haven't seen them in the newer stories."
Albert and Pepper were characters who figured prominently in the Josie comics for about seven years. In those early years, beginning with "SHE'S JOSIE #1" (February, 1963), the series was closer in tone to Archie. Josie had close friends like the dimwitted blonde Melody that everyone knows, but she was perhaps even chummier at the time with Pepper, who sported dark, short- cropped hair and spectacles a la Lisa Loeb-- and could match Jughead in her ability to be just a few steps ahead of everyone else. There was no rock band at this time-- rather, the girls worried about dating, just like Betty and Veronica! One of the men in Josie's life was Albert, a beatnik who sometimes was portrayed as sensitive while other times he could be a real rascal! By issue #17, the title of the comic was changed from "SHE'S JOSIE" to just plain old "JOSIE," but before the 1960s ended, a more major change would take place: Hanna-Barbera Studios, the famed producers of Saturday morning animated cartoons, were stunned by the success their rival, Filmation had with the Archie characters. They were particularly impressed at how Filmation played upon the "bubblegum rock group" phenomenom of The Archies band. In a preemptive strike, Hanna-Barbera contacted Archie Comics to see if they had any other hip properties that could be animated and perhaps merchandised to the extent that the Archies band was. The decision was made to give Josie a band as well, and with that decision, Albert and Pepper were given the boot. While many readers missed the characters, it was a worthy sacrifice as the idea of an all-girl rock band who played their own instruments was revolutionary indeed! With the premiere of the animated series just a few months away, the title of the comic was changed again to "JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS" with issue #45 in December, 1969. It was a landmark issue- in addition to featuring the first appearance of the Pussycats band, it was also the first appearance of Valerie Smith. Valerie was a unique character in that she was both female and African-American, and she was shown in a leadership role as she often controlled the destiny of the band. Thus began the incarnation of Josie that most people are familiar with today-- that of the all-girl band who tries to look their best while playing in concert and out on the road-- when they're not busy solving baffling mysteries!

-From the "Ask the Archivist" part of the old Archie Website

THE OTHER CHARACTERS (use the stats for the Riverdale High School Template):
ALBERT- PL 0 (9):
-Albert was Josie's simple beatnik boyfriend- ideally, he was the rival of Alexander Cabot III for Josie's affections. He was a pretty bland character, and is best left forgotten.
SOCK (Socrates)- PL 2 (25):
-ST 4, STA 4 [16]
-Socrates was Pepper's colossus of a boyfriend- also a beatnik kid, he seemed kind of simple-minded, but not like Big Moose or anything.
PEPPER- PL 0 (9):
-Pepper is the most-distinctive character of the "old" Josie that doesn't exist anymore. A smart-assed girl with short black hair and horn-rimmed glasses, I HATED HER as a kid because... I think because she had short hair and glasses. Now Adult Jab thinks that Young Jab was a fool who didn't realize that Sexy Hippie Glasses are rad, and Pepper's snarky attitude actually makes her the most FUN character in the old strips. Many gags were about her lack of luck at luring in men; they seemed to play up like she was the "ugly duckling" of the group, which is ludicrous when you consider that she's got the same physique as Josie and, well, every OTHER woman drawn by Dan DeCarlo. But no- Pepper's main role was to stand back all aloof, and deliver the sass.

ALEXANDRA CABOT III
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Veronica Knock-Off
First Appearance: She's Josie #1 (1963)
Group Affiliations: The Pussycats (in her dreams)
PL 0 (11), PL 2 (11)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+1)
Intimidation 4 (+3)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Fascination (Deception)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Reputation (Stupid, Conceited Bitchpie)
Relationship (Alan M.)- Alexandra desperately wants Alan M., who can't stand her presence. She's always conspiring to get him away from Josie.
Responsibility (Wants to Rename the Pussycats into "Alexandra's Cool-Time Cats")

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (11)

-Man, Alexandra was a bitch. Being a rip-off of Veronica Lodge, Alexandra was conceited, scheming and nasty, essentially amplifying all of Veronica's negative traits while keeping NONE of her "Heart of Gold" routine, while having the GALL to not be a fanservicey show-off like Ronnie was! The GALL, I say! Alexandra schemed to split Josie off from first Albert, then Alan M., but was never shown to be so much as a threat- all the boys ignored her, as her Presence was so low that she was immediately off-putting, and she was never close to as hot as the other girls (seriously, what's with that stripe in her hair? Every girl I ever knew who did that in school immediately got the nickname "Skunk"). The same goofiness didn't abate during the "Pussycats" years, as Alexandra followed them around, tried to take over the band, feuded with Josie & her brother (who was more of a minor annoyance than an enemy). Essentially, she's just there to be a nuisance and drive plots forward. But at least Ronnie had a REASON to be around- what on Earth kept her around the Pussycats if they didn't like her?
-Alexandra is mostly unskilled and untalented, being a huge bitch who fails to hide her bitchiness from everyone. At one point, she WAS a limited Mage, though- a period during the drug-induced 1960s featured her and her cat Sebastian being revealed to have magical powers, and this aided her schemes- kind of. Most of her stuff tended to backfire.

ALAN M. (Alan Mayberry)
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Mr. Fanservice, The Boyfriend
First Appearance: She's Josie #xx (xxx)
Group Affiliations: The Pussycats (roadie)
PL 4 (56)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Guitar) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Singing) 1 (+3)
Expertise (Roadie) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Vehicles 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive, Fast Grab, Improved Hold

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

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Josie)- They're not usually seen fawning over each other, but they are together.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (56)

-Alan M. was the final creation that cemented "The Pussycats" concept into Archie once and for all. Replacing Josie's lame boyfriend Albert, Alan M. was basically Male Fanservice, being a super-handsome, well-built roadie who dated Josie (despite them never really fawning over each other ever) and was the target of Alexandra's scheming. And seriously- why in the crap was he always called "Alan M."? Even by his FRIENDS, no less! I mean, anyone I called with their last initial tended to be one of a group (my class had THREE Matts, so they were all "Matt M.", "Matt B." & "Matt C."- but these guys knew ZERO other "Alans"! His last initial was completely superfluous! Stupid name...
-Alan was introduced in a pretty funny way- the girls in town were boycotting the Pussycats due to the sexiness of Melody driving their boyfriends into ravenous hysterics (a tearful Melody tried to point out that she couldn't HELP IT, but they weren't having it). Then the Pussycats got a clever idea- deck out the muscular Alan M. in a tight black t-shirt, and suddenly the GIRLS were the ones drooling and acting like idiots! And so the Pussycats got to put on their concert after all, with half the crowd fawning over Melody, and the other half fawning over Alan. A brilliant strategy that Marvel currently uses for their Cinematic Universe- the movies already have a built-in male audience, but now there's Shirtless Cap, Shirtless Thor, Shirtless Star-Lord, Shirtless Spider-Man, etc., in absolutely every single film. Now even the GIRLS want to come see!
-Alan M. is a pretty big, strong guy- he can provoke Melody-esque reactions in girls sometimes, but is otherwise just a strong, handsome dude with some basic skills. He's easily one of the more expensive Archie characters, though.

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Some old Sabrina stories are just straight-up horror, just in case you thought that was a NEW thing.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH (Sabrina Spellman)
Created By:
Dan DeCarlo
Role: Teen Witch, Rebellious Good Guy in Evil Family
First Appearance: Archie's Mad House (Oct. 1962)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Arcane Lore) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Luck 2, Ranged Attack 2, Ultimate Deception Skill

Powers:
"Witch" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

"Magical Might"
Transform 3 (Anything to Anything Else) 3 [18]

Shrinking 8 (Extras: Attack, Ranged) (Inaccurate -1) (31) -- [39]
AE: "Lightning Bolt" Blast 6 (12)
AE: Teleport 6 (Extras: Accurate) (18)
AE: "Vines or Whatever" Snare 5 (15)
AE: "Sleep Spell" Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Ranged) (12)
AE: Morph (Any Form) 4 (20)
AE: "Invisibility" Concealment 4 (Vision) (8)
AE: Illusion 5 (Visual & Hearing) (15)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 6 (12)

"Witch's Broom" (Flaws: Easily-Removable) [3]
Flight 5 (Flaws: Platform) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Lightning Bolt +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Shrinking +6 (+8 Ranged Shrinking, DC 18)
Vines +8 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Sleep Spell +8 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Harvey Kinkle)
Reputation (Good Witch)- Sabrina is "The Stormer" of her family.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 61 / Defenses: 9 (108)

-Sabrina the Teenage Witch debuted in 1962, featuring as a one-shot. She proved popular (and actually predated the "Magical Girl" concept in manga & anime by a NUMBER of years), and eventually became a recurring character, getting her own magazine and even a cartoon series. Her popularity's come and gone over the years, with a MAJOR peak in the late '90s with her TGIF sitcom on ABC. It was rather inventive and had some cutesy humor, and was REALLY well-respected critically at the time (Entertainment Weekly was in love with it), though it utterly fails to hold up on almost every level nowadays that its gimmicks look even MORE cheap, the jokes are all passe, and nearly all the episodes are lame moral fables about what happens when you use magic to get out of trouble, but what can you do? The fact that they kept cycling through the "Sabrina's Dorky Best Friend" actresses/characters over the years, and some reputed Diva-ish behaviors by star Melissa Joan Hart didn't help. The Aunts, though? WAY HOT. It DID have one of the more iconic "Mean Popular Girl" characters ever in Libby, so famous she had her own trope named after her on TV Tropes. Me, I could never figure out how someone this clearly nasty and bitchy became the most popular girl in school anyways (in my High School, the popular people actually tended to be NICE more often than not. That's how they GOT POPULAR IN THE FIRST PLACE).
-Anyways, her comic's been all over the place as well. It went for DECADES with a simple concept: Sabrina tries to do good deeds while her Aunts try to get her to do bad ones. She has crotchety old Aunt Hilda, chubby doddering Aunt Zelda, and understanding Cousin Ambrose living with her, alongside Salem, who may or may not have actual magical kitty powers. Della the Head Witch (aka Miss Fanservice thanks to the always-awesome Dan DeCarlo on art) rounds out the magic cast, and then there's Sabrina's mortal boyfriend Harvey, who's pretty much your typical male Archieverse protagonist- kind, understanding, but thick-headed and clumsy. He's pretty much constantly the victim of horrible acts, either via Aunt Hilda or his own fault. Sabrina as always must keep her magical powers hidden from the world, though her Aunts don't seem to care- Hilda & Zelda dress like old crones from 1700s America. The comics were intially set in Riverdale (she interacted with the main characters rarely, but occasionally), but soon moved away to a different town.
-Fast-forward to the sitcom's huge success, and suddenly they changed everything around... somehow failing to even copy the sitcom that well. Sabrina's Aunts suddenly shifted into an idiotic-looking green-haired hipster and a stodgy "modern woman", which means they now didn't match either the ORIGINAL comics, nor the VERY SITCOM THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO REPLICATE. Cousin Ambrose got a nasty case of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome alongside Della and Sabrina's "Magical Classmates" (like Eyeda the eye-headed girl) and vanished forever, leaving us with a more generic comic. It failed Blade-style to turn its newfound Pop Culture Notability into something tangible, and so the comic's bounced around over the years. It recently went "Manga Style" before getting cancelled AGAIN, as Archie Comics seemingly got desperate to link modern trends to the concept, and has recently been reinvented as a straight-up horror book.
-Sabrina herself is actually pretty solid- PL 7 (107) puts her well ahead of anyone in Riverdale- but she lacks defensive abilities. These are just some powers I've seen used in the comics- she very much uses the "Whatever the writers feel like" school of Magic (the kind GMs should avoid their players using... you need the banhammer with these ones), but this is all either recurring stuff or things I just thought up off the top of my head- she uses the TK, Blast and Teleport powers the most, flies a Magic Broom (thought those could possibly also be Equipment for how easy Witches just buy new ones), has a really good Deception score (she needs it, hiding all her spells from Harvey), is un-aging, and generally likeable.

OTHER SABRINA CHARACTERS:

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HARVEY KINKLE:
-Harvey is a useless, odd-looking fellow (he has an atypically-elongated head for an Archie character), seen dating Sabrina, but never really doing anything to EARN that privilege. If anything, he's kind of an ass, and not very likeable. He constantly has to deal with Aunt Hilda putting hexes on him (because she recognizes his suck). He's much more likeable and goofy in the sitcom.

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You're gonna think this is weird, but... Caroline Rhea? NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM---

AUNT HILDA:
-A vicious old crone, Aunt Hilda is scrawny and haggard, and constantly eggs on Sabrina to do bad deeds. However, she generally doesn't get up to much mayhem herself, as she devotes most of her energy to picking on Harvey. In the sitcom, she was portrayed by Caroline Rhea as an ENTIRELY different character- a ditzy, lazy, immature sweetheart who was completely man-hungry. Also- Caroline Rhea? Absolutely in my "Women who are WAY HOT who actually don't really fit being Stereotypically Hot" list.

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AUNT ZELDA:
-A chubby old woman with green hair and round glasses, she was seen as a bit of a ditz, and nowhere near as mean as Hilda. She doesn't appear as often. In the sitcom, she was played by Beth Broderick, who I dismissed as "old-looking" back in the day, but retrospect reveals she was also CRAZY hot, as... certain films from around that time period will prove. Broderick portrayed her as a calm, rational, stick-in-the-mud kind of character.

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COUSIN AMBROSE:
-Weirdest of the characters may be Cousin Ambrose, a male relative shown just lounging about at Sabrina's house, doing nothing but reading the paper or whatever. He was a more positive figure in her life, often defending Harvey and backing up Sabrina's good deeds. He was the only member of the family to have pointed ears, and he usually dressed in the same old-fashioned suit with an eye-popping PINK color scheme (though most images online are of him in blue). He did not appear in the sitcom.

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DELLA- THE HEAD WITCH:
-Young Jab preferred Veronica to Betty back in the day, and he had a crush on Melody for sure. But if you asked Young Jab who the FUTURE Mrs. Jab was going to be... you'd get THIS lady. Evil, vicious, mean-spirited, commanding, demanding, evil, intimidating, leather dominatrix gear-wearing and EVIL, Della the Head Witch typically popped into the Witch Household to get information on just how EVIL Sabrina was being. On one occasion, she actually followed Sabrina around in disguise to observe her "evil acts"- she would morph into needy children who wanted things, and check if Sabrina was doing good deeds in secret. Sabrina WAS, of course... but when a "young boy" wanted a new bike, Sabrina's gift was a bit too large, and "he" couldn't reach the pedals, which sent him careening into a fire hydrant. When a "young boy" with a sled cried about the lack of snow to play in, Sabrina teleported him to where there was LOTS of snow. "Where the deuce am I?... GAK!! Sabrina teleported me to the NORTH POLE!!" Della was forced to freeze a Polar Bear in a block of solid ice before she was rended limb from limb. An ecastatic Della then reports that Sabrina is DELICIOUSLY evil- all of her "gifts" are these giant Monkey's Paws that turn out horribly! Pleased as punch, she leaves Sabrina a great present and gives her proud family the news that her Witchery is coming along just fine.

KEVIN KELLER
Created By:
Dan Parent
Role: The New Diversity Character, Nice Guy
First Appearance: Veronica #202 (Sept. 2010)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 2 (33), PL 4 (33) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Parents)- Kevin cares deeply for his parents, both of whom were understanding of his coming out.
Prejudice ("Sissy Boy")- Kevin occasionally has to deal with rude comments from complete strangers over being "the gay boy", and impolite jabs from kids who make fun of him.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (33)

-Kevin Keller is the most-recent new Archie character of any real importance, and made a major impact immediately. See, Archie was alawys a company to stay away from controversy- despite a record of mistreating staff, suing anyone who even PARODIED them (Robot Chicken got their popular Archie parody pulled), and more; they were always prone to err on the side of never offending anybody. This milquetoast reputation led to them often being considered rather boring... which is why the sudden introduction of a GAY STUDENT all the more compelling and fascinating!
-Kevin was announced casually by his creator Dan Parent during an web-interview, when the gay interviewer did the usual "so when is Jughead finally coming out?" line, and Dan laughed it off, pointed out Jughead's asexuality/lack of romance, and then just went "oh but we ARE making a new gay character. His name is Kevin." His introduction thus got a LOT of publicity (I mean... a GAY CHARACTER. In ARCHIE!!), an anti-gay hate-group named One Million Moms complained and Archie basically told them politely to go fuck themselves ("Gays deserve to live in a world without bigotry"), and when the issue hit, it was amazeballs. Largely because the crux of the issue wasn't even really Kevin's sexuality- he reveals he's gay to Jughead on the VERY FIRST PAGE ("It's nothing against her! I'm GAY"- regarding his disinterest in Veronica's coming on to him). Jughead's reaction is equally amazing- instead of being remotely phased by Kevin's coming out to him, his immediate thought is "HOW CAN I USE THIS INFORMATION TO SCREW WITH VERONICA?" Jug immediately hatches a plot to keep Kevin closeted from Ron to "avoid embarrassing her", when instead he's just twisting the knife to his nemesis, who just CAN'T COMPREHEND why this one male is immune to her advances!
-It also contains the single funniest gag in Archie Comics history- Veronica sends Kevin a HUGE heart-shaped box of chocolates (women do that to dudes?), but a grossed-out Kevin doesn't want them, and offers them to Jughead. Veronica then finds out the truth about Kevin from Betty or somebody... and then goes to explain things to him, RIGHT AT THE MOMENT WHEN HE HANDS THE BOX TO JUGHEAD. Veronica collapses in a heap, completely despondent- "I can handle losing boys to Cheryl! I can handle losing them to BETTY! But JUGHEAD!?!?" Cooler heads prevail, Kevin pranks Jughead for making him play along in his mission to screw with Ron's mind, and now Ronnie has a New Best Friend and shopping partner (though they clumsily make a gag about how much he hates musicals, with Ron going "But... that's impossible!").
-The issue drew a lot of attention, and Kevin was such a big hit that he got his own ongoing- making him the only comic book character from a major company with an ongoing book who was homosexual (I think this was before Batwoman got one). They had to create a lot of his history from the ground up- his mom was a stone-cold MILF with red hair, his dad was a proud enlisted man in the armed forces (a job Kevin himself wants in the future), he had two friends from his old hometown, and some siblings of his own. He was... nice. A little TOO nice, in a way. See- they kinda "Princess Tiana'd" him. In an effort to give children a gay role model character, they rendered him so flawless that there was little room for real conflict at the heart of the character (the same way Disney made their "oh, she WORKS too hard" Princess, who had so few flaws that she comes off as a bland case of Positive Discrimination). He was kind and sweet to EVERYBODY, and of course got voted Student Body President thanks to all of his friends immediately liking him.
-This blandness was kind of understandable- Archie probably didn't want to court controversy by making him too flawed. Never mind the fact that there was a very real possibility this was the first gay person the young audience of Archie would EVER SEE, and so they didn't want to make gays out to be a joke. But this is ARCHIE- a universe in which every character is a giant bag of psychoses and obsessions. Dude was also completely sexless at first- in a universe featuring Archie as the ultimate horn-dog, he didn't have much of that going on at all in the first days. Hell, the focus of an early comic was him and Veronica arguing over what was the best way to run a CHARITY CARNIVAL- the silliest, most inane, non-controversial thing ever. And they jumped on the "gay thing" a fair bit, too- while the first strip got a lot of attention for NOT being super-obsessed with his homosexuality, most of the early arcs fell around it (he ran for Student Body President against a kid who had some anti-gay things in his campaign, and even REGGIE, who was running against both of them, was disgusted and told them to count him out).
-Kevin's book eventually fell in sales and got cancelled around the time Jughead's did, but is apparently coming back in the current line-up. Apparently the new book will have a more edgy, "bad" gay guy in it, which should help drive some less-silly conflicts.

KEVIN KELLER- LIFE WITH ARCHIE VERSION
Created By:
Dan Parent
Role: The New Diversity Character, Nice Guy
First Appearance: Veronica #202 (Sept. 2010)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 6 (85)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 1 (+5)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 1 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Parents)- Kevin cares deeply for his parents, both of whom were understanding of his coming out.
Prejudice ("Sissy Boy")- Kevin, as a public gay figure, has to deal with a lot of nasty comments from people.
Relationship (Clay- Husband)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (85)

-Kevin's immediate and early success meant that he all of a sudden showed up in Life With Archie (which had started far before his introduction)- a successful WAR HERO, like his dad. Injured in the line of duty in the Middle East, he was like the best of the best, and moved back to Riverdale, where he fell in love with his Physical Therapy doctor and got married. Watching his mom (who had barely aged) run the wedding like her own daughter was getting married was hilarious, though the wedding looked a bit silly at times because the married couple had like zero physically affectionate moments with each other- the most they got was on the cover, where they were holding hands and waving to the crowd. You wouldn't have even noticed it was a wedding if not for the banners and such! This of course brings to mind how gays were often touted and talked about on TV in sympathetic terms (even going WAY back, the folks in Hollywood and most of the print industries were on the side of sympathy towards gays), there was a very real effort undertaken to make them as sexless and non-threatening as humanly possible- to the point where they were holding hands and doing bro-hugs like nervous High Schoolers instead of acting like grown-ups in serious relationships.
-In any case, Kevin then became a politician, running for State Senate on a Gun Control ticket after a mass shooting in a nearby shopping mall (OH GOD NO POLITICAL ARGUMENTS IN THE THREAD THIS TIME PLZ)- this drew him into the crosshairs of an assassin (who called him "Gay Boy!" as if that was the worst anti-gay slur they could think of and still be G-Rated), which is how Archie ended up DYING as the book was cancelled.
-This Kevin is basically an elite version of the High School version- his Soldier Training makes him something like PL 6-7 with guns, assuming he's armed at the time.


xxxx


Keller returned in Veronica #205 and headlined his own four-issue miniseries, Kevin Keller, beginning in June 2011. The new series focused on Keller's life before he arrived in Riverdale, including his struggles in junior high school. It also establishes that he is an Army brat and introduces the characters Wendy and William, friends whom Keller had been previously seen texting.[3]

In July 2011, Archie Comics announced that Keller would star in his own ongoing solo title, also titled Kevin Keller. The new series debuted in February 2012 and featured Keller becoming class president while also dealing with "adversity". The series ended in November 2014 after 15 issues.

In April 2015, Archie Comics announced that Kevin Keller would headline another solo series, Life with Kevin. It would be a digital-first mini-series to start with the option to become an ongoing series if successful. The series will bring back creator Dan Parent as writer/artist as well as J. Bone as inker. The series will not take place in Archie Comics' "New Riverdale", instead being set in the classic Archie universe and focusing on an older Kevin who has moved to New York City after graduating from college.The series is set to debut in June.[4]

Other versions[edit]
Afterlife with Archie[edit]
Kevin appears in the second issue of Afterlife With Archie. He is shown to be a skilled archer as well as having received military training from his father who died before the series began.

Life with Archie: The Married Life[edit]
Keller first appeared as an adult in issue #16 (January 2012) of Life with Archie: The Married Life where his marriage to Clay Walker was shown.[5][6] Later, after Walker is shot in a robbery attempt, Keller runs for and wins election to the United States Senate on a platform of stricter gun control legislation;[7] the series concludes with Archie Andrews' death saving the newly elected Senator Keller from an assassination attempt.[7]

In other media[edit]
Kevin is set to appear in Riverdale, a drama series for The CW portrayed by Casey Cott.[8]
Reception[edit]

Kevin Keller's creator Dan Parent and actor George Takei, who guest-starred in Archie's Pal Kevin Keller #6.
Kevin Keller's first appearance in Veronica #202 proved so popular that the issue sold out, prompting Archie Comics to issue a reprint for the first time in its history.[9]

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation then-president Jarrett Barrios praised Kevin's creation. "It’s thrilling to see Riverdale High welcome its first openly gay student, and give readers a window into the lives of gay youth today. As images of gay and transgender people become more frequent on TV and in film, people are embracing and expect to see images of our community across media platforms, including comic books."[1] Parent was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 2011 for creating Kevin.[3]

Parent has reported that fan reaction to Keller has been overwhelmingly favorable. "Not everybody's particularly happy about it, but from where I'm sitting it's been about 98% positive." He has noted the number of gay fans who have approached him at personal appearances to express their appreciation and explain what a difference a character like Keller would have made to them as they were growing up.[10]


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)





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Ha. Very PC.


HARRY LUCEY:
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R/C Racers: Two teams of Riverdale teenagers, led by Archie and Reggie, travel across the United States racing radio-controlled cars, while foiling the dastardly schemes of the villainous,but likable Babette and her bungling but likable henchmen. Given its limited premise, it is hardly surprising that this series was never revived after its 12-issue run was up. Archie's team included Jughead, Betty, Moose, Ethel and Dilton. Reggie's team included Veronica, Midge, Chuck, Nancy, and Leroy (though Midge later switched to Archie's team).
Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper[edit]
A satire of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (itself a parody of soap opera cliches) and other such melodramas, this multi-issue epic placed Archie and the gang in one outlandish, tragic situation after another. The characters spoke in hesitant, over-dramatic tones, and the issues had narrations, unlike previous spinoffs. Notable subplots included Jughead being stalked by a homicidal "limping man", Betty being possessed by a Puritan witch named Felicity Goodbody, and Betty's uncle Draco, a vampire (who never appeared in any other stories) being hunted by a count. A running gag involved the mysterious "gypsy lady" who apparently would be able to explain everything, but she failed to show up until the final story (much to the narrator's annoyance) and in truth proved to be no help at all. In typical Archie fashion, the entire story wrapped itself up neatly in the final story, with a happy ending and everything returning to the status quo. The stories appeared in Betty and Me #79–86.

Superteen is created by Betty merely twisting her "magic ponytail". Superteen's powers are roughly similar to Pureheart's.[4]


Evilheart is Reggie using a variation of the PH Factor, instead using his villainous half to transform into a superhero with Pureheart's powers. So great is Evilheart's villainy that it actually proves a strain to revert to the lesser evil of Reggie Mantle. While Evilheart antagonizes the other superheroes, he will team up with them to battle a common foe.

All of these heroes have inherent "mind foggers" that cause all civilians to forget the Super Teen's secret identities (even the teens themselves, in some cases).

A 1990s revival of the Super Teens (complete with new stories by famous superhero artists and writers) introduced two new Super Teens:

Miss Vanity is Veronica, who gained her powers through unknown means (they appear to be stress-related). Her powers are roughly similar to Superteen's, although her outfit is more provocative. She appears to have a "super-sonic" scream, à la Black Canary.

Mighty Moose is, naturally, Moose with the gift of flight and augmentations to his already formidable strength.



NEW TEACHERS AT RIVERDALE HIGH
Though in all honesty, I couldn't tell you whom here is actually an Archie CHARACTER and not just a one-off joke if I tried. I'd have to actually read a bunch of comics FEATURING said characters before I could tell you. Particularly because any Archie writer worth their salt just uses the standard "Miss Grundy is the director of the school play" storyline, because it gives us an already-established character and dynamic, rather than a generic goofy-named drama teacher, regardless of the realism inherent in not having ONE PERSON teach every important subject. I've never seen Burble or Flores in a story either, as again, most of the other teachers fit their roles a little better, though it wouldn't surprise me to see a story or two in Betty & Veronica or something that involved them, simply to play up the multi-ethnicity of Riverdale High. My guess is Wheeler & Gaffer are just joke characters who've never appeared, though I could be wrong. Also strange is that Miss Beazly somehow became a Mrs., though that's probably a typo.

THE "CHICK ARCHIE":
CERTAIN CHARACTERS BEING "HOTTIED" UP
Archie's been doing this for a while, and I guess it's pretty obvious why they're going this route, but even still, it irks me a bit. Certain characters in the Archie canon are being altered into more attractive (or at least more pleasing) physical specimens, ridding us of many of our comedic visual jokes about character in the Archie universe. Comically weird-looking people are being made either attractive, or 'not ugly'.

Remember the days when Jughead's mom was basically Jughead in drag? You know, just take Jughead, throw some eyelashes, a hair bun, and a sundress on him, and call him "Mrs. Jones"? Then suddenly the Jellybean storyline comes along, and really, could you picture THAT pregnant? And so out went the old cartoon/comic standby of clone parents having clone offspring, and the long nose was cut short, the hair bun (pretty much so out of style by that point that even 'out of style' comedic characters couldn't actually have them while being realistic, especially people who were at most 40-something) was nixed in favor of a short, wavy haircut. And some shape too, not the flat-chested Jughead body, but the usual 'adult woman' shape Archie comics always uses. Not exactly a babe or anything, but certainly a higher standard than set before. Later years have somehow seen the nose come back for whatever reason, and her figure seems to be shrinking back to the original proportions, so who knows what the future holds for Mrs. Jones?

Mrs. Andrews is another issue, though it didn't happen out of the blue. Archie's mom used to be depicted as a fairly chubby, 1950s-70s era mom, low bun in the hair, casual dress around the house. LITTLE Archie's mom, however, was a fucking BABE, with the 'attractive adult woman' physique (different from the Betty & Veronica physique mainly by elongation of the figure), as well as long, flowing orange locks. But in the modern era (where the modern family housewife is expected to be of a higher standard) we've seen her figure shrink down, meeting Mrs. Jones', with a somewhat meatier version of the female figure usually shown in Archie comics. Not enough to make her hot, but enough to make her not fat anymore.

BIG ETHEL, however, lies a stranger issue. Tall and lanky to the max, she was comedically ugly for virtually her entirety in Archie's run (though it'd be funnier, in my opinion, to have a hottie chasing Jughead around all the time), but lately, even SHE's looking better. They didn't make her really hot or anything, but they actually gave her boobs, hips, lost the buck-tooth (Grundy & Weatherbee lost this too, as this look really dates artwork), and even added some modern hairstyles. Suddenly, Ethel is merely a 'less attractive' friend to the gang.


SPORTS AT RIVERDALE HIGH
Riverdale High's sporting teams have always been a bit of a confusing mess continuity-wise in Archie comics. For the most part, it seems as if the writers' decide on whether or not Riverdale has a good team at any particular sport, and who it's best athletes are, simply by the demands of the story they want to tell. The continuity fits the stories, see, rather than vice-versa. As such, in certain stories, Riverdale could be a contender for the state trophy in one issue, and in the next, they'll have a failing team with almost no hope of victory and the Coach's job at stake. Similarly, in some stories Big Moose is the top star of the big team at the time, in others, it's Reggie, and I've even seen Chuck & Archie take turns at times. Archie's position on the teams changes the most by far, since he's the main character of the series and the focus of most of the stories. There have been issues where he's the worst track star on the squad, helped out by Betty or one of Dilton's inventions or something, and others where he's the key star of the football team on par with Reggie.

The "big sport" at Riverdale is generally football. Any major story about sports has a probably 50% chance of revolving around the football team, with basketball being a distant second, followed by track & field or baseball. Most of this is probably due to the inherent draw of football as a dramatic, violent sport dependant on certain positions (ie. the quarterback or the main runner... obviously I know little about football) more than others for victory, so you can still have the rest of the cast on the field at any given time (as opposed to baseball), but they're all still dependant on one key player. Hockey is almost never shown (and when it is, it's usually in helmetless silly-padded play that fits the 50s more than any current era of the game; of course, it's the most difficult sport to draw, and tends to hide identities of players, and as such is poorly-developed for comics play), but wrestling is a semi-common fixture (dependant upon Big Moose fairly regularly, with the occasional Jughead luck-story going on), and I've even seen boxing done with Chuck once. Reggie of course typically carries himself around as the team's big star, and sometimes this is actually quantified by the story, but again, things always change, and I've seen star quarterback Archie, bench-warmer Archie, lucky when well-fed quarterback Jughead, all-star tackler Big Moose, quarterback Chuck, etc, all depending on what kind of story they want it to be. I've seen 'good guy gets cocky and disrespectful to his friends' Archie and Chuck, 'overzealous big star gets an injury, requiring lesser star to take over' Reggie & Archie respectively, 'big star gets sabotaged by EEEEVIL Central High before the Big Game' Big Moose, and more than I could possibly name off the top of my head. The only thing that seems standard is that Coaches Kleats & Clayton always seem to be leading the squads, though it's often never clear who the HEAD Coach is, and who's the Assistant, simply tossing both key characters into the plot as guys to yell at whoever's screwing up at any given time.

The cheerleaders are, obviously, fairly consistent. The four main female cast members (Betty, Ronnie, Midge & Nancy) are almost always there, with occasionally Archie or Jughead doing some kind of 'finding their own way to help the team' story as well. Sometimes the team even gets to go to the main Cheer Competition or something, but usually they're just a backdrop (or a devious Lady MacBeth-type storyline about the girlfriends competing over their boyfriends' respective talents on the team, inadvertantly breaking up the great duo as they each fight for solo supremacy at the behest of the girlfriends... that was a Betty & Nancy story once, as the Archie 'n' Chuck basketball duo falls apart when they begin competing for the ball). Women's sports on the other hand is an occasional storyline, usually involving basketball (since it's the one sport that lets women still look hot on the field), or Betty (ALWAYS Betty) fighting sexism by joining the boys' team. Actually, I think I've also seen Ethel join the wrestling team, but that's just once.

Archie History (From the official website):

Adam the alien appeared at least three times, in May of 1979, in the following comics: ARCHIE #280, BETTY & VERONICA #281 and JUGHEAD #288. In his inaugural story in ARCHIE #280, he interrupted Archie and Veronica's date by magically appearing between them -- just as the pair were about to smooch! Introducing himself as an alien to the skeptical pair, he had to resort to wild visual stunts to convince them -- such as flying through the air and removing his upper body from his torso! Adam was indeed an alien, but he was also an orphan. He came to Earth after escaping from "Homeless Haven," which he described as "an awful asteroid devoted to orphans and drifters and the dregs of the universe!" His mission was to find out where he originally came from, and so he enlisted the aid of Archie and his friends to find out. In fact, he even went to Riverdale High for a time to see if he could find any insight there. Of course, by the time he met Jughead, he thought he may have found a relative!

"When was Reggie Mantle's first appearance?"

Reggie had a weird beginning. In fact, two incarnations of Reggie appeared in JACKPOT COMICS #5 (Spring, 1942), about three months after Archie's first appearance. Two you ask? How could that be? To answer that, we have to go to back to the beginning-- the beginning of the story, that is!

The untitled story features a character named Scotty, who is more than anxious to initiate Archie into Riverdale High's "Philomathian Club." Scotty practically looks identical in features to how Reggie turned out. But wait, it gets weirder: One could say that Reggie's appearance evolved out of the "Scotty" character, but then two pages later, we capture a "glimpse" of Reggie, hair blowing in the wind, as he drives Veronica through town. He's only seen in that cameo appearance, but he is referred to by name. Reggie would show up full blown in the next issue, JACKPOT COMICS #6 (Summer, 1942), which is considered his "definitive first appearance," wherein he takes a more active role. What is surprising here is the fact that Reggie's personality-- that of the arrogant, shifty trickster, is established, but his appearance is more streamlined and handsome than the "Scotty" character. Eventually, he would grow to look more like Scotty, and bedevil Archie and the gang for many years to come, in all the various Archie titles, including some of his own like "Archie's Rival Reggie," "Reggie & Me," "Reggie's Wise-guy Jokes" and "Reggie's Revenge." You can encounter Reggie's earliest appearances reprinted in the ARCHIE AMERICANA SERIES: BEST OF THE FORTIES trade paperback.

DID YOU KNOW?
Before we can get to RIVERDALE HIGH, however, we have to acknowledge its predecessor: ARCHIE AT RIVERDALE HIGH, which ran for 113 issues between 1972 and 1987. That series was known for focusing on stories revolving around the teens' exploits in school and their misadventures with the famous Riverdale High faculty, led by the befuddled Waldo Weatherbee. RIVERDALE HIGH took this concept even further, including stories that took place during school breaks as well as off of school grounds, but always with the faculty somehow involved. One new innovation was that it was an "interactive" comic book. Kids were asked to send information about their schools, teachers, friends, awards and other accomplishments, and each issue a "School Of The Month" was chosen, to which that month's issue would be dedicated! The reader's schools were not only mentioned within the pages of the comics, but on the covers as well. Best of all, a special page was set aside in each issue strictly to highlight the featured school. This page included each school's history and sometimes even had caricatures of the principals!

RIVERDALE HIGH had quite a following, with kids not only in America but in other countries submitting information about their schools. Because the readers could relate to the stories of "school life" that were featured, RIVERDALE HIGH was able to include more poignant stories along with the usual comedic tales. One notable story involved the children chipping in to help Ms. Grundy when her house caught on fire.

Perhaps the most noteworthy issue of all was issue #8 (October, 1991). This issue featured two stories that caused a lot of excitement. In the opening story, real-life radio dee-jay "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow appears. The High School is celebrating its 50th anniversary (coincidentally-- or maybe not-- the same year that Archie Comics celebrated its 50th anniversary), but is in desperate need of entertainment for its party. That's when Archie's dad gets a brilliant idea: years ago, he gave Cousin Brucie a lift to a gig when Bruce's car broke down. Cousin Brucie said to call him anytime if he ever needed a favor. Well, that time was now, and to everyone's surprise (except Fred Andrews), Cousin Brucie agreed to dee-jay the 50th anniversary party! While the Cousin Brucie story received great publicity-- the DJ promoted it heavily on his radio show-- the second story in the issue turned a lot of heads, too! "The Secret Date"finds Archie with an unlikely companion-- Ethel! When he spots her reading a magazine about model trains, the pair make plans to take in a model train expo. The next day, when Archie picks her up, he gets the surprise of his life: Ethel has put on a pretty dress for the occasion! He never thought of her that way before. As the day progresses, he realizes how interesting she is, and more importantly, how nice. When it's all over, he gives her a kiss and asks her to the classic car show. A poignant ending to a great issue, and a great series. Unfortunately, there were just too many Archie Comic titles on the market at that time, so the decision was made to concentrate on the core titles. Thus ended one of the most beloved Archie series of all.
"When did Mr. Weatherbee make his first appearance?"

Great question, Will. Mr. Weatherbee became a part of Archie's world early in the strip's history. In fact, he made his first official appearance in JACKPOT COMICS #5(Spring, 1942), about three months after Archie's first appearance. The interesting thing is that he actually evolved out of a character that appeared almost simultaneously. While PEP COMICS #25 (March, 1942) is famous as the first appearance of Archie's jalopy, it is already "dilapidated" and described by Archie's dad in the past tense ("It's costing too much," Mr. Andrews says), suggesting comic characters have a life beyond the pages of their comic books. Not wanting to part with his clunker of a car, Archie turns it into a "taxi," hoping it will pay for itself. His first And ultimately last) customer is an unnamed man he picks up at the train station. After a series of driving mishaps-- the man shares his ride with a goose ("I also run an express and have to deliver this, too!," exclaims Archie), Archie gets lost, and ultimately the man lands in the mud trying to push the car out of it. To say the least, Archie has not endeared himself to the man and is horrified to learn he's Riverdale's new principal! However, he's not exactly Mr. Weatherbee-- while he shares similar features (he's bald), he doesn't share the Bee's girth--in fact, he may be 200 lbs. lighter!...

The first "official" appearance of Mr. Weatherbee in JACKPOT #5 cannot be disputed, however-- he appears on page 2 and is identified as "Mr. Weatherbee, the principal!" The hijinx are fast and furious in this story as Archie, forbidden from going on the class trip-- a boat ride to Bear Mountain-- gets into one jars after another! Ultimately, the Bee winds up with honey spilled on his bald head, which proves to be a sticky situation in more ways than one, when he pokes his head into a bear cave in search of Archie! This landmark story also features the first "glimpse, of Reggie Mantle in a cameo appearance. Reggie would show up full blown in the next issue, JACKPOT COMICS #6 (Summer, 1942).
This time, we're proud to present... DILTON'S STRANGE SCIENCE!

Yes, before there was an ARCHIE'S WEIRD MYSTERIES... before there was "Dexter's Laboratory," heck, before there was even a "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids," there was this series dedicated to the smartest kid in Riverdale, Dilton Doiley. So, how did it all begin, you ask? Well, in the mid-1980s, Hollywood, as Hollywood often does, decided to make not one, but THREE movies featuring teenagers mixed up with scientific experiments! (Hollywood loves to do things in three's-- usually, three movies all released at the same time with a similar plot! Remember "Big," "Like Father, Like Son" and "Vice Versa?" How about "Country," "Places In The Heart" and "The River?" And who could forget that shaggy trio, "The Howling," "An American Werewolf In Paris" and "Wolfen?") The three scientific whiz kid movies were "Weird Science," "Real Genius" and "My Science Project."

Proving there was a market for teenagers wreaking havoc with offbeat inventions, the powers-that-be at Archie Comics must have scratched their heads and said, "Hey, we've had a boy genius all along. We practically invented this genre! Why not give Dilton his own comic?"

Well, Sabrina has had quite a history! It all began in October of 1962, when she made her first appearance in ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE #22. This comic book was similar to the popular MAD MAGAZINE in that it featured lots of spoofs and goofy humor. By issue #22, one of its main targets was horror movies, which had been enjoying renewed popularity at the time as the classic horror movies were then showing up on TV for the first time. Usually, the stories in MADHOUSE were one-shots, but Sabrina was so popular that there were several follow-up stories. Then, in December, 1969: Sabrina became one of the leading characters in ARCHIE'S TV LAUGH OUT #1, in stories where she even interacted with Archie and the whole teenage crew from Riverdale High. Sabrina's success was only beginning, however: In September, 1971, SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH-- the Saturday morning animated series-- premieres on the CBS network. Simultaneously, she made frequent "guest appearances" on another popular animated series, THE GROOVIE GHOULIES. By April of 1971: Sabrina had graduated to her own comic series when SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #1 debuts. The next couple of years brought more Sabrina comic spinoffs including the recurring "Sabrina's Christmas Magic" feature in ARCHIE GIANT SERIES in January, 1972 and CHILLING ADVENTURES IN SORCERY AS TOLD BY SABRINA #1in September, 1972. Sabrina chugged along in comics for a few years as her original animated series went into syndication. Then in September, 1977, the NBC network launched SABRINA, SUPERWITCH, a new Saturday morning cartoon series. Later that year, Sabrina episodes were combined with Archie episodes to create THE NEW ARCHIES/SABRINA HOUR. By the late 1980s, interest in Sabrina had waned a bit and she was relegated to appearance in Archie digests and LAUGH and PEP comics. But in September, 1993 Sabrina got her very own series of 48-page annual specials, originally called SABRINA'S HALLOWEEN SPOOOKTACULAR. The title was changed the following year to SABRINA'S HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR. While those specials had a little bit of a following, the best was yet to come for Sabrina. In April, 1996 the Showtime cable network aired a live-action SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH TV movie. It received great reviews and terrific ratings, and starred Melissa Joan Hart, who was known to millions of kids at the time as the title character in Nickelodeon's hit show, "Clarissa Explains It All." In September of 1996, the ABC network spun off the live-action SHOWTIME movie into a prime-time SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH sitcom for it's "TGIF" Friday night line-up of family-oriented programming. Once again, the popular Melissa Hart was on board portraying Sabrina. The series has been on ever since, and will starting a new life in the fall when it becomes a regular series on the WB network. To celebrate her TV success, Archie Comics launched an all-new Sabrina comic series in September, 1996, featuring photo covers of Melissa Hart. In addition to her live-action TV success, Sabrina has once again become an animated star with a new cartoon series that launched on both the ABC and UPN networks in September of 1999, and the "new look" has spawned a new comic book series as well. It seems like the magic never ends for this little lady!



Great Archie strips:
"Archie Digest"
Kind of a standard boring Digest. Not bad stuff, as it's really an anthology of ALL of Archie history, but it never seemed to pull out the BIG guns.
Archie #50- Little Archie rejects his Dad for the football team. Funny Jug/Archie Slippery wax story.
Archie #104- Archie collects Lip Prints in Hartley story (w/ hottie). B&V tied up and gagged. Archie meets Veronica story. (very memorable trade of mine)
Archie #116- Awesome DeCarlo stuff (girl in yellow bikini, B&V Spec. cover).
Archie #136- Betty/Ron fight over missing ring.
Archie #137- Archie/Weatherbee brain-switch comic- rather nice.
Archie #139- Odd "Archie becomes a solo act", but only the second part. Moose makes Archie date Betty because he feels sorry for her.
Archie #141- Betty tries to come up with ways to avoid prom- "It's just not my style to be a meanie" to witchcraft-based idea.
Archie #148- Some HOT DeCarlo stuff with Betty- pin-up of teddy bears. Guys willingly do Betty's yardwork in a cute one.

"Archie's Double Digest"
-A surprising amount of these were among my first purchases- possibly before Jughead became my favourite and his books were my "default", as well as the debut of "Pals 'n' Gals". I remember a TON of the stories from these Digests, making them rather formative. A lot of good stuff, makin me sad I never picked up more around this era.
Archie's DD #48- Lots of remembered storylines. Amazingly sexy "Angry Betty" bikini cover. Great DeCarlo bikini storyline partway in where Arch & Reg are girl-watching while the girls seethe. Jug refuses a hamburger ("CALL AN AMBULANCE!"). Nice sports story featuring a one-off kid who gets deliberatley injured by an evil team. Betty's Glass Animal collection with the seal. Immense cleavage in "Medieval" dream. Arch tries to revive Lodge from electrocution. My most-remembered "Previews" page with Ron's blue bikini, the "ordering in French" one, etc.
Archie’s DD #49- Another REALLY memorable one for me. “Dumbest Question” award. NBC Saturday Morning ad that I remember well. Betty sucks at magic cutely. Archie wastes the gang’s money on phony stocks. “Nonsense Rhyme” story where Lodge & Andrews get up set. Lodge teaches about lightning. Moose tells audience he’s really smart, but then forgets about it. Boys play golf across the whole city. Phony ‘Invisible Glass’. Ludicrously sexy story with hot substitute teacher. Archie offended by Ronnie’s rich friends. Whole gang in Hartley-drawn “The Old Days Were Best” story.
Archie's DD #54- Amazingly-hot Betty strip by Al Hartley with a sexy new haircut. A lot of well-remembered stuff.
Archie’s DD #64- Ludicrously-skimpy “Skating Beauties” bikini outfits. Archie catches the Perilous Pike, but lets him go. Betty & Ron ‘warm up’ Archie after he freezes using the sexiest techniques ever. Archie bets Reggie he can kiss every girl at the party and not make Ronnie angry. Jughead wins a bet with Ronnie (he feeds the whole gang to prevent them from eating, allowing him to eat her buffet, and save Betty from having to pay Ron).
Archie's DD #76- Betty drives Archie wild with a fake "measurement" plot while she sexually assaults him. Melody practices "falling" to get boys. Nice bit where Fred fakes an errand for Archie to do to get his mind off being stood up.
Archie's DD #82- Archie stages a "happening" and gets stuck in a bathtub. Weatherbee gets punched by thugs, and a cello is broken.

"Jughead's Double Digest"
-An admirable Digest set, featuring my favourite character. Despite the name, it actually features dozens of non-Jughead-centred stories, including adventures with the entire gang, where Jug is only a supporting player. Ron's lethal cooking, Archie as a pro wrestler, and the Fatima story all feature Jughead as only one of a dozen cast-members. So the whole thing is really just an Archie anthology, featuring a lead story with Jughead in it. Several of my all-time favourite Archie stories take place in here, particularly the "Moving Away" story, and the "Crazy Willie Jim" one. Both are actually over quite quickly, but the insane amounts of drama and sadness in them are absolutely rare gems in the Archieverse.

Jughead's DD #36- Fred saves Archie & Ronnie from their car breaking down, proving himself over Lodge.
Jughead's DD #39- Ron's lethal cooking (every guy in town lines up to wish him goodbye- even Reggie!).
Jughead's DD #43- Betty in Harem Girl outfit, leading Arch around on "Slave Day".
Jughead's DD #49- Archie & Jug go camping- Mrs. Andrews freaks out while Fred makes fun.
Jughead's DD #53- Sexy bikini Betty/Ron thing about forgetful Archie.

"Jughead With Archie Digest"
-An odd book, with a stranger title- it doesn't even make much grammatical sense. Okay, so it features stories with Jughead and/or Archie as the main characters- which is really about 75% of the entire line anyways, meaning there were VERY few stories being missed. It's quite strange, because by the 1990s, there were 3 Archie Digests (regular, Double, Where Are You?) and 2 Jughead Digests (regular & Double), so a 4th book for Archie and a 3rd for Jughead (the least-popular of the Big Four) was surprising. It did fairly well, though, judging by it's 200-issue run. This is also my formative book in the Archieverse- #100 is my first Archie book ever, and the first three Titles described here are ones I remember VERY well, having read them and re-read them a dozen times over my youth, especially when my collection was very small. I can't quote word-for-word, but just flipping through them I recognized nearly every single story, even ones I hadn't thought of in literally over a decade.

Jughead w/ Archie #100- My first Archie Comic ever, big party celebration for anniversary. ComicCon crooks story w/ gang in hero costumes. Gang stops a smuggler. Archie stuck in a rabbit costume, meets the Go-Gos.
Jughead w/ Archie #102- Very memorable and formative book for me. "Thompson" Diamond story where Jughead warns Ron off of a Prince. Crazy Arcade Game story where Jug gets trapped in the game. Moose learns manners. "Sleezy Toy Company" guy (vs) Jingles.
Jughead w/ Archie #194- Jughead sinks into the sand, unless Trula’s around. Really sexy Dan Parent “Ron in France” story with bikinis for her, Betty & Cheryl. Cheryl hosts the first part of a Reality Show in Riverdale (I have no other parts).

"Jughead Jones Digest"
Jughead #88- Interesting bit with "Kelly", a young drummer with a crush on Jughead, drawn in a whole different style than all the others.

"Archie's Pals & Gals Double Digest"
-A great Digest series, with an antiquated Title, going way back to the '50s with it's name. This is really the Double Digest of "Laugh Digest", as it's an anthology title featuring the entire gang, meaning you get a few more stories of Chuck, Moose and other supporting cast members alongside the key Archieverse players. Many, many great stories taking place

Pals & Gals #10- Chuck gets fired/Earthquake story. Josie story with kid spying on Melody.
Pals & Gals #14- "Men! I hate them all!" Betty strip. Triathlon strip (w/ Ronnie's Sugar Drink). Dilton & cute short girl. Lodge & Smithers offend Betty.
Pals & Gals #20- Ambrose Returns to Riverdale.
Pals & Gals #24- Long "Big Brother" story- Reggie's dad in jail.
Pals & Gals #27- Kleats shows the boys how good an athlete he is. DeCarlo bikini stuff.

"Laugh Digest"
-Based off of one of the more old-school Archie books of the '40s, Laugh is a collection of the entirety of Riverdale, with less Archie-focus than usual. So a lot of Riverdale High-type stuff, as well as Sabrina, Bingo, etc. More of the same anthology stuff, though, as the whole gang is represented. I think I liked this one more than most of the other Digests, just because it focused on other characters.

Betty & Veronica Double Digest"
B&V DD #20- Fist Alan M. appearance with a band & hottie Instant Replay. Melody's dangerous hot Chorus Girl outfit.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Avatar: The Last Airbender

Post by Jabroniville »

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

For my next set- one of my favorite TV shows of all time, and a shining example that modern animation (and Western Animation in particular) continues to be great and non-sucky, and possibly even better than in any prior era.

I discounted this show at first, assuming it was just a cheesy “Animu/Weeaboo” rip-off of Japanese animation tropes, and I avoided it. It wasn’t until the first season was almost over that my roommate attempted to convince me that it was really good, showcasing the best of the “Traveling The World” types of shows we enjoyed as kids (like later episodes of Teddy Ruxpin), something I’d later recognize as part of “The Hero’s Journey” (a set of tropes used by thousands of other stories, from Star Wars to Beowulf to Gilgamesh to The Lord of the Rings). I didn’t actually start watching until Season Two, and I really thought some of those episodes were cool, with great villains and some actual emotional depth beyond doing the anime tropes that I hate (such as “Sweat drops of embarrassment” or “huge pratfall of shock”). In fact, the show pretty much never used those.

Watching the second season on DVD, I was officially a giant fan, and LOVED the show, thankfully having avoided its entire Shipping-obsessed fandom until this point. I watched the first season right away, and waited patiently for the third... which was pretty much the finest season of just about any show, ever.

This show has it ALL:
* Amazing animation in many episodes.
* Some of the best fight scene choreography ever- for a show with five basic power-sets- Air, Water, Fire, Earth & Non-Powered Martial Arts, it gets an insane amount out of it. It’s best fights beat out even JLU or Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes stuff.
* Great characterization. NONE of the characters are easily-defined by a stereotype (The Funny Guy is also cynical, a sad-sack, a lover-boy romeo type, and desperate to help out; The Manipulative Bitch is also a crazed lunatic with almost no human emotions).
* Humor (both jokes and slapstick). And it's AUTHENTICALLY-funny too, not just mindless nonsense like a lot of shows try these days. Hell, there's an entire episode that's just an extended parody of the show and its fans (including jabs at Katara/Zuko "Shippers" and that one terrible Great Divide episode that EVERYONE hates).
* Cute animals and AWESOME animals. A friend of mine once pointed out that the true sign that somebody REALLY did their work on a Fantasy World was the creation of non-Earth Animal species to fill it out, so not everyone was on Horses. The Avatar people deftly filled their planet with Wuzzle-type mixed animals like Moose-Lions and Rhino-Lizards.
GREAT VILLAINS. I’ve read people complain about how so many fantasy/sci-fi worlds fall prey to the “Dark Lord” cliche”. Avatar fixes that by not only giving us a great Dark Lord, but filling the REST of the Rogues Gallery with various character types, giving us the Reluctant Villain, The Retired Villain, The Ambitious Rich Guy Villain, and the Amoral Manipulative Psychopath Villain.
* A great supporting cast beyond the main group. A FINE hallmark of “Traveling the World” shows is that eventually the heroes are joined by nearly all the people they’d once met on their Great Journey, helping out in some great final episodes. Avatar did this at LEAST twice (The Day of Black Sun & the finale with The White Lotus Society).
* Female characters that aren’t just Token Chicks. The writers admitted they actually didn’t intend to have such a huge cast or girls at first. They made Katara a skilled Waterbender in the first season while also making her a Plucky Young Girl and Team Mom, and Toph in the second season was a Blind Bad-Ass Tomboy who also wasn’t stuck in just one role. Realizing that Avatar now had a HUGE female fanbase, the writers went nuts by creating a bunch of other great girl characters by developing Suki and giving us Azula and her Villainous Trio.
* Stuff for EVERYONE. I’ve realized over time that most TRULY great works of fiction don’t just fit a single genre (like Shonen Anime for young boys, or Image-era ‘90s comics for adolescent fanboys, or Shojou for young girls), but REALLY go out there to get additional fanbases- Sailor Moon was for girls, but made them sexy fanservice for the guys, and added in gay stuff for yuri/yaoi fans. Disney Movies have songs & women leads for the girls, but action and sexiness for the guys. Pixar movies are LEGENDARY for appealing to just about everyone short of those with NO TASTE WHATSOEVER. Avatar succeeds in this manner by making it an Action/Adventure show for boys, but making tons of great female characters for the girls, and giving around-the-world fanservice in small amounts to keep fans of BOTH genders happy (though I'm way too old to appreciate most of it). It’s goofy and fun enough for kids, but also has some very adult concepts like honor, loyalty, death and redemption in it, so it’s not JUST simple entertainment.


The world is one comprised of human beings, many of which are “Benders”, able to control one of four elements (Air, Water, Earth, Fire). Each Element gets its own Kingdom/s, and they once lived together in harmony. The Avatar was a person given the power to control all FOUR elements, and when each one died, their spirit was reincarnated into a new body. One-hundred years before the start of the series, the Fire Nation attacked, meaning to share their prosperity to the rest of the world... by taking them over and exterminating the opposition.

We start out with Book One: Water, featuring Katara & Sokka, two members of the Southern Water Tribe, who uncover The Avatar, a young boy named Aang (who is the titular Last Airbender, as his people were genocidally wiped out by a Fire Nation sneak attack 100 years ago), trapped in a sphere of ice beneath the waves. They decide that The Avatar is the only one who can fix the world, and so they go on a mission to teach him all four elements and topple the Fire Nation.

Team Avatar is hunted by Prince Zuko, an obsessive, exiled young teen who was sent on a wild goose chase by his father, Fire Lord Ozai, who always hated Zuko and just wanted him out of the way. Zuko’s Uncle Iroh is his personal and spiritual guide, though Zuko is too busy being a bitchy teenager to understand most of it. Zuko & Aang are both hunted by Admiral Zhao, an ambitious up-and-comer and overall dink, meant to make Zuko more sympathetic by showing you a WORSE Fire Nation guy.

Stuff happens, a girl turns into the Moon (it’s complicated), and Aang & Katara become Waterbending Masters at the North Pole, and fight off a huge Fire Nation invasion. Zhao is slain, Zuko fails in his mission, and Ozai sends Zuko’s SISTER after both of them this time around.

Season One is actually rather mediocre compared to what came later. The writers took their sweet time developing their world, and many episodes took too long to have anything interesting happen. I also found Zhao to be a fairly poor villain during his time on the show- he was a weaker fighter than Zuko, and he was kind of a wuss overall. He was an effective Ass-face, but not really packing any sort of grandeur to him. A few episodes are terrific (the June episode; Aang training with Firebending Master Jeong), but it's actually REALLY hard to get people into the series, I've discovered, because they usually peter out after 5-8 episodes of the first season.

Book Two: Earth showcases Team Avatar finding an Earthbending instructor, a young blind girl named Toph who’s more manly than anyone else in the universe, and able to “see” using Earthbending. THIS is when the show REALLY takes off, as Azula and her two girl partners hunt all the heroes. Zuko flirts with reformation as he is truly exiled by his father & homeland (and we discover the sad past that explains him, but doesn’t excuse him), things get WAY more serious, and the epicness of Azula hangs over everything. By season’s end, we get The Empire Strikes Back “second in a trilogy” ending- things get their darkest, as the Earth Kingdom falls, Zuko rejects redemption and falls back to the Fire Nation, Uncle Iroh is in chains, Aang nearly dies, and all is lost.

Book Three: Fire ends the series. Team Avatar desperately rebuilds and tries to invade the Fire Nation at their weakest point. We watch Zuko struggle with his new role as loyal Prince, Iroh rot in jail, Sokka learn how to be a man, Aang fight to maintain his destiny against the Fire Lord, and more. At a dark mid-point of the season, the Invasion is a failure, and Team Avatar is at their most broken... just as Zuko finally betrays his father (upon realizing just HOW much of a monster he & Azula are) and teaches Aang Firebending.

What ends up happening is one of the most epic Series Finales EVER. Zuko fights his hated sister, as her Manipulative Bitch persona fades as she goes further and further into madness, with all of her old allies rejecting her. Ozai reveals his full power. Aang does too- unleashing all Four Elements (and a Fifth!). Fight scenes are epic, asses are kicked, and almost every single cast member gets a Crowning Moment of Awesome to their name. And Character Development abounds- it's very noticeable when you watch the first seasons and then move forward- Aang & Sokka in particular are VERY immature, and Toph is exceptionally-self-centred. To say nothing of Zuko- one of the best "Villain Turns Good" stories ever.

I can’t even find any major flaws in this series. Seriously, this show is basically sharing a spot with JLU in terms of awesome, but without all of the flaws that JLU had (such as dropping the Batman/Wonder Woman subplot, random Writer’s Pet stuff, etc.). None of the great epic feats come across as Power Geeky or unbalancing, because the Villains start out more powerful (as they should), and the heroes develop powers to match them simultaneously, meaning that everyone is equally awesome. Even though Aang has power over all four elements, Katara & Toph both are superior at their individual styles of Bending, and Aang can only go super-powered and whup giga-ass occasionally.

The Few Flaws:
Nonetheless, there are a few issues.

* There's an occasional lack of explanation for certain things- such as when The Guru tells Aang that he can't use The Avatar State AT ALL if he leaves can't open all his Chakras and let his love for Katara go. Aang runs off anyways, but lets Katara go to hit the Avatar State... but then never mentions it again. Now, further research and other people have told me he's not supposed to be rejecting love COMPLETELY- he's simply supposed to accept that Katara can die and that he needs to get over it- that his strong spiritual connection to one person is preventing him from opening his spirit to the world itself (and it's shown sometimes that his anger whenever she's threatened, triggering his Avatar State, is problematic). But they don't EXPLAIN that- it's part of Hindu (and a bit of Buddhist) theology, but most of the audience isn't Hindu or Buddhist- sometimes you need to explain things. And his conversation with Iroh later seems to say that yes, he IS supposed to give up love- at least, that's how Aang interprets it (and Iroh, Mr. Spiritual himself, doesn't correct it).

* The characters sometimes go so far to avoid the words "death", "kill" or "die" that things can come off awkwardly, or be left unclear. Which is odd, because the show uses all three of those words A LOT. Both Jet & Combustion Man are killed without anyone actually saying so (which gets brought up later on, in a gag). Katara gives this big roundabout speech about how she'll kill Zuko if he ever attempts to hurt Aang again, which would have been a THOUSAND times more epic if she'd just said "If you try to hurt Aang again... I'll kill you." And of course the big episode where Aang speaks to his past lives, trying to find a solution that doesn't involve killing the Fire Lord to stop the war- all four past lives he speaks to only SORT OF tell him to nut up and kill Ozai (it's based off of a part of Hindu mythology in which the Gods speak to a man and convince him he has to fight in a war and possibly kill his friends), which can leave it just ambiguous enough that it becomes questionable (they just tell Aang stuff like "you need to be DECISIVE" and "you need to make your MARK on destiny"). A later comic (written by the show's writers) actually points out "I told you last time to kill Fire Lord Ozai."

And again, the show uses those words A LOT anyways, making it odd that they don't use it in awkward times.

* The Ass-Pulling of The Avatar State. This was a major annoyance of mine with The Legend of Korra, the sequel series, but The Last Airbender uses it a lot, too. It's revealed early on to be the uncontrolled "Super-Saiyan" form, and on several occasions it saves the day. During the final fight with Ozai, there's really no way of getting around the fact that Ozai just punching Aang into a rock allows him to open his blocked Chakras and just go Avatar State on his ass.

Thankfully, it's not AS BAD as when Korra does it to write themselves out of certain holes and just go "oh, she Avatar States it." In Book One, Aang only creates the massive flood because of the actions of ADMIRAL ZHAO killing the Moon Spirit- without THAT, Aang wouldn't have had any power. In Book Two, the Avatar State DOESN'T LET THEM WIN- it actually just leaves Aang vulnerable to Azula.

There's also the Ass-Pull of the Lion-Turtle. This thing, given only a tiny mention here or there in a "oh, there's a symbol of a Lion-Turtle." But then all of a sudden this giant thing is pulled out of the universe's ass, plops itself down in front of Aang, and magically gives him the power to solve the "Ozai Problem" with zero real explanation. Some fans felt the end with “Energybending” was a bit of an Ass Pull, and it WAS... except it really didn’t matter. Aang WON. Without using it. The only thing the last-minute Super-Power Upgrade allowed him to do was end things in his own way, without killing his foe. That’s it. Totally acceptable use of an Ass-Pull (especially since the whole “no killing” thing was an established plot point before that).

* The last bit of Book Three actually feels a bit rushed. The three-part finale and the little preamble before it is AMAZING, but I felt like we didn't get to see enough of Zuko hanging around with the group as-normal. Instead, they gave us Aang/Zuko, Katara/Zuko and Sokka/Zuko episodes to show him make peace with each member of the Gaang, but once THAT was done with, it was largely time to settle down and get their fight on. Ares has suggested that the show should have been split into FOUR parts rather than three, but I think having The Day of Black Sun as a Book Three finale would have been too much- two seasons in a row of Downer Endings and probably too much filler between them. Better to just extend the last Book by a few episodes.

In Summation:
In short, this show has everything. I didn’t even care that it had only a few sexy women (most of the characters were teens and LOOKED IT, so I could only feel creepy thinking Azula or Ty-Lee were hot, despite their boobage), a certain Fire Princess MILF notwithstanding (seriously, Ursa was CRAZY attractive). Hell, even the slapstick humor never comes across as asinine- much of the Comic Relief was ACTUALLY FUNNY, not just simple-minded buffoonery for the young fans.

THE WORLD OF AVATAR:

The Avatar world is more or less based off of Asia, with Chinese writing, Oriental names, and a general nature for people to look a certain way, aside from the “Generic Anime Everyrace” thing that most anime-inspired work uses.

THE FIRE NATION:
-The “Evil Empire”, based off of Medieval China and World War II-era Imperialist Japan, which of course makes them the biggest arseholes around. Pointy armor, Masked Mooks (all good fantasy has faceless mooks, so the heroes don’t feel as bad for beating on them), etc. The characters tend to be more pale and with elongated “asian” eyes. 100 Years ago, they invaded the rest of the world, and have tried to take it over ever since. The Air Nomads were wiped out, but the other two nations fight on. Firebending was invented by an Aztec-like race that we only saw for one episode- they were believed to be extinct.

THE WATER TRIBES:
Two Tribes, separated at each Pole. The Southern one had been repeatedly invaded, and gave birth to Sokka & Katara. The Northern Fortress resisted invasion, and we oddly never saw it again after the First Season. These people are sorta like vaguely-Asian Inuit people with dark skin (almost chocolate/caramel in color in some members), but with bright blue eyes (being where Waterbenders come from) and white & blue Inuit-style clothing.

THE EARTH KINGDOM:
The largest Kingdom, with a few major City-States (Omashu & Ba-Sing-Se are most-notable- the latter is the overall capital), and the Fire Nation’s biggest target. These people are more generically-Asian, with people of differing skin tones. Kiyoshi Island is basically Feudal Japan circa the Tokugawa Shogunate Period. Most everyone wears green, yellow or brown.

THE AIR NOMADS:
Travelling tribes who also seemed to settle into large fortresses. They were the first targets of the Fire Nation (despite being the most peace-loving nation... which made them the easiest target, of course- there’s a lesson there, but the show never dwelled on it), and fit a more Buddhist lifestyle, since they were the most-focused on peace, giving up worldly possessions (they all wore simple red and brown robes), and harmony. Most shaved their heads. One dude looked Indian, but the rest look... well, about as Caucasian as anyone does in this universe. Big, round eyes and stuff like that.

The Main Cast:
Aang- The titular Last Airbender, a young boy from a pacifist group of Nomads. He rejected his calling and tried to run away, ending up frozen in an iceberg for 100 years while the world went to hell. He's a goofy, fun-loving kid, and doesn't want all the duty that comes with being "The Avatar". He's sweet on Katara.
Katara- A Water Tribe girl and the last Waterbender of her group (the Fire Nation stole away the others and killed her mother). She's a motherly, annoying, emotional girl, driven more by morals than the rest of the team.
Sokka- Katara's protective but goofy older brother, with no Bending ability (but a sweet Boomerang), who ends up being the Butt-Monkey most of the time. He screws up constantly, but displays a knack for machinery, planning and tactics, eventually becoming a solid member of the team. Easily the show's biggest source of Comic Relief.
Appa & Momo- A Flying Sky Bison and a Winged Lemur, respectively, as Weird Animals are a key to this Universe. Neither speaks (unless Aang is high from lack of sleeping), but both express some loyalty.
Prince Zuko- An exiled, scarred Prince of the Fire Nation, sent on a Snipe Hunt to catch The Avatar, until it turns out Aang's really ALIVE after all. Zuko is driven by duty and honor because he isn't accepted by his father, the Fire Lord (and our key villain). He flips and flops between giving up his duty or demanding his own honour.
Uncle Iroh- Zuko's Uncle, a doddering, tea-drinking old man who takes a Wise Mentor role. He's one of the wisest characters in the series, preferring relaxation and humor to Zuko's obsessive sense of duty- he tries to get Zuko to relax and throw off the bounds he's created for himself. He's one of the most powerful Firebenders in the world, however.
Admiral Zhao- An egomaniacal, power-hungry up-and-comer who wants to take out Zuko and catch The Avatar for himself. Basically exists so that Zuko is a more sympathetic villain by contrast.
Toph- Aang's Earthbending Master, a blind young girl who can "see" using seismic vibrations. She's tough and tomboyish, despite looking tiny and delicate.
Azula- Zuko's crazy sister, a Manipulative Bitch of the highest order, who is epically-powerful at Firebending (enough to take on three other Cast Members simultaneously), and even better at political power.
May & Ty-Lee- Azula's Lieutenants, neither of whom are Benders. May is a cynical, deadpan (think Raven from the annoying Teen Titans cartoon) girl with Throwing Blades, and May is a hyper, peppy acrobatic who can block Chi movements, and thus neutralize Benders or paralyze people.
Fire Lord Ozai- Your mega-villain, an I Want To Conquer The World kind of guy. He's also a supreme dick to his only son.

Some of the show's Best Moments:
* Zuko Alone, a full episode devoted to a solo Rogue Prince trying to make it on his own. He ends up being hated by the very people he saved, thanks to his tainted name and the revelation that he is a Firebender. We also get a huge part of his backstory, featuring his mother (the uber-babe Ursa) and whatever she did to ensure Zuko's survival- heavily implied to be the death of the Fire Lord (and Zuko's grandfather).
* A partial-episode devoted to all the crazy crap Appa went through when he was separated from Aang. I've never felt this much empathy for a non-speaking animal before- he went through HELL.
* Brave Little Soldier Boy, a look into the personality of silly ol' Uncle Iroh, who sings and cries for the memory of his son, who died years ago in war.
* The Ember Island Players, when the cast watches a play based off of their lives- the resulting thing is a tour de force that allows the Avatar writers to make fun of themselves and their fans. OHHHH do they ever mock their fans. "Zuko/Katara" Shippers basically get a double-middle-finger in this one, as they parody the very IDEA of those two hooking up. Among the most hilarious "inside" references ever done on a cartoon.
* The "Beach Party" episode, where a re-allied Fire Nation quartet (Azula, Zuko, May & Ty-Lee) enjoy some angst and fun on a beach. Some of the funniest stuff ever features the usually cool & collected Manipulative Bitch Azula try (and fail) to adequately flirt with a boy. "You and I will be the most POWERFUL COUPLE IN ALL THE WORLD! *burning double fists of fire*"
* Aang (vs) Ozai, the way it was meant to be, in the series finale.
* Zuko's finest moment, when he basically flips his old man off, tells him he's betraying the bastard, and that he's going to help The Avatar wipe out the Fire Nation Army. Oh, and when daddy tries to kill him with Lightning, Zuko uses his past training and ****s daddy up BAD with it.
* Aang and the Guru deal with the Seven Chakras, and a deep philosophical treatment of what Aang has to do to let go of what's holding him back. Some of it was quite interesting, dealing with Aang's guilt, his shame ("Firebending is evil." "You are the Avatar- and thus, you ARE a Firebender"), etc. Of course, he lets it all go with ludicrous speed (could you just strip all of your shame & guilt off with just two seconds of reflection?), but they were pressed for time- Aang had cut short his Jedi training and go save Leia and the others... I mean his Avatar training and go save Katara.
* Sokka's attempt at a Surprise Round: "SNEAK ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!"
* All the Old Masters we've seen over the series joining up at the Series' end to go liberate Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation. Some guys we hadn't seen for two whole Seasons by that point! I LOVE it when shows bring back old one-shot cast members for the Grand Finale!
* Aang, a pacifist at heart, desperately seeks a way to get out of killing the Fire Lord to save the world. He goes into the Spirit World to gain the insight of the past Avatars. Yet each one of them imparts a piece of wisdom- Roku points out that he failed to kill Sozin, which could have prevented the world from going to hell in the first place. A Water Tribe guy tells Aang to be more decisive. Kyoshi admits that yes, she never killed an evil Warlord on purpose (he fell off of a cliff she created), however- she WOULD HAVE killed him anyways to preserve balance to the world. Even an AIR NOMAD Avatar, sharing Aang's beliefs, points out that she has to forgo them to better serve the entire world, not just her own culture (note that Monk Gyatso, Aang's first Mentor, probably killed some Fire Nation soldiers in defense of his nation). So Aang's left with four people telling him to just straight-up kill the guy, and they're not exactly incorrect. Of course, a Lion-Turtle shows up and gives us a left-field solution, but it's all good.


Fighting Styles in "Avatar":

Waterbending:

Seen a lot in the first season, and less-so later on (as it's, y'know, called Book 1: Water for a reason), Waterbending is arguably the most versatile of all the Bending styles- it allows the user mastery over water, snow and ice, as well as advanced techniques that enable Area Damage, Snares, Area Snares, Tripping, Healing, etc. Waterbenders use long, flowing movements that are slower than most other styles, and much less direct- the art is based off of Tai Chi Chuan, and looks more esoteric than most arts, especially Fire & Earth-Bending.

Waterbenders are varied bunch with many different techniques, though most stick to the "Water Whip" and "Iceman-Lite" basics. There is a Forest Style, where the users manipulate large plants' water for Plant Control-like effects. Even stranger still is the art developed by Hama, a Southern Water Tribe prisoner in Fire Nation lands- her form of "Bloodbending" allows one control over the very movements of other people, manipulating the water within their own bodies!

Waterbending is more powerful at night (I would leave this largely un-statted however, as it rarely comes up after Book One- I forgot about it entirely until I read the Avatar Wiki- and it's quite annoying to deal with in games), and ESPECIALLY so during a full moon (a lunar eclipse will result in a loss of all ability). Its biggest weakness as an art, however, is it's requirements on having access to bodies of water. Earthbenders & Airbenders have near-permanent access to their Elements of control (most buildings are either made out of stone, or built small and thus close to the ground), and Firebenders can generate their own Element, but Waterbenders are greatly weakened without a large source of water. More advanced Masters can utilize water vapor, sweat, or their own carriable bottles (any good Waterbender does the latter), but this minimal amount only allows for small Blasts and the like. Again, this is a Complication, as most big "Avatar" fights take place close to bodies of water (this being a medieval-ish society where this is a necessity).

Firebending:
Firebending is the art of most of the series' Mooks and major villains, giving it a kind of "evil" air. Based off of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, it is a lethal, direct art, and is the only one that allows full power without access to any element (though Airbenders requiring the air to use their Bending isn't exactly a weakness, for the most part). It is by far the most limited style of Bending, however, enabling very few "Extra" techniques- it just does flat-out direct damage on a large scale- it's the only art lacking major Defensive Roll-based Elemental Blocking (though some Elites still have "Fire Walls" and such to deflect attacks). However, its nature as Fire makes it more naturally-dangerous- even mid-level Benders would do horrible damage should their attacks connect, and thus most Firebenders have a higher rank of Damage than others, sacrificing accuracy as a result (this matches the show, when you consider that almost NO Firebender ever really manages a solid, direct hit with their flames- gotta have that PG rating, folks). More elite Firebenders can go "cold-hearted" and ignore their emotional state, thus allowing them control over Lightning, a MUCH more dangerous art that is Instant Kill on most targets, but is more difficult to control or aim (it requires more direct "build-up")- this tends to have the Activation Flaw, but does more damage despite it's relative inaccuracy (guys have to "wind up" their limbs a lot).

As payback for their weaknesses, most Firebenders are also elite martial combatants. Azula & Zuko definitely showcase VAST fighting talent when compared with the skinny, weak Aang, Katara & Toph. Both are absolutely deadly without the use of their Bending (Azula during the Day of Black Sun easily avoids all of Team Avatar's attacks and proves quite dangerous, whereas Zuko as The Blue Demon is near-Aang level powerful in Season 1). Almost any Firebender will be only a PL or two lower without the use of their Bending, far higher than most Benders.

Firebenders will lose access to their powers during a solar eclipse. However, their powers are GREATLY enhanced when "Sozin's Comet" passes near the planet- even mid-level Mooks gain PL 10-quality Area Effects over a MASSIVE range (up to 500-foot Cones!), to say nothing of Master Benders like Azula, Zuko & Ozai.

Earthbending:
Earthbending is the product of the largest Kingdom, and tends to have very direct applications, with sharp, short, thrusting techniques. Earthbenders are the least-dynamic Benders in terms of combat style, as they maintain their ground and position above all else- however, many Earthbenders, such as great Masters or the Dai Li, leap about the battlefield. Earthbending is based off of Hun Gar, but Toph utilizes a Southern Praying Mantis-style Chu Gar in her fighting. Earthbenders' greatest strength is their raw toughness- the physically-strongest characters in the Avatar universe are almost all Earthbenders, and this makes them some of the most-powerful non-Bending fighters on average.

Airbending:
Airbending (based off of Ba Gua Kung Fu) is the least-seen art in the series, for obvious reason- we only see one Bender except for flashback sequences. As such, Aang is the sole benefactor and example of the style for the most part. Aang uses a quick style very similar to Waterbending (the two forms are quite similar), which is often quite direct, but uses mostly-defensive and Knockback-related techniques. Airbenders can Fly using Gliders and such, and often utilize Move Object effects or Knockdown techniques. However, the art lacks damaging potential- even the most cutting winds are weaker than Earthquakes, Fire or Torrents of Water.

This bit on the Avatar Wiki is great:
there is a saying that the four elements have a special ability that makes them superior to the other- earth is the most sturdy, water is the most versatile, wind is the most adaptable and fire is the most innovative. And each four elements have dominants over each other- like for example earth is strong against water but weak against wind, water is strong against fire but weak against earth, fire is strong against wind but weak against water and wind is strong against earth but weak against fire .it's the same goes for the four martial arts that the bending arts are based on earth bending's fighting style is based on Hung Gar and Southern Praying Mantis which is known for it's heavily guarded stances and strong defense which makes this fighting method strong against Tai Chi but weak against Ba Gua, water bending's fighting style is based on Tai Chi which is known for it's accurate counter attacks and versatility which makes this fighting method strong against Northern Shaolin Kung Fu but weak against Hung Gar and Southern Praying Mantis, fire bending's fighting style is based on Northern Shaolin Kung Fu which is known for it's powerful offensive attacks which cause external damage which makes this fighting method strong against Ba Gua but weak against Tai Chi and air bending's fighting style is based on Ba Gua which is known for it's high speed movements and circular motion which makes this fighting method strong against Hung Gar and Southern Praying Mantis but weak against Northern Shaolin Kung Fu.

AVATAR AANG (Book One)
Role:
Kid Hero, Prankster
Voice Actor: Zach Tyler Eisen
Finest Moment: Going all Avatar State and wiping out the Fire Nation Navy.
PL 8 (157)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 7 (+7)
Close Combat (Staff) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 8 (+10)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 2 (+10)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack. Equipment (Staff/Glider), Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Airbending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Redirect, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"The Avatar" Features 2: May Speak to Past Avatars in a Ritual, May Have Past Avatars Speak Through Him in a Ritual [2]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18) -- [33]
AE: "Tornado II" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (18)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 4 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (17)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 6 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (12)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 10 (10)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 2 (60 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (8)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (8)
"Rookie Waterbender"
AE: "Ice Bonds" Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (15)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 6 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (14)
AE: "Ice Spikes" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (17)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 6 (Feats: Reversible) (13)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)

Flight 4 (32 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (4) -- [6]
AE: Swimming 4 (8 mph) (4)
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 3 (16 mph) (3)

Equipment:
"Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3) -- (4)
AE: Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Staff +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Air Blast +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Water Attack +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Ice Bonds +10 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Area Snares & Slicks +5-8 (+5-8 Affliction, DC 15-18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +2 (+4 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Aang's duty to bring balance to the world and defeat the Fire Lord. However, Aang was a simple boy, and never wanted any of this pressure. As a result, he often acts out and puts up the front of a silly child who loves nonsense. He does not yet want to put away childish things and meet his destiny.
Fame (The Avatar)- Aang is a wanted boy the second he appears on the world. Not only do various Fire Nation people want him captured, but other people who realize his true nature often make a racket about him. Some even question where he was all this time- a question Aang would rather not answer at this time.
Responsibility (The Sanctity of Life)- Aang, as an Air Nomad, believes that all life is sacred. He will not eat meat (though won't prevent others from doing so, or else he and Sokka would NEVER be friends), and he will not willingly take a life. When the reality of facing a mad dictator confronts him, he is torn between his personal beliefs, and his duty to the world.
Relationship (Katara)- Aang has a pretty immediate crush on Katara and her big blue eyes.
Relationship (Sokka)- The two are best buds right away, though Sokka is still highly protective of his sister.
Relationship (Appa)- Appa is Aang's Spiritual Animal Companion, and the two pledged to never be apart. Injuring Appa, or otherwise removing him from Aang, WILL result in a full-on Avatar State Smackdown.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 20 (157)

-This is Aang near the end of Book One- he's trained with Katara and Master Pakku to improve his Waterbending, but he's still an Airbender first and foremost- despite early clues that he was gaining power MUCH faster than Katara, he settled into being the "best at Airbending, second-best at all the other elements" guy, to prevent unbalancing the entire squad. Aang as a hero was a pretty good character, in that he averted a lot of the "I love to fight, and I must fight to get stronger" Shonen junk that is out there. Sure, he trained to "get stronger", but he never actually wanted the job. Aang didn't "like" fighting exactly, and he certainly never wanted the responsibility that being The Avatar brought him. Especially early on, when he was just a little kid trying to have fun, despite being chased by a series of crazy Firebenders.

Image

Yon Rha: I did a bad thing. I know I did, and you deserve revenge. So why don't you take my mother? That would be fair.
Katara: I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing. But now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just *nothing* inside you. Nothing at all! You're pathetic and sad and empty!
Yon Rha: [sobbing] Please spare me!
Katara: But as much as I hate you... I just can't do it.
-Katara confronting the man who executed her mother


KATARA (Book Three)
Role:
Team Mom, The Love Interest
Voice Actor: Mae Whitman
Finest Moment: Finally gave Azula the ass-kicking and humiliating defeat she desperately needing.
PL 10 (172)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+13)
Treatment 5 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Cunning Fighter (Feints With Attack Bonus), Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Water Shields" Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll 3 [3]

"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28) -- [43]
AE: "Ice Wave" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 60ft. Cone) (28)
AE: "Ice Stream" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (28)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 7 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (23)
AE: "Octopus Form" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) (14)
AE: "Ice Spikes" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (19)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (21)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (21)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Steam" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Bloodbending" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed & Hindered/Compelled & Defenseless/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Selective, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to During Full Moons) Linked to Move Object 4 (Flaws: Limited to People & During Full Moons, Distracting) (17)
AE: Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Water/Ice Slides" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Platform) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Water Attack +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ice Bonds +13 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Area Snares & Slicks +7 (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Bloodbending +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Motivation (Revenge)- Katara's mother was killed by the Fire Nation, and she's striven to fight them every step of the way. This can cause her problems, as her obsession with vengeance has almost cost them several friends (including Zuko)
Relationship (Aang)- Katara views him as a younger brother at first, but slowly comes to appreciate him as something more, once he matures.
Relationship (Sokka)- Though her brother is older, Katara takes a mothering relationship over him.
Relationship (Toph)- Toph isn't quite the female companion Katara had been hoping for- she's as gross and messy as the boys.
Responsibility (Team Mom)- Katara is a required member of Team Avatar, as the most level-headed and mature member.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Bloodbending)- Bloodbending is an extremely dark art, and Katara will only use it when absolutely necessary, as it provokes homicidal tendencies. It is also useless against a Waterbender of similar power- Katara easily escaped Hama's control.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 51 / Defenses: 20 (172)

-Katara started off as the only recurring female character on the show, which is odd, seeing as how girls came to define much of the show's cast and concept. Noble, friendly and caring, she was a sharp contrast to her whacky, super-emotive brother Sokka, though the show was VERY careful to avoid the usual "Chick" stereotypes- she was as good a fighter as Aang at some points, she wasn't ALWAYS goody-goody (she actually stole a Waterbending scroll from some pirates, presuming that a) they're pirates, and b) the scrolls are important to their training, and thus saving the world), and she wasn't always right. All in all, a very carefully-done, great character.
-Katara gets "Shipped" (ie. "I wish those two were in a relationSHIP with each other"- something I first heard off in the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" fandom) with a lot of people by the fandom, mainly thanks to an episode where she & Zuko are trapped in a cave together, and come to an understanding based off of both losing their mothers as children. I guess this was a little TOO close to what many fans see as a typical "they're not so bad- I should date this person!" moment, and therefore the Katara/Zuko pairing (known as... *sigh*... "Zutara") started overwhelming a lot of Avatar-based stuff on the internet. Shipping kind of screws with a LOT of fandoms (go onto a Harry Potter fansite if you don't believe me), to the point where it makes me not want to go on ANY websites, especially ones where Shipping tends to be common. TV Tropes is notorious for that, as every possible Trope related to Shipping gets filled, especially by popular shows and concepts... like Avatar. So expect to see Zuko/Katara and Aang/Katara Ships debated online by grouchy fans, ESPECIALLY once the show's writers got wind of it, and started ACTIVELY screwing with the Zutara fans by teasing the coupling, only to TOTALLY rip on it and hilariously mock their own obsessive fans (see The Ember Island Players, where the Gaang watches a play about their lives, and includes scenes of Katara & Zuko coming together, much to the HORROR of the real-life pair- this episode was basically called "SUCK IT, SHIPPERS!" and it was GLORIOUS).
-I can't really say enough about how good Mae Whitman was in this role- that scene where she breaks down and starts screaming at her absentee father is some amazing voice acting. It's like... she KNOWS why he had to leave the family (he went off to fight the Fire Nation in the war), but she can't get past her feelings of loneliness and abandonment, and is confused as to why. Really emotional stuff.
-Katara is semi-important in The Legend of Korra, which reveals that her & Aang raised some REALLY immature, whiny-ass children that bicker like schoolkids even in middle age. Katara herself was calm, wise, and at peace, and was shown briefly mentoring Korra, the new Avatar. Only her healing is really shown- she doesn't do any fighting (Toph later points out that war is for young people, not the elderly). She's actually the only member of the original series shown with any frequency in the first Book of LoK, though we'd get a few snippets of Aang.
-Katara is an elite, Master-level Waterbender by the end of the series. She is easily Aang's superior, and she actually learns more than her Master, Pakku. She gains several inventive moves, particularly the epic "Bloodbending", though it was only used a few times due to its limitations, and the negative effect it had on her soul. She uses a lot of stuff typical for my Elementalist builds, in that she has a TON of Alternate Effects, though in this case, they all have some basis in the show. Some are more minor one-offs that could be sliced off by Points-Savers who just want to play Hero Points for the stuff (Steam, the various Area Effects instead of just going with one, the Octopus Forms saw less use over time as well), but she's overall REALLY good, able to take out whole groups of guys at once, use Multiattack, Heal others, Trip people, Blast away, and use the defining Ice Snares.

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KATARA (Book Two)
Role:
Team Mom, The Love Interest
Voice Actor: Mae Whitman
Finest Moment: Finally gave Azula the ass-kicking and humiliating defeat she desperately needing.
PL 9 (151)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Treatment 5 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Cunning Fighter (Feints With Attack Bonus), Defensive Attack, Evasion, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Water Shields" Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll 3 [3]

"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (24) -- [38]
AE: "Ice Wave" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 60ft. Cone) (24)
AE: "Ice Stream" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (24)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 6 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (21)
AE: "Octopus Form" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) (12)
AE: "Ice Spikes" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (17)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (18)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (18)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Steam" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Water/Ice Slides" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Platform) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Water Attack +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Ice Bonds +12 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Area Snares & Slicks +6 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Motivation (Revenge)- Katara's mother was killed by the Fire Nation, and she's striven to fight them every step of the way. This can cause her problems, as her obsession with vengeance has almost cost them several friends (including Zuko)
Relationship (Aang)- Katara views him as a younger brother at first, but slowly comes to appreciate him as something more, once he matures.
Relationship (Sokka)- Though her brother is older, Katara takes a mothering relationship over him.
Relationship (Toph)- Toph isn't quite the female companion Katara had been hoping for- she's as gross and messy as the boys.
Responsibility (Team Mom)- Katara is a required member of Team Avatar, as the most level-headed and mature member.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 18 (151)

-Book Two Katara is still a great fighter, and only drops Bloodbending.

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KATARA (Book One)
Role:
Team Mom, The Love Interest
Voice Actor: Mae Whitman
Finest Moment: Finally gave Azula the ass-kicking and humiliating defeat she desperately needing.
PL 8 (132)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+10)
Treatment 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Cunning Fighter (Feints With Attack Bonus), Defensive Attack, Evasion, Improved Critical (Bending), Improved Defense, Inspire, Ranged Attack 3, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Water Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]

"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (24) -- [33]
AE: "Ice Wave" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 60ft. Cone) (24)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 6 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (21)
AE: "Ice Spikes" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (15)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Water/Ice Slides" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Platform) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Water Attack +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ice Bonds +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Area Snares & Slicks +6 (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+4 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Motivation (Revenge)- Katara's mother was killed by the Fire Nation, and she's striven to fight them every step of the way. This can cause her problems, as her obsession with vengeance has almost cost them several friends (including Zuko)
Relationship (Aang)- Katara views him as a younger brother at first, but slowly comes to appreciate him as something more, once he matures.
Relationship (Sokka)- Though her brother is older, Katara takes a mothering relationship over him.
Responsibility (Team Mom)- Katara is a required member of Team Avatar, as the most level-headed and mature member.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 41 / Defenses: 16 (132)

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TOPH BEIFONG (Book Three)
Role:
The Tomboy, The Powerhouse
Voice Actor: Jessie Flower
Finest Moment: Grabbed the back fin of a Fire Nation Airship and bent it into the entire fleet, destroying them all..
PL 10 (177)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 7 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Nobility) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 11 (+13)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Diehard, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Effort (Move Earth)

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 4: Defensive Roll 4 [4]
"See With Her Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Detect Lies Through Heart Rates" Enhanced Skills 6: Insight 6 (+11) [3]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Earth/Metal Armour" (Flaws: Standard Action) [-2]
Enhanced Strength 2 (4)
Features 1: Increased Mass (1)
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 7) (11)
Immunity 5 (Fire Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (3)
Reduced Dodge & Parry 5 (-10)
Reduced Bending 2 (-4)
Total: 5 points [5]

"Earthquake" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (36) -- [49]
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 8 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (21)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (17)
AE: "Earth Shaker" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (36)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Rockalanche" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (34)
AE: "Stone Spear" Damage 10 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (27)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 9 (Flaws: Limited to Metals, Touch Range) (4.5)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 10 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (10)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Earth Attack +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Multiple Stones +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Earthquake +8-10 Area (+8 Damage & +10 Affliction, DC 23 & 20)
Stone Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Metal Snare +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Disabled (Blind)- Though Toph can detect seismic vibrations in the Earth to replace her sight, she cannot detect airborne objects, faces, writing, colours, etc. She also cannot accurately read things on sand (things look "fuzzy").
Relationship (Aang)- Toph is rude and bossy towards "twinkle toes", but he's probably her best friend.
Relationship (Sokka)- Toph & Sokka are the most boorish members of "Team Avatar", and see eye-to-eye fairly often, despite razzing each other. She also has a small crush on him, though she hides it well (plus, he's with Suki).
Relationship (Katara)- Toph is frequently annoyed by the motherly, civilized Katara, especially when called out for her behavior, such as scamming money off of people.
Relationship (Parents)- Toph cared for her parents, but she despised how they babied her due to her blindness. When she ran away from home to help the Avatar, she was chased by two hired goons under their orders, believing her to still be in danger (technically, they were right).
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Earthbenders require contact with the Earth to use their powers. This is usually not a problem in a pre-Industrial society, but metal structures such as Fire Nation prisons will inhibit any Earthbending. Toph eventually subverts this with her Metalbending, but even that will not allow the use of most of her powers.
Weakness (Water, Ice)- Toph can't "see" effectively on water or ice, and gets nauseous easily when on a submarine.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 67 / Defenses: 23 (177)

-If Zuko is the best character in Avatar, then Toph was easily the most AWESOME. Somehow the writers managed to gather a TON of Mary Sue tropes onto one character (super-special 100% unique nature, tons of Power Feats, Disabled But Bad-Ass, Child Bad-Ass) and make her completely amazing nonetheless. It's an important lesson- making characters special and unique doesn't always make them over-pushed and sucky- particularly in a show where almost ALL the characters are made to be special. You can hardly claim the show over-powered her when Aang is going Super-Saiyan, Sokka is destroying the invasion through his insane genius (and scoring tons of booty from the Three Nations), and Katara is controlling people's bodies with her Bending.
-Toph ended up being pretty neat- she was initially going to be a burly male Earthbender, but the show's writers kind of changed course partway through, and decided to add another girl to the team. This helped Book Two REALLY amp up the female cast members, which really made the show more popular. And so instead of this burly tough guy, we got a tiny little blind girl with the exact same personality, which made her REALLY stand out. Born blind, young Toph once ran away, and discovered a band of Badgermoles. Since these creatures were the original Earthbenders, and blind like Toph, she had a comraderie with them, and was able to learn Earthbending too. Eventually, Toph became a true master, able to use her Bending to "see" the world around her.
-As The Blind Bandit, Toph was a pro wrestler (battling "The Boulder", a Rock parody voiced by his friend and fellow superstar wrestler, Mick Foley) discovered by Aang. Aang wanted an Earthbending master, and his old friend King Bumi (himself a master Bender) told him that his trainer should be someone who "listens, and waits". Seeing Toph use the vibrations in the ground to make out her targets, Aang found his master. Toph was gruff and unlikeable at first, acting as piggish as the boys, but being quite egotistical and confrontational. Insisting on "pulling her own weight", she made an ass of herself early on, and it took a while for her to settle. Her harsh training style over Aang didn't help- she insulted him and smacked him around like a tough-guy boxing trainer, and it took Katara to point out that Aang responded better to positive reinforcement.
-Since Book Two was often The Toph Story, she took the back steat on Book Three. She didn't even get to go on a "Life-Changing Trip With Zuko" like the other three members of Team Avatar did. But no matter- by this point, she'd become a TRUE Earthbending Master, inventing the art of "Metalbending" by picking out the mineral impurities in metal, allowing her to use Touch-Range Magnetism (more or less).
-Toph features in the final season of The Legend of Korra, still being grouchy and short (acting as a brief "mentor", ie. angry, taunting, abusive lecturer, like the Toph we all know and love), but by this point being REALLY OLD as well. She's seen in some flashbacks as the adult Chief of Republic City Police, angrily-lecturing her two daughters about proper behavior. However, it turns out she wasn't a great mom- she had daughters from two different men that never ended up in her childrens' lives, and never gave proper approval or anything to Lin & Suyin. Lin followed in Toph's footsteps as a police officer, but got no encouragement for it, and Suyin essentially got to avoid real punishment for her criminal actions. Suyin & Toph later came to terms off-screen, but Lin carried a SERIOUS grudge, even into middle age herself. Toph more or less admits to her failure in raising kids. However, she DOES kick absolute tons of ass, taking out an entire platoon of Kuvira's soldiers with massive Earthbending techniques- despite being old as balls, Toph still be Toph. Though she DID admit that "Don't tell Korra, but my back is KILLING me!"
-Toph is probably the one with the most raw power of the Gaang (she is BY FAR the most likely to use Power Attack), but gives up a notch of accuracy (since Avatar characters are nearly always super-accurate martial artists, there is often very little difference in hitting power- just preferred fighting styles). One of the greatest Earthbenders in the world, she can actually detect people (and their general moods) using Tremorsense, completely negating her blindness (unless the subjects are flying or something- something much more rare here than in a comic book world). And on a world where pretty much every building, bridge, path, road, etc. is made out of rock, she's FAR more dangerous than she would be in modern times. Using Earthbending, she can Blast, Snare, Trip or launch people, levitate rock, hold up an entire library IN THE SAND and move at high-speeds on the ground. However, we never really see her engaging in fisticuffs given her small stature (I didn't give her Shrinking mainly because I didn't feel like complicating the build, but she's pretty short) and likely physical weakness without her Bending, so she's very dependant upon it. By Book Two's end, though, she's developed a form of Earthbending that actually affects METAL as well! This gives her a weaker Move Object, and a REALLY nasty Snare that is nonetheless much less accurate.
-The only Earthbenders in her era who could possibly be stronger by the end are King Bumi and Avatar State Aang- Long Feng could be close behind. For a Power Fighter, you'll note that she has crazy-high Initiative- her "Seismic Sense" allows her to anticipate moving opponents quite effectively, and strike first. Note also the "Stone Armour" thing- it's basically the Alternate Form set of powers, requiring a Standard Action to change forms. It's highly-defensive, but leaves you slow and an easy target, in addition to hampering Bending considerably, so it's rarely used. It's only 3 points overall, so not a big deal.

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TOPH BEIFONG (Book Two)
Role:
The Tomboy, The Powerhouse
Voice Actor: Jessie Flower
Finest Moment: Invented Metalbending, trapping her would-be captors.
PL 9 (162)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 7 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Nobility) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 10 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+10)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Fearless, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Ultimate Effort (Move Earth)

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll 3 [3]
"See With Her Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Detect Lies Through Heart Rates" Enhanced Skills 6: Insight 6 (+11) [3]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Earth/Metal Armour" (Flaws: Standard Action) [-2]
Enhanced Strength 2 (4)
Features 1: Increased Mass (1)
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 7) (11)
Immunity 5 (Fire Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) (3)
Reduced Dodge & Parry 5 (-10)
Reduced Bending 2 (-4)
Total: 5 points [5]

"Earthquake" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (34) -- [44]
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 8 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (21)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (17)
AE: "Earth Shaker" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) Linked to Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (34)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Rockalanche" Blast 9 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (32)
AE: "Stone Spear" Damage 9 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (25)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Earth Attack +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Earthquake +8-9 Area (+8 Damage & +9 Affliction, DC 23 & 19)
Stone Bonds +10 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +2 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Disabled (Blind)- Though Toph can detect seismic vibrations in the Earth to replace her sight, she cannot detect airborne objects, faces, writing, colours, etc. She also cannot accurately read things on sand (things look "fuzzy").
Relationship (Aang)- Toph is rude and bossy towards "twinkle toes", but he's probably her best friend.
Relationship (Sokka)- Toph & Sokka are the most boorish members of "Team Avatar", and see eye-to-eye fairly often, despite razzing each other. She also has a small crush on him, though she hides it well (plus, he's with Suki).
Relationship (Katara)- Toph is frequently annoyed by the motherly, civilized Katara, especially when called out for her behavior, such as scamming money off of people.
Relationship (Parents)- Toph cared for her parents, but she despised how they babied her due to her blindness. When she ran away from home to help the Avatar, she was chased by two hired goons under their orders, believing her to still be in danger (technically, they were right).
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Earthbenders require contact with the Earth to use their powers. This is usually not a problem in a pre-Industrial society, but metal structures such as Fire Nation prisons will inhibit any Earthbending. Toph eventually subverts this with her Metalbending, but even that will not allow the use of most of her powers.
Weakness (Water, Ice)- Toph can't "see" effectively on water or ice, and gets nauseous easily when on a submarine.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 63 / Defenses: 20 (162)

-Book Two Toph is essentially equally as powerful as her Book Three self, but drops accuracy- in either Season, she is doing CRAZY damage, and lifting hella-gigantic structures and junk. She basically gets better over time, and gains Metalbending between seasons.

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SUKI
Role: Ensemble Darkhorse. Upgraded One-Shot Character
Name Translations: To love/like, Leave oneself vulnerable (Kendo)
Group Affiliations: The Kiyoshi Warriors, The Fire Nation Resistance
PL 9 (141)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+14)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Expertise (Guardian) 6 (+8)
Insight 4 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Fans) 4 (+14)
Stealth 5 (+12)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Defensive Throw, Equipment 2 (Armor, Fans), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Fans), Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Instant Up, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
“Katana” Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (4) -- (6)
AE: “Fan Toss” Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Ranged 3) (Diminished Range -1) (3)
AE: “War Fans” Strength-Damage +2 (2)
“Body Armor” Protection 1 (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fans +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Thrown Fans +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 Body Armour), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Sokka)
Responsibility (Kiyoshi Island)

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 14 (141)

-Suki was initially a one-shot character in Season One, meant to make Sokka grow up a little bit by proving that women could still kick some ass. The leader of a band of warriors that defended Kiyoshi Island (giving us some backstory to the Avatar-verse by depicting a former Avatar, and thus a former life of Aang, that used her Earthbending to move an entire island off the coastline), Suki took a liking to Sokka once he showed some humility and humbly asked for training in their form of elite Fan-Fighting/Aikido throws. Sokka got another girlfriend by Season’s end, but once she turned into the moon (again, long story), Suki reappeared thanks to a huge fan response to her episode.
-She was captured by Azula after a KILLER fight scene, and she later showed up in jail, getting sprung by Sokka & Zuko, and she became a full-fledged member of Team Avatar from that point on, going from a one-shot-ish character to a near-Lead. She had the least to do of the entire squad, but the fans still appreciated her.
-Unlike the rest of the main cast, we never figure out what happened to Suki by The Legend of Korra. Sokka is clearly dead, and it seems she is as well- and she & Sokka have had no children that we could see.
-Suki is an elite Melee Fighter, but is PL 9 only defensively- she’s PL 8-8.5 on offense. This fits someone who was generally the Least-Useful of a very elite team, but still a high-class fighter in her own right. Notably, she is BY FAR the best hand-to-hand fighter of the entire squad (able to brawl with Ty-Lee on an even keel by the end), with only Zuko matching her with weapons. It’s just that once the Gaang develops high-powered Bending arts, she falls a bit flat compared to a 5-ton Rockalanche.

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SABER-TOOTHED MOOSE-LION
Role:
Solitary Giant Mammal, Protective Mother
PL 9 (71)- Minion Rank 3, Sidekick Rank 9
Normal Version:
PL 8
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 1 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 9 (+9)
Intimidation 9 (+11 Size)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 8 (+8, +4 Size)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Teeth) 2, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 1 (Total 2) [1]

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
Protection 1 [1]

"Antlers & Giant Saber-Teeth" Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Natural Weapons +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +9, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Moose-Lions cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Responsibility (Cubs)- Moose-Lion mothers are intensely protective of their offspring- they will assault anyone they perceive to be a threat.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 12 (71)

-A Moose-Lion was only really seen in one episode, as it's adorable cub was being hunted by Sokka for food. It's mother was less than impressed. This was during Aang's struggle with Earthbending, and he was able to use Toph's advice and "Hold your ground!" at the key moment- he knocked the Moose-Lion into the air and successfully saw mother & cub off. It's a heavy-duty creature, effectively merging the scariest parts of a Moose and a Big Cat- at full power, it's more than a match for a Bender character. It's only the heroes' good luck that Avatar-verse animals tend to fight like real animals- aggressively, but they run when injury appears likely.

Here's a list on the various Animal Species common to the Avatar World, aside from the ones I'll be building later:

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Avatar-Verse Animals:
Dragon Moose (like a Moose, but with a Komodo head)
Moo-Sow, Woolly Pig (goofy background animals)
Boarcupine (Damage Aura 5)
Puma Goat (Extended Scent, Leaping 2 & Fighting 2)
Gemsbok Bull, Bull Pig (sorta replacing cattle in a way)
Camelephant
Cow Hippo (Fire Nation Cattle replacement- how a meat-eater fits in as a common meat source is beyond me, though)

ImageKomodo Rhino- The most-commonly seen Fire Nation mount, used by their Soldiers.
Elephant Mandrill (just a different head on the base animal)
Elephant Rat, White Hamster
Rabbiroo- A surprisingly frightening-looking Rabbit/Kangaroo cross. Rodent/Lapid teeth are HORRIFYING at that scale.
Polar Seal, Iguana Seal
Elephant Koi (Remove Echolocation, -2 Fighting, make fully Aquatic)
Ostrich Birds (Wall-Crawling 2)- These are extremely common, and tend to be used as Soldiers' mounts. They are effectively like Horses or Chocobos as far as their place in the world goes.

ImageRaven Eagle, Buzzard Bees (Weaken Strength 2)
Cat Owl
Armadillo Wolf, Wolfbat (Wings 4, Accurate Hearing)
Bearded Cat, Pygmy Puma
Armadillo Lion (Burrowing 3)
Tigerdillo (Burrowing 3)
Lion Vulture (Fighting 3)
Armadillo Bear
Platypus Bear, Bear- The characters were quite horrified to discover a plain old "Bear"

ImageHog Monkeys
Gorilla Goat
Catgator (Catfish/Alligator)
Sea Serpent
Unagi
Mongoose Dragon (remove Horns & Frill, add in Speed 2 & Wall-Crawling 2)

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"SNEEEEAAAAAAAK ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!"
-Sokka, rolling a Natural 1 on his Stealth check.

SOKKA (Book Three)
Role:
The Butt-Monkey, The Meat & Sarcasm Guy, The Idea Guy, The Cynic
Name Translation: "I understand/Is that so?" (reference to sarcasm?)
Voice Actor: Jack DeSena
Finest Moment: Came up with the plan to defeat the Fire Nation Airships.
PL 9 (124)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Tactics) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Boomerang) 3 (+13)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 3 (Weaponry), Evasion, Improved Critical (Boomerang), Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Redirect, Takedown, Set-Up, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Boomerang" Blast 4 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet 3) (Diminished Range -1) (11) -- (12)
AE: "Space Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 4) (8)
"Armour" Protection 1 (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Space Sword +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Boomerang +13 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 Armour), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Aang)- Sokka & Aang are two peas in a pod, enjoying many of the same things, though Sokka often doubts the spiritual side of Aang's life.
Relationship (Katara)- Katara is a mother figure to Sokka, though he is highly-protective of her.
Relationship (Toph)- Toph & Sokka are the most boorish members of "Team Avatar", and see eye-to-eye fairly often, despite razzing each other. She also has a small crush on him, though she hides it well (plus, he's with Suki).
Responsibility (The Southern Water Tribe)- The last male of any sort of fighting age left, Sokka was left in charge of his small tribe's defense. He took it very seriously, but his incompetence often hampered him. Even so, he fights bravely.
Reputation (Goof-Off & Weakling)- Sokka was by far the weakest link of his squad for a number of years. He had no Bending ability, and he was a weaker physical fighter than many other non-Benders. This often left him humbled and defeated. It would take training under Piandao to restore his confidence and ability.
Relationship (Yue, Suki)- After his first love died at the end of Book One, Sokka hooked back up with Suki, the leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors. The two warriors respected each other deeply, and Suki admired his goofy charm.
Enemy (The Fire Nation)- Fire Nation soldiers killed his mother, and he spend his childhood in never-ending fear of another invasion. Even as a young man, he openly mocks and distrusts "Jerkbending", and doesn't even like the idea of Aang learning it at all- even though it's necessary to defeat the Fire Lord.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (124)

-Sokka is the Comic Relief of the team at first, with recurring gags involving him being hurt, or humiliating himself with stupidity. However, unlike MOST kids' shows, his antics weren't just dumb slapstick ALL the time, and the humour was actually really well done (the idea of a guy being thrown out for using "too many syllables" in a Haiku class is hilarious). I would only recommend playing Sokka in an Avatar campaign if the guy A) knew he wasn't going to be taking out the major villains solo, and B) was the best RPer and 'idea guy' of the group, since we all know that's Sokka's role in the show. Actually, Sokka's kind of unique in that regard, as he's one of the few 'comedic ass' guys out there to not only give SOME account of himself in combat, but to be the most important guy when it came to planning out strategies. In nearly every other show, the Comic Relief is usually devoted to being completely useless.
-And Sokka ended up VERY well-developed, as his lack of power led to him utilizing his inventive mind to become Team Avatar's "Idea Guy", allowing him to defeat multitudes of Fire Nation warriors using careful planning, tactics and inventions. By the series' end, he'd also become an excellent swordsman, though I found it bizarre how he only took a couple days of training to go up a Power Level or two- the speed was a necessity, but it was odd that Aang & Katara spend TONS of time developing their powers, and Sokka didn't have to so much. Granted, he was already a half-decent fighter by that point.
-Sokka also had surprising luck with the ladies for a universal Butt-Monkey. Ty-Lee thought he was cute, and he got play from both Princess Yue and Suki the Warrior Lady. Great stuff, and he & Suki made a funny "Official Couple" of sorts for the show. He does not appear in The Legend of Korra, having died before the series began.
-Sokka eventually becomes a man of many talents by Season Three, and is even a very capable warrior (just still well below the rest of Team Avatar). He's a trained Swordsman, Ranged Fighter, inventor, and battle strategist- he's the smartest guy on the team by a ways. He's still 50 points behind Toph, Katara & Zuko, though.

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Sokka: It was YOU! [pointing a finger at Momo] YOU ratted me out!
Sokka: I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice ... And look! [grabs gooey yellow substance stuck to the cave wall and licks it] Pfft! Pfft! Ughh! Tastes like rotten penguin meat. Ah, I feel woozy.
Katara: You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day, and then you just lick something you find stuck to the WALL OF A CAVE?!
Sokka: I have a natural curiosity.

SOKKA (Book Two)
Role:
The Butt-Monkey, The Meat & Sarcasm Guy, The Idea Guy, The Cynic
Name Translation: "I understand/Is that so?" (reference to sarcasm?)
Voice Actor: Jack DeSena
Finest Moment: Came up with the plan to defeat the Fire Nation Airships.
PL 8 (108)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Tactics) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Boomerang) 4 (+11)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Technology 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 3 (Weaponry), Evasion, Improved Critical (Boomerang), Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 3, Set-Up, Taunt, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Boomerang" Blast 4 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet 3) (Diminished Range -1) (11)
"Armour" Protection 1 (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Boomerang +11 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 Armour), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Aang)- Sokka & Aang are two peas in a pod, enjoying many of the same things, though Sokka often doubts the spiritual side of Aang's life.
Relationship (Katara)- Katara is a mother figure to Sokka, though he is highly-protective of her.
Relationship (Toph)- Toph & Sokka are the most boorish members of "Team Avatar", and see eye-to-eye fairly often, despite razzing each other. She also has a small crush on him, though she hides it well (plus, he's with Suki).
Responsibility (The Southern Water Tribe)- The last male of any sort of fighting age left, Sokka was left in charge of his small tribe's defense. He took it very seriously, but his incompetence often hampered him. Even so, he fights bravely.
Reputation (Goof-Off & Weakling)- Sokka was by far the weakest link of his squad for a number of years. He had no Bending ability, and he was a weaker physical fighter than many other non-Benders. This often left him humbled and defeated. It would take training under Piandao to restore his confidence and ability.
Relationship (Yue, Suki)- After his first love died at the end of Book One, Sokka hooked back up with Suki, the leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors. The two warriors respected each other deeply, and Suki admired his goofy charm.
Enemy (The Fire Nation)- Fire Nation soldiers killed his mother, and he spend his childhood in never-ending fear of another invasion. Even as a young man, he openly mocks and distrusts "Jerkbending", and doesn't even like the idea of Aang learning it at all- even though it's necessary to defeat the Fire Lord.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (108)

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"That's all I got. It's pretty much my whole identity. Sokka, the meat and sarcasm guy."
— Sokka to the universe after getting trapped in a small fissure


SOKKA (Book One)
Role:
The Butt-Monkey, The Meat & Sarcasm Guy, The Cynic
Name Translation: "I understand/Is that so?" (reference to sarcasm?)
Voice Actor: Jack DeSena
Finest Moment: Came up with the plan to defeat the Fire Nation Airships.
PL 7 (92)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Tactics) 2 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Boomerang) 3 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 1 (+3)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 3 (Weaponry), Evasion, Improved Critical (Boomerang), Improved Disarm, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 3, Set-Up, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Boomerang" Blast 4 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet 3) (Diminished Range -1) (11)
"Armour" Protection 1 (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Boomerang +10 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+3 Armour), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Aang)- Sokka & Aang are two peas in a pod, enjoying many of the same things, though Sokka often doubts the spiritual side of Aang's life.
Relationship (Katara)- Katara is a mother figure to Sokka, though he is highly-protective of her.
Responsibility (The Southern Water Tribe)- The last male of any sort of fighting age left, Sokka was left in charge of his small tribe's defense. He took it very seriously, but his incompetence often hampered him. Even so, he fights bravely.
Reputation (Goof-Off & Weakling)- Sokka was by far the weakest link of his squad for a number of years. He had no Bending ability, and he was a weaker physical fighter than many other non-Benders. This often left him humbled and defeated. It would take training under Piandao to restore his confidence and ability.
Relationship (Yue, Suki)
Enemy (The Fire Nation)- Fire Nation soldiers killed his mother, and he spend his childhood in never-ending fear of another invasion. Even as a young man, he openly mocks and distrusts "Jerkbending", and doesn't even like the idea of Aang learning it at all- even though it's necessary to defeat the Fire Lord.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (92)

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PAKKU
Role:
Gruff Trainer, Chauvinist Pig
Voice Actor: Victor Brandt
Finest Moment: Handily defeated dozens of Firebenders at the North Pole
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+9)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Cunning Fighter (Feints With Attack Bonus), Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork

Powers:
"Water Shields" Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll 3 [3]

"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28) -- [42]
AE: "Ice Wave" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 60ft. Cone) (28)
AE: "Ice Stream" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (28)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 7 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (23)
AE: "Octopus Form" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) (14)
AE: "Ice Spikes" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (15)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (19)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (21)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Steam" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Water/Ice Slides" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Platform) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Water Attack +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ice Bonds +13 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Area Snares & Slicks +7 (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Northern Water Tribe)
Relationship (Kanna)- Katara & Sokka's grandmother was once betrothed to Pakku. However, she rejected him when she discovered his sexism in refusing to train female Benders in combat.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 18 (174)

-Master Pakku is Aang & Katara's official Waterbending instructor, teaching them the finest points of the art after they'd spent most of the season learning on their own, through experience. He was depicted as outside of Katara's league and very powerful, as well as very gruff and dismissive. Holding to his nation's sexist beliefs, he refused to train the female Katara, and was only convinced when he realized that she was the granddaughter of a woman who'd rejected his proposal decades ago because of those same beliefs. By the series' end, we were reintroduced to him, and he had in fact married the same woman, becoming Katara & Sokka's new grandfather.
-I figure Pakku and the other Masters in the series to be PL 10s- effectively, THEY are the true elites except for Avatar State Aang, up until Book Three, when the rest of Team Avatar catches up. I mainly built him as a good example of a non-Katara Bender- he's stronger and tougher, but a tad slower (and less charismatic overall- he's downright unfriendly to everyone, and gets by on sheer talent and position), and lacks two of Katara's key "tricks" that make her an elite Bender- Bloodbending and Healing. However, he's just as good a fighter otherwise, and that's only in Book Three- she's PL 8 in Book One.

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BASIC WATERBENDERS
Role:
Heroic Mooks
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: N/A
PL 5 (87)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Improved Critical (Bending), Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Water Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll [1]

"Waterbending Students"
"Water/Ice Whip" Blast 5 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (17) -- [24]
AE: "Ice Bonds" Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (15)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (13)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 5 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (11)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 5 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (8.5)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 4 (Feats: Reversible) (9)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 5 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (5)
AE: Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)

Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Water Attack +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Area Damage +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Ice Bonds +5 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3 (+4 Shields), Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Northern Water Tribe)
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 2 (87)

-Basic Waterbending Mooks are... surprisingly effective, and expensive for their Power Level. I figure PL 5 is pretty good to give the heroes a good challenge- a handful of Benders were tricky for the PL 8-ish Aang & Katara in Book One, but went down much easier in Book Three. These guys are more or less Mini-Versions of Pakku

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Zuko: First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me.
Ozai: Why would she lie to me about that?
Zuko: Because the Avatar is not dead. He survived.
Ozai: What?!
Zuko: In fact, he's probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now.
Ozai: [standing] GET OUT! Get out of my sight right now if you know what’s good for you!
Zuko: That’s another thing. I’m not taking orders from you anymore.
Ozai: You will obey me, or this defiant breath will be your last! [approaches Zuko]
Zuko: [draws swords] Think again! I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen! [Ozai pauses, then sits back down.] For so long, all I wanted was you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor that I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me—a 13-year-old boy!—to an Agni Kai. How can you possibly justify a duel with a child?
Ozai: [bitterly] It was to teach you respect.
Zuko: It was cruel! And it was wrong.
Fire Lord Ozai: Then you have learned nothing.
Zuko: No, I’ve learned everything! And I had to learn it on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was! The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation! They don’t see our greatness, they hate us! And we deserve it. We’ve created an era of fear in the world. And if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.
Fire Lord Ozai: [laughs mocking] Your Uncle has gotten to you, hasn’t he?
Zuko: [closes his eyes for a second, then smiles] Yes. He has.


PRINCE ZUKO (Book Three)
Role:
Inspector Javert (to The Avatar), The Exiled Prince, Well-Done Son Guy, The Sympathetic Villain, The Flip-Flopper (oh is he EVER)
Voice Actor: Dante Basco (goddamned RUFIO!!!)
Finest Moment: Rejected his father and his teachings, then announcing his intentions to teach The Avatar Firebending and completing his destiny. Then blocked his dad's super-lightning and threw it right back at him. Or the time he finally beat Azula.
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Music) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+8)
Investigation 6 (+8)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+11)
Stealth 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment (Paired Swords), Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending) 2, Improved Critical (Swords), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Tracking

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Fire Shield" Force Field 1 [1]
"Repeating Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (25) -- [32]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 9 (Feats: Penetrating 5, Precise, Split) (25)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (19)
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (10)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Fire Leap" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (2)

Equipment:
"Paired Swords" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Swords +13 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Fire Blast +11 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Multiattack +14 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Fire +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Lightning +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+5 Fire Shields), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Helping The Avatar)- Zuko now fully-realizes his own destiny: he must help The Avatar defeat his father.
Relationship (Uncle Iroh)- Zuko was disrespectful and whiny to his mentor-figure for years. Just when Zuko appeared to fully-reject his heritage, he assaulted Iroh and allied himself back with his father. Now shamed and realizing his mistake, Zuko begged forgiveness.
Enemy (Fire Lord Ozai)- Zuko has finally rejected his father, and considers him an enemy. Zuko is now considered a traitor by the Fire Nation.
Enemy (Azula)- Zuko was always considered the lesser sibling compared to his elite sister Azula. She is openly hostile, disrespectful and manipulative towards "Zuzu", and she is easily his most implacable foe.
Reputation (Weird)- Zuko is not what you'd call a "People Person". His own soldiers hated him, he couldn't pass for normal if he tried, and he doesn't know how to persuade people by methods other than Intimidation and force. The ladies still like his "Brooding Tortured Bad-Boy" thing, but he has a great degree of social awkwardness, never having had a normal life.
Reputation (Traitor)- First an exile, Zuko is now a hunted traitor of the Fire Nation. Merely showing his face makes him a target- his scar isn't easy to hide.
Relationship (Mother, Ursa)- Zuko was a born-and-bred Mama's Boy, and was doted on by his beloved mother. Losing her at a young age hardened him early, and he thinks of her still.
Relationship (Team Avatar)- Zuko rejected his family and nation, and is now an ally of the heroes. However, most of them remember his time as their most-obsessive enemy- it is a long road to hoe to gain their trust.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 20 (174)

-Zuko is one of the most important characters in Avatar, and in my opinion, he's actually the best overall character. At first, he was just a whiny little villain- a kid barely older than Aang or Sokka, chasing The Avatar while on a wild goose chase, alongside his doting, goofy Uncle Iroh. However, we discover pretty quickly some deeper concepts- he's got a deep-seated inner turmoil after his father, who always resented being stuck with Zuko, and favoured his sister Azula, horribly scarred his face and exiled him from the Fire Nation. Iroh is with Zuko out of love, and he's constantly trying to get him to open up and enjoy life, and drop his foolish sense of duty to the Fire Lord. Zuko ends up hating his fate (and his reputation as a Failure), and he's desperate to prove himself to daddy once and for all. By Book Two, he was a full-on exile after the failed invasion of the North Pole, being actively hunted by Azula and her posse. He even turns good once or twice, giving up hunting The Avatar and trying to live a life without duty. And then, in one of my favourite twists in a TV show ever, JUST as he's about to reject the Fire Nation completely... Azula dangles Daddy's respect in front of his eyes, and he takes the bait, betraying Uncle Iroh AND Team Avatar. So just at his point of redemption from the life of a Failure, he rejects it, and you end up disappointed in him. He takes the completely wrong path, which is something you rarely see on television.
-Book Three features the character turning full-circle. Zuko finally has everything he wants- his girlfriend May is back with him, his father openly cheers him on, and he has the respect of the Fire Nation. But he finds himself feeling hollow and restless; Azula being her manipulative self doesn't help. In the end, he discovers the Fire Nation invasion plan- they're going to commit genocide against the entire Earth Kingdom, wiping out many of the people that had showed Zuko kindness during his long character journey! Horrified, Zuko realizes his TRUE destiny: He throws a bolt of lightning right back in his daddy's face, and rejects his people, joining Team Avatar. He finally flipped his last flop, and was a good guy.
-Zuko as a good guy was pretty funny- his obsessive, crazy personality had modified to a more loose one, but he was still ultra-serious all the time, and he ended up being a good "straight man" to this whacky group of insane people. His lack of social skills was good, too- especially when he tried to convince Team Avatar that he'd changed. Suddenly all his craziness gave way to a nervous, unsure character, and he never knows quite how to react around people. And it was neat how Team Avatar took a while to trust him- they handled it with a series of "Life-Changing Adventures" (Sokka hung a lampshade on their obvious use of this plot device), where Zuko would aid a single member of the team on some adventure- he helped Sokka rescue his father and girlfriend from a legendary Fire Nation Prison in a boiling volcanic lake; he & Aang discovered the original source of Firebending (a pair of Dragons and a lost Mayaincatec tribe), and he helped Katara find the man who murdered her mother (in a neat twist, she didn't forgive him, but she decided he wasn't worth killing).
-The scene where Zuko meets Uncle Iroh for the first time after joining Team Avatar is probably my favourite moment of the entire series. Zuko, ashamed at having betrayed Iroh at the end of Book Two, tearfully begs for forgiveness, and apologizes for all his past actions. And just when he's all super-prostrate and stuff, Iroh embraces him, BAWLING HIS EYES OUT, telling Zuko that forgiveness is unnecessary- he is happy for Zuko now that he's finally realized his true self. Deep stuff for a "mere cartoon".
-This whole sense os Zuko being unable to make the right choices, being too angry and impulsive, being easily-led by the wrong people (ie. Azula and his father), and finally realizing a deeper sense of purpose makes for a GREAT character arc, and why I liked Atom-Smasher so much in JSA, and part of what made the X-Men's Colossus cool- they have inner torment that goes beyong angst for the sake of angst (but OH THERE IS SO MUCH ANGST), and they're constantly brought low by their human faults.
-Zuko appears in the third Book of The Legend of Korra, a much older man, riding a Dragon (it's likely they've been allowed to thrive since Ozai's deposement), and having given up the title of Fire Lord in his old age. His daughter (a bespectacled silver fox) is the new Fire Lord, and his grandson, General Iroh, is a minor supporting character (voiced by Dante Basco, same as young Zuko was). He briefly does some fighting, but his age has caught up to him, and he's sadly whupped pretty handily by members of The Red Lotus. He does offer Korra some wisdom when she needs it however- it's stated that Zuko came to become Aang's best friend, and wisest council.
-Zuko's Power Level increased steadily alongside Team Avatar throughout the entire series- I don't think he ever fell behind them, except for when Aang went Super Saiyan on his ass. He was ALWAYS on an even-keel with Aang & Katara, though he always trailed behind the favoured sibling, Azula. It wasn't until the very end of Book Three, during the Fire Nation Invasion final arc, that the two finally battled as equals. A crazed, angry Azula was adequately held off by a calm, steady Zuko. Zuko in Book Three is a MUCH different character than in Book One or Two, as he learns a lot and gains various abilities. His other two builds are quite a bit different.

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Zuko [yelling angrily toward the sky]: You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I can give it back! Come on! STRIKE ME! You've never held back before! [as no lightning strikes him, Zuko starts crying and screams in desperation]
-Alpha-Level Teen Angst


PRINCE ZUKO (Book Two)
Role:
Inspector Javert (to The Avatar), The Exiled Prince, Well-Done Son Guy, The Sympathetic Villain, The Flip-Flopper (oh is he EVER)
Voice Actor: Dante Basco (goddamned RUFIO!!!)
Finest Moment: Rejected his father and his teachings, then announcing his intentions to teach The Avatar Firebending and completing his destiny. Then blocked his dad's super-lightning and threw it right back at him. Or the time he finally beat Azula.
PL 9 (151)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Music) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Investigation 6 (+7)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+10)
Stealth 5 (+11)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment (Paired Swords), Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Critical (Swords), Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 2, Startle, Takedown 2, Tracking

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 4, Split) (21) -- [27]
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (19)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (17)
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (10)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (13.5)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (18)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)

Equipment:
"Paired Swords" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Swords +12 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Fire Blast +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Multiattack +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Fire +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Lightning +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Honor)- Zuko is obsessed with regaining his lost honor- when his father cast him out, he was ashamed. Catching the Avatar is all he can do to make himself a loved Fire Nation member again, and he will do this at all costs.
Relationship (Uncle Iroh)- Zuko was disrespectful and whiny to his mentor-figure for years. Just when Zuko appeared to fully-reject his heritage, he assaulted Iroh and allied himself back with his father.
Enemy (Fire Lord Ozai)- Zuko is desperate for his father's acceptance.
Enemy (Azula)- Zuko was always considered the lesser sibling compared to his elite sister Azula. She is openly hostile, disrespectful and manipulative towards "Zuzu", and she is easily his most implacable foe.
Reputation (Weird)- Zuko is not what you'd call a "People Person". His own soldiers hated him, he couldn't pass for normal if he tried, and he doesn't know how to persuade people by methods other than Intimidation and force. The ladies still like his "Brooding Tortured Bad-Boy" thing, but he has a great degree of social awkwardness, never having had a normal life.
Relationship (Mother, Ursa)- Zuko was a born-and-bred Mama's Boy, and was doted on by his beloved mother. Losing her at a young age hardened him early, and he thinks of her still.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 16 (151)

-Book Two shows a much different kind of Zuko, showing many of the advantages and flaws of Firebenders. His attacks are almost always All-Out or Power Attacked, and thus he misses a lot, and leaves himself open a lot. His Dodge isn't at PL 9 levels either (he's PL 8/8.5), meaning that his PL 10 sister Azula will kick the CRAP out of him. I would imagine that most Firebenders suffer a bit defensively.

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AAAANGST!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNGSSSSSTTT!!!

PRINCE ZUKO (Book One)
Role:
Inspector Javert (to The Avatar), The Exiled Prince, Well-Done Son Guy, The Sympathetic Villain, The Flip-Flopper (oh is he EVER)
Voice Actor: Dante Basco (goddamned RUFIO!!!)
Finest Moment: Rejected his father and his teachings, then announcing his intentions to teach The Avatar Firebending and completing his destiny. Then blocked his dad's super-lightning and threw it right back at him. Or the time he finally beat Azula.
PL 8 (133)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Music) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+9)
Stealth 5 (+11)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Paired Swords), Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Critical (Swords), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack, Startle, Takedown 2, Tracking

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Bending Blast" Blast 7 (Feats: Penetrating 4, Split) (19) -- [22]
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (15)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (12)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)

Equipment:
"Paired Swords" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Split) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Swords +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Fire Blast +9 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Area Fire +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Honor)- Zuko is obsessed with regaining his lost honor- when his father cast him out, he was ashamed. Catching the Avatar is all he can do to make himself a loved Fire Nation member again, and he will do this at all costs.
Relationship (Uncle Iroh)- Zuko was disrespectful and whiny to his mentor-figure for years. Just when Zuko appeared to fully-reject his heritage, he assaulted Iroh and allied himself back with his father.
Enemy (Fire Lord Ozai)- Zuko is desperate for his father's acceptance.
Enemy (Azula)- Zuko was always considered the lesser sibling compared to his elite sister Azula. She is openly hostile, disrespectful and manipulative towards "Zuzu", and she is easily his most implacable foe.
Reputation (Weird)- Zuko is not what you'd call a "People Person". His own soldiers hated him, he couldn't pass for normal if he tried, and he doesn't know how to persuade people by methods other than Intimidation and force. The ladies still like his "Brooding Tortured Bad-Boy" thing, but he has a great degree of social awkwardness, never having had a normal life.
Relationship (Mother, Ursa)- Zuko was a born-and-bred Mama's Boy, and was doted on by his beloved mother. Losing her at a young age hardened him early, and he thinks of her still.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 15 (133)

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ADMIRAL ZHAO
Role:
Egotistical Prick, Ambitious Power-Mad Psycho
Voice Actor: Jason Isaacs
Finest Moment: Found the Secret Library and used it to start the Siege of the North.
PL 8 (120)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Naval Officer) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 2 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Benefit 4 (Admiral in the Fire Nation Navy), Improved Critical (Firebending), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Firebending Adequate-Guy"
"Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 3, Precise, Split) (21) -- [25]
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (15)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (16)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fire Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Fire +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Zhao is the most ambitious person in the Fire Nation- his hunger for power drives him to make foolish mistakes, and over-reach.
Responsibility (Temper)- Zhao is prone to making terrible errors when he's angry, or just losing his temper period. In a man of high class, this is a negative quality. Aang once uses this to get Zhao to burn down several Fire Nation ships, making him fail in his mission.
Responsibility (Ego)- Zhao is also tremendously egotistical- the sin of pride runs deeply through him. Pride even caused his death- refusing to be aided by Zuko, an enemy, Zhao was taken away into the Spirit World, suffering eternal torment.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 15 (120)

-Admiral Zhao is kind of problematic in Avatar. See, he's not a BAD villain by any means- an ambitious, smug egomaniac of a general is a completely-adequate villain. But they set him off on the wrong foot immediately by having him lose fair-and-square to the much-younger Prince Zuko (this scene is meant to show Zuko's skill and the depths of Zhao's dishonorable nature, but makes what is a major villain look weak), and he is HORRIBLY lacking compared to Book Two & Three's key villains, Azula & Ozai. He's not even as good as Long Feng!
-This makes Zhao seem kind of boring and ineffectual altogether, as he lacks Azula's character, or Ozai's fearsome presence, and the grandeur of both. He gains power over the course of Book One (I liked the moment where a General rejected his request for the Super-Spiffy Archers of Improbably-Aiming Doom, then got the word that Zhao had been promoted to Admiral, and Zhao promptly said "My request... is now an ORDER" and the guy just bowed and did it), culminating in the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe, where he kills a Moon Spirit, but ends up washed to "death" by the resulting torrent when Aang goes nuts. Since we never see his body, it'd seem to imply that he'd show up again (but maybe that's the comic book reading catching up to me), but it never happened in-show. There's some online comic out there featuring Zhao living amongst Water Tribe people, but this was clearly not canon- The Legend of Korra reveals his ultimate fate- to be trapped in the Valley of Lost Souls, eternally screaming about "I am Zhao- the MOON-SLAYER!", unable to ever leave.
-Zhao is a PL 8 offensively, PL 7 defensively, about equal to Zuko, Aang, etc. He's hardly overwhelmingly powerful, and he doesn't have that many Alternate Effects.

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FIREBENDING SOLDIERS
Role:
Mooks
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: N/A
PL 5 (63)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Armour, Spear), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Firebending Mooks"
"Bending Blast" Blast 6 (Feats: Penetrating 3) (15) -- [18]
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 4 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (8)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (10)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (10)

Equipment:
"Armour" Protection 1 (1)
"Spear" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Spear +5 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Fire Blast +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Fire +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3 (+4 Armour), Fortitude +3, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (The Fire Nation)

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 0 (63)

-Basic Mook-level Firebenders are cheap, but still quite powerful- Blast 6 is more than other Mooks get, as Firebending in general is more dangerous than any other form, just less accurate (how else do you explain almost every Firebender in the series missing?). And yes, this is yet another set of Fantasy Villains with masks on- there's a lot of good old-fashioned psychology in that trend, as masks make it much easier for viewers to accept Mooks as mindless, evil beings with no morals or scruples, and thus we're unlikely to see the heroes as mean for beating the living crap out of living human beings. Same thing goes with Star Wars and its Stormtroopers, or why in most Fantasy-based things, the enemy is often a completely different race of monsters (usually Orcs). These guys also appear in The Legend of Korra, but as HEROIC characters- the members of The White Lotus who defend Korra and her friends are occasionally seen Firebending.

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EEL HOUND
Role:
Deus Ex Machina
PL 8 (96)- Minion Rank 7, Sidekick Rank 20
Normal Version:
PL 7
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+2 Size)
Perception 7 (+7)
Stealth 8 (+8, +6 Size)

Advantages:
Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]

"Nothing is Faster"
Swimming 8 (120 mph) (8) -- [9]
AE: Speed 6 (6)

"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Moose-Lions cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Responsibility (Cubs)- Moose-Lion mothers are intensely protective of their offspring- they will assault anyone they perceive to be a threat.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 12 (96)

-The Eel Hound showed up only once, leading Sokka, Suki & Toph to the Fire Nation Airships during the Series Finale. It's basically a Deus Ex Machina to explain how the three of them got from frickin' Ba Sing Se all the way to the Airship zone, but whatever, it looked like a twelve-foot-long green greyhound with a lizard head, so it's awesome and pooh on anyone who dislikes it. The thing is faster than anything in the Avatar-Verse, and could only be slowed by terrain, unlike Aang's mount, Appa.

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JET
Role:
Bad-Ass Wild Card, Wild Boy
Voice Actor: Crawford Wilson
Finest Moment: Nearly wiped out whole Fire Nation village
PL 8 (131)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Freedome Fighter) 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 3 (+13)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 (Gear), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hook Swords), Improved Critical (Thrown Weapons), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Hook Swords" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split, Improved Disarm, Improved Critical) (5) -- (6)
AE: "Thrown Weapons" Blast 3 (Diminished Range -1) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Swords +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Thrown Weapons +13 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation/Obsession (Destroy the Fire Nation)- Jet and his team were all harmed by the Fire Nation in the past, with Jet witnessing his parents' deaths at the hands of the "Rough Rhinos" squad when he was eight years old. As a result, Jet will stop at nothing to see them suffer. His hatred for them runs so deep that he sees nothing wrong with wiping out entire villages of innocent people, because "Nobody in the Fire Nation is innocent".

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (131)

-Jet is basically a huge homage to Shinichiro Watanabe's stuff, including "Cowboy Bebop", what with the Spike Spiegel apperance and all. He led a band of Freedom Fighters against the Fire Nation, macked Katara, and humiliated Sokka, who immediately distrusted him. In a unique twist, the Complainer was RIGHT (it's an all-too-common Trope in children's fiction to make an "outsider" or whiny character always incorrect, to promote groupthink- several cartoon writers have confirmed this as being an executive decree), and Sokka realized Jet was actually planning on killing an entire village of Fire Nation peasants, just because they were Fire Nation and that made them bad. It was a fairly adult concept for a "kids' show", making a snarky teen character a genocidal murderer, and also a realistic depiction of what goes on in war (several civilian targets were deliberately targeted by all sides in World War II).
-Jet never really made it out of the PL 8 "class" in Book One, but he's a very elite Weapon Fighter regardless.

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MOMO
Role:
Cute Sidekick, Toy-Bait
PL 4 (70)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11)
Athletics 3 (+1)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Attack (Poop) 6 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Plus 4 Ranks in any other Skill (Expertise- Dancing or Art are common)

Advantages:
Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Simian Anatomy" Enhanced Athletics 8 (+9) (Flaws: Limited to Climbing) [2]
"Tail" Extra Limbs 1 [1]
Speed 2 (2 mph) [2]
Leaping 1 [1]
"Wings" Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]

"Small Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
(-2 Strength & Speed, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness -1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Monkeys cannot speak to humans.
Enemy (Rival Males)- Rival Males constantly seek to up-end a male leader's territory, and they must always be on the watch, lest rivals take their females.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 14 (70)

-Momo is Aang's beloved Winged Lemur, discovered in an abandoned Air Temple (ie. the Fire Nation killed everyone there). Seemingly the only one left (it would take some supplemental material to show any more), he was basically the Cute Animal Sidekick that shows up in EVERY kids' cartoon after a point. Usually this is met with eye-rolling and such from us "too cool for school" older-types, but nobody seemed to mind Momo. He was never very central to the plot, he was appropriately funny, and he just sat there and made Prosimian noises most of the time. A very adequate Animal Sidekick. He's only PL 4 because he's shockingly fast and hard to hit (Sokka unsurprisingly tried to eat him at one point)- he can't fight.

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IROH (Book Three)
Role:
The Mentor/Father Figure (to Zuko), Retired Bad-Ass, Unretired Bad-Ass
Voice Actor: Makoto "Mako" Iwamatsu (Books 1 & 2), Greg Baldwin (Book 3)
Finest Moment: Turning into a super-ripped God and breaking out of Fire Nation prison all by himself.
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+12)
Expertise (History) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Tea) 8 (+11) -- Note: Half-Price
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit 2 (Grand Lotus- The Order of the White Lotus), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, "The Dragon of the West *FWWOOOOOM!*" Startle, Tracking, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Visited the Spirit World" Senses 2 (Spiritual Awareness- Ranged) [2]
"Fire Shield" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"Lightning" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Inaccurate -1, Activation) (24) -- [32]
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect, Redirect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (20)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 7 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (22)
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 5, Precise, Split) (23)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (19)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (15)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Fire Leap" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fire Blast +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Lightning +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Area Fire +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+6 Fire Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Prince Zuko)- When Iroh's own son was killed in the war against the Earth Kingdom, Iroh looked to Zuko as a surrogate. He has attempted to raise the boy, and turn him against the evil in their family. He believed he had failed, but comes to find that Zuko has finally forged his own path.
Enemy (Azula, Fire Lord Ozai)- Even Iroh admits that these two are crazy and pure evil, and need to "go down".
Reputation (Old Man)- Iroh keeps up the image of a doting old grandfatherly-type, obsessed with tea and relaxation. In truth, he is a wise and powerful fighter who instead prefers the simpler joys of life. Cross him at your peril.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 36 / Defenses: 22 (174)

-Iroh is sort of your basic Obi-Wan type mentor figure, except he's the mentor to THE VILLAIN, because Avatar really likes shaking the boat on old tropes. Being fatherly and genial towards the Angry Young Emo Teen Prince Zuko, Iroh gives us a lot of exposition on the world of Avatar, such as the nature of Bending, the secrets of the various styles, etc. And like most characters in this world, he's got a sad past- his son was killed during the Siege of Ba Sing Se a decade ago, and Iroh returned home in disgrace- his younger brother becoming the new Fire Lord upon their father's death. He took the latter in stride, however, becoming a retired old warrior of sorts, preferring tea and games of Pai-Sho to fighting. But fight he did- often on the side of the heroes, such as when Admiral Zhao killed a Moon Spirit, or when Azula started hunting everybody. Iroh even gave a great bit of advice to Aang about the Avatar State and giving up his love for Katara to master it- "You did the right thing. Perfection and power are over-rated", and went on to add that love & happiness are more important.
-Iroh was magnificently portrayed by the Japanese actor Mako for the first two seasons, but the voice of Samurai Jack's Aku passed away, and another guy came in with a slightly-different voice. Still good, though. When Zuko betrayed Iroh at the end of Book Two, the man was in prison for a good while, but did the classic "Workout Montage" to get all buff & ripped again, breaking out on his own. And like I said, the reunion of Zuko & Iroh (post-betrayal, post-Zuko turning good again) is one of the show's finest moments. He appears in The Legend of Korra, having "passed on" to the Spirit World, enjoying himself as the sole human of a Spiritual realm. Zuko appears shocked to find that Iroh's still kickin' SOMEWHERE, but we never see him travel through the now-permanent Spirit Portals.
-Iroh in Book Three was a super-bad-ass again, having worked out in prison to gain an OZ-like physique. He's a Master Firebender along the lines of Azula, Zuko or Jeong Jeong, and he's a bit more fit as well- he's tougher than any Firebender other than Ozai, thanks to his added bulk. He's sprightlier than your average senior citizen as well (though it's unclear just how old he is- his son is at least ten years older than Zuko, but he looks more than 20-30 years older than Ozai). In fact, Iroh may be the most powerful Firebender in the entire series next to Ozai by this point- this is reflected by giving him +10/+10 with his Lightning and full Power Attack (allowing for a +15 Blast, which can be boosted further on the day of Sozin's Comet, like the one he did at the end of the series to breach the wall of Ba Sing Se!), whereas Zuko, Azula & Jeong, all at his same Power Level, were all stuck at lower levels of damage for the most part. His Skills & Advantages are a bit different from other Firebenders- most of them lack Assessment, Well-Informed, etc. He also has the ability to see Spirits to some degree- witnessing Aang flying on Avatar Roku's Spirit Animal, as well as being able to ascertain that Princess Yue was given life by the Moon Spirit.

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IROH (Book One & Two)
Role:
The Mentor/Father Figure (to Zuko), Retired Bad-Ass
Voice Actor: Makoto "Mako" Iwamatsu (Books 1 & 2), Greg Baldwin (Book 3)
Finest Moment: Turning into a super-ripped God and breaking out of Fire Nation prison all by himself.
PL 9 (151)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+3)
Athletics 5 (+6)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 9 (+12)
Expertise (History) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Tea) 8 (+11) -- Note: Half-Price
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit 2 (Grand Lotus- The Order of the White Lotus), Improved Critical (Firebending) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 3, "The Dragon of the West *FWWOOOOOM!*" Startle, Tracking, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Visited the Spirit World" Senses 2 (Spiritual Awareness- Ranged) [2]
"Fire Shield" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"Lightning" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Inaccurate -1, Activation) (24) -- [31]
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect, Redirect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (20)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (19)
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 5, Precise, Split) (23)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (17)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (13.5)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (18)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Fire Blast +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Multiattack +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Lightning +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Area Fire +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+4 Fire Shields), Fortitude +3, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Prince Zuko)- When Iroh's own son was killed in the war against the Earth Kingdom, Iroh looked to Zuko as a surrogate. He has attempted to raise the boy, and turn him against the evil in their family. He believed he had failed, but comes to find that Zuko has finally forged his own path.
Enemy (Azula, Fire Lord Ozai)- Even Iroh admits that these two are crazy and pure evil, and need to "go down".
Reputation (Old Man)- Iroh keeps up the image of a doting old grandfatherly-type, obsessed with tea and relaxation. In truth, he is a wise and powerful fighter who instead prefers the simpler joys of life. Cross him at your peril.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 19 (151)

-Iroh in the first couple seasons is highly powerful, but long past his prime as a fighter, and thus he's only PL 9-ish in most ways. His biggest weakness is lack of Fortitude- major hits (such as Azula's Blue Fire) can REALLY knock him down, and leave him a wreck for a good long while.

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MAI (Book Two-Three)
Role:
Ranged Fighter
Name Translations: Brightness (irony), Darkness, Sleeves, Dance
Voice Actor: Cricket Leight
Finest Moment: Turning on Azula and saving Zuko- "I love him more than I fear YOU."
PL 9 (129)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Deception 5 (+5)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 2 (+14)
Sleight of Hand 7 (+12)
Stealth 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 2 (Wealth, Fire Nation Elite), Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blades) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Combat 7, Seize Initiative, Set-Up

Powers:
"Blade-Hiding Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [16]
"Pin With Blades" Snare 4 (Extras: Multiattack) (Quirks: Must Be Close to Walls or Debris for Full Effect -2, Diminished Range -1) (17) -- (19 points)
AE: "Blade Storm" Blast 4 (Extras: Multiattack) (12)
AE: "Blade Frenzy" Damage 3 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (4.5)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blade Storm +14 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Blade Frenzy +4 Area (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +2 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Prince Zuko)- Mai loves the dumb-ass, but notes that "if you EVER break up with me again, I'll kill you!" Granted, he only did it because of a planned genocide, which is a pretty good reason to dump somebody.
Relationship (Family)- Mai comes from a noble family that was placed in charge of the conquered City-State of Omashu in the Earth Kingdom. She has both of her parents, and a baby brother. Her parents never paid much attention to her as a child, which resulted in her detached demeanor.
Relationship (Azula)- The shy, cynical Mai isn't one for friendship, but she is a notable ally of Princess Azula, as much through fear as anything else.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 22 (129)

-Mai has an unfortunate problem known only to kids' cartoon characters: She's got tons of sharp, dangerous weaponry, but she can't hit with any of it! Why? Because you can't have people BLEEDING PROFUSELY in a kid's show. This begs the question as to why the animators figured they'd give her a ton of bladed weaponry, but whattaya gonna do? She's dangerous in a roleplaying setting though, even though she's a PL lower than the rest of Team Avatar by Book Three (Team Azula failed to "catch up" to the others in the end, really- they weren't in combat as much as the others, who learned TONS of new techniques). She can either use the Multiattack or the Cone, though the former is more powerful overall. She also has the ability to "Snare" people, similarly to how Ranged Pin worked in the last edition. But this is SUCH an effective and recurring tactic for her that I made it a full-blown Snare, but with worse range and the requirement that people be against Walls or something to gain full power.

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TY LEE
Role:
Melee Fighter, Valley Girl
Voice Actor: Olivia Hack
Finest Moment: Defeating several high-powered Benders with only a few strikes- Katara, Azula, etc.
PL 9 (136)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+16)
Athletics 11 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Chi-Blocking) 4 (+13)
Expertise (Circus Performer) 2 (+5)
Deception 4 (+7)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Fast Grab, Grappling Finesse, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Takedown

Powers:
"Chi-Blocking Attacks" Affliction 5 (Fort; Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Paralyzed & Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Cumulative, Multiattack, Extra Condition) [20]
"Elite Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Chi-Blocking +13 (+5 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Azula)- The shy, cynical May isn't one for friendship, but she is a notable ally of Princess Azula, as much through fear as anything else.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 20 (136)

-Ty Lee is the other part of Azula's henchwomen, and is pretty devastating, despite not having any bending powers. Her precise, focused attacks can nullify people's movement, or even Bending powers, her only weakness being lack of ranged power. She was the Harley Quinn-type character in the series, being a peppy, hyper-kinetic ball of energy that smiled and laughed her way through almost everything. This made her a rather odd, unique villain, and a boatload of fun. And she has a certain set of... GIFTS, that made her rather popular among the male fanbase of the series. I'm more in the "wait a couple years" camp, 'cuz I'm not into 15-year olds, but she certainly cuts an impressive figure.
-Ty Lee's powers are fairly scary for the series, and quite unique: She can remove people's Bending abilities, while simultaneously rendering their limbs limp and useless. This effectively utilizes an Affliction set-up with two Condition threads (Paralysis & Powerlessness), Multiattacked because she often uses a series of Jabs (lowered-accuracy results in less overall power, a trait of the Multiattack Extra). Gotta love the ever-handy Affliction for stuff like this. Ty Lee's one of the hardest members of the cast to hit in a fight (and she's full-PL to Dodge & Parry) as well, making her overall quite powerful. By the series' end, she'd been "trumped" a bit by the other fighters (her only major victories come by surprise- most fighters could defend themselves adequately if prepared, like Katara & Suki did), but she could still do nasty stuff like catch Azula of all people napping and taking her out by surprise.

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JEONG JEONG
Role:
One-Shot Mentor, Retired Soldier, Repentant Soldier
Voice Actor: Keone Young
Finest Moment: Found semi-nonviolent ways to use Firebending.
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+8)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Bending Lore) 5 (+8)
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit (The Order of the White Lotus), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Fire Shield" Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll 3 [3]
"Fire Wall" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Sustained +2, Selective) (50) -- [56]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 5, Precise, Split) (23)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 7 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (22)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (19)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (15)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (20)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fire Blast +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Fire +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+6 Fire Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Firebending is Evil)- Jeong doesn't like being a Firebender, and works at making the art less terrifying. He fights defensively for the most part, and does not wish to burn others.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 59 / Defenses: 14 (174)

-Jeong is the least-seen of the "Old Masters" the series used- a large group of aged Bending masters who were helpful towards our young heroes. Jeong was an old legendary Firebender, and he became the first person ever to desert the army upon realizing that Firebending was an evil and dangerous thing. He tried to utilize only defensive uses of the Art, and pledged himself to becoming Aang's Firebending teacher. However, his lessons went ignored: Aang got way too into Firebending one day, and badly burned his friend Katara by underestimating the power of his flames. Jeong's old student, Admiral Zhao, arrived to make everyone's life miserable, and Aang & Jeong parted ways at the episode's end.
-We would next see Jeong a full two seasons later, joining Iroh and some of the older Old Masters, combining to liberate Ba Sing Se. I imagine he would learn the "True Nature" of Firebending from Aang & Zuko once the War was over- that it didn't need to be the aggressive, hateful art he tought it was. Fire is LIFE.
-For his Power Level, Jeong is the same as the other Great Masters. He takes a slightly-different approach to Bending, using more Defensive Roll than most Firebenders, and a Sustained Area Effect to signify his use of defensive Walls and Barriers to prevent others from getting too close. He's less defensively maintained that most PL 10s, but that's fairly common for the older Benders.

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LONG FENG
Role:
The Man Behind The Man, Head of the Secret Police
Name Translation: Dragon Phoenix (throne-related),
Voice Actor: Clancy Brown
Finest Moment: Ruled The Earth Kingdom with an iron fist, without anyone knowing, Fought off all of Team Avatar at once.
PL 10 (204)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Deception 8 (+12)
Expertise (Secret Police) 10 (+13)
Insight 5 (+9)
Intimidation 5 (+9)
Investigation 7 (+11)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+13)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 4 (True Leader of Ba Sing Se), Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bending) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Startle, Uncanny Dodge, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 3: Defensive Roll 3 [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 2 (Sure-Footed, Wall-Crawling) [4]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Earthquake" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (36) -- [46]
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (29)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 7 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (19)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (20)
AE: "Earth Shaker" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (36)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (Inaccurate -1) (8)
AE: "Rockalanche" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (34)
AE: "Stone Spear" Damage 10 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (27)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Earthquake +10 Area (+8 Damage & +10 Affliction, DC 23 & 20)
Snare +13 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Trip +11 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Stone Shots +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Area Effects +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+7 Earth Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Long Feng has built himself up from the Outer Rings of Ba Sing Se into the most powerful person in the government, using the simple-minded Earth King as a puppet monarch. He controls information and public speech with an iron fist, and does not appreciate the shake-ups that The Avatar and his friends are bringing. He is so power-hungry that he would ally with the Princess of the Fire Nation to get what he wants. This backfires, quite poorly.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 15 (204)

-Long Feng was a really great villain in Book Two, and I was sad that we never got to see him after that. He was basically the "Big Brother" figure of Ba Sing Se, making him the most powerful man in the city, controlling the Earth King (a down-home charm type of fellow who was well-meaning, but silly and clueless about daily happenings in his Kingdom) with a charming "advisory" nature. Using his agents, the Dai Li, he controlled all information, denying there was a war against The Fire Nation ("we have always been at war with Eastasia"/"There is no war within the walls of Ba Sing Se"), etc. Plus he was voiced with that omnipresent nasty charm of Clancy "Lex Luthor" Brown.
-Long Feng was arrested on orders of the Earth King when the truth was uncovered about his censorship practices, and he was thrown into jail. However, The Dai Li were still loyal to HIM, not the King, and so he was sprung, making an alliance with Princess Azula to invade Ba Sing Se. His PLAN was to use Azula's forces to wipe out Team Avatar, then take back Ba Sing Se. He ordered the Dai Li to arrest the Princess... but they just stood there. The reason? "Because they don't know who's going to win this battle" Azula replies. She notes that while Long Feng fought his way up from the lower classes of the Outer Ring, SHE was Royalty, and thus had The Divine Right to rule. The Dai Li recognized that Azula's manipulative power and REAL power was greater than Long Feng's, and so he was trounced out of leadership anyways. "You've beaten me at my own game" "PLEASE. You were never even a player."
-Unfortunately, to the show's weakness, we never saw Long Feng again, nor even heard what happened to him. It's likely he was arrested and/or executed, but the guy was a cool enough villain that he could have made a great opponent at some point in Book Three. Maybe the Avatar Team could have sprung him from jail, and he'd sacrifice his life to protect Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation or something cool like that.

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DAI LI AGENTS
Role:
Elite Mooks
Name Translation: Great
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: Using their numbers, handily took out individuals as skilled as Jet & Zuko.
PL 6 (100)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Secret Police) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Surveyor's Chains), Improved Critical (Bending), Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Seize Initiative

Powers:
"Earthbending Elites"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll [1]
"One With the Earth" Movement 2 (Sure-Footed, Wall-Crawling) [4]
"Earth Running" Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Stone Hands" Snare 5 (Flaws: Requires Small Stone Gloves) (10) -- [12]
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 5 (Feats: Split) (Flaws: Requires Small Stone Gloves) (Diminished Range -1) (5)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 3 (Feats: Precise) (7)

Equipment:
"Surveyor's Chains" Snare 4 (Feats: Reach 2) (Flaws: Limited to One Target at a Time, Touch Range) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Stone Hands/Trip +7 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Stone Shots +7 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+4 Earth Shields), Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 6 (100)

-The Dai Li are essentially Elite Mooks, using Accurate Attack to trap weaker opponents, or just using the +5 Snares & Blasts they have to handle more powerful Benders. Being some of the few Mooks to cost more than their Power Level would indicate (thanks to combining Police Skills with 18 points of Powers), they are VERY dangerous in significant number. They're less-effective once their Stone Gloves & Feet have been used, however, and it's unclear how fast they can replace them. It's enough for a -1 Flaw, I figure.

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JUNE
Role:
Bounty Hunter, Ensemble Darkhorse, Deadpan Snarker, Manly Chick
Voice Actor: Jennifer Hale
Finest Moment: Beat the snot out of a dude who looked like Ryu from "Street Fighter"
PL 8 (117)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Deception 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Expertise (Bounty Hunter) 11 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Attractive, Chokehold, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Whip), Improved Defense, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Taunt, Track

Equipment:
"Whip" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach 3, Improved Disarm & Trip) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed/Whip +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation/Obsession (Destroy the Fire Nation)- Jet and his team were all harmed by the Fire Nation in the past, with Jet witnessing his parents' deaths at the hands of the "Rough Rhinos" squad when he was eight years old. As a result, Jet will stop at nothing to see them suffer. His hatred for them runs so deep that he sees nothing wrong with wiping out entire villages of innocent people, because "Nobody in the Fire Nation is innocent".

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 13 (117)

-June was one of the standard "one-shot" villains, a hired Bounty Hunter chasing The Avatar on Zuko's dime, but she proved quite popular with the fans. Her tremendous hotness may have had something to do with it- that tricks ALWAYS works. With her bad girl looks, peek-a-boo hairstyle, giant beast (BEAST. I said BEAST) sidekick/mount, whip and snarky demeanor (she was always cracking on Zuko & Katara for being "boyfriend & girlfriend", much to their chagrin and internet fangirls' joy), she was practically designed to be a beloved character. That's why it's so odd (and tragic) that she only showed up for two real appearances- her debut, and in Book Three when she helped Zuko & the Gaang search for Aang, who'd vanished. Granted, it's hard to come up with reasons for her to always be around, since her job is rather focused. But you'd think Zuko would at least hire her to find the Avatar AGAIN, seeing as how she found him immediately the first time.
-June is a PL 8, like the rest of the Book One gang. With her Whip, she's quite the ranged fighter, and she's shown to have absurd levels of strength, easily hefting grown men around, winning armwrestling contests, and kicking ass.

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NYLA THE SHIRSHU
Role:
Giant Mount
PL 9 (114)
Normal Version:
PL 8
STRENGTH 8 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 8 (+8 Size)
Perception 8 (+8)
Stealth 8 (+10, +5 Size)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Tongue) 2, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Super-Scent" Senses 15 (Accurate, Acute Scent, Extended Scent 8, Tracking Scent 2) [15]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 5 (60 mph) [5]

Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]

"Paralyzing Tongue" Affliction 9 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Feats: Accurate, Reach 4, Split) (Extras: Cumulative) [23]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Tongue +9 (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +9, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Shirshu cannot speak to humans, nor use their claws to easily manipulate objects.
Disabled (Blind)- Shirshu have no eyes, though they can "see" with their advanced sensory abilities.
Vulnerable (Scent Dazzles)- Highly-noxious substances or strong-smelling things like perfume can overwhelm a Shirshu's senses up close, leaving them totally blind.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 13 (114)

-June's pet was the Shirshu, a titanic Elephant-sized creature that was a kind of Star-Nosed Mole/Wolf/Armadillo thing, making it the most bad-ass looking mount in the series next to the Dragons (and even THEN it's close...). It could track people across the world just by smelling an article of clothing, carrying a half-dozen people on it's back. Oh, plus it could paralyze people with a flick of it's tongue, making it one of the best fighters in the series. The only way Team Avatar beat June & the Shirshu was using some perfume to "Dazzle" the thing's sensory powers. You'd think more guys would do that against Daredevil.

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BADGERMOLE
Role:
Original Earthbenders
PL 9 (97)
Normal Version:
PL 7-8
STRENGTH 9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 1 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+9)
Intimidation 7 (+7 Size)
Perception 7 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Earthbending) 6 (+6)
Stealth 12 (+12, +4 Size)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Tremorsense" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Natural Size" Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (24 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
"Claws" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Stone Shot" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (20) -- [24]
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 8 (Feats: Precise) (17)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 1 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (1)
AE: Burrowing 8 (8 mph) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Claws +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Stone Shot +4 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Trip +4 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Badgermoles cannot speak to humans, nor use their claws to easily manipulate objects.
Disabled (Blind)- Badgermoles have only vestigial eyes that are quite useless, though they can "see" with their advanced sensory abilities.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 46 / Defenses: 9 (97)

-Badgermoles were the originators of Earthbending, and taught the art to a pair of Star-Crossed Lovers, Oma & Shu (the founders of Omashu), who then taught it to their subjects. This seems like your basic Animal-themed mythology, except for THIS universe, it's probably 100% true, as Badgermoles DID teach Ms. Toph herself. The blind girl had run away from home to get away from her bossy parents, and she & the similarly-blind Badgermoles understood each other, leading to them teaching her their style. They didn't use it as a fighting style or martial art- to them, it was an extention of their own bodies, and their way of survival. This is what makes Toph such an elite Earthbender.

BASIC EARTHBENDERS
Role:
Heroic Mooks
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: N/A
PL 5 (72)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack, Teamwork

Powers:
"Earthbending Rookies"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]

"Earthquake" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18) -- [26]
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 6 (Diminished Range -1) (11)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 6 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (6)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 1 (30 feet) (Impede Movement) (2)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 3 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Earth Attack +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +6 (+6 Damage, DC 23)
Earthquake +6-6 Area (+6 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 21 & 16)
Stone Bonds +4 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +4 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Earthbenders require contact with the Earth to use their powers. This is usually not a problem in a pre-Industrial society, but metal structures such as Fire Nation prisons will inhibit any Earthbending.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 5 (72)

-Earthbenders are stronger and tougher than other Benders, and do damage equivalent to Firebending Mooks.

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PIANDAO
Role:
The Mentor
Voice Actor: Robert Patrick
Finest Moment: Trained Zuko AND Sokka into sword-wielding bad-asses. Apparently defeated one-hundred Fire Nation soldiers.
PL 10 (142)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Close Combat (Sword) 3 (+15)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (The Arts) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+11)
Insight 8 (+12)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 7 (+11)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (The Order of the White Lotus), Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Sword), Improved Critical (Sword) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Well-Informed

Equipment:
"Elite Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Penetrating 5) (9)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +15 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 15), Parry +15 (DC 15), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Reputation (Elite Trainer)- Piandao is world-renowned for his swordsmanship, and so he is forced to endure constant annoyance from wannabe trainees, desperate for him to mentor them.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 18 (142)

-Master Piandao was like Jeong Jeong in that he only really had one episode to shine, but it was an AWESOME episode. I've gone into detail before about how great it was to see Sokka get accepted as Piandao's student because he showed up with humility and desperation, rather than ego and grand-standing. Piandao himself was based off of Sifu Kisu, the martial arts consultant of the show (basically, the reason why the fight scenes on this show kicked SO MUCH ASS- he knew the varying kung fu styles, and which ones would fit which "Bending" arts), and his cool sword and Sokka's were both based off of Jian Swords Kisu himself owned.
-Piandao is pretty cheap on points compared to the other Masters in the series, but it's due to his lack of Powers- he's easily the most powerful non-Bender in the "Avatar" universe, with a legendary history (his PL won't let him beat 200 men, but then, NO "Avatar" character could really do that- it seems more like conjecture/rumours to me) and ludicrous ability. His stats here reflect a PL 10 Swordfighter who could easily walk onto The Avengers or something and kick some ass- he's basically the Shang-Chi of killing dudes with a blade. He's got a lot more Insight and smarts than most "Avatar" characters, and would positively WRECK any other non-Bender.

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OH GOD CUTEST THING EVER

APPA
Role:
Animal Buddy, Supreme Flying Mount
PL 9 (111)
Normal Version:
PL 8
STRENGTH 8 STAMINA 10 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 11 (+9, +12 Size)
Perception 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Airbending) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Last Stand, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [3]
"Natural Size" Growth 6 (Str & Sta +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 2) [4]
"Six Limbs" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

"Airbending"
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

"Air Blast" Blast 9 (Extras: Knockback) (Flaws: Distracting) (18) -- [23]
AE: "Gust of Wind" Move Object 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range, Distracting) (16)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 10 (10)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 2 (60 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (8)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 9 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (9)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Air Blast +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Blockback +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +10, Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Appa cannot speak to humans, nor use his feet to easily manipulate objects.
Relationship (Aang)- Aang & Appa are inseparable, and being parted with leave them both in a deep depression.
Phobia (Fire)- Appa, like most animals, tends to panic when Fire is involved. Firebenders are at a big advantage against him.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 20 (111)

-Appa's is Aang's Spirit Animal or what-have-you: apparently every Avatar gets one animal that's super close to them (Avatar Roku had a Dragon, and Avatar Korra is getting a Polar Bear-Dog). A Flying Sky Bison, Appa is the sole survivor of a race that are apparently the Original Airbenders (the same way Dragons started Firebending, and Badgermoles started Earthbending), though the show's writers have created a batch of different Sky Bison that live elsewhere on the world.
-Appa was a good sort of Animal Companion, in that he was the Team Transport, and could fight in a pinch. His sheer size made him vulnerable, however, and he couldn't go into buildings and the like, so he wasn't a game-breaker. Some great moments came out of the guy too, as we saw Azula's team assault him, he ended up trapped in a circus, attacked by a Boarcupine, etc. You actually felt EMPATHY of the poor guy as he went through all this crap (in addition to Aang COMPLETELY losing his sh*t on the bastards who Bison-napped him in the first place... had Katara not brought him out of the Avatar State, Aang would have killed them all)!
-Appa is quite powerful, and hits as hard as a Bender in melee, so he's a pretty good Goonsweeper if Team Avatar gets into trouble. He's as big as an Elephant, about as tough, his six limbs, and he can Airbend, though it's rather Distracting (he tends to turn around and use his tail) and used as a last-ditch effort. He's tough enough to fight off a crazed Boarcupine despite being past the point of exhaustion, though.

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Aang: I don't understand. Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi?
King Bumi: Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called jing. It's a choice of how you direct your energy ...
Aang: I know! There's positive jing when you're attacking, and negative jing when you're retreating!
King Bumi: ... and neutral jing when you do nothing!
Aang: There are three jings?
King Bumi: Well, technically, there are eighty five. But, let's just focus on the third. Neutral jing is the key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike.
Aang: (with dawning understanding) That's why you surrendered, isn't it?
King Bumi: Yes, and it's why I can't leave now.
Aang: I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending.
King Bumi: Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jing. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking.
(Momo jumps onto Aang's shoulder and chitters)
Aang: Hey, Momo!
King Bumi: Momo's mastered a few jings himself!

KING BUMI
Role:
Wacky Old Man, Deceptively-Wise Mentor, Uber Old Guy
Name Translation: Earth
Voice Actor: Andre Sogliuzzo
Finest Moment: Liberated the City of Omashu single-handedly- threw giant Ozai statue off the city's peak.
PL 10 (192)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+10)
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Expertise (King) 7 (+10)
Expertise (History) 7 (+10)
Perception 3 (+8)
Insight 4 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit 5 (King of Omashu, The Order of the White Lotus), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Earthbending) 3, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Taunt

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 4: Defensive Roll 4 [4]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Earthquake" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (40) -- [50]
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (41)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 10 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 7) (Diminished Range -1) (27)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (23)
AE: "Earth Shaker" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (36)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (10)
AE: "Rockalanche" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (34)
AE: "Stone Spear" Damage 10 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (27)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 11 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (34)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 4 (250 feet) (Impede Movement) (8)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Earth Attack +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Multiple Stones +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Earthquake +10 Area (+10 Damage & +10 Affliction, DC 25 & 20)
Stone Bonds +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+8 Earth Shields), Fortitude +8, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibility (Omashu)
Relationship (Aang)- Bumi was a childhood friend of Aang's, and still recognizes him, 100 years later.
Relationship (Flopsie)- The Rabbit/Gorilla thing is particularly beloved to Bumi.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending. Except for King Bumi, who can Bend with HIS FREAKING FACE.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 59 / Defenses: 17 (192)

-It says something about a series when someone as completely balls-to-the-wall awesome as King Bumi is only ONE of the most awesome characters. He appears to be a touched-in-the-head senile old king at first, but turns out to be a canny strategist and wild fighter, revealing a super-muscular body and an ability to easily pummel Aang in one-on-one combat. When attacked by the Fire Nation, he reveals another strategic side by submitting without a fight, allowing his people to escape unharmed rather than be killed in a giant siege, and when captured and bound, he shows that he's the only Bender alive who can Bend without using hand or other major movements- he just has to move his FACE! By series' end, he joins up with the other "mentor" characters in the Order of the White Lotus, and helps defeat the Fire Nation ground forces.
-King Bumi stats up as a well-balanced character, able to use the vast amount of Earthbending tricks as well as anybody in the series (only Toph has more versatility, by virtue of "Metalbending"), and at a higher level of power- he's one of the few +10/+10 builds in a universe of very accurate fighters, which means he has a bit of a statistical advantage. He's strong, tough, wise, has a big bunch of Skills, and he fights like a perfectly-balanced PL 10 should, without altering his caps or trade-offs. It's anyone's guess as to who'd win in a fight between him and Toph- the Sequel Comics show just such a battle reaching a standstill.

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Long Feng: Now comes the part where I double-cross you. Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation Princess. [The Dai Li do not respond. Long Feng turns to them, frowning, and points at Azula] I said, arrest her. [looks back and forth at the agents and loses his patience] What is wrong with you?
Azula: It’s because they haven’t made up their minds. They’re waiting to see how this is going to end.
Long Feng: What are you talking about?
Azula: I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing. So you had to struggle and connive and claw your way to power. But true power…the divine right to rule…is something you’re born with. The fact is, they don’t know which one of us is going to be sitting on that thrown and which one is going to be bowing down. But I know. And you know. [Long Feng begins to sweat. His face is full of hesitation and uncertainty. Azula sits on the Earth King’s throne and crosses her legs.] Well?
Long Feng: [bows down to Azula] You’ve beaten me at my own game.
Azula: Don’t flatter yourself. You were never even a player.


AZULA
Role:
Big Bad of Book Two, Manipulative Psychopath, Better-Than-You Sibling
Voice Actor: Grey DeLisle
Finest Moment: ****ing KILLED AANG.
PL 10 (197)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 13 (+15)
Expertise (Military) 4 (+8)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Insight 10 (+14)
Intimidation 11 (+13)
Investigation 8 (+12)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 8 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+11)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 3 (Princess of the Fire Nation), Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Fascinate (Deception), Fearless, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack, Startle, Takedown, Ultimate Deception Skill, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Fire Shield" Force Field 1 [1]
"Fire Bolt" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (30) -- [37]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 9 (Feats: Penetrating 7, Precise, Split) (27)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (25)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (19)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Fire Leap" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (2)
AE: "Lightning" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -1, Activation) (26)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Fire Blast +11 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Multiattack +14 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Fire +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Lightning +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+4 Fire Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Fire Lord Ozai)- As the favoured daughter, Azula naturally looks up to her similarly-sociopathic daddy. His acceptance means everything to her- when she is rebuked, it nearly breaks her.
Enemy (Zuko)- Zuko was always considered the lesser sibling compared to his elite sister Azula. She is openly hostile, disrespectful and manipulative towards "Zuzu", and she is easily his most implacable foe.
Reputation (Odd)- Despite being a "People Person", Azula has difficulty with interpersonal relations. Even her best friends are noticeably afraid of her, and boys are always afraid she'll do something horrible to them. Granted, she probably WILL.
Relationship (Mother, Ursa)- Zuko was the Momma's Boy, and Ursa recognized fairly early on that there was something desperately wrong with her little girl. "My own MOTHER though I was a monster... She was RIGHT, of course. But it still hurt."
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 90--45 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 20 (197)

-ah, AZULA. Azula was the magnificent, manipulative, psychopathic monster that drove most of Book Two, and ended up being the show's best villain. See, while Zuko was kind of a screw-up and a wimp at times, constantly fighting his own inner nature and his destiny and junk, his kid sister Azula was just a straight-up psycho. But not a drooling, "kill everyone" type of psycho- Azula just had no morals whatsoever, and cared for nobody but herself. Even as a kid she was flat-out mean and heartless, being unaffected by the death of her cousin. And she got WORSE as she aged, as her status as Daddy's Little Girl under one of the worst fathers EVER turned her into a manipulative shrew, who claimed to be a "People Person" due to an innate understanding of how to put the screws to anyone. She once nearly killed Ty Lee, one of her CLOSEST FRIENDS, just to "convince" the poor circus girl to go on a mission with her!
-At the end of Book One, Azula (who easily trumped Admiral Zhao as "Big Bad") was charged with hunting down both The Avatar and Zuko, and she showcased her power early on- she fought off Aang, Sokka, Katara, Zuko & Iroh AT ONCE, fleeing only when the numbers REALLY got out of control. She was better than any Bender shown thus far one-on-one, and that's in ADDITION to her crazy manipulative powers over regular people. By the end of Book Two, she'd manipulated Zuko back to her side so they could beat Aang's Gang. THEN she used her Lightning Blast to KILL HIM while he went into The Avatar State, locking its use for the duration of Book Three (Only Katara's Super-Well-Water-Healing was able to bring him back).
-Book Three saw her undoing, however. Her magnificence just couldn't last- she was too cruel to too many people for too long, and her sanity started to unravel once Mai & Ty Lee betrayed her in order to save Zuko. It got worse when Ozai rebuked her when she whined about going to kill the Earth Kingdom (how big of a bitch was Azula? Her recommendation for beating the Earth Kingdom was to commit GENOCIDE, and wipe the entire thing off the map). Growing more paranoid over time, she started hearing her mother's voice, banished everyone she knew out of the Fire Nation, and started randomly cutting her hair off. When Zuko came to kick her ass once and for all, she was a MESS, turning into the more crazed psychopath anyways. And when Katara stepped in to take her out, Azula was turned into a drooling, raving mess, bawling her eyes out while chained to a water grate, the once-proud villainess done in once and for all (my police officer friend tells me that that is PRECISELY how crazy people react when handcuffed to things, by the way).
-Azula is a high-powered, manipulative psycho extraordinaire. She was PL 10 by Book Two, making her much more powerful than the other characters, and she can Power Attack like nuts to hold everyone else at bay with her Blue Flames (which are much neater than other flames), and throw out a larger Fire Bolt than anyone else can (making her more of a danger to groups). And her MANIPULATION!! Despite lacking real Presence (because she's fairly off-putting to most), she has brutally-high Deception, Insight & Intimidation, making it easy for her to bully people into doing her will. Her mere reputation and sneer are enough to get people to betray their masters or allies.

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COMBUSTION MAN
Role:
Implacable Hunter
Voice Actor: None
Finest Moment: Nearly owned Aang, Katara, Toph & Sokka simultaneously
PL 10 (157)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+10)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Mercenary) 10 (+12)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 10 (+9)
Investigation 8 (+11)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Diehard, Equipment (Metallic Limbs), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Combustion Technique" Blast 10 (Feats: Extended Range 3, Penetrating 6) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) [39]

Equipment:
"Metallic Limbs"
"Metal Punch" Strength-Damage +1 (1)
Enhanced Advantages: Defensive Roll (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Metal Arm +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Combustion +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +5 (+6 Metal Limbs), Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Reputation (Elite Hunter)- Combustion Man takes his rep so seriously, he will continue hunting someone even when told not to by the guy who hired him.
Weakness/Vulnerable (Third Eye)- If Combustion Man's third eye is struck (by accident or deliberately, like with a Critical Hit, for example), his chi will be disrupted. He will be injured by his own Firebending, from minor injuries to losing limbs, to outright exploding to death.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 17 (157)

-Combustion Man was a recurring threat in Book Three, and was a mercenary hired by Zuko to finish off Aang (since Zuko didn't want his dad to know that he'd actually failed to kill The Avatar). He was YET ANOTHER guy to invent a new Bending technique- his method was to basically breathe in deeply and fire out a tiny ember from a "third eye" tattoo on his forehead that would soon EXPLODE, taking out a huge chunk of territory with it. He was good at hiding behind things and shooting from long range, and nearly killed Team Avatar several times. He met his end when his key flaw- the dependence on his "third eye" tattoo- came back to haunt him: Sokka ended up bonking him with his Boomerang from afar, and the next time he tried to use his attack, he ker-sploded all over the Air Temple. Of course, it was a classic "off-screen" death, leading to fan confusino and an in-joke later "I think Combustion Man just died...". And no, that's not his real name- Sokka just nicknamed him that, and it stuck, since the dude never spoke a single line on camera.
-Combustion Man is really weird for this universe- a guy who focuses on just blowing stuff up at range- he's got the only Ranged Burst Area Effect in the Avatar-verse. He's also hella-strong (able to one-arm the fairly-tough Zuko away) and big. In The Legend of Korra, we'd meet yet ANOTHER far-ranged Combustion fighter, and it's just as huge of a Game-Breaker there. It's actually a bit tough to figure out just WHY they have such a huge advantage in this series, until you realize what an advantage that Extended Range is. The "Sparky Sparky Boom-Boom" effect can be done from far enough away that other Benders can't even hit the user, and the Area Effect makes it INCREDIBLY dangerous to even stand close thanks to the low Toughness of people in this universe. Combustion Man and the later P'Li are capable of standing hundreds of feet away from their opposition and simply fire shot after shot, with no danger of being attacked themselves- they don't even have a reason to close range! Only a concentrated effort can put them down.

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DRAGON
Role:
Elite Monster
PL 10 (182)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+9, +13 Size)
Perception 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Breath Weapon) 9 (+9)
Stealth 10 (+2 Size)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Critical (Fire Breath), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Draconic Senses" Senses 5 (Low-Light & Extended Vision, Acute, Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [5]

"Dragon's Wings" Flight 6 (120 mph) (Flaws: Winged) (6) -- [7]
AE: "Dragon's Legs" Speed 4 (60 mph) (4)

"Dragon's Tail"
Extra Limb 1 [1]
Enhanced Advantages: Improved Trip [1]

"Draconic Size" Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (24 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]

"Draconic Attacks"
"Fire Bolt" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (30) -- [33]
AE: "Fire Blast" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (27)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (19)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (20)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 27)
Fire Blast +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Area Attacks +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +11 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dragons cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 69 / Defenses: 19 (182)

-Dragons in the Avatar-Universe are nearly extinct (only two, Ran & Shaw, are known to still live), but one was also Avatar Roku's Spirit Animal, and Fire Lord Sozin had one back in the day as well. The Fire Lord started the whole "Kill a Dragon to prove you're a Master Firebender" thing, and wouldn't you know it- all the Dragons were killed. It's a bit unclear HOW this was possible, however- as the Dragons we see are HUGE and appear to be highly-powerful Firebenders (they originated Firebending). I would figure only people like Iroh & Ozai would be capable of such a feat. The Legend of Korra reveals the existence of at least one, which Zuko uses as a mount.

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FIRE LORD OZAI
Role:
Big Bad, Final Villain, Worst Father Ever
Voice Actor: Mark Hammill
Finest Moment: Nearly destroyed Aang at the peak of his power.
PL 11 (218)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+15)
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Military) 8 (+12)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Royalty) 6 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 12 (+15)
Investigation 8 (+12)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 5 (Fire Lord), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bending) 4, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Fire Shield" Enhanced Advantages: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"Fire Bolt" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (33) -- [41]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 8, Precise, Split) (30)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 9 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (29)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (21)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 11 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (28)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 11 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (28)
AE: "Fire Leap" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (2)
AE: "Lightning" Blast 12 (Feats: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -1) (31)
AE: "Accurate Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate, Penetrating 6) (23)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Fire Blast +12 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Area Blasts +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Repeating Blast +13 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Accurate Blast +14 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Lightning +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+6 Fire Shields), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Unlimited Power)- Ozai wants to rule the entire world, and by "Rule" I mean kill everyone that isn't Fire Nation, and rule that. He's such a power-hungry dick that he drops the Fire Lord title and crowns himself Phoenix King on the eve of the Earth Kingdom Invasion.
Enemy (Zuko)- Ozai was a real shitstain of a dad- he belittled his son frequently ("your sister was born lucky. You were lucky to be BORN."), burned his face in a cruel "lesson", exiled him, and only accepted him when Zuko was at his lowest moral point. Finally rejecting his dad, Zuko is an implacable enemy.
Enemy (The Avatar)- Despite never meeting Aang until the end of the series, Ozai fears the legacy and legend of The Avatar, and is willing to do anything to end him forever.
Enemy (Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe)
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 84--42 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 20 (218)

-Azula may have been the best villain on Avatar, but her & Zuko's daddy was definitely the Big Bad. Ozai was no bad character, either- despite never appearing in a full-figure shot for all of the first two Books, Ozai had a legend of assholery surrounding him- he burned a young Zuko's face for daring to stand up for a bunch of rookie soldiers during a War Room meeting, he willingly took part in his own father's death, and his first thought when his brother Iroh lost his beloved son in war was to whine to daddy to be made the heir instead of his failure of a brother. Once we finally saw him, we got a true sense of grandeur about him: He was no smiling psychopathic manipulator like Azula, or even a snarky political power-player like Zhao- Ozai was just a huge, snarling asshole. His two emotions consisted of either a sneering derision, or an angry fire-breathing monster who just liked to hurt people.
-It's a rare bit of casting for one Mark Hammill, as well. He's no wild, wacky insane-o like The Joker or The Trickster, nor is he a hard working-but-whiny hero like Luke Skywalker- Ozai is a snarling, genocidal giga-villain. Since he's a ripped, athletic martial artist, a deep booming voice like a DCU Villain wouldn't suit him, so I think Hammill-in-gravel is a good fit. I can't think of another vocal type that would be better off the top of my head.
-The final battle between Aang & Ozai was EPIC. Empowered by Sozin's Comet, Ozai was even MORE powerful than normal, dishing out the biggest flames ever seen in the series to this point, and he damn near beat an Avatar Stating Aang. It's stated that only Iroh could have possibly stood a chance against the Fire Lord if the Avatar failed, but even that seems to be pushing it ("Even if I DID beat my brother- and I don't know that I COULD..."). It's never shown exactly how Ozai's training went, but it's not really necessary- Azula was a prodigy, and Iroh worked his ass off to get back into fighting shape, but Ozai was just The Best, period. Must be a Bloodline thing- Bending IS kinda hereditary, after all.
-The Fire Lord was only ever seen fighting once- against Aang, while empowered by Sozin's Comet, thus it's hard to REALLY place him. But PL 11 suits him- he's a notch higher than peak-level Azula, Zuko OR Iroh, meaning he's the most powerful person in the Avatar Universe, short of an "Avatar State" hero. He can do anything Azula can, but at a higher level (his REGULAR Blast hits like Azula's Lightning, and he can throw Lightning without the Activation Flaw at +12 Damage-- keep in mind this is a universe where the highest toughness on a character is +6 with Defensive Roll), and at wide range. He ALSO has a weaker, more Accurate Blast, just because his Basic Blast is lower-accuracy than Azula's- this gives him the best of all three worlds- Lightning, Regular & Accurate Blasts, all able to be manipulated using his Advantages.

FIRE LORD OZAI (Empowered by Sozin's Comet)
Role:
Big Bad, Final Villain, Worst Father Ever
Voice Actor: Mark Hammill
Finest Moment: Nearly destroyed Aang at the peak of his power.
PL 13 (267)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+15)
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Military) 8 (+12)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Royalty) 6 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 12 (+15)
Investigation 8 (+12)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit 5 (Fire Lord), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bending) 4, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Fire Shield" Enhanced Advantages: Defensive Roll 4 [4]
"Fire Flight" Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

"Fire Bolt" Damage 13 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (71) -- [78]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range, Penetrating 10, Precise, Split) (38)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 11 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (34)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 13 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (27)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 13 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Area- 500ft. Cone +4) (71)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 13 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (71)
AE: "Lightning" Blast 14 (Feats: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (39)
AE: "Accurate Blast" Blast 11 (Feats: Accurate, Penetrating 8) (31)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Fire Blast +12 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Area Blasts +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Repeating Blast +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Accurate Blast +14 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Lightning +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+6 Fire Shields), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Unlimited Power)- Ozai wants to rule the entire world, and by "Rule" I mean kill everyone that isn't Fire Nation, and rule that. He's such a power-hungry dick that he drops the Fire Lord title and crowns himself Phoenix King on the eve of the Earth Kingdom Invasion.
Enemy (Zuko)- Ozai was a real shitstain of a dad- he belittled his son frequently ("your sister was born lucky. You were lucky to be BORN."), burned his face in a cruel "lesson", exiled him, and only accepted him when Zuko was at his lowest moral point. Finally rejecting his dad, Zuko is an implacable enemy.
Enemy (The Avatar)- Despite never meeting Aang until the end of the series, Ozai fears the legacy and legend of The Avatar, and is willing to do anything to end him forever.
Enemy (Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe)
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 84--42 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 92 / Defenses: 22 (267)

-Under the influence of Sozin's Comet, Firebenders are enormously more powerful. EVERY Firebender gets wide-area Ranged Damage, and Ozai himself can lay waste to an entire field with a single blast as a result. He moves up to a PL 13 Area Attacker, hitting as hard as Ben Grimm or She-Hulk with his flames.

AVATAR AANG (Book Three)
Role:
Ascended Hero
Voice Actor: Zach Tyler Eisen
Finest Moment: Kicking the snot out of Phoenix King Ozai using everything that he'd learned over the past year, then unlocking his Avatar State and wipint out Ozai's Bending.
PL 10 (227)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+18)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Close Combat (Staff) 2 (+15)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+7)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 2 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack. Defensive Strike, Equipment (Staff/Glider), Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Airbending) 3, Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Inspire, Instant Up, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Redirect, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"The Avatar" Features 2: May Speak to Past Avatars in a Ritual, May Have Past Avatars Speak Through Him in a Ritual [2]

"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28) -- [56]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 7 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (23)
AE: "Octopus Form" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) (14)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (19)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
"Airbending Master"
"Tornado" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
AE: "Tornado II" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (27)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (20)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (16)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (10)
"Firebending Master"
"Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Variable- Fire or Earth, Penetrating 4, Split) (22)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (19)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (17)
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (10)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (13.5)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (18)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)
"Earthbending Master"
"Earthquake" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (22)
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 9 (Feats: Precise) (19)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5) -- [7]
AE: Swimming 5 (16 mph) (6)
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

"Toph's Tricks"
"See With His Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]

Equipment:
"Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3) -- (4)
AE: Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Air Blast +14 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Water Attack +12 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Fire Blast +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Bonds +12 (+7-8 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-18)
Area Snares & Slicks +5-8 (+5-8 Affliction, DC 15-18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Aang's duty to bring balance to the world and defeat the Fire Lord. However, Aang was a simple boy, and never wanted any of this pressure. As a result, he often acts out and puts up the front of a silly child who loves nonsense. He does not yet want to put away childish things and meet his destiny.
Fame (The Avatar)- Aang is a wanted boy the second he appears on the world. Not only do various Fire Nation people want him captured, but other people who realize his true nature often make a racket about him. Some even question where he was all this time- a question Aang would rather not answer at this time.
Responsibility (The Sanctity of Life)- Aang, as an Air Nomad, believes that all life is sacred. He will not eat meat (though won't prevent others from doing so, or else he and Sokka would NEVER be friends), and he will not willingly take a life. When the reality of facing a mad dictator confronts him, he is torn between his personal beliefs, and his duty to the world.
Relationship (Katara)- Aang has a pretty immediate crush on Katara and her big blue eyes.
Relationship (Sokka)- The two are best buds right away, though Sokka is still highly protective of his sister.
Relationship (Appa)- Appa is Aang's Spiritual Animal Companion, and the two pledged to never be apart. Injuring Appa, or otherwise removing him from Aang, WILL result in a full-on Avatar State Smackdown.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 72 / Defenses: 20 (227)

-Like I said, Aang as a hero was a pretty good character, in that he averted a lot of the "I love to fight, and I must fight to get stronger" Shonen junk that is out there. Sure, he trained to "get stronger", but he never actually wanted the job. Aang didn't LIKE fighting exactly, and he certainly never wanted the responsibility that being The Avatar brought him. Especially early on, when he was just a little kid trying to have fun, despite being chased by a series of crazy Firebenders. As the series moves on, we get a lot more out of Aang- he accepts his responsibility, he makes friends, he falls for Katara (and not just in a childish love way, like he did at first), he does things without going contrary to his values as an Earthbender, etc. And watching him Aangst (hee) over facing the Fire Lord was quite cool- he loses sleep, has nightmares, and generally goes nuts over fighting this super-powerful enemy.
-In fact, Aang's ability to make friends, combined with his sense of mercy, is arguably his greatest talent. At SEVERAL points in the series, he could have killed Zuko, which would have saved him and his friends a WORLD of trouble... But if he HAD, then he would have never found his true Firebending Master, and would have died against Ozai. His ability to ally with people of all stripes and creeds allowed him to amass a large stable of helpers, get back-up when he needed it, and let him reach his ultimate potential. Aang is actually a study in how compassion and mercy can be just as effective in transforming the world was "Training To Get Stronger!"
-Aang is by far the most versatile member of Team Avatar for obvious reasons, but loses some overall power- none of his Area Attacks hit PL 10, his Waterbending is only PL 9.5, and he needs Earthbending to use a proper Snare & Firebending to reach caps with a high-powered Blast. Overall, he stills makes all his caps with SOME form of combination of Blast, Snare, Trip & Defense. Plus, he has the highest Will Save of everyone.

AVATAR AANG (Book Two)
Role:
Ascended Hero
Voice Actor: Zach Tyler Eisen
Finest Moment: Kicking the snot out of Phoenix King Ozai using everything that he'd learned over the past year, then unlocking his Avatar State and wipint out Ozai's Bending.
PL 9 (201)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+16)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Close Combat (Staff) 2 (+14)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 7 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 2 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack. Defensive Strike, Equipment (Staff/Glider), Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Airbending) 2, Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Inspire, Instant Up, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Redirect, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"The Avatar" Features 2: May Speak to Past Avatars in a Ritual, May Have Past Avatars Speak Through Him in a Ritual [2]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27) -- [47]
AE: "Tornado II" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (27)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 4 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (14)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (16)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (10)
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (24)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 6 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (19)
AE: "Octopus Form" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) (12)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 9 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (19)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (17)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
"Earthbending Master"
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 9 (Feats: Precise) (19)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5) -- [7]
AE: Swimming 5 (16 mph) (6)
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

"Toph's Tricks"
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]

Equipment:
"Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3) -- (4)
AE: Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Air Blast +14 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Water Attack +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Bonds +12 (+7-8 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-18)
Area Snares & Slicks +5-8 (+5-8 Affliction, DC 15-18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Aang's duty to bring balance to the world and defeat the Fire Lord. However, Aang was a simple boy, and never wanted any of this pressure. As a result, he often acts out and puts up the front of a silly child who loves nonsense. He does not yet want to put away childish things and meet his destiny.
Fame (The Avatar)- Aang is a wanted boy the second he appears on the world. Not only do various Fire Nation people want him captured, but other people who realize his true nature often make a racket about him. Some even question where he was all this time- a question Aang would rather not answer at this time.
Responsibility (The Sanctity of Life)- Aang, as an Air Nomad, believes that all life is sacred. He will not eat meat (though won't prevent others from doing so, or else he and Sokka would NEVER be friends), and he will not willingly take a life. When the reality of facing a mad dictator confronts him, he is torn between his personal beliefs, and his duty to the world.
Relationship (Katara)- Aang has a pretty immediate crush on Katara and her big blue eyes.
Relationship (Sokka)- The two are best buds right away, though Sokka is still highly protective of his sister.
Relationship (Appa)- Appa is Aang's Spiritual Animal Companion, and the two pledged to never be apart. Injuring Appa, or otherwise removing him from Aang, WILL result in a full-on Avatar State Smackdown.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 34 / Powers: 59 / Defenses: 17 (201)

-Book Two Aang is in between the two other versions, and still quite powerful, even with a "mere" 20 Alt-Effects.

AVATAR AANG (Book Three- The Avatar State)
Role:
Ascended Hero
Voice Actor: Zach Tyler Eisen
Finest Moment: Kicking the snot out of Phoenix King Ozai using everything that he'd learned over the past year, then unlocking his Avatar State and wipint out Ozai's Bending.
PL 13 (227)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+18)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Close Combat (Staff) 2 (+15)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 8 (+11)
Insight 4 (+7)
Perception 8 (+11)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 2 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack. Defensive Strike, Equipment (Staff/Glider), Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Airbending) 3, Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Inspire, Instant Up, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Redirect, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 4: Defensive Roll 4 [4]
"The Avatar" Features 2: May Speak to Past Avatars in a Ritual, May Have Past Avatars Speak Through Him in a Ritual [2]

"Firebending Master"
"Fire Bolt" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Line +3) (52) -- [80]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 14 (Feats: Variable- Fire or Earth, Penetrating 8, Split) (38)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 12 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (37)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 12 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (24)
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 12 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (12)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (39)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (52)
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 12 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (48)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 14 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (43)
AE: "Octopus Form" Blast 14 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) (28)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 14 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (29)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 13 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (65)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 13 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Area- 500ft. Cone +4) (65)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 10 (Feats: Reversible) (21)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 13 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (39)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 13 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Shapeable +3) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (39)
"Airbending Master"
"Tornado" Blast 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (52)
AE: "Tornado II" Blast 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cylindar +3) (52)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: Air Blast 12 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (38)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 11 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (33)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 16 (16)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 5 (500 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (20)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 13 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (26)
"Earthbending Master"
"Earthquake" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 13 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (35)
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 13 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (39)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 12 (Feats: Precise) (25)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)

Flight 7 (250 mph) (14) -- [16]
AE: Swimming 6 (30 mph) (6)
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 5 (60 mph) (5)

"Toph's Tricks"
"See With His Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]

Equipment:
"Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3) -- (4)
AE: Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Air Blast +14 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Water Attack +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Fire Blast +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Area Damage +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Bonds +12 (+10-13 Ranged Affliction, DC 20-23)
Area Snares & Slicks +12 (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Aang's duty to bring balance to the world and defeat the Fire Lord. However, Aang was a simple boy, and never wanted any of this pressure. As a result, he often acts out and puts up the front of a silly child who loves nonsense. He does not yet want to put away childish things and meet his destiny.
Fame (The Avatar)- Aang is a wanted boy the second he appears on the world. Not only do various Fire Nation people want him captured, but other people who realize his true nature often make a racket about him. Some even question where he was all this time- a question Aang would rather not answer at this time.
Responsibility (The Sanctity of Life)- Aang, as an Air Nomad, believes that all life is sacred. He will not eat meat (though won't prevent others from doing so, or else he and Sokka would NEVER be friends), and he will not willingly take a life. When the reality of facing a mad dictator confronts him, he is torn between his personal beliefs, and his duty to the world.
Relationship (Katara)- Aang has a pretty immediate crush on Katara and her big blue eyes.
Relationship (Sokka)- The two are best buds right away, though Sokka is still highly protective of his sister.
Relationship (Appa)- Appa is Aang's Spiritual Animal Companion, and the two pledged to never be apart. Injuring Appa, or otherwise removing him from Aang, WILL result in a full-on Avatar State Smackdown.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 107 / Defenses: 20 (227)

-Avatar Aang is easily the most powerful character seen in the Avatar-Verse, short of the former Avatars (Kyoshi is shown breaking an entire ISLAND off from the mainland). This state is something that only comes up periodically, and is effectively Uncontrolled- Aang requires EXTREME anger 90% of the time to hit the State, and it's usually at a plot-convenient time- when Zhao kills the Moon Spirit and Aang merges with it, when Zuko has him dead to rights and Aang debuts the state, and one time an Earth Kingdom General forced it out of Aang by threatening to bury Katara alive. Another time, Sandbending Thieves Bison-napped Appa, and Aang FREAKED on them, nearly exterminating the lot. He becomes a PL 13 entity in this form, able to trounce ANYBODY, but note that he's still semi-vulnerable ("only" PL 10.5 on defense), as many Avatars often didn't go into the State even when it'd be a good idea, as being killed in this still-vulnerable form would result in the cycle of reincarnation being ended PERMANENTLY.
-Other Avatars can do incredible feats, but the biggest feat so far was Avatar Kyoshi's creation of Kyoshi Island, done by separating a BIG chunk of land from the mainland Earth Kingdom, putting it miles out to sea. This is effectively a stunt on par with Hercules' dragging of Manhattan Island in "The Avengers" (a feat that Jim Shooter apparently found stupid and ridiculous- pulling the whole thing by a single chain?), but it was done WAY easier. A full-blown Avatar is a PL 14-15 creation on par with Graviton or Magneto, able to lift similar weights effortlessly. Their only flaw is still the human-level Durability.

Aang's final feat shown was "Energybending", the attack that permanently removed the Fire Lord's ability to Bend, which is effectively:
Affliction 10 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Continuous +3) (Flaws: Grab-Based, Distracting, Tiring) [10]
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Beavis & Butt-head

Post by Jabroniville »

"The very smart and the very stupid are both big fans of Beavis & Butt-Head, but for different reasons."
-Patrick Stewart


BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD:

-This was pretty easily my favourite show when I was the same age as the characters- having heard about it and first and then finally started watching it, I was enamored of it. I mean, the physical humor, the swear words, the hilarious dialogue... it was the perfect thing for a Post-Pubescent teenage male. Beavis & Butt-Head was the first post-Simpsons cartoon to REALLY have an impact on people outside of its general fanbase, and rapidly became publically-notorious for providing kids with bad role models, and was hit with countless demands for censorship.

This show is the brainchild of Mike Judge, an animation aficionado who produced a grotesque little short called Frog Baseball, featuring two assholish, brutal teens who literally smash up frogs with baseballs to their own amusement. MTV, wanting some new, shocking programming, snapped it up and got Judge to create a whole cast of characters (most of whom were voiced by himself). Judge and his Producers, to their credit, did not merely rest on their laurels of cheap physical humor, and ended up going on various tangents that really defined the show.

The show was a series of crudely-animated shorts (which later shifted to a more King of the Hill-type simplistic, limited style that was more reserved than it looked), puncuated by clips of the two watching music videos on various channels. Generally, their antics were brutally-simple- the boys were SO STUPID that nearly any adventure was possible. They mostly just sat around and watched TV all day, and learned everything from that- They would see something on TV and try to imitate it (a parody of the way parents hated on their own show), go out to "score", try to watch some popular movie or act, try to commit violence, hang out at a loser friend's house, and more. They'd try to make some money by doing work for their next-door neighbor Tom Anderson, and generally destroy his yard, home or dog in the process (at one point, they filled an entire swimming pool with cement, and at another, they knocked a tree onto his house). They'd try to sell roadkill to a Fur Shop, pierce their own ears because they couldn't get parental signatures for it (and then were horrified to discover what having your ear pierced on that side meant in the early '90s).

It's actually rather impressive just HOW STUPID these kids were- it takes real intelligence to make someone THIS DUMB, as Simpsons writers would prove as well. They were so stupid that they COULDN'T READ (they read "Horse Farm: Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted" as "Whores & Prostitutes"), didn't know the meaning of common words ("You know- your FUTURE?" "OH!... What's that?" "Uhhhh.... I dunno."), and generally put themselves at risk doing the stupidest things. Some of the comments they make on people are inadvertently fairly clever, and provide a commentary about the pop culture crap that people are subjected to (like when they point out that the Radio DJ interviewing them is clearly older than he sounds, and the DJ shows that he doesn't want anyone to know this).

A personal favourite is the time Beavis got a horrible nosebleed- Butt-Head of course had a ton of natural home remedies known to everyone... unfortunately, said remedies were all actually cures for THE HICCUPS, which led to a bit of a mess when a bloody-nosed Beavis BREATHED REPEATEDLY INTO A PAPER BAG (which immediately got disgustingly-soaked, and bloodied him EVEN MORE), and then stood on his head while drinking a cup of water THROUGH HIS NOSE. It just gets funnier with each stupid remedy (TYING HIS TOOTH TO A DOORKNOB!?!?), especially as Beavis spends the entire time whimpering and going "ohhhhh... still bleeding...". Or the time Butt-Head began choking on a potato chip, requiring the Heimlich Maneuver. Unfortunately, Beavis could not remember how to do it, but remembered that a local restaurant had instructions on the wall. His idea? TO ABANDON A SUFFOCATING BUTT-HEAD, and take a leisurely stroll to the restaurant (complete with random stops and side-quests), culminating with him forgetting what he was doing and simply walking back home- he ultimately saved Butt-Head by stepping on his stomach accidentally, but then found the coughed-up chip and ATE IT HIMSELF, leaving us back at where we started.

Heh-heh... or when Beavis knocked himself unconscious trying to imitate Robocop's "Crash through the wall" trick, and Butt-Head assumed him dead, then casually decided "time to bury you, Beavis", while Beavis ascended to Heaven to talk to St. Peter ("Saint WHO--?? Huh-huh..."), who proceeded to list off all of Beavis' sins ("and on the fourteenth day of your thirteenth year, you touched yourself in an impure manner AGAIN, using an action figure" "You saw THAT?" "We see EVERYTHING." "NO WAY! I like, had the covers over me, hmm-hmm-heh..."). Or the boys drinking non-alcoholic beer ("Check it out... we're WASTED... uhhhh-huh-huh-huh"), and taking a sobriety test from a suspicious cop (saying the Alphabet backwards is more difficult when you don't know it forwards).

A Crowning Moment of Dumb may have been the time they tried counterfeiting. First off, Butt-Head is dumb enough to think that a PHOTOCOPIER and SCISSORS are going to suit their purposes. Said photocopies are in BLACK AND WHITE. Then Beavis starts PHOTOCOPYING COINS.

The VOICE ACTING was wonderful as well- Judge has this deep voice that is easily-capable of playing various characters, and as others have pointed out, he has the unique ability to make EVERY LINE sound hilarious, just by diction and timing. When Butt-Head says "I need ____, and make it snappy!" it comes off WAY better when you hear it that if you'd ever read it, making him seem like a combination of bossy, impatient and pitiful. His talent for this only got better with time, as Hank in King of the Hill could bring down the house just with the way he said certain things.

Despite Judge never wanting there to be catchphrases ("How could 'This Sucks' be a catchphrase?"), the show immediately became known for countless phrases like "This Sucks!", "YES!", "Hey how's it goin'?", "Dumbass", "Dill-weed", "Bunghole", "Fart-knocker", and especially the trademark laughing. And of course The Great Cornholio was a catchphrase factory on his own. Many episodes were heavily-censored later on (any reference to fire from Beavis, for example), often leaving even THE MASTER TAPES unusable, making this one of those shows that's very incomplete on DVD- it doesn't help that Judge is apparently ashamed of some of them, and refused to air them on DVD either. Some dialogue was even cut out of many episodes for the final DVD cuts- some of which is innocuous and pointless, but others are quite funny (like when they phoned the Sex Chat line, and the big fat woman with the sexy voice resulted in Butt-Head turning to his friend and say, "Hey, Beavis! I think I just... INOCULATED.").

THE 1990s:
The show is a great snapshot of the early 1990s- the Music Videos depict the best and worst of the era, ripping on bad Hair Metal (an old MTV standby that was destroyed by Grunge), college rock ("Oh, NO.... COLLEGE rock."), stupid videos, and more. And this was the era in which the Video was HUGE, made moreso by all the hot new Indie acts (like Beck) producing the most insane, drugged-out, weird stuff imaginable (the video for Black Hole Sun is pretty iconic to the era). It was an era in which just about ANYTHING could be produced- executives were so clueless about Nirvana and Grunge that they basically threw money at ANY act featuring young people- in what OTHER era could you find acts like Beck or The Butthole Surfers becoming semi-mainstream successes? Plus it's fascinating to see just how CRUDE everything is- the animation itself was bargain-basement for the first few seasons, and gives it a much more anarchic edge than you'd see in later, more adult cartoons.

The culture of the time is reflected in the use of Teen Metalheads (is that still a thing? I'm old now, and see most kids listening to that Dubstep crap while they continuously refuse to get off of my lawn), all the cut-off sleeves and t-shirts, the general disrepair of the 1980s bust-period being showcased with still-decrepit buildings, and the rise of Cable TV and multiple channels, complete with bizarre Local Stations and ads for silly local businesses.

'90s CYNICISM:

I can't say enough how CYNICAL and HORRIBLE this world was- their town of Highland, based off of Mike Judge's youth in New Mexico, was this grizzled, run-down hell-hole featuring delapidated buildings, fat ugly women, skanky trailer trash, hillbillies and mindless thugs. The TV airwaves were filled with awful, mindless programming (of course based off of real-world stuff) and featured blithering idiots doing Conservative Talk Shows in a Rush Limbaugh sort of way (and a Christian minister type who is clearly immoral and corrupt), while a namby-pamby useless Liberal teacher would try in vain to teach a classroom full of disinterested, lazy students (classroom scenes would feature people doing their nails, listening to music and looking at centrefolds while Beavis & Butt-Head sat in the back, unable to learn ANYTHING). The movie theatre was a mess, they worked in Burger World doing horrible McJobs in third-world conditions, and more. Hell, in the very last episode, they are thought DEAD, and the result becomes near-unanimously a CELEBRATION throughout Highland! One episode even features an Angel trying to convince Butt-Head TO COMMIT SUICIDE, showing him how much better the world would be if he was dead!

It was so horrific that they never even bothered to show Beavis & Butt-Head's home life- their mothers never appeared (though both were mentioned off-handedly to be sluts, particularly Beavis'), and their fathers only appeared in the film as similarly-retarded hillbilly roadies (who bragged about "banging some sluts in Highland"). It's never even known in whose home they're living in, as this house with cracked wallpaper, cockroaches and omnipresent mess was basically their token hang-out. They'd come and go as they pleased, with no parental figures ever spotted.

In many cases, this was one of the first times we actually saw THIS kind of teenager on television: The disaffected, TV-addicted, slovenly idiot who hurt things for entertainment. It reflected our own culture right BACK at us, and made a lot of people uncomfortable. If anything, this show is even MORE cynical than any other cartoon, even the later, more "adult" ones- even South Park has characters learning lessons and looking on the positive side of things. In Beavis and Butt-Head, any lessons will go clear over the kids' heads.

The Music Videos:
These ended up becoming hugely popular and iconic, as the boys would rip on videos that "sucked", while praising anything by Metallica or AC/DC (or any Heavy Metal, really) that was awesome. This allowed for some social satire at the expense of pop culture, as they didn't just go for the MTV "Company Line"- they TORE STUFF TO PIECES if they hated it, often using much smarter humor than they do in the regular shorts. They got so popular that some musicians would openly bitch about it, thus getting made fun of MORE (the lead singer of Winger was known to gripe about MTV "turning their backs" on the Hair Metal that "made" the station in the 1980s when B&B made fun of his band, and so the creators taunted him by giving Stuart, the biggest loser on Earth, a "Winger" t-shirt).

A friend, who actually HATES the show and dismisses it as simplistic, stupid humor, actually COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING to where Beavis JUST imitates the bassline for the ENTIRE VIDEO, enraging Butt-Head, who frequently demands he stop (often striking Beavis repeatedly)- it's one of those gags that just gets funnier as it goes on, just MINUTES of Beavis imitating the song. There's an epic piss take of Yanni's Reflections of Passion that consists of Butt-Head taunting Beavis by turning up the volume, insisting Beavis actually ENJOYS Yanni, that Yanni is actually Beavis' FATHER, and more. During one video, Beavis is so enamored of the image of a man aflame that he is unable to speak for several minutes. In another, Beavis almost passes out, then awakens to suddenly deliver this GREAT rapid-fire diatribe about why the band KoRn sucks and is "highly-derivative" of other acts, and how they band can improve... only for Butt-Head to slap him back to his regular stupid self.

In some videos, they headbang along and scream "YES!" like a pair of Teen Metalheads- in others, they are horrified and change the channel without speaking a word (their raw, silent DISGUST at Blame It On The Rain was legendary). One video sucked so bad that Beavis started VOMITING in horror. One time, Beavis actually told Butt-Head to quit ripping on some bad Hair Metal act because "I feel kinda SORRY for these guys...".

The best one: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy3S4hvdlvE]Their riffing on Yanni
.

The Characters:
Beavis: A psychopathic pyromaniac who is easily-led and generally unpredictable, if a bit of a follower. The stupider of the pair (if that is possible), and gets the most famous antics done (like when he takes too much caffeine).
Butt-Head: A nasty, scheming type who generally comes up with the pair's plans. Gets most of the great lines.
Todd: The town bully, a white-trash loser who victimizes the kids, even while they look up to him for his violent tendencies and bad-ass persona.
Mr. Anderson: Their dull-witted, elderly neighbor, who is frequently victimized by the kids as they do poor jobs with chores. Voiced by Judge in imitation of an old, nasty neighbor on his childhood paper route, and later mimicked exactly for Hank Hill.
Daria: A smart-alecky girl in their class, and one of the few intelligent students. Seems to tolerate the boys better than anybody else, if only so that she can insult them more.
Mr. Van Driessen: A wussy hippie teacher, generally incapable of bestowing discipline on the kids.
Coach Buzzcut: A loud, macho teacher. Spends most of his time screaming at the boys.
Principal McVicker: A nervous, twitchy Principal on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and the main voice of authority in the school.
Stewart: A huge weenie and a losery kid, Stuart idolizes Beavis & Butt-Head as two older kids, and they take great efforts to torture and humiliate him as a result, even while they take advantage of his family's hospitality.

---

The show proved to be a MASSIVE success, instantly becoming a craze (and more popular the more parents and censors freaked out over it- a friend of mine sought the show out simply because one of his teachers sat down the whole class to explain how horrible the show was for people to watch)- people protested and sued MTV (Beavis' pyromania was blamed on some kid burning down his trailer), the ratings were a smash, they became instantly-recognizable to people, and they even got a FEATURE FILM RELEASE that did enormously-well in theatres (the movie contains my single-favourite joke in any form of media). The fad didn't quite last, as the show started fading from public consciousness and was cancelled before it could falter too badly (Judge was starting King of the Hill anyways, and had said his piece with Beavis & Butt-Head)- I find the last episodes as good as the first ones (if not better). There was even a handful of Video Games, the Genesis version of which is actually quite an inventive little "Search & Find" game, featuring the show's trademark gritty look (and a quest for GWAR tickets that can be helped by flushing some dynamite down the toilet).

Despite a successful spin-off with Daria, the show all but became forgotten once the new generation of adult-themed cartoons came about- Family Guy and South Park have gone on to become much more famous and long-lasting. But to me the show still has an impressive legacy- Matt Stone & Trey Parker consider Judge a good friend and mentor, especially when he confided in them on the tricks about sudden fame and exposure when their South Park hit big.

THE COMEBACK:

(The duo watching Teen Mom on MTV)
Butt-Head: "This chick is a HORRIBLE actor!"
Beavis: "Mm-hm- yeah! Yeah, really!"
(later on)
Butt-Head: "UHHHH... Uh, wait a minute... I think this is REAL."
Beavis: "Uh, ohh... ohhhhhhh, yeah! Yeah! She's not a bad actor then! (sadly) Just a bad PERSON..."

The show had a brief comeback a few years ago, as the creators realized that the world needed the duo to provide a sikening mirror image at it AGAIN- they replaced the Music Videos (which have since famously fallen off of MTV and become largely irrelevant, ESPECIALLY compared to the 1990s) with YouTube and MTV Programming commentaries, which was not a good fit. Them aimlessly ripping on The Jersey Shore's cast for stupidity isn't quite as clever as the way they'd make fun of music videos. Though it DID give us the great riff on the Teen Mom show above. Some of the episodes definitely hold up with the classics, like when they attempt to become werewolves to catch up with the Twilight craze making undead cool (they even mistake Bella for a zombie "because she's always just staring forward, with her mouth sort of open..."), letting a crazy homeless person bite them. Later, while dying of various diseases, they just weakly talk about how cool it is, and how they can feel themselves changing- "Hehhmm-heh! This is gonna be cool- A-WOOOOOO *COUGH COUGH* HMM-HMMM HEH!"

Alas, the ratings weren't that great, and the show's once-shocking sense of humor is now pretty passe in a world of violent murders and rapes going on in other cartoons. There was still some of the old energy in the show, but the fanbase really wasn't there.


TOM ANDERSON
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Old-School Hick, Dumb Old Man, Butt-Monkey
PL 2 (2)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude -1, Will +1

Complications:
Accident (Fate Hates Him)- As if having neighbors like Beavis & Butt-Head wasn't bad enough, Tom continually suffers in his old age, often due to their antics (they have destroyed his house at least once). During Beavis & Butt-Head Do America, he and his wife are pulled aside and given full body-cavity searches SEVERAL TIMES, and in a nother episode, they sell all of his belongings (including a Purple Heart medal from Korea) at a yard sale because he promised them a cut of the profits.
Relationship (Marcie- Wife)- Tom is openly still in love with his wife.

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (2)

-Tom Anderson is based off of a "five or six people I knew who talked like that" in Mike Judge's past, but one specific guy on his childhood paper route stood out- an old man who WOULD NOT accept that Judge was his paperboy, and droned on in his Southern accent about how he didn't recognize him. Judge used that cluelessness with good effect to play one of the duo's most-regular victims. Frequently, he would hire them to do a small chore, only to come back to find the boys had sawed down one of the trees on his property (and dropping it onto his home), or when they accidentally filled an entire pre-dug swimming hole with water and cement mix, creating a massive block in Tom's backyard. Judge would later use his "Tom Anderson Voice" to tremendous success in King of the Hill, taking Tom's "Old School Personality" ("Ya shouldn't SHOW a man how to do something- you TELL him how to do it, and let him surprise you with the results!") to an even MORE hilarious extreme.

STEWART STEVENSEN
Played By:
Adam Welsh (original), Mike Judge (revival)
Role: Old-School Hick, Dumb Old Man, Butt-Monkey
PL 0 (-7)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Beavis & Butt-Head)- The young Stewart looks up to the "Cool older kids", often palling around with them and trying to hang out. They despise him, and often frame him for their own antics. However, one time his association with them got him laid by an entire cult of hot chicks.
Responsibility (Horrible Judge of Character)- Stewart thinks BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD are cool.
Relationship (Parents)- Stewart is horribly-dependent upon his parents, and they baby him greatly.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (-7)

-Lesson to celebrities everywhere: if someone makes fun of you on a TV show, don't make a big stink about it. When Kip Winger, lead singer of Winger was heard complaining to everyone who would listen about Beavis & Butt-Head making fun of a Winger video on their show, the showrunners decided to stick the knife in EVEN MORE, putting Stewart, the LEAST-COOL KID IN THE SERIES, in a t-shirt that proudly displayed the band's name. Apparently Judge would learn later that Winger DIDN'T complain about them, but the damage was already done.
-Stewart was meant to be an impressionable young kid who actually WANTED to hang around Beavis & Butt-Head- they would respond to his adoration with cruel insults and abusive behavior, particularly when they framed him for the "Couch Fishing" incident ("It was him, officer. We tried to stop him, but he was like, hitting us, and stuff"). Generally, Stewart and his clueless, worrisome parents would be victimized by the heartless duo (they demolished his house looking for sugar, and Butt-Head openly lusts after Stewart's mom). It's shown that in a world where Butt-Head never existed, Stewart & Beavis are close friends who actually help the homeless, because nobody was around to destroy their self-esteem.

PRINCIPAL McVICKER
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: The Alcholic, Angry Principal, Major Victim
PL 0 (0)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Benefit (Principal)

Powers:
"Wall of Fat" Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude -1, Will +0

Complications:
Enemy (Beavis & Butt-Head)- McVicker openly despises the two boys, and when he thinks that they're dead, he declares a day of celebration.

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 1 (0)

-It's only natural that students as idiotic as Beavis & Butt-Head would have the entire faculty against them, and a major victim is Principal McVicker (aka "McDICKER"). Based off of an alcoholic band teacher of Judge's, right down to the trademark stuttering "U-uhhhhh..." and random angry spouting-off, McVicker was the worst of the teachers, and thus got the worst of the boys' abuse. He frequently suffers because of their antics (he's beaten by the Secret Service when he charges in on B&B when they're interviewing Bill Clinton), and in the initial Series Finale, he suffers what looks to be a final heart attack. Nonetheless, he can be clever once in a while, like when he and Coach Buzzcut set up the boys to be humiliated on school grounds (he lured them out of the gym showers in their underpants under the guise of a fire drill).

DAVID VAN DRIESSEN
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Hippie Teacher
PL 0 (11), PL 1 (11) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 1 (+3)
Expertise (Singing & Guitar) 4 (+4)
Perception 1 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Beavis & Butt-Head)- Mr. Van Driessen remains the only teacher who has not given up on the boys, and frequently tries to lecture them about proper behavior. As he's generally a spineless wuss, he fails.
Responsibility (Hippie)- Van Driessen is a weakling and avoids confrontation, rarely punishing Beavis & Butt-Head for their actions, and rejecting violence.
Responsibility (Students)- The only thing that can bring out the violence in Van Driessen is threatening his students. When he sees Mr. Manners grab Butt-Head in rage, it ends in a vicious slap-fight.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (11)

-Possibly the only positive influence on the boys' lives, Mr. Van Driessen is still an ineffectual hippie, prone to singing goofy '60s songs instead of providing any real help- his attempts to convince the boys to be empathetic, concerned citizens naturally always fell on deaf ears. The show took great efforts to make him suffer, as well- when he pays the boys a shoddy fee to clean his house, they proceed to destroy his priceless collection of 8-tracks, and he's violently assaulted by government agents in the movie, simply for having a connection to them. And the time he sang a song called Men Have Feelings Too and was then attacked by a bear. He can't even get LAID thanks to them- his various attempts to seduce women (using hippie platitudes, of course) are almost always ruined by the boys' incessant laughter and interference.
-Judge based the voice off of a TV reporter who interviewed a friend of his with this nasal, weak, effeminate voice, using phrases like "It must have been SO inspirational for a boy from Texas to be invited to share cultures with the people of Europe, and to share your culture with them".

Coach Buzzcut: If they do laugh, they'll be expelled, and they'll have to go to Hope High School where they'll get their asses kicked on a daily basis by all the other delinquents. Well, I was real glad to hear that, because this is sex education week. That's right, sex-ed week! We're gonna be talkin' about the PENIS! We'll be talkin' about the VAGINA! Do you think that's funny, Butt-head? Do you find it amusing that we'll be talkin' about the TESTICLES? Yes, we're also gonna be talkin' about VENEREAL DISEASE! SEXUAL INTERCOURSE! THE SCROTUM! THE CLITORIS! And we will definitely be spending a LOT of time talking about MASTURBATION!

COACH BRADLEY BUZZCUT
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Angry Teacher, Drill Sergeant Nasty
PL 5 (59)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Teacher) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Military) 5 (+6)
Insight 1 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Last Stand (Ignores Damage For One Round With 1 HP Spent), Startle, Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (Beavis & Butt-Head)- Coach Buzzcut openly despises the boys, and enjoys punishing them physically, as well as screaming at them.
Temper- Buzzcut is a violent person who enjoys seeing others hurt. He once told his class to beat up a student from the gifted class for no reason.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (59)

-Coach Buzzcut was your typical Ex-Military teacher-type, generally one of the few people who CONSTANTLY screamed at the boys, throwing medicine balls at their nuts to see if they had "athletic supporters" on, or making horrendous demands of them. Once, to prove his toughness, he commanded Butt-Head to "Kick me in the JIMMY!", and when Butt-Head planted one straight in his 'nads, Buzzcut just turned red, shuddered, and screamed "YYYYYESSSSSSSSSS!"

TODD IANUZZI
Played By:
Mike Judge (original), Toby Huss (update)
Role: Young Punk, Delinquent
PL 5 (47)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 1 (+1)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Equipment 2 (Plymouth Duster), Fast Grab

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Beavis & Butt-Head)- The boys constantly want to hang out with Todd and join his "gang", but Todd despises both of them. He finds them useful on occasion, but generally he will insult the "turds" on side, or just beat the crap out of them.
Temper- Todd is a violent psychopath, prone to assaulting anyone who even casually insults him. He even worked over a guy whose car he ran into.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (47)

-Todd is a pretty good example of the kind of guy that teen boys idolize, but all adults resent: the nasty, hard-drinking, violent asshole. Naturally, Beavis & Butt-Head instantly fall in love with him (with hearts floating above their heads and everything!), even though he'd just kicked their asses! Todd is based off of a nasty teenage bully who lived in Mike Judge's neighborhood and raised hell, ripping up people's lawns with his motorcycle- that natural hateful energy made a perfect antagonist for the boys, even while they yearned to become "part of his gang"- the joke of course being that the boys were too stupid to see that Todd clearly despised both of them as hangers-on and losers (much like they saw Stewart), and frequently assaulted them. One time, he even nailed Butt-Head's "wife" (a mail-order bride) in the back of his Plymouth Duster! However, Butt-Head took some solace in the fact that since Todd was banging his wife, if "sort of makes us related!"

It is impossible to deal with “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” without first dealing with Beavis and Butt-Head themselves. The real subject of the film is attitude, because B&B are *about* attitude. What actually happens is of little importance, since Beavis and Butt-Head are so stupid and sublimely self-absorbed that the exterior world has little reality except as an annoyance or distraction.
It would be easy to attack B&B as ignorant, vulgar, depraved, repulsive slobs. Of course they are. But that would miss the point, which is that Mike Judge's characters reflect parts of the society that produced them. To study B&B is to learn about a culture of narcissism, alienation, functional illiteracy, instant gratification and television zombiehood. Those who deplore Beavis and Butt-Head are confusing the messengers with the message.
For B&B, happiness is easily defined. It consists of sitting side by side on a sofa, watching television, which they dimly perceive as containing images of food, drink, mayhem and large breasts. As long as the TV is on and they are supplied with food and drink, B&B see no need to move. They would be as happy in prison, assuming the set was working. (The movie shows an album of old photos of B&B growing up; we see them as infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, etc.--always on the couch, watching TV).
Early in Mike Judge's “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America,” there is a funny sequence in which their television is stolen. This becomes apparent to B&B after a time, because they realize that they are looking at the place where the TV should be, and it is not there. As this fact sinks in, they grow restless and disturbed. Beavis (or Butt-Head; I forget) tries to reconstruct the crime, and the movie shows a series of shots: (1) broken window, (2) missing TV, (3) footprints leading from window to where TV was, (4) footprints leading out the open door. Then the movie repeats this series of shots a second time, and then a third time, and then the series is broken up into closeups, for closer study. Eventually the clues are correctly deciphered: The set is not there because it has been stolen! This sequence is brilliant in the way it illustrates the mental capabilities of B&B, who between them have the I.Q. of a cork.
-Roger Ebert's Review of the film


BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA:

-This movie is a CLASSIC. I saw it at the absolute peak of my fandom (as did a few of my friends), and basically just laughed from beginning till end. The main plot is your standard "Big Damn Movie" thing, but of course parodies it, as the boys are so clinically-stupid that the entire thing flies over their heads. Basically, they end up getting sent on a mission to Washington, carrying a deadly virus on Beavis' person, after two arms dealers manipulate them. They travel across America on a tour, missing all of the great beauty of the nation because they're distracted by puerile things (a donkey crapping- "it's coming out of the ASS... of the ASS!", a description of how petrified "wood became hard", funny town names like "Bald Knob", and automatic-flushing urinals), ending up in Washington, where a force of Government Agents has been hunting them since the beginning.

SO MUCH of this works. The '70s-sounding theme song. The boys getting distracted from all of Vegas by a nude statue. Robert Stack as the ultra-serious FBI Agent. Beavis setting off a massive 40-car pile-up. Beavis hallucinating on peyote to imagine a Rob Zombie-inspired music video. Mr. Van Driessen singing Lesbian Seagull to the students, then getting the butt-end of a rifle slammed into his gut. The completely anticlimactic ending ("uhh... here ya go."). Beavis' two transformations into The Great Cornholio. Butt-Head hitting on Chelsea Clinton. All the classic mid-'90s music.

MUDDY GRIMES
Played By:
Bruce Willis
Role: Degenerate Criminal, Alcoholic Asshole
PL 6 (48)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+7)
Intimidation 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Equipment 3 (Shotgun- Blast 6), Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Shotgun +5 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Addiction (Alcohol)- Muddy is constantly seen drinking throughout the movie.
Temper- Muddy is prone to bouts of anger, probably because of his drinking.
Relationship (Dallas- Wife)- Muddy wants his wife dead for leaving him with nothing after their last big score, but still finds himself prone to her wiles.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (48)

-Muddy is kind of the impetus for most of the film- when the boys go looking for their stolen TV, they come across Muddy, who had coincidentally been waiting for two "young" guys who were going to be hired to kill his wife. However, his dialogue with them was ambiguous ("10,000 bucks to DO my wife!"), leading the boys on a merry journey across America to find Dallas Grimes, then go to Washington with a deadly virus-packing unit in Beavis' pants (HUH-HUH, I'VE got a "virus-packing unit" in my pants, too! HUH-HUH). Muddy's a violent, slovenly alcoholic (played with drooling aplomb by Bruce Willis) who is pretty sloppy with his work (he thinks BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD are trustworthy pawns, and doesn't notice that they've used a car-jack to open the trunk of his vehicle), but is still rather tough. He'd have had Dallas dead to rights if she hadn't seduced him.

DALLAS GRIMES
Played By:
Demi Moore
Role: Femme Fatale
PL 4 (52)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Criminal) 7 (+8)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Equipment 2 (Pistol 4)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Dallas and her husband are arms-dealers out for a massive score- she wants to ransom Washington for millions.
Relationship (Muddy- Husband)- Dallas is a bit attracted to her ex, but is really just using him.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (52)

-Muddy's better half is of course played by Bruce Willis' then-wife Demi Moore, back when she had SOME credibility in Hollywood (before numerous bombs sinked her legitimate career forever). When she finds out that Beavis & Butt-Head were sent to "do" her, and realizes what they think that means, she promises to give them the goods... but only if they head to Washington, packing a massively-powerful virus that she and her husband stole. This gets her off the hook with the feds (who search her and can't find anything incriminating), and then she heads to find the boys and get the virus back. But Muddy finds her first, and threatens to kill her, until she seduces him- the Feds interrupt their backseat dealings (if you know what I mean) and they're arrested and pretty much out of the way.
-In this sense, Muddy & Dallas are just a means to an end- a reason to get the boys moving across America. Muddy's your standard big thug, while Dallas is a more-effective Femme Fatale.

Agent Bork: "Chief! You know that guy whose camper they were whackin' off in?"
Agent Flemming: "Bork! You are a federal agent! You represent the United States government! NEVER END A SENTENCE WITH A PREPOSITION."

ATF AGENT FLEMMING
Played By:
Robert Stack
Role: Unflappable Detective, The Straight Man, Grammar Nazi
PL 4 (56)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (ATF Agent) 7 (+10)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Investigation 7 (+10)
Perception 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit (ATF Agent), Equipment 2 (Pistol- Blast 5), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Pistol +5 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Saving Lives)- As an ATF Agent, Flemming is devoted to saving lives. When he discovers that Beavis & Butt-Head are carrying the deadly X-5 Unit, he makes it his sole mission to find them and end their threat once and for all.
Enemy (The Grimes Family)- Muddy & Dallas are old nemeses of Flemming.
Responsibility (Good Grammar)- Flemming will not put up with any of his damn Agents, representatives of the United States government, using improper grammar.
Obsession (Cavity Searches)- Flemming ALWAYS demands cavity searches of any people linked to his cases. "Nice and deep!" is the usual cry, though in Butt-Head's case, he insisted on a HUGE one- "Don't stop until you reach the back of his teeth!"

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (56)

-Agent Flemming was AWESOME in this movie- the ultimate straight-man to Beavis & Butt-Head's insane antics. Robert Stack didn't quite "get" the jokes according to the Audio Commentary, but was game anyways, and his straight-laced delivery just make the lines all the funnier. His Grammar Nazi moment above may be my single favourite thing in any movie ever- the fact that a guy would choose a moment THAT IMPORTANT to interrupt the investigation and correct somebody about their grammar, and the fact that poor Bork had to do verbal flip-flops to get it right, makes this what Judge called "the favourite moment even for people who hate Beavis & Butt-Head".

BEAVIS (after making himself all dizzy): "I think there is a problem with this video in that it is highly derivative of others within the genre. While viewed on its own merits, it does have a decent groove. However, what it has in groove, it lacks in originality. One can't help but be reminded of such bands as Pearl Jam, White Zombie, Suicidal Tendencies and other bands that bear the mantle of so-called Alternative Rock. One is even reminded of Laurie Anderson when she wore curlers. This video speaks less to the heart and more to the sphincter. In closing, I think Korn would do well to learn from-"(Butt-Head slaps him to bring him back.)"

BEAVIS
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: The Dumbass, Pyro Psycho, The Exciteable One
PL 0 (-9)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+1)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+2)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
"Kick to the Crotch" Improved Critical (Unarmed)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will -2

Complications:
Relationship (Butt-Head)- Beavis' only friend is Butt-Head, a verbally and physically-abusive egomaniac who only barely tolerates Beavis. Beavis is easily-led and influenced, but is prone to freaking out at Butt-Head's insults.
Responsibility (Stupid)- The boys once got stranded on a deserted island in the fountain AT THE MALL. Both have touched a spinning blade just for the hell of it. They once forgot how to urinate because they were concentrating too hard on remembering how to do it. Beavis once thought he was pregnant, but he just needed to take a really big dump.
Disabled (Illiterate)- Beavis cannot read at all, and often doesn't understand the meaning of simple words like "fortune" or "future".
Reputation ("You were CRYING")- Beavis once shed a tear while eating onions, which Butt-Head saw as Beavis' reaction to a sad show on TV. "Huh-huh... you're MOVED."
Addiction ("FIRE! FIRE!!... FIRE!")
Responsibility (Polite)- Beavis is oddly polite for someone so stupid and rotten- he introduces himself with "Hey how's it goin'?", and often takes great interest with what other people are saying ("Really?- Well I'll be damned!"), even if he doesn't understand it.
---
Reputation (Mom is a Slut)- "She's not a whore- she's a SLUT! She doesn't charge for it!"
Addiction (TV)- Both boys spend pretty much all their free time watching TV. Beavis goes into withdrawal after ONE DAY without it in the movie.
Obsession (Heavy Metal)- The only stuff the boys REALLY like is heavy metal, but will settle for gangsta rap and grunge music. They are frequently seen headbanging to anything loud, or just doing it while making "metal sounds" and quoting stuff like Guns 'N' Roses. They don't even like JOURNEY.
Obsession (Potty Humor)- Beavis is absurdly-amused by dirty things like poop ("heh-heh-hmm-- POOP!"), pee, masturbation, blood, dead animals, and anything else disgusting. Both will get distracted by words they perceive as dirty, like "wood", and will pick something dirty out of even innocent phrases ("-entertain us", "HUH-HUH, you said 'anus'").
Obsession (Chicks & Scoring)- The boys are obsessed with "scoring" and the concept of getting chicks- it's the only thing that can drive them from TV. Butt-Head is usually the ringleader ("Hey, BABEH! Huh-huh..."), but Beavis gets himself worked up into a tizzy as well, often freaking out over his inability to get some.
Accident- Beavis is highly injury-prone, both because of Butt-Head's abuse, and because of his own stupidity. He once sliced his finger off because he DELIBERATELY touched a table saw, and spent the next several minutes alternating between laughing in excitement and screaming in pain.
Involuntary Transformation (The Great Cornholio)- With too much sugar or caffeine, Beavis will uncontrollably turn into a psychotic, nonsense-spouting child demanding T.P.
Addiction (Touching Himself in an Impure Manner)- Beavis is worse for "spanking the monkey" than even Beavis is.

Total: Abilities: -16 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (-9)

-Beavis is actually THE STUPIDER of the two, and generally got the most attention from fans- his dynamic, exciteable personality gives off a lot of energy, giving him many of the funniest quotes in the series. His multiple transformations into The Great Cornholio became another big running gag. Since I was capable of imitating Beavis pretty much EXACTLY when I started watching the show, I thought he was an awesome character, and had great fun mimicking his weird behaviors. He's hilarious- prone to politeness in casual conversation, but also possessing a great temper. He's easily-led by Butt-Head, but can still freak out if insulted one too many times (resulting in a swift kick to Butt-Head's 'nads). He desperately wants to score (and even gets some attention from odd women), but is too insanely stupid and antisocial to properly seduce a woman.
-Beavis' obsession with fire was censored early on after a kid burned down his family's trailer, in a move parents' groups blamed on the show, but he was still frequently seen as obsessed with it (his famous "FIRE! FIRE!!!" chant would often get joked about with other things, like when he called out "FLYERS!! FLYERSSSS!"; and he was often seen staring at it, utterly transfixed. One time, he saw a guy running around all aflame in a music video, and was rapturous about it). He was hilariously gullible, often believing the stupidest things possible, and was probably more stupid than any other character on TV (I mean, Coach & Woody were dumb, but neither of them would have touched an active table saw just because). This is a guy who, when observing Butt-Head choking to death, decided to WALK TO A RESTAURANT to find the sign on how to do the Heimlich Manuever. Or when he went to a Nude Drawing Course, saw a chick ready to disrobe, and then when she did, jumped up and shouted "WOAH YOU CAN SEE HER BOOBS!" Writing dumb characters is not considered to be overly-difficult in comedy (the only thing easier is writing fat characters), but there's a real art in just HOW DUMB somebody can become. Much like how on The Simpsons they wouldn't just tell REGULAR "Old People" jokes about Mr. Burns- they'd go all the way and crack wise about his old-timey auto-buggy and talk about Prussia and stuff- the gag is now HOW OLD HE IS.
-Beavis is based off of a classmate of Judge's who was in fact rather intelligent, but was prone to giggling to himself while working hard (HUH-HUH, "hard"...) on an assignment. Presumably this kid grew up to be something other than somebody who spent his time either watching TV or working at Burger World, scratching his 'nads with a spatula.
-If any characters ever deserved to go into the negative points, it's these two- Beavis & Butt-Head are so stupid that they can't even READ, and are so weak that it took TWO of them to pull a weight bar off of Beavis' chest. A weight bar with NO WEIGHTS ON IT. If a Bystander costs 0 points, then somebody who's worse than a Bystander in every possible way is even cheaper.

THE GREAT CORNHOLIO
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: Running Gag
PL 0 (2)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+2)
Expertise (Beat Poetry) 6 (+8)
Perception 2 (+0)
Persuasion 3 (+5)

Advantages:
"Kick to the Crotch" Improved Critical (Unarmed)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will -2

Complications:
Obsession (T.P. For His Bunghole)- The Great Cornholio demands excessive amounts of toilet paper for his bunghole, though he admits occasionally that he does not possess one.
Power Loss (Cornholio Attributes)- Beavis needs caffeine and/or sugar to maintain this personality- he will soon tire out and settle down.

Total: Abilities: -8 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (2)

-The Cornholio gags aren't quite as funny now as they were when I was younger- it's a bit broad and prone to repetition, especially as he's undergone the transformation in about four episodes and the movie, but it drew a ton of attention and became an oft-quoted gag back in the '90s. The site of Beavis stalking around with his shirt pulled up on top of his head, making absurd demands and speaking gibberish, is straight-up physical humor, but drew a lot of great reactions, like when he nearly set off a nuclear war in the movie (sneaking into the Oval Office and using the Big Red Phone and ranting to a General), or conversed with some high-powered diplomats. One time, he got deported, and another, he became the leader of a cult- therefore, in this form he is a bit more charismatic.

(the boys have put a dollar in for a bag of pork rinds, but the bag only falls forward and doesn't release)
"uhhh... hey, Beavis, I just realized something- If someone tries to buy a bag of pork rinds, they'll get OUR bag, PLUS another one! But if WE put in another dollar, we'll get, like, TWO for the price of ONE!"

BUTT-HEAD
Played By:
Mike Judge
Role: The "Smart One", Manipulator, Pervert
PL 0 (2)
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+1)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+3)
Perception 2 (+0)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will -2

Complications:
Relationship (Beavis)- Butt-Head barely tolerates his only friend, and frequently belittles and strikes him. He consideres Beavis a "dumbass", and is rarely concerned for his friend's safety, often joking while Beavis is grievously wounded.
Responsibility (Stupid)- The boys once got stranded on a deserted island in the fountain AT THE MALL. Both have touched a spinning blade just for the hell of it. They once forgot how to urinate because they were concentrating too hard on remembering how to do it.
Disabled (Illiterate)- Butt-Head is almost as illiterate as Beavis, and usually only gets the words wrong ("Horse Farm- Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted" turned into "Whores & Prostitutes").
Responsibility (Over-Confident)- Butt-Head, despite his stupidity, retains 100% confidence in everything he does, assuming that he is a huge bad-ass ("I'll kick your ass!"), even to people twice his size. He also constantly assumes that chicks are into him.
Responsibility (Ruining the World)- When shown a world in which he never existed, Butt-Head finds a happy Tom Anderson, Daria dating a boy (never having had someone ruin her image of men), and Beavis and Stewart being best friends and working in a soup kitchen.
---
Addiction (TV)- Both boys spend pretty much all their free time watching TV.
Obsession (Heavy Metal)- The only stuff the boys REALLY like is heavy metal, but will settle for gangsta rap and grunge music. They are frequently seen headbanging to anything loud, or just doing it while making "metal sounds" and quoting stuff like Guns 'N' Roses. They don't even like JOURNEY.
Obsession (Potty Humor)- Butt-Head will always pick something dirty out of even innocent phrases ("I DO shine my pants!" "HUH-HUH- you said 'douche'.").
Obsession (Chicks & Scoring)- The boys are obsessed with "scoring" and the concept of getting chicks- it's the only thing that can drive them from TV. Butt-Head is usually the ringleader ("Hey, BABEH! Huh-huh...").
Accident- Butt-Head doesn't get hurt as often as Beavis does, but his smart mouth often earns him an ass-kicking.

Total: Abilities: -14 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (-8)

-Butt-Head is a slightly more well-rounded character than the insane & stupid Beavis- he's ALSO dumb (just not quite as much), but he's also a raging egotist and the leader of their little duo, often starting many of their adventures with some idea he got (puncuated by a tiny, barely-lit light bulb above his head). He was a great source of Mike Judge's natural ability at taking regular dialogue and making it the most hilarious thing you've ever heard- nearly everything out of Butt-Head's mouth is hilarious for reasons I can't quite explain properly- it's just the inflection and weird emphasis making it hilarious. Not many people could get a laugh just out of saying "DUMBass!" or "-and make it snappy!", but Judge can with this voice (only a bit different from his normal speaking voice, aside from the laughter). It's so good that he basically uses the same tone for the hilarious Dooley side-character on King of the Hill (*walks back in after being reported missing for a day* "I'm BACK."). Just... this weird kind of uber-confidence with the emphasis on certain words, combined with the general sense that he has no idea what he's talking about.

DARIA:

-This one's an odd one for me- debuting in 1997 (about when Beavis & Butt-Head ended), this spin-off featuring side-character Daria Morgendorffer was something I REALLY hated at the time- not only was it completely different in tone from the original, but I found the voice-acting absurdly horrible and annoying. I'd seen a few episodes, and bits of others, and dismissed the whole thing. My sisters, who HATED Beavis & Butt-Head, were actually huge fans, though they were never aware of Daria's origins- they were shocked years later when I told them about her debut on Beavis & Butt-Head. The show came about when Glenn Eichler, a producer of B&B, was contacted by MTV to do a spin-off, and Mike Judge gave his blessing- Glenn has since gone on to become a major staffwriter on The Colbert Report.

So this show lasted for three seasons between 1997 and 2002, pretty much when I was sixteen to twenty-one, though I had no idea it lasted into my College years. I passed it off and never got the DVD set (it was delayed for YEARS thanks to the MTV-based show having a TON of popular music in it, wrecking the DVD rights like WKRP in Cincinatti did years earlier), but was brought into it by two things. 1) The Nostalgia Critic, Doug Walker, stated that it was his FAVOURITE SHOW EVER on a countdown (he has since placed Avatar: The Last Airbender in that spot), and gave an impassioned reasoning as to why (including his own High School going through what Daria's did when a much-hated student died, and everyone had this weird sense of grief and discomfort over it). 2) I caught the show airing on MTV2 recently, and decided to watch a handful, soon actually getting into it for real.

The show features Daria moving to a new town (Lawndale) with her never-before-seen family (she was only in a handful of B&B episodes in a speaking role, and certainly never featured enough to get her home life seen). Her more emotional self on the prior show is ignored, turning her into the ultimate Deadpan Snarker, a smart-mouthed girl who makes side comments about the stupidity of others, while being generally morose and misanthropic. Meanwhile, her sister Quinn is pretty, popular and gets along with everyone- the crux of the show is the antisocial Daria on one end, and the scheming Quinn on the other. Daria's only friend is Jane, a quirky artist, and she has to deal with a ton of insane, stupid students at her school- she's generally a bit "above" everyone, and pretty effectively represents her generation of dispassioned teens.

And yeah, this show is a PERFECT representation of it's era- just as much as Beavis & Butt-Head was of the early '90s, this show represents the latter bit of the decade- the girls dress in the fashions I remember from High School (the belly shirt & flared jeans look- the belly-shirts have actually returned in the past year I've noticed), and the whole morose-ness of my teenage years is well-represented. I mean, Daria says a few things that could have come STRAIGHT out of my mouth as a teenager, and that's freaky, especially since the show occasionally points out that it's not entirely a GOOD thing to be a snarky observer, ripping on everyone. It definitely picks up on young misanthropy, as the show feels almost as hopeless and bleak as B&B at times- just never quite as DARK (Lawndale is actually idyllic and pretty, for instance, which actually makes some of the emptiness feel MORE potent).

The show's finest moments are those when Daria gets her attitude thrown back in her face- like when her mother points out that even DARIA can't hold up to her own standards of morality, after she gets all moralistic over a black fellow student using her father's wealth to her advantage when she felt persecuted based off of her race. Sometimes there are great moments between Daria and her parents- particularly Helen, who was smart enough to figure out Daria's personality and tendencies. Daria & Jane have a fantastic relationship as well- they play well off of each other with all their snarkiness, but their fights come across as believable (Daria REALLY hates it when Jane finds a boyfriend, getting jealous over all the time they spend together... yeah there's some homoerotic stuff going on, all right), and even the resolutions are pretty good. The show has real continuity, and you can actually see the Quinn character change over the years, going from a standard Shallow Teen Alpha Bitch to a fairly empty person who WANTS to be something more, yet doesn't feel like she's able to. Her relationship with Daria actually undergoes a great metamorphosis because of this.

My favourite moment is in One J at a Time, featuring Daria bringing her boyfriend Tom over to the house for the first time. She's terrified of Jake embarassing her, and Tom's natural sarcasm insulting her dad, so she wants them to be polite. But when Jake goes on one of his noted Anti-Squirrel tirades, Tom goes along with it- Daria scolds him for playing along and thus, making fun, but then Tom goes all "NO I'M SERIOUS!" and goes on his OWN rant about those "Damn Squirrels!" and how they wrecked his family's cellar. Then, when QUINN'S date suddenly pipes in and they all talk about hunting squirrels, Tom goes "LOOK, THERE IT IS!" and ALL THREE BOYS tear out of the house as fast as possible to go catch it! Then they're seen outside, high-fiving each other with the squirrel in a cage, with all the girls pretty much just exasperated. It was kind of a cute view of poor Jake having his one chance at being "one of the guys".

The show is and was VERY popular with girls- my sisters loved it, and it's one of those shows that had an AMAZINGLY-huge online fanbase for FanFics and stuff, most of which sucked ass (as is tradition). It had a successful TV Movie halfway through that furthered some characters' growth (Is It Fall Yet?), and ended with another one ending the series (Is It College Yet?) with the characters going on to college (Daria & Jane of course are going to schools near each other).

I've heard some fans complain that the later seasons were worse... which was funny, because I felt the opposite. I have to think part of it might be to the fact that the fanbase (themselves of the "Daria" type) didn't like having their own attitude thrown back in their face when Daria's personality flaws were made more apparent. Plus the Shippers were pissed because she didn't hook up with Trent :).

There are flaws, however- the Voice Acting is UTTERLY HORRIBLE on this show, for the most part. Daria & Jane are okay, but some of the cast has basically been told to act as annoyingly as humanly-possible, with exaggerated and stilted voices. There's the crudity of Beavis & Butt-Head's Voice Acting to it, but there it comes across as fitting, and as I've stated- Mike Judge was unstoppable and multi-talented. The voices on this show are just... shrieky and untested. Like they've never worked before. Brittany, Sandy and Tiffany in particular are AWFUL, and can make it a chore to sit through scenes featuring them.

The many Side Characters get pretty much no development, and come across as horribly-unrealistic. Given that Daria went out of its way to be a little more realistic, it's off-putting to have Brittany & Kevin, the most-popular kids in school, be absolutely BRAIN-DEAD and unable to function. Or Daria's father be a complete mental, whining basket-case. Quinn's "Fashion Club" friends are all cartoon-level idiots too, which kind of ruins the effects of Daria & Jane's more down-to-earth personalities. Then there's Helen's criminally-underused family, which is full of amazing characters that only saw one or two episodes. The teachers at the school are also one-note gags, despite often getting a TON of focus- they're not even really that FUNNY.

Similarly, there's an issue with the side characters being too NICE- I get that Daria is an outsider... but everyone's NICE to her! She is basically dropping one-liners and insults on people who are basically INNOCENT! She's acknowledged by everyone as being a "brain" and unpopular, but nobody actively HATES on her or anything! All of Daria's rebellion and snarkiness is essentially against people who've done her little wrong, which kind of ruins the effect. Now, if they actually had people bitching at her, then we'd have more of a show- things suffer because Daria's attitude rarely gets thrown in her face, and she comes across much less sympathetic. Compare how Brittany & Kevin treat her, to how most of the bitchy "Fashion Club" acts- things would actually work better if Daria's contemporaries acted that way. Only QUINN really deserves the attitude she gets from Daria. Though this actually represents MY High School life more accurately- the popular and attractive kids tended to be nicer, since... well, they're ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR- why WOULD they be nasty to everyone? Their lives rule!

All in all... it's a good show. It has GREAT moments, and could have been a GREAT series, but never quite got over the hump- they had too much silliness with the side characters (who wouldn't have been BAD if they'd been FUNNIER- their antics just aren't that amusing, especially compared to Daria's parent series), and didn't go as far as they could with the other characters. It's a bit frustrating to watch because of that, really- you can SEE a great show just trying to claw its way out, but it never happens.

The Cast:
Daria Morgendorffer: A snarky outsider who generally pokes fun at everyone, while intentionally avoiding other people.
Jane Lane: Daria's only friend, an artsy-type who's a bit more sociable.
Trent Lane: Jane's older brother, a stoner rock musician and the source of Daria's crush for several seasons.
Tom: Jane's rich boyfriend, who later makes a connection with Daria. Sets off a billion Anti-Shipping Fics.
Kevin: The Quarterback of Lawndale High's Football Team. A giant imbecile.
Brittany: Kevin's girlfriend, and Head Cheerleader. Slightly smarter than Kevin, the same way Butt-Head is smarter than Beavis.
Helen & Jake Morgendorrfer: Daria & Quinn's parents- Helen is a go-getter workaholic Lawyer, while Jake is a namby-pamby failure on the verge of a heart failure.
"Upchuck": A nerdy photographer/video guy who constantly hits on every girl around, like your usual Hollywood Nerd.

The Fashion Club:
Quinn Morgendorffer: Daria's little sister, and a sharp-tongued whiner who manipulates boys and vies for popularity.
Sandy: Club president, and Alpha Bitch. Competes with Quinn for popularity, throwing out Passive-Agressive stuff to her and the other Club members.
Stacy: An eager-to-please Omega Wolf, desperate for acceptance from Sandy and others.
Tiffany: Talks... really SLOW... like THIS... easily the dumbest member of the GROUP...

The Teachers:
Principal Li: A money-hungry pencil-pusher who only does what's best for herself and the school. Butts heads with Daria often.
Mr. O'Neill: A whiny, super-liberal hippie teacher who's brutally ineffective at teaching.
Mr. DiMartino: A possibly-psychotic teacher on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Ms. Barch: A man-hating divorcee.

The ones I'm not building:
Jodie & Michael: The only two black kids at Lawndale. Generally underdeveloped as characters, since they didn't bother to give them any character flaws or quirks, since they're black and sometimes Character Depth on black people is viewed as racist.
Andrea Haley: "The Goth Girl" as she's generally-known. She gets very few speaking lines, but the FanFic community and online fanbase built her up a lot, so she gets the occasional moment later on.

"I don't HAVE low self-esteem. I have low esteem for EVERYONE ELSE..."
-This is me in High School. No exaggeration.


DARIA MORGENDORFFER
Played By:
Tracy Grandstaff
Role: Deadpan Snarker, Deliberate Outsider, Emotionless Girl
PL 0 (13), PL 3 (13) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Deception 5 (+3)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 1 (+4)
Expertise (Writing) 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Jane Lane)- Daria's best friend is Jane- a quirky artist who shares a gift for sarcasm. They are so inseparable that Daria goes through notable anxiety when they're apart for too many days at a time, and Daria gets EXTREMELY jealous and uncomfortable every time Jane hooks up with a guy. EVERY TIME. This is some Sam & Frodo-level shit right here...
Relationship (Trent Lane)- Daria, despite herself, finds herself extremely attracted to Jane's slacker brother Trent. Even when she THINKS she's gotten over it, something happens (like an imagined idealized future together) that draws her back in ("damn!").
Relationship (Tom Sloane)- Daria eventually hooks up with Tom, even though he was dating Jane at the time. This causes a schism, as you would imagine. She & Tom are good together (both love sarcasm, for instance), but their differing economic circumstances and paths through life act to pull them apart.
Relationship (Quinn)- Daria is disgusted by her popularity-obsessed, attention-grabbing little sister, going out of her way to humiliate Quinn. It takes a long time for them to come to an agreement, as Quinn becomes less shallow, and Daria less critical (she's unwilling to TRULY destroy Quinn in public, for example).
---
Relationship (Parents)- Daria is disappointed in her wimpy father, and often disgusted by her mother's disinterested, obsessive nature. She is forced to acknowledge later that perhaps she wasn't "the easiest child to raise", and admits that she was lucky to have them as parents.
Responsibility (Anti-Social)- Daria doesn't play well with others, and never has. She was always a bit too brainy, and too willing to cut through the B.S. and point out other people's flaws. She even makes fun of people who are polite to her, and actively pushes people away when they get too close.
Disabled (Lack of Emotional Awareness)- Daria does not act out that emotionally- her body language and facial expressions are so reserved that people can often not even tell when she's angry. The only real indication is her eyebrows and her voice, which can get quite dark and piercing.
Responsibility (Ethics)- Daria is a highly-ethical person, and constantly rips on people whom she believes are being immoral. The trouble is, NOBODY can meet her standards most of the time, and even SHE can't always do it.
Responsibility (Lack of Intimacy)- Daria has issues with getting close to people- she often snarks at them to put a wall between them, and this causes her issues in romantic relationships, where she often seems to sabotage them.
Disabled (Bad Eyesight)- Daria cannot see without glasses.
Reputation (Not Popular)- Daria isn't so unpopular that she cannot hang out with popular people, though- even Brittany points this out.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (13)

-Daria was created to be a smart "foil" to Beavis & Butt-Head in their own series. She was actually a bit of Executive Meddling that Mike Judge immediately agreed with, realizing that having a female voice in the show would be a great twist- the idea of a girl who hated the boys slightly LESS than anyone else did, and thus was able to interact with them (at one point, she actually proves they can make good Science Project subjects when she's assigned to help them avoid a failing grade). She had a bit of attitude, and despite being a bit morose (like when she complains about being made Fashion Editor for the school paper simply because she's a girl), often acted fairly emotionally (she can be seen doing double-takes and laughing along with the other kids at times). Judge named her after a female classmate of his, whom he'd ALSO nicknamed "Diarrhea", same as Beavis and Butt-Head idd.
-As the most (well, only) well-rounded character on B&B, she was easily the best character for a spin-off (though Tom Anderson would be made a bit more fully-realized and turned into Hank Hill). Daria VERY well represents that kind of teenager who generally just has negative things to say about others- she sees the foolishness of popularity and High School and is disinterested in the games. Despite being the ULTIMATE Deadpan Snarker character (I can't imagine a better example, actually- she usually doesn't even SMIRK when she does it!), they often get a good bit of depth out of her- she's so morally righteous that she comes across as preachy, and she's not quite as invulnerable to games of popularity as she seems (during one episode, she risks endangering herself because she wants to go without glasses for a day, but can't stand the contacts). And she DEFINITELY has emotions- she just doesn't showcase them as clearly as others (Jane is one of the only people who can see them).

PRINCIPAL ANGELA LI
Played By:
Nora Laudani
Role: Attention Whore, Evil Authority Figure
PL 0 (16), PL 1 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Fame)- Ms. Li is constantly searching for more funding for the schools (which she is implied to embezzle), and more attention for herself (via the school).

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (16)

-Ms. Li is one of the more antagonistic adults in Daria's life- she represents conformity and greed, that superficial application of the rules that Daria has come to despise. She's often seen trying to punish Daria & Jane for going against school policy with their various projects, then backing down like a coward when threatened by Daria's mom (who is both a lawyer and actually willing to back up her kid on occasion). She even tries to punish the girls for refusing to sell chocolate bars to a HYPOGLYCEMIC WOMAN (who actually PASSES OUT during the sales pitch, then insists on getting the chocolate).

MS. JANET BARCH
Played By:
xxxxxxx
Role: Man-Hating Psycho
PL 3 (26)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+3)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Hatred (Men)- Ms. Barch hates all men, now that her ex-husband left her. Mr. DiMartino in particular is a source of her hatred, as he reminds her of her ex-husband. She often singles out the male students for abuse, going out of her way to humiliate them.
Relationship (Mr. O'Neill)- Ms. Barch basically selected O'Neill as a victim, and frequently sexually-assaults him.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (26)

-Ms. Barch is a nutty, sadistic teacher, broken by her divorce from a philandering husband ("Two decades of LEGAL SLAVERY!"). She's generally a source of jokes about her jumping Mr. O'Neill's bones, even while ranting about the evils of men everywhere- A bit of a Straw Feminist character, but she never really suffers for her Man-Hatred. O'Neill tries to break up with her at one point, but he's too cowardly to do it. As a nasty woman, easily capable of beating the hell out of the men around her (generally Mr. DiMartino), she's the priciest of the teachers, and probably the highest-PL person in the series.

"Now let's begine realizing our actuality!"

MR. TIMOTHY O'NEILL
Played By:
Marc Thompson
Role: Wussy Teacher
PL 0 (0)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Relationship (Ms. Barch)- Ms. Barch basically selected O'Neill as a victim, and frequently sexually-assaults him. He attempts to leave her once, but can't bring himself to do it.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (0)

-Mr. O'Neill is a very "Van Driessen"-like character- an ineffectual touchy-feely type who tries desperately, and fails miserably, at getting his students to care. Right away we think he's a bit of a putz- he can't get anyone's names right, and he's all about little projects, character-building excercises, and useless activity. During Is It Fall Yet? he proves his worthlessness to a group of kindergarten-aged students, failing to interest them in his kooky projects and insisting that they don't go outside and play (which is naturally what they want to do). The show makes a running gag out of his attempts at trying to help people, and the only time it sorta DOES work is when he lets a miserable Ms. Barch confide in him... she soon takes his sincerity as proof that not all men are worthless, and basically jumps him ("C'mere, Skinny!"). He is then unable to break things off with her, despite the fact that she terrifies him.
-He's a good case of a Bystander who comes out to no points because he's so bad at almost everything, even his chosen profession. I mean, the only good student in his class is DARIA, who is notably smarter than HE is.

"THANK YOU, Daria- You make me want to kill myself a little less than the sausages that call themselves your classmates."

MR. ANTHONY DeMARTINO
Played By:
Marc Thompson
Role: Angry Teacher
PL 1 (10)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Educator) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Temper- DeMartino frequently blows a GASKET, and emphasizes THE WORDS in his dialogue in a peculiar MANNER.
Addiction (Gambling)- He BEGS Ms. Li to not be forced to go on a Casino Cruise, but she won't listen. He soon cracks.
Responsibility (Unlucky)- His mom never paid attention to him (and married one of his High School friends), his only friend (Mr. O'Neill) hooks up with a woman he hates (Ms. Barch), and his students include people like BRITTANY and KEVIN.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (10)

-Mr. DeMartino is the OTHER kind of Teacher Stereotype- the constantly-angry psychotic teacher. A frequent running gag is his bulging eye, generally because one of the idiotic students enraged him (generally Kevin). He may be a Vietnam veteran (he at least went to Military School- something Daria's father immediately figured out, given his mental state). Is It Fall Yet? actually shows that he'd be better-suited to teaching Kindergarten students, as he more easily connects with kids more eager to learn and have adventures.

JAKE MORGENDORFFER
Played By:
Julian Rebolledo
Role: Dorky Dad
PL 0 (0), PL 1 (0)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Business Consultant) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Attention)- Jake always wants everything to be about him- he wants his daughters to like him and his wife to respect him, and is often loud and boastful to make this happen. It never works.
Reputation (Failure)- Most of the things Jake tries fall to crap.
Temper- Jake is high-strung at the best of times, and is prone to freak-outs. This eventually leads him to a mild heart attack.
Relationship (Helen)- Jake fell for Helen years ago, but has grown more distant (and emasculated) by the successful career woman she's grown into. He finds her lacking in empathy and highly-controlling, but at least she's a "Tigress in the sack".
Relationship ("Big Dog")- Jake's father was a relentlessly-abusive man who left both Jake and his mother screwed-up, weak human beings. Jake remains obsessed with him, constantly ranting about the old man, even though he's long-deceased.
Hatred (Squirrels)

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (0)

-Daria's father is someone whom I felt was a bit of a problem on this series- he's supposed to be your standard emasculated, bumbling father, the kind that's only grown more common on TV since the '90s (remember: TV has Double Standards for EVERYTHING). But they go SO FAR over the top with him that he feels like this loud, boisterous Man-Child, and is way more cartoonish than the rest of his family, making him come across as both out-of-place and annoying. I mean, he could still attempt to be palsy with his daughters and still come across as out-of-touch and uncool (which is the point- neither of his daughters really want to hang out with him, just like most teenage girls) without being this giant living freak-out.

HELEN MORGENDORFFER
Played By:
Wendy Hoopes
Role: High-Powered Attorney, Bossy Mom, MILF
PL 0 (0), PL 1 (0)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Law) 7 (+10)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Rivalry (Rita, Amy)- Helen's sisters are permanent thorns in her side- Rita was mom's favourite, and so Helen started gaining her Type-A Persona in order to impress and stand out. Amy just snarked at them, which Helen thought was just an excuse to get out of any familial responsibility.
Obsession (Work)- Helen resents having to work hard, but feels guilty about how much she enjoys work. She's your typical Type-A.
Relationship (Jake)- Helen seems to care for her husband, but finds his immature, high-strung personality tiresome, and fears that "what was once a hot love affair" has now grown colder. She also resents his lack of parenting skills and inability to get over his childhood ("It's not easy raising two teenage girls by yourself. With Jake").
Relationship (Daughters)- Helen is frustrated by Daria's inability to get along with others socially (she thinks Daria hides behind a mask of sarcasm, and doesn't want her to BECOME that mask), and Quinn's blatant shallowness. Despite that, she will defend them like a lioness should she feel they've been treated unfairly (one of the few things she & Daria see eye-to-eye on are Women's Issues and Daria's rights being violated, which has sent her up against Ms. Li at the School on numerous occasions).

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 2--1 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (0)

-Helen was a pretty great character, actually- your typical Type-A Female character that's common in some shows, she's a high-powered Corporate Attorney workaholic-type who tends to neglect her family, but feels a more human-like sense of guilt about it, and still tries to be a good mom. This is in marked contrast to her insane, moody husband. There are some neat moments when she tries to get to know her daughters a little better (though she generally sounds over-rehearsed and by-the-numbers when doing it, showing her lack of ability in this regard), and tries to reconnect with her husband (when she's not expressing disappointment in his childishness). Another great bit is when she IMMEDIATELY dropped work to help Daria through one of her dating problems (ie. kissing her best friend's boyfriend).

BRITTANY
Played By:
Janie Mertz
Role: Dumb Blonde, Head Cheerleader
PL 2 (27)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+6)
Expertise (Cheerleader) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Tactics) 5 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Ranged Attack 4

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Kevin- Boyfriend)- The two are always at each other's sides, though he annoys her frequently, and they break up often. She's apparently cheated on him before.
Relationship (Jodie Landon)- Brittany always treats Jodie like a close pal, but Jodie is just annoyed by her.
Relationship (Family)- Brittany has a father and a stepmother nearly as young as she is, as well as a little brother (who apparently tortures small animals).

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (27)

-Brittany is your classic Dumb Cheerleader, though she's not as vindictive as most you'll see in Teen Fiction. She's actually REALLY NICE, only saying insensitive things because she's a bit thick in the head- she's not technically incorrect that Daria is unpopular and doesn't dress well. And even THEN, she's rather friendly, legitimately trying to help out Our Heroine, even inviting her to parties because she's not SO UNCOOL that she can't hang out with popular kids. There's even a nice bit where Daria, embarassed because she went to school without glasses in an attempt to look better, is actually talked up BY BRITTANY, because "if even a BRAIN" can feel that being pretty is important, then it makes BRITTANY feel better for being the same way- Daria authentically thanks her.
-Despite being altogether an idiot, Brittany can be a bit of a Savant (her being a Head Cheerleader comes in handy, as it's apparently very similar to military command given that it requires utter ruthlessness and psychological warfare, and she tactically destroys other kids in Paintball). She's actually smarter than Kevin, as she actually graduates High School.

KEVIN THOMPSON
Played By:
Marc Thompson
Role: Dumb Jock, Quarterback
PL 2 (13)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Quarterback) 4 (+4) -- Uses Dexterity

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Brittany- Girlfriend)- The two are always at each other's sides, though he annoys her frequently, and they break up often. She's apparently cheated on him before.
Relationship (Parents)- Kevin's mother is worried about Brittany being a Teen Mom, while his dad is a classic Football Dad, constantly pressuring Kevin in sports.
Relationship (Michael)- Kevin calls Michael "Mack Daddy", despite him hating that name.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (13)

-Kevin, like Brittany, represents the "Popular Kids" in Daria's grade, yet is actually super-friendly and cheerful, and nice to everyone (which actually matches most of the popular kids *I* remember anyhow). He IS functionally-retarded, however, which again, matches High School pretty well (my sister have some hilarious comments about the Western Hockey League players they went to High School with, and I remember a couple as well. Everyone I know who went to school with Elisha Cuthberg's husband Dionne Phaneuf says that he would literally be institutionalized if he wasn't in the NHL). He's notably even dumber than BRITTANY, and flunks out of school at the end of the series, resulting in a beat-down from an embarassed Brittany. This turns out to be a result of getting "byes" from every test by Principal Li, owing to his importance to the school's Football Team.

UPCHUCK (Charles Ruttheimer III)
Played By:
Marc Thompson (Season 1), Geoffrey Arend (post-Season 1)
Role: Wannabe Lothario
PL 0 (10)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Stage Magic) 4 (+5)
Expertise (DJ) 3 (+2)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation ("Ladies...")- Upchuck wants to score, and tries it on every girl he sees.
Reputation (Loser)- Nobody really likes Upchuck, and they frequently let him know it.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (10)

-Upchuck is your classic "Hollywood Nerd", being a geeky loser who hits on every girl he sees with horrible ability- he acts like a sophisicated-type, but is so bad at it that he just earns revulsion, thus earning his nickname. This characteristic makes him one of the only males in the show to actually hit on Daria (and the ONLY one early-on), and a frequent target for her insults. He's also one of the few students to actually understand that he's being made fun of, which he shrugs off as them merely playing with him ("oooooh... FEISTY!").

TRENT LANE
Played By:
Alvaro J. Gonzalez
Role: Crush Target (for Daria), The Stoner, Failed Rock & Roller
PL 1 (13)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Musician) 2 (+4)
Insight 5 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Crappy Van)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Weed & Singing)- Trent is a stoner (he's always coughing when he laughs), and generally hangs out with his band and goes for gigs.
Responsibility (Slacker)- Trent does not put any kind of an effort into anything.
Disabled (Narcoleptic)- Trent has a tendency to fall asleep pretty much whenever.
Responsibility (Mystik Spiral)- Trent is in a failing band that only gets small gigs. They're usually not on time. And they're thinking about changing the name.
Relationship (Monique)- Trent and his ex often hook up, then break up again.
Relationship (Jane- Sister)- Trent & Jane are relatively close, being similar in age, and usually the only two members of the Lane family present in their home.
Relationship (Daria)- Trent thinks his sister's best friend is cool, and he's aware she has a crush on him, but he's not exactly into her in that way.
Secret- He once wrote a jingle for a Used-Car Lot.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (13)

-Trent is the early Love Interest for Daria, and creates an interesting contrast in Miss Cynical having this idealistic crush on a guy who is basically a lazy bum. The show also makes it quite clear that this type of guy (the lazy stoner/Rocker) ISN'T a good kind of guy to hook up with, which naturally goes way over the heads of the show's Teenage Girl fanbase, who idealized Trent and wrote countless FanFics about him & Daria hooking up. Daria tries desperately to get over her crush (as even SHE realizes that it won't end well), but ultimately fails, up until near the end of the series. Daria gets Trent to design a song for a school project of hers, but his laziness and inability to be on time for anything leads to the project nearly being late, and they kind of have this talk that's SORT OF about this project, but is ACTUALLY about them realizing that a relationship would never work- all subtextual and stuff. Naturally, Shippers FREAK THE CRAP OUT over stuff like this, and so the Daria Fandom is apparently QUITE the interesting place.
-Trent is a lazy ass, but he's actually quite insightful, and can give some really good advice to others.

TOM SLOANE
Played By:
Russell Hankin
Role: Love Interest (For Jane & Daria), The Rich Kid, Snarky Kid
PL 0 (20), PL 2 (20) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+3)
Insight 1 (+2)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Jane)- The two date briefly in the penultimate season. They drift apart a bit, and he ultimately finds himself crushing on...
Relationship (Daria)- Tom is the first boy Daria actually dates (though not the first she considers). They seem well-matched in snarkiness, but arguments over Tom's classism and options in life proceed to make them drift apart. Daria's emotional and intimacy issues also didn't help.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 6--5 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (20)

-Of all the characters in Daria, by far the most controversial is Tom Sloane. This is because he gets in the way of not one, but TWO official "Ships"- Jane/Daria, and Daria/Trent! Tom ended up dating Jane at first, having eyed her at some club. But then, in a Parade-themed episode, he meets Daria (with whom he'd had a bit of an adversarial relationship so far, since she feared he was taking Jane away from her), and they end up having a bit of a connection that isn't lost on either of them. Subsequent episodes were some of the most interesting work on the show, as they had to work out their feelings AND consider those of Jane- while Tom & Jane were drifting a bit apart, that did NOT make it cool that Daria basically made out with him behind her back, and so forgiveness was some time in coming.
-Tom is a bit snarky, which helps him fit in with the girls. He's rich, but doesn't show it off, and comes across as more than a little smug and superior at times (and often forgets that he is unconsciously waving his wealth in the faces of others). But unfortunately, he's a bit boring as a character- he lacks the strong traits that most of the rest of the cast have, coming across as the most "normal", but this isn't always a good thing.

JANE LANE
Played By:
Wendy Hoopes
Role: The Best Friend (to Daria), Deadpan Snarker, Artsy Chick
PL 0 (16), PL 2 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+3)
Expertise (Art) 5 (+5)
Insight 1 (+2)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Daria Morgendorffer)- The two meet up and are immediately partners-in-snark. Jane is a tad friendlier than Daria, but the two are otherwise inseparable (and it's shown that they need each other). They still have their tiffs (Daria gets jealous of the time Jane spends with any guy; Daria hooked up with Jane's boyfriend).
Relationship (Tom Sloane)- The two date briefly in the penultimate season, before ultimately growing apart. And he kissed her best friend.
Relationship (Trent- Brother)- Trent & Jane are relatively close, being similar in age, and usually the only two members of the Lane family present in their home.
Rivalry (Convention)- Jane is deliberately unconventional, and rejects mainstream society and its materialism.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (16)

-Jane is Daria's best friend, and was generally necessary so that Daria wasn't just talking to HERSELF all the time. She's basically the Hawkeye to Daria's B.J. Hunnicutt, the one person at this crazy new establishment that can make the newcomer not feel so alone- they meet up on Daria's first day (being forced into a "Self-Esteem Building" course), and become close- "Snide, resentful and anti-social. Finally, a friend". They actually have a pretty fascinating relationship when you think about it, which is rare for cartoons (which generally focus on dudes hanging out and the girls are more limited in number)- they seem well-suited, but Jane has a lot of side interests that fill up her time, causing Daria to grow frustrated and jealous (you know, you can REALLY see where the Slash-Shippers get ideas...)- Daria is notably upset when Jane starts jogging, as if being a "jock" is inherently against everything the two stand for.
-Jane is actually a bit UNLIKE Daria in a few ways- she's open to the idea of making out and dating, and can easily fit in with others (she INTENTIONALLY doesn't, like Daria, but CAN when she wants to, which Daria can't). She's nowhere near a smart (she strikes me as a Straight-C student, more or less like I was), but has a lot of creativity, and is generally making weird half-assed Kid Art (the kind you see a lot of teens scribbling in the margins of their notebooks at school).

THE FASHION CLUB:
-On Quinn's very first day at Lawndale, she makes immediate friends with The Fashion Club, a group of three air-headed popular girls devoted to fashion, bringing others down, and playing political games with each other. Apparently this is the way a LOT of girls go through High School, which is something dudes like me know little about (with guys, it's a little easier to figure out the "game"). Sandi is the bossy, mean girl in charge, while Tiffany is the airiest head of all, and Stacy is just a yes-woman desperate for praise and attention.

The Club were generally seen with Quinn, and all of them took a negative opinion of Daria- they went along with Quinn's attempts to pass her off as a "cousin", and the whole group were the most obviously-antagonistic students at the school; among the few to actually criticize Daria. In one of the final episodes, Daria is forced to be a substitute teacher for Quinn's class, and Quinn proves to be a half-decent student, while her Clubmates all fail. Sandi makes a crack about Daria, and Quinn FINALLY admits that the two are sisters, which shocks them all. In the series finale, the Club formally decides to split up (as they'd all been taking sabbaticals and getting tired of the games), finally deciding to just hang out on regular terms from then on.

QUINN MORGENDORFFER
Played By:
Wendy Hoopes
Role: Alpha Bitch, The Schemer, The Flirt
PL 0 (18), PL 2 (18) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Fashion) 7 (+7)
Insight 4 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Popularity)- Quinn loves the attention of others (especially that of boys), and will compete tooth & nail with anyone else in that area.
Relationship (Daria)- As Daria makes no attempts to be social or popular, Quinn is disgusted and confused by her. Daria enjoys teasing Quinn's superficiality and flightiness, while Quinn openly mocks Daria's fashion sense and choice of lifestyle. She is so embarassed by Daria that she will openly deny their relationship in public (calling Daria her "cousin").
Relationship (Parents)- Quinn whines and prods her parents for favors constantly, and usually appears to be annoyed by them.
Relationship (Sandi)- Sandi liked Quinn at first, but when she found Quinn growing in popularity, she strove to bring her down, and often passive-aggressively criticizes her behavior. Quinn usually responded by changing her comments or answers to satisfy Sandi's criticisms, but eventually started standing up to her. The two are in effect huge competitors.
Motivation (Making Guys Fight)- Quinn actually gets a BIG surge of enjoyment watching men fight over her in a physical way- she will smile broadly with glee, but shout "Oh, NOOOOO!" as if this wasn't her intention all along.
Responsibility (Lack of Contact)- Though Quinn is an incorrigible flirt, she actually shrinks back from male contact- she will separate herself from anyone trying to get too close, and appears uncomfortable even DISCUSSING the idea of sex.
Responsibility (Low Self-Esteem)- Quinn believes that beauty and popularity are her only two real qualities, and so pushes only those aspects of herself, ignoring everything else. To quote Daria, "She wears superficiality as an armor".

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (18)

-Quinn is the main antagonist of Daria, a stereotypically superficial teenage girl who of course rubs her antisocial sister the wrong way (the feeling is mutual). She revels in her popularity amongst men and boys alike (a few older men try to flirt with her, and boys OFTEN come to blows over her, much to her glee), and has to deal with the strategizing of her "friend" Sandi in the Fashion Club. Despite this, Quinn isn't QUITE as stupid as she acts (or pretends to be)- she's noticeably upset that she barely scored ahead of the rest of the Club on some standardized tests, and only avoids being seen as smarter out of fear for being known as "A Brain".
-Quinn matures a bit as the show goes on- in later seasons, she attempts to get better grades (but unfortunately fails to start dating her college-age tutor, in a move that practically leads to a breakdown- "Why did I tell him I LIKED him? I NEVER say that to a guy!"), sort of learns how to deal with Sandi's scheming, does at least a COUPLE nice things, and even comes to terms with DARIA! The final episodes feature Daria teaching Quinn's class during a Teacher's Strike, leading to the Fashion Club scolding Quinn by proxy (they also think that Daria is giving her preferential treatment), but Quinn ignoring them, getting a good score by ACTUALLY KNOWING THE SUBJECT ("It's like a whole different KIND of cheating!"- the eternal words of Bart Simpson), and then finally admitting publically that she & Daria are sisters. In another, Daria goes into a bit of a breakdown/funk because she realizes that her behavior as a kid stressed out her parents and affected their marriage, and Quinn is actually SYMPATHETIC, as this is actually a serious issue (and not their usual trivial crap).
-Quinn had a pretty weak subplot in the Series Finale Movie, though it started nice- she made a cool college-age friend/co-worker and learned some things about how older kids behaved ("You're not one of those people who brings others down to make themselves look better, right?" "Uh, right"), sort of maturing, but then it turns into a more boring story about the girl turning out to be an alcoholic and Quinn getting all uncomfortable with it. Despite that, Quinn is sort of a neat character- a deliberately-superficial person who never really gets that cliche "Oh the bitch is actually one with a heart of gold" thing. I felt they could have gone a bit further with her interesting habit of avoiding physical contact with men (she's never seen even KISSING a guy that I can recall, but dates constantly and has every boy fighting over her), the way she CLEARLY enjoys men brawling for her affections ("Oh, nooooooooo...", complete with a grin), and the way she EFFORTLESSLY gets most males to like her- even Sandi's bratty younger siblings!

STACY ROWE
Played By:
Jessica Zaino (early), Sarah Drew (later)
Role: The Needy One, Weepy Girl, Bottom-Tier Girl
PL 0 (-2)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Fashion) 4 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Acceptance)- Stacy desperately wants to belong with others, and begs and scraps for attention and kind words from the other girls.
Responsibility (Insecure)- Stacy thinks she needs to change to please others, and is desperate to get their advice on how to do so.
Relationship (Sandi)- Stacy respects Sandi as a mentor-figure, but is desperate to avoid displeasing her- she will immediately bow before any command Sandi makes.
Relationship (Quinn)- Stacy worships Quinn and considers her a best friend. Quinn is more than a bit annoyed by the hero-worship.

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (-2)

-Stacy was kind of an under-utilized character in Daria- as the lowest-ranking girl in the Fashion Club, she was portrayed as a desperate, weepy girl who begged for attention and kind words from Alpha Bitch Sandi, and generally started to cry if she didn't get her way. Her vast insecurity actually made her quite interesting, so it's too bad she almost never got any focus. There's a cute bit in one where the Fashion Club has a charicature drawn of them, and the girls are disgusted at how ugly they've been made to look- save Stacy, who loved the fact that she was the only one drawn to be pretty, and actually keeps the picture pinned in her closet as a reminder. In effect, by being the nicest person in the Club, Stacy is this show's "Stormer" or "Cindarr"- that cartoon archetype of the Non-Evil Villain, one who is merely FORCED into the role.

TIFFANY BLUM-DECKLER
Played By:
Ashley Albert
Role: The Airhead
PL 0 (-4)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Fashion) 5 (+4)
Persuasion 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (The Fashion Club)- Tiffany doesn't appear truly close to any of the other girls- she's just there.
Responsibility (Slow Talker)- Tiffany takes three or four times as long to say something as anybody else.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (-4)

-Tiffany has quite possibly the most annoying speaking voice ever, which actually turns out rather funny (though it was like nails on a chalkboard to Teen Jab). The trick issssss... she always talks verrrrrrrry slowwllllllly... this is basically her entire schtick, and she just goes on with whatever everyone says. This makes her the most one-dimensional recurring character in the show, which isn't entirely bad with such a large cast, and prevents the Fashion Club from getting too mixed-up. Like a lot of cartoon characters, her voice has changed over time- she'd initially used a relatively normal-speed voice.

SANDI GRIFFIN
Played By:
Janie Mertz
Role: Alpha Bitch
PL 0 (-2)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+2)
Expertise (Fashion) 7 (+6)
Insight 4 (+4)
Intimidation 1 (+3)
Persuasion 3 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Political Power)- Sandi likes being in charge, and will take great effort to maintain her popularity level.
Relationship (Quinn)- Sandi liked Quinn at first, but when she found Quinn growing in popularity, she strove to bring her down, and often passive-aggressively criticizes her behavior.
Relationship (Family)- Her father appears to have little backbone, while Sandi's mom is just an older version of her (often playing games with Helen the way Sandi does with Quinn). Sandi's little brothers are obnoxious hellraisers who treat her like crap, but (naturally) both are quite taken with Quinn.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (-2)

-Sandi is the kind of character I would imagine opposing Daria the most, so it became kind of odd that she was the "Frenemy" to Quinn instead- as the leader of the Fashion Club, Sandi was the powerhouse political figure in Quinn's grade, and was at first happy to accept Quinn into their little Club, as she was definitely cute enough. However, it soon became obvious that Quinn was MORE popular than Sandi (especially with the boys), which made her a threat- therefore, we got a VERY unique relationship, one that I can't recall ever seeing in fiction before: That of "friends" who passive-aggressively took swipes at each other while ostensibly being friendly. Sandi & Quinn would make these little jabs at each other's actions or choices, but do it with this BIG smiles and half-lecturing tones, like "Oh, you wouldn't REALLY do that, WOULD YOU?"- basically being completely insincere and nasty. Quinn would generally back down and avoid a fight by changing her answer to something close to Sandi's.
-Unfortunately, I found Sandi to be very poorly-acted, with this goofy, over-the-top deep voice that trailed on for too long. She pronounced names funny ("Koo-WINNNN..." for Quinn), and took this odd accent that was a mix of Valley Girl with Rich East Coast American or something. Later episodes would make Sandi a little more acceptable- when Quinn helps her lose a microscopic amount of weight (which had left her utterly depressed and bed-ridden), Sandi resolves to be a little nicer to her.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Legend of Korra Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

AVATAR: THE LEGEND OF KORRA:

ie: What happens when the player amps the shit out of their physical stats by MinMaxing to be combat-focused, and the GM decides to spend 48 game sessions punishing them for it.

-So with Avatar: The Last Airbender hitting big and getting a ton of credibility and popularity, a sequel series was announced. Since the original series got a lot of attention for introducing a ton of awesome, bad-ass female characters in a genre that usually goes without them, the new series was built around Korra- a tough, tomboyish Water Tribe girl who was the NEW Avatar, reborn into a new form after Aang had passed on. The series takes place one generation later (Aang dies in his 60s, leaving Korra a young adult by this point, and most of the original cast dead or very, VERY old), in an era that is equal parts 1920s Jazz Age and Asian History- some fans were taken aback to see CARS and RADIO in a world that'd once basically been "medieval Asia" only seventy years previous, but given that the Fire Nation had mastered steam-powered machinery and blimps in that era, and OUR OWN innovation moved FASTER than that, it's not really that big of a deal.

With the fan-perception of a Love Triangle being a big part of the original series' fandom, some new ones were introduced, with Korra meeting a pair of brothers and having to deal with that, then the brother she LIKED getting his OWN girlfriend. These interpersonal relationships were a much bigger part of the show than they'd been in Aang's series (where him loving Katara was an undercurrent, but not overly-focused on most of the time).

The World of Korra:
Korra grew up in a more-advanced society than Aang did- the "Satomobile" is the chosen manner of transportation (basically, they're cars), radio is omnipresent, long-range telephones can message people from across the world, and even FILM had been produced by the second Book. Korra grows up in isolation at the behest of the White Lotus (Iroh's old group from the original series), but soon moves to Republic City, the setting for the first Book. A BRILLIANTLY-designed place, Republic City has the oceanside view of Vancouver, British Columbia, but with a more Asian edge. The music is a combination of Chinese sounds and 1920s Jazz, and the haircuts and fashion usually involve a bit of both.

The world is now largely in harmony thanks to the work of Aang and his friends- the Fire Nation is friendly and largely-unseen. Large-scale war is unknown, and "Republic City" has been formed from the populations of various kingdoms (it was formed by Aang & Zuko from a Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom- they avert a war by getting everyone to agree to "share" the region as a central point amongst the various peoples of the world). Interbreeding of the four nations has resulted in some modified cultural practices (Mako & Bolin are BROTHERS, yet one is a Firebender, and the other Earth).

But all is not calm, however- there is growing resentment in Republic City between the Benders and the Non-Benders- with Benders being treated so well, and taking such high positions in society and culture (the "Pro-Bending League" is a popular attraction), there is a growing "Equalist" movement. Vicious criminal gangs run parts of the city. The police force (Metalbenders trained by Toph Beifong, and run by her daughter) are stodgy and behind the times. We'd find out more troubles in later Books- the two Water Tribes don't really get along, the Earth Kingdom is ruled by a vicious old woman, and a group of anarchists have infiltrated parts of society.

Korra herself is the antithesis of Aang- whereas he was thoughtful, spiritual and innocent, Korra is an aggressive, thoughtless moron. She pushes people too hard, argues too strenuously, acts without thinking, and lacks a strong spiritual side. These repeatedly bite her in the ass as the series moves on. Despite being super-tough and a tomboy, she's frequently put into situations where fighting doesn't work, and

Republic City is a MUCH more interesting place than any one Kingdom in the original series- it's a fully-realized city, beating the Boring Earth, Igloo South, Icy North, Buddhist Air & Evil Fire. Ba Sing Se was pretty cool, but you didn't see all that much of it- THIS PLACE you could use as the setting for just about anything.

The series takes place across four "Books", each of which is twelve episodes long. This gives the series a much different "feel" than the original, which featured three LONGER Books, giving them more depth and breadth. In Korra, each Book has its own villain, and so we get the beginning, middle and end of a story all within twelve episodes.

The Plot:
* Book One- Korra enters Republic City to train under Tenzin, the son of Aang (and the only Airbending Master in the world, as his family are the only ones), in order to master the final of the four elements (she's already great at the other three). At the same time, Republic City is subject to the "Equalist Movement", a group of Non-Benders who viciously-attack Benders. They're led by the dangerous, creepy Among, who has the power to TAKE AWAY PEOPLE'S BENDING. Meanwhile, gangs have a ton of power in the city. Korra fails to get along with absolutely everyone, and can't master her Spiritual Side, nor Airbending, despite having several "visions" of the past. Also, she likes Mako, who likes Asami Sato (who's father is an Equalist). And Bolin likes her.

In the end, she Avatar States the problem away after a meeting with Aang in the Spirit World. And then kisses Mako.

* Book Two- Korra's father and uncle are the Chiefs of the two Water Tribes on the poles. But Dark Spirits are invading the world, leaving Korra helpless. Her Uncle tries to train her to fight them, but OH NO SURPRISE HE'S EVIL, and soon we find out the history of the Avatars (the original merged with a Light Spirit named Raava in order to bring balance to the world). The Dark Spirit known as Vaatu is about to take over the entire world, and only Korra and Tenzin's daughter (a Spiritual Savant) can Deux Ex Machina away ten THOUSAND years of Darkness. Which they totally do, and open the Spirit Portals, drawing Spirits back into the world. Oh, and Korra & Mako break up early on.

This series was MEGA-unpopular, full of weak characterization and rambling storytelling, and generally soured a lot of people on the series. Part of the issue was that the whole "Spirit World" thing, while a part of the original series, was, BY FAR, the LEAST interesting part of the entire series. Seriously, Koh the Face-Stealer was alright, and the Moon Spirits led to some cool stuff, but for the most part it was very dull stuff, full of one-note creatures & characters that didn't even TALK. There's a reason more people like Azula than Koh, y'know. This book DID give us some fun side characters (namely Varrick the rich, crazy inventor, and Ezna the deadpan crazy girl), though.

* Book Three- The Spiritual Awakening of the world has created NEW Airbenders, restarting the Air Nation to Tenzin's joy, and they go recruiting. Korra learns of the escape of four members of the Red Lotus, a gang of anarchists meant to remove all world leaders, and the Avatar itself, from the globe. They abduct Korra and try to execute her while she's in the Avatar State. That's... actually pretty much it. But it's MUCH more successful than the previous Book, having awesome fights, introduces tons of great new Bending techniques, and has some good character work.

* Book Four- The void left in the death of the Earth Queen last Book results in a massive army led by Kuvira becoming the new Earth Empire. Their Hitlerian forces threaten both Suyin Beifong's fancy high-tech city and Republic City, especially once Kuvira harnesses Spirit Vine technology. Korra, still heavily-weakened from last Book's climax, fails repeatedly to save the day, and can only barely pull it out in the end.

The show starts off WAY better than the slow-moving Airbender did, with a world I found more interesting, too. The first episode of the series was SO incredible, and introduced such a cool city, that I was geared up for this to be even SUPERIOR to the original. Unfortunately, there came to be several flaws. SEVERAL. And these held the series back.

The Positives:
* Republic City.

* Lin Beifong is pretty awesome. As grouchy and tough as Toph was, and with a cool design.

* Kick-ass fight scenes. Sometimes they're a bit lazy and over too quickly, but the Red Lotus scenes, and Kuvira's fighting style, are AWESOME. One of the coolest parts of the original series was seeing someone pop up using a completely-new style of bending (Plantbending, Bloodbending, Metalbending, Combustion Man's technique), and finally in Book Three we REALLY got it. Korra/Tonroq in the first Book was really awesome as well- tearing apart an entire office to get at each other.

* HENRY ROLLINS of all people playing a wise, calm Buddhist-type. Who is also an evil villain.

* Sexy Ladies. The original was pretty light on sexy chicks, what with most being teenage girls who looked like teenagers (seriously- I don't get adult men who are into Azula, Katara and the others- teens who are actually DESIGNED to look like teens aren't really that sexy to me. It's not like Dan DeCarlo's work on Betty & Veronica). But in Korra, we get the tough tomboy Korra, beauteous Asami, plus a TON of Silver Foxes- Airbender only gave us Ursa as far as MILFs went, but here we've got Suyin Beifong, the Fire Lord, Katara's daughter, and more. Not a lot of shows give us grey or white-haired women who've got in going on, so I approve. Also, one woman is like seven feet tall.

* Seeing some of the old Gaang again is great. Zuko is still an awkward person, but has wisened with age. Aang appears as a mentor-figure to Korra, like Roku did to Aang. Toph is as wicked-awesome as she ever was, delivering the harsh truths and the nasty lectures. Even freakin' IROH gets to show up.

* There are some great "WTF" moments, and Nightmare Fuel stuff that didn't show up as often in the original series- General Iroh's reaction to the invention of AIRPLANES was something to behold, some of the Dark Spirits were creepy, and there are several doses of horrors when characters are suffocated, poisoned & crippled as time goes on.

The Negatives:
* The Cast is a bit too big- Avatar had a cast of Aang, Katara & Sokka for A FULL SEASON, with Zuko, Iroh & Zhao as the villains. Only in Season 2 did Azula & her squad and Toph come in. Korra throws in Korra, Tenzin, Bo Lin, Mako, Tenzin's family & Lin right away, soon adding Asami- then we get Amon, Asami's father and Tarrlok. Too few characters were given focus at first. Book two adds in Kya, Bumi, the Chiefs, the Twins and Rich Guy. The villains are very "One & Done", though are more-distinctive than Avatar's series of long-running guys. Villains don't recur, though, giving them less impact, and forcing you to see new ones- each villain is basically an out of nowhere threat. There's also no "Them against the World" stuff that defined the original series- everything feels much smaller here, except for Season 2, which was the weakest.

The time given to each season is an issue- oddly, however, it only has NINE fewer episodes than the original Avatar series did! But four 13-episode seasons is INCREDIBLY-different from three 20-episode ones. The original series has three very "slow build" seasons that allow you to be introduced to the main characters, then the villains, with most of them getting some "focus" episodes. This slower pace allows for some "filler" to pad out their stories, make it seem like more time has passed, and enhances the relationships. The contrast is quite notable: By the time Korra had hooked up with Mako (who'd split with Asami), then defeated Tarrlok and then Amon and his Equalist movement... we were still just past halfway into the first season of Avatar, with alot left to see of Zuko, Iroh & Zhao. Korra comes off as VERY compressed, having to tell complete stories that both appear to start slow, then climax and end way too quickly.

Avatar: Book One features the Avatar and his two friends, a big Animal Mount and a small Cute Animal Sidekick as the protagonists- they are opposed by three villains. Every other character shows up in only a few episodes. Korra: Book One gives us a recurring cast of the Avatar and her two friends, plus a big Animal Mount and a small Cute Animal Sidekick as the protagonists- they are opposed by four villains (mostly- Amon, Lieutenant Jobber, Tarrlok & Hiroshi). BUT... there's also Core Protagonists Asami, Tenzin and Lin... and they come with Tenzin's whole family, Lin's second in command, and plus there's President Raiko, General Iroh and a half-dozen other supporting characters.

Avatar: Book Two gives us only Toph in the Main Cast, and gives us a new Main Villain and her two supporting characters (plus Long Feng). And Zhao, a main villain in Book One, was gone. Korra: Book Two added four bad guys, plus Varrick, then added Tonroq, Bumi & Kya to the Recurring Cast, featuring heavily. Jinora herself also got a major upgrade. And Avatar: Book Three had mostly maintained the same cast, with only Fire Lord Ozai joining the crew, while Korra: Book Three piles on an elite squad of FOUR bad guys, then includes the entire Air Nation (a couple of whom are big characters) AND Suyin Beifong and her family. Book Four adds in Kuvira and uses Suyin's son as a major name.

20-episode seasons also allow various interesting new characters to appear in the "Supporting Cast"- Jet, Suki, Master Pakku, Princess Yue and others show up in the first season, for example, and each one gets an episode with quite a bit of focus. By contrast, Korra has to shove a similar-sized cast into 12 episodes, with all the characters recurring in EACH ONE. We get a lot of "breathing space" in the original series, where you won't see Azula & Co. for several episodes at a time until the end of Book Two, and again in Book Three. Meanwhile, in Korra, the villains seem to start slowly, then all of a sudden they're EVERYWHERE. And because of the Time Compression, they tend to sputter out all their Backstory in a single mass of exposition, rather than getting it slowly (like Zuko had).

* Troublingly, many/most of the characters aren't that strong. Korra is good, and Lin Beifong is as awesome as Toph was sometimes, but the show struggles immediately with a large cast of "bleh" characters. I never really felt it with Mako & Bolin, and as those are the MAJOR supporting cast, that's a bad thing. Tenzin was alright, but I felt they always held back a little too much with him. Basically, the show is The Last Airbender with worse characters, made all the worse because several Korra characters are based off of similar archetypes used in the original.

* The original cast were shitty parents. Seriously, this actually started to upset me eventually, because it's quite clear that Aang & Katara did an AWFUL job raising their children. Tenzin acts mature, but he and his two siblings behave like twelve-year old children! They whine about parental favouritism and act completely immature, and it's even quite clear that Aang heavily-favored his one Airbending son. Maybe understandable, but still. Similarly, Toph herself raises a pair of children who can't get along, one of whom is nearly broken with resentment and hatred.

* Most of the original cast that's still alive only get a handful of scenes. And despite King Bumi being an ass-kicking centenarian in the original, all of the eighty-something cast members but Toph are treated as decrepit senior citizens who barely fight (Zuko is handily-beaten by the Red Lotus, in basically his only fight scene). There's a huge lack of characterization from anyone that survived from the last time, and we don't even see the Fire Nation, nor any scenes between General Iroh and his family (Zuko & Fire Lord Izumi)!

* Whereas the original series featured a band of Equals (and Sokka), the new one is basically Korra plus some Hangers-On. Mako & Bolin are nowhere NEAR Korra's level, Asami is never nearly as useful as Sokka was as the Bad-Ass Normal/Inventor, and even Tenzin often looked weak. Seriously, Tenzin is KO'd and beaten again and again, often by mere Mooks, and only gets the occasional bad-ass moment that makes you go "oh yeah, he's an Airbending MASTER." The Republic City Police are utterly worthless, too. By contrast, though Aang was versatile, he was surpassed by Katara at Waterbending & Healing, and by Toph in overall power. All four Bending heroes were PL 10 unless Aang went into the Avatar State. Here it's not close.

* Tenzin is way too much of a failure, almost all the time. He fails in teaching Korra at first, fails at being a Spiritual Guide, can't enter the Spirit World, can't get along with his siblings, sucks at teaching and training the NEW Airbenders, and generally kind of sucks at everything. His few successes actually feel like true rarities because he spends so much time looking weak.

* Too many characters give their entire history or motivation down in massive info-dumps. Zuko got SEVERAL episodes explaining his backstory and justification, as did Iroh and others. These guys? Most of the villains just prattle off an entire history in a single scene. The Red Lotus scene is the worst for this- they're a giant mystery for half the season, then it's just "oh yeah, we're anarchists." THAT was the big reveal? They should have just said that right at the beginning!

* When Tonraq gives his big history to Korra, she just replies that it's "The Saddest story I've EVER heard". It's a weak comment, designed to put over the writers' "great ideas", and put words in the fans' mouths. Just sloppy writing.

* Three of the four villains end up hiding their motivations and/or had huge secrets, making them seem kind of cliche. At least the TLA villains were up-front and obvious about their actions- they were out to conquer and enslave. Here, it's all "OH NO I WUZ A BLOODBENDER!" and "OH NO I'M IN LEAGUE WITH SATAN!" All of this hidden stuff made numerous characters seem foolish.

* Korra is supposed to be a bit aggressive and thoughtless at first, but keeps this up way past the point where you find it understandable. She just looks like an incompetent dolt in Book Two.

* Too much focus on Evil Spirits in Book Two- like I said, it's the least interesting part of the Avatar-verse by a considerable ways. And then, despite the HUGE revelation that Korra's now opening the Portals permanently, letting Spirits into the world for the first time in ten thousand years... the Spirits get COMPLETELY IGNORED FOREVER and don't matter to any further plots. Only some magic vines and the fact that Airbending is a thing again end up mattering. And I really thought the whole "Korra loses contact with all the past Avatars" thing was a horribly-depressing ending.

* In fact, a huge chunk of the series is just depressing. Which is funny, because the ORIGINAL was uplifting, despite a genocidal army being at the advantage for like 95% of the series. Seriously- Korra spends several episodes in mortal fear of Amon, is beaten numerous times in Book Two, LOSES CONTACT WITH ALL THE PAST AVATARS thanks to Vaatu, is poisoned and crippled by the Red Lotus, and even spends YEARS in a depressed fugue state as of Book Four. It's like wall-to-wall depression.

* Amon's Lieutenant seems like he's going to be a recurring threat... then immediately starts Jobbing, looking weaker with each appearance. The Power Suits do this too, turning an ARMY OF MECHS into Stormtroopers. Bad CGI on the Jobbermechs, too.

* There's literally no sign of the Fire Nation anywhere here. There's some Fire Nation PEOPLE, but Fire Lord Izumi shows up in all of one scene, General Iroh does little, and Korra NEVER VISITS THE PLACE. Considering how much of the original series was "Travelling the World", this was a bit weird.

The Weird:
* Metal-Bending is SUPER-common and easy. Toph used to have to GRAB stuff to do it, and now they're just throwing stuff around like Magneto. Mako and other Lightning-Benders are now just tossing it around like nothing, and it's not even a big deal. Mako doesn't even use it effectively except for ONE TIME, and then he was just usign the TERRAIN.

* The Names. There are three characters, named Bolin, Suyin and Lin. All three are Earthbenders, two of which are sisters. There is also Tarrlok, Tonroq and Unalaq- all three are important characters, and ALL THREE are tall Water Tribe men in middle age, with long hair and blue & white Inuit-styled uniforms on. The last one is just plain unacceptable and sloppy.

* Book Three gives major credence to the Red Lotus and how dangerous they are. Yet... they debut fighting against the heroes by FAILING. They kidnap Korra, but are prevented from leaving the city, Korra is taken back, and they're fighting on the defensive almost the entire time. Compare this to how fearsome and unstoppable Azula seemed at first in the original series. A big case of SHOW, don't TELL, here- they didn't show how tough they were until they started wiping out people greater than Redshirts.

* The Red Lotus: Everyone's in crazy shape despite being in jail for 13 years. Like, okay, they can do Kata and work out using dynamic tension in prison, but shouldn't they have SOME "rust" from not fighting for all that time? They just pop out of jail at their peak performance. Friggin' ZAHEER has JUST GAINED AIRBENDING, and is immediately as good as Tenzin, a MASTER-level Airbender for his whole life, who was trained by Aang himself!

* One of the few cases of Heroic Mooks- the White Lotus agents are in many scenes. Also odd to see people dressing alike but using different Elements- the series has trained us to see green/brown as Earth, red as Fire and blue as Water.

* In the first Book, THREE FRIGGIN' ORIGIN STORIES involve the death of a loved one by a mysterious Firebender- Amon's, Mako & Bolin's, and Asami & Hiro's. Sure, one of them turned out to be lying, but SERIOUSLY? "A Firebender"? EVERY ONE? It was very weird, and stuck out like a sore thumb.

---

Overall, it's just not as good as The Last Airbender, and I view anybody who thinks otherwise as completely insane. It's a GOOD show, set up against a FANTASTIC one. Though you wouldn't think it by my listing like nine-hundred flaws for the series, it's perfectly-acceptable. Book One is Good-to-Very Good, Book Two sucks (with some Very Good episodes), Book Three is Very Good, and Book Four is Good (sometimes quite so). It's a solid C+/B- show. It's just that the original series casts a very, very wide shadow. I wonder if the original had never existed, would we be bigger fans of this show?



MAKO
Role:
Zuko Lite, The Boring Guy, The Most Hated Character
Voice Actor: David Faustino
Finest Moment: Managed to land both Asami and Korra in the span of a single season. Oh yeah, and beat Ming-Hua.
PL 9 (152)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Hobo) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Police Officer) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 6 (+12)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Benefit (Police Officer/Bodyguard to Prince Wu), Equipment 2 (Motorcycle), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Lightning" Blast 8 (Extras: Penetrating 4) (Inaccurate -1) (19) -- [25]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 6 (Feats: Split) (13)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (17)
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 8 (Extras: Reflect, Redirect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (16)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (12.5)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Fire Blast +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Lightning +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Fire +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation/Reputation (Responsible, By-The-Book & Boring)- Mako was forced to take care of Bolin and himself after their parents were killed by a Firebender (the fate of many characters in the series). This has left him a very stand-up, responsible guy, albeit very by-the-book and annoying to others, and very aloof. He's basically a giant square and a buzzkill. His Cousin Tu says, "You're so afraid of disappointing anyone, that you end up disappointing EVERYONE."
Relationship (Bolin)- Mako is protective of his brother, especially since Bolin's kind of a moron.
Relationship (Asami Sato)- Mako hooks up with Asami early on, and they sort of get along, but his love for Korra split them apart.
Relationship (Korra)- Mako is attracted to Korra's passion and power, but his sense of responsibility and calm demeanor meshes poorly with her nearly-constant state of aggression and exuberance, and they split up, too.
Enemy (Fun)- Mako doesn't know how to have any.
Responsibility (Prince Wu)- Mako was stuck being Prince Wu's bodyguard. As the Prince is fussy, cowardly and stupid, this doesn't work out well for him.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 14 (152)

-Mako is pretty easily the least-liked character in The Legend of Korra. And that's IN SPITE of being played by Bud Bundy! And it's a huge part of the problem with the series that what was supposed to be a major character ended up being so unlikeable and boring. Imagine how much The Last Airbender would have sucked if one of the main Gaang had been so dull.
-Mako was clearly supposed to be the "Zuko" of this series- what Zuko would have been with solid parenting, no scarring, and less angst. Unfortunately, THAT'S THE STUFF THAT MADE ZUKO POPULAR. So instead, Mako just comes across as Captain Square, a guy so lacking in a fun nature that he never once makes with the comedy- he doesn't even play the STRAIGHT MAN that well. He just kind of stands there, makes dour faces, and lectures other people on proper behavior. Another issue is that his fighting style is boring- he doesn't struggle like Zuko, nor does he use wicked Blue Flames like Azula- he's just kind of a standard Firebender, with nothing unique about him. Hell, he even uses LIGHTNING, but it's treated in-universe as a standard low-end Blast attack, rarely being used for powerful offense. Compare this to Azula's MURDERDEATHKILL attack.
-Mako was initially the "Responsible One", compared to Bolin's "Stupid Funny Guy" character, and the two were Pro-Benders who were Korra's first friends in Republic City. Korra is immediately smitten with him, since he's all intense and good-looking and stuff, but Bolin has a thing for Korra, and Mako hooks up with Asami Sato, the daughter of a wealthy inventor. Asami, a "girly girl" to Korra's "tomboy", ends up actually being a good fit and a likeable character, which kind of makes Mako look like a douche for gaining feelings for Korra. But of course, his relationship with Korra ends up being a major fumble by the writers, and the worst part of Book One- they have ZERO CHEMISTRY together, and come off as an artificial way of recapturing the fan love for a potential Katara/Zuko relationship from the first series.
-This major fumble in writing ended up making Mako by far the LEAST-popular character of the series, and got so bad that by Book Two's mid-point, he and Korra had split up over his browbeating of her to be more responsible and less tantrum-y. This, while acting as a Junior Detective who boring-ly solved crimes, didn't endear him to anyone, especially once the weak Bolin character started taking off without him. Eventually, by Book Three, Mako was just The Boring Guy, and had nothing else to him.
-Mako is a good investigator and cop, but really lacks the "oomph" of Team Avatar from the original series- he and Bolin are noticeably less-effective fighters than Korra. He's definitely not BAD, though- in Book One, he can toss Lightning pretty easily (albeit not as powerfully as Azula can), and he's central to defeating Amon. He's actually able to RESIST Amon's Bloodbending, and electrocutes the villain with a close-range attack, despite being debilitated and in pain. He's tough, but he's just PL 8 with Area Attacks and PL 9 with regular Blasts, forced to backtrack and fight intelligently against the more-powerful villains. Hell, his BIGGEST win is against a Waterbender who WAS SITTING IN A GIANT POOL OF WATER. It's like, "oh DUH, I guess I can just zap my Lightning Powers into this lake right here..." In earlier Books, Mako's only different in that he has lower Investigation.
-But seriously, I don't see Mako or Bolin taking out ANY of the major characters in the original series. Azula would make mincemeat out of either one.

BOLIN
Role:
Comic Relief, Sokka Lite, Skirt-Chaser, The Overdramatic One
Voice Actor: P.J. Byrne
Finest Moment: Became the second non-Avatar in history to learn Lavabending
PL 8 (151)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Acting) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Oratory) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Street Rat) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Soldier) 3 (+3)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit (Fame- Mover Star), Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Trip, Minion 3 (Pabu), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Earth Running" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Bonds of Stone" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (29) -- [38]
"Earthquake" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 7 (Feats: Split, Precise) (Diminished Range -1) (15)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Rockalanche" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 2) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (25)
AE: "Stone Spear" Damage 10 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (27)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 8 (Feats: Precise) (17)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 4 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (4)
"Lavabending"
AE: "Lava Star" Blast 8 (Extras: Secondary Effect) (Inaccurate -1) (23)
AE: "Un-Lavabend" Transform (Lava to Earth) 8 (16)
AE: "Lava Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2, Secondary Effect 6) (18)

"Lava Pool" Damage 8 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2, Secondary Effect 4, Sustained +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Grounded Targets on Earth) [17]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Earth Attack +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Earthquake +8 Area (+8 Damage & +8 Affliction, DC 23 & 18)
Area Attacks +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Lava Star +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Mako)- Bolin is the less-responsible brother of Mako.
Relationship (Asami Sato)- Mako hooks up with Asami early on, and they sort of get along, but his love for Korra split them apart.
Relationship (Korra)- Bolin was greatly attracted to Korra at first, but soon accepted that it'd never happen.
Obsession (The Ladies)- Bolin chases after and crushes on a LOT of women as time goes on- his clumsy attempts at hitting on them rarely turn out well. Most women get turned off, but the one who DIDN'T was Eska, an insane, controlling Water Tribe girl who planned on enslaving/marrying him (there's a DIFFERENCE?).
Relationship (Opal)- Bolin's only healthy relationship is with Opal, the daughter of Suyin Beifong. It's those GIANT GREEN EYES YOU CAN GET LOST INNNNNNN...
Responsibility (Inferiority Complex)- Bolin lacks the capability to learn Metalbending, and frequently mopes about how less-useful he is in battle than his friends.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (Earthbending)- The modern world contains way more metal and tall buildings than the old one did- Earthbenders are often at a disadvantage when indoors, lacking access to their element.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 17 (151)

-Bolin, the Earthbending brother of Mako, was part of the first season's Power Trio, but like Mako, comes off more like a weaker copy of a Last Airbender character. His jokes weren't quite as funny, and he didn't have a lot of Sokka's quirks (obsession with meat, sarcasm, etc.), but at least they tried. He had a thing for Korra at first, and kind of ended up with a "Skirt Chaser" gimmick, unsuccessfully trying to impress a series of women. He appeared to be the weakest fighter of the team, getting very few Power Feats or ANYTHING like it, which, combined with his "Goofy Guy" act, really put a fine point on how useless he was compared to the others. He was just kind of "Filler" in fight scenes.
-Book Two got a lot more mileage out of making Bolin a "Mover" star, appearing in the motion pictures of Varrick's. This made him a famous icon and obvious propaganda star during the Water Tribe Civil War, and gave him some pretty good funny moments. His skirt-chasing paid off with an insane "fiancee" in Eska, and his later relationship with Opal actually worked out quite well.
-Bolin is a bit thick-headed and foolish (often getting roped into the schemes of obviously-rotten people, like Varrick, Eska and Kuvira), but does the right thing in the end. He generally ends up being disliked by most people at first, and lacks the willpower to pull off many things. But like I said, he's really not that useful- it isn't until Book Three that he really starts holding his own, and it's with Limit Break-type stuff like throwing a single pebble into the forehead of a Combustion-style Bender, or actually learning LAVABENDING. But otherwise, he doesn't use even half of what Toph or her children do.
-Lavabending is a really terrific power (similar to the "Water to Ice" conversions of Waterbenders), but he's not as good as the Red Lotus guy who'd mastered it- it's a bit slower, and he typically only makes small pools of the stuff, or throws small "Lava Stars" at things. He's basically a low-end Earthbender with the Secondary Effect-inducing "Lava Star" (both Lavabenders seen so far tend to throw this little, burning star around as a constant weapon- allowing them some offense in non-earthen areas). He's expensive largely thanks to the 17-point Sustained "Lava Pool"- creating it is Distracting, and it only works on Grounded Targets outdoors, but it stays active for a good while (it's outside of his Earthbending Array), hurting anyone who touches it. Naturally, before Book Three's ending, Bolin lacked it and the Lava Star, and would be much cheaper.

PABU THE FIRE FERRET
Role:
Adorable Critter
PL 2 (31)- Minion Rank 3, Sidekick Rank 7
Normal Version:
PL 0
STRENGTH -3 STAMINA -2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 9 (+6)
Close Combat (Bite) 1 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+6)
Perception 5 (+6)
Sleight of Paw 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Close Attack 3, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Enhanced Tactile Senses" Features 1: Can use Touch senses with equal power via Claws, or after soaking paws in freezing water [1]

"Tiny Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) -- (1 foot) [17]
(-2 Strength, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation, -1 Speed)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Bite +6 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness -2, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Raccoons cannot speak to humans, but their paws are more adaptable than most.
Disabled (Poor Long-Distance Vision)
Quirk (Fussy)- Raccoons in captivity are known to repeatedly "douse" or wash food items before eating them. The reasons for this are still under debate.

Total: Abilities: -12 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 3 (31)

AVATAR KORRA (Book One)
Role:
Aggressive Hero, Blood Knight
Voice Actor: Janet Varney
Finest Moment: Stomping Amon & Undoing his Bending-Removal.
PL 10 (169)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 8 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+2)
Perception 5 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Evasion, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Critical (Waterbending) 2, Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"The Avatar" Features 2: May Speak to Past Avatars in a Ritual, May Have Past Avatars Speak Through Her in a Ritual (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [1]

"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28) -- [42]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)
"Earthbending Master"
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)
"Firebending Master"
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 12 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (24)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Bonds +12 (+7-8 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-18)
Area Snares & Slicks +9 (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +5 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Proving Herself & Having Adventures)- Korra has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and wants to see the world.
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Korra's duty to bring balance to the world. Threats to this balance include Amon and his Equalists, the anarchist Red Lotus, the coming of the Dark Spirit Vaatu, and Kuvira's Earth Empire.
Reputation (Troublemaker & Screw-Up)- Korra screws up numerous times the day she arrives in Republic City, and screws up even more as time goes on. Even her good deeds- like bringing Spirits into the Human World, mess up a ton of things for normal people. Despite her heroism, she is viewed as an annoyance and failure by various people in high positions.
Responsibility (Lack of Spiritual Side)- Korra struggles with focusing her spirit- she focuses instead of the physical & fighting quotient of being the Avatar. She can't master the defensive & fluid forms of Airbending, nor can she go into The Avatar State, or even speak to past Avatars, whereas Aang could do that at twelve.
---
Relationship (Tenzin)- Tenzin's job is to train Korra in Airbending and spirituality. As Tenzin is a calm, wise Master, and Korra is... Korra... this frequently doesn't go well. Korra views Tenzin as a bit of a stick in the mud and boring teacher who scolds and lectures her endlessly. By the end of the series, she comes to depend on him.
Relationship (Mako)- She gets a crush on the stoic Mako right away, and soon fall in "like", which they mistake for love. It ends up not working out- she's too much raw passion, and he's too thoughtful.
Relationship (Mother & Father)- Korra's father is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and she is extremely defensive of him.
Enemy (Amon)- Amon leads The Equalists- a violent gang of Non-Benders out to remove the "impurity" of Bending from the world. She soon learns to fear Amon greatly, to the point of obsession and distraction- he absolutely has her number.
---
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 15 (169)

-Avatar Korra, the new lead character, is an interesting contrast to Aang. While Aang was kind of a slacker (not wanting responsibility), fairly wise, peaceful and non-violent, Korra started off overly-aggressive, passionate and foolish, and definitely reveled in her powers. Both characters underwent a great deal of character development as time went on- Korra ended up meeting Mako & Bolin and making friends, fell in like with someone, split up with them, and made a tremendous amount of mistakes over the course of the first two Books. Her attempts to placate the Equalists in Republic City were complete failures thanks to her inability to avoid talking down to people, first of all. She aggressively took on Amon, but ended up quivering in terror on a frequent basis, finding herself biting off way more than she could chew.
-The show went out of its way to both show Korra as strong and cool (she gets to beat up several people in training, and Katara herself gives her props), but doesn't shy away from the problems of her Opposite-to-Aang personality type- people like Korra can be brusque and aggressive, and her confidence is easily-seen as arrogance. It's almost like they were trying to make a point to fans who hated how peaceful and non-aggressive Aang was- that THIS was the result if an Avatar was more like what fans of a more "extreme" hero wanted them to be. Korra makes mistake after mistake, and rubs nearly everyone the wrong way at first (Lin, Tenzin, President Raiko, etc.), and even puts her trust in the wrong people (Tonroq, her Uncle)- it takes her a LONG time to grow up. However, her sense of compassion is always there, and she's always willing to help others- when she realizes that the Benders are taking away the rights of Non-Benders, she's quick to switch sides and oppose Tonraq's martial law. She doesn't take injustice very well.
-Book One Korra doesn't master Airbending until the very last episode, nor can she use the Avatar State at all, but BOY is she tough. Various people have basically pointed out that she would wreck Aang in a fight- she's physically-strong, very tough, a great fighter, and most of all- LOVES to brawl. However... I really don't think she WOULD wreck Aang. See, Korra's aggressive, All-Out Power fighting style is EXACTLY the kind of thing the more passive, defensive Aang has trained against. I actually think they'd be much more even than one would expect from the older Katara. It doesn't help that Katara was trained by a bunch of people in enclosed conditions, whereas Aang had to train on the go, fighting for his life every second. I think Aang would easily frustrate her, and play the "keepaway" game quite well.
-That said, Korra is a full-on PL 10 like Aang was by the end of Book Three of the original series, and STARTS OFF that way. Her powers also do more damage (they just lose some accuracy), meaning she's just a little bit more keyed in to the dice-rolling advantage (Power & Toughness are a bit better than Accuracy & Dodginess). So what she lacks in versatility to Aang (she can't use the Toph Tricks like "Blindsight"), she probably makes up in power. Her higher Toughness save makes her a tough nut to crack in this world as well. Nonetheless... she manages to job to Tonroq, Amon, various Dark Spirits, Kuvira, and others (sometimes with caveats like recovery from being poisoned, though).
-Korra's noticeably so bad with people that she has NEGATIVE Presence & Awareness- at several points, she turns entire crowds against her just by speaking (bad Persuasion rolls), offends several important figures (the Chief of Republic City Police- Toph Beifong's daughter, no less), and frequently trusts the wrong person. Not a lot of characters earn such negative scores, but Korra is SO stupid in those first couple of seasons, I find it impossible not to penalize her. Hell, they make her personal flaws a MAJOR PART OF THE STORY.

AVATAR KORRA (Book Two)
Role:
Aggressive Hero, Blood Knight
Voice Actor: Janet Varney
Finest Moment: Forming Giant Spirit Katara and Beating the Dark Avatar
PL 10 (214), PL 12 (214) in the Avatar State
STRENGTH
3/5 STAMINA 5/7 AGILITY 6/7
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13, +15 Avatar State)
Athletics 9 (+12, +14 Avatar State)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 2 (+2)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Investigation 3 (+3)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Evasion, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Critical (Waterbending) 2, Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"The Avatar" Features 2: May Speak to Past Avatars in a Ritual, May Have Past Avatars Speak Through Her in a Ritual [2]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado II" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (30) -- [55]
AE: Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (20)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Away) (20)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 12 (12)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 2 (60 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (4)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (10)
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds"
AE: Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)
"Earthbending Master"
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)
"Firebending Master"
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 12 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (24)
AE: "Fire/Air Burst" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Fire or Air) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (21)
"Spiritbending Master"
AE: "Spirit Dance" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Stunned/Transformed to Light Spirits) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Dark Spirits) (20)
AE: "Undoing Bloodbending" Healing 12 (Flaws: Limited to Stat Changes From Bloodbending) (12)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [7]
AE: Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5)
AE: "Air Speeder" Speed 5 (60 mph) (5)

"The Avatar State"
"Bending Powerhouse" +2-4 to All Powers in Bending Array & +2 Extra to any Ranged Effects (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [13]
"Speedier Avatar" +2 to all Powers in Speed Array (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [1]
"Stronger Avatar" Enhanced Strength 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [2]
"Tougher Avatar" Enhanced Stamina 2 & Defensive Roll +2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [3]
"Agile-er Avatar" Enhanced Agility 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [1]
"Better Fightin' Avatar" Enhanced Fighting 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Bonds +12 (+7-8 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-18)
Area Snares & Slicks +9 (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Spirit Dance -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +10
---
Avatar State:
Unarmed +16 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Area Damage +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Bonds +12 (+9-12 Ranged Affliction, DC 19-22)
Area Snares & Slicks +11 (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +5 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8
"Avatar State" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +5 (+7 Shields), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Proving Herself & Having Adventures)- Korra has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and wants to see the world.
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Korra's duty to bring balance to the world. Threats to this balance include Amon and his Equalists, the anarchist Red Lotus, the coming of the Dark Spirit Vaatu, and Kuvira's Earth Empire.
Reputation (Troublemaker & Screw-Up)- Korra screws up numerous times the day she arrives in Republic City, and screws up even more as time goes on. Even her good deeds- like bringing Spirits into the Human World, mess up a ton of things for normal people. Despite her heroism, she is viewed as an annoyance and failure by various people in high positions.
Responsibility (Lack of Spiritual Side)- Korra struggles with focusing her spirit- she focuses instead of the physical & fighting quotient of being the Avatar. While she can now attain the Avatar State, she often uses it without thinking- like winning a race against Tenzin's children. Tenzin frequently scolds her over her lack of responsibility, and casual use of her powers.
---
Relationship (Tenzin)- Tenzin's job is to train Korra in Airbending and spirituality. As Tenzin is a calm, wise Master, and Korra is... Korra... this frequently doesn't go well. Korra views Tenzin as a bit of a stick in the mud and boring teacher who scolds and lectures her endlessly. By the end of the series, she comes to depend on him.
Relationship (Mako)- She gets a crush on the stoic Mako right away, and soon fall in "like", which they mistake for love. It ends up not working out- she's too much raw passion, and he's too thoughtful.
Relationship (Mother & Father)- Korra's father is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and she is extremely defensive of him.
Enemy (Unalaq & Vaatu)- Vaatu is the Dark Spirit, and seeks to set off "Ten THOUSAND Years of Darkness!" Using Unalaq as his go-between, he wants to kill Korra and "Raava", the Light Spirit that empowers her (and has empowered all past Avatars).
---
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Flaw Explanation (The Avatar State)- "The Avatar State" is a state of great focus and power for Avatars. They cannot utilize the powers continuously, however, and are vulnerable- should an Avatar be slain while within The Avatar State, the cycle of Avatars will be ended forever. Avatars only enter the State when in dire circumstances... or they really want to win a race.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 87 / Defenses: 17 (214)

-In Book Two, Korra has mastered the art of Airbending, and learns to hold back Dark Spirits with a "Spirit Dance". She's a BIT wiser, but still makes a ton of errors in the Water Tribe Civil War. She ends up discovering her spiritual history, in a neat two-part episode that deals with the Original Avatar, a foolhardy young man named Wan who accidentally frees the Dark Spirit Vaatu, and thus merges with Raava, the Light Spirit, in penance, and an attempt to make things right. They succeed in sealing off the Dark Spirit, and are permanently-fused together- despite being adversarial at first, they grow to become one, and Raava promises to carry on- leaving Wan's dying body to be reborn into another human being- her goal is to bring balance to the world. It was a major Retcon (sorta- it just proves that a few past statements were wrong- humanity was empowered by Lion-Turtles, for example, and were not "taught by the Badger-Moles/Moon/Dragons, etc."), but it was well-animated (different from the regular series), and showed some cool character designs with the Spirits.
-Tragically, Korra is badly-beaten by Vaatu once he's been freed- he pulls Raava from her body, and LASHES HER OPEN, tearing her to pieces, and permanently-removing Korra's access to her Past Lives. I REALLY didn't like this twist, though- while it's a tragedy, and treated as such with appropriate reverence, it actually TOOK SOMETHING GREAT from the series- Aang's ability to interact with Korra. Could you imagine the future stories they could have told with this? Aang taking hold in her body to say something to his last remaining friends (never mind his WIDOW!)? Aang's words of wisdom? It could have been AMAZING. I don't mind the attack on Raava (it's the darkest before the dawn, after all), but I would have liked to have seen Korra go on another Spiritual Awakening to take back her Past Lives or something like it.
-At the end of Book Two, Korra basically curbstomps The Dark Avatar (Vaatu merged with Unalaq)- using Tenzin's daughter as a Beacon/Deus Ex Machina, she Ass-Pulls a Giant Spirit Korra form, which walks into Republic City and kicks the snot out of the Dark Avatar, trapping Vaatu once more.
-Korra's stats are a HUGE step up in Book Two- she gains Airbending and eight Alt-Effects of the base "Tornado" power (it's thirty points, making it the main power in the Array), Spiritbending, masters the Avatar Spirit stuff, and even attains the AVATAR STATE, temporarily becoming a PL 12 entity in moments of great focus! This is actually rarely-used, meaning it's got a full-blown Flaw associated with the Power. The obvious implication is that it can't be done endlessly (never mind the fact that all Avatars know that they'll wreck the world if killed in the State- most will "let go" of the power if they know that death is certain)- and strong enough hits will also end it.
-The Avatar State is it's own ball of wax, basically boosting offensive Area Attacks by +2, and Damaging Attacks by +4, and increases the Area Effect by two ranks (so a 30ft. Tornado becomes a 120ft. Tornado while within the Avatar State). This raises the total cost by thirteen points, as the most-expensive power in the Array is 3pp/Rank (as the power adds +2 to it, and it has a flaw, that's three points). Technically, you could write the Avatar State boost into EACH POWER, but I think it's easier to just post the additions below (essentially, every power is actually at a higher level, but has a Flaw on the top 2-4 ranks). Curiously, Korra actually doesn't seem like that much of a powerhouse compared to Fully-Realized Avatar Aang- at the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang is functionally a God, and EASILY defeats Fire Lord Ozai (even with Sozin's Comet in full effect). Some of the middle-series stuff shows Avatar Aang easily powering out of Bloodbending (a friend online described it as "like facing a God, and Being Judged."). Meanwhile, Korra is easily-trounced by Dark Spirits even while in the Avatar State, and in later episodes, stuff like poison & chains manage to hamper her so much that the Big Bads (none of whom are on Ozai's level) give her insane amounts of trouble. Maybe Aang's spirituality makes him more powerful when in the Avatar State?

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AVATAR KORRA (Book Three & Four)
Role:
Grown-Up Hero
Voice Actor: Janet Varney
Finest Moment: Beats Zaheer while being chained and poisoned.
PL 10 (224), PL 12 (224) in the Avatar State
STRENGTH
3/5 STAMINA 5/7 AGILITY 6/7
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13, +15 Avatar State)
Athletics 9 (+12, +14 Avatar State)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 2 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 (Metalbender Cable Gear), Evasion, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Critical (Waterbending) 2, Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"Spiritual Master" Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- The Spirit World) (Flaws: Physical Body is Helpless) [1]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado II" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (30) -- [56]
AE: Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (20)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Away) (20)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 12 (12)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 2 (60 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (4)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (10)
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds"
AE: Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)
"Earthbending Master"
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)
"Metalbending Master"
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 9 (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (9)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 10 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (Flaws: Inaccurate -2) (8)
"Firebending Master"
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 12 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (24)
AE: "Fire/Air Burst" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Fire or Air) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (21)
"Spiritbending Master"
AE: "Spirit Dance" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Stunned/Transformed to Light Spirits) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Dark Spirits) (20)
AE: "Undoing Bloodbending" Healing 12 (Flaws: Limited to Stat Changes From Bloodbending) (12)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [8]
AE: Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5)
AE: "Air Speeder" Speed 5 (60 mph) (5)
AE: "Cable-Swinging" Movement 2 (Swinging 2) (Flaws: Requires Metal Cables) (2)

"The Avatar State"
"Bending Powerhouse" +2-4 to All Powers in Bending Array & +2 Extra to any Ranged Effects (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [13]
"Speedier Avatar" +2 to all Powers in Speed Array (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [1]
"Stronger Avatar" Enhanced Strength 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [2]
"Tougher Avatar" Enhanced Stamina 2 & Defensive Roll +2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [3]
"Agile-er Avatar" Enhanced Agility 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [1]
"Better Fightin' Avatar" Enhanced Fighting 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Bonds +12 (+7-8 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-18)
Area Snares & Slicks +9 (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Spirit Dance -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +10
---
Avatar State:
Unarmed +16 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Area Damage +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Bonds +12 (+9-12 Ranged Affliction, DC 19-22)
Area Snares & Slicks +11 (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +5 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8
"Avatar State" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +5 (+7 Shields), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Proving Herself & Having Adventures)- Korra has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and wants to see the world.
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Korra's duty to bring balance to the world. Threats to this balance include Amon and his Equalists, the anarchist Red Lotus, the coming of the Dark Spirit Vaatu, and Kuvira's Earth Empire.
Reputation (Troublemaker & Screw-Up)- Korra screws up numerous times the day she arrives in Republic City, and screws up even more as time goes on. Even her good deeds- like bringing Spirits into the Human World, mess up a ton of things for normal people. Despite her heroism, she is viewed as an annoyance and failure by various people in high positions.
Responsibility (Lack of Spiritual Side)- Korra struggles with focusing her spirit- she focuses instead of the physical & fighting quotient of being the Avatar. While she can now attain the Avatar State, she often uses it without thinking- like winning a race against Tenzin's children. Tenzin frequently scolds her over her lack of responsibility, and casual use of her powers.
---
Relationship (Tenzin)- Tenzin's job is to train Korra in Airbending and spirituality. As Tenzin is a calm, wise Master, and Korra is... Korra... this frequently doesn't go well. Korra views Tenzin as a bit of a stick in the mud and boring teacher who scolds and lectures her endlessly. By the end of the series, she comes to depend on him.
Relationship (Mako)- She gets a crush on the stoic Mako right away, and soon fall in "like", which they mistake for love. It ends up not working out- she's too much raw passion, and he's too thoughtful.
Relationship (Mother & Father)- Korra's father is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and she is extremely defensive of him.
Relationship (Asami Sato)- The two appear to grow closer during Book Three, and Asami's all "I would do ANYTHING for you, Korra"... by the end of Book Four, they're walking hand-in-hand into the Spirit World.
Enemy (Zaheer & The Red Lotus)- These anarchists are out to remove all world leaders from power- when they realize that Korra cannot be turned to their side, they endeavor to execute her in a pretty horrific manner.
---
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Metalbending)- Metalbending cannot bend platinum for some reason. This is important, because SURE ENOUGH, anything you REALLY need bended is made of platinum.
Flaw Explanation (The Avatar State)- "The Avatar State" is a state of great focus and power for Avatars. They cannot utilize the powers continuously, however, and are vulnerable- should an Avatar be slain while within The Avatar State, the cycle of Avatars will be ended forever. Avatars only enter the State when in dire circumstances... or they really want to win a race.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 89 / Defenses: 17 (224)

-Korra in Book Three is a much calmer, wiser character- having averted Armageddon at the end of Harmonic Convergence, and defeated "Vaatunalaq", she now understands her place in the world. She's still likely to threaten someone for being a douche (see: Ryu when he disrespects Tenzin), but she's less-likely to throw a bitch-fit and insult her closest friends. Piss her off, and you'll earn pretty severe wrath- she tried to wipe out Zaheer when she believed that the Red Lotus leader had killed her father.
-Statistically, she gains little aside from some Mental Abilities and Metalbending- she becomes the only Avatar ever to master the element (to be fair, only Aang even had the option, as his friend Toph invented it, and Aang tended to lack Korra's focus in the other Elements). She can use a Metalbender Harness in order to use these powers (it's basically just a Whip in the hands of a Non-Bender- she actually needs Powers to use anything else). HOWEVER, she also LOSES some Power- both Avatar Spirit abilities are lost, as she can no longer seek guidance from the past Avatars.

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NAGA (Polar Bear-Dog)
Role:
Helper Animal
PL 8 (91)
STRENGTH 6 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 13 (+12 Size)
Percpetion 9 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+8, +5 Size)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking) [4]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]

"Arctic Predator"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Arctic) [2]
"White Fur" Enhanced Skills 6: Stealth 6 (+11) (Flaws: Limited to White Areas) [1.5]
Immunity 1 (Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [0.5]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Natural Weapons +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Bears cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.
Responsibility (Cubs)- If you mess with a Mother Bear's cubs, you WILL die. Don't even try it.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 12 (91)

-All Avatars have some kind of a Spirit Animal helping them on their journey, right back to Avatar Wan and his Cat-Deer. Avatar Roku used a freaking DRAGON as his helper, while Aang got Appa the Flying Sky-Bison. Avatar Korra ends up with Naga, a happy, loud Polar Bear-Dog- representing her Southern Water Tribe origins. Naga was alright, but unfortunately, was not given any kind of focus on the show- she just kind of runs around, barks, sometimes does funny things (she ends up as the "Panda Bear-Dog" in The Adventures of Nuktuk movers), and is there when the cast needs a quick ride. I guess in a world where actual VEHICLES are a thing, the Animal Mount just doesn't have the kick it needs.
-Still, some of the Appa-based stuff in Avatar: TLA was amazing- there's nothing even CLOSE to that "Appa is captured and becomes lost, fighting for his life for days" episode for poor Naga- she's just kind of there. Still, she's plenty-tough- at one point, she one-shots Eska & Desna with EASE (sneaking up behind them and smashing the twins together). Only PL 8 though, and not much of a force in combat.

THE EQUALISTS:
-Book One: Air is the story of Korra's fight against the Equalists. The Equalists are formed by Amon, a mysterious masked man claiming to have been disfigured by a Firebender. As Benders are seen to have more rights and political power in the modern city, the disgruntled populace is easily-led into taking Amon's side, and his personal charisma soon forges a small army. His followers take roles in various important industries, allowing them to go anywhere they please, giving them great power. Amon's mission is to "Cleanse the Impurity" of Bending from the world- while his followers are Tech Guys and Chi-Blockers (like Ty Lee from the original series), Amon possesses the terrifying power to REMOVE BENDING PERMANENTLY, and soon does so to various figures in the city. He starts with the criminals, allowing him great public sympathy- but he soon moves on to the Police Force, Lin Beifong herself, and he threatens to take the Bending of the last remaining Airbenders... and the Avatar herself!
-I liked the idea of these guys- the original series kind of made a few insights here and there into how weak non-Benders could feel, but didn't focus on it too much (aside from Sokka's self-pity). But really, it WOULD kind of suck to have no Bending in this world- especially as the Inner Circles of many places tended to be made up of powerful Benders (the strongest leaders having the strongest Bending)- thus these were villains with "Good Intentions", however evil their actions were. Their ability to be anywhere and do anything, revealing more secrets as time went on, gave them a real menace. They're honest-to-god TERRORISTS in a cartoon world!

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EQUALISTS
Role:
Mooks
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: Captured Tenzin & Three Airbending Children (Off-Camera)
PL 6 (82)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Spies & Terrorists) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 3 (+4)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 ("Zapper Pack")

Powers:
"Chi-Blocking Attacks" Affliction 5 (Fort; Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Paralyzed & Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition) [15]

Equipment:
"Zapper Sticks & Shock Gloves" Damage 6 (Feats: Split) (7)
"Smoke Grenades" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2, Ranged) (Diminished Range -1) (14)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Zapper Sticks +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Chi-Blocking +6 (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Injustice)- The Equalists view Bending as an "impurity" that causes inequality in society.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 2 (82)

-Common Equalists are actually VERY tough for Mooks- they hit hard, and can one-shot people as high-level as TENZIN with a good Sneak Attack, and a few defeat Korra & Mako early on. The initial ones are Ty Lee-style Chi Blockers, but eventually many start carrying around "Shock Gloves" to zap people. They're quick, spry and good at Stealth, and are some of the highest-level Mooks around. There are still a ton of PL 4 & 5 ones (especially as the New Villain Stink wears off and they're reduced to mere Jobbers), but there's enough elites to earn PL 6 status. The only flaw of course is the whole "Glass Cannon" thing- Mooks still be Mooks, and at PL 4 defensively, they won't last long against powerful Benders in close combat. Eventually,

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THE LIEUTENANT
Role:
Elite Mook/#2 Bad Guy
Voice Actor: Lance Henriksen
Finest Moment: Actually Won a Few Fights at First
PL 8 (141)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Spy & Terrorist) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 4 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 ("Zapper Pack"), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Zapper Sticks), Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Startle, Takedown, Teamwork

Powers:
"Chi-Blocking Attacks" Affliction 5 (Fort; Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Paralyzed & Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition) [15]

Equipment:
"Zapper Sticks" Damage 6 (Feats: Split) (7)
"Smoke Grenades" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2, Ranged) (Diminished Range -1) (14)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Zapper Sticks +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Chi-Blocking +10 (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Injustice)- The Equalists view Bending as an "impurity" that causes inequality in society.
Relationship (Amon)- The Lieutenant has devoted his life to Amon.
Quirk (Blind Spot)- The Lieutenant keeps getting taken out by other fighters who arrive at the last second.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 14 (141)

-The Lieutenant seemed to have a bit of potential at first, and I figured that, like the previous series, we'd get a lot more backstory on this "#2 Villain" guy... but, well, as you can see, HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A NAME! He's just called "Lieutenant" by everyone, and has the most-distinctive look of Amon's forces. And like the Equalist Mooks, he starts strong (beating Mako & Bolin), and once takes out LIN BEIFONG (though naturally, fighting a guy with lightning sticks using METAL COILS attached to your body is a pretty bad idea), but soon degrades into a joke of a villain, jobbing left and right to everyone. Even ASAMI kicks his ass in the story! He's seen one last time when Amon makes his big reveal- upon discovering that the man to whom he'd devoted his life was in fact a WATERBENDER this whole time, the heartbroken Lieutenant smashes his mask and attacks- Amon easily dispatches him with Bloodbending and throws him into some wooden planks (I thought he died, but Word of God is that he survived).
-As a once-elite villain who turned into a Jobber, The Lieutenant is a pretty good PL 8. He jobs a lot, but is at least tough, often recovering from major injuries (being thrown off a cliff, attacked by a Polar Bear-Dog) in mere hours. He's never seen doing Chi-Blocking, but as that was pretty-common among the Elites, I'm assuming he can. Feel free to ignore, though.

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AMON (aka Noatak)
Role:
The Big Bad, Terrorist Cult Leader
Voice Actor: Lance Henriksen
Finest Moment: Effortlessly removed the bending of hundreds of people, and took over all of Republic City with a small army of NON-POWERED people.
PL 11 (318)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Deception 9 (+14)
Expertise (Cult Leader & Terrorist) 12 (+14)
Expertise (Oratory) 8 (+13)
Insight 8 (+13)
Intimidation 9 (+14)
Investigation 1 (+6)
Perception 7 (+12)
Persuasion 9 (+14)
Ranged Combat (Water) 4 (+13)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 8 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit 4 (Cult Leader), Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Roll 2, Diehard, Evasion 2, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Leadership, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Seize Initiative, Startle, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Waterbending Master"
"Bloodbending" Affliction 11 (Strength; Dazed & Hindered/Compelled & Stunned/Controlled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Selective, Extra Condition) Linked to Linked to Move Object 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Living Creatures) Linked to Damage 5 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Penetrating) (73) -- [81]
AE: "Ice Bonds" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (32)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)

"Casual Bloodbending" Affliction 6 (Strength; Impaired/Disabled) (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Sustained +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) [20]
"Resist Bloodbending" Immunity 2 (Bloodbending) (Flaws: Distracting) [1]
"Remove the Impurity" Affliction 14 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Transformed to Powerless) (Feats: Incurable) (Extras: Continuous +3) (Flaws: Requires Helpless Opponent) [43]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Water/Ice Whip +13 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Ice Bonds +13 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Area Attacks +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ice Slicks +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Bloodbending +11 Area (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Casual Bloodbending +13 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Remove the Impurity xx (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +14

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

Complications:
Motivation (Destroying Bending)- Amon grew up under the cruel lordship of a father that forced him to learn Bloodbending. Feeling that this was evil, the boy grew up thinking that ALL Bending was evil, and decided to remove it from the world.
Secret (Actually a Waterbender)- If his followers discover that Amon is actually "Noatak", a Water Tribe Bender, then his moral high ground will be destroyed.
Power Loss (Remove the Impurity)- Amon can only remove the powers he's AWARE of- if he doesn't know you're a Bender of a certain element, he can't remove it.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 86--43 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 145 / Defenses: 13 (318)

-One of the best parts of The Legend of Korra were the villains- while the original series had the awesome World-Destroyer Ozai, and the Psychotic People-Person Azula (and the Semi-Sympathetic Zuko, who later turned good), and that's great, LoK gave us some INSANELY-dangerous baddies who can easily stand alongside the original's. Note: Amon- the mysterious, masked figure behind Republic City's "Equalist Movement". His Mission: To remove the "impurity" of Bending from the world. He claims he's been given mystical powers by spirits, in order to de-power every single Bender in existence. Using the public's anti-bending sentiment as fuel, and his great speech-making and cult of personality as the spark, he proves to be a REAL danger, with his followers ready to spread to every form of power in Republic City, soon taking control of everything.
-Amon is a great study in the power of a Masked Villain- a non-emotive, never-changing face can be a real source of terror. It gives the impression of a villain who cannot be reasoned with- an inhuman force of destruction. It's made worse by the fact that he has REAL EYES, meaning he's ALSO got that cold stare down pat. It can be a tricky thing to pull off in a moving visual medium- characters tend to look like Power Rangers when they try to emote- but Amon works because he never HAS to emote: Even his VOICE doesn't betray any hint of passion.
-Amon possesses the horrifying power to remove someone's Bending, and uses this over the course of the series- he starts off with the obvious public menaces like Crime Bosses (Lightning Bolt Zolt, etc.) in order to get the public on his side. He even makes a public spectacle during a terrorist event, de-powering some asshole "Pro-Bender" athletes. But when the Metalbending Police Force goes against him, he manages to demonize THEM, and soon even the COPS are his victims. He even plans to depower the only Airbenders in existence (Tenzin and his family), and by the end of the season, he gets both LIN BEIFONG, and The Avatar herself!
-However, after an elaborate backstory by his evil brother Tonraq, we discover that Amon was actually a Waterbender named Noatak, having been trained by Yakonne, an old enemy of Aang's (Korra gets the connection after getting some "Flashbacks" of Aang's memories)- the entire family proves to be skilled at Bloodbending, and MUCH moreso than Katara ever was! Both Tonraq and Amon are capable of Bloodbending ANY TIME THEY WANT (in the original series, both Katara & Hana are only capable of doing so during a Full Moon), and AMON is able to alter people's body chemistry to the point where he can cause people horrible pain, throw them about at-will, and remove their Bending permanently. Korra fights him sans-bending, he's forced to hurt his Lieutenant (who uncovers his secret by... well, by seeing him Bloodbend), and Mako zaps him with Lightning at close range- at which point Korra Ass-Pulls the ability to use AIRBENDING from nowhere (well, she'd been training in it, but had yet to utilize it). As Amon hadn't de-powered THAT, she can still fight. He ends up needing Waterbending to get out of danger, which results in the PUBLIC seeing him do so (and his fake "Firebender-related scars" wash off at the same time), so he's exposed as a fraud.
-In the end, Amon is taken away by his brother Tonraq, ready to start again and NOT be so evil, but Tonraq decides to repent for their mutual sins, and deliberately causes an explosion that kills them both.
-Among is a serious, SERIOUS threat, fighting at PL 10.5 as a Waterbender, but being *PL 11* as a Bloodbender, able to control people at-will and at a distance (Area Effect means he can get more than one person, too). And since the stat that opposes his Bloodbending is STRENGTH, he's ESPECIALLY dangerous- not a single person in the Avatar-verse is above Strength 4. This means that he can effectively just snatch people out of mid-air and start throwing them around (Move Object), cause them pain (Blast), and Control their movements (standard Affliction). All of this is Subtle (the effects of what he's doing aren't clear), and Linked.
-And he's an expensive bugger thanks to having TWO powers exist outside the Array: he can "Casually Bloodbend", deftly avoiding people's attacks by controlling just enough of them to make them miss (Sustained, but Subtle- and limited to making them Disabled). And of course, a Continuous Affliction that leaves people de-powered permanently. And is Incurable (only the Deux Ex Machina State can reverse it). So he's a PL 11 (316) bad-ass. Oh, and he ALSO has a ton of interpersonal skills (he's so frightening that the ass-kicking KORRA is basically reduced to tears just by the thought of him, and he's good enough at bluffing to lead an entire Anti-Bending revolution WHILE BEING A WATERBENDER), and is a kick-ass fighter in his own right.

TARRLOK
Role:
Corrupt Politician
Voice Actor: Dee Bradley Baker
Finest Moment: Easily defeated The Avatar after fighting her to a standstill.
PL 10 (192)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Politician) 6 (+10)
Insight 6 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Water) 4 (+12)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 3 (Political Leader), Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Seize Initiative, Startle

Powers:
"Waterbending Master"
"Bloodbending" Affliction 9 (Strength; Dazed & Hindered/Compelled & Stunned/Controlled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Selective, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Linked to Move Object 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Living Creatures) Linked to Damage 4 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Penetrating) (51) -- [59]
AE: "Ice Bonds" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (32)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)

"Water Shield" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
Swimming 4 (16 mph) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Water/Ice Whip +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Ice Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Area Attacks +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ice Slicks +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Bloodbending +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Tarrlok is primarily-motivated with ensuring his own power in Republic City.
Relationship (Noatak- Brother)- Tarrlok & Noatak were raised to be Bloodbenders by their cruel father Yakone. When Tarrlok refused to Bloodbend his own brother (after having felt it himself) because of the pain it caused, Yakone insulted him; and when Tarrlok refused to run away with Noatak, NOATAK rebuked him as a "coward" as well.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 65 / Defenses: 10 (192)

-Tarrlok was pretty-clearly going to be a bad guy in The Legend of Korra- he was just a little TOO friendly to The Avatar at first. He's a high-powered Councilman in Republic City, taking a stand against Amon and his Equalists- he uses Korra like a hammer against them, and even takes measures to remove the rights of Non-Benders just on SUSPICION that they might hold pro-Amon allegiances! Even Korra manages to find the error in this, and confronts Tarrlok- after one of the series' best early fights, he pulls out a surprise- he's a BLOODBENDER! And after that, he was confronted by Amon, who casually WALKED THROUGH HIS BLOODBENDING, took him out, and removed his Bending. A defeated Tarrlok decided to reveal their shared backstory to Korra- that they were both the sons of Aang's enemy Yakone, and were innate Bloodbenders. Tarrlok traveled to Republic City and became a powerful politician (hiding his true parentage or Bloodbending nature- Katara had made its practise illegal), while Noatak/Amon ended up trying to "remove the impurity" of Bending from the world.
-At the end of Book One Tarrlok & Noatak have a reunion of sorts, and promise to begin anew. However, Tarrlok, realizing the cycle of pain and terror of their family line (earlier, he had genuinely apologized to Korra for perpetuating his father's evil, just in a different way), and mourning his own dark turn in life, commits suicide, taking Amon with him.
-Tarrlok is a bit of a curious one, in that we see him act at first as a scheming politician and example that "proves Amon right" in that Non-Benders are suffering from discrimination (basically a "The Evil Guy Has a Point" situation, which is a bit necessary in some shows). But when Korra confronts him, he reveals that he's CRAZY-powerful, and they engage in a huge brawl before he reveals his BLOODBENDING nature. But right AFTER that, he's immediately trounced and de-powered by Amon, effectively having been set up just to job to the better bad guy and reveal how powerful AMON truly was, after all (Amon even walked through his BLOODBENDING). And then he's just a de-powered nobody. But despite being Amon Lite, he's rather powerful- a PL 10 Waterbender and a PL 9 Bloodbender- and BLOODBENDING is a massive Game-Breaker in a setting of few exceptionally-strong people- he, like Yakone, has once Bloodbent an entire room full of people- and MAIN CHARACTERS, not just Jobbers!

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HIROSHI SATO
Role:
Rich Bastard
Voice Actor: Daniel Dae Kim
Finest Moment: Sacrificed his life to save his daughter (and Republic City).
PL 8 (81)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Mecha Fighting) 8 (+8)
Deception 7 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 8 (+15)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)
Technology 8 (+15)
Vehicles 8 (+10)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Wealth), Equipment 10 (Mecha Tank), Inventor, Ranged Attack 6, Ultimate Technology Skill

Equipment:
"Mecha Tank" (Large, Strength 8, Speed 2, Defense 4, Toughness 10) (16)
"Platinum Armour" Impervious Toughness 5 (5)
"Pronged Claw" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) (1)
Features: Ejection Seat (1)

"Metal Zapper Discs" Snare 4 Linked to Blast 7 (26) -- (27)
AE: "Electrical Charge" Damage 8 (8)
-- (50 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Mecha Tank Combat +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Electrical Charge +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Zapper Discs +8 (+4 Ranged Affliction & +7 Ranged Damage, DC 14 & 22)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (+4 Tank, DC 12-14), Parry +0 (+4 Tank, DC 10-14), Toughness +0 (+10 Tank, +3 Impervious), Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Destroying All Benders)- When Hiroshi's wife was killed by a member of the Agni Kai Triads during a home invasion, he swore vengeance upon all Benders. He is Amon's staunchest ally against them.
Relationship (Asami Sato)- Asami was the last person Hiroshi truly cared about, but when she stood against him during the Equalist crisis, he denounced and disowned her. Years later, regretting his actions, he sacrificed his life to save her.
Weakness (Mecha Tanks)- Though durable, Mecha Tanks have weak points in the glass cases required for the driver to see outside. Water in the tanks will cause the engine to stall. Electrical attacks can cause malfunctions as well.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (81)

-Hiroshi, like Tarrlok, was a villain in disguise (though he was a lot more subtle about it)- the wealthy inventor of the "Satomobile" (this universe's automobile), his sad backstory was revealed to have been what turned him evil- he even betrays his own daughter in order to assault all Benders. Amon's victories would have been impossible without Hiroshi- his Mecha Tanks truly evened the score between Benders & Non-Benders, and his dreaded FLYING MACHINES showcased just how devastating an aerial assault on a landbound target could be. Initially, he was a bit of a one-note villain (he was kind of funny as the "Friendly Old Man" in his first appearance- I liked when he just bluntly said "so Mako- Asami tells me you're dirt poor."), being some bigoted loon, but by Book Four, an aged Hiroshi appears much more thoughtful and legitimately penitent about his actions. Looking like Hayao Miyazaki, and sharing his love for aerial machinery, he helped create the "Hummingbird Suits" that were instrumental to defeating Kuvira, and even got the "Stan Lee Redemption", sacrificing his life to save the day (forcibly ejecting his daughter out of the suit moments before Kuvira skooshed him).
-Hiroshi is a useless combatant normally, but piloting the Mecha Tank, he becomes a PL 8 menace. The Tanks themselves underwent the same "Villain Decay" effect the general Equalists & Lieutenant did, acting at first as an unstoppable Death Machine Army that could effortlessly destroy Benders, only to get easier and easier to defeat as time went on (by the end of Book One, Tenzin is throwing them around). Also, he's a super-genius (both at Business & Inventing).

ASAMI
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ASAMI YOUR BEAUTY IS SHATTERING MY MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDD........

ASAMI SATO
Role:
The Most Beautiful Woman In History, The Non-Powered Buddy
Voice Actor: Seychelle Gabriel
Finest Moment: Once did a goddamn flying scissor-lock takedown of a thief RIDING A MOTORCYCLE.
PL 9 (145)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+15)
Deception 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Business) 3 (+7)
Insight 1 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Stealth 1 (+7)
Technology 6 (+10)
Vehicles 9 (+14)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit 2 (Company Owner), Defensive Attack, Equipment 4 (Shock Glove, Sweet Motorbike, etc.), Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Shock Glove), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 3, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Shock Gloves" Damage 6 (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Shock Glove +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Mako)- The two fell in love at first sight, but soon drifted apart as Mako's interest turned to Korra.
Relationship (Korra)- After little build-up aside from a standard "Girl Friendship", suddenly they're all looking longingly into each other's eyes, with Asami going all "If you need ANYTHING..."
Enemy (Hiroshi Sato)- Asami was the apple of her father's eye, but when she stood against him during the Equalist crisis, he tried to kill her. She was consumed by hatred for him, and was unable to forgive his crimes when he begged her to.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 19 (145)

-They really struggled a bit with Asami in this series. See, the character was introduced as such a ravishing beauty, with green eyes and long, black hair, that it was SUPER-OBVIOUS that she was totally evil. Naturally, this was her intended role, but the creators fell in love with the character and stepped away from it, having Asami stand against her father and the Equalist movement, defending Avatar Korra and her friends. This was a great twist, and gave the squad a "Non-Bending Buddy", like Sokka in the original series... but because she wasn't really intended to be a major recurring cast member, the writers didn't know where to "place" her in many stories. This became incredibly-obvious as I re-watched the whole series from the beginning, as she's super-important in Book One, but as Book Two starts, she's just in the occasional boring subplot.
-Initially, Asami was a wrinkle in the Korra/Mako thing, forming a Love Triangle after a "Meet Cute" with Mako (she nearly ran him over)- Mako liked her, Korra liked Mako, and Asami was aware of that and was jealous- she had a bittersweet moment at the end of the first Book as she watches her father being arrested ("you really ARE the worst father ever..."), then sees her boyfriend declare his love for Korra and then kiss her. In Book Two she just kinda hangs around, trying to run her father's company despite the bad name he got during the Equalist crisis- some boring subplots involve her trying to build machinery for the Water Tribe Civil War, being manipulated by Varrick, and more. There almost seems to be a subplot forming with her & Bolin as Wacky Mismatched Partners, but it never goes anywhere.
-In Book Three & Book Four, she's practically a non-entity, showing up to assist the team, but rarely mattering aside from a handful of scenes involving her repentant father. Most-annoyingly, there'll be a scene or two where she does something COMPLETELY AWESOME, kicking ass like a Kung Fu Pro Wrestler with spectacularly, inhumanly-green eyes... and then she'll disappear for another couple of episodes!
-Of course, Asami is now MOST-famous for her relationship with Korra- after no build-up, out of nowhere, Asami started saying some REALLY suggestive stuff- she stares right and Korra and is like "If you need ANYTHING... ANYTHING AT ALL..." I mean, they tossed aside ANY semblance of subtlety here. Now, Nickelodeon refused to allow them to flat-out make Korra & Asami lesbians, and so the hints were few and far between (the two shared letters when no one else did, for example), particularly since Asami rarely showed up compared to the other main characters, but in the Series Finale, the two actually HOLD HANDS while walking into the Spirit World for a "Vacation" (ie. lesbian secks). In the end, I felt the relationship was rather tacked-on- I get why they couldn't show the more obvious relationship-building stuff, but the whole "Tomboy/Girly-Girl" thing would have SO WORKED if they'd been allowed to go into more detail.
-Asami is tricky, because shes' the least-powerful of the Korra Krew, but has this occasional flash of brilliance in the midst of battle. In Book One, Asami takes out a gang of Equalists by herself, using awesome acrobatics and her Shock-Glove, which makes it annoying that she comes off as even less-useful than Sokka most of the time. Her remarkable fighting skills get the occasional flash (she once does a scissor-lock takedown of a guy ON A MOTORCYCLE)... but then she disappears for another couple of episodes. But nonetheless, she's an ass-kicker with some great moves, just a lot less power than the rest of the group.
-And OH MY GOD THOSE EYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.... They're like the "Mrs. Incredible's Butt" of eyes!

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GENERAL IROH
Role:
Legacy Character (to Zuko & Iroh), The Cavalry, Useless Military Figure (later)
Voice Actor: Dante Basco
Finest Moment: Became a "Flying Ace" (a pilot who shoots down five enemy planes) on his very first day flying one.
PL 9 (147)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+10)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Military) 7 (+9)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Vehicles 5 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 2 (General), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Lightning" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Inaccurate -1, Activation) (24) -- [32]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 8 (Feats: Penetrating 4, Split) (21)
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (19)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (17)
AE: "Redirect Lightning" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Lightning) (10)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (13.5)
AE: "Fire Bolt" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (18)
AE: "Fire Burst" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)
AE: "Fire Leap" Leaping 2 (30 feet) & Flight 4 (60 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fire Blast +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Multiattack +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Fire +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Lightning +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Republic City)- As General of the United Forces, Iroh is devoted to the defense of Republic City.
Relationship (Fire Lord Izumi, Lord Zuko)- Presumably he's close with both of them, even though WE NEVER SEE THEM INTERACT.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 13 (147)

-Few Avatar characters drew as much exictement in their debut as much as General Iroh did. Hell, he had the Perfect Storm of stuff going for him to excite the fans- he was a Legacy Character (the grandson of Prince Zuko himself), named after the beloved Uncle Iroh character, and was voiced by Dante Basco, the VA for Zuko! Never mind that his first appearance was proudly accepting the plea for assistance, leading an ENTIRE FLEET of ships towards Republic City, to face down the Equalist Crisis. Fans went nuts IMMEDIATELY- one of the best debuts ever.
-Which makes it all the more sad that he never ended up being that important. In fact, three different Seasons have gone out of their way to make his entire Fleet a failure that can't get anything accomplished- in Book One, his entire fleet is decimated by the Equalists, in Book Two he has his nuts cut off by President Raiko when he suggests coming to the Southern Water Tribe's aid under the false pretense of being on a "training mission" (Raiko hears about the plan and forces the fleet to stay in Republic City rather than get involved in a Civil War), and in Book Four his fleet is wiped out AGAIN, this time by Kuvira's super-weapon. So TWICE he loses his whole fleet- sure it's by circumstances beyond his control (in both cases, the enemy has brand-new unexpected firepower against which Battleships have no chance), but still.
-That said, he does AWESOME in Book One- when the enemy reveals BIPLANES as their method of attack, he stands on the top of his ship and starts SHOOTING THEM DOWN with Firebending, and later on, engages in a pitched DOGFIGHT with dozens of enemy fighters, shooting down several with Bending, and then commandeering two aircraft of his own and FLYING BETWEEN THEM with his own Bending power. He even gets a cool moment, smashing the "Amon" mask placed over the statue of Aang in Republic City.
-Iroh had a pretty stoic, non-dynamic personality, but came off well enough. He was honorable, competent, and humble despite his status as a member of the Royal Family of the Fire Nation. But unfortunately, he never really mattered to the plot after the end of the Amon Story, so we never saw anything from him. He never even interacts with his mother, NOR Zuko himself! Just unacceptably wasting a perfectly good story.
-Determining General Iroh's PL is a bit tricky, as he never fights any named characters- he's basically a Goonsweeper who takes down tons of enemy soldiers, but not even someone on the Lieutenant's level. His feats and battle tactics are amazing, though- shooting Lightning at enemy biplanes, flying through the air using Firebending, and becoming a Flying Ace on his VERY FIRST DAY. I figure PL 9 will do for him. Just a pity he never got to prove his military acumen (losing his entire fleet on TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS will do that to a guy).

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TENZIN
Role:
Legacy Character (to Aang), Father Figure, Failed Spiritual Leader
Voice Actor: J.K. Simmons
Finest Moment: Fighting the heavily-hyped Zaheer to a standstill, and nearly winning until being gangked by the other Red Lotus members.
PL 9 (170)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+8)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Spirits) 6 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Airbending) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit (Air Nation Leader- The Son of Avatar Aang), Defensive Attack. Equipment (Staff/Glider), Evasion, Improved Critical (Airbending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Air Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24) -- [32]
AE: "Tornado II" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (24)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 6 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (19)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (16)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 9 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (9)

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Air Wheel" Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

Equipment:
"Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3) -- (4)
AE: Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Staff +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Air Blast +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blowback +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +3 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Balance to the World)
Responsibility (The Sanctity of Life)- Tenzin, as an Air Nomad and the son of Aang, believes that all life is sacred.
Relationship (Katara)- Tenzin has a strong relationship with his mother, though will become angry if her name is invoked against him.
Relationship (Pema & The Children)- Tenzin is a devoted husband and father, and his link to his family may be exploited by villains.
Relationship (Kya & Bumi- Siblings)- Tenzin and his siblings still argue like a bunch of children. Bumi's lack of maturity and Kya's bitterness weigh on Tenzin's patience.
Relationship (Korra)- Though initially finding the teenage Korra annoying and impossible to teach, Tenzin came to be intensely-proud of her, always backing her up (even when she acts like an imbecile).
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Responsibility (Failure)- Tenzin actually fails at most things he tries- he struggles as a politician (losing ground to Tarrlok), fails at being a Spiritual being (he cannot enter the Spirit World, despite been Aang's son), he fails at teaching Korra Airbending for a long while, and he's even a poor negotiator and teacher during the recreation of the Air Nation.
Responsibility (The New Air Nomads)- Tenzin now has the opportunity to recreate a new Air Nation once Harmonic Convergence reintroduces Airbending into the world. This is the ultimate incarnation of his father's dream for the world.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 16 (170)

-Tenzin is one of the more odd characters in the series when you look at it, and one of my biggest disappointments with the show. I mean, VERN FREAKING SCHILLINGER as the son of Aang? The legacy of the Air Nomads and the last Airbending Master alive? This should have been AMAZING. And yet, all we got was a guy who was a massive failure.
-Okay, that might not be entirely fair- he does occasionally do some great things. But it feels like for the most part he's a pitiful figure, and the show just KEEPS STACKING FAILURE ONTO HIM, absolutely not letting up on the poor guy. Right away, he comes off as a stern, serious trainer, and is made to look like a fuddy-duddy compared to the more vital, strong-willed Korra. He fails to reach her spiritually or even as an Airbending trainer as well. And then the FIGHTING- much like Mako & Bolin coming off as Korra's less-capable Support Team, even freaking TENZIN is jobbing left and right to the Equalists! They make the guy look like a fool in several battles, and he never really comes off like the "Master" he should- it isn't until the ending of Book One where he starts wiping out several Equalists at once, and throwing a Mecha Tank a hundred feet away.
-You'd think his connection with Korra, made solid at the end of the Equalist Crisis in Republic City, would then give him a whole new meaning and place in the show, and some respect. But no- Tenzin is immediately DUMPED as Korra's Spiritual Guide so that she can team up with the obviously-evil Unalaq instead. Then we find out that Tenzin cannot even ENTER the Spirit World (something that Zaheer, Unalaq and others are shown doing). AND we meet his siblings Bumi & Kya... and immediately starts bickering with them like he's a damn child. Sure it turns out that Aang favored him a little bit and the other two were jealous... but they're freaking ADULTS! And they act like a bunch of five-year-olds, arguing back and forth and having temper tantrums! And in Book Three, he's finally given the Air Nomads back... but can't convince anyone to join up with him, annoys all of his recruits (including his brother Bumi) by constantly either losing his temper or appearing too weak, and only in the VERY END do they actually become a capable fighting unit.
-It's really quite strange- Tenzin DOES get the occasional flash of brilliance in combat (in one epic fight, he takes on ZAHEER, with all of his hype, and actually takes the advantage in the fight), and ends up being a great friend and mentor to Korra, and an Air Nomad leader. In Book Two, he successfully convinces himself to step outside of Aang's shadow, and become his own man. But the show spends so much time making him look silly, incompetent and a failure that it's hard to really respect him. He's the son of AANG and still acts incredibly-immature- in the show's attempts to create an interesting and dynamic character, they made him look more pathetic than they should have- I think a more mature, well-balanced, wise Mentor Figure would have been better.
-And honestly, I felt that J.K. Simmons, a brilliant actor, kind of half-assed his performance, making Tenzin sound more dull and disinterested as much as anything (it's not his normal speaking voice- more of an "old man" twinge). Maybe it's the struggle a lot of actors have with Voice Acting- if you're not blessed with a funny voice (like Chris Rock, who famously disrespected voice acting by saying it was easy and required little effort, since of course for HIM the funny voice comes naturally), it can be tough to communicate just through that instrument. That's why most big V.A.s are specialists or Broadway actors- they KNOW how to "act" just using their vocal ability.
-Tenzin is an Airbending Master, but was perilously-short on Feats, meaning I can only give him PL 9 in good conscience. His only really strong showing against a "name" character is against Zaheer (himself mainly a Goonsweeper before that point in terms of combat), and his OTHER strongest showing is in tossing a Mecha Tank a hundred feet away.

AIR NATION
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AIR NOMAD RECRUITS- HIGH END
Role:
Airbending Minions
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: Forming a new version of a dead nation.
PL 7 (105)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 3 (+5)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Airbending) 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment (Glider Suit), Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Air Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]

"Airbending"
Air Blast 4 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (13) -- [19]
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 5 (Feats: Precise) (11)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (7.5)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 10 (10)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 1 (30 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (2)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (5)

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

Equipment:
"Glider Suit" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Air Blast +8 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Blowback +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2 (+4 Shields), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The New Air Nomads)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 14 (105)

-One of the odd early bits of Book Three was that Korra's opening of the Spirit Portals at the poles during Harmonic Convergence allowed for the re-emergence of Airbending in the world. Exactly HOW this was is unclear, but let's just say that "Spirits Did It" and move on. People throughout the world end up picking up Airbending, much to the shock (and tearful joy) of Tenzin, who at that time was one of only four Airbenders in existence. Tenzin goes on a recruiting drive of these new characters (mostly in the Earth Kingdom), but his lack of charisma hampers his attempts until some changes are made- soon, he has a small group to train. Things go poorly at first (Tenzin has no experience training people that aren't his own malleable children), and soon a blow-up seems to presage the nascent Air Nomad movement just falling apart.
-However, the new trainees rally in order to save the Sky Bison herd from poachers, and soon appreciate their new gifts. By Book Four, the new Air Nomads are used as a sort of "Jedi Knight" group that flies about and rights wrongs, particularly in the chaotic Earth Kingdom, after the assassination of their Queen. However, they don't really matter to the plot so much, aside from a few characters here or there.
-Air Nomads actually make pretty solid PCs when they're at a high enough level.

Newer Air Nomads with names include Yung (a captive of the Earth Queen, who wished to form a new military unit loyal to her), Daw (the only one to get his head shaved), Kai (a "Smart-Alecky Kid" character that rapidly became "The Scrappy" to the fanbase- the writers were unable to make anyone like him, and basically gave up, despite his relationship with Jinora getting a bit of focus), Ryu (voiced by Napoleon Dynamite himself, with a "slacker" personality), Otaku (wears glasses), Opal (Suyin Beifong's daughter with the world's most gigantic green eyes) and Tenzin's three eldest children (the youngest is just an infant, and cannot Bend the elements just yet).

Meelo and Ikki are young children (very low physical stats), while Jinora is slightly older, and has some unique powers: Jinora: Comprehend & Communication (Spirits), Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- The Spirit World- Physical Body is Helpless) & Remote Sensing. Ikki is a pretty generic girl (especially before they differentiated Jinora a bit- they were basically the same character before that), and Meelo is a wacky, weird kid who managed the funniest moment of the series (*stares at Asami* "You're really pretty can I have some of your hair?").


AIR NOMAD RECRUITS- STANDARD
Role:
Airbending Minions
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: Forming a new version of a dead nation.
PL 5 (91)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 3 (+5)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Airbending) 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment (Glider Suit), Evasion, Improved Defense, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Air Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]

"Airbending"
Air Blast 4 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (13) -- [19]
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 5 (Feats: Precise) (11)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (7.5)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 8 (8)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 1 (30 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (2)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 5 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (4)

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

Equipment:
"Glider Suit" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Air Blast +6 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Blowback +5 Area (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2 (+3 Shields), Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (The New Air Nomads)

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 9 (91)

-These are the more standard "Background Guys" who don't do or say much.

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Oh come on you guys I know that drawing pretty women is more fun that drawing ugly ones but do you really expect me to believe that a woman could be this old and still be smoking ho--

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never mind.


KYA
Role:
Oddly-Hot Old Lady, Background Character, Immature Old Person
Voice Actor: Lisa Edelstein
Finest Moment: Being hot at that age.
PL 8 (113)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 2 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 6 (+10)
Treatment 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Waterbending... Somewhat-Competent Person"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (24) -- [31]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 6 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (20)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (15)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (17)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 6 (Feats: Reversible) (13)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 8 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (4)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) [6]

"Spiritual Being" Senses 2 (Spiritual Auras & Spirits) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Water Whip +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Bonds +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Bumi & Tenzin- Brothers)- Kya argues constantly with her brothers- particularly Tenzin, whom she'd always picked on as a kid. Her & Bumi's jealousy over the attention Tenzin got, and Aang's focus on protecting the world, remains a burden into adulthood.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 15 (113)

-Kya is Tenzin's older sister, and shows up as a somewhat playfully-abusive sibling character, generally making fun of the stoic Tenzin in a more laid-back manner. She comes off as a bit of a hippy at times (she once traveled the world to "find herself"), but tends to argue with Tenzin & Bumi like a bunch of spoiled children angry over who was daddy's favorite- and oddly she's probably the weakest Bender of any major character, doing almost no fighting at all, and being trounced quickly by Zaheer when it really counted. Honestly, she never ends up doing much, despite being the daughter of Aang & Katara (and acting as a Waterbender, like her mother). Maybe the fact that the show was already suffering from a glut of Waterbenders made her more redundant. Also, it's possible that Lisa Edelstein was busy with House, and couldn't voice her character that often.
-Kya is a mediocre Waterbender by the show's standards, able to hold her own with people like Zaheer & Ming-Hua, but unable to defeat them- both overwhelmed her in short order. As such, she's only PL 8 in capability (about equal to the original series' first Book's cast), and PL 7 on defense.

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BUMI
Role:
Crazy Uncle
Voice Actor: Richard Riehle (Dee Bradley Baker in Book One)
Finest Moment: Single-handedly defeating an entire Northern Water Tribe encampment... by accident.
PL 7 (130)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Military) 12 (+12)
Expertise (Music) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment (Glider Suit), Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Luck 5, Second Chance (Falling To His Death), Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork, Tracking

Powers:
"Airbending"
Air Blast 4 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (13) -- [19]
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 5 (Feats: Precise) (11)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Touch Range) (7.5)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 10 (10)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 1 (30 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (2)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (5)

Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5) -- [6]
AE: "Air Scooter" Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

"Talk With Spirits" Comprehend 1 (Understand Spirits) (Flaws: Unreliable) [1]

Equipment:
"Glider Suit" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Gliding) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Air Blast +10 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Blowback +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Tenzin & Kya- Siblings)- Bumi argues constantly with his younger siblings, usually teasing and mocking the stoid Tenzin into anger. He is deeply-resentful of being the great Avatar Aang's only Non-Bending child, and the attention his siblings got because of it.
Reputation (Wild Child)- Bumi has a rep for being a bit crazy.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 13 (130)

-Bumi is another sort of odd character to fit into the line-up: he's obviously supposed to be your "Crazy Uncle" type of character, yet we're told he's also a brilliant tactical general. And a lot of his wackiness comes off more as whining loudly, or bragging about all of his strange achievements in battle. He starts off picking on his little brother Tenzin in a classic "Big Brother" kind of way, and shows a bit of the nature of his namesake King Bumi of Omashu, in that he's a wacky, fun-loving prankster. However, he also retains a lot of childhood bitterness at Aang's favoritism towards Tenzin, and disappointment that he himself was never able to Bend the elements (I mean, he's the son of THE AVATAR). And apparently he and Kya never married, nor had children.
-He (now a retired General), Kya & Tenzin argue like children for half the second season, before finally making peace. At which point Book Three begins, revealing that Harmonic Convergence has re-introduced Airbending into the world... and Bumi is one of them! Then Tenzin tries teaching the new Airbenders, fails, asks Bumi's advice on how to train soldiers, and then tries to give "hard-ass" training to BUMI HIMSELF. This causes another freak-out and rift between the brothers ("I'm TOO OLD to be treated like I'm back in boot camp!"), but eventually they make nice again. I assume this just kind of keeps happening with this family.
-But yeah, like I said earlier, I find it really kind of bothersome that Aang & Katara seem to have raised such immature, whiny-ass children. I can get that Aang had to focus on training his son in Airbending (a dying art) and protect the world, and thus couldn't always be there. But these people are in their LATE FIFTIES- arguing like they're all five years old is incredibly childish, and doesn't paint a good picture of their parents.
-Bumi is one of the least-capable named characters in terms of fighting, which can be a bit odd given that he's given a measure of respect early on as a military genius- I guess this is one of those rare cases in TV when the head guy in charge isn't necessarily the MOST bad-ass guy on the roster. In fact, a lot of his successes come by as much by accident as anything else, and usually after some humiliation and abject failure (he learns to calm Dark Spirits with music after failing with punches and his hidden knife; he destroys the Northern Tribe's military camp by accident when his Mecha Tank malfunctions). He's only a PL 7 Airbender and has poor cardio, but he's brave and is likely played by the cleverest player who tends to roll lucky when doing outlandish things. I think they could have gotten a lot more mileage out of him continuously pulling everyone's fat out of the fire with outlandish, ingenious tactics rather than largely being a butt-monkey (he's the worst of the Air Nation trainees at first).

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DESNA & ESKA
Role:
Stoic Creepy Twins, Deadpan Kids, Stalker Girl
Voice Actor: Aaron Himelstein & Aubrey Plaza
Finest Moment: Move faster than pretty much any other Avatar character over the water.
PL 8 (128)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Deception 7 (+6)
Expertise (Chieftans) 3 (+5)
Intimidation 7 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit (Water Tribe Royalty), Evasion, Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Waterbending... Somewhat-Competent Person"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (24) -- [32]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 6 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (20)
AE: "Icicle Storm" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (15)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (17)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 6 (Feats: Reversible) (13)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 8 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (4)

Swimming 7 (60 mph) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Water Whip +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Area Damage +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Bonds +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Bored)- The Twins are often bored, as they dislike most people, places and things.
Relationship (Bolin- "My Feeble Turtle-Duck")- Eska becomes heavily-attached to Bolin immediately, treating him like a slave, but still proclaiming her love for him. Eventually, she realizes things just won't work out.
Relationship (Unalaq- Father)- The twins are very obedient to their father, up until they realize he'll gladly sacrifice them in order to attain his dream.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 8 (128)

-Getting this right out of the way: I can't stand Aubrey Plaza. Dumb voice, makes a stupid face, isn't attractive, and her fans tend to be annoying and obsessive about defending her.
-That said, Desna & Eska were a bit of a breath of fresh air when they first appeared (the show had been missing "Quirky, Funny Villainous Underlings" up to that point), and Plaza's Eska was pretty funny with her strange combination of deadened and overwrought emotions. When Bolin flirts with her (after first admiring the hawtness of BOTH twins... until being told one was just an effeminate boy), she basically decides to make him her husband and slave (WOMEN- AMIRIGHT, GUYS?), giving us a quirky subplot as she turns into a creepy stalker who reacts violently (and with mascara-tears) when she thinks she's been spurned. Unfortunately, Desna never really does anything, or matter much to the plot.
-The twins are Unalaq's minions at first, but don't really get a lot of "Feats" to show off their capability (compare them to Mai & Ty Lee, who debuted by demolishing Team Avatar and getting a lot of hype). They just kind of show up, act like nuisances, and flee before the fight's over in many cases. Eventually they discover just how evil their father is, and turn on him. Book Three shows them in a small role, as co-Chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe, promising to watch over the Red Lotus member P'Li... at which point she's sprung and the twins are beaten down by the villains, along with the elderly Zuko.
-Desna & Eska aren't much in terms of sociability, and are only competent PL 8 Waterbenders- they just don't have any big wins or Good Showings to their name aside from harrassing people like Korra or Tonraq for a few rounds. They're one-shotted by a crashing Bumi by accident, and when they recover from that, are immediately KO'd simultaneously by Naga, Korra's POLAR BEAR-DOG. They attempt to fight Ming-Hua, and even the TWO of them are basically swept aside like Jobbers and frozen solid. So they're decent fighters, but are total Glass Cannons, going down PL 6.5 defensively.

UNALAQ
Role:
Dark Priest, The Diabolical But Incredibly Boring and Unpopular Sorceror From The North
Voice Actor: Adrian LaTourelle
Finest Moment: Formed the Dark Avatar after manipulating everyone with lies and half-truths.
PL 10 (185)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Deception 10 (+14)
Expertise (Politician) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Spirits) 11 (+15)
Insight 6 (+11)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 2 (+7)
Perception 4 (+9)
Persuasion 6 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Water) 4 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 4 (Chief of the North), Daze (Deception), Improved Critical (Waterbending), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (32) -- [41]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Icicle Barrage" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
"Spiritbending Master"
AE: "Spirit Dance" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Stunned/Transformed to Light Spirits) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Dark Spirits) (20)

"Water Shield" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
Swimming 4 (16 mph) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Water/Ice Whip +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Ice Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Area Attacks +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ice Slicks +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Unalaq wishes to replace the Avatar in the world, and bring about Harmonic Convergence. He also wishes to bring about ten thousand years of darkness through his link with Vaatu. He will sacrifice anyone, from his disloyal brother & neice, to his own children, if need be.
Enemy (Tonraq)- Unalaq was jealous of his brother's status as Eldest Son (and thus, Future Chief), and after manipulating his way into being the heir, he found that Tonraq had now sired THE AVATAR.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 70--35 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 11 (185)

-Unalaq became a bit of a failed villain in the series, and is by far the least-favourite bad guy in the Avatar-Verse. It's too bad, really- an evil manipulator who tries to bring about armageddon by communion with Dark Spirits, and is also the Uncle of the Avatar herself? Solid baddie, right? But the issue was, Unalaq looks and acts basically the same as Book One's Tarrlok, barely shows his fighting skills a couple of times (fights his brother Tonraq once), and doesn't even really have a solid motivation (okay, so POWER is a great motivator... but what's with the armageddon thing? Was he just seduced by Vaatu/Satan or something?). And his story arc is REALLY predictable- it's obvious from the very first second that he's a bad guy in disguise, manipulating Korra to do his bidding (and during the course of this, he basically makes "Korra is a moron" canon, as she makes mistake after mistake on his side... and then mistake after mistake once she realizes he's EVIL). He ended up being so unpopular with the fans that the last season's Clip Show made fun of how the other villains disrespected him in a fictional Nuktuk movie.
-It's made weirder by the fact that Unalaq's big plan to put Spirits back into the Human World... was just done by Korra ANYWAYS. She just kind of got the idea that "maybe Avatar Wan was WRONG" about splitting the two up (despite the fact that Spirits were so dangerous that humans had to hide away on Giant Lion-Turtles and gain Elemental Powers just to survive), and leaves the Spirit Portals open. Granted, this brought Airbending back into the world (because... reasons?), but it also caused a ton of problems. And then the show basically just ignored the Spirits ANYWAYS, as aside from "Bum-Ju" (Bumi's adopted pet Spirit) we never saw any of them matter to the plot.
-Unalaq is basically Tarrlok, minus Bloodbending and some physical abilities, plus a whole lot of Deception and Spiritbending. He's a powerful fighter (holding his own on separate occasions with Korra, Tonraq, and Mako & Bolin, though Korra overwhelmed him and he had help against Tonraq), but PL 9 on defense. Like a lot of bad guys, his main power comes from having the army on his side- in this case, the Northern Water Tribe has FAR greater military might than the South (this was also true decades earlier, durring Aang's time).

VAATU
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VAATU
Role:
Eldtritch Abomination
Voice Actor: Jonathan Adams
Finest Moment: Nearly caused darkness and chaos to rule for ten thousand years.
PL 15 (374)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Deception 8 (+13)
Expertise (The Spirit World) 10 (+14)
Expertise (History) 8 (+12)
Insight 5 (+10)
Intimidation 9 (+14)
Perception 7 (+12)
Persuasion 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Blasts) 2, Improved Hold, Power Attack

Powers:
"Energy Spirit"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Saves) [30]
Impervious Toughness 9 [9]
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
Immortality 1 (Flaws: Limited to Being Reborn Every 10,000 Years) [1]
Insubstantial 4 [20]

"Gigantic Form" Growth 17 (Str & Toughness +17, +17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (150 feet) (Extras: Permanent +0) [35]

"Spirit Beam" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 1,000ft. Line +6) (105) -- [108]
AE: Spirit Blast 16 (Feats: Accurate 5) (37)
AE: "Spirit Lash" Strength-Damage +4 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (12)
AE: "Plant Control" Growth 12 (Flaws: Limited to Plant Life, Affects Others Only +0) (12)

"Turn Spirits" Affliction 15 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Transformed to Dark Spirits) (Extras: Perception-Ranged +2, Cumulative, Continuous +3) (Flaws: Limited to Spirits) [90]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Spirit Lash +12 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Spirit Blast +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Spirit Beam +15 Area (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +17, Fortitude --, Will +14

Complications:
Motivation (Chaos & Darkness)- Vaatu wishes to rule the planet under a veil fo darkness and chaos.
Enemy (Raava- The Light Spirit)- Vaatu's only real opposition is Raava, the spirit of Light.
Weakness (The Light)- Only a combination of The Avatar and Raava can control Vaatu and place him back in his prison within the Tree of Life. As Raava's influence grows over the world, Vaatu's power fades.
Responsibility (Arrogant)- Vaatu tends to disregard mortals, and ignores them, even when speaking to the Avatar (choosing to speak only to Raava's spirit within them).

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 309 / Defenses: 30 (374)

-Vaatu is one of those enemies that never really appeal to me- The Otherworldly Abomination, only interested in destruction and chaos. Seriously, that's all he ever talks about, and all that motivates him. It's a BIG DEAL when he attacks, of course, but I find that these kind of things only result in poor stories, and often weak storytelling. They're so mighty that only some writing chicanery, Ass Pulls, Deus Ex Machinas, and other weirdness are all that can defeat them, and so the story's usually the same. Unless you just sing '70s Rock at it
, then that's usually cool. -So it turn ... .jpg[/IMG]

TONRAQ
Role:
The Hero's Dad, Big Strong Leader
Voice Actor: James Remar
Finest Moment: Has looked basically the same for twenty years.
PL 9 (152)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Politician) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Water) 2 (+10)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit 2 (Chief of the South), Improved Critical (Waterbending), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (32) -- [41]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Icicle Barrage" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (17)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 9 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (17)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
"Spiritbending Master"
AE: "Spirit Dance" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Stunned/Transformed to Light Spirits) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Dark Spirits) (20)

"Water Shield" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
Swimming 4 (16 mph) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Water/Ice Whip +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Ice Bonds +10 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Area Attacks +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Ice Slicks +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Southern Water Tribe)- Tonraq is the Chief of his Tribe, and takes his responsibility seriously.
Enemy (Unalaq)- Tonraq was betrayed by his manipulative brother years ago, and then Unalaq tried to kill him, take over his tribe, then annihilate the world. So, family issues.
Relationship (Korra)- Tonraq is a protective father of Korra, despite her being the powerful Avatar.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 46 / Defenses: 11 (152)

-Tonraq is Avatar Korra's father, and the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He's largely pointless in the first Book, but in Book Two, takes a major role. It turns out that he was banished from his original home in the North after messing up a forest, and his little brother Unalaq became the next Chief there instead. This leads to a rift between him and Korra (who didn't know this part of the story)... but of course Unalaq set the whole thing up, then invaded the South and beat up Tonraq, then had him arrested. Korra manages to save the day, but Tonraq also appears in the next season, as he has backstory with the Red Lotus- it was he and some of the older cast members who foiled their attempts to kidnap Korra as an infant, then imprisoned them across the world. He helped Team Avatar fight the Red Lotus, but was really just kind of meaningless to the story and didn't add much.
-Tonraq is more aggressive and powerful than most Waterbenders, but loses to Unalaq in their big solo fight, and doesn't add that much to other battles from what I can see, so PL 9 will do for him.

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THE RED LOTUS:
-Book Three was the sign of things greatly improving for The Legend of Korra. While the first season showed promise (but disappointed some), and the second season was largely-derided, Book Three gave us the RED LOTUS, a mysterious team of four bad-asses that brought as back to the old school Last Airbender days- something LoK had gotten away from was showing us new villains with crazy new variants on Bending the elements. In olden times, we'd get Azula's Blue Flame, Lightningbending, Bloodbending, Redirecting Lightning, and Combustion-style Bending. In this series, everyone just kind of did the same old attacks. But THESE GUYS? They debut and immediately start firing out Water Arms, Evil Airbending, and LAVABENDING.

With some great character designs (Punk Rock Giantess, Scarred Monk, Long-Haired Bad Boy & Armless Creepy Girl), great voice acting (especially by Henry Rollins), and pretty much every character falling over themselves to tell us how bad-ass they are, and how much we should respect them, they kind of fired a bolt of lightning into the fanbase, and were immediately popular.

Of course, I found their "Big Reveal" to be a bit of a let-down. They're Anarchists who want to use the Avatar to their own endsN (remove all governmental leaders), or just kill her and end the Cycle? Okay then: that's a perfectly-acceptable "Villains With Good Intentions" scheme (especially as we see the Earth Queen immediately, and realize that she's a scumba of a monarch). But then, why bother hiding that until halfway through the season? Every character was just telling Korra what to do, and to hide away (telling KORRA of all people what to do just seems like a bad way to go about ANYTHING), and revealing almost nothing- what purpose was there to that? Why not just tell her right from the beginning that "Oh yeah, we were hiding you away from the world because a secretive group of Anarchists was trying to kidnap you."

Never mind how the reveal came out- Korra just one day goes into the Spirit World, finds Zaheer there, and he just spells it all out for her. THAT'S IT.

Another problem: Whole group is introduced at once, giving us little characterization at first. Contrast to the first series, in which Azula was shown first, then we got an episode recruiting her two best friends, with a lot of dialogue between them, establishing everyone. Here, it's basically just Zaheer getting any character stuff, with the others just giving bits and pieces (we never see the childhoods or even standard flashbacks of anyone here- a bit odd given that their backstory heavily involves the older characters like Tenzin, Lin, Zuko and Tonraq. Thankfully Zaheer gets enough character for everyone, and the others are bad-ass enough to make it less-important that they really have little to them.

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MING-HUA
Role:
Crippled Bad-Ass
Voice Actor: Grey DeLisle
Finest Moment: Easily defeated Desna & Eska at once.
PL 10 (191)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 3 (+4, +12 Water Arms)
Close Combat (Water Arms) 6 (+13)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Anarchist) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Waterbending) 12 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Waterbending) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative 3, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33) -- [43]
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Icicle Barrage/Octopus Form" Blast 8 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (20)
AE: "Make Brittle" Weaken Toughness 7 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects Only +0) (14)
AE: "Water Arm Attacks" Strength-Damage +6 (Feats: Variable- Blunt or Piercing, Reach 3, Split, Precise) (12)

"Water Shield" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
Swimming 4 (16 mph) [4]

"Water Arms"
Movement 3 (Swinging, Wall-Crawling 2) [6]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Extra Limbs 4 [4]
Power-Lifting 3 (800 lbs.) [3]
Enhanced Skills 8: Athletics 8 (+12) [4]
Enhanced Defenses 3 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Water Arms +13 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Water/Ice Whip +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Ice Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Area Attacks +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ice Slicks +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +21

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (+15 Water Arms, DC 22-25), Parry +12 (+15 Water Arms, DC 22-25), Toughness +3 (+5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Anarchy)- The members of the Red Lotus seek to remove all world leaders from power, to allow people to govern themselves.
Responsibility (Ax Crazy)- Ming-Hua definitely gets off on causing other people pain, and will always be the first to take hostages.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending. Ming-Hua, however, does not need arms to Bend.
Disabled (Armless)- Ming-Hua was born without arms. Without sufficient water to enable her to create "Water Arms", she cannot do anything requiring precise control. Her Water Arms, however, will function entirely as regular ones, even allowing her to drive a truck.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 73 / Defenses: 11 (191)

-Ming-Hua is first seen being kept in an extremely-hot prison that disallows her enough water to ever use Bending (I'm pretty sure that violates the Geneva Conventions), and we soon see why- the second she's given even a little bit, the creepy, armless woman uses water to form ARMS of the stuff, allowing her to climb out of places like a spider, and makes her a lethal close-range attacker, as well as one of the greatest Waterbenders on Earth. She immediately swings around a room like an Armless Spider-Man, annihilates a bunch of Prison Guards, then hands Desna & Eska their asses at the same time (with EASE, too), starts tearing through metal objects with extremely-powerful Bending attacks, and create numerous Tendrils at the same time. She was even voiced by AZULA HERSELF, Grey DeLisle!
-Despite her relative level of menace, Ming-Hua sort of got the least to do out of the Red Lotus, and so just kind of said the occasional creepy thing- I can't even remember what she SOUNDED like off the top of my head. She gets so much credibility that she's undone only by the heroes finally not fighting stupid for once- she dumps Mako into an underground cavern, giving her access to TONS more water... but doesn't realize that he's a LIGHTNINGBENDER, and after defending himself, he fires a bolt of lightning right into the water below him, causing it to travel up her Water Tendrils and fry her. Ming-Hua becomes one of the few Avatar characters to be killed by a heroic character.
-Ming-Hua is absolutely LETHAL in combat, tearing through Mooks and named characters alike with incredible speed and ferocity. With her Water Arms, she swings around, grabs guys, then throws them all over the place- short of the Bloodbenders in the series, she's the most-lethal Waterbender we see. I damn near made her PL 11 she's so effective in combat, and she gains abilities known to none other- Extra Limbs, Enhanced Skills, Brittle-ization (she wrecks a steel prison cell this way), Swinging, Wall-Crawling and even Melee Water Attacks. With her great Initiative and powerful attacks, she's handily defeated the Deadpan Twins, Kya, Mako and Bolin, often within moments of each other. Her only flaw is a dependency on enough water in order to Bend and use her Arms, and the fact that she's ALWAYS in contact with water, leaving her vulnerable to Lightning attacks.

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GHAZAN
Role:
Elite Earthbending Menace, The Snarky One
Voice Actor: Peter Giles
Finest Moment: Demolished the walls of Ba Sing Se, and an entire Mountain, using Lavabending.
PL 10 (284), PL 12 (284) to Objects
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Anarchist) 7 (+8)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 1 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Earthbending/Lavabending) 3, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Taunt

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Earth Running" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Lavabending & Earthbending Master"
"Tear the Walls & Mountains Down" Weaken Toughness 12 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Shapeable +4, Progressive +2, Affects Objects Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Earth & Things Touching It) (72) -- [84]
AE: "Lava Star" Blast 8 (Extras: Secondary Effect) (24)
AE: "Un-Lavabend" Transform (Lava to Earth) 8 (16)
AE: "Lava Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Secondary Effect 8) (28)
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33)
AE: "Earthquake" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (30)
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 8 (Feats: Split, Precise) (Diminished Range -1) (17)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Rockalanche" Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 5) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (35)
AE: "Stone Spear" Damage 10 (Feats: Penetrating 7) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (27)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 4 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (4)
AE: "Just Stop Earthbending At Him Already!" Deflect 12 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Earth-Based Attacks) (12)

"Lava Pool" Damage 10 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4, Secondary Effect 8, Sustained +2, Selective) (Flaws: Limited to Grounded Targets on Earth) Linked to Environment 4 (Heat 2) [86]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Earth & Lava Attacks +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Earthquake +10 Area (+10 Damage & Affliction, DC 25 & 20)
Area Attacks +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Anarchy)- The members of the Red Lotus seek to remove all world leaders from power, to allow people to govern themselves.
Obsession (Never Going Back To Prison)- Ghazan would rather die than go back to jail, having been their for years.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (Earthbending)- The modern world contains way more metal and tall buildings than the old one did- Earthbenders are often at a disadvantage when indoors, lacking access to their element.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 176 / Defenses: 16 (284)

-Ghazan was the "Snarky One" of the Red Lotus, smirking and making dry remarks about their various goings-on. This made him the most FUN member, but he also became one of the most-LETHAL, as he became the only non-Avatar in the series to have learned LAVABENDING, the art of converting Earth into liquid, burning-hot molten lava! This becomes a complete Game-Breaker in numerous instances, as he's able to control the entire battlefield, tear down nigh-indestructible obstacles (he single-handedly brings down the Inner Walls of Ba Sing Se in MOMENTS), and prevent anybody from getting close to his team. In the end of the season, he demolishes an ENTIRE MOUNTAIN, basically dooming all of Team Avatar, until Bolin is able to learn Lavabending in a crisis moment, and ceases the rampage. In the end, he commits suicide by filling an entire cavern with lava, refusing to go back to prison.
-Ghazan is one of the most-unique characters in the Avatar-Verse, as his Lavabending makes him a COMPLETELY different kind of fighter. He's your standard Earthbender in some ways (he easily wipes out Dai Li agents by throwing their Rock Gloves right back at them), but then he starts throwing out his Lava Star & Lava Wave (Secondary Effect Damage), wipe out massive structures in moments (+12 Area Weaken Toughness that's Progressive, allowing him to burn down giant walls or even MOUNTAINS with enough saves failed), and worst of all, create a LAVA POOL. This is way more massive and focused than Bolin's tiny one, reaching over a great range, creating a Hot Environment, and being Selective, allowing him to surround his Red Lotus teammates and prevent anyone in Suyin's Town of Metalbenders from getting close (as few Avatar-Verse characters can fly- Lin & Suyin have to drop down from above in order to save the unconscious Korra).
-With a 283-point Price Tag (thanks to the Lava Pool being Sustained, and therefore outside of the Lava/Earthbending Array), Ghazan is further proof of just how lethal the Red Lotus are. A group of FOUR of them are able to hold off nearly an entire city thanks to their unique combinations of powers. His only weakness is that he's just a standard Bender in close combat- Mako & Bolin (PL 9 & PL 8, respectively) were able to overwhelm him and basically stop his assault by double-teaming him.

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Evil Giantess? Yes please!

P'LI
Role:
Walking Artillery, Game-Breaker, Tattooed Giantess
Voice Actor: Kristy Wu
Finest Moment: Pretty much was the most-dangerous member of the entire Red Lotus.
PL 10 (149)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+8)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Anarchist) 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Perception 7 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Fire) 6 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Firebending Master"
"Combustion Technique" Blast 10 (Feats: Extended Range 3, Penetrating 6, Ricochet) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (40) -- [42]
AE: "Bending Blast" Blast 8 (16)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (17)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Firebending +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Combustion Bending +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Anarchy)- The members of the Red Lotus seek to remove all world leaders from power, to allow people to govern themselves.
Power Loss/Vulnerable (Combustion-Bending Tattoo)- P'Li uses the tattoo on her forehead as a conduit for her Combustion technique. If her forehead is covered, she cannot use her technique, and if it's covered in mid-shot- well...
Relationship (Zaheer)- P'Li was used as a weapon by an evil Warlord until Zaheer freed her. She has been devoted to him ever since- they lock lips as soon as she's freed from prison (Ghazan: "NOW? REALLY?").
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 16 (149)

-P'Li was the final member of the four Red Lotus members assembled, and inspired a "Holy Crap!" moment when they revealed why she was wearing a metal headband while imprisoned: She bears the same forehead tattoo as COMBUSTION MAN! And so we had the ultimate Game-Breaker Crowd-Control power in the Avatar-verse again in the hands of a villain- P'Li was repeatedly used to keep the heroes at bay, allowing the other Lotus members to attack. Her relationship with Zaheer was a running theme with the group (in fact, her death is what allowed him to free himself from Earthly connections and "enter the void"), but she was the first member of the group defeated. Once, Bolin managed to stop her by throwing a marble-sized pebble into her Forehead Tattoo, temporarily fritzing her Combustion attack; but the SECOND time, Suyin Milfong (er, Beifong) managed to WRAP A PIECE OF ARMOR around her head just as she's about to attack her sister Lin- P'Li's last moments are off-screen, as Zaheer screams her name into a pile of smoke.
-But damn- the woman is SIX-FOOT-EIGHT and looks like some kind of Asian Punk Rock Firebender- it's an awesome look.
-P'Li, like Combustion Man, is a one-trick pony (though she's seen Firebending the breath of a goddamn DRAGON, before Blasting it out of the sky), but it's a HELL of a trick- few other characters possess Burst Damage, and none do so at such a range- this allows Combustion-Benders to control the entire battlefield. In many instances in both series, Team Avatar becomes completely pinned down, because every time they stick their heads out, they find an explosive ball of fire heading their way. It becomes such a nuisance that the Beifong sisters have to TEAM UP to defeat her, with Lin acting as "bait" and Suyin wrapping her metal armor around the giant bitch's head, causing a messy death by Explosion. As soon as she's gone, the heroes' mission suddenly goes much, much easier. Except Zaheer now loses his tether to the Earthly coil and starts friggin' flying away.
-One minor difference between P'Li's Combustion technique and Combustion Man's? P'Li can arc her blasts AROUND CORNERS, making her dangerous even if you have COVER!

AIWEI
Role:
Double Agent
Voice Actor: Maurice "The Brain" LaMarche
Finest Moment: Planned a masively-complicated escape from Zaofu.
PL 4 (107)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Deception 10 (+14)
Expertise (Government) 4 (+9)
Expertise (Anarchist) 3 (+8)
Expertise (Spirits) 2 (+7)
Insight 4 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+10)
Stealth 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception)

Powers:
"See With His Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Detect Lies Through Heart Rates" Enhanced Skills 6: Insight 6 (+14) [3]
"Spiritual Master" Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- The Spirit World) (Flaws: Physical Body is Helpless) [1]

"Earthbending Blast" Blast 4 (8) -- [9]
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 6 (Flaws: Limited to Metals & Earth) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Earthbending +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Anarchy)- The members of the Red Lotus seek to remove all world leaders from power, to allow people to govern themselves.
Secret (The Red Lotus)- Aiwei is an important part of Zaofu's government, but it's all an act- he's a member of the Red Lotus, and seeks to remove all world leaders from power.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 7 (107)

-Aiwei was fairly important to the "concept" of Book Three, if not the overall plot. A "Truth-Seer" within Suyin Beifong's city of Zaofu, he's a Metalbender who shares Toph's ability to read people's intentions through their heart rates. He becomes an important ally to Team Avatar in their quest to figure out who within the city is a traitor and secretly-allied with The Red Lotus... but when it turns out that the patsy blamed for things is innocent, the only answer can be that the TRUTH-SEER is ironically a liar! And yet Aiwei has a complete Escape Plan at the ready- including an incendiary device and a getaway car! Dude had PLANS FOR DAYS. Team Avatar desperately tries to chase him down, and is finally able to spot him when they realize that his soul is hiding out in the SPIRIT WORLD. However, unfortunately for Aiwei, Zaheer declares him a "loose end", and traps him within the Fog of Lost Souls, condemning him to an eternity in a mental prison.
-But yeah, despite being a pretty minor bad guy for an episode or two, his "concept" is that the Red Lotus has eyes and ears and loyalists EVERYWHERE- no one can be trusted.
-Aiwei is more of a plot nuisance than a real threat- he's all about the PLAN- not fighting. In fact, aside from Metalbending a wall into place to prevent Team Avatar from getting him (something I forgot about- I wasn't even going to stat him because I forgot he was a Bender), he doesn't even really DO anything offensively with his powers!

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"Let go your earthly tether- enter the void. Empty and become wind"

ZAHEER
Role:
Cult Leader
Voice Actor: HENRY FREAKING ROLLINS
Finest Moment: Fights as a Master-Level Airbender after 13 years in prison and with no teacher.
PL 10 (215)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Deception 8 (+13)
Expertise (Anarchist) 8 (+12)
Expertise (History) 10 (+14)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+10)
Investigation 8 (+12)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Airbending) 2 (+12)
Stealth 7 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Airbending, Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Inspire, Leadership, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Set-Up, Ranged Attack 5, Redirect, Startle, Takedown 2, Taunt, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Air Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"Enter the Void" Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24) -- [33]
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 6 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (19)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (16)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 9 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (9)
AE: Suffocation 8 (Flaws: Distracting) (Inaccurate -2) (22)
AE: "Dust & Cover" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cloud +4) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Tornado +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Air Blast +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Blowback +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Suffocation +8 (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +9

Complications:
Motivation (Anarchy)- The members of the Red Lotus seek to remove all world leaders from power, to allow people to govern themselves. Zaheer believes in this most-strenuously- he wishes to see the old world destroyed, to make way for the new. Disorder and chaos are the only true freedom.
Relationship (P'Li)- P'Li is Zaheer's Earthly tether- his lover and confidante.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 35 / Powers: 45 / Defenses: 17 (215)

-Zaheer is probably the best reason to watch Book Three- voiced by the famously-violent heavy metal singer Henry Rollins, he is the ringleader of the Red Lotus, and is a study in contradictions. He's a calm, rational, loyal man who values his friends, and appears almost unfailingly-polite- a wise scholar of the peaceful culture of the Airbenders. Yet he's also murderous, ultra-violent, cold-hearted, willing to kill even his allies the second they disappoint him (Aiwei discovers this), and wishes to destroy all of society. With Harmonic Convergence, he becomes one of the newly-created Airbenders... yet uses it for acts of unspeakable violence, contrary to the pacifistic Air Nomads. Quoting Guru Laghima, an Airbending monk who cast off his Earthly tether and learned to fly, he perverts the philosophies ("New growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old.") in order to restructure reality into the anarchic chaos he believes should exist.
-This is awesome stuff, especially when the Red Lotus ally with the Earth Queen in order to get what they want... and then when she turns on them, they easily defeat her Dai Li agents, and then ZAHEER EXECUTES HER, suffocating her with a sphere of Airbending taking the oxygen right out of her lungs. On-camera and everything. Sure, they establish her as an awful monarch (thereby giving credence to Zaheer's own philosophy), but WOW. Zaheer announces her demise to the people of Ba Sing Se, has Ghazan tear down the walls blocking the rich from the poor, and leaves the city in chaos. He formulates several more amazing plans (yes, the Red Lotus really come off as Villainous P.C.s), never just fighting Team Avatar on their own merits- they kidnap Korra while she's asleep, drugging her unconscious. P'Li is always there to hold enemies off at range. Zaheer specializes in using Airbending to create cover. And yet, despite how evil he is (we actually see him plan to execute Korra, and end the Avatar Cycle permanently, in order to create MORE disorder in the world), we actually feel a bit of sympathy when he watches P'Li die fighting the Beifong sisters.
-Interestingly enough, the results of Zaheer's actions also perfectly hangs a point on just HOW wrong Anarchy truly is. I've had the misfortune to meet a few Anarchists in my time (in real life and online), and they're generally always extremely naive regarding human nature and basic logic. Sure the idea that humans will just band together WITHOUT leaders is a nice, positive idea... but it's not practical in the real world- in The Legend of Korra, we see what happens when the void created by the death of the Earth Queen is filled. The Queen is replaced by Kuvira, a powerful soldier building a loyal army. Actual Anarchists disregard this as the "Warlord Theory" (ie. a world without leaders becomes prone to NEW leaders in the form of warlords), and think it won't happen... despite human history being FULL of examples of THAT EXACT THING TOTALLY HAPPENING, because humanity, like nature, abhors the vacuum. Zaheer himself grows to regret what his actions have wrought, as Kuvira's "Earth Empire" is even worse than the Earth Kingdom he'd thrown into chaos three years prior.
-I can't say enough about how awesome Henry Rollins was in this role- I've gone into before about how singers make natural Voice Artists, as they're professionals at forcing emotion through their voices (something that many actors- used to acting with their faces or bodies- struggle with, creating some boring V.A. jobs). Usually it's Broadway performers who specialize in it, but as Rollins is an experienced actor himself (having appeared in stuff since the early '80s), he'll do just as well. He's got this very deep, serious voice, giving him an eery calm despite his murderous intentions- his quoting of Guru Laghima comes off as equal parts wise and sinister thanks to his dark methods.
-Zaheer is one of the trickier characters in the series to place. He debuts as an amazing Airbender within seconds (which really should be unlikely- even having studied the teachings or scrolls; a possibility since Katara got good at Waterbending the same way. Not THAT good, though...), demolishes tons of Mooks at once (usually through the "Tornado"), and easily hands Kya her ass in one-on-one combat. However, when left on his own against Tenzin, a TRUE Airbending Master, suddenly he struggles- I point out in my notes that they're "near-equals" in the brawl. It's a bit of a shocker, since Tenzin was REALLY devalued as a powerful fighter in the series, as I note in my Tenzin build. In fact, the Zaheer fight is the single-best showing on Tenzin in the ENTIRE SERIES- given that he's defending his siblings and his wife & children, I can guess that he's spending Hero Points.
-Similarly, he does well against Team Avatar- he can hold off Tonraq and a bound Korra simultaneously. And then, when he masters TRUE flight, he's able to draw about even with Korra in the AVATAR STATE... except it's a poisoned Korra with her arms chained. So again, hard to balance him. I figure PL 9, same as Tenzin, is good enough for him on offense- it makes him the least-powerful of his group, but watching the series, it actually does come off like this is the case. He's PL 10 on Defense, however, and Zaheer's BEST qualities are actually his mental abilities and planning genius- he's one step ahead of the heroes the entire time, stages four amazing jailbreaks, and nearly destabilizes the entire globe.

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LIN BEIFONG
Role:
Grouchy Lady Cop
Voice Actor: Mindy Sterling
Finest Moment: Being the only member of Team Avatar not constantly-overshadowed by Korra.
PL 10 (187)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+6)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 9 (+13)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Metalbender Cable Gear), Evasion, Fearless, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"See With Her Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33) -- [43]
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 7 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (19)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (14)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 9 (Feats: Precise) (19)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)
"Metalbending"
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (15)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 10 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (Inaccurate -2) (8)
AE: "Wrist-Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (Flaws: Requires Metals) (2)
AE: "Coil Snares" Snare 6 (Flaws: Limited to Two Targets) (Diminished Range -1) (11)

"Metalbender Wire-Fu" Movement 1 (Swinging) (Flaws: Requires Cable Gear) [1]
"Climb Buildings" Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) (Flaws: Limited to Stone or Metal Structures) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Wrist-Blades +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Earth Attack +12 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Multiple Stones +12 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Earthquake +8-10 Area (+8 Damage & +10 Affliction, DC 23 & 20)
Stone Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Metal Snare +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Coil Snares +12 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Toph- Mother)- Lin has a complicated relationship with her mother- she fought for years to earn Toph's respect, following in her footsteps completely, but was never able to gain the kind of validation she craved. Toph often casually disrespects Lin without even intending to, and refused to divulge any information about Lin's birth father.
Relationship (Suyin Beifong- Sister)- Lin and Suyin didn't get along, even as children- Suyin's free-wheeling behavior irked the more responsible Lin, and Suyin later put the scars on Lin's face while acting like a crook.
Responsibility (Bitter)- Lin has been frustrated by numerous things in her life (a break-up with Tenzin, her sister's rebellion, Toph's refusal to be close with her children), and this has left her closed-off, bitter and angry. She tends to lose her temper at people when she shouldn't (even innocents like her neice, Opal).
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Earthbenders require contact with the Earth to use their powers. Metalbenders have learned to use metallic surfaces as well.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 16 (187)

-Lin Beifong was introduced in the series' first episode, and another important "bridge" between the two series- like Tenzin, she's the child of a member of the previous cast. Lin is the daughter of the famous Toph, and has worked Metalbending into a more-defined style (Toph was making it up as she went along, since she invented it and all). And she's a GROUCH, too- she lectures the new Avatar after Korra's arrested for causing a public disturbance and fleeing the police, rips on Tenzin for attempting small talk and pleasantries (they used to date), and warns Korra that she'll be WATCHING her, too. It's only after a few death-defying battles, and their alliance against Amon's Equalist forces that the two headstrong women come to terms, and she becomes a valuable ally. Eventually, she's the first "De-Powered" Bender Korra cures from Amon's powers.
-Lin shows a strong tendency towards trying to make her mother proud- even without Toph's wishing so, Lin became the Chief of Republic City Police, following her Toph's footsteps. She seems to have devoted her LIFE to mimicking Toph, which becomes an issue as Toph NEVER really showcased any particular pride in her kids, and didn't even want Lin to become a cop in the first place! Lin even harbors serious resentment towards her sister Suyin for the sins of her past (when the younger sister was only a teenager)- she gets a major arc in Book Three, where she's unable to let go of her anger about this, and only comes to terms with it in the end. A similar arc takes place in Book Four, when we finally meet TOPH again, and Lin ends up exploding with rage at her mom, blaming her for being so bad at parenting that she's unable to even understand WHY her daughter resents her so much.
-But Lin was pretty awesome- a great design (one of the only adult female characters not to be drawn attractively- she's rather grim-looking, and has that kind of "tight-assed lanky old broad" thing going on), using a unique fighting style, and using a great grouchy personality to contrast the bright-eyed young kids, and the serious Mako & Tenzin. You FEEL for her more than most of the other characters, as her bitterness just wafts off of her, and the accumulated disappointments of her life just keep weighing her down.
-Lin, unlike the rest of Team Avatar, isn't limited to power compared to Korra so much. She doesn't pack the "major wins" Toph does in the original series, but she's definitely better than Mako & Bolin are. She's a much better Metalbender than Toph was, but oddly uses VERY little Earthbending- typically just tossing small boulders here or there. She doesn't do Toph's "Truth-Seeing" ability either, but at least can detect her surroundings like Toph could. A lot of her Metalbending stuff is just standard Bender effects but with "Requires Metals" attached to it- the Equipment spent on her Metalbender harness (itself not really worth anything to a non-Bender, aside from maybe a Grappling Hook) is there for this purpose. It features Wrist-Blades, weaker Snares, and Swinging.

METALBENDING COPS
Role:
Heroic Mooks
Voice Actor: Various
Finest Moment: Captured Avatar Korra in the Series Premier.
PL 5 (76)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Police Officer) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment (Metal Cable Gear), Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Metalbender Wire-Fu" Movement 1 (Swinging) (Flaws: Requires Cable Gear) [1]
"Climb Buildings" Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) (Flaws: Limited to Stone or Metal Structures) [1]

"Bonds of Stone" Affliction 4 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (17) -- [23]
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 4 (Feats: Split) (Diminished Range -1) (8)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 6 (12)
"Metalbending"
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 5 (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (5)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 5 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (Inaccurate -2) (3)
AE: "Wrist-Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (Flaws: Requires Metals) (2)
AE: "Coil Snares" Snare 5 (Flaws: Limited to Two Targets) (Diminished Range -1) (9)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Wrist-Blades +5 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Earth Attack +5 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Stone Bonds +5 (+4 Ranged Affliction, DC 14)
Metal Snare +5 (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Coil Snares +5 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Responsibility (Republic City)

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 5 (76)

-Republic City's police force, much like the White Lotus, are there as background faces to job to the villains and make them look even better- despite some New Hero Stink early on (when they capture Avatar Korra on her first, disruptive day in Republic City), they quickly drop like flies before the Equalists. The people of Zaofu are pretty much like this as well, though there's a smirking one named "Kuvira" who announces her name out of nowhere at the end of Book Three who will probably be important at some point...

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The MILFishness is STRONG with this one...

SUYIN BEIFONG
Role:
Action Mom, Common Background Character
Voice Actor: Anne Heche
Finest Moment: Having five adult children and maintaining THAT appearance... oh yeah and killed P'Li by metalbending armor around her face whilst she Combustion Bended.
PL 10 (175)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Deception 1 (+5)
Expertise (Politics) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Dancing) 3 (+7)
Perception 9 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 1 (+7)
Treatment 4 (+7)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Benefit 3 (Mayor of Zaofu), Defensive Attack, Equipment (Suit- Protection +1), Evasion, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"See With Her Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
"Climb Buildings" Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) (Flaws: Limited to Stone or Metal Structures) [1]

"Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33) -- [42]
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 7 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (19)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (14)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 9 (Feats: Precise) (19)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)
"Metalbending"
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (15)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 10 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (Inaccurate -2) (8)
AE: "Wrist-Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (Flaws: Requires Metals) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Wrist-Blades +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Earth Attack +12 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Multiple Stones +12 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Earthquake +8-10 Area (+8 Damage & +10 Affliction, DC 23 & 20)
Stone Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Metal Snare +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 Metal Suit, +5 Shields), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Toph- Mother)- Suyin was initially a big disappointment, having turned to criminal misbehavior as a teen. However, the two hashed out their differences years ago.
Relationship (Baatar and the Children)- Suyin is a proud mother, and very protective of her family. She guards Opal from outside forces (not wanting her to leave to join the Air Nomads), and is horrified by Baatarr Jr.'s joining up with Kuvira's "Earth Empire."
Responsibility (Zaofu)- Suyin founded the city of Zaofu, and is its leader. She defends it from all outside forces, and is very protective of it, much like her family.
Relationship (Lin Beifong- Sister)- Lin and Suyin didn't get along, even as children- Suyin's free-wheeling behavior irked the more responsible Lin, and Suyin later put the scars on Lin's face while acting like a crook.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Earthbenders require contact with the Earth to use their powers. Metalbenders have learned to use metallic surfaces as well.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 52 / Defenses: 16 (175)

-I never REALLY quite got what we were supposed to think about Suyin Beifong. She's introduced as the kindly, motherly leader of Zaofu, an entire city run on Metalbending- and she's Lin Beifong's SISTER, about whom we've never heard until now. Lin is excessively-hostile to her at first (by Lin's standards, even), and in a couple episodes, we get their backstory: Suyin was a wild-child and a rebel, and ended up scarring Lin's face when she resisted arrest while hanging out with some "Bad Boys." This left Lin bitter, caused Toph herself (then the Chief of Republic City Police) to quit the police force out of shame, and more... but we were supposed to FORGIVE Suyin, because this was all in the past, and even she and TOPH had moved past it years ago! Very, very strange- we basically discovered her crimes at the same time as we were expected to forgive her.
-Things got weirder still- she doted on her five children, instilling them with this hippie-like "I'm SO PROUD of EACH of my beautiful children!" thing that came off a bit... over-the-top? Yet she was a bit protective, and resisted Opal leaving Zaofu. And then when Lin challenged her to a Metalbending fight, Suyin ended up handily taking on her exhausted sister. Who were we supposed to root for? Lin was the character we'd known better, but she was obviously being a little too angry over stuff that happened in the past. But from her perspective, Suyin had never really owned up to her sins, and hadn't even apologized! But Lin had never even made CONTACT since their fight all those years ago, so it was STILL kind of her fault... Never mind the whole "Oh well mom and I made good YEARS ago, so don't worry about her..." aspect.
-This ambiguity (and truth be told, it kind of made things interesting, as both characters had real grievances...) made a lot of fans hate Suyin right out of the gate- her beating Lin in the fight, AND being kind of sanctimonious about Lin's anger towards her came off poorly to them. Anne Heche's odd delivery (as far as I know, she doesn't speak naturally in this breathey, husky voice- it's an affectation for the character) didn't make it any better. Me, I was just distracted by the MILFishness of the character- she basically looks like a standard hot woman with grey hair and a single line under each eye to denote age! Plus Anne Heche is still a heck of a looker for her age (though back in the '90s, she was straight-up one of the hottest women alive).
-Suyin has a much different fighting style than does Lin- she uses acrobatic, flowing movements going from one move seamlessly to the next, while Lin utilizes direct power and Metalbent Coils. However, she seems to lack Lin's Awareness in some instances, and makes several mistakes over the course of the series, such as trusting Kuvira and her own son when she shouldn't, and doesn't move to halt the advances of the Earth Empire. Instead, she plans to ace Kuvira in her sleep, which doesn't work out (she and her sons are captured).

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AVATAR KORRA (Book Three & Four)
Role:
Grown-Up Hero
Voice Actor: Janet Varney
Finest Moment: Beats Zaheer while being chained and poisoned.
PL 10 (224), PL 12 (224) in the Avatar State
STRENGTH
3/5 STAMINA 5/7 AGILITY 6/7
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13, +15 Avatar State)
Athletics 9 (+12, +14 Avatar State)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 2 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 2 (Metalbender Cable Gear), Evasion, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Firebending), Improved Critical (Waterbending) 2, Improved Critical (Earthbending), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Last Stand (Ignore All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Taunt

Powers:
"Elemental Shields" Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll 1 [1]
"Spiritual Master" Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- The Spirit World) (Flaws: Physical Body is Helpless) [1]

"Airbending Master"
"Tornado II" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylindar) (30) -- [56]
AE: Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise) (13)
AE: Air Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate, Precise) (Extras: Knockback) (20)
AE: "Airbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Air Control" Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range, Limited to Away) (20)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Nullifies Arrows, Blows Out Flames, etc. (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 12 (12)
AE: "Very Blustery Day" Environment 2 (60 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (4)
AE: "Blowback Effect" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (10)
"Waterbending Master"
"Ice Bonds"
AE: Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (28)
AE: "Water/Ice Whip" Blast 8 (Feats: Precise, Variable- Blunt or Piercing) (Extras: Knockback) (26)
AE: "Waterbending" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (21)
AE: "Water Stream" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (19)
AE: "Water Wave" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Piercing or Fire) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (19)
AE: "Water to Ice" Transform 8 (Feats: Reversible) (17)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Ice Slick" Affliction 9 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (18)
AE: "Water Healing" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Distracting) (3)
"Earthbending Master"
AE: "Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (24)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 5 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (5)
"Metalbending Master"
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 9 (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (9)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 10 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (Flaws: Inaccurate -2) (8)
"Firebending Master"
AE: "Repeating Blast" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Firebending" Move Object 12 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume instead of Mass) (24)
AE: "Fire/Air Burst" Damage 10 (Feats: Variable- Fire or Air) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (21)
"Spiritbending Master"
AE: "Spirit Dance" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Stunned/Transformed to Light Spirits) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Distracting, Limited to Dark Spirits) (20)
AE: "Undoing Bloodbending" Healing 12 (Flaws: Limited to Stat Changes From Bloodbending) (12)

Swimming 5 (16 mph) (5) -- [8]
AE: Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Requires Glider or Wings) (5)
AE: "Air Speeder" Speed 5 (60 mph) (5)
AE: "Cable-Swinging" Movement 2 (Swinging 2) (Flaws: Requires Metal Cables) (2)

"The Avatar State"
"Bending Powerhouse" +2-4 to All Powers in Bending Array & +2 Extra to any Ranged Effects (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [13]
"Speedier Avatar" +2 to all Powers in Speed Array (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [1]
"Stronger Avatar" Enhanced Strength 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [2]
"Tougher Avatar" Enhanced Stamina 2 & Defensive Roll +2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [3]
"Agile-er Avatar" Enhanced Agility 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [1]
"Better Fightin' Avatar" Enhanced Fighting 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within the Avatar State) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Area Damage +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Bonds +12 (+7-8 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-18)
Area Snares & Slicks +9 (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Spirit Dance -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +10
---
Avatar State:
Unarmed +16 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Ranged Attacks +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Area Damage +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Bonds +12 (+9-12 Ranged Affliction, DC 19-22)
Area Snares & Slicks +11 (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +5 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8
"Avatar State" Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +5 (+7 Shields), Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Proving Herself & Having Adventures)- Korra has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and wants to see the world.
Responsibility (The Avatar)- As The Avatar, it is Korra's duty to bring balance to the world. Threats to this balance include Amon and his Equalists, the anarchist Red Lotus, the coming of the Dark Spirit Vaatu, and Kuvira's Earth Empire.
Reputation (Troublemaker & Screw-Up)- Korra screws up numerous times the day she arrives in Republic City, and screws up even more as time goes on. Even her good deeds- like bringing Spirits into the Human World, mess up a ton of things for normal people. Despite her heroism, she is viewed as an annoyance and failure by various people in high positions.
Responsibility (Lack of Spiritual Side)- Korra struggles with focusing her spirit- she focuses instead of the physical & fighting quotient of being the Avatar. While she can now attain the Avatar State, she often uses it without thinking- like winning a race against Tenzin's children. Tenzin frequently scolds her over her lack of responsibility, and casual use of her powers.
---
Relationship (Tenzin)- Tenzin's job is to train Korra in Airbending and spirituality. As Tenzin is a calm, wise Master, and Korra is... Korra... this frequently doesn't go well. Korra views Tenzin as a bit of a stick in the mud and boring teacher who scolds and lectures her endlessly. By the end of the series, she comes to depend on him.
Relationship (Mako)- She gets a crush on the stoic Mako right away, and soon fall in "like", which they mistake for love. It ends up not working out- she's too much raw passion, and he's too thoughtful.
Relationship (Mother & Father)- Korra's father is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and she is extremely defensive of him.
Relationship (Asami Sato)- The two appear to grow closer during Book Three, and Asami's all "I would do ANYTHING for you, Korra"... by the end of Book Four, they're walking hand-in-hand into the Spirit World.
Enemy (Zaheer & The Red Lotus)- These anarchists are out to remove all world leaders from power- when they realize that Korra cannot be turned to their side, they endeavor to execute her in a pretty horrific manner.
---
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Waterbending requires actual water to be present- this is usually not a problem (most towns are close to water sources), but they can be locked inside of cells with no regular access. Most Waterbenders carry water in small pouches with them- however, this small amount will not allow for large damage or Area Effects- most attacks are limited to +4 Damage. More advanced Benders may utilize their own sweat or breath vapor for small effects.
Power Loss (Metalbending)- Metalbending cannot bend platinum for some reason. This is important, because SURE ENOUGH, anything you REALLY need bended is made of platinum.
Flaw Explanation (The Avatar State)- "The Avatar State" is a state of great focus and power for Avatars. They cannot utilize the powers continuously, however, and are vulnerable- should an Avatar be slain while within The Avatar State, the cycle of Avatars will be ended forever. Avatars only enter the State when in dire circumstances... or they really want to win a race.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 89 / Defenses: 17 (224)

-Korra in Book Three is a much calmer, wiser character- having averted Armageddon at the end of Harmonic Convergence, and defeated "Vaatunalaq", she now understands her place in the world. She's still likely to threaten someone for being a douche (see: Ryu when he disrespects Tenzin), but she's less-likely to throw a bitch-fit and insult her closest friends. Piss her off, and you'll earn pretty severe wrath- she tried to wipe out Zaheer when she believed that the Red Lotus leader had killed her father.
-Statistically, she gains little aside from some Mental Abilities and Metalbending- she becomes the only Avatar ever to master the element (to be fair, only Aang even had the option, as his friend Toph invented it, and Aang tended to lack Korra's focus in the other Elements). She can use a Metalbender Harness in order to use these powers (it's basically just a Whip in the hands of a Non-Bender- she actually needs Powers to use anything else). HOWEVER, she also LOSES some Power- both Avatar Spirit abilities are lost, as she can no longer seek guidance from the past Avatars. And for various reasons, Korra seems MUCH less powerful than Aang in the full Avatar State- Aang easily brought down OZAI when he went Full Avatar, while Korra struggles again and again. This is what happens when you give someone the option to go nuke and wipe out every bad guy with a "Super Mode"- either you spend years having the hero hit it on-and-off (Aang could only go into it under certain circumstances), or you de-power it (Korra frequently jobbed even USING the State, though there's often stuff like personal issues or mercury poisoning working against her). I've a feeling that Avatar Aang as an ADULT would absolutely wreck Korra in any form- he casually goes in and out of the Avatar State, powers through Bloodbending like it's nothing, AND can simply de-power helpless people.

PRESIDENT RAIKO
Role:
Obstructionist Politician
Voice Actor: Spencer Garrett
Finest Moment: Managed to have the balls to ask the Avatar for help, after years of refusing her anything.
PL 0 (28), PL 1 (28) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Politics) 7 (+10)
Insight 2 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Leader of Republic City)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Raiko likes the power that being President of Republic City gives him.
Relationship (Buttercup Raiko- Wife)
Rivalry (Avatar Korra)- Raiko does not like sharing the spotlight with the Avatar, and generally goes against anything she says or does. In the end, he banishes her from Republic City.
Responsibility (Republic City)- Despite selfishness and an inability to get along with the heroes being his primary character traits, Raiko does take his responsibility to the people seriously- when Kuvira begins demolishing the city with her Spirit Vine Energy, he surrenders rather than see his people killed.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (28)

-With the end of Book One, the United Council, generally comprised of Benders, is disbanded, allowing the general public to vote in a new leader- President Raiko, a non-Bender, is thus democratically elected... and immediately starts obstructing anything the heroes are trying to do. He refuses to intervene in the Water Tribe Civil War, rejecting Korra's pleas for help (even persuading Mako to turn on her), which nearly results in the destruction of the world during Harmonic Convergence. Granted, as a politician, it would probably be unwise to throw his people into a Civil War or two forces undergoing an internal conflict, and HE couldn't have known that the Chief of the Northern Tribe was making a deal with Satan, but STILL... In Book Three, angry over the invasion of Spirits into Republic City (destroying several buildings with "Spirit Vines"), he blames Korra, turning her into a scapegoat, then bans her from the city. And finally, in BOOK FOUR, he refuses to get involved in the Kuvira problem until it's directly on his doorstep.

Image

"Zhu Li- will you 'Do The Thing'... with ME?... FOREVER?"

VARRICK (Iknik Blackstone Varrick)
Role:
Wacky Rich Guy
Voice Actor: John Michael Higgins
Finest Moment: Invented Filmmaking.
PL 2 (82), PL 6 (82) Saves & Skills
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+6)
Athletics 5 (+5)
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 8 (+16)
Insight 4 (+7)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 5 (+8)
Stealth 8 (+10)
Technology 5 (+13)
Vehicles 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Wealth), Improvised Tools, Inventor

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Varrick is an inventor, war profiteer, and more- his bottom line is the almighty dollar.
Responsibility (Ethics)- HOWEVER, Varrick draws the line at exceptionally-dangerous things like Spirit Vine technology. Upon discovering that the stuff explodes and causes mass destruction, he refuses to work with it any longer.
Relationship (Zhu Li)- Varrick is dependent on his hard-working, ultra-loyal assistant, and is lost without her. Eventually, he realizes just HOW much he depends on her...

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (82)

-Varrick is probably the best thing to come out of Book Two. A season full of clumsy storytelling, the main characters acting like morons, and one-dimensional villains, it was great to see this big, FUN character just run in and chew the scenery. A wild, crazy inventor, Varrick is the wealthiest man in the world, and a Southern Water Tribe loyalist. Despite being on Team Avatar's side during the Water Tribe Civil War, he uses dishonesty and sneaky tactics as a war profiteer, even inventing FILMMAKING technology to allow for Twenties-Era Propaganda! Varrick was so funny that he essentially became the "Sokka" of the series (even though there already WAS a "Sokka" in Bolin), and furthered BOLIN's humorous character by playing up his silliness as the new "Mover" star of the Nuktuk series.
-Had had less of a point in Book Three, helping out Zaofu (Suyin Beifong had accepted his offering of mercy, and gave him a second chance), but showed up again in Book Four, where he allied with KUVIRA's forces, aiding the Earth Empire. However, when he refused to use the dangerous Spirit Vine technology any further (things tended to EXPLODE, and he didn't want any part of something so dangerous and unpredictable), Kuvira FORCED him to keep moving forward, weaponizing the technology. This made even HIM disgusted, and he turned on her (taking Bolin with him), but it also cost him his assistant, as the ever-loyal Zhu Li quit his employ, and betrayed him to Kuvira. He ends up teaming with Team Avatar in the final battle, making good with Zhu Li, and helping us get the ultra-happy ending during their wedding.
-Varrick is a handy sort of fellow- a consummate con-man AND Inventor, he's invented the Spirit Vine Technology, a Maglev Train, "Movers" (what we call movies) and more. He's not much of a fighter, but really doesn't need to be. He's a good enough businessman to turn a one-man canoe operation into complete control over all global shipping.

"I was cast aside by my own parents like I meant nothing to them! How could I just stand by and watch the same thing happen to my nation when it needed someone to guide it?"

KUVIRA
Role:
Mook-Turned-Girl Hitler
Voice Actor: Zelda Williams
Finest Moment: Handily defeats Avatar Korra in solo combat.
PL 10 (206)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 12 (+14)
Deception 6 (+10)
Expertise (Political Leader) 3 (+6)
Expertise (General) 10 (+13)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 6 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Bending) 4 (+12)
Stealth 1 (+7)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Powerful General/Dictator), Diehard, Equipment (Metalbender Cable Gear), Evasion, Fearless, Improved Critical (Bending) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Earthbending Master"
"Earth Shields" Enhanced Advantages 2: Defensive Roll 2 [2]
"See With Her Feet" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate, Acute) (Quirks: Requires Common Ground Contact) [3]
"One With the Earth" Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [2]
"Earth Running" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Bonds of Stone" Affliction 8 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (33) -- [44]
AE: "Stone Shot" Blast 7 (Feats: Split, Penetrating 5) (Diminished Range -1) (19)
AE: "Multiple Stones" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (14)
AE: "Super Trip" Affliction 8 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (8)
AE: "Earthbending" Earth Control 9 (Feats: Precise) (19)
AE: "Rock the World/Earth to Mud" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement) (6)
AE: "Hold Your Ground" Enhanced Strength 6 (Flaws: Limited to Resisting Movement) (6)
"Metalbending"
AE: "Metalbending" Move Object 7 (Feats: Precise) (Flaws: Limited to Metals) (15)
AE: "Metal Snare" Snare 10 (Flaws: Touch Range, Medium- Metals) (Inaccurate -2) (8)
AE: "Wrist-Blades" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) (Flaws: Requires Metals) (2)
AE: "Coil Snares" Snare 6 (Flaws: Limited to Two Targets) (Diminished Range -1) (11)
AE: "Metal Strips On People & Things" Dazzle Visuals 5 Linked to Move Object 5 (Extras: Damaging) (25)

"Metalbender Wire-Fu" Movement 1 (Swinging) (Flaws: Requires Cable Gear) [1]
"Climb Buildings" Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) (Flaws: Limited to Stone or Metal Structures) [1]
"Sense Metalbending" Senses 2 (Metal Awareness- Ranged) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Wrist-Blades +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Earth Attack +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Multiple Stones +13 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Stone Bonds +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Metal Snare +8 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Coil Snares +13 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+6 Shields), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Earth Kingdom)- Kuvira has grown disturbed by the chaos in the Post-Queen Earth Kingdom. Unwilling to watch her Kingdom fall apart, she decided to take the means to organize and defend it. By any means necessary.
Relationship (Baatar, Jr.)- The two are engaged to be married. But if he gets in the way of her ultimate victory...
Relationship (Suyin Beifong)- Kuvira was brought in by Suyin after being abandoned by her parents. She isn't sentimental, though.
Temper- Kuvira is generally extremely calm and collected. But under adversity and when things don't go as planned, she swiftly becomes very agitated, and prone to outbursts.
Power Loss (Bending)- All Bending requires the use of bodily-movements and forms. If a Bender's body is restrained in any manner, their Bending will be badly-hampered. Full entrapment will neutralize all Bending.
Power Loss (The Elements)- Earthbenders require contact with the Earth to use their powers. Metalbenders have learned to use metallic surfaces as well.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 58 / Defenses: 16 (206)

-The final villain of Korra's Big Four, Kuvira was introduced as a near-nameless Mook from Zaofu. Three years later, by the start of Book Four, she is the powerful General who's holding the disparate, leaderless Earth Kingdom states intact- she moves her army from place to place, beating down anyone who opposes her, takes out the bandits who capitalize on the chaos, and browbeats the population into accepting her as their leader. Finally, she refuses to give back control of her new "Earth Empire" to Prince Wu, as she had promised, realizing that he was a buffoon. Kuvira seems alright at first- more of a quality leader. THAT sure changes, though. She seems harsh at first, but a few episodes in and she's basically Girl Hitler. And this ain't no "Godwin's Law" at work- her Earth Empire flat-out mimics the rise of Hitler's Third Reich, complete with "Re-Education Camps".
-In a bit of a waste of a good idea, they KEEP TALKING about "Re-Education Camps", but never ONCE show them as far as I can remember! I mean, that's Writing 101- show the evils of the character. Though she gets plenty of awful moments as time goes on- when Varrick draws the line at creating WMDs with the Spirit Vine Technology, she threatens to murder him until he starts building Laser Weapons for her. She gladly turns on the woman who took her in as an orphan when she basically steamrolls Zaofu and takes it over (even capturing Suyin- her future MOTHER-IN-LAW). And despite occasionally showing mercy and forgiveness to those loyal to her, she pretty much crosses the line when she fires a Laser Death Weapon at a group of people that includes her FIANCE. She is finally defeated when Team Avatar breaches her Giant Mech's hull and disables it, and she fires the Spirit Energy Cannon one last time, setting off a new Spirit Portal and nearly killing her. Korra saves her life (finally doing the less-violent thing for once), and gives her the old "We're not so different, you and I" speech about wanting to protect what they love (Korra's friends; Kuvira's nation). Kuvira stands down.
-Kuvira ends up being pretty neat, though- the series has very few Mega-Villains who are girls, so she stands out there. Her near-implacable calm demeanor makes her different from the madmen and manipulators the series has shown up till this point, and her personal relationships with other characters gives her an extra "edge". By only issue is her Earthbending seems pretty "standard issue", aside from specializing in tossing Metal Bits onto people, then tossing them around with it. She can also sense when others are using Metalbending nearby.
-Kuvira is a highly-skilled Metalbender, but is actually fairly un-practiced against important characters- her biggest feat was defeating Korra, who was still suffering from the mental effects of being nearly-killed by Zaheer, and having been "rusty" after a few years of being out of practice. She could switch between Earthbending and Metalbending rapidly, and specialized in counter-strikes, meaning she tended to wear down her opposition with accurate strikes.

GIANT METAL SUIT
Role:
Super-Mecha
Finest Moment: Basically tore apart Republic City
PL 18 (206)
STRENGTH
13 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -- AWARENESS -- PRESENCE --

Skills:
None

Advantages:
Power Attack

Powers:
"Construct" Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Platinum Frame" Impervious Toughness 9 [9]
"Gigantic Form" Growth 17 (Str & Toughness +17, +17 Mass, +8 Intimidation, -8 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -17 Stealth) -- (150 feet) (Extras: Permanent +0) [35]

"Spirit Energy Cannon"
Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 1,000ft. Line +6, Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting) [120]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Spirit Energy Cannon +18 Area (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +17 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Inert)- The Giant Mech requires a pilot to drive it- a Metalbender, no less. Without that, it's basically scrap.
Vulnerable (Precision Attacks)- Being so huge, the Giant Mech has little to fear from otuside attacks. However, some attacks can create small holes in individual parts of its body (Toughness 10), allowing others to get inside of it, where its mechanics are much more vulnerable.

Total: Abilities: -38 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 194 / Defenses: 23 (206)

-The Giant Mech is the ultimate weapon of the Earth Empire- a massive, slow-walking metal suit that Kuvira controls with Metalbending, firing out a massive Spirit Cannon. Some fans felt this was a LITTLE excessive and a bit too sci-fi for this world, adding to the rapid advances it'd been undergoing (going from airplanes being a new thing, to GIANT MECHS, in like five or six years), but I'm undecided on it. The thing was basically a super-tough mobile platform for the Death Weapon, which annihilated the Republic City Fleet and tore buildings apart like they were nothing, resulting in a PL 18 Area Effect. But it suffers from the same thing that befalls most Giant Robots when opposed by smart people- you can just bypass its giant Toughness Save and attack it internally, disabling the more-vulnerable pilots.

xxxx

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)

Yeah, weddings are a lot of work, especially for the wedding party. It doesn't help that my friend is a terrible planner, and only e-mailed out the schedule about 3-4 days beforehand! I mean, who schedules the rehearsal for 11 am the morning before? Seriously... It was a great wedding, though- my friend has lots of goofy friends up in Calgary, so that part was fun (nothing like seeing people in medieval armor, tuxedos, Fantasy Elf outfits, fairy dresses and drag at a wedding!). Getting around was pretty tough, though- I usually don't regret not having a car too much, but Calgary has REALLY weak public transit, and I was staying at my sister's place, which is on the other end of the city from my friend's, and half an hour from where the wedding was.

And yes- I'm one of those weird adults who doesn't have a car :)- I live close to work, and the public transit around here is decent enough that I can get places fairly easily. Car payments, insurance and gas is pricey enough that I make major savings by being cheap and not having one, so I can afford to travel more than even my richer friends! Though experiences like Calgary (or the occasional hassle of needing a ride somewhere because I have something too big to carry around) are making me think I should just bite the bullet and get one...

That's cool about you running your own store- I have a lot of respect for the small business owners out there. I live just off of Whyte Ave, and I've seen a ton of stores come and go. Rent's apparently gone up by 40% in the past couple years, and a lot of places have had to close. It's too bad- I like going out and checking out all the little shops they have up here.

Summer's been fun, but busy. Well, I WANT to say I've been busy, except it was mostly me MAKING it busy. My friends have been away off-and-on, and I don't like just sitting around being bored, so I tend to get up and go do things- I like going to different parts of Edmonton and checking out what's going on. I kind of get cabin fever if I'm inside for too long (I work late shifts most of the time, so I don't get around much after work), and I used to be a major homebody who stuck to the same usual places to hang out, so shaking it up has been good- I'm lucky enough to be pretty close to South Edmonton Common, Kingsway, Downtown and a few other places, living where I do.

But most of my thoughts lately have been going towards planning a vacation to Japan for this October. There's a lot of stuff to still figure out, though at least I've gotten most of the hotel and day-to-day stuff figured out. So that'll be my "excitement" for this year. How about you? Did you do any travelling or anything fun like that? Also, tell me about your dog! What kind do you have?

Talk to you later!



Star Guard;89164 wrote:This is why I love Jab's Builds. Got me with the ReMac. I thought for sure I had come up with a totally unique idea for Bladewind's Justice League Academy and *bam* Jab shows me what I get for dropping comics for a couple decades when the Iron Age started.

Nice

Love the Red Eradicator costume also Ares. ;)


Haha, you made a "Good OMAC" or something? That's funny.

I hope I got the Eradicator build right- I know absolutely jack squat about that character aside from the fact that he's the guy with the '90s Goggles from the Reign of Superman arc. I didn't even know he was a damn robot till I started the build!

Also, just got back from the Calgary Comic Expo- pretty fun, as usual. I'm kind of an old hat at it by now, so it has few surprises. Though Stan Lee cancelling two days ahead (movie shoot went over-time) and being replaced by NEIL PATRICK HARRIS of all people was a surprise. He had a HUGE line, partially because he was only there for one day, and for a handful of hours only. He had EASILY the hugest line, followed by Lana Parilla, which surprised me- she's not even the MAIN CHARACTER of Once Upon a Time anymore. Still pretty as hell, though- I'd trade a whole pig for her. I would have got something, but it was $60 just for a picture, the line-up was pretty big, and I'd have had to go pull more money- too much of a hassle :).

Jason Momoa was easily #3 in lines. The one dude from Agents of SHIELD had a sizeable one all day, too. It reminds me of how actors used to HATE the Convention Circuit, but now it seems like there's no shame involved- it's GREAT money (NPH probably made $160,000 in a single day by selling $80 pictures). My friend's wife (who didn't go) was put out because she didn't realize "there would be hot GUYS there, too!", apparently not realizing that nerd-dom is rapidly picking up on putting abs-having beefcake into things to attract female audiences the way they use boobs to draw in the men.

Only celeb I really wanted to meet was Mick Foley, which was fun. I was gonna ask him a dorky question about "the difference between what fans consider good workers, and what WRESTLERS consider good workers", but he got distracted by my T-shirt of Fantasia's Chernabog and TOTALLY nerded out when I mentioned it was a Disney character and I got it at Disneyworld. He immediately went into a huge spiel about how awesome the new Cinderella movie was, fixing the mistakes of the old one and giving depth to all the characters. Of course by that point he was talking to the decidedly-chestier woman who was in line behind me :).

Trish Stratus & Lita were there, too. Both were looking their age- Trish has obviously had a large amount of work done- not a single wrinkle on the face of a 39-year old woman is a bit suspect, and her lips are still collageny. Still hot, though, obviously- I likes the older wimmens. Much better as a brunette. My friend thought Lita looked way better than she did on TV (kind of a butterface), but I thought she looked kind of scrunched-up and bit old.

Sad moment: The other three "Evil Witches" from Once Upon a Time were there, and Maleficent and Cruella had pretty sizeable lines, while poor Ursula had like three people. Poor Ursula, playing the weakest of the three characters (even if Winston Zedmore was her dad) and having a comparably-shorter line- I wonder if that sticks in the craws of actors on theoretically-similar levels? Also, Jennifer Smurfit (Cruella) is SURPRSINGLY-hot in real life. A hot Cruella weirds me out. Blonde, too. Total MILF city.

Talked to Fernando Ruiz from Archie Comics, artist of Archie Versus Predator, which is hilarious (Reggie: "I'm a goshdarn sexual Tyrannosaurus!"), who recognized me and my posts from the Archie Fans forum. We joked about Toni Topaz, whom he describes as literally built by committee in order to "add a black character to Archie" since Chuck & Nancy weren't popular. They based her off of Rhianna, and gave her a ton of possible names (all were apparently Stripper-esque, like Sapphire or something), then put her in a couple stories. Then decided she had to be on EVERY SINGLE DIGEST COVER, because of her addition to "diversity". Ironically, as Ruiz points out, they'd by this point stopped making original stories in the main universe, meaning she was literally just one of those newbies who disappears.

Bob Layton was there, but I already got a great profanity-laced tirade about how awful Jim Shooter was from him in Edmonton, so I didn't need another one.

A bunch of animated Voice Actors were there, but I largely missed Allen Oppenheimer (Skeletor), Melendy Britt (She-Ra) and Tom Kenney (Spongebob Squarepants), who apparently had a REALLY big line. Sadly, Peter Cullen was only Sat-Sun, and I was only there Friday.

I missed seeing Garth Ennis there, but I forgot to bring a book for him to sign. Also, I have a suspicion he might be an asshole in real life (I mean, read his stuff), so it's possibly for the best.

Spent too much on Battle Beasts (more expensive than on eBay, but I mean, they were RIGHT THERE), and a DeviantArt book featuring sexy female characters (got a print of Elsa, naturally). Most of the cheesecake art is of course drawn by women, and most of the sexy cosplay outfits were also worn by women. DID SOMEONE NOT TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE OBJECTIFYING THEIR OWN GENDER!!?!?! Do they not understand the female mind, and realize that such things would NEVER APPEAL TO ACTUAL WOMEN!?!?
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Book of Mormom

Post by Jabroniville »

THE BOOK OF MORMON:

There's this line that you can cross all you want as longa s you have a reason for doing it. If it has a point and it has a story and it has genuine, real character adn emotion, then you can pretty much do whatever you want. There is no line if you're being truthful. We learned that lesson a long time ago.
-Trey Parker, explaining why his & Matt Stone's style of humor holds up so much better than all the standard "Let's just do and say something offensive!" brands of shock-comedy.


-Debuting in 2011, The Book of Mormon basically became the Broadway hit of the century, succeeding on basically every possible level- cleaning up at the Tony Awards, going on National Tours and opening on the West End- even becoming the musical even people who HATED musicals wanted to see! It's the brainchild of the minds behind the infamous South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and the music writer Robert Lopez (then best-known for Avenue Q, now best known for co-writing Let It Go and the rest of the Frozen soundtrack with his wife Kristin). All three men were obsessed with the odd, quirkly Mormons they'd meet, and were all huge fans of the musical genre (before SP, Parker was active in music, having performed in several shows and even having his own band- DVDA). When they came together after a performance of Avenue Q (a foul-mouthed Sesame Street parody that introduced the world to The Internet is for Porn), all three realized that they'd ALL had an idea that Mormons would be a HILARIOUS subject for a musical (Stone & Parker are notorious for satirising religion- they've stuck it to all forms of Christianity and Judaism, took a famous shot at $cientology, and infamously ripped on Muhammad to MAJOR controversy when Comedy Central refused to back them up). Lopez, a Broadway pro, convinced Stone & Parker to create a Broadway musical rather than a film version, and SEVEN YEARS LATER (these things are a BITCH to produce), they'd released one.

The musical is centred around two eager young missionaries at the beginning of their mission to UGANDA of all places- their job is to convert Africans to the church. Elder Price is a brilliant, happy, competent Mormon, and much is expected of him. Elder Cunningham is fat, stupid, and a giant nerd who obsesses over pop culture and can't stop from making up random stuff every time he gets nervous. And their mission in Uganda is frought with peril, as their Bible has nothing of note to comfort the Africans dealing with problems like poverty, war, famine, AIDS and female circumcision- not to mention there's a vicious general out there who LOVES committing murder, and bathing in the blood of his enemies while being "butt-f*cking naked!" The only way they're able to convert Africans is to basically modify their stories to fit more with than the Africans are going through- essentially "making things up". I mean, a religion based off of MAKING STUFF UP??

---

Parker & Stone had been obsessed with Mormons for years- Orgazmo, a 1998 film about a Mormon missionary who performs in porn as a "Sex-Based Superhero" to pay for his wedding, took a ton of cute jabs at them ("Jesus and I love you!" "Jesus and I love you, two!", and an old lady calls two missionaries "soul-soliciting pigf*ckers"). A 2003 South Park episode skewered the entire FOUNDATION of the religion, depicting an idiotic Joseph Smith founding the religion alongside increasingly-stupid events. This episode was AMAZING, as it literally spends 20 minutes ripping on Mormons for being overly-nice dorks, Joseph Smith for being a fraud, and comments on all of the Mormon beliefs as being totally insane and stupid (Israelites build ships and sail to AMERICA? Native Americans are actually Israelites from the EVIL tribe of Israel, who had their skin stained red for their sins?)... then turns it right around on young Stan Marsh when he calls them on this with a series of insults, because while their beliefs may be silly, all Mormons try to do is be friendly to others, so if you're going to use their beliefs as a reason to hate them, then YOU'RE the asshole.

Their fundamental point to that episode is largely the point to this musical as well- the religion is stupid and full of holes, but the MORAL is about helping people and being decent to each other, which is actually a good thing. Neither Stone nor Parker are religious (Stone has stated that he's an atheist), but their point is that religion is a METAPHOR.

This neat and rarely-seen moral (the musical just DESTROYS the concept of religion for the most part) is of course surrounded by one of the funniest damn things ever. I've seen the show twice- once in New York, and once in the touring show for Edmonton, and it is AMAZING. It's basically a concentrated dose of amazing music (only the one song from Frozen compares to Lopez' work in most of the show) and South Park's brand of foul-mouthed, endearing humor. Contrasting the super-dorky, clueless Mormons against the bitter, foul-mouthed Africans sets things off perfectly- the humor is relentlessly-anti-PC and shocking, making Africa look like the hugest craphole in the universe, cracking jokes about how "80% of us have AIDS!". Stone is actually VERY knowledgeable about Africa, as all the jokes present are actually based off of REAL facts, like the problem of female circucision, or men raping virgins to "cure their AIDS" (even BABY RAPE is mentioned- and they're NOT MAKING THAT UP!). And it's this TRUTH that allows them to be as shocking an un-PC as they are- the BEST jokes are all based off of reality.

Despite coming down on the side that religion is an okay thing, it relentlessly-mocks Mormonism- all the Mormon characters are treated as clueless dorks- the whitest people in the history of whiteness. One Elder is struggling with his homosexuality by "turning it off" (my sister works with a gay Mormon basically doing the same thing, except he "doesn't believe in homosexuality", like it's the Easter Bunny or a Bunyip or something). The logic holes and insane beliefs in the actual Book of Mormon are parodied (God punishing Israelites by "causing a blackness to come upon their skin", Jews sail to America in ancient times and bury golden scrolls that only Joseph Smith can read, God changing his mind and allowing black people into the priesthood in 1978), and more. Many, MANY of the jokes are flat-out blasphemous and are shocking in a way audiences usually aren't prepared for, and basically say that all religion is silly and made-up; useful only as moral lessons that can change with times and cultures in order to better help current people. A fairly deep, meaningful moral.

The show was an absolute SMASH from day one, being talked about just about everywhere. Jon Stewart gushed to Stone & Parker on The Daily Show, basically declaring his jealousy, and that the song Hasa Diga Eebowai (inspired by Guns, Germs and Steel's description of how the rest of the world got screwed over because Europeans were just born into a better place that allowed them access to the things that would allow them to take over the world- everybody else got stuck with crap; essentially everyone in the world but Europe got screwed by fate) would be something he'd be proud to be used by aliens as a judgment for humanity's worth. Shows sold out to the point where getting tickets became legendarily-difficult. It crushed at every Awards show possible, and got Elder Cunningham's actor, Josh Gad, serious notice (he would later play Olaf in Lopez' Frozen). The Original Cast Recording is the biggest Broadway album in 40 years, and multiple tours have started up. It's basically the biggest Broadway hit in years- and musicals are NOTORIOUSLY hard to turn a profit on- Idina Menzel's If/Then lasted for more than a year, but still likely didn't turn a profit. Only the mighty Wicked is a bigger hit, and I think THAT'S just due to time and its larger theatre, in addition to a more worldly view that has made the show a smash in places like Germany and Japan.

The Characters:
Elder Price- The best Missionary in the whole Training Centre- a smiling, dorky, laughing fellow whose competence has introduced a kind of smarmy arrogance that he will always know what to do.
Elder Cunningham- A goofy, uncharismatic, f*ck-up of a Missionary, and Price's "Mission Companion". Has a tendency to make things up and exaggerate, so decides to link up to the more-capable Price.
Elder McKinley and the others- The standard "dorky backdrop Mormons", who've yet to bring even a SINGLE Ugandan to the Church. McKinley struggles with his homosexuality.
Malafa- A Ugandan tribesman who introduces the boys to their village.
Nabalungi- Malafa's daughter, a classic well-meaning, innocent "ingenue" who is the only one to believe in the boys' tales of salvation.
General Butt-F*cking-Naked- A nasty, murderous General out for control, with a hatred of the clitoris.
The Mission President- He gets sent out to observe the boys once they become successful, and is shocked by what he sees.

The Song List:
Act One:

(the first three are more or less establishing bits to showcase the characters- they're probably the weakest songs of the whole thing- Stone & Parker say they basically wrote each song in order, and learned as they went along)
Hello- A bunch of dorky Elders recite the openings of the infamous "I would like to tell you about this amazing book" spiel of all Mormon Missionaries. The two main Elders are introduced- Price & Cunningham.
Two By Two- They each find out where they're going- Price REALLY prayed to get sent to his favorite place ("OLANDO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!"), but he & Cunningham are sent to Uganda.
You and Me (But Mostly Me)- Price's arrogance and Cunningham's toadying are played up.

(the songs get AMAZING here)
Hasa Diga Eebowai- The boys find out just HOW rought the Africans have it, and just WHAT they think of God.
Turn It Off- Elder McKinley describes how Mormons can simply "turn off" bad feelings "like a light switch". "Just find the box that's gay and *CRUSH IT!!!!!*" A hilariously-sad song that becomes funnier because it's all sad and true- self-imposed cluelessness. It was based off of the creators' trip to Utah, and meeting countless people working in restaurants who confessed to being both gay and Mormon.
I Am Here For You- Cunningham fawns over and protects Price from the harshness of their mission, and tries to cheer him up. Largely filler, but defines the characters.
All American Prophet- Price tells the villagers the tale of a Prophet with "A little DONNY OSMOND flare".
Sal Tlay Ka Siti- Nabalungi, inspired by the Mormons' tales of their homeland, basically sings the "I Want" song of the show about how much better she imagines life to be. A showstopper.
Man Up- Cunningham, left alone, decides to "MAN UP!" and take inspiration from his pop culture heroes.

Act Two:
Making Things Up Again- A lone Cunningham rapidly changes the teachings of the Holy Book in order to fit exactly what's going on right now, while imagining his father scolding him for his lies.
Spooky Mormon Hell Dream- Price fears what all Mormons receive- the "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" that reminds him of his upcoming punishments for sinning. He meets Satan, Hitler, Genghis Khan, Jeffrey Dahmer and Johnny Cochrane, and is taunted with Starbucks coffee (a gag they don't explain, and non-Mormons often struggle to get).
I Believe- Price redoubles his efforts to convert others, and confronts the vicious General. One of the best moments in the play is Price's one-man sway while holding hands with a General with the world's biggest "WTF?" expression on his face.
Baptize Me- Cunningham & Nabalungi sing a duet that sound suspiciously like a metaphor for something else.
I Am Africa- The Elders now sing a song about how "We are AFRICA!", while the Ugandans are merely "Africans", while doing tribal dances.
Orlando- Price sings about his dreams.
Joseph Smith- American Moses- The tribe sings a song about Joseph Smith- learned from Cunningham's lessons- to the horrified Mission President and Elders (who had no idea what he was telling them- "Joseph Smith! Don't f*** the baby! Joseph Smith! Instead go and f*** this frog!").
Tomorrow Is a Latter Day/Hello/Finale- The thing wraps up with a series of callbacks and other songs.


ELDER PRICE (Kevin Price)
Role:
Main Character, The Hero
Group Affiliations: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
PL 0 (20), PL 3 (20) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Religion) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Singing) 12 (+12)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Mormon Physiology"
Enhanced Skills: Persuasion 4 (+4) (Flaws: Limited to Other Mormons) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Converting Others to The Church)
Responsibility ("I am a Mormon- and a Mormon just BELIEVES!")- Mormons are trained to believe in the three Holy Books ("you have to believe in it all!"), even the stuff about God living on a planet called Kolob, and Price getting his own planet when he dies.
Responsibility (Arrogant)- Price tries to be modest, but believes in the adulations others spend upon him. He thinks his mission will be a cakewalk, and doesn't understand the challenges set before him. He is also clueless about the ways of the outside world.
Responsibility (Lack of Faith)- Price cracks under the pressure of his challenges, and loses his faith.
Phobia (Spooky Mormon Hell Dream)- All Mormons receive nightmares about Hell whenever they sin- Price got one when he blamed his brother for eating a maple-glazed donut, and another when he breaks Rule #72 and leaves his Companion. He watches Jeffrey Dahmer sodomize his father, and is forced to drink coffee by demons.
Relationship (Elder Cunningham)- Price is put out when he's paired off with the useless, uncharismatic Elder Cunningham, and only barely tolerates him.
Motivation ("Or-LAN-do-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh!")- Price's favourite place in the whole wide world is the land of SeaWorld, Disney World and other theme parks. He always longs to return there.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 5 (20)

-Elder Price is sort of "The Ace" of his Mission Training Centre- the greatest, most knowledgeable Mormon Missionary there is. Every heaps praise upon him, from his fellow Elders to his parents, and despite being a generic smiling, polite Missionary, this kind of goes to his head. He's also your "Standard Mormon" to showcase the various quirks and foibles of the Church's chosen, contrasting from his wacky, dumb "sidekick" Elder Cunningham. This makes Price a pretty good centre to the story, as he witnesses various atrocities and has his faith tested as the best "baseline" Mormon possible.
-Elder Price is a pretty weak combatant, as he's got no experience with the outside world. His manner of politeness and charm are also highly-lost on anyone outside of the Church, giving him an odd Flaw. As a singing character, he gets a lot of the big, bombastic lines, singing about Orlando or "I BELIEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE!!!"- sort of the male equivalent of a "Belter". Pretty standard Broadway stuff.
-The other Missionaries (Elder McKinley and the others, like "Elder Poptarts" [because he eats them so much, naturally]) are basically like this, but usually know less about religion and Singing, as Price is the best.

ELDER CUNNINGHAM (Arnold Cunningham)
Role:
Main Character, Bumbling Sidekick-Turned-Prophet, Comic Relief
Group Affiliations: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
PL 0 (23), PL 3 (23) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Religion) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 13 (+13)
Expertise (Singing & Dancing) 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Ultimate Pop Culture Skill

Powers:
"Mormon Missionary" Enhanced Skills: Persuasion 4 (+3) (Flaws: Limited to Other Mormons) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Converting Others to The Church)
Responsibility ("I am a Mormon- and a Mormon just BELIEVES!")- Mormons are trained to believe in the three Holy Books ("you have to believe in it all!"), even the stuff about God living on a planet called Kolob, and Price getting his own planet when he dies.
Responsibility (Unlikeable)- Even Cunningham's father feels "Stuck with me", and others (including Price) often do as well, despite their Mormon vows to never stray from each other.
Responsibility ("You're making things up again, Arnold")- Cunningham often gets nervous or forgetful, and starts "adding fiction" to what he's saying- including the Holy Word! This is generally bad, as he gets nervous A LOT. When he starts making things up to convert more Africans, he gets into major trouble when people on both sides discover problems with his statements.
Responsibility ("Man Up!")- Arnold has let others lead him his whole life, and has never excelled. When he's abandoned by his Mission Companion, it's left up to HIM to finally "man up" and make good.
Phobia (Spooky Mormon Hell Dream)- All Mormons receive nightmares about Hell whenever they sin. Cunningham has not mentioned his.
Relationship (Neutrogena)- Despite being unable to remember her name, Arnold is infatuated with the beautiful Nabalungi.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 3 (23)

-Elder Cunningham, a role started by Josh Gad, is the other Main Character of the show- his Pop Culture obsession and inability to keep the truth straight ends up with him randomly making stuff up in order to convince the Africans to listen to the Holy Word- when there's nothing in his Book of Mormon about AIDS, raping babies or other African problems, what does he do? He just starts coming up with relevant stories off the top of his head- inventing random new plot elements, often involving The Starship Enterprise, Boba Fett and Mordor! With a new, relevant religion that appeals to the modern African, he becomes the new Prophet... but of course the villagers then put on a show about their concept of Joseph Smith for the Mission President.
-Cunningham's lies catch up with him in a big way, but then there's the big take-away and the POINT of the whole musical, which is that religion should be treated like a METAPHOR. Cunningham is a great character, though- a perfect contrast to Elder Price, he acts as a Bumbling Sidekick at first, but his manic, comic energy gives him many of the best lines. Gad and the guy I saw on Broadway are pretty chubby (it definitely fits the character as a nerd), but the guy in Edmonton was average-sized, just with an unimpressive look (one of those nerdy-looking types with the fat trouty-lips thing going on). His songs are more "rock & roll" than Price's big Broadway-style numbers, especially Man Up! and Baptize Me's ending, though a couple are done in a fairly high-pitched nerdy voice for comedic purposes. It's a less-stressful signing role, but probably a harder acting one, as he's raw slapstick.

NABALUNGI
Role:
The Ingenue, Female Lead
Group Affiliations: None
PL 0 (16), PL 2 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+1)
Expertise (Singing & Dancing) 9 (+12)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Enemy (General Butt-F*cking Naked)- The evil General threatens to cut off the clitorises of every woman in Nabalungi's village- things are not safe for her.
Relationship (Elder Cunningham)- Arnold's motivating words send chills up Nabalungi's spine.
Responsibility (Mormon)- Baptized by Cunningham, Nabalungi is one of the loudest voices in the charge for conversion.
Motivation ("Sal Tlay Ka Siti")- Nabalungi dreams of this sparkling place in the land of "Ooh-tah", where the "Warlords are very gentle" and they "have vitamin injections by the case!" When she finds out she isn't REALLY going there, she is despondent and nearly gives up the religion.
Relationship (Father)- Nabalungi's father is very protective, and threatens to give his AIDS to any man who touches her.
Responsibility (Technologically-Disabled)- Her idea of "texting" people is to type on a typewriter she carries around.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (16)

-It's funny- in the "Making Of" book for the show, Josh Gad admits he didn't see the point of Nabalungi at first- she's just "The Ingenue", the innocent, wide-eyed young girl/love interest, and nothing more. But then he realized that she's basically NECESSARY for the entire plot to work- someone innocent enough to take the Mormons' words at face value, and emotional centre of the show- someone who can inspire pathos and joy, in order to justify everything else- if EVERY character was ultra-silly, the show would go "off the rails". She convinces the other villagers to listen to Arnold's words, is the first to be baptized, and attempts to lead them to a promised land. When she discovers that some of his words were lies, she breaks down and gives up everything. She sort of represents the entire village, and Africa itself, thematically- her life is garbage, but she desperately longs for something more.
-Despite the humor taken in the jokes about her misunderstanding everything, the creators are careful to make her endearing and likeable. And while it seems like they're going with an Ugly American-style "HAH-HAH, look at how naive the Africans are!", only Nabalungi is really taken in- the others comprehend the nature that "Prophets often speak in METAPHOR!". Though naturally, that's not really what was happening at all.
-Nabalungi only gets a couple songs, one being hilarious (Baptize Me), and the other being a standard "I Want" song, that also lets the actress belt out to her pipes' content- Lopez even notes that "I wanted to write a Disney Princess song" (and later on in his career, he'd write MANY MORE). And as Arnold notes- she is a REALLY hot shade of black ("like a latte!").

GENERAL BUTT-F*CKING NAKED
Role:
The Villain
Group Affiliations: His Personal Army
PL 5 (54)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Expertise (Military) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (AK-47- Multiattack Blast, Pistol), Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Pistol +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
AK-47 +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Hatred (The Clitoris)- The General believes that Clitorii are "an abomination!", and enforces his will and terrorizes people by forcing their women to undergo painful circumcisions.
Responsibility (Coward)- The General is brave only because he has armed men beside him, and is feared by the people- if they no longer fear him, he loses his nerve.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (54)

-General Butt-F*cking Naked (so named because he likes to murder people, and bathe in their blood while "butt-F*CKING naked!") is the villain of the story- representative of the vicious warlords that are an epidemic in the poorer parts of Africa. He doesn't get any songs, but he drives a lot of the narrative, for his vicious thugs threaten to murder everyone in the village (he himself shoots a man in the forehead to prove that he means business), and he keeps the Mormon Missionaries away in their building at all times. And of course, because the creators were interested in the truth of Africa rather than just poking fun at them, he IS in fact based upon a real person- General Butt Naked was a nudist psychopath who claims to have killed over 20,000 people and engaged in human sacrifice and cannibalism. He later converted to Christianity and preaches against his old misdeeds.
-His final line in the play brings the house down so hard that they had to add a small break in the song just so the crowds could get it out of their system.

xxx

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)

Posting Order:
The Book of Mormon, Elder Price, Nabalungi
Elder Cunningham, General Butt-Fucking Naked
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

COPS

Post by Jabroniville »

C.O.P.S.:

-As I've gone into repeatedly, the 1980s was a time where toy makers realized that the best way to get their toys to appeal to children was to introduce them to the characters via some OTHER form: Rather than just make simple commercials, they would invent whole CARTOON SERIES featuring the toys as characters. This was pretty much started by the unexpected success of Kenner's Star Wars line, and was soon mimicked by Hasbro (G.I. Joe, The Transformers, Jem and the Holograms), Mattel (He-Man, She-Ra), and others. Pretty soon, HUNDREDS of cartoon series would be sprouting up, almost all of them as commercial-type advertising for some toy line or another. There were also cartoons based off of laser tag games (The Spiral Zone), board games & RPGs (Dungeons & Dragons), Rubik's Cube (Rubik the Amazing Cube) and video games (Pole Position, Captain N the Game Master, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show).

C.O.P.S.... was one of these.

I mean, it wasn't great or nothing. But it hardly sucked- and trust me, looking back, a LOT of this stuff was unmitigated cel-animated feces. And there was nothing quite like the punch to the guy that was watching Thundercats as an adult and going "Oh my GOd... This is HORRIBLE! What was I THINKING!?!" Thankfully, C.O.P.S. actually manages to hold up rather well. I bought one of the DVD sets a year or so ago, and watched it at a pretty good clip- a lot of it is classic "filler", but it's fun and whacky enough to be enjoyable. It has some other advantages going for it as well. Plus a pretty bitching theme song.

The Show:
The series was based around the concept of "Fighting crime... in a FUTURE TIME!"- they lived in the sci-fi world of Empire City, a world of high technology, robots, laser weapons and cyborgs, but were based around the old-school concept of Cops & Robbers. The heroes were standard Upstanding Heroic Types (with a few unique characters), and the villains were these Dick Tracy-like deformed freaks with Prohibition-era Gangster Designs in some cases.

Each episode was The Case of _______, with Big Boss and his gang of Crooks creating some scheme, and the C.O.P.S. (Central Organization of Police Specialists, because of COURSE you couldn't just call them standard "cops") reacting to it and stopping them. Generally, at least a handful of Crooks would be arrested at the end, with "CASE CLOSED" stamped across the screen. It'd have your standard "And KNOWING is half the battle" PSAs, some of which were pretty clever (a couple featured the VILLAINS giving advice to the viewers- Rock Krusher commented about how he hung around with a gang, and was lucky- HE just went to jail! Some of his friends ended up DEAD!). It was your standard '80s fare, with cartoonish villainous schemes, stupid-looking bad guys, and the smiling heroes beating them. The group wasn't quite as "ragtag" as some shows' heroes- the characters got along better than the G.I. Joe team did, and were a pretty high-tech, well-funded team. There didn't seem to be a standard "Complainer" character (a character meant to be a whiner that the rest of the heroes could harp on and force to get along- training children to do Groupthink at a young age).

The series, starting in 1988 and lasting only a year, nonetheless had 65 episodes (the standard to allow a show to be Syndicated)- this is several times what most of the '80s Toy-Based Cartoons got- equal to Jem. And like I said... it holds up pretty well. The '80s Cartoons can be judged as such:

G.I. Joe/Jem

The Transformers/Dino Riders/Ninja Turtles/The Real Ghostbusters
(some can vary in quality- TMNT fell apart after a few years, and Dino Riders was off the air quickly)

She-Ra


C.O.P.S.





He-Man





Thundercats




Inspector Gadget


Seriously, Thundercats is awful. Horrible, horrible voice acting and animation, even by '80s standards. Inspector Gadget is even worse. C.O.P.S.'s biggest advantage is probably it's gang of insane villains- hideous, stupid, and well-designed, with AMAZINGLY-great names: Big Boss, Buttons McBoomBoom, Turbo Tu-Tone, Dr. Badvibes, and... Ms. DeMeanor. That is AWESOME. The heroes are kind of generic by comparison, however (though some of them have actual FAMILY and CHILDREN, which is unusual for a boys' show). The animation on the series is pretty standard stuff- not overly-great, but not as bad as some of the REALLY bad flaw-filled stuff from G.I. Joe. It's mainly fun because my best friend is a cop, so I get to joke the he shouts "It's CRIME-FIGHTING TIME" before he starts his shift, and act like everyone he arrests speaks with an Edward G. Robinson accent :).

The Cast:
THE COPS:
* Each represents one particular type of cop... something I totally never picked up on until Wikipedia mentioned it.
Bulletproof- The leader and best all-around guy. One of the few black heroes to be a leader in the '80s- a G-Man.
LongArm- The most dumb weapon ever: A single-cuff Handcuff device attached to his wrist. A Generic Hero Guy character, but one of the few with kids. Your typical Beat Cop.
Bowser & Blitz- Your standard "Weird Guy and his Animal", but in this case, Blitz is a robot dog.
Mace- Big S.W.A.T. guy with a giant Laser Cannon.
Sundown- Texas Sheriff.
Highway- Vehicle driver.
Barricade- Crowd & Riot Control.
Hardtop- The team's rookie.
Bullseye- Helicopter Pilot.
Mainframe- Tomboyish Computer specialist.
Mirage- Undercover officer.

There's a few guys who don't really do much, appearing in only a few episodes: Taser, CheckPoint (a nervous type), APES (long grappling hand devices), Airwave (Communications), Inferno (firefighter), Powderkeg (Bomb Squad), Nightstick (Martial Artist) & Heavyweight (Armored Tactical Unit)

THE CROOKS:
Big Boss- Evil fat guy, and the main Kingpin of Empire City.
Berserko- Big Boss's big, retarded nephew.
Rock Krusher- Jackhammer-wielding goon.
Ms. Demeanor- Giant ugly bodybuilding female. Greatest villain codename in history.
Dr. Badvibes- Mad inventor with his brain showing.
Nightshade- Cat burglar female.
Buttons McBoomBoom- Gun-crazy psychopath.
Turbo Tu-Tone- Getaway driver with a crazy beard.

There's a bunch of one-shot villains as well, always getting captured at the end.

Hardtop: Afraid of heights.
Sundown: Enemy- Johnny Yuma. has to learn how to swim.
Big Boss: Big Momma thinks he runs and orphanage, causing him to help the COPS solve a crime. Kidnaps the President (a black woman) so he can get an Aircraft Carrier of his very own.
Dr. Badvibes: Creates robots to commit crimes.
LongArm: Irish family of cops. Of COURSE has a Leprechan statue as a family heirloom. Son Brian.
Nightshade: Sister Kathleen is kidnapped by Big Boss to force her to steal from a foundation for the homeless (giving her a 10% cut).

BERSERKO (Barney L. Fatheringhouse)
Role:
Big Stupid Moron
Played by: Paul De La Rosa
PL 7 (64)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 6 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Equipment 3 (Laser Gun +6), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Laser Gun +6 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Relationship (Big Boss, Uncle)- Berserko fawns over his Uncle, and desires Big Boss's praise. Unfortunately, Big Boss is

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (64)

-Every villain squad in the 1980s needed at least one Big Stupid Moron, and C.O.P.S. has a veritable embarassment of riches- stupidest of all is probably Berserko, the lazy-eyed, muscular nephew of Big Boss himself. However, rather than being a spoiled nephew, Berserko is despised and made fun of by his uncle. Despite that, Berserko's coma at the hands of Addictem's drug supply is what convinced Big Boss to join up with the C.O.P.S. to bring down the drug lord's operation. His voice is this really quavering, high-pitched whine- perfect for a psychopath. And that name is incredible.
-Berserko is a classically-dumb Goon, packing Laser Weapons and a penchant for firing wildly, and is borderline Big Moose-level as far as intelligence is concerned. He's PL 6 with a Laser and Parrying, and PL 6.5 at Dodging- no great shakes, but a perfectly-acceptable piece of muscle as far as Henchmen are concerned.

HIGHWAY (David Y. Harlson)
Role:
Fast Driver
Played by: Ray James
PL 7 (94)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 8 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Technology 4 (+4)
Treatment 2 (+2)
Vehicles 10 (+14) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 5 (Motorcycle, Cop Gear), Fast Grab, Set-Up, Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork, Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Equipment:
"Motorcycle" (10)
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Gun +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (94)

-Highway is one of the numerous "Generic Male Action Hero" guys on the force, and represents the California Highway Patrol Officer- the famous motorcycle cops. Some of the support materials suggest that he thinks himself a ladies' man, but he's so forgettable that I don't even remember what he did on the show :). In any case, he's a great driver, and a good "Standard Cop".

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MIRAGE (Suzie Young)
Role:
Undercover Agent
Played by: Elizabeth Hanna
PL 7 (105)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 9 (+12)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+9)
Insight 4 (+8)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Cop Gear), Fascination (Deception), Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Deception Skill

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Gun +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (105)

-Easily the least-used of the main group, Mirage get a toy either- this being a "Boys' Line", there was no room for someone with female genitalia on store shelves. From the San Francisco P.D., she is a talented undercover worker and Vice Officer. A curious design, she looks vaguely-ethnic (like Latina or Part-Asian), which is apparently part of the concept- the ability to "blend in" is easier if you look like you could be ANY kind of person. The show managed to use TWO women on each squad, which was a rarity- shows like Dino Riders or The Transformers typically only had ONE. Thundercats and G.I. Joe managed larger amounts of the ladies, however- but in the latter's case it was like three out of 170.
-Mirage's extreme focus towards Undercover work (ie. disguise and deceive) gives her a P.C.-level PL 7 (105) build, though she really only makes that with her Pistol.

MACE (Sgt. Colt Howards)
Role:
The Big Guy, Laser Blaster Guy
Played by: Len Carlson
PL 8 (84)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 5 (+5)
Insight 1 (+2)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 4 (+4)
Treatment 3 (+3)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 5 ("Mazooka", Cop Gear), Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Laser Bazooka), Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Laser Bazooka" Blast 8 (Feats: Increased Range) (17)
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Laser Bazooka +7 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)
Relationship (Nightshade)- Mace has a flirtatious relationship with the Crook Nightshade- despite being on opposite sides of the law. They have been seen embracing each other, though Mace WILL arrest her if necessary.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (84)

-Mace is a Phillie SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactical) Officer, and the "Big Guy" of his team, but isn't quite as dull-witted as many characters of his type (like Bazooka of G.I. Joe) tend to be. He wields a gigantic bazooka-like Laser Weapon that is seen cutting a circular hole in an OVERHEAD HIGHWAY in the show's opening sequence (one wonders the repurcussions of a police officer flagrantly destroying public property like that, even in the course of capturing a felon), and is typically seen wearing his shades. His biggest character moment, however, is his "Dating Catwoman" arc with Nightshade, the Cat Burglar of the Crooks. More than one episode features the two being conflicted over their relationship.
-The biggest and scariest of the C.O.P.S. (one of the few without a generic design), Mace is also packing by far the most-damaging weapon. This makes him one of the few PL 8 guys on his team, but only slightly.

LONGARM (Sgt. P.J. O'Malley)
Role:
Generic Hero Guy, Family Man
Played by: John Stocker
PL 9 (128)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Police Officer) 9 (+12)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 1 (+5)
Investigation 8 (+12)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Power Cuffs) 3 (+13)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 2 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 6 (Cop Gear), Improved Aim, Improved Critical 3 (Power Cuffs 2, Pistol), Inspire, Set-Up, Ranged Attack 6, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Nightstick" Strength-Damage +1 (1)
"Power Cuffs" Affliction 4 (Strength; Impaired & Vulnerable/Disabled & Restrained) (Feats: Tether) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)
"Cuff Swinging" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Nightstick +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Gun +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Power Cuffs +13 (+4 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)
Relationship (Family)- LongArm comes from a long line or Irish cops, and is married. His son Brian is frequently caught up in various schemes.
Responsibility (By The Book)- LongArm always does things by the book- this sometimes drives his fellow officers nuts.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (128)

-LongArm is one of the more-generic characters on the show, save for one factor: he has a FAMILY! I mean, a wife and a child and all that! This makes him one of the very few '80s Action Cartoon characters who is both a major hero in the story (next to Bulletproof, he's easily the most-focused-on Cop) and a family man. His son Brian was often the focus of episodes, as many '80s cartoons also made use of the "Young kid gets curious/runs away/finds something, gets into trouble, needs the heroes' help, but then somehow helps the hero save the day, because WE MEAN FOR YOU TO IDENTIFY WITH THIS KID" tropes. Seriously, that was EVERYWHERE- remember when Zack became "The Fifth Ninja Turtle"? Or how Spike was in like every Transformers episode in the early days? It worked, much the same way Robin worked in the Batman stories- kids didn't always want to be Batman so much as Batman's FRIEND- the hero's friendship and respect was meant to be taken as respect for US, as young fans.
-In any case, LongArm is pretty generic otherwise. He's big, tall and square-jawed, and has short hair- much like most of the rest of his team. He's the second in command of the squad, and represents the standard "Beat Cop"- even going into the stereotypes of Irishmen being cops (like all Irishmen, he has a Leprechan statue as a family heirloom).
-He also has the most goofily-useless weapon ever- a long, single-cuffed extending thing that is only capable of latching onto one person's wrist. His AIM must be beyond good, though, if he's able to snag people in that exact spot from just about anywhere. He's got high Presence, Persuasion and Inspire, owing to his ability to keep rough-edged street kids on the right path, and the highest level of Police Officer & Investigation on the squad outside of Bulletproof himself. He's one of the best and most-expensive characters around, but is only PL 7 Defensively and PL 7.5 with a Gun- only his Power Cuffs, a low-level Affliction effect (I mean, it's ONE CUFF, so not really a Snare- it just slows and Disables people), makes him PL 8.5.

TURBO TU-TONE (Ted Stavely)
Role:
Getaway Driver
Played by: Dan Hennessey
PL 7 (68)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 5 (+4)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 5 (+4)
Perception 3 (+2)
Technology 3 (+2)
Vehicles 4 (+6)
Vehicles 6 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Laser Gun +6, Crooks Roadster), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Equipment:
"Laser Gun" Blast 6 (12)
"Crooks Roadster" Armored Car with Machine Guns +6 (22)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Laser Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (68)

-Turbo is another Big Ugly Mook, but is pretty useful at his specialty- he's a Getaway Driver. In the series, he was responsible for the car wreck that required B.P. Vess to undergo cybernetics to become Bulletproof. He's either named after a kind of colour scheme, or a 1970s style of ska music. He wears an old-school gangster's moustache with some sharp suspenders, and his toy was one of the few to get a really good likeness of the character.

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HARDTOP (Officer Donnie Brooks)
Role:
Young Hero Guy
Played by: Darrin Baker
PL 7 (98)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 1 (+4)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Technology 3 (+4)
Treatment 3 (+4)
Vehicles 4 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+12) -- Flaws: Limited to Ground Vehicles

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 8 (Cop Gear), Improved Aim, Set-Up, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Ironsides Vehicle" Armored Car with Giant Gun +7 (22)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Gun +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Rookie)- Hardtop is the youngest of the C.O.P.S., and the lowest-ranking officer there.
Relationship (Whitney Morgan)- Hardtop has a thing for the ECTV news reporter.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (98)

-Hardtop (or... heh-heh... "Donnie Brooks") is that omnipresent '80s Cartoon Trope: The Young Hero. Usually they're cocky, immature and getting into all kinds of trouble (see Yungstar of Dino Riders), but Hardtop is as kind and noble as any member of his squad- he's just a little young and inexperienced. The Origin Story of the team actually features him and Mainframe proving themselves despite not being hand-picked by Bulletproof for the C.O.P.S. team, and end up being invited to join the squad at the end. He's one of the Vehicle Drivers.

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BOWSER (Officer Rex Pointer)
Role:
Animal Trainer
Played by: Nick Nichols
PL 7 (101)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Animal Trainer) 10 (+11)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 5 (+7)
Perception 5 (+7)
Technology 4 (+5)
Treatment 3 (+4)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 3 (Cop Gear), Fast Grab, Set-Up, Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork, Ultimate Animal Trainer Skill

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Gun +9 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (101)

-Bowser & Blitz seem to take a big page from G.I. Joe's Mutt & Junkyard, being a gruff, mousachioed Animal Trainer with an Animal Sidekick, though of course Blitz is a cybernetic dog. They even did a "Your dog has to be put down" plotline that resulted in Bowser rejecting the orders from on high (thankfully, the man who claimed Blitz had to be put down was actually just be threatened by Berserko). Bowser has a typical cop uniform, but also a Gladiator-stylized version of Dog Trainer's padded bodysuit, covering just one arm and a leg.

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BLITZ
Role:
Cybernetic Police Dog
PL 5 (74)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Combat (Bite) 1 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+5)
Perception 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Trip, Interpose

Powers:
"Robo-Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Robo-Animal Physiology" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Robo-Legs" Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Cyberdog"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 5 [5]

"Laser Blaster" Blast 4 (Feats: Accurate 3) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Laser Blaster +6 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +5, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dogs cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects. Blitz, however, seems to understand human speech just fine.
Relationship (Bowser)- Blitz will defend his master to the death.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 5 (74)

-Blitz was fatally-injured saving some children from a runaway car- he was rebuilt by future technology and turned into Bowser's Cybernetic partner. He's just like a German Shepherd, but stronger, tougher and has a LASER PISTOL on his side, because it was the '80s.

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BUTTONS McBOOMBOOM (I Like To Think That's His Real Name)
Role:
The Greatest Villainous Goon Ever
Played by: Nick Nichols
PL 8 (90)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 3 (+2)
Insight 4 (+4)
Intimidation 9 (+8)
Perception 6 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Machine Gun +6 Multiattack), Improved Critical (Guns), Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Cybernetic Machine Guns" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Distracting) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Machine Guns +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Hatred ("I hate flies...")- Buttons will fly into a murderous rage if he spots so much as a butterfly- any insect will cause him to stop whatever he's doing and open fire.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 9 (90)

-Easily the greatest name ever placed on any character in history, Button McBoomBoom is a psychopathic, gun-crazy cyborg with MACHINE GUNS surgically-implanted in his chest, a penchant for murderous behavior every time he spots a bug, and the fashion sense of a 1930s gangster. Just brilliant stuff altogether- as a kid I thought he was far and away the greatest character on the series (as usual, my favourite was a villain- I was a veritable proto-Geoff Johns). It's still true, though!
-Buttons is one of the few members of the Crooks not to be hugely-ripped- he's instead a tall, thin man with grey skin, hideous jowls and beady little eyes. This gives him different stats than the other Crooks- he's also generally less-stupid... unless he spots a butterfly. He's also got authentic super-powers, as there are Machine Guns IN HIS STOMACH- these are distracting, however (he's pretty much got to have his arms at his sides, and be facing right towards his target). Buttons hits PL 8, largely because I'm biased and he's so awesome. The Guns are pretty much rendundant, though of course one can't be Disarmed and the other is just Equipment and CAN be.

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BARRICADE (Officer Stan Hyde)
Role:
Generic Guy, Riot Control
Played by: Ray James
PL 7 (106)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+8)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+10)
Technology 3 (+5)
Treatment 3 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Daze (Persuasion), Equipment 4 (Cop Gear), Fascination (Persuasion), Improved Critical (Mule), Set-Up, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)
"Mule" Strength-Damage +3 (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Mule +7 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)
Responsibility (Non-Violence)- Barricade would much rather things not extend to violence, having witnessed the "Detroit Riots".

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (106)

-A Riot Cop from Detroit, and survivor of the "Detroit Riots" (a Detroit riddled with crime and violence? How far-fetched can you get?), Barricade would have the most-generic design in the series if it weren't for Bullseye. He just looks like a background character! He uses a "Mule" to open doors and for self-defense, but doesn't like things going crazy. I gave him high Persuasion, and a pretty good melee weapon (which is essentially what a Door-Buster would be, mechanically).

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SUNDOWN (Sheriff Walker Calhoun)
Role:
Southern Guy
Played by: Len Carlson
PL 7 (110)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Cowboy) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Technology 3 (+5)
Treatment 3 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 6 (Cop Gear, Western Gear), Improved Critical (Pistol), Set-Up, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork, Ultimate Cowboy Skill

Powers:
"Cowboy Physiology" Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Tying Others Up) [2]

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Pistols" Blast 5 (Feats: Split (11)
"Lasso" Snare 5 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Limited to One Group of Targets) (Diminished Range -1) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)
Responsibility (Non-Violence)- Barricade would much rather things not extend to violence, having witnessed the "Detroit Riots".
Enemy (Johnny Yuma)- Sundown's old "pardner" is actually a menacing Crook now.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 56--27 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 10 (110)

-Representing the "Texas Sheriff" role of law enforcement, Sundown is a big, burly cowboy- apparently Western stereotypes will exist all the way into a "Future Time". Hell, some of his backstory features him walking into an honest-to-god SALOON, complete with wooden floors and mussed-up evil cowpokes in full Western garb! His biggest focus episode was when his old "pardner"-turned-outlaw Johnny Yuma broke out of prison and came to Empire City to engage in a train robbery- Sundown was told not to go on the case, but disregarded orders (naturally, he was not punished)... at which point he ended up having to SAVE Johnny from Big Boss's Crooks, who found out about the robbery and tried to horn in. Yuma turned himself in at the end, and the voiceover says he served his time, getting out early for "extremely good behavior", and was now an excellent Deputy Sheriff in a small Texas town- wonder how likely that'd be in REAL LIFE. I mean, the guy engaged in ARMED ROBBERY and escaped from jail (which is in itself a crime).
-Both Sundown & Yuma were astonishingly-quick with their Lassos, and could rope numerous people at once (Area Effect- Yuma nails three Crooks, while Sundown holds back Barricade & Mainframe from stopping him). Both also managed to tie up and gag (The '80s had a real thing with gags- big white cloths wrapped around the mouth. EVERY show seemed to feature light bondage like that- from Inspector Gadget on up to better shows) several goons, often in just a second or two. Me, I wonder what the point of the friggin' GAG was- they were in the MIDDLE OF A FIGHT. What were they thinking the goons were gonna say?
-Yuma would have the same stats as Sundown, plus some ranks in Criminal.

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DOCTOR BADVIBES (Real Name Unknown)
Role:
Evil Inventor
Played by: Ron Rubin
PL 7 (72)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+14)
Expertise (Criminal) 1 (+9)
Technology 8 (+16)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 6 (High Tech Lab), Inventor, Ranged Attack 4, Skill Mastery (Technology)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Laser Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (72)

-One of the more-commonly-seen Crooks, Doctor Badvibes is also responsible for the most formulaic episodes- a huge number of C.O.P.S. stories would simply be "Doctor Badvibes has invented a new crime weapon- we have to stop it". Sometimes it's a giant Flying Disc that can tear buildings apart, sometimes it's a clone of Bulletproof that only Blitz can detect, and sometimes it's just a standard Kill-O-Bot. Unlike most Mad Scientists, he's not given a generic Labcoat or even a Cape like Dr. Mindbender- in another thing that made this show fun, even the SCIENTIST of the evil bad guys is a deformed freak, complete with exposed brain and weird jowls and lips. Even his "brainstorms" cause little thunderstorms above his head!

Heh- The Case of the Crooked Contest is a great one. Big Boss plans to enter Nightshade into a Beauty Pagent to win the first prize, using his Crooks as planted judges. Meanwhile, the C.O.P.S. get wise to his plan (after Ms. Demeanor wrecks his hotel room because Big Boss didn't plan on entering HER in the contest!), and asks Mainframe to cover it. Mainframe rejects the sexist concept of beauty pageants, because "it's just an excuse for men to gawk at shapely females in skimpy bathing suits!"... until Bulletproof suggests she enter it as ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS! She immediately changes her mind, and describes buying a skimpy bathing suit, while Mace & LongArm struggle to maintain their composure.

Buttons, Turbo & Berserko kidnap and beat up the judges, then steal their clothes- wait a minute, one of those judges is a WOMAN! And thus, Turbo ends up wearing A BIG GOLD DRESS. And they manage to get past the police barricade because SOME MOVERS WERE CARRYING A BIG PANEL that covered them just as LongArm looked their way! Okay, the writers are clearly having fun with this one.

WHAT TH--? Those skimpy bathing suits we were promised are just standard one-pieces! Someone get Dan DeCarlo on this job to provide us with some unseemly Fanservice in children's media, goddammit! Nightshade's acrobatics go off as planned for the "Talent Portion", but Ms. Demeanor just crashes through the floor during her weightlifting routine. Mainframe does a pretty solid violin solo, but Rock Krusher tries to drop a chandelier on her... at which point she lifts the slit in her dress (!!), and reveals a HOLSTER STRAPPED TO HER THIGH (oh sweet jesus I forgive the lack of bikinis now), disarming Krusher. Alas, she too is disqualified for breaking her violin.

The three judges now spend several minutes debating who the winner should be, despite (as the M.C. points out) THERE ONLY BEING ONE CONTESTANT LEFT (the one that BIG BOSS TOLD THEM TO PICK), and Berserko yells at him for "rushing" them.

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BULLSEYE (Officer Hugh S. Forward)
Role:
Generic Guy, Pilot
Played by: Peter Keleghan
PL 7 (109)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Technology 5 (+7)
Treatment 3 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)
Vehicles 8 (+15) -- Flaws: Limited to Flying Vehicles

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 11 (Helicopter, Cop Gear), Set-Up, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork, Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)
"Air Raid Copter" (Helicopter with Machine Guns +7 Multiattack & +1 Flight Speed) (39)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (109)

-Like pretty much every cartoon of its era, C.O.P.S. had "Vehicle Guys" who were meant to be sold alongside large, fancy, expensive vehicles. Bullseye was one of these- being sold with the largest vehicle in the line- a Chopper that looks like a helicopter humped a dragonfly. He's a very generic character (he looks ridiculously-plain), but is a confidant pilot. Despite the name "Bullseye", he's no more accurate than anyone else- he got the name because he could always find his targets- ie. Crooks. He was originally gonna be called "Jet Stream", which fits even LESS, and he's not flying a Jet at all. The only time I saw the Copter in action, it got blown up by one of Dr. Badvibes' robots (being swung about on the arm of his "Ultimate Crime Machine"- a flying disc), using a sawblade to cut off one of the rotors. He's PL 7 list most C.O.P.S., but PL 8 with his Copter.

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BULLETPROOF (Chief Baldwin P. Vess)
Role:
The Leader
Played by: Peter Keleghan
PL 9 (146)
STRENGTH
4/5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Deception 3 (+7)
Expertise (Police/Federal Officer) 10 (+14)
Insight 3 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 9 (+14)
Perception 3 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+10)
Technology 2 (+6)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Police Chief), Equipment 3 (Cop Gear), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Leadership, Set-Up, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork, Ultimate Investigation Skill

Powers:
"Bulletproof Bodysuit"
Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 9) [13]
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]

"Haywiring Discs" Affliction 8 (Tech Skill of Creator; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Affects Objects Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Technology) (4) -- [5]
AE: "Big Fat Plug Hook-Up" Communication 1 (Computers) (4)

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Gun +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9 (+5 Impervious), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)
Weakness (Magnets)- With a Cybernetic body, Bulletproof is vulnerable to giant magnets.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 8 (146)

-Like most TV shows of the 1980s, C.O.P.S. had a Leader character who was the absolute best at just about everything- guys like Questar from Dino-Riders, Duke from G.I. Joe, and Optimus Prime from The Transformers weren't in charge just because they were good with people, or the best at tactics- they were the best fighters, the smartest detectives, and the most strong-willed characters. Hell, in almost every case, their only downgraded ability was Piloting (Duke notably couldn't take the "Astronaut Training" in one episode), since most teams had Ace Pilots.
-However, in a nice twist, Bulletproof, the Leader of the C.O.P.S., was also the Team Black Guy, which helpfully avoided the old '80s trope of "Black Characters Don't Have Flaws" (created to avoid offending anyone by even SUGGESTING that a black character could be the dumb one, the overeater, the lazy one, etc.). Since B.P. Vess (oh the puns) was also the LEADER, this trope was pretty much ALREADY in effect, and so he didn't come off as Token-y or "Boring Black Guy" or any of that. He was just the brave, smart, tough leader.
-Bulletproof was a pretty stoic guy who didn't smile a lot, nor did you really see much of his eyes (he always wore those boss shades)- he was a straight-arrow, by-the-book G-Man called in from the F.B.I. to take over Empire City's Police Force against Big Boss and his gang of Crooks. Badly-injured in his very first outing (thanks to Turbo Tu-Tone's lead foot driving and a brick wall), he was "rebuilt" in like a day thanks to a cybernetic harness around his body- this gave him a giant '80s Computer Access plug (these days it'd probably at LEAST by a USB, but back in the '80s, he had a big ol' prongy thing on the end of a standard electrical cable), a bulletproof frame (he stood there at ate Berserko's Automatic Weapons fire like it was nothing... Berserko of course being a giant idiot, it made sense that he didn't just GO FOR THE FREAKIN' FACE), and presumably some Enhanced Strength (he easily took out Rock Krusher by picking up a hospital gurney and pinning him to the wall).

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ROCK KRUSHER (Edmund Scarry)
Role:
Big Stupid Moron, Jailbird
Played by: Brent Titcomb
PL 8 (70)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+1)
Technology 1 (+0)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Throws a Car" Power-Lifting 1 (3,200 lbs.) [1]

"Jackhammer" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [11]
Strength-Damage +3 (Extras: Multiattack 8, Penetrating 5) (16) -- (17 points)
AE: Burrowing 5 (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Jackhammer +7 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 10 (70)

-Rock Krusher is a GREAT Mook design. So great, in fact, that I once accidentally ripped him off- creating the Convict character "Gutrock" for a fictional Fighting Game I was thinking up as a teenager (I actually spent a LOT of time doing stuff like that as a kid. Thankfully, I've moved on to more useful endeavors, like... statting up minor Pop Culture characters with M&M stats...). Gutrock was basically exactly like Rock Krusher, even facially (despite the Fighting Game being more realistic in scope, and this guy being horribly-deformed), despite me not actually thinking to do that at the time. Like most Crooks, Rock Krusher looks like he has the mumps, and is freakishly-built. Not only that, but he carries around a JACKHAMMER as a weapon, frequently using it to burrow in and out of places.
-For some reason, both Rock Krusher & Ms. Demeanor are INCREDIBLY-strong, being able to pick up a police car and THROW IT onto a nearby roof in the opening sequence! I don't think he showed THAT much strength elsewhere, but between the two of them, Strength 5 and Power-Lifting should be able to do it. His best weapon is his specialized Jackhammer, which can either Burrow or cause tremendous damage at PL 8- he's more useless at Range, and is only PL 6 on Defense. Like most Crooks, he's pretty good offensively and weak defensively (once their schemes fall apart, so do they- and they're captured quickly).

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MAINFRAME (Officer Tina Cassidy)
Role:
Tomboy, Computer Whiz
Played by: Mary Long
PL 7 (101)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+8)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Police Officer) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Computers) 7 (+11)
Expertise (Violin) 4 (+7)
Insight 1 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+6)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Police Officer), Equipment 3 (Helicopter, Cop Gear), Set-Up, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork, Ultimate Computers Skill

Equipment:
"Police Gear" Handcuffs, Communicator, etc. (5)
"Gun" Blast 5 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Gun +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Crime in a Future Time)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (101)

-mmmmm... Mainframe...
-Mainframe is actually a pretty rare character in cartoons- plenty of shows had tomboys, most had Computer Geeks (it was an easy way to move the plot along- "I'll just type ____ into my DOS computer and it will tell us right where to find the bad guy!"), and there were a lot of Token Chicks, or occasionally even TWO women. But a FEMALE computer geek tomboy? Mainframe really stood out. Also- DAAAAAAAANG she's a looker. Usually I don't go for the short-haired ladies, but the whole "Lady Cop With Ballcap" thing is just doing it.
-Mainframe is a rookie like Hardtop, and her brilliance with computers led to Bulletproof cracking the case of Dr. Badvibes joining Big Boss's Crooks. She got a lot of play on the show, generally being Home Base, but she went on a lot of cases as well, like the great one where she goes undercover at a Beauty Pageant (with the ever-sexy Thigh Holster underneath her evening gown).

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MS. DEMEANOR (Stephanie Demeanor)
Role:
Burly Lady
Played by: Paulina Gillis
PL 7 (64)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+3)
Intimidation 9 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+2)
Technology 1 (+0)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Throws a Car" Power-Lifting 1 (3,200 lbs.) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Temper ("I'm a lady!")- Ms. Demeanor is very quick to anger, and will FREAK OUT if somebody suggests she is anything but a beautiful lady.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 10 (64)

-Ms. Demeanor is another cast member with one of the most brilliant names ever- how do you not love a pun that horrible? Though as a kid, I always thought Bulletproof was calling her "Mister Meaner" during his "Roll Call" during the Credit Sequence- it confused me. She was one of the least-used Crooks, as the show got more mileage out of the big, stupid MALE idiots on the squad (most of whom were more-easily humiliated with physical humor). Ms. Demeanor is a big, ugly Goon like the others, and as strong as Rock Krusher (she helps him flip the car across the street in the Opening Sequence), but thinks herself a delicate, beautiful woman- when she found out that Big Boss had overlooked her for Nightshade in a Beauty Pageant, she FREAKED OUT, with her room-destroying rage frightening even HIM.
-Ms. Demeanor is a big, strong grappler, but her lack of other gimmicks makes her one of the cheapest Crooks in terms of points. She's dangerous in a scrap, but still only PL 7.

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HAH. Eighties hair.

NIGHTSHADE (Raffaela Diamond)
Role:
Cat Burglar, Femme Fatale
Played by: Jane Schoettle
PL 7 (109)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 7
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+12)
Stealth 4 (+10)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Attractive, Equipment 2 (Robber Gear), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 1

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Relationship (Mace)- Nightshade & Mace have a flirtacious relationship, despite being on opposite sides of the law.
Relationship (Kathleen, Sister)- Nightshade's sister Kathleen is near and dear to her heart, despite Nightshade having been disowned years ago.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (109)

-Nightshade wins out a bit from being the only pretty girl on her team- despite being a Crook, she was shown as having more morals than the others, was much more common, and much less prone to humiliating failures. She also had the "Dating Catwoman" thing going on, with the C.O.P.S.'s Mace having a thing for her, and she one for him. By the end of the series, I believe she had reformed (at least that's what the bios say). In one notable episode, she refused Big Boss' order to steal money from a charity for HOMELESS PEOPLE, and he threatened her sister Kathleen in order to force her into it. Oddly, she STAYED with him after that, still robbing bank vaults and the like.

ADDICTEM (Real Name Unknown)
Role:
1980s Aggressive Drug Dealer
Played by: John Stocker
PL 5 (81)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 7
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Drug Dealer) 7 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Connected (Crystal Twist Manufacturers), Great Endurance

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Reputation (Drug Dealer)- Even other criminals despise Addictem for his drug-dealing ways.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (81)

-One of the many recurring concepts you found in TV shows from the 1980s and '90s was that Drug Dealing, BY FAR, was the most evil crime in the world. There were episodes of cartoons where even the VILLAINS- ACTUAL MURDERERS- were horrified at the concept of dealing drugs- there was an episode of G.I. Joe where GODDAMNED COBRA allies with the Joes to bring down an evil druggie (the comic book series followed suit, with a drug-dealer infiltrating a Cobra-controlled town and dealing drugs because they couldn't go to the police or feds... Cobra Commander hijacked a G.I. Joe Laser Satellite to blow up the dealer's base of operations FROM OUTER SPACE. The Joes never found out why Cobra fired off only one shot of their satellite and then left). In Jem, a recent orphan was taken in by a charismatic boy who turned out to be a drug dealer (who funneled like a ton of the stuff for free into her just to get her hooked, because in the '80s, all drug dealers were SUPER-AGGRESSIVE).
-And such was the episode The Lowest Crime, where Big Boss refuses to ally with the new villain "Addictem" (really), despising drugs because "Drugs KILL". This is in spite of Big Boss ACTIVELY TRYING TO MURDER THE C.O.P.S. ON A DAILY BASIS. And so Addictem tries to peddle his "Crystal Twist" anyways, but a shipment of it spilled onto Berserko, resulting in him nearly dying and being stuck in a coma. Enraged, Big Boss then ALLIED with the C.O.P.S. in order to bring down the evil operation- one Crook teamed up with one C.O.P. (Rock Krusher/LongArm, Buttons/Mace, Nightshade/Bullseye, Bulletproof/Big Boss), and Berserko eventually recovered, catching Addictem himself. Naturally, the Crooks went right back to stealing things as Bulletproof sighed. The writer of the episode, Bob Forward, would write many great episodes of Transformers: Beast Wars. Funniest part may be John Stocker using his "Beastly" voice from Care Bears to represent the evil drug dealer.
-Despite sounding outlandish that Big Boss would reject drugs and continue to commit murders, this actually has a basis in historical fact. In the 1920s & '30s, the drug trade was increasingly-lucrative... but the big-name crime bosses actually REJECTED it, feeling that it was unseemly, destroyed the customer base, and brought too much heat on them. However, their successors (Lucky Luciano and his crew in the Mafia's case) didn't see it that way, and after a long, bloody war, Luciano & Co. dove headlong into the drug trade. This is shown a bit in The Godfather, Part One where the Corleones, being protagonists, are themselves shown as morally superior to their evil Mafia rivals because they oppose drugs at first (and when they capitulate to the others, they make demands like "nowhere near schools"). And though drugs would bring more money than ever into organized crime, it also brought longer sentencing, which allowed law enforcement to bribe many high-level Mafia guys into rolling over on their bosses (something unheard-of in the old days).
-Addictem, despite being a high-level Drug Dealer, apparently does all his dealing by HIMSELF, and only has two henchmen. He's not even freaking ARMED! Very amateurish drug dealer. Also he's dark grey for some reason. His response to being hunted by the C.O.P.S. & Crooks is simply to run fast, which he's pretty good at. But really, you'd think he'd buy a gun or something.

BIG BOSS (Brandon Babel)
Role:
Kingpin Knock-Off, Edward G. Robinson Impersonator
Played by: John Stocker
PL 7 (91)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+6)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 11 (+14)
Insight 1 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Wealth), Equipment (Metallic Hand/Hand Covering +1), Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Metal Hand +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Relationship (Mother)- Big Boss's mother Big Momma thinks he's a philanthropist, leading him to do things like GIVE AWAY MONEY to people when she's around!
Relationship (Berserko, Nephew)- Big Boss' nephew is the idiotic Berserko- rather than give in to nepotism, Berserko is his biggest punching bag. However, when Berserko is nearly-killed by a forced drug overdose, Big Boss is enraged and swears revenge.
Responsibility (Arrogance)- Big Boss once awarded himself the "Criminal Of The Year" award.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (91)

-Of all the popular Tropes in crime fiction, the one I think I love perhaps the most is the "Edward G. Robinson Impersonation". Robinson was known for a pretty nasal, quick voice, sometimes puncuated by ending his sentences with "SEE?" in an affected Italian accent (he was actually a Romanian Jew). Comedians, even in his own era, took to this accent and started twisting it even further (adding little "maahhh" noises as a verbal tic), creating the popular image of a 1930s hood going "You're NEVER GOT GET ME COPPAH, see? I'm way to smart for ya, see?... mahh..." and stuff like that. It got so common at one point that a great comedy routine featuring the act was invaded by ROBINSON HIMSELF, who began hooting and hollering about everyone exaggerating and twisting his accent into a "horrible parody". Funny stuff. The accent lives on today in the voice of Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons.
-C.O.P.S.' main villain, Big Boss is also heavily-inspired by Marvel's Kingpin, owing to his obese frame and white suit (buttoned up by what look like Police badges). With one metal hand, a pet Weasel, and a penchant for exaggerating Robinson's accent constantly ("mahhh..."), Big Boss is tempermental and vicious, frequently berating his henchmen for their stupidity. He still ends up springing them by the next episode, however- good help is apparently VERY hard to find. Despite being an avowed Crook with blatant disregard for the law, Big Boss is teflon-like in his ability to avoid punishment himself (in the comics, they nail him in the final issue by using unpaid parking tickets, inspired by how the government brought down Al Capone with tax evasion).
-Short and squat, Big Boss is nonetheless rather adequate physically. His main advantage, however, is his craftiness. He masterminds nearly all of the schemes in the show, but never gets arrested- his goons are stupid, but they're loyal, and don't give him up (it probably helps that they're broken out of prison too quickly to ever be afraid of long sentences).


4) Mainframe
5) Ms. Demeanor, Nightshade, Addictem, Big Boss

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Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
+26: Destroyah (Oxygen Destroyer), Ymir, Surtur (Unarmed or Blast)
+28: Surtur (Twlight Sword)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Captain Planet

Post by Jabroniville »

"Our world is in peril. Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, can no longer withstand the destruction plaguing our planet. She sends five rings to five special young people: Kwame, from Africa, with the power of Earth... From North America, Wheeler, with the power of Fire... From The Soviet Union, Linka, with the power of Wind. From Asia, Gi, with the power of Water... and from South America, Ma-Ti with the power of Heart. With the five powers combined they summon Earth's greatest champion, Captain Planet."
-The opening Narration. Also, f*** you, Australia.

Voice-Over: Vote the Plunder/Pinehead Repulsivecan [sic] Party Ticket — So these kids can grow up filthy rich!
Candidate Plunder: I believe in BIIIG tax breaks — The bigger the income, the bigger the break! No matter how you got it … You shouldn't have to share it!


CAPTAIN PLANET BUILDS:

Ya know, it's funny- I generally vote on the left side of things. My voting history is either for the Liberal Party (left) or the New Democratic Party (SUPER-left). I woulda voted Carter over Reagan, Clinton over Bush, Gore over Bush II (hell, ANYBODY over Bush II), and Obama over McCain & Romney. I believe in environmentalism to the point where I've carried around empty bottles for HOURS just because I couldn't find a recycle bin around, and a lack of those drives me nuts in foreign countries. I know global warming/climate change is a thing, that numerous species are in danger of being wiped out, and that numerous large, charismatic animals are on a major decline as well... but MAN do I hate lefties! And stuff like this is totally why.

This show spawned from the mindset of CNN creator and generally public Liberal Ted Turner, and was meant to be a call-to-arms/educational tool to teach children about the evils of pollution. A solid, reasonable idea that would actually be MORE relevant today. Using the power of Bleeding Hearts, Turner execs managed to attain the services of an ALL-STAR cast, the likes of which no cartoon series had ever gathered before, or would again. Presumably they worked for cheap, using the fumes from Liberal Guilt to fuel their desire to work. It's kind of weird that a show with this much money behind it (Turner was a Billionaire and HUGELY powerful individual), and with such a big cast (Martin Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Meg Ryan, etc.) really ended up being an also-ran that's now more memorable for it's concept, bad puns and the weak-ass Heart-Ring Kid as anything.

So what happened? The show's biggest failing in most people's eyes is the way they essentially reduce polluters to one-dimensional idiots who pollute FOR THE HELL OF IT, not just because it's the cheapest way out (which is just as insidious, and much more realistic), as if they're TRYING to get the Planeteers involved. This was passed off by the show's creators as a deliberate thing, since they didn't want to offend/mortify any families who actually WORKED for some companies that polluted- so instead of cost-cutting or accidental pollution, we were left with a bunch of card-carrying baddies who lied and manipulated poor innocents. It's also RELENTLESSLY preachy, in all the wrong ways.

Some of the villains were okay (particularly rich-boy asshole Looten Plunder and Scientist Babe Dr. Blight), but after the fifth "I'm going to create a great new get-rich-quick scheme- WHICH INVOLVES POLLUTION! AHAHAHHAHAH!!" character, it gets a little silly. Proof of an overuse of Strawman Villains: At one point, Dr. Blight actually calls herself "The world's most EVIL scientist!", then gleefully teams up with Sly Sludge to pollute the world's rainforests and wildlife preserves! For no reason! In a team-up episode where all the villains are meeting in a boardroom, she actively pollutes the air by spraying an "Air Putrefier" perfume (created with a mix of cigarette smoke and smog) around! They're polluting for THE ABSOLUTE LOVE OF IT. There's no actual REASON for this- they just want to kill the environment!

The fact that half of them had pathetic, crappy henchmen who sucked at everything was even worse, as it not only made the villains copies of each other, but copied the successful TMNT formula of Bebop & Rocksteady. The rip-off of Step By Step by the New Kids on the Block (yes I am the exact age to remember that shut up) is always an early-90s highlight that everyone can remember, however.

More weird biases and double standards: the minority (and Russian) characters seem to hail from picture-perfect, pristine areas of wilderness, and they're all upstanding, morally-centred individuals who already know tons about pollution and the environment. By contrast, American-born Wheeler is stuck as a buffoonish imbecile, who has NO idea how the world works and has to get shouted down by his teammates ("I'll get Linka an ivory necklace!" in an episode about the Ivory Trade). Hell, his hometown of Brooklyn is portrayed as an industrial wasteland full of garbage compared to Linka, who is from the SOVIET UNION (a nation with FAR worse environmental practices), seems to hang out in beautiful forests.

Another moral lesson: Only white people are capable of evil. If a character who is not white is committing an evil act, it is because a white person lied to them or forced them to. This extends to the main cast, where Gi, Ma-Ti & Kwame are almost flawless (Gi is sometimes too passionate about causes, Ma-Ti is young and often looked-over by others, and Kwame once got disheartened from their mission- these barely count as real character flaws), while Wheeler is a moron, and Linka is an argumentative bitch. Naturally, this has the side-effect of making the minority characters all super-boring, while the whities are entertaining characters who play well off of each other. This kind of Positive Discrimination is silly, and helps to undermine the show's message.

Another thing that annoyed me was the episode in which Wheeler had a weird fantasy-sequence with some Rat People whose society fell apart because they over-bred and wiped out their environment. Wheeler (who had argued for having lots of kids, all "I'm gonna have a LOT of kids!" which is a bit unusual for like an eighteen-year-old boy to say) then told the audience that they should have small families- basically preaching that Communist China has it right. The fact that they would tell AMERICAN CHILDREN this lesson is absurd, when you consider where the world's biggest environmental disasters and populations are coming from. Also, did you know that Zoos are evil? Because aliens trapped the Planeteers in a zoo "for your own protection" due to the future extinction of the human race, and were shouted down, and thus putting endangered animals in a zoo is wrong.

The names of the characters can be hit or miss. The heroes are okay, if a bit dull (and I know nobody named "Wheeler"). The villains go from the awesome (Looten Plunder, Argos Bleak and Doctor Blight are AMAZING names for bad guys) to the complete garbage (HOGGISH GREEDLY?).

Oddly, despite having some famous actors on it, they gave a lot of middling performances. Meg Ryan REALLY hams it up as Dr. Blight, and Martin Sheen just kind of glowers and over-does it, too. Jeff Goldblum is just awful as Verminous Skumm, losing his trademark "Um, er" delivery and just giggling in excitement over being Chaotic Evil. The best actors are ironically the non-famous stars who played the Planeteers (well, four plus LeVar Reading Rainbow Burton as Kwame). Just goes to show you- Trained Voice Actors (and Broadway performers) almost ALWAYS give the best performances of characters.

Basically, the show is preachy, whiny and full of Strawman Villains that ensures we never look TOO hard at anything. It suffers from Corporate Cowardice and PC over-correction that turns everyone who's not white into a bland nothing with no negative (ie. interesting) character traits.

For all my making fun, though, it COULD be an entertaining show at times. It's too hard to take a lot of it seriously, but they were one of the few cartoons to get away with killing things on camera (an anti-drug episode featured Linka's cousin overdose and bleed all over the place after JUMPING THROUGH A WINDOW. Wheeler and Linka are entertaining characters, and a few of the villains made for effective, scary characters. And really, all of the goofy preachiness and Heart Ring Kid stuff is kind of part of the show's charm. If anything, it's memorable for that kind of endearing neediness.

A fun Captain Planet website, that openly rants about the series and its biases: Right here

My personal favorites of CP are:

1) Linka & her cousin get hooked on a new designer drug, and her cousin F*CKING DIES on-screen, with blood coming out everywhere, after crashing through a window. A "WTF" moment for me as a kid. Very rare to have a main character and not a useless Victim of the Week get hooked on anything too, even if it was by villainous means and not her own choice.

2) The Captain Pollution arc. Surfer-Dude Captain Pollution was lame, but I liked the 'evil rings' idea for the villains, and "All the villains team up" shows are always the best of nearly any toon.

3) Zarm. Just Zarm. The ultimate evil villain, an ancient War God who tempted the Planeteers with excess power.

4) The AIDS episode. Holy frick, hearing the words "unprotected sex" on A CARTOON alone nearly made me crap my pants with shock, and when another kid makes the comment that he must be having gay sex with his best friend (not in those words, but with an OBVIOUS implication), you know you're seeing an INCREDIBLY rare thing for a kids' cartoon.


Captain Planet: Blast, Super-Strength, Invulnerability (giant arm-blade can't hurt him), Flight, Life Support, PLant Control (I'm feeling VINE, how 'bout you), Earth Control
Skumm: Toxics Ring- Disintegration
Rings: Removable Devices- can be used by others. Only work on the proper finger.


"These two factories I stole!" Nukem steals TWO FACTORIES? Who does he think he is- Carmen Sandiego?


CAPTAIN PLANET
Played By:
David Coburn
Role: The Clean-Up Crew, Flying Brick
PL 12 (251)- Minion Rank 17
STRENGTH
14 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Environmentalist) 12 (+14)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Fearless, Fast Grab, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 9) [11]
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]

Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
Movement 1 (Space Travel) [2]
Communication (Mental) 2 [10]
"Earth Spirit" Immunity 10 (Natural Ecological Damage- Fire, Magma, Lightning, etc.) [10]
Regeneration 10 (Flaws: Source- Natural Ecological Substances- Magma, Lightning, Leaves, etc.) [5]

Transform Objects into Recyclying-Themed Stuff 11 (Feats: Increased Mass 10- 50,000 tons) (Extras: Continuous) (43) -- [57]
AE: "Need a Lift?" Telekinesis 12 (Extras: Perception Range)
AE: "Here's MUD in your eye!" Move Object 12 (Feats: Increased Mass 7- 25,000 tons) (Flaws: Limited to Earth) (19)
AE: "Now I'm gonna RAIN on your parade!" Move Object 12 (Feats: Increased Mass 7- 25,000 tons) (Flaws: Limited to Water) (19)
AE: "You're FIRED!" Move Object 12 (Feats: Increased Mass 7- 25,000 tons) (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume Instead of Mass) (19)
AE: "You're full of Hot Air!" Move Object 12 (24)
AE: "I believe in the power of Rock!" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) Linked to Affliction 10 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (36)
AE: "I'm Feeling VINE- How about you?" Affliction 10 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Split, Reversible, Variable- Stone or Plant) (Extras: Cumulative, Extra Condition, Ranged) (42)
AE: "Earthquakes, Snowstorms, etc." Environment 4 (250 feet) (Impede Movement 2, Cold 2, Heat 2, Visibility 2) (6)
AE: "Giant Trees" Growth 12 (Extras: Affects Others Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Trees) (24)
AE: "Shocking- Isn't it?" Blast 12 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Elemental) (26)
AE: "Elemental Storm" Damage 12 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Elemental) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (38)
AE: "Elemental Bolt" Damage 12 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Elemental) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (38)
AE: "Elemental Wave" Damage 12 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Elemental) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (26)
AE: "I'm feeling HOT!" Flaming Aura 8 (32)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Flaming Aura +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Blasts +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Area Damage +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +14, Fortitude +12, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Save the World)
Power Loss (All Powers), Vulnerable, Weakness- If exposed to pollution, radiation or even sheer human hatred (has to be pretty epic- like Hitler levels), Captain Planet will lose all of his powers, and quickly begin to die. Stuff like oil, smog and radioactivity are anathema to him.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 124 / Defenses: 10 (251)

-Captain Planet; he of the blue skin, green mullet, and HORRIBLE puns so bad that even eight-year-olds thought they were stupid. Cap has virtually any power he wants in some episodes (the show was generally "The Planeteers try to save the day by talking, then Summon Cap to beat the snot out of the bad guys and turn their polluters into recycling plants), but tends to only show up for about five seconds to solve a problem in the beginning and the end of an episode (Much like the Incredible Hulk TV series). As such, his entire character is basically a big, dumb happy guy who smarts off. It's the actual Planeteers themselves who have all the characterization, flaws and interesting bits that make a cartoon work.
-For his stats, Cap is a low-end Flying Brick, modified with absolute craploads of Element-based powers, Super-Strength, etc. He can do just about anything, though without his Burst Area powers, he'd be a 'mere' PL 11, since his accuracy & defense bonuses aren't that high. Hey, the guy's sole opponents are guys with guns and out-of-shape super-villains, you think he needs Iron Fist-like fighting skills? His offense consists of grabbing villains who can't hurt him physically, and tying them up in recyclable wrap or something, then throwing their polluting factory into outer space. His stats advantage over the other Planeteers make me question just why they didn't keep him around ALL the time, but I think there was a Time Limit on his summoning.

"Let our powers combine!"

KWAME
Played By:
LeVar Burton
Role: The De Facto Leader
PL 7 (122)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Environmentalism) 4 (+6)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 7 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Leadership, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Planeteer Ring of Earth" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Only Kwame) [28]
"Bonds of Stone" Snare 8 (24) -- (31 points)
AE: "Let Our Powers Combine!" Summon 4 (50 pp of Captain Planet) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (20)
AE: "Earth Control" Move Object 9 (Flaws: Limited to Earth) (9)
AE: Environmental Control 5 (Hamper Movement)
AE: "Earthquake" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Ranged) (21)
AE: "Trip" Affliction 7 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
AE: "Earth Powers" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Elemental Blasts" Blast 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Snare & Trip +7 Area (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Earth Blast +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Earthquake +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Save the World)
Power Loss (All Powers)- Planeteer Rings are rendered powerless if they are covered with or surrounded by pollutants. They must be cleaned before use. The Rings also don't work if the Planeteer hurts their Ring hand. Gaia hates Left-Handed People.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 28 / Defenses: 14 (122)

-Kwame is the unofficial "leader" of the Planeteers, and usually performs "Strongman" duty with Wheeler, the only other reasonably strong kid in the group. Voiced by LeVar "Reading Rainbow/Geordie LaForge/Roots" Burton (is it odd that I am FAR more impressed with the former than the latter?), he's the most level-headed, non-impetuous Planeteer, but also the most boring. His one episode of note was when he got too sick of watching people mess up their homes, and so he quit the Planeteers and played "Achilles in his Tent" for a while, contemplating whether or not the fight was worth it. He was probably my favourite of the group, since he wasn't a giant idiot like some of the others tended to be, and I've always liked the more rare Earth-based powers compared to common stuff like Telepathy and Fire.
-PL 7 (120) seems about right for the 3rd Edition Kwame, and I think that'll be the standard for the group. None of the Planeteers were particularly tough or strong, and their rings weren't anywhere near what a standard comic book super-hero was capable of. As you can see, he contains only part of the Summon necessary to raise Captain Planet, so it requires the entire team banding together. The combined total of 246 pp requires Summon Minion 17, so it gets devided into four sets of 4, and one of Summon 5 (leaving some uncecessary points). Notably, he can't use the other powers when Captain Planet is out and about, because it's an Alt-Effect, which automatically cancels out the Summon nature if he tries using something else. Kwame's kind of all-around decent otherwise.

"Hello. My name is Gi. I am relatively without flaws, which means I don't get to do or say much compared to the others."

GI
Played By:
Janice Kawaye
Role: The Scientist
PL 7 (129)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Athletics 4 (+11) -- Flaws: Limited to Swimming
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Environmentalism) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+6)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 7 (+10)
Search 4 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Inspire, Luck, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Planeteer Ring of Water" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Only Gi) [24]
"Let Our Powers Combine!" Summon 4 (50 pp of Captain Planet) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (20) -- (26 points)
AE: "Water Control" Move Object 9 (Flaws: Limited to Water) (9)
AE: "Water Attack 1" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Quirks: Requires Water -2) (12)
AE: "Water Attack 2" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Quirks: Requires Water -2) (12)
AE: "Trip" Affliction 7 (Strength or Agility; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
AE: "Water Powers" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Elemental Blasts" Blast 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Trip +7 Area (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Water Blast +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Water Attacks +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Save the World)
Power Loss (All Powers)- Planeteer Rings are rendered powerless if they are covered with or surrounded by pollutants. They must be cleaned before use. The Rings also don't work if the Planeteer hurts their Ring hand. Gaia hates Left-Handed People.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 15 (129)

-Gi is pretty much the most dull Planeteer for me. Kwame is cool because he's kind of the leader, and he's the Team Muscle, alongside Wheeler, who has both the most interesting (ie. flawed) personality, and the crush on Linka. Linka's got the Wheeler thing, as well as her nasty temper. Ma-Ti is just "The Heart Ring Kid", and is fascinating on that level alone. Gi, who has very few flaws (aside from the occasional naiivete towards a handsome scientist in one episode, and going overboard with desire for revenge one time), usually ends up as a boring "voice of reason", which is never that interesting. A lack of focus on her home life or personality doesn't help much. She seems more like 'filler' to me.
-Fun fact: the three non-white Planeteers are given deliberately-vague countries of origin, in order to help them better "represent" the peoples of different contininents. As Gi represents all of Asia, we never find out where she was born- a former writer has since revealed that she was supposed to be from Malaysia, but this never appears in the show.
-Gi is less of a combat monster than Wheeler or Kwame, but her wide bursts of water can wash away the bad guys pretty well. Her major flaw is that she can ONLY use her damage effects if she's next to water, which is a problem the others usually don't face (there's always earth & air around, and Wheeler can just shoot fire like normal). Otherwise, she's basically a Skillmonkey for the team, having rudimentary training in a large number of skills (even a couple sciences, being a Marine Biologist). She's 10 points more expensive than Kwame thanks to her kinda being the "Smart One" on the team.

"Face it, Vheeler. Russian accents vill ALWAYS bring stiffness to the pants of Americans, da?"

LINKA
Played By:
Kath Soucie
Role: The Sex Appeal, Team Bitch
PL 7 (124)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 8 (+8)
Deception 4 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Computers) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Environmentalism) 7 (+9)
Insight 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Stealth 6 (+9)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Attractive, Defensive Roll, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Luck, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Planeteer Ring of Wind" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Only Linka) [26]
"Let Our Powers Combine!" Summon 4 (50 pp of Captain Planet) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (20) -- (28 points)
AE: "Wind Control" Move Object 7 (14)
AE: "Wind Powers" Environment 3 (120 feet) (Impede Movement 2) (10)
AE: "Tornado" Blast 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (15)
AE: "Wind" Features 2: Extinguish Flames, Thrown Objects Auto-Miss (2)
AE: "Wind Screen" Deflect 6 (Extras: Ranged) (12)
AE: "Wind Storm" Affliction 7 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Instant Recovery, Limited Degree) (7)
AE: Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Distracting) (4)
AE: "Wrap In Paper" Snare 7 (Flaws: Requires Objects) (14)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Wind Storm +7 Area (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Tornado +5 Area (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Save the World)
Relationship (Wheeler)- Linka tires of his constant come-ons, and is constantly in a rage over his irresponsibility and stupidity. Of course, the second some OTHER floozy shows him some interest, out come the claws...
Power Loss (All Powers)- Planeteer Rings are rendered powerless if they are covered with or surrounded by pollutants. They must be cleaned before use. The Rings also don't work if the Planeteer hurts their Ring hand. Gaia hates Left-Handed People.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 66--33 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 16 (124)

-Linka counts as one of my early proto-girlfriends among the animation crowd (sharing space with April O'Neil, The Baroness, Gadget from Rescue Rangers, and a few others I'm forgetting), so she'll always have a spot in my heart. The resident Bitchy Russian with an attitude problem (but only towards bad guys... and Wheeler), Linka tends to act like a Chris Claremont heroine at times, minus the egregious displays of power (or butch tendencies). She's usually cursing out Wheeler for being stupid or non-left wing, throwing the villains around with her "Vind" attacks, or steaming with jealousy over any chick who shows the slightest bit of interest at the boy she claims to dislike. And of course, as one of the show's more flawed (and thus, interesting) characters, Linka is one of the most remarkable people on the series, along with Wheeler. A personal favorite is how passive-aggressive she acts around him, only to becoming hostile to any woman who flirts with the guy.
-Linka has a Tornado Blast that's actually quite useful, but lacks the Blasts of the other Planeteers. Lots of Knockback effects, Tripping, Deflecting, etc. Like Gi, though, she REALLY needs the ring to be effective. Wheeler & Kwame might actually hold their own for a second or two without them, but Linka's screwed.

"ah-ah-ah, Wheeler! Once again you have moved without thinking!"
"Aw, I THOUGHT about it!"
-Wheeler, after getting hands-y with Linka

WHEELER
Played By:
Joey Dedio
Role: The Exposition-Repository (ie. everyone has to explain crap to him), The Interesting One, Commander Contrarian
PL 7 (118)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Streetwise) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll, Fascination (Deception), Improved Critical (Fire), Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Luck, Ranged Attack 5, Power Attack, Taunt, Teamwork

Powers:
"Planeteer Ring of Fire" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Only Wheeler) [22]
"Let Our Powers Combine!" Summon 4 (50 pp of Captain Planet) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (20) -- (23 points)
AE: "Fire Control" Move Object 8 (Flaws: Limited to Fire- Use Volume Instead of Mass) (8)
AE: "Fire Blast" Blast 7 (Feats: Precise) (15)
AE: "Fire Wave" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (14)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Fire Blast +7 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Fire Wave +7 Area (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Save the World)
Relationship (Linka)- Wheeler has the hots for Linka BAD, and constantly flirts with and/or teases her. As they're both hot-tempered and argumentative, this is a natural recurring problem for the team.
Relationship (Parents)- Wheeler seems fond of his mother, but openly despises his alcoholic father. When he hears that his father's dying of liver failure, he just scoffs and goes "big surprise".
Power Loss (All Powers)- Planeteer Rings are rendered powerless if they are covered with or surrounded by pollutants. They must be cleaned before use. The Rings also don't work if the Planeteer hurts their Ring hand. Gaia hates Left-Handed People.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 17 (118)

-Wheeler is pretty much the main character of the Captain Planet cartoon, by virtue of playing to the stereotype of the Stupid American, who constantly needs to be corrected and updated on the "correct", environmentalist, way of thinking by our fellow clean-freaks in the Planeteers. Funny how the show was written BY Americans, but let's just say that self-hatred is a key factor in certain circles, and leave it at that :). And of course he hails from an America that resembles an industrial wasteland of homeless people, compared to the pristine nations of China and Russia.
-I do recall several times where Wheeler WOULD be correct in something ("Why can't any of these homeless people go to a shelter or get a job!?"), but be chided for his offensiveness. Of course, his perceived stupidity and headstrong nature would be the catalyst for someone in the know to correct him by explaining the fullness of the situation, a narrative device that is pretty effective, if over-used in the show. He'd start clueing in later, and he'd always see it right (or left, as it were) by the end of the episode.
-However, Wheeler's flawed nature also makes him the show's BEST CHARACTER- since all the others have to be so perfect. he ends up being the fun, interesting one, with dynamic personality traits that can actually affect the plot. And it also led to the most-fun part of the show- Wheeler's long running crush on Linka, and her combination of disgust & admiration for HIM. This led to many funny instances, where his repeated come-ons would be rejected harshly by Miss Commie, only to have her visibly get upset every time he scored some action from the Eco-Victim of the Week. And when he almost died, and she came running in to hug him right away. There's also stuff like when he went back in time and broke up the Planeteers to save his own life (he was trapped in a cave and facing certain death, and so Dr. Blight offered to send him back in time to "undo" it). This showed just how horrible things would be without him (in an It's a Wonderful Life kind of way), and showed just how much more in-depth a character Wheeler was than the others (who were all born eco-dorks with few, if any, character flaws at all).
-Wheeler was also given a bit of depth later on, as it was established that he had an alcoholic father who used to regularly verbally-abuse him, causing him to become a teenage runaway and ruffian- a little backstory to make him something MORE than just a goof-ass slacker. They later make amends in an episode where Wheeler heads back to town and convinces his old friends to quit trashing their hometown as part of a gang of... Graffiti Vandal Thieves (well it's Captain Planet, you had to work pollution in SOMEWHERE).
-Wheeler has lower mental stats than ANY of the other Planeteers, but he's probably the best fighter, which should be obvious given his FIRE RING. Pretty much all the other Planeteers just trapped people or whatever, but Wheeler would brandish that sucker and blow something up if he needed to. It can control fire, shoot it in two different ways (Regular & Cone), and he also gets part of Cap's summoning powers. Note also his greater array of Combat Advantages, gaining Power Attack, Daze, Fascinate and Taunt over his buddies. The least skillful, but the best warrior of the team, which is showcased in the show fairly often.

"Wow, Wheeler gets fire, Linka gets wind, Kwame gets earth, and Gi gets water, huh? That's bad-ass. I can't wait to see my power. I bet I get animal powers, right? Or I can control plant life and create giant vines. Oh man, I bet I get the coolest power of all... Gaia? Why are you laughing? What? What's so funny?"

MA-TI
Played By:
Scott Menville
Role: The Weaksauce Power Guy, The Kid, Idealistic Youth
PL 7 (127)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+6)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 9 (+11)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Environmentalism) 7 (+9)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 5 (+6)
Persuasion 7 (+9)
Stealth 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Improved Defense, Luck, Set-Up, Sidekick 14 (Suchi the Monkey- As Monkey w/ Set-Up & Teamwork), Set-Up 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Planeteer Ring of Heart" (Flaws: Removable) (Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2- Only Ma-Ti) [34]
"Telepathy" Mental Communication 3 (Extras: Area, Selective) Linked to Mind-Reading 3 (24) -- (28)
AE: "Let Our Powers Combine!" Summon 4 (50 pp of Captain Planet) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (20)
AE: "Animal Control" Affliction 7 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Sensory Link) (Flaws: Limited to Animals) (21)
AE: "Emotion Control" Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Compelled) (Extras: Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Limited to Positive Emotions) (8)
"Telelocation" Senses 6 (Mental Detection- Acute & Ranged 2, Detect Rings- Ranged) (6)
"Mind Shield" Enhanced Will Save 5 (5)
-- (38 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Animal Control +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Emotion Control -- (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +0 (+2 D.Roll), Fortitude +3, Will +7 (+12 Ring)

Complications:
Motivation (Save the World)
Responsibility (Orphan)- Ma-Ti's parents were from rival tribes, and were murdered by evil loggers.
Power Loss (Hate)- Ma-Ti's Ring would seemingly be quite powerful, if not for it's tremendous weakness against Evil beings. Seriously- he couldn't detect his Teammates because they were in a room with two EVIL GUYS one time, and his power failed against Hitler because "You don't HAVE a Heart!" So yes- the Heart Ring DOES in fact suck, so people can just stop claiming it's a sweet power, m'kay?
Power Loss (All Powers)- Planeteer Rings are rendered powerless if they are covered with or surrounded by pollutants. They must be cleaned before use. The Rings also don't work if the Planeteer hurts their Ring hand. Gaia hates Left-Handed People.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 34 / Defenses: 16 (127)

SUCHI THE MONKEY
Role:
Helper Pet, Cute Sidekick, Poop-Thrower
PL 4 (70)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 14
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11)
Athletics 3 (+1)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Attack (Poop) 6 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Plus 4 Ranks in any other Skill (Expertise- Dancing or Art are common)

Advantages:
Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Simian Anatomy" Enhanced Athletics 8 (+9) (Flaws: Limited to Climbing) [2]
"Tail" Extra Limbs 1 [1]
Speed 2 (2 mph) [2]
Leaping 1 [1]

"Small Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
(-2 Strength & Speed, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness -1, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Monkeys cannot speak to humans.
Enemy (Rival Males)- Rival Males constantly seek to up-end a male leader's territory, and they must always be on the watch, lest rivals take their females.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 28 / Defenses: 16 (70)

-Ma-Ti is probably top contender for the crown of "Crappiest Power-Set in Cartoons", sharing it with the likes of Superfriends-Aquaman and Zan of the Wonder Twins. His Ring's power is so lame that it has it's own page on TV Tropes: What Kind of Lame Power is Heart, Anyways?" Oh sure, they throw the poor bastard a bone every once in a while, stating that "your power is the most important", and he keeps the entire team in conversation with each other at a distance and stuff, but when your buddies are causing Earthquakes, Firestorms, Tornados and Tsunamis, being able to talk to your pet monkey is a pretty lame power. To make it even worse, he's the SMALLEST member of the team, too, making it an extra kick in the balls that his power is twerpy. They didn't even really show him exerting Mind Control or charging dozens of animals out at the villains, either! It was just "Calling for help". Yeah, the extent of his powers are basically to act as a Two-Way Radio, and to copy what Jimmy Olsen's freaking watch does! Hell, at one point, he tries to use his powers on a Hitler Expy... and it DOESN'T WORK ("*gasp!* You HAVE no heart!").
-Sure, his power COULD have been made terrific- it essentially functions as Animal Control, and one episode DOES feature him using it to convince a guy to give him some change (it's set in the future, and Ma-Ti's a hobo... with the Heart Ring). Of course, the latter is a more villainous type of thing, but still. The fact is, the Heart Ring was a joke, and it's become something even more over the years- a bit of a Pop Culture Legend. Not as big as the whole "Aquaman Sucks" meme has gotten (or even close to it), but it's practically the first thing people think of when they think of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. And considering they have one of the most cheesy, Ear-Wormy theme songs in history, that's saying something.
-Who'd've thunk that Ma-Ti's ring would be the most expensive of the Planeteers', despite its suck? Well, I think I overdid his power level just a little bit, but what the hell? It's freaking MA-TI THE HEART RING KID, he deserves a break. And hey, he's got less skill, less hitting power, and less competence than every other member of the team (including Captain Dipsh*t American himself), and twelve points of his build are taken up by a freaking monkey who couldn't beat up any of the villains' SIDEKICKS, much less the villains themselves. He can control lots of animals at once, with a Sensory Link, talk to his buddies, make already nice people nicer (possibly the worst power any hero has ever had- OOOH he can infuse people with the power of LIBERAL GUILT!), use Telelocation to find which foreign piece of tail Wheeler's chasing, or Summon the Good Captain. Though apparently in one issue of the comic book he knocked out Argos Bleak by forcing him to look inside his own "black heart". See, now THAT kind of thing would have made him more useful to the team. Also, his Heart power is apparently what gives Captain Planet is courage- lower his Will Save otherwise.


And that's it for Planeteer builds! Interestingly, most of them are around the same points cost, with only the Smartest One (Gi) costing slightly more than the others. The two Front-Line Fighters are the cheapest (Kwame & Wheeler), while Linka & Ma-Ti are the same price at 127 points. They're a bunch of PL 7s with PL 8 point-costs, which I think fits a bit, given that they're mostly very bright kids (ie. Skillmonkeys) using Elemental Rings with a Summon Power. They're no match for most decent Marvel or DC heroes, even as a team (WAY too low with the Toughness & Fortitude Saves- even the toughest are barely PL 6.5 defensively either), but when your opponents consist of lazy corporate executives and morbidly obese porcine-types, you don't need to be a god.

"Haw-haw-haw-haw! Gnarly, dudes! Bodacious!"

CAPTAIN POLLUTION
Played By:
David Coburn
Role: Mirror Image Villain
PL 12 (215)- Minion Rank 15
STRENGTH
14 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Intimidation 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 6, Power Attack

Powers:
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 9) [11]
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]

Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
Movement 1 (Space Travel) [2]
"Earth Spirit" Immunity 10 (Pollutant Damage- Radiation, Toxics, Gases, etc.) [10]
Regeneration 10 (Flaws: Source- Unnatural Pollutants) [5]

"Toxic Disintegration" Blast 10 (Extras: Secondary Effect) Linked to Weaken Toughness 6 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (48) -- [57]
AE: "Toxics" Weaken Stamina 8 (Extras: Ranged, Disease +2) (32)
AE: "Smog" Concealment 3 (Visuals, Scent) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued & Impaired/Exhausted & Defenseless/Incapicated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2, Extra Condition) (36)
AE: "Radiation" Blast 12 (Feats: Penetrating 8) (32)
AE: "Radiation Bolt" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (36)
AE: "Radiation Wave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (36)
AE: "Radiation Flare" Dazzle Visuals 10 (20)
AE: "Radiation Sickness" Weaken Stamina 5 (Extras: Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst, Progressive +2) (25)
AE: "Deforestation" Weaken Toughness 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Trees -2) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Trees -2) (20)
AE: "Hate" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Hate) (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blasts +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Area Damage +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Smog +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Radiation Sickness +5 Area (+5 Weaken, DC 15)
Deforestation +10 Area (+10 Weaken & Damage, DC 20 & 25)
Toxics +8 (+8 Weaken, DC 18)
Hate +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +14, Fortitude +12, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Ruin the World)
Power Loss (All Powers), Vulnerable, Weakness- If exposed to pure elements such as clear streams, nice air and clean woods and stuff, Captain Pollution will lose all of his powers, and quickly begin to die.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 114 / Defenses: 9 (215)

-Captain Pollution was a pretty no-brainer idea in the show, created as part of an evil plan by the show's combined villains roster (which makes things WAY better in nearly every cartoon with a Rogue's Gallery, not just an Assortment of Colourful Minions, like He-Man or She-Ra did). He was Cap's Mirror Image Villain, created by their evil Pollution Rings. Unfortunately, he looked like a goon (sickly yellow with a red mullet) and talked like a surfer dude combined with Rocksteady & Bebop for some reason, so he kind of became a joke in the fandom. No joke in the battlefield, though. He beat the CRAP out of Cap'n P in their first battle, and was only beaten the second time because he realized that Pollution would have the opposite weaknesses he would have; so he dug him into pure earth, water, air, etc., and then beat the snot out of him. He'd reappear later on his own, but was beaten back that time as well.
-No Skills except for Intimidation, few Advantages, but a hell of a lot of power. Smog, Radiation, Hate, Deforestation (no, really), etc., he brings a lot to bear. All his powers are in direct opposition to Captain Planet, making him his worst opponent. Of course, "Pure Elements" as a weakness is kind of tough to properly play, but throwing him into a clear stream'll about mess him up.

"I'll get you for this, Captain Planet!!"

LOOTEN PLUNDER
Played By:
James Coburn, Ed Gilbert
Role: Evil Capitalist
PL 7 (111)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 8 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 9 (+13)
Expertise (Civics) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Big Game Hunting) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+10)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Extreme Wealth), Equipment 10 (Whatever he Needs), Improved Aim, Ranged Attack 3, Skill Mastery 2 (Business, Game Hunting)

Powers:
"Evil Ring of Deforestation" (Flaws: Removable) [18]
"Deforestation" Weaken Toughness 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Trees -2) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Trees -2) (20) -- (22 points)
AE: "Knock Over Trees" Blast 7 (Feats: Indirect 2) (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Requires Large Trees -2) (9)
AE: "Let Our Polluting Powers Combine!" Summon 3 (45 pp of Captain Pollution) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Deforestation +10 Area (+10 Weaken & Damage, DC 20 & 25)
Knock Over Trees +7 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Plunder is an absolute capitalist, and would sell anything for a profit.
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 9 (111)

-Looten Plunder is pretty much the archn-nemesis of the Planeteers. Not in power (Duke Nukem, Zarm and Captain Pollution are all actually super-powered), but certainly if you combined his menace with his number of appearances. He's meant to describe the evils of hunting/poaching (in the Turner-verse, it's pretty much all the same :)), overt capitalism and desire for money. Which is sort of what Hoggish Greedly represents, but the Eco-Villains always overlap that way. His schtick was to be part of some multi-national scheme for profit, that would invevitably cause pollution or deforestation or something, and it'd be up to the Planeteers to stop him. He's basically Lex Luthor cut part and parcel into the Planeteers' universe, and was probably their most effective recurring villain in terms of real (less exaggerated) evil. He's also one of the few villains to WIN at the end of an episode- he got the rights to bulldoze an old-growth forest, and there was nothing the Planeteers could do to stop it! One of the rare instances of "it's just not fair" actually hitting the superheroes in a kids' cartoon. I love the name, too- it's ludicrously punny, but in exactly the right kind of way.
-For the hell of it, I've tossed in the Evil Rings of the Eco-Villains, to complete their builds. Plunder is essentially an Evil Corporate villain in the Luthor vein, having skills based around it, and a pretty good assortment of Equipment, though he usually has tons of Minions as well (Argos Bleak, a big bald biker dude from Australia, was the best henchman in the show other than MAL the Computer). His "Deforestation Ring" can wipe out tons of plant matter, which is useless against most people, but also can knock trees over on people. Not the easiest thing in the world to stat (as his is the least overtly damaging of the group's rings), but it'll do.

ARGOS BLEAK
Played By:
Unknown
Role: The Muscle
PL 5 (54)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 2 (+2)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (54)

-Argos Bleak (another great name) is Looten Plunder's go-to guy for evil stuff, and certainly more dangerous than "yes men" idiots like Rigger & Lead Suit. Argos is military-trained, can pilot vehicles, and is pretty muscular as well. He even got an episode where he was the only villain!

"Sell all this oil for millions? But there's a perfectly good nature preserve to just dump it all, right here!"

SLY SLUDGE
Played By:
Martin Sheen, Jim Cummings
Role: Show the Perils of Short-Sighted Thinking and Improper Waste Disposal
PL 6 (100)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 8 (+11)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Eco-Criminal) 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 5 (+8)
Technology 4 (+8)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Wealth), Equipment 7 (Whatever he Needs)

Powers:
"Evil Ring of Smog" (Flaws: Removable) [30]
"Smog" Concealment 3 (Visuals, Scent) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued & Impaired/Exhausted & Defenseless/Incapicated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2, Extra Condition) (36) -- (37 points)
AE: "Let Our Polluting Powers Combine!" Summon 3 (45 pp of Captain Pollution) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Smog +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- Sludge's scam is to deliver cheap methods of waste disposal that are actually harmful to the environment.
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 9 (100)

-Sly Sludge is probably the most generic villain of the Eco-Bad-Guys, mainly because his core concept seems so skewed towards generic pollution creation. He was a greedy money-grubber, just like Plunder AND Greedly, but his concept was more that he was a moderate techno-genius who would create get-rich-quick schemes to gain government funding (like a machine that shrinks trash into small, compact cubes- which is EVIL because it's harder to break that down) or something, and then run away- like a critique of wasteful government projects (wait, did Libertarians write all of his episodes?). My favourite moment of his is in the Opening Credits, where he & Dr. Blight are GLEEFULLY typing up massive streams of wasteful paper, forcing Linka to use her tornado power on them. I mean, that's the silliness of the show in a microcosm right there- their great evil plan was to CAUSE EXCESSIVE PAPER WASTE. So yeah, Sludge is essentially the same concept as three other Captain Planet villains. I guess he's meant to show the more Short-Sighted & Apathetic forms of Pollution, but whatever.
-In the end, Sludge actually learns that recycling CAN be profitable, and thus promises to change gears.
-A pasty, fat, balding guy, Sludge is no physical combatant. He's like Plunder, but far less wealthy and with worse, more generic minions (I don't even remember Ooze at all). He's more of a tech-guy, and a hell of a bullshitter (how many governments willfully give him recycling contracts?). His ring is arguably the most deadly of the entire group's, capable of making people sick as hell, AND obscuring nearly all their senses. That's about it for him, though.

"Yeah, my parents clearly hated me the second they saw me come out."

HOGGISH GREEDLY
Played By:
Ed Asner
Role: Show the Perils of Consumption
PL 4 (68)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 8 (+9)
Expertise (Business) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Eco-Criminal) 7 (+10)
Perception 4 (+5)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Wealth), Equipment 7 (Whatever he Needs)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Gluttony)- Hoggish Greedly... it's kinda right there, isn't it?
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)
Relationship (Son- Hoggish Greedly Junior)- Yes, SOMEHOW, Hoggish has managed to mate.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (68)

-Hoggish Greedly is a disgustingly obese, porcine man who pretty much shares traits with both Sly Sludge and Looten Plunder, being a super-capitalist (of the fat, slovenly, Slothful type rather than a Business-suit-wearing gun-runner like Plunder, or a sleazy shyster like Sludge). So yeah, most Eco-Villains tend to be modifications of the same guy. He seemed a bit more entertaining, being a humorous pig, snorting and messing up and having the most ineffectual & weak of all the sidekicks (which is saying something), and he EASILY showed up the most out of all the villains, a fact that I'll chalk up mostly to him being played by Ed Asner, one of the actors least-likely to be doing a major film at the time, and thus the most available. Asner has only improved as a Voice Actor since then- his goofy, over-the-top Greedly (full of snorting and over-emoting) has given way to the mature, Scottish Hudson, as well as the iconic Carl of Pixar's Up. Quite a good second career for the guy who hit fame as Lou Grant on one of the biggest sitcoms in history.
-Of course, it made it harder to figure out how he could make ANYONE believe what he says (aside from his appearance, his name was HOGGISH GREEDLY... it couldn't have been worse if his name was Liar McScrewyaover). He was the odd-man-out of the villains when they got their Evil Rings, and he was shown as having a real family and backstory, making him a tad more sympathetic than the other "polluting for the absolute hell of it" types. But really... I can't get past that name. Some names are clever, if a bit odd ("LOOTEN"?). But HOGGISH GREEDLY? That's the worst "Punny Name" I've ever heard- neither is a real name, or even a similar kind of one.
-Greedly stats up WAY cheaper than his Eco-Villain buddies, mainly due to lack of a ring. His schtick was always to promote some kind of super-device that would (of course) pollute like nuts, and face down the Planeteers with some kind of super-device of his own concept. I... actually have no idea where he gets his gear- he doesn't seem to be much of an inventor. Maybe he buys it from Doctor Blight?

RIGGER
Played By:
Jon Ratzenberger
Role: Stupid Sidekick
PL 1 (17)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Bootlick) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (17)

-Rigger is a Stupid Sidekick character, with a tiny bit of morality thrown in- he would occasionally be all "hey, boss, isn't this TOTALLY EVIL?", but Hoggish Greedly would just yell at or strike him, and Rigger would proceed to do whatever evil thing was required of him. He's also REALLY ANNOYING, constantly going "Yep! Yep!" in an exceptionally high-pitched voice, provided by Pixar's favorite recurring actor, Jon "Cliff Clayvin" Ratzenberger. Rigger is also not even a good fighter- he just kind of presses whatever button the boss orders him to press.

"For the love of God, I'm not THAT Duke Nukem! Shut up and leave me alone!!"

DUKE NUKEM
Played By:
Dean Stockwell, Maurice LaMarche
Role: Show the Perils of Nuclear Power
PL 10 (156)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Nuclear Energy
Expertise (Eco-Criminal) 4 (+7)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Radiation) 2 (+8)
Technology 5 (+8)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Startle

Powers:
"Radiation-Charged Body"
"Radiation Wave" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable Radiation Type) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone) (17) -- [23]
AE: Radiation Blast 8 (Feats: Variable Radiation Type) (17)
AE: "Radiation Flare" Dazzle Visuals 8 (16)
AE: "Radiation Bolt" Damage 8 (Feats: Variable Radiation Type) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (17)
AE: "Melt" Weaken Toughness 5 (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Affects Objects Only) (5)
AE: Enhanced Radiation Aura +2 (totals to +5 overall) (8)
AE: "Radiation Sickness" Weaken Stamina 3 (Extras: Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst, Progressive +2) (15)

Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 5) [7]
Radiation Aura 3 [12]
Immunity 8 (Aging, Disease, Poison, Radiation Damage) [8]

"Evil Ring of Super-Radiation" (Flaws: Removable) [16]
"Let Our Polluting Powers Combine!" Summon 3 (45 pp of Captain Pollution) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (15) -- (19 points)
AE: Enhanced Radiation Blast +2 (4)
AE: Enhanced Radiation Wave +2 (2)
AE: Enhanced Radiation Bolt +2 (2)
AE: "Radiation Sickness" Enhanced Weaken Stamina +2 (Extras: Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst, Progressive +2) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Radiation Aura +8 (+3-5 Damage, DC 18-20)
Radiation Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Radiation Wave & Bolt +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Super-Radiation Blast +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Super-Radation Wave & Bolt +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Power, Comfort)- Duke Nukem requires Radiation to feed and be comfortable, and so his goal is to irradiate the entire planet and rule it- everyone else be damned.
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)
Power Loss (Lead)- Radiation does not affect Lead, giving Nukem a key weakness.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 9 (156)

-Duke Nukem is by far the most powerful regular menace the Planeteers faced, in that he actually HAD POWERS, and not just evil devices or minions or whatever. A big, rock-like guy like The Thing, he was a radioactive thug, breaking into power plants and stuff to suck up their power (showing the EVILS of nuclear power and radiation), and would actually pummel Captain Planet himself for a bit (thanks to his pollution-based powers), before inevitably being wrapped up in lead and sent off to jail. His team-up with the other Eco-Villains resulted in a "Super-Radiation" ring that simply boosted his power levels.
-Nukem was apparently a scientist in the past, gaining his powers that way, so he gets Sciences as a skill. His powers are pretty unique, as he's part-Brick, part-Blaster, with an Aura power, Immunities out the wazzoo, Protection, Super-Strength, etc. His Power Ring only gives him a boost to most of his powers, in addition to bringing out Captain Pollution, so it's the cheapest & weakest out of the bunch. No telling if it's maximum power if Plunder or somebody picked it up would be far stronger or what. Without the Ring, he's merely PL 8, but a match for the Captain mainly because of Cap's vulnerabilities to his power. He's the only Cap villain to break 150 points, but he goes below it withou the Evil Ring (which was only there for a single episode).

LEADSUIT
Played By:
Frank Welker
Role: Stupid Sidekick
PL 1 (18)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Bootlick) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment (Lead Suit- Protection +2, Immune to Radiation)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)
Phobia (The Dark)

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (18)

-Duke Nukem's own incompetent Sidekick is the wimpy, bumbling Leadsuit, so named because he wears a radiation-proof suit around his boss, Duke Nukem. He's known to be a pretty bad fighter, easily-overpowered by the Planeteers.

Skumm: That's it, you Blissed-out morons. First I take your town's wealth and health. And then, I get the rest of the world hooked on Bliss. And I'll be the only one who can still think straight!

VERMINOUS SKUMM
Played By:
Jeff Goldblum, Maurice LaMarche
Role: Show the Perils of Waste, Urbran Sprawls, and Hatred
PL 7 (141)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Deception 8 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Chemicals
Expertise (Eco-Criminal) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 6 (+10)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Equipment 5, Fascination (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Rat-Like Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Sewers, Swamps, Polluted Areas) [2]
Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]

"Evil Ring of Toxics" (Flaws: Removable) [31]
"Toxic Disintegration" Blast 6 (Extras: Secondary Effect) Linked to Weaken Toughness 6 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (36) -- (38 points)
AE: "Let Our Polluting Powers Combine!" Summon 3 (45 pp of Captain Pollution) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (15)
AE: "Toxics" Weaken Stamina 8 (Extras: Ranged, Disease +2) (32)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Toxics +8 (+5 Ranged Damage & +6 Weaken, DC 20 & 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Spreading Filth, Disease & Hatred)- Verminous Skumm simply wishes to foment chaos for it's own sake- getting people addicted to "Bliss", spreading misinformation about AIDS to screw with some kid he's never even met before, and causing disease in general. Even by comparison to the REST of these Polluting-For-The-Hell-Of-It Ass-hats, Skumm is an awful person.
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 36 / Defenses: 9 (141)

-Verminous Skumm was by far the most insidiuos and evil of Captain Planet's villains, which is SAYING SOMETHING, considering most of them gleefully sought out schemes that served few purposes other than to pollute the Earth (and maybe get some money out of it). Why is he so bad? Because he doesn't give a crap about money AT ALL- he's merely there to stir crap up, kill people with drugs, and spread hatred as a means to prove that humans are scum. He's responsible for two of the most shocking CP & P episodes of all time: In one, he spread misinformation about the AIDS virus simply to screw over one kid he'd never even met (who happened to be HIV positive). This one featured Neil Patrick Harris (then a child star about to become irrelevant for years) as the kid, and was inspired by the very-real case of Ryan White, an innocent boy infected via a blood transfusion, who created a national debate when he was kicked out of school by people afraid of the disease spreading. In another, he creates the drug known as "Bliss" for seemingly no reason other than to be a dick, and an addiction to it ends up killing Linka's cousin. Now that is a MESSED UP villain. Initially, his concept seems to be about the evils of living in urban cities and the pollution inherent in them, but the writers tried very hard to alter him into a symbol of hatred and dissonance in humanity.
-Jeff Goldblum was AWFUL in this role, though. He basically just squealed and giggled his way through everything, sounding little like his usual, iconically-mumbly performance. Maurice "The Brain" LaMarche took over the role after five episodes.
-Aside from Nukem, Skumm is the only villain who can hold his own physically with the Planeteers, and his Ring only shoots up his PL by 1.5 levels. The Toxic Ring's Disintegration Beam (essentially 2e's Corrosion at Range) is powerful, but his Chemical Skill is probably his most-used ability. Expect him to come streaming in with an armada of humanoid rats or drug addicts, and to be manipulating things from behind the scenes.

"How much money would Jab pay to see me re-enact my voice actress' famous restaurant seen from 'When Harry Met Sally'?!"

DOCTOR BLIGHT (Barbara "Babs" Blight)
Played By:
Meg Ryan, Mary Kay Bergman
Role: Show the Perils of Unethical Scientific Experimentation
PL 7 (119)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 6 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+16)
Expertise (Eco-Criminal) 5 (+12)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 6 (+10)
Technology 9 (+16)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 10 (Whatever She Needs), Daze (Deception), Fascination (Deception), Inventor, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Evil Ring of Hatred" (Flaws: Removable) [13]
"Let Our Polluting Powers Combine!" Summon 3 (45 pp of Captain Pollution) (Extras: Heroic +2, Continuous) (15) -- (16 points)
AE: "Hate" Affliction 7 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Hate) (14)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Hatred +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Science & Pollution)- Dr. Blight loves to experiment and do whatever, while also polluting for no apparent reason. Like, she walks around deliberately putrefying the air just for the hell of it.
Enemy (Captain Planet & The Planeteers)
Responsibility (Bipolar)- Blight seems to jump around in personality a lot to the people she knows. Even her beloved computer MAL will occasionally be treated with threats and violence, and she usually FAWNS over him.
Responsibility (Ugly Scar)- In some episodes, Blight is embarrassed by the large scar on one side of her face- in other episodes, she seems proud of it.
Relationship (MAL)- Blight's computer is a sarcastic individual with a seductive English voice.
Relationship (Bambi Blight- Sister)- Blight's sister is a famous Hollywood actress.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 11 (119)

-Doctor Blight is the "Hot Villainess" of Captain Planet- a beautiful, sinister scientist who represents the dark side of scientific progress, all while wearing a hot pink jumpsuit. Also she has a fugly green scar on one side of her face, hidden by a Veronica Lake-style bang. And her evil computer is played by Tim Curry. She's another Machine & Equipment-based mastermind villain, but with a focus on BUILDING the technology, not just buying it. She's supposed to be an example of technology & science gone wrong at the expense of the environment, but really she just comes across as an insane experimentress (see the aforementioned scene where she makes a toxic perfume just to make the air more gross). Especially when she's polluting for the hell of it, and when it's established that she could EASILY use her tech to help fix a lot of ecological problems (one episode featured her and Gaia switching bodies- Gaia immediately used scientific expertise to fix numerous ecological problems, and Blight's genius is said to be enough to be able to solve the problem of oil spills)- she just actively chooses not to, because she's a giant bitch.
-Her Evil Ring never got used in the 'toon, so that's a guesswork power type (seems obvious given the name, anyways). She's mostly the same as Sludge & Greedly & Plunder & Skumm as far as her Skills/Advantages go. She's have Attractive as an Advantage if people made more of a stink over her looks in-universe, and she didn't have what appears to be a giant brown scar on her face.





Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+2: Barracudas,
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist, Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills,
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm,
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangs,
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker,
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Hydro Man,
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Killer Whales, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro,
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail),
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, The Thing, Colossus
+14: Sasquatch
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh,
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Giant-Man (Max Size), The Kraken,
+18: Thor (Hammer)
+20: Red Ronin
+21: Red Ronin's Blade


re: China's Smog- Interesting. I didn't know that one! How are the regulations failing there?

re: Power Sources- I was pro-nuclear, because I think it's statistically safer. The only problem is... when it DOES screw up, it screws up BIG-TIME, and like you said- it freaks everybody out. Japan's Fukuoshima disaster has probably poisoned the rest of the world on its potential. Is Hydro Power so much worse? I know it's controversial because it involves even bigger, MORE sudden environmental changes than simple POLLUTION could ever cause (RE-ROUTING RIVERS? THAT'S the solution to globe-altering pollution?).

re: Fracking. I don't know squat about it, so I'll have to take your word for it :). All I know is that experience has shown that unintended consequences can always pop up.

I hadn't heard about the polar ice caps growing (I WONDER WHY THE MEDIA WAS SO SECRETIVE ABOUT THAT? :)), so I had to look it up. That's pretty fascinating, though the science on it still seems quite unclear. It seems like it's just a surge in an era where its mostly declined. I've checked a bunch of sources, but of course the news is often hard to believe, as everyone's got their biases (this has sadly pretty much always been true). This site indicates some issues, and features some detractors who suggest more peer reviews were necessary. This link (also from NASA) is that the Northern ice has faltered and is at its lowest since they started checking. This one also concludes that ice has been shrinking in the North, but also adds that the South features the opposite effect. And really, the Antarctic ice (is it really a record?) could just be a random surge. I wonder what the net gain or loss is overall?

Indications are also that the globe HAS been warming, and that the sea levels have been rising, despite the report of increased ice. How is that explained? Of course, there's the point that the globe has ALWAYS had fluctuating temperatures, and the real issue is just HOW MUCH our own gas-guzzling is responsible for. Or, you know, how important is it REALLY that this is happening? Questions I could never really answer- hell, my own grades in science sucked. I mean, I'd miss the Polar Bears. And people on the coasts may have some issues with the increased flooding and what-not. But like I said earlier, the planet will live on PLENTY past our own f-ups.

That's interesting about how science & empirical studies have changed. The science I'm most familiar with is paleontology, where the prevailing wisdom is "the best way to get money and get noticed is to make big loud claims that Everything You Know Is Wrong, and write papers changing everyone's perceptions". So the rest of the scientific world works in the opposite "Toe The Line" philosophy? I don't doubt that about colleges, at least. I've read plenty of articles about how anything other than the ultra-liberal perspective is actually derided and could possibly be EXPELLED due to "Trigger Warnings" and assorted BS.

The question of course, is always "Who To Believe?" I'm really not sure, but you've definitely given me something to think about. Do you have any sources other than the ones I've shown? Preferably not from the NY Times or some Conservative website or something with obvious biases (of COURSE the NY Times one I looked at was all "HERPA DERP I CAN'T HEAR YOUUUUUUUUU!!!!").


o start to explain this one starting with economics. It will get around to applying to the environment, trust me.

Without reference to political party, the uninitiated usually like to think that big businesses LOVE tax cuts and deregulation. It only makes sense, right? That's less money they have to pay, so of course that's want they want, right? Well... no, that's not what most big businesses want at all. What a big business wants more than anything is to be the ONLY business, or at least one of the only two or three, serving their market. The best way to go about ensuring that is by creating what's called "barriers to entry." That means someone - usually the government - makes it more expensive and more difficult to start a small business in that market, or to turn a small business into a medium-sized business, and God help you if you have dreams of achieving "big business" status and aren't there already. See, the BIG businesses can already afford the army of lawyers, the crippling taxes and fees, the mandated expenses, etc.

Now, consider the fact that the developing world - most notably Africa, the least modernized populated continent - is having rapidly expanding demand for electricity, abundant fossil fuels to consume for power, and the potential to manufacture a vast amount of goods and services cheaply. Well, that's a huge problem for the First World, isn't it? A new player in the game. Better create some barriers to entry. "Coincidentally," at this point, international regulations came out, offering powerful people cash in exchange for agreeing to a clearly-morally-superior environmental treaty, under which any new or upgraded fossil fuel operated facility has to be reviewed and meet functionally-impossible standards before it can operate.

Again, this particularly screws Africa, because now, instead of all the cheap power they need from a real power plant, they're forced to operate bush hospitals on a pair of solar panels, meaning that they have to choose from moment to moment whether they want to run the lights or the refrigerator more. But also, this prevents more industrialized but not yet modern countries like China from upgrading from the old "bellowing smoke stack" style antique power plant to a modern, super-clean plant. A natural gas plant is SO CLEAN, and modern coal is possibly even moreso. Green regulation is preventing that, though, because it's not wind or solar.

Quote Originally Posted by Jabroniville
re: Power Sources- I was pro-nuclear, because I think it's statistically safer. The only problem is... when it DOES screw up, it screws up BIG-TIME, and like you said- it freaks everybody out. Japan's Fukuoshima disaster has probably poisoned the rest of the world on its potential. Is Hydro Power so much worse? I know it's controversial because it involves even bigger, MORE sudden environmental changes than simple POLLUTION could ever cause (RE-ROUTING RIVERS? THAT'S the solution to globe-altering pollution?).
Think of nuclear power disasters like plane crashes. They're still safer than cars by an insane margin, but you don't see every car accident on the evening news, so people are terrified of flying.

The sad thing about Fukushima is, that was a crappy old plant that should have been updated a decade or more ago, but didn't get the funding, PRECISELY BECAUSE of the nuclear panic. If it had received the funding to get the renovations it needed, we still wouldn't know its name.

Quote Originally Posted by Jabroniville
re: Fracking. I don't know squat about it, so I'll have to take your word for it . All I know is that experience has shown that unintended consequences can always pop up.
Fair enough. I'm not sure I could imagine what it could be, in this case, though. It's just breaking up some rock formations and depositing some sand coated in harmless (read: edible) chemicals to assist fluid flow. There's no way for the fluid to leave the shale layer. Even if there was a route, that would need WAY more pressure than the engineers project for the individual case, and when I did it, we simply didn't bring enough trucks for that. Each trailer is a million-dollar hydraulic pump that needs a lot of service, so you take what you need and maybe a spare or two, and leave the rest in the shop getting serviced.

(Splitting this into multiple messages. Yeah, character limits!)


You're right in that it's difficult to know which side to trust on this issue. Lots of conflicting narratives. Instead of trying to argue which side is being deliberately dishonest, I'll just make two points.

1) In the areas where ice is receding, you know what they're finding underneath? Ruins of Bronze Age villages. Humanity was there BEFORE the ice. I think we'll be okay without it.

2) Try a little science experiment. Pour yourself a glass of ice water. Mark the level with a piece of tape. As the ice melts, watch what happens to the water level.

Quote Originally Posted by Jabroniville
Indications are also that the globe HAS been warming, and that the sea levels have been rising, despite the report of increased ice. How is that explained? Of course, there's the point that the globe has ALWAYS had fluctuating temperatures, and the real issue is just HOW MUCH our own gas-guzzling is responsible for. Or, you know, how important is it REALLY that this is happening? Questions I could never really answer- hell, my own grades in science sucked. I mean, I'd miss the Polar Bears. And people on the coasts may have some issues with the increased flooding and what-not. But like I said earlier, the planet will live on PLENTY past our own f-ups.
Actually, before the NOAA basically openly admitted to fudging their data, there was a seventeen-year "hiatus" in the warming trend that started in the 1970's. The actual warming trend was shorter than the cooling trend that preceded it. Now, the NOAA says that their data shows the Earth warming all along, but they will only release the "adjusted" data. They won't release the raw data, or their methodology for making the adjustments. They're fighting a FOIA request tooth and nail to prevent having to do that. Meanwhile, the satellite data and the duck buoys - both superior methods of temperature measurement than the NOAA's SHITTY methodology - continue to say that, until this year's El Nino event, temperatures had been level for 17 years. Despite 25% of all CO2 released in human history being attributed to the same time period. Hmm...

Oh, and don't you worry about the polar bears. They like to use them as a face for how fragile the Earth is, but if you look at the wildlife census numbers, their populations are EXPLODING. If polar bears are losing their habitat, they're losing it to OTHER POLAR BEARS.

(Still more! Complex topic, and I'm wordy.)

You're right in that it's difficult to know which side to trust on this issue. Lots of conflicting narratives. Instead of trying to argue which side is being deliberately dishonest, I'll just make two points.

1) In the areas where ice is receding, you know what they're finding underneath? Ruins of Bronze Age villages. Humanity was there BEFORE the ice. I think we'll be okay without it.

2) Try a little science experiment. Pour yourself a glass of ice water. Mark the level with a piece of tape. As the ice melts, watch what happens to the water level.

Quote Originally Posted by Jabroniville
Indications are also that the globe HAS been warming, and that the sea levels have been rising, despite the report of increased ice. How is that explained? Of course, there's the point that the globe has ALWAYS had fluctuating temperatures, and the real issue is just HOW MUCH our own gas-guzzling is responsible for. Or, you know, how important is it REALLY that this is happening? Questions I could never really answer- hell, my own grades in science sucked. I mean, I'd miss the Polar Bears. And people on the coasts may have some issues with the increased flooding and what-not. But like I said earlier, the planet will live on PLENTY past our own f-ups.
Actually, before the NOAA basically openly admitted to fudging their data, there was a seventeen-year "hiatus" in the warming trend that started in the 1970's. The actual warming trend was shorter than the cooling trend that preceded it. Now, the NOAA says that their data shows the Earth warming all along, but they will only release the "adjusted" data. They won't release the raw data, or their methodology for making the adjustments. They're fighting a FOIA request tooth and nail to prevent having to do that. Meanwhile, the satellite data and the duck buoys - both superior methods of temperature measurement than the NOAA's SHITTY methodology - continue to say that, until this year's El Nino event, temperatures had been level for 17 years. Despite 25% of all CO2 released in human history being attributed to the same time period. Hmm...

Oh, and don't you worry about the polar bears. They like to use them as a face for how fragile the Earth is, but if you look at the wildlife census numbers, their populations are EXPLODING. If polar bears are losing their habitat, they're losing it to OTHER POLAR BEARS.

(Still more! Complex topic, and I'm wordy.)

The major problem with most science these days is that the gold standard for the quality of research is "peer review." The better regarded the journals you get published in, the better your research is perceived to be. Unfortunately, you get to be an editor for these journals by being a leader in your field. So the people selecting which articles are potentially valid or not have a vested interest in not having their own research overturned. If that happened, their own grants would dry up, they'd be humiliated in front of their peers... basically, choosing to publish a paper that disagrees with what they've built for themselves makes absolutely no rational sense for them as human beings with careers, reputations to preserve, and families to feed.

Recently watched a discussion about how one of those young empiricists I talked about wanted to open a lab of his own someday. It was pointed out to him that to do any research, he was probably going to require a grant, and the politicians holding the purse strings have an agenda, and without their support, he's a principled pauper, until some day he's approached by somebody who can sell him the "yeah, you'll be fudging your results for us, but think of the GOOD you can do with this money, FOR SCIENCE!" line most convincingly, and then he's on the hook. Oh - and the field he was disillusioned with wasn't climate, but MEDICINE. Makes you feel safe, huh?

If you're interested, I can dig up the sources I provided to my goddaughter for her school presentation. They're legit as can be. Tomorrow, though - getting kinda late. The Climate Depot site I linked you to last message is pretty good, in the meantime. Its only consistent ideological bias appears to be toward scientific integrity.

(That's it!)

Man, I really wish I could find the over-time population breakdown of the polar bear my professor showed me in 2016. In the late 1970s, early '80s, the polar bear population was down around 6-7,000, according to that. The materials he presented in class said that there were several distinct polar bear populations. Two of them were shrinking, the rest of them were RAPIDLY expanding, and the extinction predictions were based on data derived exclusively from the first two. Unfortunately, Google isn't coughing up the specific data I'm looking for. It's almost as if they alter search results deliberately in pursuit of a political agenda, or something, but that's unthinkable, right?

Oh, right - that was on yesterday's front page.

Quote Originally Posted by Jabroniville
What's all this about data-fudging and stuff? Do you have the sites for this? I'm doing all the work with Google searches and stuff .

I'm reminded of the time I watched the Penn & Teller's Bullshit! on Environmentalism & Recycling. My roommate was pissed when I went and told him all the stuff they mentioned, about how most (not ALL) recycling is actually kind of wasteful, and that a lot of programs have negative side effects. I always liked how that show didn't always go for the "popular" answer (though Penn is openly worshipful of science, mainly because he's a vocal atheist).
I'm a big fan of Penn, not just his old TV show, but his newer YouTube material as well. Also a HUGE fan of science... when science is done right. Thing is, right now the scientific process is driven mostly by government grants, and Penn is famously libertarian, like me. I've never actually heard him talk on the subject of government's financial influence on science, but if I had, I'm certain he'd get into one of his angrier rants about it.

It's hard to find a specific source on the corruption of science in general, because it's mostly been an underlying theme of all the scientific literature I've been consuming over the last decade or so. Sites like "junkscience.com" and the like are devoted to the idea. What I'm going to link you, though, is a video, about an hour long. It's the guy I mentioned, in the medical research field, telling his story to a guy who does the world's largest philosophy show, and together they really lay out the case for how the current academic incentive system is structured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrGRP2mu0GA

Stef's best shows are the ones in which he calls in leaders in scientific fields of study that have been condemned in their entirety for not being PC enough, regardless of the empirical merits of their ideas and research.

'Course, he's also interviewed Alex Jones once, for entertainment. They're not all fact-laden gold.

But yeah, there's evidence abound of grant distribution being based on how it can serve a political agenda. I'll have to dig up the side-by-side grant applications. Two grant applications, one wanting to study something on its own merit. The second one is identical, except with phrases like "and how this is affected by climate change" inserted where it sounds appropriate. The first one is denied. The second one is approved.

Anyway, here's the clearest, most concise explanation of "The Skeptic's Case" that I can find. I'll find more for you, but today's kind of busy.

https://mises.org/library/skeptics-case

One last point. When asked about the data presented by skeptics, the alarmists always respond "those guys are funded by Big Oil, you can't trust them." Despite never actually proving that any such funding is happening. Well, the alarmist organizations are exclusively government funded, composed almost entirely of open Communists or extreme Socialists, and advocate solutions based entirely on increased government power. But, of course, we're supposed to trust THEM.


⦁ Dr. Blight (voiced by ⦁ Meg Ryan in 1990, ⦁ Mary Kay Bergman in 1991–1995) – A ⦁ mad scientist with a half-scarred face hidden behind her hair who represents the dangers of uncontrolled ⦁ technology and unethical ⦁ scientific experimentation. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that Dr. Blight had a grandmother named Betty Blight who assisted Don Porkaloin in his plot. In the episode "Hollywaste", it is revealed she has a sister named Bambi and through Bambi, it is revealed to the viewers and the Planeteers that Dr. Blight's first name is Babs.
⦁ MAL (voiced by ⦁ David Rappaport in 1990, ⦁ Tim Curry in 1991–1995) – Dr. Blight's evil highly-intellectual ⦁ supercomputer.
⦁ Zarm (voiced by ⦁ Sting in 1990–1992, ⦁ David Warner in 1993, ⦁ Malcolm McDowell in 1994–1995) – Zarm is the former spirit of the Earth who left Gaia in search of other lands and ended up laying other populous planets to ruin lacking Gaia to balance out his methods. He represents ⦁ war and ⦁ destruction. Even though Zarm does not have any henchmen of his own, he would often manipulate other people to do his bidding. Zarm once united Hoggish Greedly, Looten Plunder, Sly Sludge, Duke Nukem, Verminous Skumm and Dr. Blight under his leadership in the two-part episode "Summit to Save Earth".
⦁ Mame Slaughter (voiced by ⦁ Theresa Saldana in the first appearance, ⦁ Mitzi McCall in the third appearance) – Leader of the Slaughter family who made their debut in "The New Adventures of Captain Planet." Mame and her family are a family of poachers who represent the endangerment of animals and are often in direct monetary competition with Looten Plunder. She and the Slaughter Family once collaborated with Looten Plunder and Argos Bleak in the episode "Horns A'Plenty" when the Planeteers ruined each one's rhinoceros poaching.
⦁ Stalker Slaughter (voiced by ⦁ Charlie Adler) – Mame's son and second-in-command.
[edit] Captain Pollution
Each of the evil rings have malevolent faces on them, in contrast to the more element-themed Planeteer rings. Captain Pollution is weakened when he is in contact with pure elements such as water or sunlight, while he gains power from contact with pollutants (and is later shown to gain power without limit when in contact with pollutants after his resurrection). When he is summoned he says "By your polluting powers combined, I am Captain Pollution! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!", and when he disappears, he declares "The polluting power is yours!"
In his first appearance, he is sent by the Eco-villains to destroy the Planeteers but gets chased off by Commander Clash, and after a fight with Captain Planet, he returns to the evil rings causing them to explode. In the two-part episode "A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste", Captain Pollution is brought back to life by toxins of the 5 evil rings that seep into the earth.
Captain Pollution resembles Captain Planet, but his skin is pale yellow, and covered in brown lesions. His hair is red, and styled in a Widow's peak and he has red eyes. His costume is the same color and style as Planet's, but the chest is torn in the middle, with two halves of a cracked version of Planet's chest symbol on either side. His voice has a California Valley twang to it. Captain Pollution is defeated twice by Captain Planet; first in Mission to Save Earth by being rammed through earth, lava, air and water, and then again in A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste by being tricked into going into an underground magma chamber.
His role as an evil/imperfect duplicate mirrors that of Superman's imperfect duplicate, Bizarro; albeit more malevolent and less of a harmless dunce, and with normal intelligence and lack of confusion at his surroundings.
Like his good counterpart, Captain Pollution is voiced by David Coburn in both appearances.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Cartoon Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

Some Notes about the film

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"Enough TALKING..."

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SINBAD AND THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS:
Sinbad (voiced with bland "I don't really know how to act with my voice, plus this is a DreamWorks wannabe-Disney flick so who gives a shit" aplomb by Brad Pitt) meets his old friend Proteus, who's guarding some "Book of Peace" Macguffin. Then the Goddess Eris decides to get involved by sending Badly CGI'd Monsters after everyone. Eris cuts a deal with Sinbad to get the Book for her (why not... wait until he stole it, THEN get it from him?... of course, this would get answered later), and OH MY GOD SHE'S A GIANTESS NOW BEST MOVIE EVER!! Uh, don't mind me. She flirts, but admits that "he's SO gullible!" as he floats away. And now the wrecked ship he was fighting is 100% fine and going on its way (seriously, they cut down most of the masts fighting the monster, and now it's at full sail), and everyone shows up in Syracuse, one of the "Twelve Cities" that are apparently the local government. The commentary notes that "The Art Department wanted us to spend a lot more time here", as of course it's this great "Built into a mountainside" city with ornate buildings... but they never dwell on any of them.

Despite getting Sinbad to steal the Book, Eris simply steals it herself and FRAMES him, getting him thrown in jail. However, Proteus offers to take his Death Sentence FOR him, allowing Sinbad the chance to get it back. If Sinbad fails to return with the book, then Proteus will be executed in his place- if Sinbad returns WITHOUT the book, Sinbad will be executed. So he's effectively been put on the Honor System- fail, or bail on his friend, and Proteus will die.

Naturally, pragmatic Sinbad instead plans on escaping and retiring (assuming that Proteus's father, the King, won't kill his only son). But Proteus's FIANCE joins them on the "mission", complicating things. Their journey is actually pretty solid- very "One Thing After Another": they face the Sirens (turns out it's a handy thing to have a woman on board after all), an island that turns out to be a Giant Anglerfish, a Roc (well, it's SINBAD- that's why people even KNOW about the Roc!), Giant Scorpions, and a Waterfall off the edge of the world. Sinbad & Girl of COURSE have the "argue non-stop for hours" thing going on, which gives away what's gonna happen later to anyone who's ever watched a movie before (but the bit where he's forced to thank her, but does it in the angriest manner ever- with her accepting in the same tone, is pretty great). But really, it's very solid action, with the occasional "intelligent use of the terrain" to win (like snowboarding on a shield down a mountainside), not just hack & slash.

Eris, as Goddess of Chaos (oddly, no other God is seen), expects Sinbad to flee with his life, dooming Proteus, and thus Syracuse will end up "in glorious CHAOS!" She even offers Sinbad the chance to "tell the truth"- if he does so, he can HAVE the book: will he turn back, or run away? Sindbad says "I'll go back", but Eris declares him a liar and KEEPS the book. Sinbad now has to make good on his word. Naturally, we get the ending we paid for: Sinbad mans up, shows his true nature (and D'AWWWWWWW- he can't flee, because Marina "wouldn't fall in love with a coward"!), and Eris, bound by the laws of the Gods, has to return the book.

Also, Eris? Hundreds of feet tall, eerie pale skin, long magically-flowing black hair, and showing a combination of capricious flirting, careful plotting, and furiously-homicidal rage?.... *hhhhhh!!!*..... so in love...

There's a GREAT bit of Character Animation with her, as Sinbad only realizes that she's setting PROTEUS up for the fall, not him- all through a careful raise of the eyebrows and a drop of the head. Still drawings alone couldn't capture that. But then... all of her animation is pretty good. What's UNFORTUNATE, however, is that the core DRAWINGS of her aren't as great- her head is a bit too narrow from the side, her eyes are too small, and her lips don't move with true Disney-level quality. It really lets you know who the MASTERS are, I'll say that.

The CGI is usually pretty obvious- the Roc will look amazing in one shot (especially with the snow flowing off of its wings), but then like cheap cel-shading in another. The undersea monsters look entirely out-of-place. Funnily enough, a lot of the "Cult" audience for the movie GUSHES over the CGI. But really, if you want to know why Disney are the masters, watch this- DreamWorks just isn't up to the same level.

* Getting Crap Past The Radar: The fiance actually mutters "From a brothel in Syracuse" under her breath while looking at a bra in Sinbad's quarters, which HAS to be a rarity for terms used in a Family Feature. Later, Sinbad gestures towards his crotch (referring to the enemies pointing swords at him) and another guy interrupts with "PICKLES AND EGGS!" Marina: "I have OTHER ways of convincing you", Sinbad: *looks at her cans for a split-second* "Really?"
* Fiance Girl is the blandest female design I've ever seen for one of these things- usually the artists go all-out in drawing pretty girls (or just rip off a Disney Princess). But this girls's just wearing... black pants and a turquoise shirt (skin-tight, oddly enough), and has short hair. Not particularly fashionable or "WOAH, that girl'z HAWT!", in any case.
* The Roc is the worst predator ever: It does a HUGE flyby, making everyone aware of its presence, and only on its second go-round does it attack. And despite being like 100 feet long, it only grabs one solitary person, flies them onto a mountain, then proceeds to LOSE THEM as they scramble out of its grip. Then it spends a huge amount of effort chasing her and Sinbad down a mountain, complete with smashing through a castle ruin that ultimately crumbles down on top of it.

The movie shares a dubious credit with Disney's Treasure Planet- both came out around the same time (2002/2003), and did so poorly in comparison to CGI Cartoons that they LITERALLY killed the form of animation for major studios! DreamWorks has never done a feature-length 2-D Cartoon again. This movie is DW's biggest money-loser in history (it lost *$125 million*), and was followed by Shrek 2, which is one of the most-successful animated films in history (adjusting for inflation, it's actually a bigger hit than Frozen). The final nail in the coffin came when Disney tried again with The Princess and the Frog, and it made less money that the freaking CHIPMUNKS sequel (or "Squeakwel"). After that, you'll only ever see a 2-D Feature from a foreign studio.

All in all though, it's a good film, and definitely didn't deserve to fail in flames like it did. While most of the fanbase is "Just Here For Eris" (oddly, even the FEMALE fanbase is all about how awesome Eris is), the whole adventure is very solid, and plays almost like a video game- one adventurous set-piece after another, Giant Monsters, different terrains, etc.

---

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SINBAD
Role:
Roguish Hero
Played By: Brad Pitt
PL 8 (135)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Pirate) 10 (+12)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Vehicles 8 (+14) (Flaws: Limited to Boats)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Equipment 2 (Twin Swords- Strength-Damage +3, Penetrating 3, Split), Evasion, Fascinate (Deception), Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Luck, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 3, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Swords +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- SO MUCH GREED.
Relationship (Proteus)- Sinbad and the noble Prince are the best of friends. However, Sinbad left his friend to his fate after witnessing...
Relationship (Marina)- Sinbad fell in love with Marina at first site (despite never speaking to her). As she was betrothed to Proteus, he felt it wiser to simply leave the two of them forever. When he's finally paired up with her on his mission to find The Book of Peace, they immediately hate each other- he finds her a nosy know-it-all and pain in the ass.
Responsibility (His Crew & Ship)- Sinbad is the commander of the Chimera, and leads his crew by example. Of course, they're a classically-ragtag bunch, and pretty much immediately disregard him for the pretty girl who shows up on board.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (135)

-Sinbad himself is one of the oldest icons of Pre-Television Pop Culture- a famous adventurer from the 1,001 Nights Arabian fables, and part of a trio of legendary action heroes with Tarzan & Robin Hood. His Seven Voyages have entered into legend, though are a bit weirder than I thought, having actually looked at them (he's definitely more black-hearted than either Tarzan or Robin). It was inevitable, and perhaps very late in coming, that we got an animated version of the hero in a larger release.
-This movie's version keeps the roguish aspects, as Sinbad is pretty-clearly a thief out for himself (and his mates, I guess)- he plans on stealing the treasure of Syracuse so that they can all retire to whoring around on Fiji. However, then a monster attacks, he teams up with his old friend Proteus (who was trying to PROTECT the book- He & Sinbad engage in a "friendly rivalry" swordfight over it), and then Eris railroads him into stealing it a SECOND time. And when Sinbad is framed for the theft and arrested, and his best friend agrees to take his place (and his sentence) so that Sinbad can get it back... he basically decides to piss off for Fiji anyways. I mean, Proteus' dad, the King of Syracuse, isn't going to KILL HIM, right?
-But then stuff starts happening, mainly because Marina, Proteus' fiance, forces her way on board (Sinbad is confused as to how she managed this... until he sees all of his crew with a big, shiny jewel each). So now he's gotta get the book back from Eris (who he's figured out framed him), fight a ton of deadly challenges, and deal with this bossy, demanding, grouchy woman who immediately gets into the good graces of the crew (and their dog), much to Sinbad's annoyance. Naturally, they fall in love after he saves her from the Roc. Which of course adds ANOTHER wrinkle to things, as she & Proteus are engaged, and Sinbad must either get the book back, or return to take Proteus' place on the gallows.
-The movie's actually a pretty decent character study for the guy... though he's basically your Typical Animated Action Hero- roguish, disrespectful to authority, goofy, lazy and adventurous. It's the little bits when he's all "YEAH I'LL RETURN AND DIE IN PROTEUS' PLACE!", Eris says he's lying, and he's forced to actually THINK about it that you've got a different kind of movie. He's got to sit there and realize that his failure means he's got to either return and die, or abandon Proteus to his fate. AND he's got to deal with the fact that he's fallen in love with his best friend's fiance.
-They really failed with his design, though- he just looks like a more athletic version of the blonde guy from The Road to El Dorado- a Generic Goofy Hero look. And not even remotely Arabic, either- his crew is multi-ethnic, but he looks like any typical Westerner with a tiny goatee (that looks super-dated now). And his weird "Big Red Pants" that sort of flow into his boots, making them look like one solid piece of fabric (like the lower half of onesie pajamas), are lame. He's just... not an interesting LOOK, y'know? Compare this to Disney's Tarzan, which made a nearly-nude man completely work as a distinctive design, thanks to body language, Gorilla-like posing, and a unique-looking face. And Brad Pitt really just maintains the same general voice throughout the whole thing- despite being a good actor in his own right, I guess he never learned how to properly use ONLY his voice in acting.
-Sinbad is a classic PL 8 Skillmonkey build- pricey on points, but typically a Goonsweeper with good accuracy and Defenses rather than being a powerhouse. He shows some good sailing skills, but is mainly known for taking insane, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants risks that somehow pay off. He manages to attack a Squid Monster using the broken masts of a ship, hitch a ride to a super-fast Giant Anglerfish, and turn the ship into a freaking GLIDING VEHICLE by steering it off the edge of the world! Skills in Piracy and Vehicles comes in handy, as well as a little bit of Luck. At PL 8, he can take out goons pretty quickly (he beats some Syracusian Soldiers with ease), but has to use his wits against Large Monsters.

THE CREW OF THE CHIMERA
Role:
Wacky Buddies
Played By: Various
PL 5 (68)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Pirate) 6 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+9) (Flaws: Limited to Boats)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Sword- Strength-Damage +3), Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Swords +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Relationship (Marina)- The crew immediately thinks Marina is the best, and usually takes her side over Sinbad's.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (68)

-Sinbad's Crew show a lot of skill in the opening scene of the movie, but after that, pretty much spend all their time running or falling victim to things. It seems like they were TRYING to make them great Sidekicks, but their time on-screen is limited, and the Character Study of Sinbad, and his relationship with Proteus & Marina, drives the movie. Rat is a Spaniard who waxes faux-philosophic, there's a Weapons Master (who's only seen throwing some smoke bombs, and unloading his pockets of a ton of weapons during a party), and a pair of Chinese twins who repeatedly bet on whether or not Sinbad will survive. The First Mate is a big, shirtless Vaguely-Arabic Guy who's a LOT stronger than the others (Strength 4 & Improved Hold, plus higher Awareness), but again doesn't do much outside of the first fight- he acts as Sinbad's conscience at times, saying multitudes with short statements rather than long monologues ("RIIIIIIIGHT..."). There's also a dog named Spike, whom producer Jeffrey Katzenberg lobbied hard for- he wanted a lot of focus on the dog, who of course does very human-like reactions at times.

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PROTEUS
Role:
Boring Stoic Hero (aka The Victor Laszlo)
Played By: Joseph Feinnes
PL 8 (117)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Expertise (Pirate) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Nobility) 5 (+8)
Insight 6 (+8)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Vehicles 6 (+9) (Flaws: Limited to Boats)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Benefit 2 (Prince of Syracuse), Equipment 2 (Sword- Strength-Damage +3- Penetrating 3), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 2, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Swords +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Syracuse)- Proteus is the Prince of Syracuse.
Relationship (Sinbad)- Sinbad and the noble Prince are the best of friends. However, Sinbad ran off years ago, leaving Proteus alone to his destiny.
Relationship (Marina)- The two were arranged to marry years ago, but they seem to get on well. Proteus even asks her if she'd take him even WITHOUT the order to marry, but she's interrupted before she can answer.
Responsibility (Honor)- Proteus believes in Sinbad, and refuses his father's offer to escape the city of Syracuse and avoid his fate. He expects Sinbad will return, either with the book, or to accept his fate.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 14 (117)

-Proteus is our "Victor Laszlo", the morally-flawless hero we fail to properly-sympathize with because the roguish hero is so much more flawed and interesting. Played with dull aplomb by Joseph Feinnes (one of those actors who never really became anything big), he speaks with an English accent, unlike everyone else in the picture. We first meet him on the boat to Syracuse, where the nobleman actually manages to wipe the floor with most of Sinbad's crew at once (in a REALLY well-animated burst of action, consisting of Avatar-level flips, kicks, disarmings, and trips). He & Sinbad engage in a friendly swordfight over the Macguffin until they both team up to fight Cetus the Sea Monster.
-When Sinbad is later framed for stealing the Book of Peace, Proteus is the only person who believes him innocent (he's not gullible- he simply reads that Sinbad isn't lying). He nobly offers to take Sinbad's place by some weird rule of their city, sending his fiance Marina to keep an eye on things while he's in jail. When his own FATHER comes in to break him out of prison and let him escape, Proteus REFUSES, saying that he believes in Sinbad- he stands his ground right up to the chopping block (As in, a literal chopping block. For his head. To be chopped off).
-Unfortunately, this is about all we see of the guy- since we spend the rest of the time on action and a Goddess, Proteus just gets some character work, and then sits by his lonesome. I see the POTENTIAL here (he's extremely morally-upstanding, and risks something in a very unique way- he's not just a Brave Hero, he's a NOBLE Hero, willing to stick his neck out for his friend, LITERALLY), but they just don't dwell on him enough. Hell, he's SO noble that in the very last scenes of the film, he gently acknowledges that Marina has fallen in love with Sinbad, implicitly giving her permission to run off with the Pirate. Now THAT's a noble hero!
-Proteus is rather a lot like Sinbad (they seem to equal each other in their swordfight until it's interrupted by a tentacle), to the point where you need to look at the tiny specifics in order to differentiate them. He fights off several pirates at once (with actual MARTIAL ARTS SKILLZ, too- not just swordfighting. He actually disarms a man's spear, breaks it, then TRIPS him with it by using his legs to grasp it as it falls!) has a Benefit on his side, and is a better Unarmed fighter than Sinbad is, but lacks his Luck, Ranged skill, and overall ability at the helm of a boat.

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MARINA
Role:
Strong Female Character (tm)
Played By: Catherine Zeta-Jones
PL 4 (78)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception 2 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (Politics/Nobility) 4 (+8)
Insight 4 (+7)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+8, +10 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Nobility of Syracuse), Fearless, Jill-Of-All-Trades, Luck, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Sinbad)- The two immediately begin bickering and arguing at first-sight. You know where this is going.
Relationship (Proteus)- Their marriage was arranged years ago, but they DO seem fond of each other...
Motivation (Adventure)- Despite her responsibilities, Marina craves to see the world.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 10 (78)

-Marina is, in many ways, one of those typical female characters we get in these kind of movies- rarely being "Damsels in Distress" anymore, they instead shift into more of a flawless superhuman "Strong Female Character" with few major personality traits and a general physical competency, in comparison to the funnier, more flawed and thus INTERESTING male characters. So in effect, an attempt to counter the sexism of earlier tales, creators accidentally just create a DIFFERENT kind of sexism- one in which the female characters are all pretty bland and boring. I don't think its a coincidence that some of the greatest successes in terms of female characters (particularly in animated films) don't involve that character type- the childlike, naive Rapunzel in Tangled. The dorky, clumsy, foolhardy Anna or the fearful, escapist Elsa in Frozen. Belle in Beauty and the Beast was a borderline-flawless personality archetype, but was considered an extremely-odd bookworm, had difficulty following instructions ("Why can't I go into the West Wing?"), and was in no way a Kung-Fu Princess. Even Brave's Merida, who WAS a threat in a fight, was also incredibly-immature, boorish and vicious. MUCH more interesting characters.
-Sadly, she doesn't even LOOK interesting. The commentary explains that she had long hair initially, but they found it looked "Too Princess-y", and cut it off ("It's like a pretty girl with SHORT HAIR" sez a disappointed Hank Hill of his nice house with a ruined lawn). So she kind of looks like a generic girl with... generic pants. And a generic top. Really, not EVERY girl needs to have long hair, but long hair can be greatly-visually-interesting (ESPECIALLY in 2-D animation, which needs some "flow" sometimes), and her boring silhouette doesn't help her case- if they'd at least give her a flowing BELT or something, she'd be a bit more interesting. She suffers from the same "Bland Design" that Sinbad does. And Catherine Zeta-Jones has the same issues with "Acting With Her Voice" that Brad Pitt does, really not carrying emotions all that well. Her accent feels "all over the place", but that's probably because she's Welsh and it only sounds KIND OF English at times (it's a different language, but is of course part of the U.K. so there'll be some overlap in pronounciation).
-That said, her arguments with Sinbad are pretty funny. That part where they angrily "Thank you!" and "You're welcome!" each other is classic, and her frozen, angry open mouth when he comments that "This is why WOMEN shouldn't drive!" is a great bit of Female Rage. Marina is introduced as Proteus' fiance, a girl that Sinbad fell in love with... just by looking at her once, I guess. He left the two of them to their happiness, not wanting to hurt his pal, but now she's basically forcing herself onto his ship and taking command. Immediately the entire crew like her more than Sinbad, and always do what SHE says- INCLUDING THE DOG (his grouchiness at this is great), and she proves herself when they're attacked by the Sirens (evil-grinning Water Elementals with Man-Controlling Voices). Later on, she has to be rescued from the Roc, but she's brave enough to follow Sinbad into Tartarus, watches his internal debate over his impending execution, and more. She admits she's fallen in love with him in the end, but is willing to settle down with Proteus, as was intended all along, giving up the life of adventure she's always wanted to lead.
-Bright and capable, Marina doesn't actually do much fighting, but is skilled enough to basically navigate the Chimera through the Dragon's Teeth, a giant cove of spikey rocks with Sirens controlling all the men, despite having no navigation experience whatsoever (this is mentioned when she arrives on the ship). So she's a bit of a Skillmonkey instead.

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CETUS
Role:
Sea Monster
PL 10 (115)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 10 (+7, +9 Size)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 14 (+14, +9 Size)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Grab

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Direction Sense) [2]

"Squid Features"
"Eight Arms & Long Tongue" Extra Limbs 5 [5]
Unarmed Reach 5 [5]
"Boneless Body" Insubstantial 1 (Flaws: Half-Effect- Requires Some Space) [3]
"Bioluminescence" Environment 1 (Light- 30 feet) [1]

"Sea Creature"
Swimming 3 (4 mph) [3]

"Ageless Monster"
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [11]

"Natural Size" Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]
Protection 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +11, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Monsters cannot speak to humans.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 25 (115)

-Cetus appears in the opening of the movie, as Eris, Goddess of Chaos, awakens several constellations as Summoned Monsters- Cetus is instructed to attack Sinbad's Chimera and Proteus' ship, breaking up the fight between the two men. Cetus ends up throwing various men about, looking very out-of-place as a clearly-CGI 3-D model amidst a bunch of 2-D guys, but it leads to the funny scene of the monster gobbling a man up using his super-long tongue, Sinbad blowing up a barrel in his mouth, and the man being spat out, covered in green slime. Slightly-unnerved, the man gathers up his rage, screams mightily, and DIVES BACK INTO THE MELEE. Sinbad & Proteus stand shocked- "Give THAT guy a raise" instructs the Pirate.
-Cetus is finally undone when Sinbad & Proteus make Improvised Weapons out of the ship's ruined masts- impaling it. Eris uses Cetus' death as an excuse to force Sinbad into doing something for her, and gloats as he swims off- Cetus slowly rises up behind her, none the worse for wear.

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ROC
Role:
Supreme Aerial Predator, Giant Monster
PL 11 (109)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+5)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 8 (+8)
Intimidation 11 (+15 Size)
Perception 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Extended, Ultra & Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Natural Weapons- Talons & Beak" Strength-Damage +4 (Extras: Penetrating 8) [12]
"Arctic Creature" Immunity 1 (Cold) [1]

Flight 6 (120 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [6]

"Natural Size" Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -8 Stealth) -- (30 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [17]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 9) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Natural Weapons +8 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude +12, Will +5

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Birds cannot speak to humans, nor use their talons to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 31 (109)

-The Roc (never named in this film) is a legendary creature, and iconic to the Sinbad story- they just HAD TO include that in here. The movie makes it a bit different- instead of being a creature defending its eggs and chicks from hungry pirates, it's simply another Summon of Eris's, and it's also a gigantic WHITE bird, seemingly at-home in the wintry environment Eris has created. It's a pretty cool scene and set-piece, too- Eris summons a mighty cold to take over this small island full of ruins and mountains, swiftly-freezing the whole thing over. The crew attempts to break through the ice, but then they hear it- this gigantic bird with a 60-foot wingspan. You can make it out in the distance, and it's shockingly-huge- not even being dwarfed by the MOUNTAIN. However, it only sweeps up Marina before flying off. Sinbad has to rescue her, bitching all the while ("It's as big as the frickin' ship! And what's MARINA doing? LOOKING THE OTHER WAY!"), and ties a harpoon to himself before firing it. He then climbs up the rest of the mountain, grabbing a shield and using it as a snowboard of sorts for one of the faster action sequences. The two barely avoid the persistent Roc, which falls beneath the ruins of a castle.
-The Roc is powerful, but not as big as some interpretations of the myth. It's also not a terribly-good predator, managing to lose Sinbad & Marina underneath a small skeleton and being completely dumbfounded by this. However, it's likely that its mission was never one of killing- simply enabling the "They Save Each Other" thing between Sinbad & Marina, to create bonding between them- thus enabling her scheme at the chopping block.

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Also, more pictures. Just because.

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Femme Fatale, dark, statuesque, curvaceous, long raven hair...

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Evil, vicious, manipulative, imperious, condescending...

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Barely-concealed rage, utterly-confident, extraordinarily powerful...

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And to top it all off, she's a GIANTESS. A glorious, hundred-foot-tall GIANTESS.

Yup, they somehow managed to make a character that has absolutely every one of my fetishes!

"WHAT? But she's not nine months preg-"

SHUT UP, RANDALL! You're fired! Go back to J-Mart!

---

*Sinbad is trapped in the claws of the dead Cetus, sinking to the ocean floor. A smoky form materializes into a... oh god... a woman of staggering size*

"The day started with SUCH promise... Now, look- my sea monster is dead, and I STILL don't have the Book of Peace. All because of YOU, Sinbad..."
"Uh-huh... And YOU are?"
"ERIS... The Goddess of DISCORD. No doubt you've seen my likeness on the temple walls?" *mimics a wing-handed form*
"I..shhhaa... you know, they DON'T do you justice!"
"Uh-huh. NOW... about my sea monster...?"
"RIGHT, right- listen, I'm sorry about that. I don't suppose a heartfelt APOLOGY would do?"
*mocking laughter* "HEARTFELT?!? From YOU?! You don't HAVE a heart..." *shrinks to human size, moans, and cranks the Femme Fatale Dial to 25 out of 10* "That's what I LIKE about you..."

ERIS, GODDESS OF CHAOS AND DISCORD
Role:
The Manipulator of Manipulators, The Definition of Chaotic Evil, Lady of Leisure, Mrs. Jabroniville
Played By: Michelle Pfeiffer
PL 13 (346)
STRENGTH
6/12 STAMINA 10/16 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 6 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Deception 10 (+15)
Expertise (History) 8 (+13)
Insight 7 (+13)
Intimidation 4 (+9, +16 Giant Size)
Perception 6 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+11)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit 5 (Goddess), Daze (Deception), Diehard, Fast Grab, Fascination (Deception), Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Languages 2 (Numerous), Power Attack, Startle, Takedown 2, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Immortal Goddess"
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Immortality 15 [30]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [11]
Flight 6 (120 mph) [12]

"Sees All From On-High" Remote Sensing (Vision & Hearing) 21 (Feats: Dimensional 1- Earth, Subtle 2) (66) -- [73]
AE: "Wisps From Place To Place" Teleport 15 (Feats: Change Direction & Velocity) (Extras: Easy, Accurate) (62)
AE: "Blows Air-Bubble" Immunity 3 (Drowning, Pressure & Suffocation) (Extras: Affects Others Only +0, Area- 30ft. Burst) (6)
AE: Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Earth & Spacey-Realm) (2)
AE: "Mass of Shadows" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Partial) (2)
AE: "Shows the Way To Tartarus" Illusion (Visuals) 4 (8)
AE: "I LOVE Playing Pretend..." Morph 4 (Anything) (20)
AE: "Control The Air, Water & Sand" Move Object 10 (Extras: Damaging) (30)

"Enough TALKING!... Time For Some Screaming...!" Environment 10 (Extreme Cold 2, Impede Movement 1) (Feats: Dimensional) [31]

"Gloriously-Resplendent Size"
Growth 6 (Str & Sta +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -3 Stealth) -- (105 feet) [12]
Growth +9 (+15 Mass, +7 Intimidation, +1 Speed, -15 Stealth) -- (105 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-STR & STA Growths) [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Giant Size +13 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +10, Fortitude +10, Will +8
"Giant Size" Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +16, Fortitude +16, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation ("GLORIOUS Chaos...")- Eris seeks to unravel the entire world, sending people's lives descending into chaos. When Sinbad & Marina see Tartarus, they find a desolate world full of corpses, sand and monsters. "LIKE it? I'm going to do the whole WORLD this way..." Her ultimate plan is to have Proteus killed thanks to Sinbad's selfish (sorta) decision to not be executed, thus sending Syracuse into rudderless chaos.
Motivation ("Enough TALKING... Time for some SCREAMING...!")- Eris could probably just KILL Proteus and get her way, but where's the fun in THAT? She likes to do things via manipulation and deceit, not direct action. She's even seen being bored by Character Development & Expository Dialogue, instead sa
Responsibility ("When a Goddess Gives Her Word... She Is Bound For All Eternity...")- A Goddess can NOT go back on her word, no matter how angry she is.
Responsibility ("Your heart is as BLACK as mine...")- Eris cannot comprehend good people, and does not think that anyone can change- especially black-hearted pirates...

Total: Abilities: 106 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 188 / Defenses: 12 (346)

-For all the issues with the main characters, the absolutely knocked it out of the park with Eris, Goddess of Chaos. She's basically everything that makes a villain great, and is by FAR the most-memorable part of the picture. Men love her, and women want to BE her (the comments on YouTube and such are actually largely-female, cheering on how great she looks and how rad she is). It's all in the hair- a giant flowing mane of raven tresses. It's a nightmare for animators (it took a long time, and required CGI- the director jokes that she looked ridiculous in the animatics because she "looked like she had a shower cap on", despite trying to reflect all that power), but it's magnificent in animation.
-I can't say enough about how good Michelle Pfeiffer was in this role, too. While you've got Brad Pitt all "Haw, Voice Acting is super-awesome, because you only have to show up for a couple of hours, get to do it at your own pace, and you don't have to PHYSICALLY act!" (he more or less says this on the Special Features of the DVD), there's stuff out there about how much trouble Michelle had with the role and how she phoned Producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and said "you can fire me if you want to" before she FINALLY got it. So while the A-List Actors are half-assing "Some Pirate Movie" or something, Pfeiffer pulls off a great, complicated role- Eris has to be flirtacious, manipulative, confident and cruel, but can't "give up power" by lashing out. I was actually stunned by how good she was- I only remember her from her career peak with Batman Returns/Dangerous Minds, and she disappeared from the mainstream soon afterwards. But I needn't have been so surprised- she's actually a THREE-TIME OSCAR NOMINEE, it turns out, so she's got the credentials. But really, you can FEEL the power in her voice- and when she laughs, she doesn't do a Disney Villain Cackle, you can actually hear the laugh in her voice as she talks (like when she mocks Sinbad for saying "heartfelt").
-There's a good bit in the Commentary about how their initial Eris had stuff like "DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" as part of her dialogue, but they realized that to lash out with such anger actually caused her to GIVE UP some of her power! It reminds me of Jake "The Snake" Roberts' discussions about his wrestling interview style, and how he almost NEVER raised his voice or screamed at his opponents (like most wrestlers do). When asked why, he just calmly said "because a man of great power... does not have to shout." Compare Eris to Disney's Hades- Hades is a fun role, but his endless bickering, biting and freaking the F out actually DIMINISHES him as a threat, not boosts him (you always know that Herc would trounce him in a fight, for example). Great anger makes villains comical figures. Meanwhile, Eris maintains her composure until the very end of the picture, maintaining her threatening aura throughout- she has a lot in common with Maleficent and The Evil Queen in that regard.
-They go all-out with the character animation, fluidity, and set-pieces with Eris, too. Instead of WALKING like some common peon, she "flows" from place to place ("because why would you WALK if you could do THAT?" sez the commentary), effectively teleporting, even if it means moving three feet, or just changing position. She acts as a living shadow in one scene, creates a "Sinbad Puppet", then merges into it to control the thing and imitate the pirate. She appears before Sinbad, UNDERWATER, at a hundred feet tall, then blows an air bubble to keep him alive while she lectures him. She's often seen stalking the ENTIRE PLANET, as if she's literally larger than the Earth itself (this may not even be metaphorical- she physically drops Cetus into the ocean from on high, and he appears falling from the sky and into the ocean... however, this may just be an application of being within Tartarus, as Sinbad & Marina cross into the same world, past several constellations, when they fall in), and in a GLORIOUS, but way-too-short scene, is seen bathing IN A CLUSTER OF STARS while she summons the Roc ("Enough TALKING... *girlish giddiness* time for some screaming!"). And that scene where she rises from the ocean, overlooks a pier dozens of feet off the ground, with an angry look on her face? GAAHHHHHH....
-Eris is the only villain, and the only GOD in the picture (early development included Janus as a "Rival God" who debated with her, but they felt again that this robbed her of power and agency in the overall plot- the movie's climax works best when it's SINBAD vs. ERIS, not SINBAD & JANUS debating Eris). She manipulates Sinbad and the people of Syracuse, setting up a situation where the heir to the throne will die, thus causing the city to fall into chaos (and she is literally the GODDESS OF CHAOS. Chaotic Evil is basically her entire schtick- not the raving lunatics that most people imagine that Alignment to be- but a careful practitioner). Like Maleficent, her screentime is limited, but focused- she throws trouble in at every step of the way- sending Cetus, the Sirens and the Roc, then presenting Sinbad with one final question- if he fails to get the book, will he return and take his execution like a man, or will he abandon Proteus to his probably death?
-Only at the end of the picture does she lose her cool- terrifying everyone in Syracuse by rising from the harbor at a hundred-plus feet tall and in a deadly rage (!!!!!-- MARRY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!), trying one last shot at scaring off our hero. And when he uses Eris' word against her (she's gotta follow the rules of the deal, after all...), she desperately tries to strike him, gives up, rolls her eyes, and hands the Book back. But makes sure to maintain her composure on the way out.
-So yeah, I like Eris. Just wanted to make that clear.

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SIRENS
Role:
Water Elementals, Seductresses
PL 10 (94)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Intimidation 8 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Startle

Powers:
"Water Elemental"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 4 [4]
Swimming 6 (30 mph) [6]
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Within Water) [2]
Insubstantial 1 [5]

"Drown" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Cumulative) (16) -- [17]
AE: "Siren's Song" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Hearing Perception, Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited to Men, Limited to Love) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Drown +6 (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Siren's Song +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Disabled (Elemental)- Sirens cannot speak (well, they don't on-screen, in any case).

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 7 (94)

-The Sirens act much like they do in mythology- attempting to command men to their doom by crashing their ships upon jagged rocks. However, the movie alters them by turning them into Water Elementals (and, you know, sending them after an Arabian hero instead of a Greek one). Sinbad and his grew are effectively stunned, aimlessly flirting with the water-women (one of them even dives into the water, into the waiting arms of a Siren), standing around talking to nobody in particular, and not fighting back when they're being drowned. They're pretty neat effects (basically transparent CGI women made of flowing water), but the water occasionally spits off in random directions, or too similar a one, coming off as inauthentic and weird (it'd be a while after 2003 when the higher-quality water effects would hit their peak). They nearly kill the entire crew, but Marina and the ship's dog Spike work together to lasso the men away from the water, while they navigate the ship through the sharp rocks of "The Dragon's Teeth".
-Sirens are primarily Seductresses, breaking men's minds with their songs, then grabbing and drowning them- the Area Effect is PL 10, but notably only works on male humans (the female Marina and the ship's dog are both immune).

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN:
-Thundarr the Barbarian was a 1980 Animated Series created by Ruby-Spears (made up of former Hanna-Barbera talent), using the creative talents of Jack Kirby and Alex Toth for the characters, and Howard the Duck creator Steve Gerber as the main writer. It was set in the violent, Post-Apocalyptic future of Earth, two-thousand years after a "rogue planet" flew between the Earth and the Moon, shattering our lunar satellite and sending the Earth into chaos for centuries- now a time of "Savagery, Super-Science... and Sorcery!", Earth resembles a high-tech version of the kind of place that Conan the Barbarian used to visit, and so needed an equally-savage hero- Thundarr! Created from a combination of Conan-inspired stuff and Star Wars (the heroes include a Lightsaber-wielding swordsman, a Princess, and a giant furry creature that can only growl), the series contains basically everything little boys love.

Thundarr is basically the manliest of all men- he nearly-effortlessly defeats numerous enemies, moves through Mooks like nothing, and even when caught in deathtraps, gets HIMSELF out rather than be rescued (I actually thought the "Thundarr vs. The Sexy Blue Amazons" episode was going to have a bit where Ariel has to save him to prove his sexist comments wrong- nope. He just breaks out of the trap himself).
The show basically runs like the GM is desperately trying to keep his ADD-ridden players occupied- the heroes are introduced to some NPCs quickly, agree to help them fight Evil Mooks, and during the course of the adventure, end up facing Random Encounters in every single scene. In an episode against the Sexy Blue Amazons, they find a sunken U.S. Air Force hangar complete with rockets, and there's a GIANT SPIDER in it for no reason other than to force an action sequence. In another episode, an attempt on the enemies' base is delayed by the appearance of Giant Fire-Spitting Narwhals. A chase against some Werewolves (led by a guy named "Zevon", even) soon involves what looks like a gigantic, flaming dog weiner.

Thundarr episodes generally follow the same format:
* Heroes are travelling around on horseback.
* Heroes come upon some scene of violence- usually a wizard attacking innocent humans.
* Thundarr will say either "Lords of Light!" and/or "Demon Dogs!"
* Heroes fend off wizard, who swears revenge.
* Heroes discuss things with humans.
* Wizard plots revenge.
* Completely-random monster, entirely unrelated to the main plot, comes roaring in, and the heroes have to fight it off.
* Final assault: heroes beat wizard, who is either captured, exiled or destroyed (usually because of his own fault).
* Heroes run off to next adventure.

Pretty much every episode involves an evil Wizard/Sorcerer (the terms are used interchangeably a lot) who is often hundreds (if not thousands) of years old- they're Klassic Kirby Goons- hideously-deformed and weirdly-shaped (Gemini has two faces that switch around; one guy is a mechanical-looking head; one guy is a standard Yellow Peril villain). Humans live alongside freakish beast-men, monsters and vicious hordes, all of which tend to victimize the innocent. As it's a Post-Apocalyptic crapsack verison of Earth, we see a lot of famous American locales in states of disrepair- "Man-Hatt" features the ruined Statue of Liberty, there's Mount Rushmore, San Francisco's Chinatown, Las Vegas, and more. They even visit London! Thundarr and the gang are generic "Adventurers", fighting to ensure that all men may become free.

Like I said, the series is hilariously-full of fights, never going more than five minutes without having to fight something. The characters not only have to deal with the main villains, but nearly ALWAYS a "first-act beast" as well. It's also pretty clever with the gags, features a lot of slapstick (that avoids 1980s-level goofiness and buffoonery), varied villains (Gemini is appropriately the only one we see twice), and all of the heroes get to do something. Comic book writers like Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway also worked on the show (cartoon writers actually got paid more than comic book writers did at the time), though only one of the 21 episodes isn't a one-off- only once do we see something refer to past episodes, as they meet a "Swamp Urchin" girl and Gemini in the same episode, having run into both of them in previous stories.

The Cast:
Thundarr: A brutish, thick-headed Barbarian, always ready for a fight. A FAR cry from the Fine Upstanding Protagonists of the later 1980s cartoons.
Ookla the Mok: A big, growling monster inspired by Chewbacca.
Princess Ariel: A sexily-drawn Sorceress with extremely-varied powers.


THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN
Role:
Barbarian Ass-Kicker, Fight-Seeker
PL 10 (138)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 10 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Expertise (Adventurer) 8 (+8)
Insight 1 (+1)
Intimidation 9 (+8)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical 4 (Unarmed 2, Swords 2), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Interpose, Minion 3 (Horse), Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown, Ultimate Toughness Check

Powers:
"Sun Sword" (Flaws: Easily-Removable) [13]
Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (20) -- (21 points)
AE: Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sun Sword +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Freedom For All Men)- Thundarr travels the globe, attempting to free all enslaved peoples from the monstrous hordes and evil Wizards that threaten them.
Responsibility (Arrogant)- Thundarr's main strategy is to attack. Should that fail, his second strategy is to attack again.
Obsession (Kicking Ass)- Thundarr LOVES to fight.
Obsession (Manliness)
Rivalry ("Females!")- Thundarr seems to disregard every woman he meets except for Princess Ariel.
Responsibility (Charisma Is His Dump-Stat)- Thundarr is brusque and rude with pretty much everybody, and is especially short with "females!".

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 22 (138)

-Thundarr is greatly-different from the Great Heroes we usually see later on in the 1980s- whereas He-Man, Optimus Prime, Duke, Flint, Questar and Leoric are all morally-upstanding leaders- kind, gentle and noble... Thundarr is a brash, arrogant hot-head; uncouth and argumentative. His response to Princess Ariel suggesting something is often "hmph! FEMALES!", and when drastically outnumbered, he says things like "There can't be more than FIFTY of them! I'll be fine!" When the gang meets three women who can defeat another super-wizard, he basically blows them off (calling an angelic heroine "Bird-Woman" while throwing a robe on her for disguise purposes), and continues to act brusque and terse to the point of seeming annoyed every time he has to speak to them. In this, he's more like how we view guys like Conan than the Moral Guardian-like characters you get afterwards. I can't help but think Focus Groups and Notes From The Network were responsible for what heroes became- it soon turned out to be the standard that the main good-guy was impeccably-flawless.
-Thundarr is incredibly-strong and a phenomenal fighter, able to trounce dozens of bad guys in a few rounds. His "Sun Sword" works more or less like a Lightsaber would, cutting down almost every enemy weapon that comes his way, and it even deflects back powerful Magic spells! It's one-shotted large tanks, ripped open a giant Animated Bus Monster (though he needs a higher vantage point for that kind of thing- leaping down onto it and tearing his way to the ground), and even slaughtered a mechanical King Kong!
-Thundarr's tactics are hilariously-simple- he attacks first, and then, should the first attack fail, he will attack again. When he's captured and trapped, does he think his way out or use his clever mind against his foe? Don't make me laugh- he just powers his way out of whatever was holding him (often just snapping ropes or breaking the gears of Big Ben- whatever), then immediately starts busting heads. He has no charisma or personality to speak of- people only seem to like him once he rescues them, and his rude manner STILL manages to annoy them!

OOKLA THE MOK
Role:
Monstrous Ally, Goonsweeper, Chewbacca Analogue
PL 9 (106)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 9 (+7)
Perception 3 (+3)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 2 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Close Attack 2, Equipment 3 (Bow & Arrow- Stun & Blast), Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Improvised Weapons), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improvised Weapon, Minion 3 (Large Monstrous Horse), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

Equipment:
"Bow & Arrow" Blast 6 (12)
"Stun Arrows" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Bow & Arrow +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Stun Arrows +12 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Phobia (Water)- Moks HATE getting wet, and can barely swim.
Disabled (Mute)- Moks cannot be understood by many people, and can only roar.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 12 (106)

-Ookla is fairly-iconic to the show (arguably moreso than even the main star), being a Chewbacca-like Growling Monstrous Sidekick (Alex Toth copies some of the design elements of his Brak from Space Ghost). Often used for comic relief, Ookla is afraid of water, often gets knocked over or humiliated, and tends to lose his temper over small things... not really the stuff of in-depth characterization. However, he's an effective Goonsweeper, able to mow down enemy Mooks even quicker than THUNDARR can, and he's much stronger- at one point, he picks up a SEMI-TRUCK and throws it a good twenty feet! He can also tear train tracks apart bare-handed (wielding thirty-foot metal pillars like they're nothing), and jump a few dozen feet while holding another person. Thundarr, for all his power, is still a mortal man.

PRINCESS ARIEL
Role:
Action Princess, Magic Chick, The Hostage
PL 9 (127)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 1 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+7)
Expertise (History) 8 (+11)
Insight 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 3 (+9)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Magic), Minion 3 (Horse), Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Sorcery"
"Chains, Ropes & Cages" Snare 9 (Feats: Indirect 2- Animating Objects) (29) -- [40]
AE: "Ensnare Groups" Snare 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (28)
AE: Blast 6 (Feats: Accurate) (Extras: Multiattack) (19)
AE: Healing 8 (16)
AE: "Form Bridge & Make Lock" Create 10 (Feats: Precise) (21)
AE: Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Light Flash" Dazzle Visuals 9 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) (19)
AE: "Sleep Beam" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Exhausted/Asleep) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Ranged) (17)
AE: Teleport 8 (Extras: Accurate) (24)
AE: "Tornado" Move Object 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cylinder) (24)
AE: Environment 2 (Light) (2)
AE: "Hypnosis" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Distracting) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Magical Blast +11 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Light Flash +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Sleep Beam & Snare +9 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Snare Groups +7 Area (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Hypnosis +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Princess Ariel must be able to use her hands to utilize her magic. Binding her hands or arms, or even just GRABBING her, is enough to leave her helpless.
Motivation (Freedom For All)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 15 (127)

-Princess Ariel is the Token Chick and Magic-User of the adventuring party of Thundarr, in addition to providing a bit of Fanservice. While she doesn't vamp it up or even change her clothes, it's hilarious how obvious it is the artists just took a nude woman and drew some lines to make up a costume- not only can you see every contour of her breasts, but her ENTIRE BUTT is visible! They literally draw in the entire line of her butt-crack, even though she's wearing clothes! So instead she's just wearing a blue swimsuit with some jewelry, in addition to some exotic good looks (she looks vaguely Asian/Arabic, but with standard Caucasian skin color).
-Ariel is also pretty dryly-humorous, as opposed to many of the Bland Victims that came later on in the '80s- when Thundarr is being an obnoxious ass, or Ookla a rampaging animal, it's usually Ariel who gets the best lines and quips, often at the expense of her comrades. Probably makes up for all those times she gets captured because somebody managed to grab her wrists. Ariel is the only one of the three who has any concept of the old Earth- recognizing major landmarks, cities, and knowing what a comic book was (Ookla begins laughing while reading something from the "Marble Comics Group"). She's also the only member of the squad with any kind of charisma, or the ability to make friends.
-Ariel is INCREDIBILY-verstatile in Thundarr, able to throw out a ridiculously-varied bit of offense, in the manner of Comic Book Mystics like Dr. Strange. She can Ensnare people, Teleport, Hypnotize, Blast, Dazzle, Move things, and creating massive bridges that allow her team to traverse the ruined landscape of the world. Her only major flaw is that, like most Mages, she's a complete Glass Cannon- she's nowhere near as good a fighter as her comrades, and can't take a punch worth a damn.

GEMINI (aka Janus)- Also Every Other Wizard in the Show
Role:
Evil Wizard
PL 10 (171)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 7 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+12)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Technology 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Improved Critical (Magic), Power Attack, Startle, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Sorcery"
"Floats on a Cloud" Flight 1 (4 mph) [2]
"Animates the Statue of Liberty" Summon 8 (Extras: Heroic +2) [32]

"Stasis Beam" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (30) -- [32]
AE: Energy Blast 10 (20)
AE: Teleport 10 (Extras: Accurate) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Magical Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Stasis Beam +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Wizards usually have to use their hands to do Magic properly. Some Wizards can be de-powered just by having their hands grabbed.
Motivation (Power & Douchebaggery)- There are only two good-aligned magic-users in the entire universe.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 17 (171)

-Pretty much every villain in every episode of Thundarr turns out to be one of these arseholes- some hideously-deformed, scratchy-voiced, evil Wizard. He generally throws out Energy Blasts, a Snare, and almost always creates a monster to fight the heroes so that he doesn't have to. Most of them have Jack Kirby-esque designs, owing to... well, JACK KIRBY being on-staff. Gemini in particular has the "Darkseid Face" thing going on (but with a cool head-switching effect). They're all basically the same guy, so Gemini's stats will fit for all of them.

EPISODES:

Season One:


1) Secret of the Black Pearl- The greatest opening episode ever, as Thundarr does increasingly-manly things like fighting dozens of troops at once, and flying into dangerous situations without a care. He fights a bunch of Mad Max-inspired Rat-Men, and the wizard Gemini through the ruins of "Man-hat" (ruined Manhattan), then fights the Statue of Liberty.

2) Harvest of Doom- They fight some Crocodile-Men to save a "Swamp-Urchin" little girl (played with classic arrogance and pig-headedness- naturally, she and Thundarr spend the whole time sniping at each other).

3) Mindok the Mind Menace- An evil Robot-Wizard thaws out "Ice People" (actually NASA scientists in cryogenic storage) to give him a new body. Thundarr leaves him trapped in orbit FOR ALL TIME.

4) Raiders of the Abyss- An Evil Wizard is kidnapping people on a ruined cruise ship to absorb their life essences. Oddly, everyone is clearly wearing clothes from our time- sure they're ruined and raggedy, but this is TWO-THOUSAND YEARS LATER. How are they still wearable?

5) Treasure of the Moks- The gang defends a village of Moks against a Sexy Pirate Queen and her River Pirates. Naturally, it's a huge fight involving "Fire Lances" (torpedos) as a death weapon. And a monster crab is there.

6) Attack of the Amazon Women- A race of Sexy Blue Amazons need Thundarr's help to stop the takeover of an Evil Sorceress and her legion of sharks.

7) The Brotherhood of Night- A pack of werewolves led by Zevon are turning more and more people to their pack (including Thundarr for a bit), and soon grab the Evil Wizard Infernus and transform HIM, too! The gang has to use the magical water cure for the transformation to prevent the pack from becoming invincible.

8) Challenge of the Wizards- Four Evil Wizards are having Whacky Races to determine who gets a Macguffin, and one of them blackmails Thundarr's crew (on horseback) to win it. They manage to undo a lot of Dirk Dastardly "Stop and Cheat Even When You're Miles Ahead" tactics and break the damn thing.

9) Valley of the Man Apes- A bunch of Gorilla-Men take over an old movie studio and bring forth an ancient monster. It involves a barbarian, a Magical Princess and Chewbacca fighting a bunch of man-apes in a western saloon, then battling King Kong to the death. You have to ask if this is awesome?

10) Stalker from the Stars- A Spaceship with a weird alien vampire crashes in frozen Alaska, and begins draining everybody in an old amusement park. They manage to send him back into space.

11) Portal Into Time- An Evil Wizard threatens the Alamo, and its defenders' main weapon breaks down. The solution? The heroes have to GO BACK IN TIME (naturally, the Wizard has a Time Machine) to find the chip that fixes it, resulting in a battle in the past. The Wizard transforms a bus into a Mechanical Centipede to fight them.

12) Battle of the Barbarians- An Evil Asian-Looking Wizard hires a Barbarian of equal power to Thundarr to stop the heroes. But it turns out that Thundarr is indeed the manliest of all barbarians.

13) Den of the Sleeping Demon- An Evil Wannabe Wizard and some tiger-men threaten people who glide around on artificial wings, and "Mini-Versions" of Thundarr & Ariel (a little girl barbarian and an incompetent male Wizard) require saving because they suck.

Season Two:
1) Wizard Wars- TWO Evil Wizards are fighting each other, making the lives of innocents a living hell. The solution? Kicking BOTH of their asses.

2) Fortress of Fear- An Evil Wizard with multiple eyes wants to marry Ariel, and the heroes have to kick his ass.

3) Island of the Body Snatchers- An Evil Witch switches places with Ariel to get around the curse that leaves her unable to leave London- soon, the heroes have to fight "their friend", and trick her into reversing the spell.

4) City of Evil- An Evil Wizard teams up with a miniaturized City of Criminals (shunken in an experiment before the Great Cataclysm) to return them to normal size and kill Thundarr. He uses the Gauntlet of Power to do so, but Thundarr unseats him and the entire City is destroyed. They consider punishing the City's people, but realize that "LAWLZ! Their city is destroyed, and they have to live in our shithole reality!" and that's punishment enough.

5) Last Train to Doomsday- Tye the Swamp Urchin turns up as the Engineer of a train that's used to make business transactions, and GEMINI returns as the villain menacing her (alongside Hawk-Men this time). He allies with some Stone Men to kill the heroes, but Thundarr tosses him into the Transformation Pit, trapping the villain in stone for all time.

6) Master of the Stolen Sunsword- Thundarr's Sun Sword is de-powered by Red Negative Lightning, and a bizarre Evil Wizard steals the sword, re-powers it, and begins fighting him. However, it turns out that the Wizard is actually a STAGE MAGICIAN using trickery, technology and a Giant Rabbit to control people. Thundarr gets his sword back and kicks some ass.

7) Trial by Terror- A friend of Thundarr's is framed for stealing fuel, but it turns out a Corrupt Southern Sherrif (tm) is teaming up with an Evil Wizard to give the magic-user fuel to power his Super-Ship that of course Thundarr destroys in seconds.

8) Prophecy of Peril- An Evil Wizard learns of a prophecy to defeat him, and attacks the three women responsible (one from 1980 that he kidnaps and accidentally-empowers with his own Macguffin). They heroes have to ally with a Winged girl with Eye-Beams, a girl with a staff that makes her Super-Strong, and an Egyptian-looking girl who can turn her body into any element. Thundarr is brusque as usual ("Not exactly Prince Charming, is he?" "HARDLY!"), but the nascent super-team kicks some Wizard Ass, then goes back in time to 1980. It's implied we'll see them again, though of course this is the final episode of the series.

xxx


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules, Power Girl
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares // Superman, Wonder Woman
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword), Hawkman
+16: Captain America, Black Canary
+17: Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, Batman

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones, Batman, Hawkman
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix, Aquaman
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite, Atom-Smasher, Supergirl II
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts, Mary Marvel
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse, Wonder Woman I
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker // Wonder Woman II, Power Girl
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift, Ultra-Boy
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects) // Superboy I, Mon-El, Captain Marvel
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust // Superman (Modern)
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe), Superman I
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Cheers & Frasier

Post by Jabroniville »

CHEERS:

-Figured I'd see how some of my 2e TV Show builds would convert into 3rd Edition- human-level Bystanders are a bit funny in a Comic Book RPG system.

-Cheers debuted in 1982, and famously had the worst ratings imaginable during its first season. I mean, they were literally SEVENTY-FOURTH out of seventy-five among every major network- the kind of thing that would be INSTANT DEATH to a TV series even ten years later. This has been frequently given as an important lesson to overzealous TV networks that callously cut down nascent TV series after only a few weeks, simply because an audience hasn't found them yet. This process (which has killed COUNTLESS shows before their time, and even resulted in a few popular shows dying after only a season or two, to GREAT outrage from their loyal fans) has actually died down in recent years, as some major networks, nobably NBC and FOX, now struggle like dogs for ANY kind of ratings success, and will actually hold on to a failing property for YEARS just because. The lesson of something like Family Guy (cancelled for crappy ratings, only to be brought back to MASSIVE numbers a few years later) seems to have not fallen on deaf ears. This is the reason by The Mindy Project, with PATHETIC numbers, still stays on the air, and Parks and Recreation, with barely more than 5 million viewers (sounds like a lot; it isn't. The show is really not that popular) a week, is still around.

-Cheers mainly survived because network heads liked it, in spite of the ratings. I recommend Ken Levine's Blog for lots of information about how TV works, and how network executives think- he's a TV writer who's worked on M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, Wings and more, and has a TON of fascinating stories about television. He talks about how many hoops actors have to go through for a role (auditions, showrunners checking them out, network execs getting their say, test screenings, etc.- many a career has been shot down because an exec had a negative reaction to one potential star, or decided that their OWN pet project deserved to be in the show instead)- you can find other books about this kind of thing, as well (Top of the Rock is a good little book discussing the rise and fall of NBC). Cheers, notably, had THREE potential pairings for the leads, based off of their chemistry. NBC wanted Fred Dryer for Sam, the "Charming Ex-Jock", and he WAS a charming Ex-Jock, but the writers desperately wanted Ted Danson (who was DEFINITELY not that) and Shelley Long thanks to their chemistry, and the execs actually heeded the advice of their writers (they would do this again and again, including putting an unknown named Kelsey Grammer onto the series, despite a hesitant executive board). I mean, think of how many things we all remember would be COMPLETELY DIFFERENT had they gone a certain way.

-Cheers' ratings increased as viewers found the show during Summer Repeats (I mean, they'd already SEEN the shows it was up against), and it ended up becoming one of the most popular shows in television history, and is still one of the most beloved TV series of all time- people LOVED this show, and desperately wanted a place "Where everyone knows your name" (and is there a better TV show theme, EVER?). There was a palpable sense that you'd LOVE to hang out with this group of miserable bastards. The "Sam & Diane" relationship became the standard by which all other TV hook-ups are measured- the intellectual know-it-all Diane and the charming bad-boy Sam had a GREAT, long-lasting flirtation that ended up going up and down over the years, leaving people enraptured with the "Will They Or Won't They?" stuff- until "Ross & Rachel", THIS was TV's most-famous relationship. The ovation they received when they FINALLY kissed was noted by one of the writers as a moment that they'll never equal.

-The Sam & Diane Saga added a surprising kink in the third season, introducing a stick-in-the-mud snob who ended up getting a regular role thanks to the writers and fans loving Kelsey Grammer's work. The show survived not only the death of Coach, but DIANE leaving the show (Shelley Long wanted a movie career)- since she & Sam had kind of stalled anyways, the writers took the chance to create a new foil for Sam in Kirstie Alley's Rebecca. There is still debate from fans as to which version of the show is better, but as a college student watching the show for the first time (in re-runs circa 2000), I found them equally-good. Most fans now lead towards the former. When the show ended, the ratings for the finale hit an astonishing NINETY-THREE MILLION VIEWERS, and was news all over America. Sadly, I haven't seen the show probably SINCE then, as it's now off the repeat schedule from what I can see (and I don't have Netflix or any of that), which is too bad- I was kind of looking forward to checking it out again after reading Levine's Blog posts about it.

-After eleven seasons, it was cancelled when Ted Danson decided that he had to do something else with his life (Whoopi Goldberg, his girlfriend at the time, had urged him to do so, feeling that he was kind of stagnating), and Woody Harrelson refused to continue on without him (an initial plan was for Woody to run the bar). And so, it ended in 1993, to huge acclaim. And the universe would continue on for ANOTHER eleven years, with Frasier himself getting a successful spin-off.

The Cast of Characters:
Sam Malone- an ex-alcoholic and failed baseball pitcher. An incorrigible ladies man, and more clever than he looks.
Diane Chambers- a snooty brainiac forced to work as a waitress to pay the bills after her man abandons her. Immediately has chemistry with, and disgust for, Sammy.
Carla Tortelli- A rude, obnoxious, experienced waitress with a truly Catholic fertility.
Coach- Sam's old Coach, and possibly the dumbest, most clueless guy on Earth. The heart of the show.
Norm- The bar's best, and most regular customer. Bitches about his wife and drinks. CONSTANTLY.
Cliff Clayvin- A loser know-it-all who regales everyone with useless, and often false, information.
Frasier Crane- Diane's fiancee for several episodes, and ends up sticking around even after their break-up. Has an even larger stick up his ass than Diane, making him a great foil.
Woody Boyd- A dumb, naiive farmboy who replaces Coach.
Dr. Lilith Sternin- Frasier's girlfriend and later wife. May possess no emotions. Animals fear her.
Rebecca Howe- A modern '80s Businesswoman archetype who is not as together as she seems.

-All in all, it's a pretty sizeable cast for a sitcom, as all but Lilith were basically in every episode, with Coach & Diane being replaced by Woody & Rebecca. For the first season, they never left the bar, but this would eventually shift to a few scenes in their homes. But still, almost every single episode revolved around late night antics at the bar (which was based off of Boston's Bull & Finch Pub, now renamed "Cheers"). Hell, often they never even left the MAIN ROOM of the place! You barely ever saw the back room with the pool tables and dartboards, though Sam's Office was a regular hideaway.

-This is probably one of the most perfect shows in TV history- some of the gags are SO SMART, and the antagonistic relationships between the characters is written SO WELL... this was absolutely the apex of what a sitcom is capable of (and to think, the sitcom was feared DEAD in the early '80s until The Cosby Show basically freshened it up again). Not only is it freaking hilarious, but the characters are lovable AND the show is still capable of hitting you with an emotional tidal wave whenever it needs to (GOD, that scene where Diane mourns her pet cat- it will hit you like a truck if you've ever lost a pet, ESPECIALLY if you were away when it happened)- a rare thing in a show. It comes across as schmaltzy if done too often or too poorly, but here we were in good hands. And it was notably a show about Working Class people, yet also featured the "Upper Class", and it played really well to see them bounce off of each other- since writers are often a bit on the intellectual side, it would have been easy to turn Sam & Co. into a bunch of Homer Simpsons, but they were sharp enough to fight back, and the upperclassmen were frequently made to look foolish at the same time.

Ken Levine lists a bunch of Pet Peeves and quirky things on the show, which are quite hilarious: Sam cuts lemons more than any bartender in history. Carla is the ONLY WAITRESS after Diane leaves (I've noticed this before, too- the bar only ever has three or four people- what kind of drinking establishment can run with that little staff?). Nobody ever pays for a drink. The phone is constantly changing positions in the bar. People can either hear nothing or hear everything that goes on inside the bar. Frasier, despite being a successful psychiatrist, spends as much time in the bar as Norm.

Sam: You are the nuttiest, the stupidest, the phoniest fruitcake I ever met!
Diane: You, Sam Malone, are the most arrogant self centered, son of a b...
Sam: SHUT IT! Shut your fat mouth!
Diane: Make me!
Sam: Make you?! My God I'm-I'm gonna, I'm GONNA BOUNCE YOU OFF EVERY WALL IN THIS OFFICE!!
Diane: Try it and you'll be walking FUNNY tomorrow... Or should I say funnier?
Sam: You know... you know I always wanted to pop you one! Maybe this is my lucky day, huh?
Diane: You disgust me! I hate you!
Sam: Are you as turned on as I am?
Diane: More!
(They kiss passionately.)
-How you write a goddamn Slap, Slap, Kiss relationship


SAM "MAYDAY" MALONE
Played By:
Ted Danson
Role: The Hero, Ladies Man
PL 2 (48), PL 3 (48) Saves
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 3 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Baseball Pitcher) 5 (+5) -- Uses Dex
Expertise (Bartender) 8 (+9)
Insight 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive, Daze (Deception)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Addiction (Poon)- Sam is the ultimate ladies man, and can barely resist the temptation to flirt. He once stated to Diane that he'd slept with FOUR-HUNDRED WOMEN.
Addiction (Alcohol)- Sam was a drunk when his baseball career ended, and bought the bar because of it.
Relationship (Diane Chambers)- Sam flirted with and teased the pretty young waitress, but found himself wrapped up in one of the most-complicated "Will They or Won't They?" relationships ever.
Responsibility (Cheers)
Rivalry (Derek Malone)- Sam's brother is his superior in absolutely every way.
Rivalry (Gary's Bar & Tavern)- Every year, they get involved in a prank war.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (48)

-Sam Malone is the main character of the show, though really it's an ensemble cast and he's just one of several. But where to start with Sammy? An ex-ballplayer with a penchant for the ladies gets everything turned upside down when prim & proper know-it-all Diane Chambers walks into his bar, and... hell, everyone knows the plot of Cheers, why bother explaining it? Sam was a brilliant character through and through, as rather than turn him into a strawman retard for Diane (who was as smart as the show's writers) to bounce around, he ends up getting the better of her more often than not thanks to his streetwise nature (and higher Awareness), leading to one of THE funniest and most well-written relationships in the history of media (ie. all media- plays, literature, movies, tv, period).
-Danson, as the biggest star, went on to have the most success out of the cast of Cheers, but has mostly worked in television since then, like on Becker, where he played a miserable doctor character. The show was quite good for a while, and had okay ratings despite not really being pushed hard by CBS- it actually did BETTER in syndication (Danson has said that he gets stopped just as much for Becker as for Cheers these days). He's also on CSI now, finally having quit dying his hair (he was going grey even on Cheers). I find it funny that he still gets little "nods" from jocks because of having played Sam, as even HE points out that he was nowhere NEAR a jock at any point.
-Stat-wise, Sammy's just a Bystander, but an athletic one. He's way out of his athletic prime, but can still get it done physically against a young buck like Woody (at least until he gets a hernia and is hospitalized). And he's got charisma to the nines, can't forget that.

DIANE CHAMBERS
Played By:
Shelley Long
Role: Smart-Ass Artsy-Type
PL 2 (37), PL 3 (37) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Writer) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 5 (+8)
Expertise (History) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 3 (+5)
Insight 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Sam Malone)- Diane teased and mocked the "boorish" bartender, but found himself wrapped up in one of the most-complicated "Will They or Won't They?" relationships ever.
Relationship (Frasier Crane)- Diane was briefly engaged to Frasier, but left him at the altar. She never quite understands why this makes him so agitated.
Rivalry (Carla)- Carla insults "Whitey" every chance she gets.
Reputation (Snob)- Despite being objectively friendly to everyone, Diane enjoys the finer things, and frequently lectures the others on "proper" behavior and interests.
Responsibility (Clueless)- Diane is often QUITE ignorant of the feelings of others. She once wrote an entire play based around her life, yet basically turned it into a Self Insert FanFic, complete with the entire gang shouting her name whenever "Maryanne" walked into the bar, and acted like Frasier was perfectly okay with the whole "being left at the altar" thing.
Secret (Age)- NO ONE knows.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (37)

-Diane was Sam's intellectual superior, but her know-it-all attitude, boring nature, and occasional naivete led to her losing out on her share of arguments. Even so, she was one of the best characters on television, with all her flaws just thrown right out there, and very unique for a sitcom character. I mean, to write a smart person properly, the writer often has to actually BE smart, y'know? Especially in a world without Made-Up Physics and Random Word Science likes comic books has, so the writers can just ACT smart. Writer Ken Levine gives Shelley Long full credit here, as it's VERY hard to play a lecturing-liberal type who is very condescending, and STILL make her both funny and endearing.
-When Long left the series, it made a lot of the cast resentful (losing "Sam & Diane" could have DESTROYED the series, costing them all a job- Farrah Fawcett drew similar resentment when she left Charlie's Angels after one season)- she claims it was to spend time with her newborn daughter, but it's generally thought that she wanted to chase a film career; one that never came. Her biggest role was probably playing Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch movies (better than they deserved to be, but still). In fact, she and David Caruso became the ULTIMATE Pop Culture Jokes for several years, because both had dumped some of the highest-profile gigs imaginable and then promptly fell off the face of the Earth. Kelsey Grammer in particular resented her for years, as she often lobbied to remove Frasier from the show, feeling that he stood in the way of Sam & Diane. They made up when she made a classic reappearance on Frasier, doing a horrible Self Insert FanFic about her own life.
-Also notable is the fact that apparently somebody on TV Tropes LOVES Shelley Long, as there's trope after trope listed on her Character page describing her as "Moe" (freaking Weeaboos, I swear to God...), adorable, cute, etc., and repeated indications of her beauty. Can you imagine how UTTERLY CREEPY it is when somebody on the internet just KEEPS TALKING about how beautiful some actress is, and how much he likes her? And just makes post after post about it? IT'S SO INVASIVE AND WEIRD, RIGHT GUYS??
-Diane is much weaker than Sammy, but fairly skilled in her own right, just in an unfocused manner. Note that she has no Expertise (Waitress), since, well... she sucked at it, but she IS a much better fighter than she looks (she once EASILY Judo-Tossed Sammy onto a pool table), and stronger, too (she struggled, but she managed to carry Cliff up a flight of stairs).


Image

Woody: Hey, Mr. Peterson, there's a cold one waiting for you.
Norm: I know, and if she calls, I'm not here.
---
Sam: What're ya up to, Norm?

Norm: My ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall.

---

Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso: Yeah, Norm, how come you and Vera never had any kids?
Norm Peterson: I can't, Coach.
Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso: Gee, I'm sorry Norm.
Norm Peterson: I look at Vera, and I just can't.



NORM PETERSON
Played By:
George Wendt
Role: The Alcoholic, Lazy Fat Guy
PL 2 (25), PL 3 (25) Alcoholic
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Computers) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Accountant) 1 (+2)
Expertise (Interior Designer) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Alcoholic) 12 (+13)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Wall of Fat" Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +2, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Addiction (Alcohol)- An attempt to cut him off once nearly resulted in a stabbing. Okay, that was on The Simpsons, but it could totally have happened.
Responsibility (Cheers)- Norm spends almost as much time there as Sam does, and Sam WORKS THERE.
Rivalry (Vera, Wife)- Norm avoids his wife desperately, though there are a few indications that he actually doesn't mind her, and is horrified by the idea of losing her. He'd just rather nobody know about it.
Relationship (Cliff Clavin)- The two have sat next to each other for years, though they often just mock each other.
Responsibility (Lazy)- It's implied that Norm has talent and could go places... but he'd rather just sit on his ass and drink beer for years.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 2 (25)

-Oh Norm. Only on TV can a hardcore alcoholic be an extremely funny character. Of course, he was rarely seen actually drunk, but he sure as hell could put them away (there's a great episode where he's trying to avoid looking like a lush in front of his new boss, but when they have their "one beer", he simply tips his mug back and downs the ENTIRE THING in one gulp!). Pretty much a funny gag character most of the time, he had the occasional bouts of seriousness and grandeur (such as when he beat up his hard-assed boss for taking liberties with Diane). His one-liners and answers upon walking into the bar (always to a rousing cry of "NORM!"... and Diane's late "Norman!") are classic TV gags, and a great recurring thing. The writers point out that these were probably the hardest things to write in the show.
-Wendt didn't really have the career most of the rest of the cast did, but I recall seeing him on a lot of short-run Sitcoms. But I mean, there's not THAT many jobs available for a big, chunky older guy in Hollywood. He was last seen on Frasier... still being an old drunk. Naturally, he fit right in with Marty.
-Norm's slightly tougher than a fat, out-of-shape guy would be expected to be, and God Forbid you get between him and his beer. He's a half-decent accountant, interior decorator (later seasons), and the greatest Beer Taster their ever was, able to detect a bad vat from a single sip of a bottle.

"A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. When the herd is hunted, the slow and weak at the back are killed first. The speed and health of the herd keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.
"In the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as its slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. Naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.
"In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."


CLIFF CLAVIN
Played By:
John Ratzenberger
Role: Know-Nothing Know-It-All, Utter Loser
PL 0 (14), PL 1 (14) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 4 (+3)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+2)
Expertise (History) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Science) 1 (+1)
Expertise (Trivia) 10 (+10) -- Flaws: Limited to Useless Information
Expertise (Mail Carrier) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
"Little-Known Fact" Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Addiction (Little-Known Facts)- Cliff ALWAYS has one.
Reputation (Know-Nothing Know-It-All)- Everybody knows that most of Cliff's Facts are utter crap.
Reputation (Loser)- Sam is so mortified that his fiancee once slept with Cliff that he IMMEDIATELY breaks off the relationship. Even FRASIER, who ALSO slept with her, agreed with the assessment and was beside himself with disgust. "I can't believe I slept with a woman who slept with CLIFF."
Phobia (Girls)- Cliff stutters and gets highly nervous around women.
Relationship (Mother)- Cliff is weirdly-obsessed with his mommy, with whom he lives.
Responsibility (The U.S. Postal Service)- Attack them at your peril.
Enemy (Carla)- Cliff thinks they're merely vitriolic pals like everyone else at the bar. Carla REALLY hates him.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (14)

-Little-Known Fact: John Ratzenberger auditioned for the role of Norm. Upon realizing that he'd likely bombed the audition, Ratzenberger turned around and asked the writers, "Hey, do you guys have a Bar Know-It-All yet?", pointing out how there's ALWAYS one of those. He proceeded to rattle off a smattering of useless trivia, which impressed the writers so much that a few days later, his agent got the phone call that he was now playing "Cliff Clavin". He debuted early as mostly a rarely-speaking Extra, but soon got more lines, and became a full cast member before long.
, after being turned down for the role of Norm on the show. Impressing the creators with some ad-libbed "bar know-it-all" styled facts, he got written onto the show, becoming one of the constant recurring barflies that made the show what it was. He & Norm are one of the great comic duos because of it, despite rarely moving from their famous stools.
-Cliff's a weakling and a coward, but has a deep repository of useless facts and skills at his beck and call. He's a great mailman, and good at Useless Trivai. And he can break some boards with his head to prove himself to the entire bar (and a particularly nasty bully), but would require immediate hospitalization as a result (and have to be carried up the stairs by a tiny woman).

Coach: [answers the ringing telephone] Cheers... Yeah, just a sec.
Coach: [to everyone in the bar] Is there an Ernie Pantusso here?
Sam: That's you, Coach.
Coach: [to the person on the phone] Speaking.

COACH (Ernie Pantusso)
Played By:
Nicholas Colosanto
Role: The Dumb Guy, Father-Figure
PL 0 (1), PL 1 (1) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -1 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Baseball Coach) 5 (+3)
Expertise (Bartender) 5 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude -1, Will +2

Complications:
Reputation (Clueless)- Coach does not understand sarcasm.
Responsibility (Cheers)
Relationship (Daughter)- Cliff adores his daughter.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (1)

-Coach was a pretty funny character in the first few seasons of "Cheers", being a pretty baseline comedic character- The Dumbass. He didn't get the simplest jokes, always took sarcasm at face value, went to a different family's Reunion because he didn't want to "seem rude" by rejecting an accidentally-mailed invitation, etc. His death early on (Colosanto was unfortunately beset by heart problems for years beforehand) led to being written out and replaced by the similarly-dumb Woody character, but his presence was still kinda missed as the beloved older guy. Me, my favourite moment ever is when his somewhat homely daughter begs him to realize that she's not as beautiful as he thinks she is, only for him to tell her she looks exactly like her mother, who was the most beautiful woman ever to him. That scene is like an emotional freaking SLEDGEHAMMER, and proof that some of the best "sad moments" and "sweet moments" come from comedy, because you expect it less than some flat-out dramatic thing. I mean, Coach's FACE when his daughter tries to tell him her mom wasn't pretty...
-Coach isn't much of anything statted up- he's really just an old man who's ALSO really dopey. Pretty much the antithesis of someone with a plus-side.

WOODY BOYD
Played By:
Woody Harrelson
Role: The Dumb Guy
PL 2 (25), PL 3 (25) Saves
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Farmer) 4 (+3)
Expertise (Bartender) 4 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Relationship (Kellie)- Woody falls in love with a rich girl later on, and they eventually get married.
Reputation (Clueless)- Woody does not understand sarcasm.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (25)

-Woody was a sudden replacement for the beloved "Coach", whose actor, Nicholas Collosanto, died between seasons of the show. Replacing him completely as the resident "dumb bartender" (since the show needed both a dumb guy and another guy to tend bar, since otherwise it's unrealistic to have Sammy to it ALL), he was nonetheless a beloved and iconic character by the time the series ended, one of the more successful avoidances of a CLASSIC "Jump the Shark" moment the show made (few shows were more adept at this). He also provided a Little Brother character for most of the cast to play off of, especially competitively with poor Sammy, who tried to one-up the younger kid at athletics. Oddly, the character was named BEFORE Woody Harrelson auditioned for the role.
-Woody's in pretty good shape, but his Mental Stats are notoriously low, at lower than even the levels of some children (keep in mind he was "Pen Pals" with Coach by actually trading pens back and forth). He's only got rudimentary skills and no Advantages, but is a generally likeable guy. He reappears years later on Frasier in a bit of a dull episode, revealing that he's still into Boston's city politics and married- Harrelson himself has had a bit of an odd career, seemingly starting big with Natural Born Killers, but then he basically fell off the face of the Earth until a comeback in recent years.

CARLA TORTELLI
Played By:
Rhea Pearlman
Role: Cantankerous Shrew
PL 4 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 7 (+7)
Expertise (Streetwise) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Waitress) 5 (+5)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 4 (+5)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack 2, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Fertile)- Carla has a true Catholic's womb- seven kids and counting.
Enemy (Cliff Clavin)- Carla hates Cliff so much, that when Frasier inadvertently convinced Cliff not to move away, Carla nearly murdered the Doc.
Rivalry (Diane Chambers)- Carla has little patience for Diane's condescending ways, or incompetence at her job.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (47)

-Carla is something you rarely see on Network TV nowadays- an authentically unattractive woman. Nowadays, pretty much every single woman on television is either ungodly gorgeous or AT WORST pretty (their husbands are usually the slovenly, fat ones), but back then, sitcoms OFTEN featured old ladies, fourty-something uggos, and fat chicks. Carla was funny as the resident Jerkass vindictive bitch of the workplace, ripping on absolutely everyone except Sam (and even he got it sometimes, though she respected him). Her relationship with Diane was the funniest (she REALLY hated Diane), but Cliff kind of picked up the enemy-slack in the later seasons.
-I get a kick out of the story of what happened to her husband. The actor, while doing a radio interview, quipped that working on the show was "Awful! I have to kiss Rhea Pearlman!" Guess who was listening. Hence, the character was immediately killed off. Despite Carla's looks, she has little problem meeting men. Just deadbeats and awful dudes, though.
-Carla's one of the most dangerous of the Cheers cast as a background civilian, especially if a villain's looking for an 'easy' hostage. A cranky Italian woman with a dozen kids and a horde of exes is NOT the kind of person you want to be pissing off under any circumstances.

REBECCA HOWE
Played By:
Kirstie Alley
Role: 1980s Businesswoman, Basket Case
PL 4 (47)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Business) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Manager) 2 (+3)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)
Persuasion 4 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Power)- Rebecca is a stereotypical 1980s Businesswoman, Power-Suit and all.
Motivation (Gold-Digging)- Rebecca wants to marry a wealthy man at all costs, and usually chases after Robin Colcord.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (47)

-Rebecca surprisingly has more episodes to her credit than Diane does, being the replacement of "resident female character foil for Sam". Opinions about her are mixed, and rarely 100% on either side. Few think the show was BETTER with Rebecca instead of Diane, for example, but fewer still think Rebecca SUCKED, and many actually enjoyed her more neurotic, greenback-chasing antics, and failed get-rich-quick schemes resulting in basket-case behavior. Though her existence led to Sam becoming more of a begging, pleading loser than he was supposed to be at the beginning of the show, that may've been the intellectual writers finally having him "get his"- the final fate of the smarmy jock womanizer. She ended up marrying a poor handyman after years of being a Gold Digger.
-Kirstie Alley had a solid non-Cheers career, and was especially big in the '80s and early '90s. However, weight-gain ruined any hawtness she once had (I never found her THAT hot, really), and yo-yo dieting really wans't effective either. She's now more famous for being overweight than being talented (though really, she's like SIXTY now- nobody should be expecting a hottie. Not everyone is Susan Sarandon-hot at that age). She was the only recurring Cheers character who never returned on Frasier (it was stated in passing by Sam that she got divorced from her husband as soon as he struck it rich, and became an alcoholic at the bar- OUCH)- it's believed that her $cientology leanings (which hate on psychiatry) was the reason, though she's denied it and says it just never worked out. Frankly, given the cruel send-off her character had in passing, I'm liable to believe there was some issue. I mean, PAUL showed up on the show.
-Rebecca's a competent businesswoman, but doesn't back it up with a whole lot. She's usually just cranky, vindictive, jealous and money-grubbing most of the time. She can't even run the bar particularly well.

****

Frasier: "You have a wonderful career!"
Nanny G: "But nothing ever changes! Do you have any idea what it's like playing the same character for TWENTY YEARS?"


FRASIER:

-Frasier has a fascinating history. See, realizing that Cheers was winding down, Kelsey Grammer talked to the writers about creating a project for him once it ended. The writers, who were also working on Wings, came up with a little pitch about a crippled media mogul who rules his empire from his bed, while his sassy Latina maid (a Rosie Perez type) lectures him and humanizes him a bit. Kelsey liked it, but the network didn't, and an exec correctly advised them that they'd be STUPID to let the hype and ratings from the Cheers finale (which were ENORMOUS) go with some other project, leading them into a spin-off. I mean, the execs wanted one ANYWAYS, and it helped that the creators all realized that Frasier was easily the most well-rounded character of the cast by this point, and had the biggest "up side". Here's a description on that blog by one of the creators discussing the origins.

-They got to forming a cast of characters: Frasier was supposed to work at KACL, a talk-radio station, and so they started making it a Work Com... but then found out they were copying a lot of WKRP in Cincinatti by accident, and scaled it back to make it more about family. One of the writers had recently begun taking care of his ailing father, and so they attached a plot many adults could now relate to- caring for an elderly parent. And so Frasier's crippled father Martin came to live with him- the "Latina Maid" became his caretaker & a housekeeper (writers throw NOTHING away- all of their failed ideas turn up SOMEWHERE). A saucy, snide Producer at KACL was created to keep Frasier in line at work. This was it... until one girl working on the show walked in with a picture of an unknown named David Hyde Pierce and said "Hey- doesn't this guy look like Kelsey ten years ago? Frasier should have a brother!" (and it is UNCANNY- I always thought this was odd until I actually watched some old Cheers clips of a skinnier Frasier and realized how close the resemblance really is).

-The casting was a case of serendipity- Networks are NOTORIOUSLY stringent about who gets casted, and it's a HUGE process- people audition, producers make their picks... then the network sticks their noses in and randomly tosses out people (one great Ken Levine blog post starts with "I'm not sure guys are going to want to f*ck her"), and introduces their own personal favourite actors that they've always wanted to link to something (Jennifer Aniston was one of those people; Gil Grissom on CSI was also cast because a network head wanted a project for him). So it was amazing that during talks with the network, the execs basically said "We LOVE John Mahoney and David Hyde Pierce- if you can get them, they're both pre-approved". This is a DREAM for a producer, as it cuts the number of steps DRAMATICALLY, and you can skip test audiences (where stuff like "I hate her shoes" can cost an actress her job). The same execs had an interest in Jane Leeves (see what I mean about "personal favourites"?), and asked if the Latina Maid could be made British instead. Also pre-approved, to the joy of the producers. And finally, a peppy actress named Lisa Kudrow was cast as Roz Doyle, Frasier's producer.

-Yes, really. UNFORTUNATELY for the young actress, while she was funnier and peppier than the #2 choice (Peri Gilpin), she was also a little too goofy. She made some things funnier even when they WEREN'T supposed to be jokes, but she was also a bit timid, forcing Kelsey to scale back during test screenings- and when a natural ham like THAT has to scale back to avoid overpowering somebody on set, something's wrong. And so they made the tough decision to fire Lisa, and hire Peri, who "while not as funny as Lisa, had more of that attitude where she wasn't going to take any of Frasier's shit". Add one talented little doggie actor, and we were SET.

-What struck everyone is how rapidly the show just WORKED. Test audiences loved it. When the NBC execs came in to watch, Martin & Frasier had a classic argument in the Pilot, and when Martin snarkily parroted back at Frasier about his beloved trashy lounge-chair, "I know- It's ECLECTIC!", the producers actually looked up and saw the soles of the Head Boss's feet as he was reclined back in his chair with laughter. The writers actually admit that the first two seasons of the series were the BEST, with the perfect mix of humor, pathos and character interplay. The show was an immediate hit, and only got better ratings for a while (even getting the coveted "Seinfeld Spot" on Thursday Nights), but a descent in quality hampered it later on. See, while the show was ALWAYS obsessed with "Comedy of Errors" plots based off of wacky misunderstandings or snowballing lies (a la Three's Company/Fawlty Towers), they got a bit out of hand, and things started to suffer. The completion of the Niles/Daphne arc also kind of saw the end of an idea, which is probably why so many TV shows make you wait for 10 years to resolve romance.

-Even so, the show lasted for a crazy long ELEVEN SEASONS. It scored more Emmys than any other show in history while it was doing so, dominating things for years. Some people boo the show for being pretentious and up its own ass, but I find that false: the show isn't pretentious- it's about pretentious PEOPLE. There are constant gags with how fancy-ass Frasier & Niles are, going on about their fussiness and obsession with minor details- "But Niles! What's better- a perfect meal, or a perfect meal with one TINY FLAW that we can pick at all evening?". Or when Frasier sulks to Niles that the last book on British Royalty "was a bit light on the Plantagenets for my liking", and Niles' little sympathic, sincere "Aw.", and the audience IMMEDIATELY GETS IT. Their cluelessness about blue collar activities or sports ("Dad drove me here with a look on his face that I haven't seen since he drove us home from our first and ONLY Little League game", "Unfortunately, the best seats I could get were right in the middle of the Football field" "Aw."

The funny moments just keep on coming- the one where the boys open a restaurant is classic, complete with giant slapstick gags (people mock the show's elitism, yet they use more physical humor than any of their contemporaries)- Niles wussily-trying to kill some eels for a meal is funny enough (he's just wacking the knife uselessly on top of the water because he's afraid to touch one), but when Daphne just loses her patience, snatches one by the tail, and swings it in a HUGE arc into the table is just pants-pissingly hilarious. Bulldog's antics are great ("This stinks! This is total B.S.!"). The escalating prank war that ends when Frasier admits Bulldog is better at it, so they just TEAM UP on everyone else ("Hello, 911? I'd like to report... THE GREATEST PRANK EVER!!"). The snob-ass parents competing through their sons in a secret SPELLING BEE in a back-alley, complete with warm-ups and taunting ("Spell his ASS OFF!"). Frasier mimicking some amazing lovemaking to show up his ex-wife in the next room, and everyone walks in on him while he's jumping up and down on the bed, screaming "OH YEAH, BABY! YEAH!!!"

Pretty much any interaction between Frasier & Lilith. Frasier's reaction on Diane's Self-Insert FanFic. Frasier & his rival Cam Winston sniping back and forth was great, too ("But you drive a HUMMER! If MINE is a shrine to male over-compensation, then what's YOURS!" "... BIGGER!"). Frasier & Niles acting like hooligans in a Mechanics Class because they suck at it and have decided to mimic behavior of Class Bullies ("now I understand why my bully shoved me into a locker- he wasn't mad at me; he was mad at Pythagoras. Which was ironic, because a simple cubic-square equation would have shown that I couldn't fit"). The time Roz & Martin joked with Niles that they got married, and Niles, getting the joke, just mouthed off "well I'll be a son of a bitch" (Roz & Martin's reactions are PRICELESS).

---

In my opinion, the best episode, and scene, is in the one where Frasier hosts a Costume Party where the come as their own personal heroes that doubles as a Q&A Game. Frasier is naturally Sigmund Freud, Martin is Joe DiMaggio, Daphne is Elton John, and Roz in Wonder Woman (she admits she didn't understand the rules... until she admits later that she DID, and just lied because everyone started laughing at her- she said WW is her hero because she's "beautiful, strong, and never needed a MAN to be happy!"). Niles comes in dressed as MARTIN, an obvious kiss-ass gesture that IMMEDIATELY enrages Frasier, who begins sniping at Niles all night long. Some of these moments are HILARIOUS, like when Niles deliberately starts screwing with Frasier- "Niles!" "Wait, who's NILES?" "Sorry- DAD!" "Why's he calling me dad? I'm not FREUD'S DAD!"

But then things take this suddenly dark turn when Frasier asks everyone what their "Greatest Disappointment" was, and an increasingly-tipsy Niles starts letting slip a few things. Like when he talks about how his boys never followed in his footsteps, or ever tried to share an interest in anything HE liked. "So if you have to ask me, my TWO biggest disappointments are--" and Martin just SNAPS at him "You stop RIGHT THERE. You will NOT put these words in my mouth" with this utterly-furious, disgusted calm. This hits so hard emotionally because Martin knows that Niles actually DOES feel that Martin believes these things, and it turns into a giant mess. I LOVE scenes like this- people letting out their darkest thoughts and hurting the ones they love most in this horribly-honest way.

Then there's the time Frasier ended up dating a woman who looked just like his late mother. HAW-HAW- dude is a Freudian and he ends up confirming the oldest stereotype attached to Freud! Funny, right? Niles gets some of the best lines in the show, taking jabs at a clueless Frasier while only his family gets it ("You really hit the MOTHER lode!"). But then you get the scene when Martin takes a look at the girl for the first time- in one instant, you see the shock, heartbreak and and sadness on his face- John Mahoney managed to convey the entire thing in that single moment, and you REALLY feel it with him. He got over it, but STILL.

The show does "For the Feelz" moments a lot, and it never comes off as cloying. Like when the three Crane boys mope over their mutually-bleak dating results while looking over the Seattle skyline ("We're DESPERATE!" Niles jokes- but not really. It's so fantastic when people on TV say something that's supposed to be a joke/lie, but actually MEAN IT- you can't really do that in writing or in comics- you need real actors). Roz breaks down publically because her longest-term relationship just ended ("He says there weren't any FIREWORKS anymore- what am I supposed to SAY to that?", "I SWORE to myself I would never fall in love again!"), and Frasier has to bring her back from the brink, convincing her that it's never a bad idea to let someone in to your heart. Daphne demanding to marry Niles NOW because he refused to let Daph's father leave her mother ("I can't go one more minute not being your wife").

---

The Cast of Characters:
Frasier Crane: The egghead from Cheers, now even MORE snobbish!
Niles Crane: Frasier's even-more-snobby brother. A wussy fancy-ass.
Martin Crane: The boys' blue-collar, retired cop father. Constantly fights with both of them, especially Frasier, with whom he lives.
Daphne Moon: Martin's healthcare worker, and idolized by Niles.
Roz Doyle: Frasier's Producer, and generally a sounding board for Frasier's own ranting.
Eddie: Frasier's Jack Russel Terrier. Likes to stare.

Maris Crane: Niles' wife, a controlling, shrewish woman with a litany of personal and physical flaws.
Dr. Lilith Sternin: Frasier's ex-wife, the most deadpan woman in the entire universe.
Bebe Glazer: Frasier's evil, lying agent. CLEARLY the producers taking shots at the agents they've had to deal with over the years.

The KACL Crew:
Bulldog Briscoe: The most boorish ass in the world, and the resident Sports Guy. An antagonist to Frasier, naturally.
Kenny Daly: The last "Boss" character at the station, and more of a wussy pushover than the others.
Gil Chesterton: Even more fancy than the Cranes- he's the food critic.

The more minor recurring characters (the ones I'm not building):
Duke: Martin's mostly-unseen buddy, usually on the other line on the phone.
Sherry: Martin's girlfriend for what felt like YEARS (but really only a handful of episodes)- her loud, obnoxious, clueless nature often agitated both Frasier and Niles. She & Martin split up when she revealed that she had no intentions of settling down and getting married.
Ronee: Frasier's old babysitter, who later ends up marrying Martin at the end of the series. Played by Wendy Malick, one of those actresses that writers just LOVE for her distinctive voice.
Frederick Sternin-Crane: Frasier & Lilith's son- kind of shifts over time, as he's alternatively into "kid stuff" and then "fancy stuff" as a budding intellectual. Often doesn't come up in the stories nearly as much as he should, but he DOES live across the country.
Cam Winston: Frasier's rival in his building for a while. They have the same personality type, so naturally aggravate each other.
Gertrude & Simon Moon: Daphne's mother and brother. Both are slovenly, annoying types- Simon's a drunken flirt and thief, while Gertrude is a whining, lying, conniving shrew of a woman. Most fans take a negative view of both of them, as they come to dominate some of the later seasons.
Lana & Kirby: Frasier briefly tutors Kirby, who is the son of his High School Crush (Jean Smart in a pretty MILFy role). Frasier & Lana briefly date, but he steps back to let her reunite with her ex-husband.
Noel: Generic office guy at KACL. A stereotypical Trekkie & TV Nerd- ie. one who is overconfident and obvious in his abilities to hit on a specific girl (Roz, in this case). Has anyone EVER met a nerd like this in real life? Every hardcore dork I know was WAY too shy to ever act like this around a woman. At BEST they were clumsily-obvious in their crushes, not needling and flirtacious.

Seattle Itself: Now here's ANOTHER interesting tidbit about the show's creation- they wanted to move Frasier way out West, to prevent NBC from asking for countless Cheers cameos (the writers were concerned, and wanted the show to stand on its own at first). They went with Denver at first, but some Colorado anti-gay legislation was recently passed, and so they up and went elsewhere, and found Seattle. It was a neat, rare decision (there's not a lot of Washington State on TV), but oddly didn't quite fit the "world" in which Frasier lived. I mean, he and his brother lived in a world of symphonies, plays, and Old Money families with hoity-toity accents. Seattle really... isn't that. It's a Logging Town that turned into the beginnings of various Youth Movements- it's more about protest, technology (a big part of the computer revolution came here), rock music (Grunge was born there, as was Jimi Hendrix), Starbucks (yup again), Art Students, young people in general, quicky neighborhoods, and more. The world of Frasier seems VERY distinctly Boston/Rhode Island/Maine, but instead got stuck in an odd area. From what I understand from Seattleites debating about this online, MARTIN actually represents the "real Seattle" more than any other character.

Despite that, the show ended up INFLUENCING the real Seattle- people still ask realtors for "The Frasier View" (he would have to live in a HUGE high-rise on Seattle's affluent Queen Anne district to get that view of the Space Needle), and the show seems to have convinced the rich people to turn Seattle into something more like on the show.

The actors from the series have gone on to different projects a bit- David Hyde Pierce largely seems to have disappeared into theatrical work after coming out of the closet in 2007, and John Mahoney seems largely-retired (the only other thing I've seen him in is Say Anything, which is an '80s movie). Peri Gilpin shows up on Law & Order A LOT as different characters, and gets a lot of Voice Acting work owing to her husky bedroom voice (she's Volcana in Superman/Justice League, and has played various King of the Hill one-shot characters). Jane Leeves ended up getting a recurring gig on Hot in Cleveland. Grammer, the biggest star, had a few failed projects and one big movie (unfortunately, that movie was X-Men 3), but is still very respected as an actor.

[Frasier is trying to get Bebe to quit smoking, so that she can marry her anti-smoking billionaire boyfriend, but she locks herself on his patio with some smokes]
Frasier: For God's sake... I don't care anymore. You know, I can't help you, nobody can. You want to ruin it for both of us? Here...
[tosses her a lighter]
Frasier: ...go ahead, knock yourself out.
[Bebe begins to light cigarette]
Frasier: I only wish I could be there when it happens.
Bebe: When what happens?
Frasier: When you see that newspaper headline: "Big Willy Boone, Millionaire, Dead." Oh, how I wish I could be there when you watch the funeral on the news. Watch the casket being slipped into the ground. Only, you won't be watching that. No, no, you'll be watching... the widow Boone. Tiffany, perhaps. Oh no, better yet, "Kelli" - with an "I"!
Bebe: [tortured] STOP IT!
Frasier: You'll picture her wearing YOUR jewels, sailing in YOUR yachts, sleeping with *your* gigolos - but, oh, you won't be sad, no, no, no!
[chuckles]
Frasier: Because you'll have your cigarette.
[Bebe stares at her cigarette with fear]
Frasier: Yeah! Clutched in your nicotine-stained teeth, smoke whirling about your once-pretty, now creased, leathery, smoke-ravaged...
Bebe: [anguished] ENOUGH!
[Bebe hands the cigarettes to a triumphant Frasier]
Bebe: God! You are one HELL of a therapist!


DR. FRASIER CRANE
Played By:
Kelsey Grammer
Role: Egghead, Pretentious Turd, Elitist Snob
PL 1 (57), PL 4 (57) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Art) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Psychiatrist) 5 (+9)
Expertise (High Culture) 6 (+10)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Radio Host) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Singing) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Persuasion 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Wealth), Daze (Deception), Languages (A Few)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Helping People)- Above all else, even though he craves money and respect, Frasier IS in fact a doctor at heart, and longs to help people along. Even with the quick-service version of pyschiatry on his Advice Show.
Motivation (Fame & Credibility)- Frasier is fame-hungry, and wishes to both be more famous and more respected by everyone. He often chases chances for a TV position, and wants his show in peak ratings periods.
Motivation (Snobbery & Standing)- Frasier & Niles are both obsessed with their social status, and are constantly looking to impress their social peers. Because of this, both men are prone to lying and exaggerating, and will do ANYTHING to save face.
Motivation (The Finer Things)- Whether it's watching foreign Throat-Singers, going to the opera, or drinking wine, Frasier & Niles MUST have the very best, and the very trendiest. The more exclusive, the better. Anything "common" will horrify them ("I can't believe we're drinking this... oh my GOD... it's just labeled 'WINE'!"). Niles once slapped Frasier for suggesting they go to a place where they don't even NEED a reservation.
---
Relationship (Niles- Brother)- Frasier & Niles are as close in personality as can be, yet are intense rivals, as both constantly seek to one-up the other. Upon the discovery of something one has, the other will immediately move to better it. This extends to nearly every aspect of their lives, but especially the "Finer Things" Complication above, such as position in their Wine Club. Frasier is a snob, but still finds himself less of one that his fancy-ass, wilting brother.
Relationship (Martin- Father)- The Cranes' blue-collar dad has little patience for most of their antics and obsessions, and thinks both are too pretentious for their own good. Their relationships have been distant for years, and frought with arguments, especially once the boys' mother died. Frasier & Martin in particular have a rough go of things, living together in Martin's senior years.
Relationship (Roz Doyle)- Frasier's co-worker and Producer is one of his closest (and most regular) confidantes, but their different philosophies (he's a self-righteous snob; she's more rough-edged and vulgar) often cause friction.
Enemy (Martin's Chair)- The hideous chair is the bane of Frasier's existence.
Relationship (Eddie)- The Jack Russel Terrier will NOT stop staring at Frasier, often for minutes on end. He has never lost a staring contest.
---
Relationship (Frederick- Son)- Frasier misses his son terribly, and feels like he's missing out on the boy's life. Often concerned for the boy's well-being, Frasier & Lilith were nonetheless happy to discover that he was lying to and manipulating them ("He's a normal child! We're good parents!" *high five*).
Relationship (Dr. Lilith Sternin- Ex-Wife)- Lilith was a controlling, emotionless wife while they were together, and still makes her lack of respect for Frasier's professional credentials well-known. Even so, it can be complicated, as she can be seductive in her icy way.
Relationship (Various Women)- Frasier has had a great deal of relationships over the course of the show, generally not lasting long (a single episode).
Responsibility (Clueless About Sports & "Common" Things)- Frasier is unathletic to the point of hilarity, and has seemingly forgotten everything about sports he could have learned at Cheers.
Accident (Overhearing the Wrong Thing or Being Overhead Incorrectly)- This is common to all Frasier characters, and generally resolves itself in some sort of climax.
Disabled (Health Problems)- Frasier is prone to sea-sickness and back spasms. He also has diverculitis, and was impotent for a summer while in his twenties.
Allergy (Cats, Certain Kinds of Make-Up)

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (57)

-Shuffling major supporting character Frasier into his own show was chancy, but they actually made it WORK, giving him a great new supporting cast and basing many of the jokes around his desire for fame, legitimacy and credibility, as well as his constant battles against his own family members and search for a steady girlfriend. Frasier was brilliant in many ways, but lacked common sense as any good sitcom character should, and made for a great and unusual centrepiece. He's famously stuck-up and obsessed with the finer things (and comically out-of-touch with the common man, even compared to his Cheers character), leading to brush-ups against both Roz and his father.
-Grammer is FANTASTIC in this role- he gets a lot of energy from an unusual acting practice involving almost zero rehearsal time. This gives guest-stars heart attacks, but Grammer can ham it up like no actor I've ever seen- how many people could properly depict the blustering, screaming volume of a Frasier Crane other than this guy? His freak-outs, temper tantrums and angry reactions are legendary, yet he can STILL play it down and come across as a thoughtful patrician. WATCH THIS SCENE[/i] and be AMAZED- Grammer's silent at first, but still taken aback. And when he goes on the final rant, TEARING into the woman who destroyed his heart and his self-image forever, you've got a monologue anyone would be proud of. One of the show's best moments. And you can tell Grammer's a good actor because the real man is a good bit different- he had a HORRIBLE home life (various close family members were murdered), and was a drug & alcohol addict for a number of years (missing time on Frasier as a result, and he was apparently a MESS on Cheers much of the time as well).
-Frasier is very smart and very skilled, but his Complications often overwhelm him, leading to him being trapped in a lie, or going outside of his comfort zone (like when he and Niles opened their own restaurant, despite never having run one before). He can lie with the best of them (in a show that nearly trumped Three's Company in terms of convoluted he-heard-she-heard comedy of errors plots, he NEEDS to), but often gets caught by other bluffs, and makes famously poor decisions nearly all the time. His Presence is pretty decent (he IS a radio celebrity, and is able to win a lot of people over until something REALLY comes to a head), but not as high as his smarm would lead you to believe- he cracks under pressure, and is known to come across as a know-it-all blowhard. He's still capable of dating some VERY attractive women, however (his bedmates have included Peri Gilpin's Roz, plus Jennifer Tilly, Laura Linney, Amy Brenneman & Lisa Edelstein). He's also VERY well off, but perhaps a bit TOO much given that he's a radio personality (it's in a good radio market, but his apartment is HUGE. It's still not as bad as the famously-silly situation on Friends, though). Hilariously, a Google search for this subject sent me right back to [url=http://kenlevine.blogspot.ca/2012/04/do ... money.html]Ken Levine's Blog
, a post about the very same thing.

K.A.C.L. STAFF:
-Frasier was initially imagined as more of a Work Com (like The Mary Tyler Moore Show or WKRP in Cincinatti), and so a cast of co-workers was created. Most of them didn't matter much aside from Roz, though there was often a SERIES of "KACL Bosses" to please. One owner was a gay man who thought Frasier was asking him out (leading to a classic Misunderstanding), while one manager was Kate Costas, a thuggish nasty type who I thought had a bad tan and '80s hair (turns out the actress was Cuban... but she still had '80s hair), but engaged in your classic "Slap Slap Kiss" lust-affair with Frasier, ending when she got transfered elsewhere.

-Frasier also got a temporary partner in Mary, a stereotypically Sassy Black Woman character who ended up becoming a great success, even though her advice was all snap and not rooted in any kind of academia, irking Farsier tremendously (she ended up getting a job at a rival station, which was best for both people). Felicity Huffman (who every network on TV loves- she's one of those people who shows up EVERYWHERE) played a shrewish woman who worked there for a while, and even hooked up with Frasier, provoking a nasty argument with Roz, who hated her (this was when they were edging towards Roz falling for him). Neol Shemsky was a kind of generic office guy (he works in "Sales") who was usually seen quoting Star Trek or hitting on Roz in that "TV Nerd" sort of way. Father Mike was a "Nice Guy" religious host who really only got a few lines. There was Tooty, a Children's Storytime character too, who I recall got pretty successful, annoying everyone. One owner managed to turn KACL into a station for Latino Music after Frasier inadvertently convinced him to- leading to a Season Arc where all of the employees were fired and had to find other work.

GIL CHESTERTON
Played By:
Edward Hibbert
Role: The Closeted Gay
PL 0 (13)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Fine Dining) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Radio Host) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Relationship (Deb- Wife)- Gil's never-seen wife is a tough car mechanic.
Prejudice (Well, YOU Know...)- Gil's interests and behavior seem to indicate a certain... lifestyle.
Relationship (Bulldog Briscoe)- Despite being opposite in terms of personality, the two are confidantes at work, and often scheme together.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (13)

-Funnily enough, I actually never realized Gil actually WAS gay when I first watched the show. I mean, I wasn't clueless as to how obvious the hints were, but I actually assumed the gag was that he was merely extraordinarily effeminate and married to a "butch" woman. Retrospect (and a few later episodes that make it QUITE clear, like when he lurks around a gay bar or congratulates Frasier for "coming out") shows that no, he was just a gay man with a "beard" marriage to a lesbian.
-Gil is basically even snootier and MORE pompous than Frasier & Niles, effectively forming a contrast, going as far as to be a stereotypical homosexual (though both Cranes are likely to be mistaken for the same). As the resident Food Critic of KACL, he doesn't actually do that a lot on the show- he's just kind of a background co-worker who makes the occasional comment, and gets made fun of by the others. I love the scene where he says that "I alawys suspected that he (Frasier) went THE OTHER WAY..." and Roz sits there for a second confused, and just goes "exactly which way would that BE?" He's generally your typical Unpleasable Critic otherwise. Gil was named after a school teacher of show producer Christopher Lloyd (not the actor).

KENNY DALY
Played By:
Tom McGowan
Role: Ineffectual Boss
PL 0 (7)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Radio DJ) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Manager) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (KACL)- Kenny is the Station Manager.
Relationship (Wife)- Kenny got divorced later on in the show, and suffered a mental breakdown as a result, seeking advice from Frasier.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (7)

-Kenny was the final "Boss" character we saw on the show (debuting in Season Five), and while not the best, was probably best for the series after a point- they'd gone pretty much everywhere they could with the old characters (the Dragon Lady type, the immovable type, the Latino guy, etc.), so they really just needed a normal, STABLE character for a while- one who wouldn't START drama, but merely be at the centre of it. Kenny was a bit of a loser, rarely confident in himself, and generally just did a lot of awkward things, despite being rather affable and likeable (ESPECIALLY compared to the other characters on the show). And sweated alot. Your typical TV Fat Guy, really, but a bit less of an idiotic slob. He ended up getting divorced and becoming a basket case (Frasier unknowingly dating his ex didn't help). By the show's end, he is no longer the manager, having rediscovered his "true calling" of being a Radio DJ.

BOB "BULLDOG" BRISCOE
Played By:
Dan Butler
Role: Wacky Prankster, Man-Whore
PL 1 (28)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Sports) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Pranks) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Radio Host) 4 (+7)
Insight 1 (+2)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Pranks)- Bulldog loves to play pranks, particularly on a stick-in-the-mud like the humorless "Doc", Frasier.
Addiction (Floozies)- Bulldog is a man-whore supreme, hitting on everything with legs.
Relationship (Roz Doyle)- Hitting on her for years, Bulldog finally managed to hook up with her in a low moment for Roz. Despite her disgust at herself, Roz found herself unable to break things off (Bulldog is apparently REALLY good in bed), and they had a fun belligerent relationship for a while, until she finally left him. Despite himself though, he actually fell for her, and tried repeatedly to win her back, playing it off like he was just jonesing for sex again. Roz saw through him, and let him down easy.
Responsibility (Coward)- Bulldog is terrified of physical violence to the point where he once pulled a pregnant woman, then HIS OWN MOTHER in front of him to avoid being shot.
Temper- "Where is it? Who would steal a pacifier from a kid? THIS STINKS! THIS IS TOTAL B.S.! THIS IS-- oh wait, I found it."

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (28)

-Frasier's most-antagonistic co-worker is the boorish, slovenly prankster on the Gonzo Sports Show at KACL, Bulldog Briscoe. He's also a man-whorish womanizer and sexual-harasser (as Roz well knows), but very big with the blue-collar crowd (like Martin, who's a big fan). His role actually built up over time, especially once he'd hooked up with a desperate Roz, and we even got a nice moment with him, as Roz (out of pity) allowed him to babysit her daughter- Bulldog confessed his love for her, but Roz (seeing that he was serious but not wanting to crush him) played it off like he was lying and just wanted to get into her pants, which he (realizing she wasn't interested) played along with, going all "HAH- ya got me!".
-Bulldog was fired from KACL in Season Six due to low ratings, going through a bad time (including much of the Roz stuff)- he ended up delivering pizzas and working in the mail room at KACL to make ends meet. Despite being a macho tough-guy type, he's actually a giant sissy, both running from violence, but easily defeated by the angry boyfriends of the women he hits on. In a great casting gag, the piggish, man-whorish Bulldog was played by an openly-homosexual actor, Dan Butler.

MARTIN CRANE
Played By:
John Mahoney
Role: Blue-Collar Guy
PL 0 (28), PL 2 (28) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Korean War Soldier) 2 (+3)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Sidekick 3 (Eddie the Dog)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Crippled)- Martin was crippled by a thief's bullet, and was forced to retire from the police force. He walks with a pronounced limp, and cannot get around without his cane.
Relationship (Frasier & Niles- Sons)- The Cranes' blue-collar dad has little patience for most of their antics and obsessions, and thinks both are too pretentious for their own good. Their relationships have been distant for years, and frought with arguments, especially once the boys' mother died. Frasier & Martin in particular have a rough go of things, living together in Martin's senior years. They have frequent spats, and often despise their living arrangements. Martin retains some pride in their intelligence and accomplishments however, and seems well-suited to soothing their nerves when they're made fun of ("who wants ice cream?").
Relationship (Chair)- Martin's easy chair is a source of strife with Frasier.
Enemy (Lilith, Maris)- For a while, THESE two were Martin's daughters-in-law. Maris is annoying and troublesome, while Lilith is just FRIGHTENING. Both broke his sons' hearts, and so Martin doesn't care for either one of them.
Relationship (Various Girlfriends, Finally Ronnee)- He was close to the brassy, loud Sherry for a while, but split up when she revealed that she didn't want to get married.
Relationship (Eddie)- Martin's closest friend is his little dog, Eddie. He once broke up with a woman because her dog dominated and, once, humped him.
Accident (Overhearing the Wrong Thing or Being Overhead Incorrectly)- This is common to all Frasier characters, and generally resolves itself in some sort of climax.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (28)

-Martin was another great addition to Frasier[/url], being a "regular guy" to dish out the old-fashioned humor and gags, opposed to the pretentious humor of his sons- he's also an excellent contrast to the stuffed-shirts they've become in adulthood. The fact that he was often depicted as brighter than his kids (at least more level-headed) also helped out. Probably one of the most well-done "old guy" characters ever, largely thanks to the way he argues with his son- the two have this backdrop of caring for each other, but are SO different that they can't help but disagree about everything. Martin also produces some of the greatest touching moments of the series, scolding his boys for being rude to their social "inferiors", being interviewed at the parole hearing of the guy who crippled him ("I've got nothin' to say" after having a long, friendly conversation with the man's mother), or holding his dog extra tightly after a child (who's just been innocently asks when Eddie is going to "Dog Heaven".
-And while he argued with his kids, there were moments of brilliance- like when he freaked out on Niles for assuming Martin was ashamed of the boys because of how they turned out, or when he pretended that HE was the one who had an affair, and not their mother, because he didn't want to ruin their perception of her memory. It's actually really apparent looking back just HOW good John Mahoney was in this role- he could be a snarky smart-ass at times, act disappointed, and then show some REAL emotion and hurt in his voice during those moments when his sons REALLY piss him off. Then there's the occasional bits where he tries to make them feel better, like when they're upset because Niles is getting acromoniously divorced and Frasier has been dumped by a sexy girl ("I'll be ripped apart and devoured like an ANIMAL!!", "And I WON'T be!"), and Martin just brings them to get ice cream like the old days. Or that HILARIOUS look on his face when the boys ask him if they're weird, and you just see the dad of who young boys looking at them, going "You're not weird- You're SPECIAL!"
-Martin's a retired cop, and still has most of the old mental skills for it (high Awareness, Skills), but lacks the physical gifts, especially once a bullet took his mobility from him. And of course he has his loyal Jack Russel Terrier, Eddie, for companionship (though really, all the dog did was stare at Frasier).

EDDIE
Played by:
Moose (Seasons 1-9), then Enzo (10-12)
Role:[/b] Family Pet
PL 0 (11), PL 3 (11) Defenses- Minion Rank 1, Sidekick Rank 3
Normal Version:
PL 1
STRENGTH -3 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Speed 2 (4 mph) [2]
Features 1: +8 to Winning Staring Contests [1]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -4 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Natural Weapons +1 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness -1, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dogs cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.
Relationship (Martin)- Domestic dogs are intensely loyal to their masters, and will fight to the death to protect them.
Weakness- Dogs are utterly incapable of lying. Their entire body reflects their current mood. Just watch them if you notice your lamp is broken, and you will know who did it.
Enemy (Lilith)- Eddie can detect Lilith from a mile away, and is horribly frightened of her.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 1 (11)

"HOW... DARE YOU!"

Niles: Fifteen years with Maris, I end up in bed with her lover.
Martin: Gee, I didn't need to hear that!
Niles: No, no, it was an accident. It was pitch dark, I thought he was Maris.
Frasier: It's a natural mistake... what tipped you off?
Niles: ... The heat from her side of the bed! [they all laugh]

DR. NILES CRANE
Played By:
David Hyde Pierce
Role: Snootier Version of Frasier, Snob
PL 0 (45), PL 2 (45) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Art) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Psychiatrist) 6 (+10)
Expertise (History) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 6 (+10)
Expertise (High Culture) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Dancing) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Piano) 4 (+6)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Wealth), Languages (A Few)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Helping People)- Niles, much like Frasier, is a dedicated therapist. However, he loves providing care to lawyers, as "their health care is excellent, and they never get better!"
Motivation (Snobbery & Standing)- Frasier & Niles are both obsessed with their social status, and are constantly looking to impress their social peers. Because of this, both men are prone to lying and exaggerating, and will do ANYTHING to save face.
Motivation (The Finer Things)- Whether it's watching foreign Throat-Singers, going to the opera, or drinking wine, Frasier & Niles MUST have the very best, and the very trendiest. The more exclusive, the better. Anything "common" will horrify them ("I can't believe we're drinking this... oh my GOD... it's just labeled 'WINE'!"). Niles once slapped Frasier for suggesting they go to a place where they don't even NEED a reservation.
---
Relationship (Frasier- Brother)- Frasier & Niles are as close in personality as can be, yet are intense rivals, as both constantly seek to one-up the other. Upon the discovery of something one has, the other will immediately move to better it. This extends to nearly every aspect of their lives, but especially the "Finer Things" Complication above, such as position in their Wine Club. Frasier is a snob, but still finds himself less of one that his fancy-ass, wilting brother.
Relationship (Martin- Father)- The Cranes' blue-collar dad has little patience for most of their antics and obsessions, and thinks both are too pretentious for their own good. Their relationships have been distant for years, and frought with arguments, especially once the boys' mother died.
Relationship (Maris)- Niles' ex-wife was a domineering, vicious, needy woman, who kept Niles on a short leash and had him purely emasculated and whipped. She tortured him mentally for years until he was finally able to break free. Her vast wealth (at least Benefit 3 or 4) and position in society often hampered his own social progress once he was free of her.
Relationship (Mel)- Niles briefly dated the sweet-seeming plastic surgeon, and married her on the spur of the moment. However, she soon grew controlling and nasty, and soon he ran off with Daphne. Mel, deeply hurt, sought to torture Niles as a result.
---
Relationship (Daphne)- Niles fell in lust with Daphne the moment he saw her, and it has only grown since then. For years, he was tortured by Maris and fawned over Daphne, until they were finally brought together and married.
Rivalry (Frederick)- Niles and his nephew both maintained crushes on the beautiful Daphne, which often left Freddie smirking when he went in for "innocent hugs". He claimed to have gotten over it later, but Niles refused to let the matter drop ("You're just jealous that *I* got her, you little--" "NILES!!").
Responsibility (Clueless About Sports & "Common" Things)- Niles is possibly even less-athletic than Frasier, once referring to "a football ball".
Accident (Overhearing the Wrong Thing or Being Overhead Incorrectly)- This is common to all Frasier characters, and generally resolves itself in some sort of climax.
Phobia (Blood)- Niles will pass out at the sight of blood, especially his own.
Allergy (Hay Fever, Cats, Wheat Germ, Oat Bran, Carob, Sea Scallops, Cumin, Rose-Hips, Jerusalem Artichokes, Parchment Mites, Pine Trees, Spackle, Nutmeg)- The latter inflames his stomach lining.
Reputation (Coward)- Niles generally avoids confrontation, which is especially notable in his timidity around women.
Phobia (Insects)- "What was that- A HUMMINGBIRD!!??"
Phobia (Authority Figures)
Power Loss (Lying)- Niles' nose will bleed if he breaks his ethical code, preventing Deception checks should people who are aware of this foible spot him.
Motivation (Rebellion)- Niles, having followed the rules and avoiding conflict for most of his life, occasionally bristles against this and goes out rebelling. He once gleefully got "stoned" (he thought he ate pot brownies), and got the "Munchies" (culminating by combining a Chilean seabass with an aggressive zinfandel). Another time, he took to wearing leather and dating a crazy girl.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (45)

-Part of the success of Frasier was its supporting cast, especially Niles. One of the problems with using a smart, well-to-do type like Frasier as a MAIN CHARACTER is it dehumanizes him to the audience. So what better than to add a character that's like Frasier, but even MORESO, just so we see Frasier as a more "normal" choice? Add to that the most well-done "Unseen Cast Member" ever in Maris Crane, and his own massive crush on Daphne (with that AMAZING episode where they did the tango in front of all his rich peers- in a brilliant twist, he confessed his love for her, but Daphne assumed he was playing up for his friends and did the same, then praised his "acting" afterwards), and you've got a brilliant concept. Hell, you could've practically spun NILES off of Frasier at show's end and kept things going another nine years by the end.
-Niles is Frasier's mental equal in every way, but is physically much tinier and weak, also possessing less courage, having been long-ground under his first wife's heel. He gets a few ranks in Perform (Dancing) for that BRILLIANT episode where he & Daphne did the Tango. Both Niles & Frasier are good Psychiatrist builds for supporting characters in any case, being very good at what they do, and having a multitude of Skills behind them. Both are absolute weenies in combat, though, especially poor Niles, who faints at the sight of blood. And despite being a good shrink, he lacks Presence, being a Nervous Nellie most of the time, particularly if Daphne is involved.
-Ken Levine specifically says that David Hyde Pierce is the most-talented actor he's ever worked with, and I can see it- how many actors could play such a pretentious, fussy snob, only to react with differing amounts of glee, rage, depression, stiff-upper-lippedness, and any other sort of emotion? It's too bad he never really found much other work- but his slight build and receding hairline, in addition to being typecast, kind of limited him. He himself was unsure about playing Niles, having read the first script and been horrified that they'd just made "another Frasier". Only during the table reading did he realize that Niles was an EXAGGERATED Frasier, the man he would have been had he never found Cheers in Boston.

DAPHNE MOON
Played By:
Jane Leeves
Role: Clueless Crush Target
PL 1 (32), PL 2 (32) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Expertise (Caretaker/Physical Therapist) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Dancing) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+2)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+2)
Persuasion 3 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Treatment 5 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive

Powers:
"A Bit Psychic"
Mind-Reading 2 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [1]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Frasier)- Daphne intruded upon Frasier's dream home, but he got used to her once she started acting like a housekeeper.
Relationship (Martin)- Daphne and Martin get along (at least better than either gets along with Frasier), though he often whines about his therapeutic excercises, and she's argued with his girlfriend Sherry.
Relationship (Niles)- Daphne was initially clueless as to Doctor Crane's obsession over her, and merely considered him a thoughtful, dear friend. When Frasier accidentally revealed to her Niles' feelings, she began thinking about him in a different way, and soon came to love him back.
Relationship (Donnie- Ex-Fiancee)- Daphne hooked up with Niles' divorce lawyer and nearly married him, only leaving him once she realized that she loved Niles too much. She still cared for Donnie, and felt terribly about how destroyed he was.
---
Accident (Overhearing the Wrong Thing or Being Overhead Incorrectly)- This is common to all Frasier characters, and generally resolves itself in some sort of climax.
Responsibility (Loves Niles- eventually)
Responsibility (Job, Caring for Martin Crane)
Responsibility (Terrible Piano Player)- One of her teachers once COMMITTED SUICIDE, and it's strongly implied that it's due to her. She plays like a beginner, despite having had trained for months.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 4 (32)

-Daphne's an odd concept- a character there merely to take care of another one (she is supposed to be Martin Crane's caretaker/physical therapist, but really just ends up being the maid/wage-slave of the family unit), and be obsessed over by yet another. But it somehow works- the sorta-trashy Brit ends up being a big part of the show, even if she gets the fewest emotional moments of the cast. It wasn't until Season 7 that the show FINALLY pulled the trigger on Niles' sometimes cute, sometimes creepy obsession with her (a little weirder when he was married, but it got nice near the end when he was divorced from his loveless wife), and she got a whole lot more range to work with. The show still kind of officially counts as having gotten worse (not quite Jumping the Shark) with that moment, for my money, simply because it'd become a whole lot less great by that point- not BECAUSE of the hook-up, which probably actually SAVED what good was left in the show.
-As people on TV Tropes will tell you, Jane Leeves does not actually do a Manchester accent, despite that being the origins of her character (how do you get "Mancunian" from "from Manchester" anyhow? That doesn't work). The producers wanted it to be Blue Collar (Leeves says she was thankful that FINALLY you had an English person on TV who wasn't an upper-class snob), but still understandable to Americans. Funnier still, cast member John Mahoney IS from Manchester originally! And Daphne's ENTIRE FAMILY uses different English accents, as if to parody the very trope! And as I said before, the origin of her character is rather odd- intially a Spicy Latina Maid taking care of Kelsey's character, they turned the show into a spin-off, kept the maid, but changed her origins because the people at the network loved Leeves (then a Benny Hill girl).
-Daphne's a bit scarier than the rest of the crew, and has a relative assortment of Skills. A half-decent bystander/victim for a super-villain, really. Her "Psychic" powers were an initial running gag that they eventually dropped (mainly because it wasn't THAT funny, and they couldn't really go in-depth on it too much), where she would predict stuff or get an "energy" about something. I figure some Uncontrolled minor ranks in Mind-Reading & Precognition were enough for that, particularly since I don't think they ever really worked that well.

(Lilith sits down on the sofa, and immediately Eddie runs up and begins staring at her)
Lilith: .... Go away. (Eddie runs off)
Frasier: Now why does he listen to you and not to me?
Lilith: By the tone of my voice he can sense that I mean BUSINESS.
Frasier: Oh, I see- you're saying that YOUR voice is more commanding than MINE is? (smirks)
Martin: Hell, I took a half a step before I realized she was talkin' to the dog!

---

Lilith: Well, I'm off. I don't know what the future holds. Whatever happens, I only hope I can realize my full potential. To acquire things the old Lilith never had.
Carla: Like a body temperature?
Lilith: That's very good, Carla. Incidentally, I've taken your little wisecracks for a few years now, you hideous gargoyle, and if you ever open that gateway to hell you call a mouth in my direction again, I'll snap off your extremities like dead branches and feed them to you at gunpoint.

DR. LILITH STERNIN (nee Lilith Sternin-Crane)
Played By:
Bebe Neuwirth
Role: The Ice Queen
PL 0 (25), PL 2 (25) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 5 (+4, +6 Attractive)
Expertise (Behavioral Scientist) 6 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+4)
Perception 1 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+3, +5 Attractive)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Wealth)

Powers:
"Takes Her Hair Down" Enhanced Advantages 1: Attractive (Flaws: Limited to When Hair is Down and Wearing Non-Lilith Clothes) [0.5]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +3

Complications:
Relationship (Frasier)- Lilith and Frasier lusted after each other for years, but she was always a bossy, controlling woman, who often disrespected Frasier's Freudian nature. Eventually, she cheated on and left Frasier for a guy who lived in an Eco-Pod. They took years to sow a relationship back together, this time as confidantes and friends.
Relationship (Niles)- Lilith never quite got along with Niles, and things only got more awkward when he fell for her charms when she was lonely and desperate.
Relationship (Frederick- Son)- Lilith has somehow managed to raise a normal, if eggheaded, son, despite being so odd herself.
Secret (Basket Case)- Though she exudes icy superiority, Lilith is as nuts as anyone, and often craves acceptance and recognition that she is a beautiful woman. Because of this, she has seduced both Frasier and Niles on separate occasions.
---
Prejudice (Pale)- Lilith is excessively pale, provoking both entertaining jokes at her expense, and various other maladies ("tell me about it", she tells a similarly-pale guy played by Brent Spiner, "when I don't get enough sleep, I have to put liquid paper under my eyes").
Responsibility (Deadpan)- Lilith is a rather emotionless, cold woman, creating tension in the relationships around her. She generally responds with either hostility or stern intimidation (Eddie is so afraid of her that he doesn't even like to go into BUILDINGS with her in them), and seems to have no feelings whatsoever. Niles once quipped that if you kiss her "you get an ice cream headache".
Responsibility (Lethal Chef)- People can't even tell what Lilith's making, even when she prepares lasagna ("I wasn't even THINKING 'Italian'!", says an exasperated Frasier).

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 23--11.5 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0.5 / Defenses: 0 (25)

-You know, of all the "Hotness Cliches" out there, among the silliest may be the "girl takes her hair down, and is magically more beautiful". And then Bebe Neuwirth comes in and SHOWS WHY THAT WORKS, revealing this wicked-hot body in slinky nighties after years of being this sexless ghost. I mean, it is UNCANNY. It makes sense, though- she IS an attractive woman, and Neuwirth is a Broadway dance star and thus has a dancer's physique- it's just her unnatural skin colour and severe suits and haircut that disguise her. Ken Levine points out that in no uncertain terms Neuwirth was THE hottest woman on the Cheers set.
-Neuwirth is REALLY good as Lilith, too- a truly unique character. VERY few characters maintain this kind of emotionless facade, and fewer still can portray her moments of faltering emotions as well as she could. She alternates between sly, unmovable figure and a complete emotional wreck so well that it NEVER feels out of character.

MARIS CRANE
Played By:
Nobody
Role: The Unseen Character, Basket Case
PL 0 (14), PL 2 (14) Stealth
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Expertise (High Culture) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+2)
Stealth 12 (+12)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit 3 (Wealth)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -2, Fortitude -2, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Niles)- Maris was a cruel, controlling woman, often keeping Niles at beck-and-call, dominating his entire life. When he refused to get back together with her, she tried to sue him into oblivion, and when they tried to patch things up, she cheated on him WITH THEIR MARRIAGE COUNSELOR.
Allergy (Numerous)- She thinks her chocolate allergy permits her to park in a handicapped space.
Responsibility (Anorexic)- A formerly-chubby girl, Maris' "Ideal Weight" horrified Frasier, who was certain that nobody could maintain that kind of weight and live (possibly 45 pounds, 18 ounces). She once sat on a whoopee cushion without setting it off, and Roz once mistook her for a HAT RACK.
Secret (Family Fortune)- Maris' family fortune comes not from logging (as would be common amongst Seattle "Old Money"), but urinal cakes. Fear over this discovery coming out led to her accepting Niles' conditions for their divorce.
Disabled (Physically-Unfit)- Maris has unusually-tight quadriceps ("she can't straddle anything larger than a border collie") and a rigid spine. She cannot produce saliva, gets hives, and has webbing on her fingers and toes that result in her not wanting to touch others. She has had a great deal of plastic surgery, is hypoglycemic and allergic to roses.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (14)

-Maris was such an incredible character that she managed to not only have a full-blown personality despite NEVER BEING SEEN ON CAMERA ONCE, but she effectively replaced Norm's wife Vera from Cheers as the ultimate "Ghost Character" on television. Niles' controlling, shrewish wife, she became the subject of numerous gags about how fussy and neurotic she was, and everyone OTHER than Niles saying horrible things about her. Though initially Martin implied that LILITH was weirder than Maris, the writers added more and more insane foibles onto her character to the point where no possible actress could have portrayed her. The long-term goofiness of hers and Niles' relationship started out being hilarious, but became more tragic as time went on, as it became clear that Niles was in a psychologically-abusive relationship (this also made it more acceptable that he was in love with Daphne at the same time). It actually got pretty sad watching Niles being controlled that way, and even more when Maris would cheat on him and then threaten to destroy him.
-She ended the series in exile, having killed her violent boyfriend in self-defense- Niles said a poetic "Goodbye Maris", effectively saying goodbye to the character in the final season.

Roz: "Oh lay off, Frasier- it's not like she worships the DEVIL!"
Frasier: "She doesn't HAVE to! HE worships HER!!"

BEBE GLAZER
Played By:
Harriet Sansom Harris
Role: Bloodthirsty Agent
PL 0 (14), PL 4 (14) Skills
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 12 (+14)
Expertise (Agent) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 3 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Persuasion 8 (+10)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Ultimate Agent, Ultimate Deception

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Fame)- Bebe, though not a star herself, revels in the fame of her clients, which is why she fights so hard for them. The one time she had access to true fame (as the co-host of a Morning Show with Frasier), she could have committed murder to keep it.
Reputation (Unethical)- Bebe is considered by Frasier to be the most immoral person in the universe, complete with assertations that she is pure evil, the devil, or someone Beelzebub himself worships. Niles says that "she's like Lady Macbeth without the sincerity".

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (14)

-Bebe was my favourite recurring character on the show- an amoral agent hired on by Frasier for her unbelievable talents, even while he was ethically-disturbed by her horrible practices (such as pretending to be suicidal in order for Frasier to talk her off the ledge... and therefore becoming a hotter prospect for KACL and getting a better contract). It is SO CLEAR that she is the writers taking potshots at all the amoral agents they've had to deal with over the years, and it's hilarious- much like how Frasier & Niles being smart and fancy isn't just the joke- it's the START of a joke about JUST HOW smart and fancy they are, the entire gag with Bebe isn't that she's evil, it's that SHE IS SO UNBELIEVABLY EVIL. Allusions to devil-worship, soullessness and more are frequent with her. They seem to make some allusions to her being attractive, but I didn't really see it- she looks a fair bit old, and certainly isn't pretty by Hollywood Standards.

ROZ DOYLE (Rosalinda Doyle)
Played By:
Peri Gilpin
Role: Blue-Collar Chick, The Easy One
PL 0 (27), PL 3 (27) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Radio Producer) 5 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+4, +6 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Addiction (Penis)
Reputation (Sleeps Around)- Even Roz pretty much admits she's easy ("condoms are only effective 99 out of 100 times! I CAN'T BEAT THOSE ODDS!"). Her friends give her a good joshing about it, but some women are much more hostile.
Relationship (Frasier Crane)- Roz & Frasier are close confidantes, but their different philosophies (he's a self-righteous snob; she's more rough-edged and vulgar) often cause friction. She remains one of his closest companions, and they're mostly like siblings. Except that time they slept together.
Relationship (Alice)- Roz ended up pregnant and a single mother halfway through the series, but still generally spent a ton of time at work and with her friends, since this is TV. Alice DOES show up a bit, though, so it's not like Ross Gellar's son on Friends.
Rivalry (Denise- Sister)- Roz resents her sister and her "perfect marriage" and ideal life.
Relationship (Father)- Roz's relationship with her father was ruined when he married a younger woman with whom she did not get along.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (27)

-Roz was an unusual side-character in the "platonic female friend" vein, a rough-around-the-edges street-smart woman, who handled most of the deadpan snarkiness and sarcasm that went Frasier's way, and was used as an exposition magnet for Frasier's problems at the time. I liked the character (that VOICE! My GOD!), especially as you didn't get "slut" jokes that often on TV back then, and they had some pretty good arcs with her- notably when she broke down in tears over a longterm boyfriend leaving her on the air, and Frasier had to talk her down like a patient and a friend. And amazingly, they dealt with her relationship with Frasier in a quick bit when they slept together once, both immediately realizing it was a mistake and moving forward like nothing happened, rather than deal with nine seasons of Unresolved Sexual Tension and then Jumping the Shark when they pulled the trigger, or dropped it and forced them to hate each other for half the show (The "Ross And Rachel" Effect).
-She shows the timer period of the show better than any other character- Frasier & Niles' suits generally fit in anywhere, as does Martin's old-school plaid. Daphne's a bit "90s Quirky Girl" at first with the baggy shirts and overalls, sure, but ROZ? Ross starts out with that god-awful late '80s Frizz Hair look, and often wears Lady Powersuits with the shoulder-pads and all that crap. Thank GOD I didn't hit puberty in the '80s, or I'd have killed myself. That crap stuck around during the early '90s on TV, but thankfully at some point somebody realized that Peri Gilpin was attractive and put her in nice clothing- she spent the last bunch of years on the show wearing the tightest jeans imaginable, sometimes even adding LEATHER BOOTS to the ensemble! That, plus the fact that she was an authentically-curvy woman in a Hollywood surrounded by sticks helped make the show a bit more pleasant to watch, if you know what I mean.
-Roz is just a half-competent bystander with some minor skills, nothing special. She's crafty enough to call out Frasier on most of his tendencies, though, and can be scary when necessary- this was what got Peri Gilpin the job over Lisa Kudrow, who couldn't play "tough" if her life depended on it. I wasn't going to give her Attractive, as she never really lies/seduces her way out of things with men (most of the men in the show actually describe her as a bit SCARY, like the terrified football player who feared the "crazy look in her eyes" when she bought him at a Bachelor Auction- Roz' predatory lunge at him scared the crap out of him), but then I realized that she's one of those characters for whom Attractive is almost more of a COMPLICATION than a benefit- it's not so much that she gets benefits with men, it's that she's penalized against WOMEN, many of whom detest her sleeping around (like Frasier's girlfriend Julia Wilcox in the second-last season). The only woman who likes her seems to be Daphne (possibly due to her real-life friendship with Jane Leeves; the two are neighbors and godmothers to each others' children).

Frasier: "I HATE lawyers!"
Niles: "Me too, but they make excellent patients. Excellent health insurance, and they never get better!"

The early episodes are interesting to watch, in just HOW good they are right out of the gate- Martin is blue-collar but not a fool, Roz is easily-agitated and snarky, Niles is fussy (he's immediatley seen wiping down chairs before sitting), and Frasier is super-moral yet always angry. They nailed every character. The only weird one is Daphne, who is actually proven quite right with her "I'm a bit PSYCHIC" declarations. But even she retains her personality later on. Most sitcoms take at LEAST two seasons to hash all this out, naturally.

It's also interesting to watch the characters learn about each other- Niles doesn't meet Daphne until the SECOND episode, or Roz till the third. Roz & Marty meet for the first time in the fourth. Contrast most sitcoms, which throw everyone into a room immediately and have them insult each other for hours, like they've always known each other. Curiously, Frasier is a big-name in Seattle almost right away, with people recognizing him only a couple episodes in. Despite that, his workplace is rarely shown- there's a bit at the beginning of most episodes and that's all (even Bulldog is only there for about a half-minute in one episode). I think that's why they rapidly put Roz into the coffeehouse with Frasier- to integrate her with the rest of the cast.

An odd early running gag is Niles never remembering Roz when he meets her- a helpful introduction to them not getting a long, but definitely unusual. I don't remember that at all.

It's actually much more clear that David Hyde Pierce's hairline was receding early on- I wonder if they hid that later on in order to keep up his "fussy", younger appearance, or I just never noticed it in later episodes. And YE GODS, the FASHION!! Frasier's long-ass hair combined with bald top is awful, Daphne's big overalls & mom jeans are hyper-dated, and Roz, as I've noted before, has a bizarre fashion sense and giant '80s hair (just a bit too frizzy), and the wrong kind of make-up. Only Martin & Niles really look largely the same as the series goes on.

---

Haha, oh man, the Frasier episode where Daphne's ex-fiancee comes back for a chat. SO GOOD. I'd forgotten all of the tricks that went on with this one. The best part is that it's a Wacky Stack "Everyone Lies & Covers Up Those Lies" situations, but the show is smart enough to make it go completely off-course thanks to the actual interplay between the characters. Daphne wants to let her amorous ex Clive (spoken with a English Accent so horrible, it rivals Dick Van Dyke's- he even says "Luverly" at one point) down easily, so pretends to be married to Niles (who, naturally, is ONLY too happy to play the role). Since they're all at Frasier's, Frasier has to be roped into it as the lonely single living there, having been kicked out of his house by his "wife", Maris (Martin: "You couldn't stand her either, huh? *Both crack up laughing, leaving Niles seething*).

Martin arrives and is quickly caught up to speed, but the brothers try to kick him out, figuring that he's not quick enough to keep up with their lies. Martin, a former undercover cop, is naturally offended by this, and decides to start f*cking with them, openly wiping out their carefully-laid out plans- he tells the ex that he's a retired ASTRONAUT, and when Roz arrives to return something of Frasier's, he announces that she's MARIS, sending everything into disarray! Niles & Frasier's quiet fury is something to behold, especially once Roz becomes noticeably attracted to Clive, and DAPHNE starts reconsidering rejecting him, too! They start sniping at each other like a couple of teenage girls (Daph starts implying "Maris" is a drunk, then Roz lets it drop that Daphne is PREGNANT- Maris/Roz is then announced as barren). Clive finally has had enough and tries to bail- "But Clive! We're not the awful people you think we are!" "Yes! In fact, we've been LYING to you all evening!"

SUCH good writing. This show is on SUCH a huge roll in these early seasons. Since we're into Seasons Three & Four in these repeats, I've noticed Daphne & Roz's hotness skyrocket compared to their dumpier early-season looks- Roz took a bit longer thanks to some awful early '90s make-up (the more naturalistic look works MUCH better).

Least we're outta the "Kate Costas" episodes. A Dragon Lady boss is always a good character (especially with a wannabe macho-type like Frasier), but the actress was pretty bad (with a noticeable lisp), and we were clearly supposed to think she was beautiful when she wasn't (her skin looked over-tanned and leathery, plus she had awful '80s hair). Thank God they stopped filming her walking, too- Dragon Ladies need Power Heels, and she obviously couldn't walk in them- she was stomping around the set like a Velociraptor in one episode.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Downton Abbey

Post by Jabroniville »

DOWNTON ABBEY:

Next up- the most popular show in PBS history: Downton Abbey! This series came out of nowhere in 2010 to become a runaway hit within a year or two, and suddenly it felt like EVERYONE was talking about it. Initially not even realizing where it was on (and thinking it was called Downtown Abbey), it took me a while to catch an episode. I found it impossible to get into, thanks to the brobdinagian cast and lack of people using each other's names or titles (true story: I thought Carson was the nobleman in charge, and couldn't figure out who 90% of anybody was). I finally got on TV Tropes and found a very helpful cast page which outlined characters and thankfully SHOWED PICTURES, allowing me to figure out who was who.

The series is an historical drama (ie. Soap Opera but with a different name) set in the early Twentieth Century, in one of the "Great Houses" of England, during a time of great change for that way of life. The series begins with the breaking news of the sinking of the Titanic, moves through the Great War, and is now resting in the mid-1920s, as it prepares for its sixth and final "Series" (what we call Seasons). The show has drawn a TON of acclaim, especially for the First & Third Series, for the writing of Julian Fellowes (as it's an English show, only one person writes the entirety of it), and for the acting of most of the cast (especially Dame Maggie Smith). A lot of praise is also directed at the historical research team, who painstakingly goes over EVERYTHING to ensure that everything retains perfect historical value- clothing styles, manners, and more. They really make very few slip-ups (and most are in terms of dialogue that doesn't fit into the era).

It was largely inspired by the great Murder Mystery Gosford Park, which showcased a massive Manor House, and took great pains to not only show period-accurate material, but show both the lives of the Upstairs (the rich family and friends) and the Downstairs (the servants). Fellowes, a member of the Peerage himself (but a low-ranking one), was enough of an expert on the subject to get it right on the nose, and the results fascinated a lot of people. He was finally convinced to make an entire SERIES in that vein, showing a nicer, kinder family than the one in Gosford Park (for which he won an Oscar for his Screenplay).

THE GREAT HOUSES:

-The series goes into great detail about these enormous English Manor Houses, most of which house the old-school members of the English Upper Classes (known as "Peerage"- they're generally called "Peers" in-series). They go down in importance to Actual Royalty (Kings, Queens, Princes), to Dukes (sometimes Royal Family members), then Marquesses, then Earls (the head of the family in this show is the Earl of Grantham), Viscounts and finally Barons. These houses are paid for by the land they own- the Lords have many farmers renting the land, and the spoils of their labor pay for the house and the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by those within. The nearby towns are part of the system, too- many people who work for the family live there, and many sons and daughters go to work IN the houses.

The class division was spectacularly-huge: The household would often barely know the names of their employees (who numbered in the hundreds), and they would work from dawn till dusk doing all sorts of work about the home- polishing silver, cleaning, dusting, etc. The family themselves would be waited on hand and foot all day long (with the women changing clothes as often as FIVE TIMES a day), wearing clothes that could only be put on with assistance. Manners and rules were EVERYTHING, with the oldest people around generally "knowing best" and looking down on everyone else who screws up (in this series, Mr. Carson & The Dowager Countess are the guardians of the Old Order).

"Service" was basically the best job available for most people- young men and women longed to be Footmen or Lady's Maids, which paid well and held an amount of prestige (William, a Footman in the first series, corrects Lady Mary when she laughs at the idea that being "Second Footman" was better for him than being a common worker). And really, for centuries, it was either Service or Farming (back in the day when that meant you had zero fancy equipment to work the fields)- Service was the EASIER job.

Peers lived a luxurious lifestyle comprised mainly of parties- it was basically a contest to see which rich person could throw the most "sumptuous" (English documentaries love to use this word a lot when describing rich people) party, often based around hunting game (Gosford Park is set during one such party- we only see a couple on Downton, though it's implied to go on a LOT when we're not looking. The Peerage and house moved exclusively to the eldest male heir- daughters gained nothing, and were instead married off- the higher the Peer, the better. Younger sons likewise had to take jobs to get by- usually becoming "working class" types, which in these olden times, meant Doctors and Lawyers.

Downton Abbey, of course, is set during the time when this was slowly changing. Advances in technology (electricity was just coming into vogue amongst the wealthiest classes at the dawn of the series) and other things have given people options BESIDES Service (there were 30,000 Butlers in England at the start of World War II- there are barely 5,000 today)- large Wars made a lot of soldiers long for a life separate from working for some rich guy. Various, complex social changes were also taking place, such as the existence of "Death Duties" and other taxes, as well as the fact that meat and produce were no longer as profitable a market in the era of importing goods. This meant that the houses started LOSING money, and one could no longer count on being wealthy simply because his parents were rich, and he just inherited it. During this era, a huge number of Peers lost EVERYTHING, and were forced to sell off their houses. A new upper class was being formed in the "Nouveau Riche" (Shipping Magnates, Inventors, Businessmen, stuff like that), though the snobbish Peers often turned down their noses at these uncouth newcomers, even as they began buying up the Manor Houses from the newly-poor Nobles.

To save flagging fortunes, many Peers had their sons married to wealthy AMERICAN heiresses (in America, daughters COULD inherit money)- their parents were likewise getting what they wanted: the prestige of having English Nobility in their families (this happened hundreds of times in the late 1800s- Winston Churchill himself is the product of just such a union, and claimed to get a lot of his attitude from his American mother). A huge part of the show features the Earl of Grantham (who himself married an American heiress) attempting to keep the house and family profitable.

The Show Itself:
Downton Abbey is based around the Crawley family and their servants- in the beginning of the series, it turns out that the heir and his only son have both died on the maritime Titanic disaster. This throws the family into disarray, as Robert, the Earl of Grantham, now has no real heir. They search about, and discover the closest living male relative is a Matthew Crawley, an upper middle-class lawyer- the more "working class" fellow is thrown into the insanely Upper Class life of the Granthams, and has to make do. We sort of "learn" their lifestyle through him, as the P.O.V. character.

Relationships are a common theme: Robert is mostly happily-married to Cora, his American bride. Matthew has a big thing with Mary, Robert & Cora's eldest daughter. The two younger Crawley girls end up with their own entanglements. The servants do, as well.

The fortunes of the family are a key issue- often taking up TOO much time, really. The Abbey frequently struggles to pay the bills, and bankruptcy can often seem just around the corner. And yes, in real life, places like this are ENORMOUSLY-expensive to run- the real Highclere Castle was in massive disrepair until Downton made it a big tourist destination- only the first two floors were habitable.

Another main theme is between Servant and Master. The servants outnumber the family greatly, and several of them are just as important to the plot, though typically their problems are their own (it's a given in this time period that the servants know far more about the family than the family do of the servants). However, this show features a much-more sympathetic family than you often see in the more anarchic British tradition, which often shows a rather heartless or buffoonish Upper Class. There's also an undercurrent that many people wish to LEAVE service and find other work (Gwen and Alfred both do this).

The Period Drama takes up the rest of the theme- characters wear accurate period dress (which is a major element for the largely-female fanbase. Me, I didn't even realize all the women wore gloves until it was pointed out to me. You basically NEVER see their hands unless they're in bed), the manners are upheld dramatically by actual historical advisors on-set (NEVER lean back in your chair; ALWAYS stand up when a woman enters the room; etc.), and actual historical events come up often (the Titanic, The Great War, The Spanish Flu, this "Hitler" fellow). Unmarried women are never permitted to travel alone, making a gay pass at someone is a CRIMINAL OFFENSE, premarital sex is expected of men but scandalous of women, crippled people are basically dispossessed by society, welfare doesn't exist (if you can't work, then you go to the "Workhouse"- a hellhole with basically prison labor conditions, etc.

The show sometimes gets taken to task with the more "anti-authoritarian/rich people" types, who are upset over the family being seen as so sympathetic towards their servants. However, it's not like Fellowes misunderstands how unfair the difference in their lifestyles was- Gosford Park is much more cynical and nasty about it (the family frequently treats servants as if they're not even there, and clearly have no idea how hard anyone works). It's just that Downton Abbey is meant to feature characters you might LIKE, so of course they can't all be clueless arseholes.

The series has been EXCEPTIONALLY well-received, and is a massive hit all over the world (it has even led to a surge in desire for professionally-trained butlers in places like China and the Middle East, where some can make more than $150,000 a year!), though I find the later seasons getting worse and worse. It's probably for the best that it's next Series is its last. But when it's GOOD... it's one of the best shows ever. And that whole thing with the eclampsia- MY GOD. I despise Horror as a genre, see? I find it bereft of originality, horribly-predictable, and worst of all- NOT SCARY. I don't get freaked out by what I see in horror movies- jump scares or torture porn- whatever. But a young woman dying in childbirth, while her horrified family can only sit there and watch? THAT is scary.

The Good:
* AMAZING attention to detail. Advisors are on set constantly to correct behavior (the male actors, being much younger, are likely to forget that even a rich man must stand up if a woman enters the room), and they go out of their way to make things look accurate. Hugh Bonneville once happily described an incident of two men arguing for half an hour over what colour a minor piece of his outfit should be- "As an actor, you love to hear that" (as opposed to "screw it, it may as bloody well be orange- who cares?!").

* Some of the best acting on television- Maggie Smith is of course an elite, but Anna, Carson, Bates and Barrow are all played by great actors. The three Crawley daughters are terrific as well. I would watch the WORST episode of this show just to see the actors.

* The Dowager Countess. I don't know a single person who doesn't think this is the best character on the show. You know how the other actors on The Wire bitched because they all felt like they were playing second fiddle to Omar? Multiply that by fifty.

* Several of the romances are actually very well done, and the humor is high-end as well. Some of the old-school characters (Violet, Carson) are HILARIOUS in their disgust at modern sensibilities- their reactions to things are priceless.

* Series One & Three are basically flawless pieces of television drama. Some of the dialogue is among the best I've ever heard, with eminently-quotable lines. I'll have trouble paring just about EVERY CHARACTER's best lines down to only one for the builds.

* The huge cast still maintains having a bunch of interesting characters going at any given moment. Even minor characters like Molesley end up becoming very fun as time goes on.

* Some couples are insanely Ship-able. The big ones are Matthew/Mary and Sybil/Branson of course, but OH MY GOD CARSON & MRS. HUGHES SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

* The supporting materials are amazing- like six or seven books just about Behind-The-Scenes stuff, the lifestyles of real people in that era, and more. The Complete Scripts features not only the entire script of the first Series, but additional notes from Fellowes on his own personal philosophies. He goes on the most wonderful tangents about random stuff that's tangentially-related to his characters' dialogue. It's funny to see a minor snippet between Anna & Barrow about Anna's mother hating sick people, and Barrow's mother "worshipping disease" stem from Fellowes' mother's distaste for the sick, and his mother-in-law's philosophy that the top of the "moral high ground" belongs to all the sick people). Occasionally he sadly notes that young male actors like Dan Stevens never take their hats off in front of women- they also once had to re-shoot a scene because he didn't stand up when the Dowager Countess entered the room ("it made me realize that the automatic manners of my youth have gone now. In the 1920s, it would have been completely impossible for a man to remain seated when any woman entered the room, much less the Dowager Countess of Grantham").

The Bad:
* The show has an unfortunate reputation for revolving cast members now, largely thanks to the high-profile departures of two important characters in Series Three. However, it made sure to cycle through some of the household staff in earlier series as well, so on THAT level we're a bit used to it. But by Series Five, we'd lost a TON of people, to the point where the show can teeter on the OZ-like level of sending away too many beloved characters.

* One death in particular led to an UGLY series of pointless scenes with a widow bouncing around between increasingly-boring suitors, in a plot that eventually went nowhere. TWO WHOLE SEASONS OF BORING PLOTLINES, DAN STEVENS YOU SON OF A BITCH!!

* In the desire to drive conflict and thus create plot opportunities, Fellowes turned some of his characters into one-note Shit Disturbers whose only point in life was to cause trouble. O'Brien & Barrow are frequently guilty of doing things for no reason other than because it's a douchey thing to do.

* Fellowes often seems to have no idea how to generate conflict. There is a HUGE subplot in Series Three about Downton going bankrupt... then it's immediately undone out of nowhere by Matthew getting a huge inheritance from his ex-fiance's father. BUT WAIT! Matthew's feeling too guilty to accept it, because he thinks the man doesn't realize that Matthew dumped his daughter! BUT WAIT! It turns out the old man DID know, and wanted Matthew to have the money anyways! This was COMPLETELY POINTLESS in the long run, and basically served no other purpose than to cause trouble (just like O'Brien & Barrow).

* Series Four and Five feature the show getting weaker and weaker- the only reason to watch after a point becomes the actors and some of the dialogue.

The Cast:
The Upper Classes:
Robert- The Earl of Grantham, and head of the family. A good man, but bad with money. REALLY bad.
Cora- Robert's American wife. Nice, but a bit air-headed.
Violet- The Dowager Countess. Imperious and respected. Gets all of the best lines.
Matthew- The unexpected heir to the Peerage. A normal guy with high moral standing.
Isobel- Matthew's mother- a Soapbox Sadie always looking to help the unfortunate.
Rose- Family Cousin and kind of an idiot.
Branson- Former chauffer and Irish revolutionary. Marries into the family, and is stuck between two worlds.

The Crawley Sisters:
Mary- Snotty and intimidating. Gets all the dudes.
Edith- The "Ugly Sister". Fights with Mary constantly. Bad luck with men.
Sybil- The family Saint- a revolutionary with a heart of gold.

The Servants:
Carson- The butler and boss of the house. Supreme Guardian of the Old-School.
Mrs. Hughes- Head Housekeeper, and probably the most-capable person in the entire cast.
Anna- Head Housemaid & Lady's Maid. Too kind for this world.
Bates- Mysterious Valet to His Lordship. Absolutely ironclad system of morals.
Molesley- Sad-sack unfortunate Valet. Life beats him up.
Thomas Barrow- Scheming servant always out to disrupt things.
O'Brien- Lady's Maid to Cora. Thomas' partner in crime.
William- Sad-sack Footman.
Alfred- Guilless Footman, but a hard worker.
Jimmy- Good-looking Footman. Gets into a lot of trouble.
Gwen- Maid dreaming of something more.
Mrs. Pattmore- Famously-grouchy cook.
Daisy- Assistant Cook. Nice and well-meaning, but a bit daffy.
Ivy- Kitchen Maid and target of many a lascivious male.
Baxter- New Lady's Maid with a dark secret.
Spratt & Denka- The Dowager's servants. They bicker a lot.

Others:
Dr. Clarkson- Local Doctor who has to make a lot of incorrect diagnoses for the sake of plot convenience.
Robert Carlisle- Temporary Love Interest and Nouveau Riche. Kind of an asshole.

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SERVICE:
Like I said, the Servants are a major factor here. The supporting material goes into more depth, as there's a TON of stuff to keep straight. There are several different lines of service: The ones in the show are the male servants, female servants, and the separate Cooking staff.

The Men (in order of importance):
The Butler- The top servant in the house, and in charge of the finances. They hire and oversee the male staff, have access to the wine cellar, and oversee repairs to the house.
Valets- Hard "t" in England, not the French version heard in the Americas. These are the men who act as personal servants to the male family members. The famous "Jeeves" (of Wodehouse's Jeeves & Wooster fame) is a Valet, not a Butler. Archer's Woodhouse is similarly a valet.
Footmen- Well-dressed men who aid in the household, set the tables, and serve the family during dinner. Great pains to undertaken to ensure the family's Footmen looked the part- their uniforms could often cost a years' salary, and Footmen over a certain height were paid more. A manner of prestige was for a family to have the best-looking Footmen.
Hall Boys- Usually young village boys who did the dirty work- imagine the worst Office Bitch job ever, except you also have to clean out chamber pots (ie. pots full of poop and pee). We never see an important one in the series.

The Women:
The Head Housekeeper- In charge of the hiring and dealings of the female staff. Hold the key to the food cupboard (the cook does not). Generally seen on the level of the Butler. Always called "Mrs." as a title, despite rarely being married.
Lady's Maids- Help the ladies of the household get dressed (an arduous, complicated procedure). Very well-trained, and a good one is considered a treasure. Basically an expert seamstress, hairdresser and fashion designer all in one. The series mainly uses two- one woman handles all three Crawley daughters. Though lower than the Housekeeper, they are only TRULY answerable to their mistress- the only person who can hire or fire them.
Maids- Ever-present girls who clean the household- most are very young. Only a couple are ever important (Gwen in the first season gets a major subplot; Anna is the Head Housemaid who moves up to Lady's Maid)- most of the time they're just seen in the background, giggling to themselves over some joke. Maids were numerous, and received training in how to clean properly- this also doubled as "wife training", and made Maids the ideal partners for the businessmen, Doctors and lawyers of the village. Someone who wasn't planning on making a career in service would typically retire upon marriage.

The Cooking Staff:
The Cook/Chef- The head of this part of the household. Often they were pro chefs trained in France, but many were women. Also called "Mrs.", if female.
The Kitchen Maids- Generally the back-up girls in the kitchen, doing the Cook's bidding.
The Scullery Maid- The lowest of the low servants in the household- they get up the earliest, work the hardest jobs (scouring the floors, cleaning pots & pans, scaling fish & plucking fowl, etc.).

Butlers, Lady's Maids & Valets are always referred to simply by their last name (Batman, for some reason, instead informally calls the butler "Alfred" instead of the proper "Pennyworth". It's not the only mistake they make- Alfred even wears GLOVES. Like a common FOOTMAN. Also he does the work of like sixty people in that damn mansion, which has NO OTHER STAFF). Housekeepers & Cooks are called "Mrs." as an honorific, despite not being married (back in olden times, "Mrs." meant you were in charge of people, not that you were married).

---

There are literally DOZENS of other positions, but most are of little importance to the show (the only important one we see is Branson, the Chauffer). Their are men who handle the horses, the wildlife on the property, the gardens, and more, plus Governesses & Nannies to oversee the children. A Great House can have HUNDREDS of people working there- the real Highclere Castle has FOUR Gamekeepers who keep the animal populations under control, two cooks, and even with a reduced staff to fit modern times, still has 60-80 people working there. And this is MUCH lower than in previous centuries!

The Valet & Lady's Maid are both rather important to Peers & Ladies, as much of their clothing was rather difficult to put on and remove without assistance. As well, the upper classes tended to depend on servants for a lot of things, to humorous results. Fellowes tells of a few of his favorite incidents, such as the Lady who traveled without her Maid, and was thus forced to sleep with her tiara in, as there were too many pins to remove herself. Another funny anecdote was the valet-less Lord who was huffy the next morning because "my toothbrush didn't froth up." See, he'd NEVER brushed his teeth without a valet present before, and thus had NO IDEA that you actually needed to add TOOTHPASTE to the brush. I mean, it seems obvious to US, but to a Lord, who'd always had someone waiting on them, it was something you just never thought about. Your valet handed you a toothbrush, and you brushed up a froth.

Most of the servants are treated like nobodies, but the Butler, Valets, Housekeeper & Lady's Maids are serious professionals, and would be treated with respect. Fellowes is careful to point out in supplemental materials that scenes in other shows featuring servants "grovelling" isn't accurate at all- the top servants would never do such a thing. Moreover, cruel overlords who mistreated servants would soon find themselves OUT of employees! There's enough of an "Underground" for these people that they can handily find employment elsewhere, and people would hear about cruel bosses through the grapevine and never accept those jobs. Even so, certain things are always upheld- you do NOT sit in the presence of your master, and you address them as "Milord/Milady" and "Your Lord/Ladyship" only. When talking about them with others, you say things like "The Lady Mary", not "Mary".

Relationships:
Very few servants were allowed to marry- the Senior staff may be married, at which point they'll have a cottage on the family's property rather than live in the dormitories with the rest of the staff members (basically hallways for male and female employees- never permitted to be together. You'll get sacked instantly if you're in the wrong gender's hallway). There's one true story out there of a footman who was secretly-married, and only saw his family on days off. But more often, the staff were expected to be unmarried- this made service an ideal occupation for a homosexual (nobody would think it weird to find a lifelong bachelor in that line of work).

If you were caught getting your bang on, you were sacked immediately- men and women weren't even allowed in the same HALLS together. This of course isn't to say this never happened (because it totally did); it was just majorly against the rules.

Gossip:
Obviously, as the omnipresent (but often invisible) presence within the house, servants had access to the inner dealings of the family, and would gossip about it endlessly downstairs. That said, servants tended to be quite good about keeping secrets within the household- as obsessed with appearances as the rich families that owned the houses, servants felt that the family's prestige reflected upon them (being the footman to a Duke is much better than being one to a Baronet or Earl, for example), and so would not go out of their way to embarrass the family ("Oh, you work for that house with the Lady who sexed that Turk to death? LAWL"). That said, stuff got out.

Getting Sacked:
Possibly the major issue in the household was theft- if you were caught stealing (or even suspected of it), you were sacked immediately (O'Brien & Thomas scheme to get Bates fired by hiding an expensive snuff box of his Lordship's in Bates' room). Moreover, you wouldn't work again if word got out- and this was the era in which your only alternative was hard labor or the dreaded Workhouse (a situation so appaling that it basically created Welfare just to PREVENT things like that from ever occuring again). People who left were usually given a "Reference", which was the only way you could apply for other jobs- a footman who moved on would be given a nice card/letter from the Butler explaining how good he was, etc. There was no such thing as a resume- this was simply how you moved from job to job.

Of course, it became notorious for not including the WHOLE story- if there was something embarrassing that the footman had done, the butler may very well not divulge it on the Reference. See, if a footman was dismissed with no reference (as Thomas nearly was when he was caught making a gay pass at Jimmy), then everyone would want to know WHY- news and rumors would spread, and it would reflect badly upon the house. In Series Five, Robert catches Jimmy in bed with a noblewoman, and tells Carson that "James isn't a good fit any longer" or something like that- but carefully adds "but give him a good reference- we DON'T want it talked about...").






Series two[edit]
The second series premiered in Britain on 18 September 2011 in the same 9 pm slot as the first series, with the first episode attracting an average audience of 9 million viewers on ITV1, a 34.6% share.[76] The second episode attracted a similar following with an average of 9.3 million viewers.[77] In January 2012, the PBS premiere attracted 4.2 million viewers, over double the network's average primetime audience of 2 million. The premiere audience was 18% higher than the Series 1 premiere.[78]

The second series of Downton Abbey gave PBS its highest ratings since 2009. The second series averaged 5.4 million viewers, excluding station replays, DVR viewings and online streaming. The 5.4 million average improved on PBS first series numbers by 25%. Additionally, episodes of series two have been viewed 4.8 million times on PBS's digital portal, which bests series one's online viewing numbers by more than 400 percent. Overall, Downton Abbey-related content has racked up more than 9 million streams across all platforms, with 1.5 million unique visitors, since series 2's 8 January premiere.[79] In 2013, Downton Abbey was ranked the 43rd most well-written TV show of all time by the Writers' Guild of America.[80]

Series three[edit]
The third series premiered in the UK on 16 September 2012 with an average of 9 million viewers (or a 36% audience share).[81] For the first time in the UK, episode three received an average of more than 10 million viewers (or a 38.2% audience share).[82] Premiering in the US in January 2013, the third series had an average audience of 11.5 million viewers and the finale on 17 February 2013, drew 12.3 million viewers making it the night's highest rating show.[83] Overall, during its seven-week run, the series had an audience of 24 million viewers making it PBS's highest-rated drama of all time.[83]

While rumoured, due to the departure of actor Dan Stevens, the death of Matthew Crawley, in the 2012 Christmas special, drew criticism.[84][85] Lord Fellowes defended the decision stating that they 'didn't really have an option' once Stevens decided to leave.[85] Stevens later said that he had no say in the manner of his character's departure but that he was 'sorry' his character had died on Christmas Day.[86]

Series four[edit]
The fourth series premiered in the UK on 22 September 2013 with an average audience of 9.5 million viewers—the highest ever for one of the drama's debut episodes.[87] It premiered in the US on 5 January 2014, to an audience of at least 10.2 million viewers, outperforming every other drama on that night; it was the largest audience for PBS since the 1990 premiere of the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War.[88]

In the UK, the second episode attracted an average of 9.6 million viewers.[89]

The third episode, which aired on 6 October 2013, included a warning at the beginning: "This episode contains violent scenes that some viewers may find upsetting."[90] The episode content, which saw lady's maid Anna Bates raped, led to more than 200 complaints by viewers to UK television regulator Ofcom,[91] while ITV received 60 complaints directly.[64] On 4 November 2013, Ofcom announced it would not be taking action over the controversy citing the warning given, that the episode was screened after 9 pm, and, that the rape took place 'off-screen'.[92]

Authenticity[edit]
Fellowes tries to be as authentic in his depiction of the period as he can.[11] Despite this, the show features many linguistic anachronisms.[100] The accents of characters have also been questioned with the Received Pronunciation of 'the actors who play the wealthy characters' described as 'slightly more contemporary' than would be expected 'among early-20th-century aristocrats', however, this 'elicited more natural and unaffected performances from the cast'.[101]

In 2010, Fellowes hired Alastair Bruce, 'an expert on state and court ritual', as historical adviser.[102] Bruce explains his role as being 'here to guide the production and particularly the director as they bring Julian's words to life. That also involves getting the social conduct right, and giving actors a sense of surety in the way they deliver a performance.'[102] Actor Jim Carter, who plays butler Carson, describes Bruce as the series 'etiquette watchdog'[102] and the UK's Daily Telegraph finished its 2011 profile of Bruce's role stating 'Downton's authenticity, it seems, is in safe hands.'[103] However, historian Simon Schama criticised the show for historical inaccuracies and "pandering to cliches."[104] Producer Gareth Neame defended the show, saying, "Downton is a fictional drama. It is not a history programme, but a drama of social satire about a time when relationships, behaviour and hierarchy were very different from those we enjoy today."[105]

A 'tremendous amount of research' went into recreating the servants quarters at Ealing Studios because Highclere Castle, where many of the 'upstairs' scenes are filmed,[106] 'was not adequate for representing the "downstairs" life at the fictional abbey'.[107] Researchers visited 'nearly 40 English country houses' to help 'inform what the kitchen should look like' and production designer Donal Woods said of the kitchen equipment that 'Probably about 60 to 70 percent of the stuff in there is from that period'.[106] Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management is an 'important guide' to the food served in the series' but Highclere owner, and author of Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle, Lady Carnarvon, states that dinner parties in the era 'would have been even more over the top' than those shown.[106] However, she understands the compromises that must be made for television, and adds, "It’s a fun costume drama. It’s not a social documentary. Because it’s so popular, I think some people take it as historical fact."[106]

Relationships between servants and the Grantham family, as well as with other upper class characters, are portrayed in a manner excessively familiar and more informal than the norm for the era. For example servants below the level of butler and housekeeper regularly ignore protocol and address senior members of the family with personal requests or observations.[citation needed]

"I have given my life to Downton, I was born here and I hope to die here. It is my third parent and fourth child. Do I care about it? Yes, I do care!"

LORD GRANTHAM (Robert Crawley, The Earl of Grantham)
Role:
Head of the Family, Clueless Rich Guy
Played By: Hugh Bonneville
PL 2 (37), PL 3 (37) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 1 (+5)
Expertise (Nobility) 8 (+9)
Expertise (Military) 4 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Wealth 3, Status 2)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Cora)- Robert married Cora years ago while he was fortune-hunting to keep the Estate alive. When he thinks back on this, he is ashamed- within a year, he had fallen in love with Cora for real, and despite a few bumps in the road (when he was feeling unwanted, he went after one of the maids), they are quite happy. They even sleep IN THE SAME BED, scandalizing their poor daughters ("I hope you know that really smart people sleep in separate rooms." "I always keep the dressing room bed made up so I at least pretend we sleep in separate rooms. Isn't that enough?").
Responsibility (Downton)- As the Earl, Robert's mission is to keep Downton alive. How things are paid for, the upkeep of the land and house, and more are his responsibility. He even holds a position of responsibility towards the nearby town- its buildings and community are likewise under his umbrella.
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject.
Responsibility (A Changing World)- Robert is a noble in a world which no longer values nobility- he sees the respectability of his position diminish with each passing year- he gets nowhere near the respect his father once earned. Everything he stands for is changing.
---
Relationship (Matthew- Heir)- In Matthew, Robert sees not only the future of Downton (he must convince the more middle-class, less-needy fellow the importance of a major Country House, with all its staff), but the son he never had.
Relationship (Daughters)- Robert is a proud father to his three girls, though they cause him no end of stress. Mary is utterly-contrary to everything, Sybil is a born rebel and free spirit, and Edith just likes to cause trouble.
Relationship (Bates- Valet)- Bates is Robert's one real confidante in life, and they are quite close (the two served together in the Boer War). Despite Bates' crippling injury, he keeps the man on as his Valet, and gives him many opportunities to return, no matter how he left.
Relationship (His Mother)- Robert may be the head of the family, but VIOLET is truly its master. She is the only one to whom even he bows, and she effortlessly owns him as well as she does anybody else.
Relationship (Carson)- Robert is somewhat dependent upon his butler- the running of the household is a huge job, and only Carson knows the ins and outs.
---
Quirks (Bad With Money)- Despite his responsibility, Robert is actually rather poor with money. He frequently loses things on foolish gambles (putting all of Downton's money in the Canadian railway, which eventually becomes public). He has lost all of his wife's dowry and nearly cost them their home (they were ruined, and would have had to sell Downton to earn any). Only sheer luck has brought him out from bankruptcy.
Responsibility (Morals)- Though he views himself as inherently superior to the lower classes, Robert is not unkind towards them- he'll give people many chances to repay debts, and usually gives his servants the benefit of the doubt.
Disabled (Ulcer)- Robert develops an Ulcer by Series Five, and is put on a special diet (and, *gasp* NO ALCOHOL!).

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (37)

-Robert is a tricky, well-rounded character in the series, and one of the central elements. As the Earl, he is fundamentally in charge of everything, and represents the epitome of the English Upper Classes... and yet, the series has to showcase his more human side. This is pretty-well showcased in the very first episode, as he gives his old War Buddy Bates a job as his personal Valet, but is forced to dismiss him due to his crippling injury- at the very end of the episode, he prevents Bates (destined for the Workhouse at this point) from getting on the car, saying "it's just not right." This kind of good-hearted nature is shown repeatedly (he pays for Mrs. Pattmore's cataract surgery as well, and beams like a proud father when his footman William is sent off to the Great War), which makes up for the fact that the show constantly beats you over the head with how unfortunate the servants are compared to the rather lazy nobility. Robert would seem like a HORRIBLE person otherwise.
-Robert even has to show Matthew the purpose of being a Lord in their society- when Matthew suggests letting go of poor old Molesley, since the middle-class Mr. Crawley has no need of a valet, it's Robert who points out to him that this would leave Molesley without a JOB, and as the leaders, it's their job to ENSURE that people have employment. While their high-and-mighty types are rapidly-losing ground over the course of the century, and Service is no longer the best job you could get in that era, in Robert's time it WAS rather accurate that these Great Houses should be providing as much as possible for the people around them.
-Unfortunately, the character gets very little respect- the show goes out of its way to humiliate him. His daughters openly-disobey him, he's often lectured by MATTHEW of all people on how to spend money properly, and he loses money doing foolish things (putting all his eggs in one basket with the Canadian Railway, and even suggesting going in with "this Ponzi fellow")- the show tells you over and over again that Robert is DUMB and probably SHOULD lose all of his money! Only pure luck keeps his family in the red. It's kind of unfortunate, because he comes off likeable at times, and Hugh Bonneville does a wonderful job playing a character that could be rather thankless- you can really see him acting with his eyes (a Nobleman would not be allowed much overacting, so he's got to be subtle). Bits like his reaction to Sybil's "Harem Girl" Season Dress, her running off with Branson, his eventual blessing of their marriage ("there'll be SOME money. Not a lot."), and more speak well of his abilities.
-The show is pretty clear that despite marrying Cora for her money, they ARE quite in love (Fellowes notes that a few Impovershed Peer/American Heiress couplings were so lucky; many, however, were not)- again, this is established in Episode One so we know we can at least root for the guy. But stuff like him lusting for the sexy MILF Housemaid (herself a widow who looks a lot like Cora) when he's feeling neglected during Series Two makes him out to be a bit creepy. And him being kept in the dark over ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING up to a point (he's often the last to discover things- the Pamuk affair of Mary's, the relationship of Edith to Marigold, etc.) makes him look like a buffoon. Actors generally prefer to play weird, whacky characters to flawless ones of course, but I give Bonneville a lot of credit for playing this doltish fellow with only a casual shrug in interviews (occasionally joking about Robert's lack of business sense).
-Robert used to be a soldier, and beat the hell out of a man for showing up in his wife's bedroom, but is a bit short on skills for someone so vastly-wealthy.

"Nobody warns you about bringing up GIRLS- you think it's going to be like 'Little Women', and they're at each other's throats from dawn till dusk!"

LADY GRANTHAM (Cora Crawley, nee Levinson, The Countess of Grantham)
Role:
Head Female, Clueless Parental Figure
Played By: Elizabeth McGovern
PL 0 (12), PL 1 (12) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Great Lady) 4 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Status)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Robert)- Robert married Cora years ago while he was fortune-hunting to keep the Estate alive. Cora soon came to love her husband regardless.
Responsibility (Downton)- Cora has a responsibility similar to Robert in the running of Downton- though in her case, it means running charities.
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject.
Responsibility (Outsider)- Cora is an American, and one of the few seen in the series. She had to spend years learning how to fit in.
---
Relationship (O'Brien- Lady's Maid)- Cora thinks the world of her Lady's Maid, and refuses to dismiss her, despite everyone else in the house hating the woman.
Relationship (Daughters)- Cora is frequently-befuddled by her feuding daughters. She still has trouble forgiving Mary for the "Pamuk" incident- carrying the corpse of her daughtet's lover the length of the house will do that. She wishes to marry them off as quickly as possible ("How many times am I to be ordered to marry the man sitting next to me at dinner?" "As many times as it TAKES.").
Relationship (Violet- Mother-In-Law)- Cora has spent years at the mercy of her imperious Mother-In-Law- having had no proper heirs (only three daughters), and being an AMERICAN of all things did not endear her to Violet. It's only when the "Entail" situation shows up that they get on the same side ("Are we to be friends, then?" "We are ALLIES, my dear. And that can be a great deal more effective.").
---
Quirks (Bad With Money)- Despite his responsibility, Robert is actually rather poor with money. He frequently loses things on foolish gambles (putting all of Downton's money in the Canadian railway, which eventually becomes public). He has lost all of his wife's dowry and nearly cost them their home (they were ruined, and would have had to sell Downton to earn any). Only sheer luck has brought him out from bankruptcy.
Responsibility (Morals)- Though he views himself as inherently superior to the lower classes, Robert is not unkind towards them- he'll give people many chances to repay debts.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (12)

-Cora is a likeable person, and she gets on well with her husband (no guarantee in their world, trust me), but like Robert, comes off a bit stupid in the show. This is made most-clear by her continued relationship with her Lady's Maid, O'Brien. O'Brien is arguably the most Chaotic Evil person in the show, so Cora's repeated refusals to let her go, and defense of her character ("you know how much she adores me!") make her look pretty dull-witted. While she's privy to more secrets than her husband, the show sees fit to typically showcase her staring all agape at things that shock her- this is basically McGovern's stock in trade- Ken Levine jokes in his blog that she always looks like she's bitten into an olive pit, and calls her the worst actor on the show. I have a hard time disagreeing- she's so one-note that you can actually FEEL Julian Fellowes trying to write AROUND her rather than WITH her.
-This is made pretty obvious when her mother, played by SHIRLEY MACLAIN of all people, arrives at Downton. Mrs. Levinson chews the scenery, dominates the surroundings, and offends the entire family... yet she and Cora NEVER HAVE A SCENE ALONE TOGETHER. This is an obvious major miss in the story (they don't even dwell on the fact that the Anti-Nobility Mrs. Levinson was the one who CONVINCED Cora to become an English Lady). It's just them sitting around in groups, with Cora sitting there like a doofus. Same with she and her brother. In a major Series Five plotline, Cora is flirted-with by a potential suitor, yet never really flirts BACK- she appears clueless as to his intentions, acting with shock when he shows up in her bedroom.
-Cora, as a Great Lady, has a certain degree of responsibility, though it comes off rather trivial- the mothers of the households were in charge of setting up the parties, determining who sat where, who talked to whom (true thing: If the Lady talked to someone on her left, EVERYONE had to do the same; when she turned to the right, everyone else switched speaking partners too. Fellowes points out that this can prevent situations like someone sitting at a table with no one to talk to). Running parties was basically the entire PURPOSE of being alive in their culture, so this was actually a pretty serious job to them, despite it coming off a bit silly. Ladies also run charities, speak with villagers about what they need, and determine what everybody eats- it is Cora who must speak to the Cook every day to figure out the menus (a situation that often requires the maximum of a Lady's communication skills- Cooks were notoriously grouchy).
-Cora, like Robert, at least comes off as kind-hearted. When she finds out her youngest daughter has learned to bake a cake, O'Brien thinks it'll be a HORRIBLE scene (baking is so SERVILE), but Cora instead beams like a proud mamma. Similarly, O'Brien lets slip that Mrs. Pattmore has been feeding jobless War Vets, and Cora immediately forgives her for using the family's stores, and sets up a better way to serve people (though this last bit comes off a bit silly- like it's some complicated piece of organization to ask them to "form two rows").

"No! Listen to me! And take those kidneys up to the servery before I knock you down and serve your brains as fritters."

MRS. PATMORE (Beryl Patmore)
Role:
Angry Old Woman, Head Cook
Played By: Lesley Nicol
PL 2 (25)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 5 (+4)
Expertise (Cooking) 10 (+10)
Insight 2 (+3)
Intimidation 7 (+6)

Advantages:
Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Cooking)- The food at Downton is Mrs. Patmore's responsibility, and she takes it seriously- she is the master of the kitchen, and even the FAMILY has to listen to her. That guests who stay at Downton come away impressed with the cooking is of paramount importance to both her and the family, and if it should falter, she could be sacked. She can frequently seen be bellowing orders to the Footmen, getting them to bring the food upstairs instead of gossiping with the Kitchen Maids.
Relationship (Daisy)- Mrs. Patmore bullied and screamed at poor Daisy constantly in the old days, but has come to treat her as a daughter. When she thinks Daisy will move away, Patmore is practically beside herself with tears.
Relationship (Mrs. Hughes)- The two eventually start to get along, after early debates about the keys to the cupboards. They end up being close confidantes, gossiping about the household, about the man hitting on Mrs. P, and about Mrs. Hughes' cancer scare.
Responsibility (The Old Ways)- Like a lot of the older servants, Mrs. Patmore longs for earlier times. She rejects the use of a newfangled "refrigerator" and finds herself useless around modern conveniences like "automatic mixers". She grows increasingly-redundant in the modern world, and doesn't like it.
Relationship (Nephew)- Mrs. Patmore's beloved nephew was shot for cowardice during the Great War, something that horrifies her. She struggles for years with this knowledge, and is heartbroken that it means he won't be listed among the honored dead on War Memorials.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (25)

-Cooks have pretty much always been famously-grouchy, it seems. In fact, even in the 19th Century, there were jokes about how these people, usually working all day long (a Cook typically worked 18 hours, starting their day at 6 am and making meals from scratch all day long) with the direct heat of the ovens and having to have exact timing, were notoriously-tempermental and prone to freaking out. Julian Fellowes made the Head Cook in Gosford Park so hard to deal with that Her Ladyship was afraid to even SPEAK to her, and Mrs. Patmore (Cooks are always given the title "Mrs.") is pretty much the most-outgoing, angry character in Downton Abbey- other characters like Bates joke about her temper (when questioned over whether or not someone could have poisoned the mysteriously-deceased Mr. Pamuk's food, Bates quips "I don't think so- they'd have to have gotten past Mrs. Patmore!"). There's even a bit in the First Series where she flat-out refuses a request from Lady Grantham, stating that it'd be too hard. Fellowes of course has a giant set of notes on how a Cook refusing a request from Her Ladyship would not be unusual, and that servants weren't always groveling sycophants- Cooks were pretty much expected to be grouchy, and as long as the food was good, nobody cared.
-Mrs. Patmore undergoes a couple of storylines in the show- in the first Series, she starts losing her sight, which doesn't improve her temper any. Robert eventually pays for her to get cataract surgery, a shockingly-gracious move. She also rages against the fact that only the HOUSEKEEPER gets the keys to the food cupboard (common in the Great Houses), but soon comes to view Mrs. Hughes as her closest confidante. In Series Two, her sister's boy disappears during the Great War, and she's heartbroken to discover (after some searching by Robert) that he was shot for COWARDICE. This is seen as both shameful and tragic, and she openly-weeps over it several times.
-Patmore's a fun character on the show, and I like her interactions with the other characters. She's so fussy and tempermental that she can play well off of just about ANYBODY, but has particular fun with Daisy (who she sees as almost a daughter), her pal Mrs. Hughes, and even Mr. Carson (there's a great scene where he calmly confronts her over her eyesight, giving her a sympathetic ear). Possibly the best bit is when the hefty Mr. Tufton decides to start hitting on her, declaring "I LOVE to be IN LOVE!!" He soon begins telling her how he likes his eggs, his steak, etc., and she's horrified at what she's getting herself into- when Mrs. Hughes delicately brings up that he was seen flirting with local village girls, she says "I've never been so relieved in all my life!" SHE didn't want to spend her remaining years being one man's personal cook, anyways! Her & Mrs. Hughes cracking up over mimicking his "I LOVE to be in love!" line is one of the sweeter funny moments in the show.
-Mrs. Patmore is the most-intimidating person in the household by a LONG ways, and has access to all the cutlery, too. So don't piss her off.

DAISY MASON (nee Robinson)
Role:
Butt-Monkey, Love-Struck Young Girl, Assistant Cook (formerly Scullery Maid)
Played By: Sophie McShera
PL 0 (3), PL 1 (3) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+2)
Expertise (Cooking) 7 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Cooking)- Though just an Assistant Cook, Daisy is responsible for a good deal of the food.
Relationship (Mrs. Patmore)- Mrs. Patmore bullied and screamed at poor Daisy constantly in the old days, but has come to treat her as a daughter. Daisy often doesn't realize just how highly Mrs. Patmore thinks of her.
Relationship (Thomas Barrow)- Daisy was quite taken with the handsome Barrow for a while, not realizing he was both an awful person, and "not a ladies' man".
Relationship (William)- Daisy was quite short and cold with William for years, and only accepted his marriage proposal due to Mrs. Patmore's urging (not wanting the poor boy to go off to war with a broken heart), hoping she could break it off after the War. She married him largely out of guilt, on his deathbed.
Relationship (Alfred)- Daisy falls head over heels for the tall footman, but he doesn't love her.
Rivalry (Ivy)- Daisy begs and pleads to get another kitchen maid in the household... and no sooner does one arrive, than Alfred falls for her. Daisy then spends years picking on IVY the way Mrs. Patmore used to pick on HER.
Motivation (Something More)- Daisy occasionally has dreams of being something more than just an Assistant Cook, but usually restrains herself from getting too ambitious, or leaving service (such as when her father-in-law makes her his heir).

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (3)

-Poor, poor Daisy. Initially, she was the Butt Monkey of the household- as the Scullery Maid, she had to wake up first, light all the fires in the house (while ensuring that she wasn't seen by the family, on pain of death), and prepare the food for Mrs. Patmore to cook. It was an ugly, nasty, filthy position (which is why "Ran off to America with a Scullery Maid" was such an insulting backstory for so many literary characters), and thus it was quite the promotion when she finally became Assistant Cook (though given the thirteen-year span of the series, it took a REALLY long time).
-She was also LIFE's Butt-Monkey as well- she was picked on mercilessly by the angry Mrs. Patmore every time something went wrong. She was treated as a bit thick-headed (she dared not turn the horrifying ELECTRICAL LIGHTS on while she did her work) She fell in lust with Thomas (who was, uh, quite wrong for her), ignored William's attempts at getting with her, and ended up being a War Widow more out of guilt than love (only to regret it and realize she DID truly care for William, in the end, one one of the series' best scenes, with VIOLET of all people being a metaphorical shoulder to cry on, and helping her get through the pain). Then she fell for the new footman Alfred... only to watch him fall for the NEW Kitchen Maid, Ivy!
-Subsequent seasons have seen her flirt with education and think about possibly moving up in the world. But my favorite "Daisy-related" story was the time when William's father, having lost his wife and all of his children (William was the only one who made it to adulthood, and HE died in the War), calmly and sweetly asked "will YOU be my daughter?" I mean, HOW DO YOU NOT LOVE THAT? And oddly, she was rather cute in the first Series, but looks more dowdy in later ones- in the latter role, she's actually had some of the most-recognizable non-Downton work of the cast, fitting that perfect "But not TOO ugly" character archetype- she joins Lily James in the Live Action Cinderella, playing one of the Wicked/Ugly Stepsisters, and she was yet another Poor Servant Girl in the miniseries Galavant last year.

IVY STUART
Role:
Dude Magnet
Played By: Cara Theobold
PL 0 (6)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 1 (+3)
Expertise (Cooking) 5 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Rivalry (Daisy)- Daisy begs and pleads to get another kitchen maid in the household... and no sooner does one arrive, than Alfred falls for her. Daisy then spends years picking on IVY the way Mrs. Patmore used to pick on HER.
Relationship (Alfred, Jimmy)- Alfred gets googly-eyed over Ivy immediately, making her uncomfortable, as every time she shows him kindness, he interprets it as romantic affection. She finds herself drawn a bit to Jimmy, but when he starts taking liberties, she freaks out on him.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (6)

-Ivy isn't so much a CHARACTER as much as she is something other characters revolve around. She is the unwilling target of Alfred's affections (the one time she started showing affection towards him, he immediately mailed her a marriage proposal!), and when she starts going on dates with Jimmy, she finds him to be all hands. Alfred loving her of course makes her the enemy of Daisy, her superior in the kitchen. She's a bit "modern", and draws a freak-out from Mrs. Patmore when she shows up with ROUGE on her cheeks, of all things! Eventually she leaves the show, moving to America as Harold Levinson's cook (Levinson's valet wanted Daisy, whom he liked, to come over, but she resisted moving and said that Ivy was just as good).

"The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end, that's all there is."

CARSON (Mr. Charles "Charley" Carson)
Role:
The Butler of Butlers, Guardian of the Old Guard, The Straight Man
Played By: Jim Carter
PL 3 (44), PL 4 (44) Saves
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Butler) 12 (+13)
Expertise (Singing & Dancing) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Nobility) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +3 (DC 13), Toughness +3, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Old Ways)- Carson is a great believer in the proper order of things, and the proper order is the old one. He rejects all technological innovations (a TELEPHONE? in the HOUSE?), can't stand the thought of maids in the dining room ("There are worse things, Carson" "Not worse than a MAID serving a DUKE"), makes Jimmy use the name "James" while at work, and always insists on proper manners.
Responsibility (The House)- The upkeep of Downton is Caron's responsibility, and he takes it VERY seriously. Anyone seen sitting while in the family's space, or with their uniform in any way out of shape, is committing a serious offense.
Obsession (The Family)- Carson basically worships the Crawley family, which Mrs. Hughes occasionally teases him about- he truly believes in the upper classes being worthy of deep respect- The Dowager Countess is at the top of his list (and he the top of hers), followed by his Lordship and the Crawley Girls. He will also consistently back up Cora, despite her occasional breaches in tact and the proper way of things (she is, after all, an American), but he strongly disliked Matthew at first, and NEVER took a liking to BRANSON.
Relationship (The Lady Mary)- Though he's always cared for His Lordship's three daughters, Carson is the strongest defender of Mary, whom he has prefered since she was a precocious young girl who always confided in him. "You've always been so kind to me. Why is that?" "Even the BUTLER must have his favorites, Your Ladyship." Mrs. Hughes teases that she's his blind spot- he never sees her as the uptight prig she is.
---
Relationship (Mrs. Hughes)- As a hardworking, responsible sort, Mrs. Hughes endears herself quickly to Carson, who soon comes to depend on her. Their late night summations of the day turns to a deep friendship (especially when Mrs. Hughes has a cancer scare), which eventually turns to love.
Rivalry (Branson)- Carson thought the Chauffer was inappropriately-close to the family (taking The Lady Sybil to POLITICAL RALLIES?), but when he MARRIES into the family? His lack of social tact or the proper manners (once referring to The Lady Mary as simply "Mary" in his presence) is a major sticking point, and he is stand-offish with Branson even after he has proven his loyalty to the family.
Responsibility (The Footmen)- The Butler is in charge of all male servants, and he's got a lot to contend with here. William is dutiful but often disregards his duty (once having the nerve to appear before the family with a small tear in his uniform), James is too eager to move up and too lascivious, Thomas Barrow is openly-disrespectful and a thief, and Molesley is just ANNOYING. At least there's Alfred- dutiful, hard-working and calm. Carson is Alfred's most powerful defender in the house.
---
Secret (Shameful Past)- Carson was... *gasp* a TRAVELING MUSICIAN!! He desperately hides this shameful past, to the point where he lets himself be blackmailed by his old partner.
Enemy (Charlie Grigg)- The old "Charley and Charlie" troupe split up over a woman, and Charlie (the victor) soon fell onto hard times, and grew to resent Carson over the years.
Hatred ("Sex Talk")- Carson, being so old-fashioned, is of course horrified any time something sexual gets brought up- he'll lecture any servant who dares refer to even the attractiveness of another person. He is also one of the servants most-disgusted by Thomas' homosexuality, though is not entirely unsympathetic ("You have been turned by nature into something FOUL, though even *I* can see that you did not ask for it").

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (44)

-Butlers were the head of old-school Great Houses- there was nobody who had more hands in more pies than they did. Carson-types oversee repairs, all the male employees, and ensure the proper placement of things in the dining room. They know "The Proper Way" of all things, and are at the top of the pyramid for the employees- when Carson walks into a room, all servants must stand up, and when he gets up to leave, they do so again. Being a Butler is basically the end-game for all male servants- the one step above valet (in smaller houses, a butler & valet are essentially the same thing- Molesley is Matthew's valet, and acts as a butler at the table). They were often the Lord of the house's sole adult companion later in life, as valets could often move about (one Great Lady, in her diary, recalls her father growing "very quiet" for the summer after their Butler died, mourning the loss of basically what was his closest friend).
-Carson is basically the living embodiment of what everyone dreams of getting in a Butler- there is nobody more fastidious, hard-working and "proper" in the household. He never snarks, nor mouths off- he is basically the Da Vinci of Butlers. Carson is also one of the strongest defenders of the "Old Ways"- having grown up in service to the family, he is obsessive about proper manners, behavior and appearance. In the first episode, he nearly loses his shit on William for DARING to appear before the family with an inch-long tear in his uniform, and threatens a "clip 'round the ear" for someone disregarding another important duty. When Branson casually refers to Her Ladyship as simply "Mary" in the presence of others, you see Carson physically SEETHE with rage, later privately expressing to Mrs. Hughes his disgust for that breach of tact ("Did you HEAR him? 'MARY'?!? His Lordship would ALWAYS refer to her as 'The Lady Mary' in my presence!"). There is nobody in the house more dignified, nor as respected, unless the Dowager Countess comes for a visit- the two are close allies in this regard.
-All of this fastidiousness makes it all the more special when he shows off those little quirks- emotional behavior means nothing coming from the always-emotional characters in the cast (Edith, Daisy, Mrs. Patmore, etc.), but when CARSON loses control? It REALLY packs a punch. Things like his horrible blind-spot for The Lady Mary ("she would NEVER desert him now!" "*smiles* Charles Carson- the Lady Mary does not DESERVE you!") because of how she treated him when she was a young child. His blind panic when she gives birth (forgetting to ask the sex of the baby, much to the amusement of Mrs. Hughes & Mrs. Patmore). Though he comes down HARD on anyone who screws up, he finds himself unwilling to sack Mr. Bates when it appears he's been stealing things (even Bates admits "I am ASTONISHED by your kindness"). The time he calmly spoke to a bawling Mrs. Patmore about her failing eyesight. His defense of sad-sack Alfred, who worked hard to overcome his initial difficulties with the job. The way he scoops up Baby Sybbie the way he probably did to her poor late mother, and spends the whole day with her while the family is away.
-And of course, the one man who never breaks social rank is the one who makes it mean the most when he FINALLY DOES- holding a crying Lady Mary during her troubles with Matthew. The time he openly confronts her, telling her to get over her grief and move on with life- this is INCREDIBLE for a Butler on Carson's level to do (Mary admonishes him for breaking rank, and he STILL goes forward with it- "You're letting yourself be defeated, Your Ladyship. I'm sorry if it breaks rank in order to say so, but it's true!"), and one of the best parts of Series Five.
-Jim Carter is AMAZING in this role- he has all of the seriousness of the Dowager Countess and all of the same horrified reactions to breaches in tact, but gets none of the snarky one-liners to follow it, yet works it perfectly. He's the ultimate Straight Man to the entire cast of whackos, and his facial expressions are some of the funniest moments in the show- a fun trick is to look at Carson whenever somebody says something- even if his reaction is not part of the show and he doesn't even SAY anything, it lets you know the skill level of the actor when he gets "involved" in scenes that don't need him to actually interject himself.
-Carson has one of the highest PLs in the show, though he doesn't do a lot of fighting (well, few characters in the show actually do)- Carson is actually a REALLY big guy, and has that raw "Farmboy Strength" that lets him easily overpower Branson, when he attempted to embarrass a high-level army official in the house (Carson thought he was going to MURDER the man). Branson isn't that big a guy (the actor is apparently 5'10", but I'm not sure I buy it- he's too short compared to some of the other men), but he's fighty, and Carson essentially wraps him up like a small child in a bear-hug and drags him all the way downstairs. And there is no one in the Abbey more skilled at what they do- Carson is the God of Butlers.

Mr Carson: "Well, that’s the point- I do want to be stuck with you."
Mrs. Hughes: ‘I’m not convinced I can be hearing this right."
Mr Carson: "You are, if you think I am asking you to marry me."
Mrs Hughes: "*laughs* We're celebrating that I can still get a proposal at my age."
Mr Carson: "... And that's it?"
Mrs Hughes: "Of course I'll marry you, you old booby! I thought you'd never ask!"


MRS. HUGHES (Elsie Hughes)
Role:
Head Housekeeper, The Smart One, The Cynic
Played By: Phyllis Logan
PL 0 (28), PL 3 (28) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Housekeeper) 10 (+12)
Insight 3 (+7)
Investigation 2 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Fearless

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The House)- Mrs. Hughes has a responsibility to oversee all of the female servants, and takes her job very seriously- she will not allow anyone to go slack-ass on her watch.
Relationship (The Family)- Though she doesn't WORSHIP them like Mr. Carson does, and in fact insults them behind their backs when it's warranted, Mrs. Hughes is often quite touched at their kinder qualities (such as Cora's insistence that Mrs. Hughes will always be cared for by the family).
Secret (A Lot Of Things)- Mrs. Hughes is privy to a HUGE number of secrets over the course of the series. Anna's rape, Branson's fling with a maid, keeping Alfred from Daisy, etc.
Responsibility (The Trustworthy One)- Her less-judgemental persona and intelligent nature make Mrs. Hughes a popular person to confide in. This occasionally annoys her.
Relationship (Mr. Carson)- The two bicker like an old married couple, but are quite close- having the strongest leadership positions in the house.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (28)

-Housekeepers are basically like Butlers, but for the female staff- they oversee everyone and everything, and report directly to the family. The cleanliness of the house is her responsibility, and her position is so respected she's given the title of "Mrs." Downton's Housekeeper, Mrs. Hughes, is probably the single most-knowledgeable person in the household, and the wisest. While Carson commands more authority, and Mrs. Patmore more fear, Mrs. Hughes knows everything about everyONE, and is unafraid to put anyone in their place. She's the only servant who can tease Mr. Carson about how much he worships the family (especially Mary) and tell off Mrs. Patmore, though she is a close confidante of both.
-Mrs. Hughes was a tad forgettable in the early Series (aside from helping out Mr. Bates, who was attempting to correct his limp with a horrible orthotic device), but really came into her own after a point- especially once it became clear she knew everyone's business better than THEY did- she immediately marks Mary out as a snob and Edith as a troublemaker, acknowledging Lady Sybil as "The kindest heart under this roof". She defends Anna & Bates strenuously, distrusts Thomas, and considers Jimmy to be trouble as well. She's never cared for O'Brien either, and is eventually the only confidante of Tom Branson, who no longer fits upstairs OR downstairs once he marries Sybil.
-And man, the lady has BRASS ONES. When she finds out that Mr. Green has raped Anna, she is completley unafraid to confront him and warn him off. And when the nasty Lady's Maid seduces Tom and tries to force herself into the family (by getting pregnant and saying it's his), Tom can only beg for her assistance- Hughes essentially tears down the Maid's entire plan (complete with going through her things and finding damning evidence in books on pregnancy), out-guesses her every step of the way, then threatens her job and any hope she may EVER have of employment (remember, you would never work without a letter of reference). Tom just stands their uselessly while she effortlessly owns the woman.
-And her relationship with MISTER CARSONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN... never have I shipped a couple so hard. First off, they're the best servants in the house. Mrs. Hughes is the only person to whom Carson can open up, AND she can tease him at-will. His worried reaction to her cancer scare, and his absolute joy when she turns out to be in the clear (him singing She Stole My Heart Away to himself- she spots him, and beams like a happy schoolgirl)... GOD, those two. Finally... FINALLY... he works up the nerve to ask her to marry him. And the sixty-something woman just goes "Of COURSE I'll marry you, you old booby! I thought you'd never ask!" Even in the weaker series of the show, Hughes & Carson are absolutely un-missable characters.
-Mrs. Hughes is a brilliant character, and probably the most insightful, brave person in the household- she has pretty much everyone figured out, and is as close to running the place as anyone (even compared to Carson). And so her Insight, Persuasion and Deception Skills are at their peak ("*shocked* You're quite a PLOTTER when you want to be!" "It's a skill ALL WOMEN must learn, Mister Carson!"). When Edna the Lady's Maid tries to link herself to the family by blood, it's Mrs. Hughes who single-handedly tears her apart point-by-point, and sends her on her merry way- when Edna tries to blackmail the whole family, Hughes basically loses her temper and says "If you want a job for the rest of your NATURAL-BORN LIFE" she'll drop it and move on.

BARROW (Thomas Barrow)
Role:
First Footman to Under-Butler, The Scheming Dark One, The Hidden Gay
Played By: Rob James-Collier
PL 1 (29), PL 2 (29) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Footman/Underbutler) 5 (+7)
Perception 1 (+2)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +1

Complications:
Prejudice (Homosexual)- Thomas is gay, and pretty much everyone knows it. In the early twentieth century, this means he could be arrested if he is caught making a pass at someone. He will never be able to get married or even enjoy an open relationship with somebody.
Obsession (Pretty Boys)- Though usually able to cover his bases in his schemes, Thomas has a MAJOR blind spot- Pretty Boys. His lust for Jimmy causes him to ignore the obvious signs that O'Brien is playing him for a fool and nearly costs him his job (and his freedom). He is caught up in a scheme of Kamal Pamuk's because he fell for obviously-fake attempts at flirting (Pamuk blackmailed him into allowing him into Lady Mary's room). He even overly-trusts the Duke who comes by in the first episode.
Responsibility (Coward)- Despite his high-and-mighty attitude, Thomas gets himself deliberately injured during the Great War because he can't handle the stress of the front.
Motivation (Ambition)- Thomas wants to move up in the world- he jealously craves a position as a valet (despising Mr. Bates for getting the job instead) and tries to leave the House on a few different occasions, seeing soemthing better on the horizon.
---
Responsibility (Evil)- Thomas has a chip on his shoulder, and a tremendous amount of bitterness in his heart. He does a lot of things simply to cause trouble and be disruptive. He likes to know everybody's business.
Relationship (O'Brien)- Thomas & O'Brien constantly scheme together, backing each other up and plotting the downfall of others. It isn't until Thomas moves against her nephew Alfred that things take a turn for the worse, and they become enemies.
Relationship (Sybil & Miss Sybbie)- Thomas liked Sybil the best out of everyone in the house, and sees himself as a guardian to her infant daughter.
Enemy (Mr. Bates)- Thomas wanted the job as His Lordship's valet, and it went to Bates instead. Thomas takes great pains to damage Mr. Bates' reputation or standing.
Enemy (William, Alfred)- Thomas jealously bullies the subordinate footmen.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (29)

-Thomas & O'Brien make up the contingent of "Permanent Villains" on Downton Abbey, oftentimes simply causing trouble for the sake of making trouble. He bullies fellow footman William right from the beginning ("You're late when I SAY you're late"), and is an obvious schemer right away. He contains a great deal of bitterness, and we soon realize part of the reason why: Thomas is a homosexual (in 1912, no less), and is forced to hide himself from others. Unlike most shows, which make this a highly-sympathetic story, Thomas tends to let his bitterness get the better of him, turning into an awful person. He's actually one of the few gay VILLAINS I can think of from recent fiction.
-Julian Fellowes gives a bit of insight into Thomas' character with a sequence where he invites Daisy to the fair simply to ruin William's chances with her- as Thomas is GAY, this is a meaningless gesture save for being an "expression of power". As a largely-powerless person (he can't even express who he is in public), Thomas gains power wherever he can. During the course of the series, he steals wine from the cellar (framing Bates for the crime), frames Bates AGAIN for theft of a snuff box, bullies William mercilessly (until he unwisely criticizes William for taking his mother's death so hard- William kicks his ass for it), does the same to Alfred, and more.
-But we do occasionally gain some sympathy for the evil, vindictive prick. He's so desperate for love and affection that he blindly chases Jimmy, and follows him around like a sad puppy even after his job is saved. The disgust some of the working-class people feel over his homosexuality gives him some sympathy (and hilariously, His Lordship has the typically-upper class response, pointing out that everybody KNEW about Thomas anyways, and "if I'd shouted out every time a boy tried to kiss me at Eton, I'd have gone hoarse in a month!"). In Series Five, he even attempts to cure himself using some horrifying old-school methods (injections and electroshock). Fellowes and some other supplmental materials actually point out the issues with homosexuality in this time period- it was certainly well-known, and some public figures were indeed assumed to be gay- the issue was, you were never allowed to be CAUGHT. At least one peer was caught, and fled to America- but it was common knowledge for years that he was, in fact, gay. And it was definitely known for men in service to be gay- it was one of the few jobs where you could be a lifelong bachelor and people would just accept it. AND it meant a lot of men (many of whom were gay) coming through the house every year- kind of an ideal situation if you were living in that secret world.
-Of course, Thomas is a bit too easily-forgiven at times. He was caught stealing in Series One, and saved only because he signed up for the medical officers' corps as soon as the War started- he ends up being let back into the house in gratitude for his service, but engages in fire-worthy offenses COUNTLESS times (kissing Jimmy while he's asleep; putting a known thief into the Countess' employ; blackmailing said thief; etc.). They really only keep him around because the show has so much less conflict without him, and there's a bunch of circumstances that allow him to be forgiven his trespasses- He talks badly about the new Nanny, and it JUST SO HAPPENS she's legitimately mistreating Miss Sybbie, which gets her fired, turning Thomas into a hero. When he uses this goodwill to place a "spy" in the house, and is uncovered, he could be fired... but he spots the fire in Series Five, saving Lady Edith and earning himself a place AGAIN.
-Thomas (later called "Barrow", as he's promoted to Under-Butler... which is basically another Butler, but with less responsibility) is a good liar, but not much of a fighter. And he has surprisingly-little Insight for someone who takes such stock in scheming- not only does he fall to pieces every time a pretty man comes along, but O'Brien easily manipulates him, and he's scammed by a con-man who sells him a ton of product to start a Food Store... only it's all full of sawdust- ruined and out of money, Thomas has to come crawling back to Downton to survive.

O'BRIEN (Sarah O'Brien)
Role:
Lady's Maid to The Countess of Grantham, The Unrivalled Queen of Bitch Mountain
Played By: Siobhan Finneran
PL 0 (15), PL 2 (15) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Deception 8 (+7)
Expertise (Lady's Maid) 8 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Her Ladyship)- O'Brien is Cora's Lady's Maid, and is thus only answerable to her mistress and nobody else. This means that as long as CORA likes her, she'll have a place. She finds Cora to be tiresome and at times straight-up HATE-worthy, but Cora believes that "O'Brien is so FOND of me!"
Responsibility (Bitter)- Taking care of her social superiors for decades (at least twenty years with Cora) has left O'Brien bitter and hateful. She complains openly to any servant who'll listen (even talking back to Mrs. Hughes!), and picks on those beneath her in the pecking order.
Relationship (Thomas)- Thomas & O'Brien constantly scheme together, backing each other up and plotting the downfall of others. It isn't until Thomas moves against her nephew Alfred that things take a turn for the worse, and they become enemies. O'Brien nearly has him sacked for revealing his homosexuality, but Thomas gains the upper hand because he knows her one major secret...
Secret/Guilt ("Her Ladyship's Soap")- One day, when O'Brien thought Cora was going to sack her, she strategically-placed a bar of soap on the floor by the bathtub. She thought better of it, but too late- the pregnant Cora slipped and suffered a miscarriage. And it turned out that Cora was NEVER going to fire her at all- it was a Three's Company Misunderstanding! This guilt drove O'Brien mad, and caused her to be extremely sycophantic as penance for a long time afterwards.
Relationship (Alfred- Nephew)- Childless O'Brien is extremely motherly towards Alfred, getting him a job as footman. When the jealous Thomas picks on him (because that's something Thomas does naturally), O'Brien turns on her old partner-in-crime.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (15)

-O'Brien is a very, very unpleasant person. Seriously, if you took every bitch who has ever lived, and all fictional bitches at the same time, concentrated their bitchiness into a perfect Bitch Potion, carried the potion to the peak of Bitch Mountain, dropped it into the Bitchcano, and formulated the most Bitchy Bitch who ever Bitched... THAT BITCH would stand in awe at the sheer bitchiness of Sarah O'Brien.
-Lady's Maids were servants in very great demand- the clothing a Lady was supposed to wear were so complex, and so numerous (women were expected to dress differently for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and have multiple outfits for OTHER special occasions as well- often changing clothes four or five times daily) that a Maid was ABSOLUTELY necessary. They also doubled as hairdressers and seamstresses- taking special courses to ensure they kept up with all the trends (something their bosses were only TOO happy to pay for- it was great bragging rights to be the most stylish, after all). A Lady's Maid was rare in that they could ONLY be hired and dismissed by their boss, and not the Butler or Housekeeper- this kept them "above" certain other servants, which caused some political struggles and strong feuds in the Great Houses. As a woman traveling without a Lady's Maid often couldn't even take her tiara out, these women were highly-desired, though incredibly hard-working.
-Thomas' opposite number among the female servants- a vicious, bitter woman who spends most of her time grousing about something, and often makes trouble. The show sometimes dances around which of the two is more awful- O'Brien's horrible acts include tripping the crippled Bates in front of guests, causing Cora's miscarriage (she thought better of it in the end, but she still put the soap on the bathroom floor, and failed to stop Cora in time), egging Thomas on to flirt with Jimmy (nearly getting him fired), and more. And yet, sometimes they make THOMAS out to be the most-evil, with O'BRIEN lecturing him- when she realizes that Bates could be hanged due to the death of his estranged wife, O'Brien feels guilty for her part in it (having sent a letter to Mrs. Bates, telling her where her husband was), and even chides Thomas for being happy about the opening as His Lordship's valet ("I don't often feel selfless, but when I'm with YOU I do"). She also lends a sympathetic ear when new valet Lang is brought low by Shell Shock from the war- recognizing the symptoms because she lost a brother to them.
-This sometimes schizophrenic writing of her character kind of hurt her, but not as much as say, the characters on Glee (who suffered from Random Characterization/Forgotten Moral Syndrome so often it ruined the show). In the end, she departed at the end of Series Three- you simply saw her hand (a double) place a card at the beginning of Series Four, and she ran off "like a thief in the night", taking a job with Lady MacLare (Rose's awful, awful mother), out of worry that now Thomas AND Bates knew about "Her Ladyship's Soap." But really, where else can you go when you turn your character into such an awful person?
-Fellowes, with O'Brien, wanted to point out that you could live with someone for years and never know their "true character"- Cora remains clueless about O'Brien's evil until the very end, despite even her HUSBAND telling her to let the awful woman go. She assumes that O'Brien adores her, and that she's a total saint. Though there's that odd bit very early on where she talks badly about Matthew, and earns a STRONG rebuke from Cora, who threatens to fire her if she hears something like that again! It kind of flies in the face of their more-agreeable relationship later; which makes me think it's a case of Early Installment Weirdness.
-Though a harsh, unfriendly, nasty woman, the uncharismatic O'Brien is a great liar and investigator, and is definitely more insightful than the gullible Thomas.

BAXTER (Phyllis Baxter)
Role:
Lady's Maid to The Countess of Grantham
Played By: Raquel Cassidy
PL 0 (9), PL 1 (9) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Lady's Maid) 6 (+6)
Investigation 2 (+2)
Persuasion 3 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Her Ladyship)- Baxter is the new Lady's Maid to Cora.
Secret (Former Thief)- Baxter has served time in prison for stealing from her previous employer- this is a mystery to her current bosses, and could easily lead to her firing if they ever found out.
Relationship (Thomas)- Baxter is a family friend of Thomas', and he knows her secret. He plans on using her to spy on the rest of the house, on threat of exposure.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (9)

-Baxter is a recent addition to the cast, being brought in on Thomas' suggestion. She's harboring a great secret, which Thomas is privy to, and he's using this secret to get his way- he knows he's burned his bridges with the people in the household, and so has to use BAXTER as a means of gaining information about his co-workers (why does he need it? Because he's a dick). When he doesn't get as much as he wants, he threatens to expose her... so she tells Cora about her past ANYWAYS (she was seduced by a co-worker, and convinced to steal from her boss; she was caught and imprisoned for it). Since she's a good enough Lady's Maid, and has paid the price for her past actions, she is forgiven after some consideration. Thomas, however, ends up in a bit of trouble over keeping these secrets, and knowingly putting a thief into Cora's employ. It's only the urging of everyone's favorite Sad Sack, Mr. Molesley, that brings Baxter out of her shell, and convinces her to stand up for herself. Fans see romance blooming... though it'll be a bit weird if EVERY ONE of the servants pairs off with another.

GWEN DAWSON
Role:
Housemaid Dreaming of Something More
Played By: Rose Leslie
PL 0 (3), PL 1 (3) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Housemaid) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Typing) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +1

Complications:
Motivation (Ambition)- Gwen is the daughter of a farmhand, and wants to be something more than just a housemaid. She's been taking typing classes in secret to allow her to become a secretary.
Responsibility (Lack of Confidence)- A working class girl, Gwen assumes from the outset that she's doomed to mediocrity, and that her dreams won't come true.

Total: Abilities: -2 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (3)

-Having only started watching with the third Series, I didn't even know Gwen until I started from the beginning- Gwen is an important part of the first Series, acting as the "servant who wants more" (like she's a Disney Princess or something). We see the class struggle through her eyes more than anyone else (the other servants have more or less accepted their lot)- she dreams of becoming a professional woman instead, but finds her confidence lacking. It's only after Lady Sybil takes an interest in her that her dreams become possible- there are some neat bits where Gwen cries that dreams only come true for the NOBLES like Sybil, not for her type of folk, and Sybil declares that GWEN's dream is now HERS, and SHE'LL make it come true.
-The other servants are a bit aghast and offended that Gwen is trying to escape service- Carson can't imagine it, and there's a big to-do when someone discovers a TYPEWRITER in her bedroom. When the family hears of it, they too are a bit offended ("why would someone want to LEAVE US?", like being a maid in their house is a grand privilege)- naturally young Sybil rebels and fights for her. Eventually, Gwen leaves Downton to bang John Snow underneath a waterfa--- I mean she quits to become a secretary, in a funny scene where she refuses to divulge she's a housemaid, until the man interviewing her points out that his MOTHER was a housemaid, and he knows it's hard work, and therefore a mark in her favor. Then they have her interview in the library (Robert: "You mean to tell me I cannot use my own library, because my maid is in there applying for another job?" Sybil: "That's about the size of it, yes." Robert: *Rolls eyes and moves on*), and in the final episode, she gets the job to her glee. We don't see her again, but find out years later (TEN, in-continuity) that she's getting married.

WILLIAM (William Mason)
Role:
The Everyman
Played By: Thomas Howes
PL 3 (33)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletlics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Horses/Farming) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Footman) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+6)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 3

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Heroism)- William dreams of defending England in war.
Enemy (Thomas)- The First Footman often bullies poor William, egging him on at every opportunity.
Relationship (Daisy)- William is in love with Daisy, who barely seems to have time for him. He proposes before he goes off to war.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (33)

-Poor William is one of the more unfortunate Downton Abbey characters, being the young "Everyman" character among the servants, and he never makes it out of the second Series. He starts off being picked on by Thomas and being spurned by Daisy, then he loses his mother (who'd always pushed him into service instead of the farm, wanting better for him), and then he's not allowed to go off to the War because the Dowager Countess has seen fit to protect the family's servants by using her influence to get them declared unfit. Williams mopes over this (he REALLY wants to go to war), eventually getting permission (in a nice bit, Robert- himself not allowed to do anything beyond having a symbolic position- is utterly-proud to see his footman in full military regalia) and becomes the "Batman" of Matthew. The two have a few adventures (which we mostly see in small snippets- gotta save that budget), but William is eventually badly-injured protecting Matthew.
-William is doomed to die from vague injuries, in some hospital far from home, until the Dowager Countess uses her influence AGAIN to have him brought to where his father can at least say goodbye (though an imperious sort, Violet strongly believes in a noble's responsibility to their servants, and so is not afraid to threaten people for the benefit of the staff). He convinces Daisy to marry him on his deathbed, allowing her a widow's pension.
-William, as a soldier (albeit a "Batman", which is kind of like a personal bodyguard/valet/gofer on the front) is tougher than most cast members, and once beat the holy hell out of Thomas for making a crack about William's mourning of his mother's passing (seriously though, what was Thomas THINKING?).

"I've been well treated in this house, and I want you to know that I'm very grateful. Mr Carson has been a kind and wonderful teacher."
-Alfred, in his final words to the family


ALFRED (Alfred Nugent)
Role:
William Version 2.0, Guileless Mope
Played By: Matt Milne
PL 2 (19), PL 3 (19) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Footman) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Cooking) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Cooking)- Alfred truly longs to work with food, and thinks his life's work lies in cooking.
Relationship (Ivy, Daisy)- Alfred fell head over heels for the pretty young Ivy, and must fend off the advances (and bitterness) of Daisy, who did the same for him.
Relationship (Mr. Carson)- Alfred views Carson as a bit of a father figure.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (19)

-I liked Alfred in the show- though he was a bit of a replacement for William (basically taking the "nice normal guy" slot in the show), he was a great character to bounce off of the others- he was the son of O'Brien's sister, meaning he was the only human being in the universe she liked. His position threatened Thomas', so Thomas became a bitter rival- as did the later arrival, Jimmy. Daisy crushed on him while HE crushed on IVY (who herself was closer to Jimmy), creating a great mess of emotions in the kitchen area. The family even had a bit of fun with him (the Countess couldn't get over how absurdly tall the 6'4" Alfred was; Mary thought he was nice, but looked too much like a sad puppy all the time).
-But I mostly liked his relationship with Carson. Alfred kind of sucked at being a footman at first (he came from the restaurant game after being a soldier in the War, but was downsized), drawing the ire of the perfectionist Carson, who reacted with his usual venom when somebody screwed up in the dining room. But did Alfred mope or whine about it? Get bitter and try to get revenge? No- he calmly ASKED CARSON FOR HELP, thus endearing him to his boss with work ethic and actual consideration (Thomas: "I'm a bit jealous, Mr. Carson." Carson: "I don't see WHY? He asked for help- YOU never did."). And thus, despite being in the crosshairs of a few characters downstairs, and being the most cluelessly-simple character in the cast (and thus a PRIME victim), Alfred had the most-powerful defender possible, as Carson then consistently backed his favorite footman up, even to the point of HAPPILY assisting him in his attempts to move on from Downton and become a real chef.
-There's even a great scene at the end of Alfred's tenure, where the family (who themselves were cheering him on- a marked difference from Gwen's attempts to escape servitude ten years prior) said their goodbyes, and he stood before them THANKING THEM for how "well-treated" he was in the house, and thanked Mr. Carson for being "a wonderful teacher" at the same time. His Lordship tried to shake it off good-naturedly (I mean, WORDS OF GRATITUDE? For an ENGLISHMAN?), and Carson silently told Alfred to wrap it up, but Carson still voiced his appreciation for such a gesture downstairs to Mrs. Hughes- THAT'S the kind of thing he likes to see.
-Alfred, as a Soldier, likely has some capability there, but his first love was cooking. He's the best footman around, as he actually WORKED at it, never getting by on politics (Thomas) or looks (James), but his interpersonal skills are a bit lacking- he's nearly always misinterpreting something or getting the wrong idea, especially when women are involved. Hell, the ONE TIME Ivy was nice to him, he immediately sent her a letter PROPOSING.

"I've been well treated in this house, and I want you to know that I'm very grateful. Mr Carson has been a kind and wonderful teacher."
-Alfred, in his final words to the family


JAMES (Jimmy Kent)
Role:
Lazy Pretty Boy
Played By: Ed Speleers
PL 1 (16), PL 2 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Footman) 4 (+4)
Insight 3 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Ivy)- James has a thing for the pretty kitchen maid.
Relationship (Thomas)- Despite initially being disgusted by Thomas' advances, he surprisingly came to appreciate Thomas' friendship. The two became unlikely friends, so much so that Jimmy cried upon being forced to leave the Abbey, saying "I never thought I could be friends with a man like you!"
Relationship (Lady Anstruther)- Jimmy had a very inappropriate relationship with his old boss, and she still flirts with him to this day. When she connived her way into the Abbey under false pretenses, he found himself unable to give up a chance to get back into her bed. Unfortunately, that's the time a fire happened upstairs, and Robert came in to warn her...

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (16)

-Jimmy debuted with a bit of fanfare among the female characters, as Jimmy "looks like a footman from a musical revue!", according to Violet. A short, pretty man, Jimmy (immediately renamed "James" by the old-school Carson) was conniving and ambitious, which rubbed both Carson and Alfred the wrong way. When Edith (who's used to being overlooked for a prettier person) suggested they all not ignore "poor Alfred," Carson immediately compliments her, pointing out that "hard work counts more than looks." As he walks away, Violet jabs out loud "If only that were true."
-Jimmy was of course a target for Thomas Barrow, himself an admirer of beautiful men. Thomas flirted and touched, but Jimmy was afraid to say anything thanks to Thomas' standing in the house, and O'Brien's careful warnings (she of course, was trying to manipulate Barrow into being fired). Eventually Thomas kissed Jimmy WHILE HE WAS ASLEEP, creating a giant scene that outed Thomas in front of the whole house (at least, the ones who didn't already know he was gay). Jimmy threatened to beat him up, demanded he get a "bad reference" from Carson to keep quiet about it (Carson and the Granthams did NOT want that kind of news getting out- perception is EVERYTHING in High Society)... and yet eventually came to be FRIENDS with Thomas, after he dove in to protect Jimmy from some violent thugs. They ended up having an odd bromance out of it (both WERE ambitious douchebags, after all).
-His inappropriate relationship with his old boss Lady Anstruther ended up getting him fired, however- he couldn't turn down her flirtations when she was in the house, and Robert caught them canoodling in bed together. Carson was quietly told that James didn't belong there any longer, but to "give him a good reference. We DON'T want it talked about." Carson, getting His Lordship's meaning right away, agreed, and we saw the last of poor Jimmy. As his pretty boring subplot with Ivy had wrapped up (the two had flirted and kissed, but he tried to feel her up, so she got pissed), perhaps it was for the best. It WAS rather common for footmen to move about in those days, in any case. He was replaced by a former Hall Boy, a cousin of Thomas'.

MATTHEW CRAWLEY
Role:
The P.O.V. Character, A Pauper in the King's Court
Played By: Dan Stevens
PL 2 (44), PL 4 (44) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Lawyer) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Nobility) 1 (+4)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 1 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Lady Mary)- Matthew pisses off Mary the second they meet, but joking about how the family will "push one of the daughters" at him now that he's the heir. Things rarely get better- though they frequently flirt or make nice, she is callous with his feelings, bitter over his status as the heir to the fortune (and Robert's ideal son), and often shows interest in others. Though he loves her deeply, his is often hurt by her vindictive nature- this does not improve until they are married.
Responsibility (Common Man)- A mere upper middle-class lawyer, Matthew is out of his comfort zone with the high society the Crawleys inhabit. His manners are unrefined (though he remains polite), and he often finds the things they do trivial and silly (like having GROWN ADULTS around to dress them).
Responsibility (Modernization)- Matthew sees Downton as being doomed unless some vague "modernizations" take place- as it can no longer run just off of the farms surrounding it, Downton is to change to remain viable.
Relationship (Robert)- Matthew & Robert are fast friends, despite Robert's insistence that Matthew retain seemingly-wasteful things like valets. Despite a few arguments over waste at Downton, they are as close as father and son.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (44)

-Matthew is arguably the main character of the first three Series of the show- the entire initial conceit was that all the male heirs were dead, leaving only the humble son of a Doctor to become the next Earl. Right away, he struggles with the concept- he's too middle class, and rejects the idea of having a valet (until Robert reminds him that a noble's JOB is to give work to the community). His status as the heir pisses off Mary, who of course will inherit NOTHING thanks to how English Peerage works (fascinatingly, this is STILL TRUE to this very day!). Despite the fact that Mary & Matthew marrying would be ideal for EVERYBODY (it keeps the house within the family, continues the Earldom, and more), the whole "Soap Opera" thing comes into effect. He & Mary alternately spend time flirting, pissing each other off, making nice, making out, and then breaking up.
-At the end of Series One, Mary hesitates over his proposal once her mother becomes pregnant again- realizing that if Cora has a SON, then Matthew will inherit nothing. Despite Violet's insistence that Mary go through with the engagement ANYWAYS (since Matthew would view this as Mary's loyalty and love to him)- she can always turn him down LATER, after all- Mary stalls, and is thus dumped by a hurt Matthew. He turns up in Series Two with the doomed Miss Lavinia Swire, a wealthy heiress who is rather cute (despite the show treating her like some ugly booby prize)- he still loves Mary, but the two are seemingly-destined to be apart. Of course, Lavinia dies, leaving Matthew free, and the two are FINALLY married in Series Three. At which point they have the male heir everyone had wanted from the beginning, while Robert is ultra-happy that Matthew's there to see Downton through these troubled times, recognizing that Downton will stay alive, while Duneagle Castle (his cousin's even BETTER house) goes bankrupt. And then Matthew dies in a car accident.
-This pissed off EVERYONE when it first happened. See, Dan Stevens, like Jessica Brown-Findlay, didn't go through with a new contract for Series Four (in England, contracts are typically done in Three-Series allotments, not 6-7 like in America). Both wanted to strike while the iron was hot, and make movie careers for themselves- Jessica let everyone know ahead of time, and so a plot was formulated. Dan struck everyone by surprise, and they had to kill him at the very end. It raises an interesting question: Matthew's death unquestionably weakened the series (leading Mary through a pointless two-Series run with identical suitors who even now I can't tell apart)- did Dan Stevens have a service to the show that made him successful, and its fans, to stick around, rather than try to make it on his own? How many BIG ACTING JOBS was he expecting to get, and would they make up for the backlash of him quitting his meal ticket?
-Look at the legendary career failures of David Caruso & Shelley Long (at least Caruso kinda recovered... to become an industry-wide joke in CSI) in America for what happens when someone bails on their series. Farrah Fawcett's co-stars were rightfully pissed when she quit Charlie's Angels, same as Suzanne Somers' on Three's Company- both actresses could have killed their shows right out of the gate by quitting so early on. Stuff like this could actually KILL THE SHOW, so in a sense, I wish actors would have a little bit more loyalty to their original program. I mean, a British show is only a tiny bit of work compared to an American one (Hugh Laurie was ASTONISHED at the American work ethic he saw on House, with its 20-24 episode seasons, and realized that THIS is why America was so successful)- why couldn't he also do movies? At least he's going to be The Beast in the next Disney Live Action Update For More $$$.
-That said, I was never that taken with Matthew. I got the concept, and recognized how important he was- we saw Downton through HIM, and all of its foibles were explained to him in a way that made US, the VIEWERS, recognize why things were the way they were. BUT... he was just a bit dull. Overly-obsessive about odd morals (he was going to marry a woman he didn't love out of misguided loyalty; refusing to accept the inheritance from her wealthy father because of his rejection of her; etc.), creating conflict just so that the show HAD some conflict, and more.
-Matthew, like a lot of the younger men, has some Soldiering experience, and is also a good enough lawyer to last even if he WASN'T the heir to the Downton estate. He's nice enough to get by, but often puts his foot in his mouth, and lacks the duplicitous nature of the Crawley Girls.

THE LADY MARY (Mary Crawlery)
Role:
Major Character, Imperious Lady, Man-Bait
Played By: Michelle Dockery
PL 1 (30), PL 3 (30) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 8 (+7) -- (Flaws: Limited to Riding)
Deception 1 (+5, +10 Attractive)
Expertise (High Society) 4 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Persuasion 1 (+5, +10 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit 2 (Status)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Lady Mary)- Matthew pisses off Mary the second they meet, but joking about how the family will "push one of the daughters" at him now that he's the heir. Things rarely get better- though they frequently flirt or make nice, she is callous with his feelings, bitter over his status as the heir to the fortune (and Robert's ideal son), and often shows interest in others. Though he loves her deeply, his is often hurt by her vindictive nature- this does not improve until they are married.
Relationship (Parents)- Mary disrespects her American mother, and chafes under the constant pressure to marry. She finds herself frequently scolded by her father for her callousness, and is bitter than he always wanted a son.
Responsibility (Downton)- Mary has grown up in Downton, and considers it her duty to see it forward. When it appears she may lose it to Matthew, she is extremely angry.
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject.
---
Relationship (Anna- Lady's Maid)- Mary & Anna are close with each other, and exceptionally honest and friendly- it's likely that like many Lady's Maid/Lady combos, they grew up together.
Rivalry (Edith)- The two have been "fighting like rats in a barrel" since they were small. Mary considers Edith to be charmless and ugly, while Edith considers Mary to be a slut and a shrew. They will frequently go out of their way to ruin the other's life (Edith reveals the Pamuk scandal to London; Mary wrecks Edith's chance of happiness with Lord Strallan).
Relationship (Violet- Grandmother)- Violet & Mary are much the same, and so get along. Violet is one of the few people whose barbs to Mary can actually take effect.
---
Reputation (Trouble)- Mary nearly brought scandal to the family when she took a lover, who died in the process. She is also known to be rather cold-hearted and unsentimental.
Responsibility (Contrary)- If Mary is told to do something, then you can bet your ass she'll insist on the opposite.
Relationship (Carson)- Carson has known Mary since she was a baby, and is the only person in her life to always take her side, and never judge her. She feels more free to speak with him on personal manners than her own parents. "Even the BUTLER must have their favorite, Milady."
Relationship (Branson)- As both have lost the loves of their life at a young age, they see eye-to-eye on many things, despite growing up in entirely different worlds.
Relationship (Other Men)- As a beautiful widow of high station, Mary has her pick of suitors, each of whom is pretty boring. Eventually, she breaks it off with the one she slept with, and threw him back to his ex-fiance.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (30)

-The Lady Mary is the most dangerous kind creature ever put on this Earth: a beautiful woman who realizes the full power of her beauty.
-Mary is introduced right away in a "Character Defining Moment"- when discovering that her second Cousin and fiancee has been killed in the Titanic disaster, her first words are "... Do I have to go into FULL mourning?" I mean, their engagement wasn't ANNOUNCED yet, right? So right away we get that she is an utterly-unsentimental girl, and a bit obsessed with status and inheritance. It only gets worse when she takes a lover, who dies and nearly leads her to scandal. Her relationship with Matthew is the major story of the first three Downton Series- she's vexed by his "Common Man" act, resents him for becoming the heir to her lifelong home, and more (their first meeting is great- he overhears him whining about having "the daughters pushed on me", and he gives a look of utter terror when he sees her frighteningly-beautiful face for the first time). When she blows him off to flirt with a man her sister Edith likes, she nearly loses him, and when she hesitates on accepting his proposal to see if her father's new child is a son (and heir) or not, the hurt Matthew rejects her entirely, and she's left crying in Carson's arms.
-The Second Series sees her with the callous Richard Carlisle, a wealthy newspaper magnate who is more like her in personality, which may be why they're so mismatched- Mary's unique blend of sympathetic evil really belongs with a man who can dull that edge off of her. She FINALLY hooks up with Matthew properly, though again finds his morality annoying (he nearly refuses to accept an inheritance that could save Downton because of his PRINCIPLES, of all things!). Then she gives birth to the son and heir of the family... and is left a widow. A shattered Mary comes out of her shell in Series Four, but only slowly (and with the urging of Carson, Branson & Violet), and has to deal with numerous suitors, each more boring and generic than the last (seriously, I still forget which one was which. The guy who saved the pigs was the same as the one she slept with in that hotel, right? Christ, Downton Abbey- don't hire actors of near-identical appearance with the same hair if they have to be in the same outfit all the time, TOO).
-But Mary is one of the best characters in the show, and Michelle Dockery is fantastic in the role. It's a VERY tricky role to play- Mary has to be harsh, snobbish, undiplomatic, unreasoning and downright vicious at times... and yet retain this slight edge of sympathy. And she's beautiful alright, but in the way that a Mountain Lion or a Leopard is beautiful- you know it's about to rip your head off. Mary is TOUGH AS NAILS, and absolutely sure in her superiority over other people. The balancing act of making her an enjoyable lead while also making her a giant bitch is a delicate one, and I think the show does it well. It isn't afraid to slap her down, but it's also not ready to let you go on thinking she's just some lazy snob who feels entitled to all the money. She IS entitled, of course, but like the scene where she gets down and dirty saving the pigs on the farm proves, she's going to EARN it, too.
-Mary earns the full monty on Attractive, largely thanks to her ability to utterly-control men- like I said, a woman aware of her own beauty is a DANGEROUS, DANGEROUS animal. She's persuasive and nasty, and many other women can see right through her and immediately dislike her- the true hallmarks of Attractive (as the bonus only applies to males, Attractive can almost be seen like Flawed Presence). Cora & Violet can see through her act, and Edith DEFINITELY isn't affected by her persusasiveness. Even women who've only known her for a minute tend not to like her.

Robert: "Poor old Edith. We never seem to talk about her."
Cora: "I'm afraid Edith will be the one to take care of us in our old age."
Robert: "... what a GHASTLY prospect!"
-pretty much just sums it up, right there


THE LADY EDITH (Edith Crawlery)
Role:
The Unfavorite, Butt-Monkey
Played By: Laura Carmichael
PL 0 (11), PL 1 (11) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Nobility) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Writer) 3 (+4)
Treatment 2 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (Status)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Relationship (Sir Anthony Strallan)- The two are engaged to be married, even after he's crippled in the Great War, but he calls it off, not wanting her to spend her years as his nurse.
Relationship (Mr. Gregson)- Edith & Gregson are well-matched, even though he must become a German citizen to divorce his crazy wife. He is eventually murdered there during some awful Beer Hall thing.
Relationship (Marigold)- Edith's daughter by Gregson eventually becomes her only concern.
Relationship (Parents)- Robert & Cora obviously consider Edith the least-favorite, only rarely offering her any kind of consolation.
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject.
---
Rivalry (Mary)- The two have been "fighting like rats in a barrel" since they were small. Mary considers Edith to be charmless and ugly, while Edith considers Mary to be a slut and a shrew. They will frequently go out of their way to ruin the other's life (Edith reveals the Pamuk scandal to London; Mary wrecks Edith's chance of happiness with Lord Strallan).
Responsibility (Life's Butt-Monkey)- Any chance of happiness Edith gets will soon be horribly-dashed. One man leaves her at the altar, another leaves her a single mother. This has left her with a massive inferiority complex.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (11)

-Lady Edith is Mary's rival in the family- they have a great Battle of Sisters going back since they were little girls, with Edith usually being the loser. As she's not as pretty, charismatic or tough as Mary, poor Edith tends to be ignored by the family and by men, giving her a huge inferiority complex. Truth be told, Laura Carmichael is hardly UGLY (Julian Fellowes admits she's actually quite lovely, and points out that "Just as you'd never hire a boring actor for a boring character, you wouldn't hire a plain actress for a plain character", and that this casting exists because directors want people to mistake their OUTER beauty for INNER beauty, making them sympathetic), she's just not as good-looking as her SISTERS. Heck, I'd say she has the best body of the three, judging by the way she looks when wearing her tighest cleavagey outfits.
-Edith is a COMPLETE shrew, however, despite being rather sweet with the men she loves (rather desperate for affection, she goes full-on into relationships)- every time Mary pisses her off, Edith concocts some horrible revenge scheme. When Mary flirts with Anthony Strallan just to annoy Edith, Edith uses some info from O'Brien to basically pry the information of Mary's affair with Pamuk out of Daisy (an actual member of the family confronting a servant like this would be like the Spanish Inquisition- Daisy basically HAD to confess).
-Edith still gains some sympathy when you consider her whole story: She was extremely helpful to the grateful soldiers when Downton was converted to a convalescent home during the War. She's been the "Ugly Sister" all her life, and her parents' least favorite (and she knows it). She was left at the altar by a crippled old man because he didn't want her to become his nurse-for-life, and when she finally met a NEW man, he suffered the "Downton Abbey Parents' Disease" by dying right away, leaving her with a child (this happens to ALL THREE CRAWLEY GIRLS- Fellowes DOES know that sometimes characters CAN survive a day or two after their child is born, right?). She leaves the baby with a nice Swiss family, but guilt causes her to bring it back, and have Baby Marigold raised by a loyal tenement farmer near the Abbey. But her obsession over the little girl causes jealosy with the adopted mother, and Edith eventually STEALS THE GIRL AWAY, revealing her parentage to all.

MRS. ISOBEL CRAWLEY
Role:
Self-Professed Expert, Soapbox Sadie
Played By: Penelope Wilton
PL 0 (13), PL 2 (13) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Charity Work) 2 (+4)
Insight 2 (+4)
Persuasion 5 (+7)
Treatment 3 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -1, Fortitude -1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Matthew- Son)- Isobel is a widowed mother to a young man- they appear close, still living together into his adulthood. His death shatters her emotionally.
Relationship (Mary- Daughter-In-Law)- The two actually don't interact that often, as Isobel frequently tired of Mary's games with Matthew's heart.
Relationship (Violet- The Dowager Countess of Grantham)- The two old ladies were somewhat forced together, and did not get along- Isobel's attempts at righting moral wrongs goes poorly with Violet's conservative nature. But eventually, they become close, if bickering, friends.
---
Rivalry (Mary)- The two have been "fighting like rats in a barrel" since they were small. Mary considers Edith to be charmless and ugly, while Edith considers Mary to be a slut and a shrew. They will frequently go out of their way to ruin the other's life (Edith reveals the Pamuk scandal to London; Mary wrecks Edith's chance of happiness with Lord Strallan).
Responsibility (Life's Butt-Monkey)- Any chance of happiness Edith gets will soon be horribly-dashed. One man leaves her at the altar, another leaves her a single mother. This has left her with a massive inferiority complex.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (13)

-Isobel seemed largely the most-pointless character when I first began watching, and an odd fit- did we really need the MOTHER of one of the characters just hanging around? I didn't see the purpose of it all. Now? I can't imagine the series WITHOUT her- Isobel is one of the show's best, most-interesting characters, and has such great relationships with EVERYBODY.
-Isobel is Matthew's mother, meaning she's the... mother to the heir. Which really doesn't mean much. But it means she has to move up near Downton, becoming part of the family. As Isobel doesn't bother playing the game of "nobility politics", talks about money, and interjects herself into things, she immediately rubs Violet the wrong way, creating one of the show's best pairs. She becomes a trustee at the local hospital; as a Doctor's wife, she knows her stuff. Isobel repeatedly raises a fuss over one thing or another (trying to find jobs for various people down on their luck, running charities, convincing Violet to give up the "Grantham Cup" for Best Bloom to poor old Mr. Molesley, and fighting injustice every step of the way. She is central to the maid Edna's cause, as the young woman has been reduced to life as a prositute after being left with-child (historians will point out that a TON of women in work-houses and whorehouses were ex-Maids who had a little too much fun- the world was VERY unkind to the act of birthing babies out of wedlock).
-But yeah, Isobel, despite coming off as sanctimonious and holier-than-thou (like a lot of charitable types), has some of the best relationships with other characters. She applauds Tom Branson's activism and standing up for the common man, helps both him & Mary come to terms with their spouses dying (as she herself lost a husband fairly young), and her pairing with VIOLET is classic- she's one of the few characters who can put the Dowager Countess on-edge, and is of course the target of most of Violet's best barbs. However, the two ARE great friends (they don't know many other people around their age), and even Violet is impressed with Isobel's acceptance of a possible new beau for her Daughter-In-Law.

MOLESLEY (Joseph Molesley)
Role:
Sad-Sack, Ensemble Darkhorse
Played By: Kevin Doyle
PL 1 (5)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Valet) 5 (+5)
Insight 1 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (A Valet in a Great House)- Molesley is looking forward to plying his trade in a Great House.
Responsibility (Unlucky)- Poor old Molesley is constantly getting knocked around by life. He's made sick and drunk, has gotten fired, and had to be rehired as a mere FOOTMAN again.
Relationship (Mr. Carson)- Carson finds Molesley to be lazy, ungrateful and tiresome, and it's only the sympathies of the women in the house that keep him employed.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (5)

-Molesley kind of came out of nowhere to be one of the most-funny characters in the show. Initially, he was just the valet to Matthew- a grown man who needed no valet- as a way to show just how awkward Matthew was in this new kind of life. He was in a handful of scenes, but the funny, down-on-his-luck way Kevin Doyle portrayed everything Molesley did made Fellowes alter the character into the sad-sack guy we know and love today. Poor old Molesley gets bad allergies, crushes on Anna (who herself is totally into Bates), gets no respect from Carson, and more- when he fears he'll be drafted, he lies and goes along with Violet's plan to have him extempted from the Great War.
-When Matthew moves on to Downton, Molesley will get his dream- to be a valet in a GREAT HOUSE- only to be told he's "essential" to Matthew's mother, and will remain there as her butler. Then he gets drunk at Duneagle Castle on a spiked drink, and embarrasses himself in front of the family. Then Matthew dies, and he's politely let go as there's no need for him to stick around. He ends up owing half the village money, needs a "gift" from Bates (disguised as a payback for a loan he doesn't remember giving out), and ends up being hired back on as a FOOTMAN at Downton, stuck wearing gloves again. And when he's promoted to temporary First Footman, he finds himself shocked at the amount of work involved, and becomes quickly exhausted ("What did ya think when you'd be made first footman?" Daisy admonishes him, "You'd sit around all day with your feet up?" It's a great, funny role, and made better when he takes an interest in Cora's new Lady's Maid- Baxter- defending her against Barrow's trickery.
-Molesley is strong enough to hit the bell on a Test-Your-Strength thing, but has few other Skills- he's a bit old and out-of-shape for the job in which he now finds himself, and strongly lacks charisma. Really, his best weapon is PITY- both Mrs. Hughes & Mrs. Patmore feel sorry for him, and so push Carson into giving him a job (Molesley had wavered on the demotion, and so Carson took the job away out of disgust). Even VIOLET feels sorry for him, frequently trying to find him work somewhere (it helps that Molesley's father is one of the most-worshipful people in the village to the family, which the old-school Dowager Countess appreciates).

THE LADY SYBIL (Sybil Branson, nee Crawley)
Role:
Rebellious Teenage Girl
Played By: Jessica Brown-Findlay
PL 0 (16), PL 3 (16) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Politics) 3 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Treatment 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Parents)- Sybil cares for her parents, but finds them old-fashioned and classist.
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject. Sybil follows some of the rules, but gladly ignores others.
Relationship (Violet- Grandmother)- Sybil often rubs her grandmother the wrong way with her rebellious ways.
---
Relationship (Tom Branson)- Sybil falls in love with the socialist family chauffer, and is eventually convinced to run away with him, leaving her old life behind. She defends Tom to others, even when he embarrasses himself or the family.
Responsibility (Rebellious Activist)- Sybil is a political activist and a suffragette in a VERY conservative time period- this runs completely contrary to the rest of the family. She is more gleefully-charitable than the rest of them, and is the only one to truly toss aside class differences, helping out Gwen the maid in finding a job, marrying an IRISH CHAUFFER of all things, and training as a NURSE.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (16)

-Sybil was a fun little character, if a bit one-note- the only member of the family to really see eye-to-eye with the lower classes, she breaks as many rules as she can, rejects the family's standards, and actually takes an interest in POLITICS. For a woman to be behaving in this manner in the 1910s- a LADY no less- is astonishing, and the family lets her know it. But Sybil bravely presses on, essentially ignoring anyone's admonishment, and even scolding them for being so old-fashioned! When the family's chauffer takes an interest in her, it's a major part of his Character Arc, but suddenly Series Two rolls around and he's pressing her to get married, which is actually the FIRST TIME there's even a HINT that she reciprocated his feelings romantically! Sure, she defended his job when Robert was about to have him sacked (he brought Sybil to a violent POLITICAL RALLY, where she got injured... of course she TRICKED HIM into taking her, but still... it DOES lead to the funny bit where she threatens to run away should Branson be sent away, despite having no actual plan for doing so- "Well I haven't thought of everything yet, but YOU'LL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN!"), but she did that kind of stuff for everybody. Eventually she ran off with Branson, shocking the entire family (Violet did damage control by making a public show of how the family "accepted him"), perfectly-willing to give up all the wealth and status of being a Great Lady by marrying a commoner and living as a nurse in Dublin.
-But Sybil's main importance to the plot, tragically, came with her death- dying of post-natal eclampsia, during an era in which childbirth was still all-too-dangerous (still is, actually- but most women have them in HOSPITALS with advanced medical science... but humans have always had a hell of a time with childbirth, thanks to our gigantic brains needing heads big enough to hold 'em). And this harrowing scene, with her terrified family looking on in horror and disbelief, just DESTROYS ME. I mean, I'm not an emotional person, as a rule. I can stand to see Bing-Bong fade away, Anna freeze over and Elsa mourn her, Mufasa die, the barracuda eat up Nemo's mother and siblings, and even Grave of the Fireflies doesn't hit me that hard. My friend once remarked that I was a "man of stone", as my face didn't even chance expression while watching one of the many WWE "We Remember--" shows when Eddie Guerrero's best friends openly break into tears thinking about their recently-deceased friend. But this scene? I can't even THINK about this scene too hard without going into the "NO-- NO-- NO I'M GOOD. I'M FINE" holding-it-back thing guys always do.
-It's just absolutely terrifying- Dr. Clarkson warns the family about eclampsia, but he's ignored in favor of some visiting Doctor because he's been knighted and more upper-class. Sybil survives a difficult birth and looks at her daughter... only to go into seizures that night, dying in violent agony while Robert just LOSES IT at Dr. Knight, who just stutters ("the-the human body is a mysteriou--" "You were SO SURE!!"). Poor Tom pleads with his wife "Don't leave me!" and Cora just goes "please please please please please" and... and then all goes quiet and she's gone. And you see the family just destroyed. Even the staff is mortified (Carson: "I've... I've known her since she was BORN..."), and when freaking THOMAS BARROW and THE DOWAGER COUNTESS break down in tears, you know you've watched something special.
-A lot of people didn't care as much for Series Three (it's when the show got the rep for killing off characters, since Sybil bought it a few episodes in, and Matthew died at the end), but for a TV show to accomplish a scene like this is truly remarkable. Death is of course such a primal fear (and it was SO CLOSE to people's minds in this era- medicine wasn't so great and the Great War had wiped out a generation)- it's probably why so many hackneyed novels and children's books just deal with the death of someone close. But in television, you know these people for YEARS, so it always hits much harder than just one single novel or a movie or something. And to have it happen to the NICEST PERSON IN THE HOUSE... it's one of those reminders that something so brutally unfair can happen to anyone for no reason.
-Lady Sybil isn't much physically, but she's the most-courageous of the Crawley Family- just think: The daughter of a wealthy Earl living in IRELAND? During the 1920s? And she's not afraid to tell the family to piss off, either. Mary once admits that of them all, only Sybil had the ability to reject the family's wishes entirely.

BRANSON (Tom Branson)
Role:
Soapbox Sadie, The Activist, The Outsider
Played By: Allen Leech
PL 1 (30), PL 3 (30) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Chauffer) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Politics) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 1 (+2)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Sybil)- Tom fell in love with the political young Sybil quickly, and pressed on, despite their class differences. They married despite all of society (both his and hers) going against them, but remained happy. Her death left him shattered.
Responsibility (Activism)- Tom was at first a socialist, prone to ranting about social inequality at all times. Once he became a member of the family, this only increased in scope, annoying pretty much everyone. He retains a bit of this fervor, even now that he's grown to care for the Crawley family.
Relationship (The Crawleys)- Tom initially just amused the family with his political activism, but it almost cost him his job once. When he became a member of the family, he spent hours just harranguing them over inequality, becoming a major nuisance. When he left a pregnant Sybil in Ireland during a criminal case (Tom's associates had burned down a wealthy family's home), it INFURIATED Robert. Eventually, when Tom is left alone in the house raising his daughter, he comes to truly love the family. Both Mary & Edith come to lean on him in times of trouble, and he takes a great interest in Mary recovering after Matthew's death.
Relationship (Sybbie)- Tom adores his young daughter, even ghoulishly naming her after his late wife.
Relationship (Miss Bunting)- Tom has a flirtation with a young teacher who's also an activist, but her insane ravings against the family drive them apart. Seriously though, Bunting is like a strawman of left-wingers.
Responsibility (Ireland)- Tom loves Ireland dearly, but is no longer allowed there (Robert pulled some strings to avoid Tom being imprisoned).

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (30)

-Branson was a huge part of the series, and I don't know how Series Six will go without him. He was meant to showcase both The Troubles (Fellowes notes that despite all that's going on in the world, the headlines in England were dominated by the talk of Ireland) and what happens during an Inter-Class Romance, and arrives at Downton as an Irish chauffer with an interest in politics (in a cute bit, this amuses Robert greatly). But he gets into trouble when he preaches against social inequality downstairs (remember, he's the servant of the RICH ARISTOCRACY), and when he furthers Lady Sybil's interest in politics. He's also treated as a bit of a doofus at times (I don't imagine Fellowes is sympathetic to the Irish Cause, nor Tom's Socialism)- there's even a handful of scenes where it's made clear he's in the wrong, and often hopelessly-naiive (he laughingly tells the others than the Reds "won't hurt" the Russian Royal Family during the end of the Russian Civil War)- with his passionate fervor combined with his lack of common sense, he comes off as a First-Year College Student who assumes he knows everything. Still a fun character, though- his types drive conflict, which makes things interesting without going over-the-top evil (like say, Barrow & O'Brien's schemes do).
-But the MAIN part of Branson's story comes when he falls in love with the Lady Sybil, often staring at her or holding her hand for inappropriately-long periods of times. Mrs. Hughes warns him off, and eventually the other sisters see the two canoodling behind-the-scenes. This flirtation suddenly turns into "Well we're in LOVE, so we MUST run away!" from Tom, which would ruin the relationship in any other show, but the chemistry of the two actors makes it more of a minor hiccup. They meet & argue about eloping several times over the course of the second Series, which comes off as odd when you realize that it takes place over the ENTIRE WAR (so they're literally having these conversations months apart), and eventually confess to the family that they're getting married. Robert, Violet & Cora are naturally COMPLETELY astonished.
-Now, these kind of relationships were rare, but not entirely unknown- it was considered somewhat of a risk of this kind of life- putting dozens of young men & women to work in a house with other young people living with the family. Quickie marriages and people eloping were definitely SCANDALOUS, however, and the families usually took great pains to put a stop to it before anything happened (this is actually why a lot of young men were sent away to academies like Eton- hiring a pretty young maid as the future Lord came of age a few rooms down was generally seen as a bad idea). And so we discover the pratfalls of such a lifestyle choice here, as Tom doesn't fit in, often lectures people inappropriately, and even puts Sybil in DANGER, when she's left alone in Ireland while he runs from the law after a rally went badly. He pisses off pretty much everybody, though Violet is able to reign him in (in a hilarious scene, she forces Tom to wear an outfit more fitting an aristocrat)- she realizes that it is now more important to keep up appearances, and that it must now APPEAR to the public that Tom has been accepted by the family. After all, she can't undo them marrying NOW.
-When Sybil dies shortly after giving birth, a heartbroken Tom is left in the house, an outsider in his own home. His daughter still living there, and him unable to leave for Ireland, he ends up in a big mess, as he nearly hooks up with a maid (who later returns, causing all sorts of fuss when she seduces a drunk Tom, who can only weakly plead Mrs. Hughes for help while he stands uselessly to the side). Still missing Sybil terribly (in a great scene, he breaks down in front of Mrs. Hughes over it), he tries to move on. Finally coming to terms with the family and drawing back the rhetoric, he becomes the Estate Manager. A relationship with a Miss Bunting starts promisingly, but goes badly as she can absolutely NOT stop making a scene every time she's with the family (making even ROBERT lose his temper). It does, however, convince him to try his luck in America, and make a new life there. Robert, who's come to appreciate Tom (and LOVE little Sybbie), is disappointed, and Mary (who has leaned on Tom greatly following Matthew's death) is heartbroken.
-Tom is a bit capable at things, and rather Skilled, but not as much as he thinks. He's naiive about the real world, and life goes out to humiliate him sometimes (he's wrong about the intentions of the Bolsheviks holding the Romanovs, and when he plans on making a big show of his refusal to fight in the War... it turns out he has an irregular heartbeat, and can't be drafted anyways!).

ANNA (Anna Bates, nee Smith)
Role:
The Saint
Played By: Joanne Froggatt
PL 0 (18), PL 3 (18) Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Lady's Maid) 7 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Mr. Bates)- Anna fell for the mysterious Mr. Bates quickly, and has defended him against all threats, including prison.
Relationship (The Lady Mary)- Anna's boss is also her closest friend- Mary will defend her to the death, and Anna has taken great risks to defend Mary.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (18)

-Anna is a great little character, though her relationship with Bates means she gets involved in a lot of tiresome storylines. She's cute, terribly-friendly and doesn't judge anyone, yet is tough as nails- coming off like the Japanese "Yamate Nadeshiko" archetype of "The Ideal Wife". Silk Hiding Steel, and all that. She falls for Mr. Bates quickly, and eventually has to defend his freedom when he's accused of murdering his wife. In Series Four, she suffers a horrible rape at the hands of Mr. Green, the valet of one of Mary's paramours, and we have to deal with the mystery of Green's death for a million episodes (more or less)- though most characters are left in mystery, so we don't get into the troubles of rape victims in those times (a friend's Great Grandmother was raped in the '30s, and ended up being treated as a social pariah because of it- I can't imagine Anna's fate would be that much kinder). She does end up going through a phase where she won't let Bates touch her, and acts way too mysterious- until he demands the truth from Mrs. Hughes, he thinks she's about to leave him.
-Because she's such a nice person, there just isn't much to talk about with poor Anna :). Pretty much proof about flawed characters being better for the narrative. Everyone loves Anna, though.

BATES (John Bates)
Role:
Bad Story Magnet, Mr. Morality, Mystery Man
Played By: Brendan Coyle
PL 3 (50), PL 5 (50) Saves
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 6 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Valet) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Anna)- Bates grew to love Anna quickly, but wanted to keep her at arm's length due to his marriage to Vera. Eventually all that was settled- they are incredibly-devoted to each other.
Relationship (Lord Grantham)- Bates & Robert were old comrades in arms during the Boer War, and are very devoted to each other (they are, in fact, each other's best friend). Bates would do anything to prevent scandal from reaching the family.
Enemy (Various)- Bates has attracted numerous enemies- the ambitious Thomas Barrow, the vindictive Vera Bates (his wife, whom he had dragged down with him into alcoholism and theft, for which he is guilty and she is bitter), and Mr. Green, who raped Anna.
Responsibility (Strong Morals)- Bates has a ludicrously-harsh set of morals- refusing to back down from them. He feels stuck with Vera even though she's a shrew, because he feels he made her that way. He doesn't get Thomas sacked for theft, and almost loses his job over it (when Thomas instead blames Bates first).
Secret (Many Things)- Bates harbors more secrets than Wolverine. He was once imprisoned as a thief, was once an alcoholic, and was married- this all strikes his closest friends as a shock, because they'd never heard.
Disabled/Prejudice (Cripple)- Bates has a bad leg, causing him to limp and require a cane- he cannot do a full valet's duties (such as serve at the table), and this nearly costs him his job before it even starts. Society also looks upon the crippled with a bit of disdain in this time period.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (50)

-Bates is a very important character to the series, and actually a very good one (a man torn between his strong morality and his incredible rage), though I find him to be INCREDIBLY-tiresome, thanks entirely to him being a magnet for stupid, overly-drawn-out stories. Many of which are only drawn out because he won't do the obvious thing, or gets himself into trouble. He starts off as this mysterious new valet- a crippled old "batman" of the Earl's from the Boer War. He nearly loses his job immediately over this (Carson, as the butler, has as much say as His Lordship over male hires, and so Robert nearly lost the fight over Bates), but Robert relents and says "it just doesn't seem right, Bates." He & Robert are close friends (Robert shares his grief over losing his unborn son only with his valet- an Englishman CRYING is a rare sight indeed), and soon even the pretty young Head Housemaid Anna falls for him.
-Bates stubbornly refuses to be with her, only in the end revealing that he's married. Vera Bates is a horrible, HORRIBLE shrew, but Bates brings up his annoyingly-strong sense of morality- he feels responsible for her being so harsh, because he dragged her down with him into thievery. And so Bates vanishes during much of Series Two, stuck with Vera. Vera soon commits suicide when he leaves her, but has Bates framed for her murder, and he's nearly hanged. We spend the ENTIRETY of Series Three in a dreadful storyline in which Anna tries to clear his name using investigative skills and questioning of the "witnesses" (some of whom are lying for whatever reason), and the two have to meet and have horrible "whispering" conversations in the early-20th-century prison. Seriously, this went on FOREVER, and was the least-interesting part of that series. And then, when poor Anna is raped in Series Four, Bates glowers over it endlessly, and then Mr. Green, the rapist, turns up dead! But then we get EPISODE AFTER EPISODE of police detective work, interviews, confessions, false confessions, and more, with Bates, then Anna, charged with murder. Like, do the police have nothing BETTER to do than to follow up on this endlessly, asking one question at a time, for months?
-Seriously, almost every Bates Story ends up sucking and going on for way too long, all because Fellowes feels there needs to be SOME conflict, and that happy couples are boring (this is probably why Robert & Cora have to have one major tiff each Series- he flirts with a maid while she ignores him over the convalescent home; they feud over Robert causing Sybil's death with his poor judgement; Cora flirts with an art lover; etc.). They just DOMINATE things- he was really only tolerable in the first Series. And it's too bad, because Bates is a GOOD CHARACTER- a man twisted by his sense of duty and honor, yet also possessing of a horrible temper (one of Fellowes' notes in the script says "Thomas jokes, but Bates is ready to murder").
-Bates is a powerful fighter (he could probably beat Thomas to death; and scares his cellmate in prison), wise and noble, but crippled. He probably would have made a life in the army until his old war wound took a turn for the worse.

DOCTOR CLARKSON (Dr. Richard Clarkson)
Role:
Small Country Doctor
Played By: David Robb
PL 0 (14), PL 1 (14) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Treatment 4 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (People's Health)
Responsibility (Ethics)- Dr. Clarkson believes strongly in his ethics, and doesn't want to lie to people about matters of health, even if it will soothe their consciences.
Reputation (Often Wrong)- Though few mention this, Dr. Clarkson has a tendency to misdiagnose things.
Relationship (Isobel Crawley)- Though he was annoyed with her interventions for a while, he ended up appreciating her company, and casually implied he wanted to marry her- she turned him down gently.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 0 (14)

-David Robb does a good job as Dr. Clarkson, but as Fellowes notes, it's a bit unfortunate that his job, for plot reasons, is often to misdiagnose problems. It makes him look a bit silly when he basically says that Matthew will be crippled and flaccid for his entire life, only for Matthew to pop up one day and Clarkson's all "oh well it was just a bruised spine then; I was overly-cautious and didn't want you to get your hopes up". His role is sort of funny when you think about it- more of a means for Isobel to get involved a lot. He's the local Doctor in the town by Downton Abbey, and Isobel, a former nurse, is assigned as one of the trustees as a peace offering from the Crawleys. Isobel thinks herself an expert, and annoys Clarkson a lot, but both end up becoming very important during the War when the Abbey is turned into a convalescent home. His most-important moment, however, is when he tried to warn the Crawleys that he needed to do a C-Section on Sybil to avoid eclampsia, he's unable to convince them. This is pretty much what leads to Sybil's death, but the Dowager Countess has him lie to Cora & Robert (who are feuding over Robert's insistence on believing another Doctor over Clarkson, who knew the family), stating that Sybil would have died anyways. It takes him a long while to be convinced.

[Lady Mary is saying goodbye to Sir Richard at the station]
Sir Richard Carlisle: I want you to marry me.
Lady Mary Crawley: Why?
Sir Richard Carlisle: Because I think very highly of you.
Lady Mary Crawley: "Very highly". Goodness.
Sir Richard Carlisle: I mean it. I think we'd do well together. We could be a good team.
Lady Mary Crawley: Now that sounds better. But I can't help thinking that tradition demands a *little* mention of love.
Sir Richard Carlisle: Oh I can talk about "love" and "moon" and "June" and all the rest of it if you wish. But we're more than that. We're strong and sharp, and we can build something worth having, you and I, if you'll let us.
Lady Mary Crawley: Your proposal is improving by leaps and bounds. You must give me some time, but I promise to think about it - properly.
Sir Richard Carlisle: I'm counting on it.
[Sir Richard doffs his hat to Lady Mary and gets on the train]

"You make me sound rude and I hope I'm not that. I mean to learn how to do things properly and you could help me a lot. But I'm not ashamed of being what they call a self-made man. I'm proud of it."

SIR ROBERT CARLISLE
Role:
Obstructionist Love Interest
Played By: Iain Glen
PL 1 (37), PL 2 (37) Saves
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Newspaperman) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 4 (+8)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Persuasion 5 (+5)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Wealth), Contacts, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Greed & Status)- Carlisle is Nouveau Riche, and wants the finest things in life.
Prejudice (Nouveau Riche)- The snobs of the old guard look down on the newly-wealthy sorts like Carlisle, seeing his sort as poseurs unworthy of their class.
Relationship (The Lady Mary)- The two somewhat need each other- Richard can keep her name out of the papers, and she can bring him legitimacy to the aristocrats. But they have no real love for each other, and in fact can be quite resentful, though Richard admits in the end that "I loved you more than you will ever know."

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (37)

-A wealthy newspaper magnate, Carlisle comes into the second Series of Downton Abbey as Lady Mary's new fiance. But in the great tradition of such things, he's your "Obstructionist Love Interest", like Paolo from Friends (who once lent his name to the TV Trope for such characters). Though you could theoretically be sympathetic to him (he is 100% CORRECT to be jealous Mary's relationship with Matthew- such instincts are rarely false in real life, I've found), he turns into such a douche over the series that it's hard to be. Pretty much every time somebody makes a comment, Carlisle has to be all "Well that's now how I'D do it!", even interjecting in Downton's traditions like the Servant's Ball. It doesn't help that he & Mary seem so at odds, despite being of the same mind (severe, uncompromising, controlling, vicious people).
-As time goes on, we find out he's a blackmailer, a rabble-rouser (he started the "Marconi Scandal" off of information he receieved from a debtor- Lavinia Swire's father), and more- he buys up the house of a rich family who lost it, planning to start a new life there with The Lady Mary (as a commoner done good, his only hope at being accepted into society is with an artisocrat's daughter). He even does a service to the family by paying off Vera Bates not to reveal the scandal Mary had with that Turkish fellow. But he's frequently punished for being so uncouth (he calls Aunt Rosamund "The Lady Painswick" when Painsick is her last name, not her Title), and ultimately we gain little sympathy for him. One day, Matthew assaults him in the home for saying the now-dead Lavinia knew Matthew never loved her, and he leaves their lives forever. He doesn't even get a tiny bit of dignity on the way out; he confesses to Cousin Violet, "I'm leaving in the morning, Lady Grantham- I doubt we'll meet again." And the Dowager Countess can only hopefully reply "Do you PROMISE?"
-Richard is a wealthy Self-Made Man, and thus has a different set of Skills than many characters on this show- newspapers back in the day were BIG BUSINESS, and their owners were some of the richest of the "newly rich" in the world.

THE TOP TWENTY-ONE LINES FROM THE DOWAGER COUNTESS:

Matthew: "But what do I tell Cousin Violet?"
Robert: "Don't worry about that- *I* can handle HER..."
Violet: *walks in* "OH REALLY?" *both men shoot up, looking terrified* "Well then you must have learned to VERY recently!"

---

Robert: "I thought you didn't like him."
Violet: "So what? I have plenty of friends I don't like!"

---

Mary: "Oh Grandma, must you be so contrary?"
Violet: "I'm a WOMAN, Mary! I can be as contrary as I CHOOSE to be!"

---

"Of course it would happen to a foreigner. No Englishman would dream of dying in someone else's house."

---

Evelyn Napier: "Is this your first experience of jazz, Lady Crawley?"
Violet: "Oh, is that what it is?"
[pause]
Violet: "Do you think that any of them know what the others are playing?"

---

"One can't go to pieces at the death of every foreigner. We'd all be in a constant state of collapse whenever we opened a newspaper."

---

Violet: "I'm so looking forward to seeing your mother again. When I'm with her I'm reminded of the virtues of the English."
Matthew: "Isn't she American?"
Violet: "Exactly."

---

Isobel Crawley: "How you hate to be wrong."
Violet: "I wouldn't know, I'm not familiar with the sensation."

---

The Duchess: "I'm afraid I must be going."
Branson: *gets up* "Of course, Your Grace..."
Violet: *walking up as the Duchess leaves* "Don't call her 'Your Grace'- call her 'Duchess'..."
Branson: "WHY? I don't call YOU 'Countess'!"
Violet: *horrified* "Well I should certainly hope not!"
Branson: "I don't understand! There's no logic in it!"
Violet: "If I were to ever search for logic I wouldn't look for it among the English upper class!"

---

[William has only a few hours to live, after being gravely wounded in France. Lady Violet wants the local vicar to marry William and Daisy]
Reverend Travis: "This boy is in extremis. How can we know that these are his true wishes? Maybe the kitchenmaid somehow hopes to catch at an advantage."
Violet: "What advantage would that be?"
Reverend Travis: "Some widow's dole given by a grateful nation."
Violet: "Mr Travis, may I remind you? William Mason has served our family well. At the last he saved the life, if not the health, of my son's heir. Now he wishes, before he dies, to marry his sweetheart."
Reverend Travis: "Yes, but..."
Violet: "You cannot imagine that we would allow you to prevent this happening in case his widow claimed her dole?"
Reverend Travis: "No, but..."
Violet: "I have had an interest in this boy. I tried, and failed, to save him from conscription, but I will certainly attend his wedding. Is that an argument in its favour?"
Reverend Travis: "Of course, but..."
Violet: "Finally I would point out, your living is in Lord Grantham's gift. Your HOUSE is on Lord Grantham's land and the very flowers in your church are from Lord Grantham's garden. I hope it is not vulgar in me to suggest that you find some way to overcome your scruples!"

---

Violet: "No doubt you will regard this as rather unorthodox, my pushing into a man's bedroom, uninvited."
Matthew Crawley: "Well, um..."
Violet: "It's just I don't want us to be disturbed. [she sits down] I'm sure you know how pleased I am that you will recover after all."
Matthew Crawley: "Thank you.
Violet: "Just as I am delighted that you can once more look forward to a...to a happy married life."
Matthew Crawley: "I'm very lucky."
Violet: "Now, this may come as a surprise but I feel I must say it all the same."
Matthew Crawley: "Please do."
Violet: "Mary is still in love with you."
Matthew Crawley: "What?"
Violet: "I was watching her the other night when you spoke of your wedding. She looked like Juliet on awakening in the tomb."
Matthew Crawley: "Mary and I have always had..."
Violet: "Of course, I suspected long ago that the flame hadn't quite gone out, but then there was no chance of your recovery and it seemed best to let her try for happiness where she could."
Matthew Crawley: "I quite agree, and Sir Richard is..."
Violet: "No, now let's not muddy the pool by discussing Sir Richard. The point is you loved her once. Are you sure you can't love her again?"
Matthew Crawley: "Cousin Violet, please don't think I mind your speaking to me in this way. I quite admire it. But consider this: Lavinia came back, against my orders, determined to look after me for the rest of my life, which meant that she would wash me and feed me and do things that only the most dedicated nurse would undertake, and all with no hope of children or any improvement."
Violet: "Yes, yes, it's all very admirable. And I give her full credit."
Matthew: "And giving her that credit, do you think it would be right for me to throw her over because I can walk? To dismiss her because I no longer have need of her services?"
Violet: "Spoken like a man of honor, and we will not fall out over this."
Matthew Crawley: But you don't agree."
Violet: "I would just say one thing. Marriage is a long business. There's no getting out of it for our kind of people. Now, you may live 40, 50 years with one of these two women. Just make sure you have selected the right one."

---

"What-what is a 'week-end'?"

---

"Don't be defeatist, dear. It's very middle class."

---

*to Robert, her adult son* "When you talk like that, I'm tempted to ring for Nanny and have you put to bed with no supper."

---

Violet: "Does this mean you won't be presented next month?"
Sybil: "Certainly not. Why should it?"
Violet: "I doubt I'd expect to curtsey to Their Majesties in June, if I'd been arrested at a riot in May. But of course I'm old. Things may be different now."

---

"In these moments, you can normally find an ITALIAN who isn't too picky." *about the scandaliz with Lady Mary*

---

Tom: "They turned everyone out of the castle. Lord and Lady Dromgoole, their sons and all the servants. And then they set fire to it."
Edith: "What a tragedy."
Violet: "Well, rather yes and no – that house was hideous. Of course, that is no excuse."

---

Carson: "Hard work and diligence weigh more than beauty in the real world."
Violet: "... If only that were true."

---

Isobel: "Were you a very involved mother with Robert and Rosamund?"
Violet: "Does it surprise you?"
Isobel: "A bit. I'd imagined them surrounded by nannies and governesses, being starched and ironed to spend an hour with you after tea."
Violet: "Yes, but it was an hour EVERY DAY."

---

Richard: "I'll be leaving in the morning, Lady Grantham- I doubt we'll meet again."
Violet: "... Do you PROMISE?"

---

Violet: *nearly falls off her chair* "My goodness, what am I sitting on?"
Matthew: "Uh- swivel... chair."
Violet: "Oh, another modern brainwave?"
Matthew: "Not really- they were invented by Thomas Jefferson." *Dan Stevens starts corpsing. This was the best take.*
Violet: "*sigh*... why must every day involve a FIGHT with an AMERICAN...?"



*They're discussing the death of Mr. Pamuk, who passed away in Lady Mary's bed.*
Violet: "Now, I've been thinking. I confess I do not know if I'd have had the strength, mentally or physically, to carry a CORPSE the length of this house... But I HOPE I would have done." *Cora is astonished* "You were quite right. When something bad hapepns, there is no point in wishing it had NOT happened. The only option is to minimize the damage."
Cora: "Or try to. But if the Flintshires have got hold of it--"
Violet: "I've written to Susan. I said it was a story made up by Mr. Pamuks's enemies to discredit him. Even if she doesn't believe me, she won't tell in case it reflects badly on her. The Ambassador's dangerous, but how many people REALLY go to the Turkish Embassy?"
Cora: "It only takes one."
Violet: "Very well. There's nothing to be done about that- we can't have him ASSASSINATED." *disappointed pause* "I suppose."


THE DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM (The Lady Violet Crawley)
Role:
Everyone's Favorite Character, Honest Old Lady, The Quipper
Played By: Dame Maggie Smith
PL 0 (35), PL 4 (35) Skills & Saves
STRENGTH
-2 STAMINA -2 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Nobility) 12 (+14)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Insight 8 (+12)
Persuasion 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Status & Wealth), Contacts, Daze (Persuasion), Taunt

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge -2 (DC 8), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness -2, Fortitude +0, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Downton)- The Dowager controlled Downton for thirty years, and has a vested interest in its continuing. She is guaranteed to interject into anyone debating Downton's future.
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject. And Violet is the Queen of these rules.
Responsibility (Superiority of the Nobility)- Though Violet does not mistreat the lower classes (and in fact can be rather kind to them), she is absolutely-convinced of the inherent superiority of the aristocracy. She does not like "the little people" gaining power as "it always goes STRAIGHT to their heads like strong drink!", and finds it absurd that somebody would not love to serve the wealthy. She "forbids" Downton's turn into a convalescent home, fearing that strangers will walk off with the spoons. She is horrified by the idea of all Downton going to some "bricklayer from God Knows Where!"
Responsibility (Appearances)- Everything is about appearance for the Dowager Countess. When her granddaughter ran off with the chauffer, rather than try to fix or ignore it, she simply insisted that it appear that Branson had been "accepted by the family"- he would appear with them in public, dress like they did, and more.
Responsibility (A Changing World)- Violet senses the world changing even more acutely than the other Crawleys, as she's been mourning the death of her era for decades.
Obsession (Criticizing Others)- Like most old women, Violet enjoys nothing more than correcting the behavior of others.
---
Relationship (Robert- Son)- Violet is tougher and smarter than her son, and frequently lets him know it- a scolding from her is a frightening occurence, and dealing with her leaves him exhausted.
Relationship (Cora- Daughter-In-Law)- Violet & Cora did not see eye-to-eye for years- Cora was an AMERICAN of all things, however important her money was to saving Downton. And then she went and birthed only daughters. However, the two became "allies", as Violet put it, when Robert's heirs died and a commoner was made the future Earl, and they wished to destroy the "entail" that left Matthew the family's money.
Relationship (Rosamund- Daughter)- Rosamund is a spirited woman, and basically tries to act as much like Violet as possible (ie. imperious, intrusive and snobbish), but so much less worthy that Violet essentially browbeats her into submission. Rosamund is one of the few people who can scold Violet, but she doesn't have the strength to go toe-to-toe with her own mother (it doesn't help that Violet can read her like a book). Violet also never approved of Rosamund marrying a wealthy commoner, rather than someone in their class, and still makes fun of her late son-in-law.
Relationship (Granddaughters)- Violet gives her granddaughters stern lectures on a constant basis, and constantly-criticizes their fashion choices, lifestyle choices, and even their manners. However, she was left shattered by the death of Sybil, and made sure to aid a mourning Mary following the death of Matthew.
Relationship (Isobel)- The two were rivals immediately, with Isobel being a fussbudget out to "change" everything with reformations, while Violet fights for the old ways. Eventually, after years of trading quips and barbs, they came to see each other as true friends, to the point where Violet even admitted she would MISS Isobel if she went off to marry her paramour!
---
Responsibility (Unsentimental)- Violet would rather die that let others see her as sympathetic or kind-hearted. She didn't want anyone to know that she'd turned down an award for "Best Bloom" and just given it to the Molesleys (even though absolutely nobody in the entire town would have dared cross the Dowager in such a way as to vote for someone else), and pretended that was how the voting went down. When she gives another a word of encouragement, it's only in private- NEVER in front of others.
Responsibility (The Servants)- Though she finds herself superior to the "little people", Violet will absolutely defend those who serve the family- she tried to keep the men in the house from being sent off to war, and failing that, came to William's defense when he was refused being moved to his hometown to die. When poor Molesley falls on hard times, it's VIOLET of all people who fights to give him work.
Responsibility (The Royal Family)- His Highness is basically like a God to Violet- she actually rises from her chair upon hearing his voice on the RADIO.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (35)

-There are a few utterly-pointless questions out there in the universe, but easily the most-pointless of them is "Who is your favorite character on Downton Abbey?" There is simply no other option than the imperious Dowager Countess, played with rapier-like wit of Dame Maggie Smith.
-The Dowager Countess (based off of Fellowes' Great Aunt, who actually uttered the famous "what is a week-end?" line) is introduced to us in full mourning- a black dress plumed in black feathers- after the deaths of the two heirs to the Earl of Grantham, a move Julian Fellowes declared to make her look as much like the "Dark Fairy Maleficent" as humanly-possible. She is intimidating and frightful, declares her sorrow at the death of one of the two, but in a moment that ensures we don't think of her as a sentimental woman, announces casually that she won't miss the boy's father- "He was too much like his mother, and a nastier woman never drew breath." Fellowes gives her all of the best lines, but notes that Dame Maggie Smith is such a talented actress that she can pick out exactly why a line is funny, and figure out how to make a funny line BETTER- a rare quality in an actor.
-The Dowager is a sarcastic, blunt, easily-annoyed, easily-shocked woman who is nonetheless in complete control of the family at times, being able to boss around Robert, Cora and others- or at least put the fear of God into them. There's a GREAT scene where she convinces Sybil's chauffer/Irish Revolutionary husband Tom to dress in the manner of the aristocracy. He makes a big show of how he views this as a sign of the "gulf" between the rich and the poor, and how he refuses to be part of such a system... at which point she bluntly says "Are you quite DONE?" and tells him to freaking get dressed! And when Matthew walks in and observes this, he's all "What, and he gets no say in the matter?", Violet simply replies "No, and neither do you." Both men simply stare at her, then each other... then get dressed. Because you don't screw with the Dowager.
-Much of the series involves her reaction to somebody doing something shocking and "modern" (Sybil's revolutionary ideas being chief among them), and her barbs in response. She doesn't ALWAYS get her way, however- she is unable to prevent Sybil's activism (or marrying a chauffer), Edith from becoming a journalist ("will she be asked to sing on stage next?"), or Cora from turning Downton into a convalescent home during the War (something that happened with the real Highclere Castle). But none of them will be able to avoid her wit.
-Her relationships with every character are amusing- she still bosses around her son, and frequently-insults her daughter (Rosamund tries very much to act like Violet, but isn't as capable, and is thus eaten alive by Violet's quips). Cora has been dealing with her for years, and there's a lot of mileage out of her displeasure with her granddaughters' life choices. She doesn't like the idea of Matthew, but finds him acceptable as a human being- correctly-guessing that he can be trusted to ensure that the dreaded "entail" can NOT, in fact, be broken. She & Isobel are natural opposites, which is why it's awesome that they always hang out with each other and trade verbal jabs. Even her relations with the staff are classic- she & Carson represent the Old Guard, and are thus of the same mind on many things (I loved them comforting each other over Sybil's death). She is protective of both William and poor old Molesley, trying to avoid them being sent off to War, and when William is on his deathbed, she's not above threatening the local Vicar if he doesn't allow the boy to marry his sweetheart. As a Dowager, she is afforded great status and respect.
-And of course, her harshness and lack of sentiment is what allows her rare moments of emotion to be the best in the series- like Carson, when VIOLET breaks her scruples, it means something. When she openly-tears up at William's wedding, and Sybil's death, it means more than if the weepier characters do it. When she confides in Mary that "I'm your grandmother, and I LOVE you", you realize that she's never said words like that on the series before! And even VIOLET is unafraid to convince others of the importance of love in marriage. Hell, she even lets Mr. Molesley win the Grantham Cup for "Best Bloom" in the village- but of course refuses to let anyone KNOW she'd done so. As Julian Fellowes himself says- Violet has great power because she has status, and doesn't care whether or not she's liked.
-Violet, though very old (she was ancient by 1912, and the show is now in the mid 1920s!), is among the more-capable Downton Abbey characters, largely through her incredible mind. NOBODY in this show understands people like Violet does- she's pretty much instantly-able to tell when somebody is lying (she easily susses out Rosamund & Edith's plan to have Edith give birth in Switzerland), and figures out people's true nature almost immediately (she doesn't care for what Matthew represents, she recognizes that he's a good person, and even tries to convince Mary to accept Matthew's proposal even when his future is in jeopardy). Her Insight & Persuasion scores are fantastic for the series, and NOBODY can get someone to do something they don't want to like Violet can- her status and the fact that she doesn't care what others think of her give her tremendous power.

Violet's Staff:
* Violet has a bit of staff at the Dower House (as a widow, she's entitled her own home in the village), but we usually don't see much of them. In Series Four, she's convinced by Isobel to take on a poor village boy in the gardens, sacks him when he's suspected of theft... but rehires him and apologizes when she finds out she's wrong. Naturally, she reveals this at the very last moment to a furious Isobel, leading Dr. Clarkson to respond "I believe that's game, set and match to the Dowager Countess of Grantham."
* She has a maid who quits early on to get married ("I was right about my Maid. She's leaving to get married. How can people be so selfish?!"), but Series Five sees the most of her staff, as her butler Spratt (I find it hilarious that one old woman would need a BUTLER, but that's what that lifestyle was like...) feuds with her new Lady's Maid (who turns out to have a dark side, as she's shown inhabiting gambling dens, and trying to pawn off her debts on hapless Footmen). Spratty tries repeatedly to embarrass Denka, including sabotaging her work. The Dowager grows increasingly-tired of this (masters were surprisingly-helpless to keep their servants from each other's throats sometimes), even lying to Spratt to get him to lay off. In this, I believe Fellowes is showing us more of what goes on in those smaller houses when people don't get along- he points out that the lifestyle of a servant was VERY tough if you couldn't get on with your co-workers. In our world, you can GO HOME for the night, and only spend eight hours together. In THEIR world, you were stuck working beside them from dawn till dusk, and then you went to sleep in the same dormitory!
* Spratt is kind of funny- almost the stereotype of the annoying servant, as he kisses the ass of the Dowager, completely ignores non-nobility (he's incredibly-rude to Dr. Clarkson, to the point where even the ULTRA-IMPERIOUS Violet scolds him to "don't be such a snob!"), sabotages Molesley's attempts to impress Lady Anstruther (he thinks Molesley is actually after HIS job), and pisses and moans about his co-workers all the time.

THE LADY ROSE (Rose Maclare)
Role:
The Likeable Cousin Oliver
Played By: Lily James
PL 0 (11), PL 1 (11) Skills & Saves
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Nobility) 2 (+2)
Insight 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit 1 (Status)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Manners of the Nobility)- A member of the upper classes must speak, sit, eat and behave under a very strict regimen of rules. Entire BOOKS are written on the subject. And Violet is the Queen of these rules.
Responsibility (Naiive)- Rose is well-meaning, but often rather clueless about the consequences of her actions.
Relationship (The Crawleys)- Rose likes her temporary-family much more than her ACTUAL one, and occasionall listens to their advice.
Relationship (Father)- Rose loves her father dearly, though "Shrimpy" is often moving around India now that he's lost the family home.
Relationship (Mother)- Susan is one of the biggest sourpusses in the universe, and so horribly-unpleasant that Shrimpy actually DIVORCED her (an astonishing event in 1920s England, especially for the nobility). She even attempts to sabotage her own daughter's wedding by making it seem like Atticus has had an affair.
Relationship (A Few Men)- There was that bit with the black American jazz singer (who ended it, not wanting Rose to suffer for the decision), and she kissed one or two boys on her own (even fooling around with a MARRIED MAN who of course had a "horrible wife"), but has found love with the nice, gullible boy Atticus.

Total: Abilities: 4 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 2 (11)

-Rose is a funny one- a later addition to the series (at the tail end of Series Three), she's basically the Aristrocrat version of those new kids that appeared on the later seasons of The Cosby Show, Married... With Children and others- the writers watch as their characters grow up, and then go "Hey, we need to add a KID again- write some of the good old storylines again!" And so the Granthams meet this cousin we've never seen before, and it turns out that because of some goings-on, she just HAS to move in with Robert & Cora, becoming part of the Downton family! And in so doing, she undergoes a lot of things that used to happen to Sybil & Edith- she's rebellious and screws around, getting into all kinds of mischief. Fellowes says that kind of thing is only acceptable in a younger character- in someone of Edith's age, you'd just be like "GROW UP, YOU IDIOT!"
-The Lady Rose is the daughter of some cousins of the family- the Marquess of Flintshire and his wife. The two were referenced on-and-off in prior Series, usually in a derogatory manner, but the father "Shrimpy" turns out to be much nicer than is implied (this is called "Early Installment Weirdness" on TV Tropes). Rose is their spirited, beautiful young daughter, and as Shrimpy and Susan (a woman so horrible that she gives O'BRIEN competition on "Bitch Mountain") start the process of divorcing and actually LOSE THEIR HOME thanks to the modern times making giant castles unprofitable, Rose has to come and live with Robert and Cora. And MAN, that castle... Duneagle Castle is even MORE IMPRESSIVE than Downton!
-Rose gets into nonsense right off the gate, going out drinking and kissing a local boy, and having an affair with a married man (Rosamund puts a stop to it, pointing out that men like that ALWAYS have stories about how horrible their wives are at home). She ends up engaging in an passionate fling with a BLACK JAZZ SINGER (this sounded ludicrous to some fans, considering the era- but of course it's based off of a real black jazz singer who was actually a big hit with the women in England), but he puts a stop to it when he realizes what it would do to Rose socially if the news got out (Lady Mary is actually somewhat sympathetic- "if we lived in a better world, I wouldn't WANT you to [give up the relationship]"). The singer proved a bit of a sticking point with fans, as he was not only a pretty weak singer, but he spoke in a weird nasal voice that's apparently an affectation British actors use when mimicking Americans- apparently getting an actual "Yank" to play the role was too hard.
-In Series Five, she takes up the cause of some Russians- former nobles booted out by the Bolsheviks, and finds love with the fine, upstanding JEWISH noble Atticus Aldritch (yes there actually were some in England, apparently- though Jews are still quite rare over there, making up 0.5 percent of the population). The family is a bit surprised, but since Cora's father was Jewish (with the VERY Jewish name "Levinson"), they're of course a bit more upstanding. Rose actually comes off a bit more worldly and knowledgeable in Series Five. She's a cutie too- though a bit young. She was well-cast in Disney's Cinderella, so we'll see if that does anything for Lily James' career.
-Rose is a bit daft at first, but comes into her own later on- being young and pretty is a big help, like it would be in real life, though.

xxxx


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)

MATTHEW:


Finally, I would point out, your living is in Lord Grantham's gift. Your living is on Lord Grantham's land and the very flowers in your church are from Lord Grantham's garden. I hope it's not vulgar in me to suggest that you find some way to overcome your scruples.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Dragon Ball Z

Post by Jabroniville »

DRAGON BALL Z:

Yes, I'm finally going to stat up Dragon Ball Z characters. I get that the show has a ton of haters, but the haters should DEFINITELY keep watching, because guess what? I don't think it's a good show, EITHER! And these builds will further establish WHY.

---

Easily one of the biggest parts of the big anime boom in North America was a show called Dragon Ball Z. Akira Toriyama, a minor-league mangaka who'd created a semi-success in Doctor Slump, struck gold when his Dragon Ball series, about a silly little boy with super-strength and a bossy Miss Fanservice techno-genius, came out in Shonen Jump (literally Boy's/Young Man's Jump) in the 1980s. Based on The Journey to the West it became one of the longest-running mangas ever (most last only a couple years, and even the BIG hits are often done in only a few- finite storytelling is one of many things manga typically does differently than Western comics), and eventually, after numerous stories and a lot of goofy stuff, the characters pulled a "Time Skip", moving up in age.

Dragon Ball:
The strip, which was once almost entirely humor-based with a tiny bit of drama (the first enemy was Emperor Pilaf, a pint-sized blue idiot whiner; the allies included a perverted pig, a flying cat and a guy with a pathological fear of talking to women), slowly shifted to more and more drama with the introduction of serious foes like Piccolo Daimon. Initially a minor focus, the martial arts became a big deal, with the first season's Wolf Fang Fist and Kamehameha Wave attacks being joined by various odd, eccentric abilities, many of which were just as silly as the show (example: One fight involves a guy who weaponizes his incredibly-bad B.O. Krillin defeats him when Goku points out that "you don't have a nose!"- Krillin was never drawn with one in the art style. Another battle- Yamcha against the Invisible Man- ends when Krillin flashes Bulma's bare breasts at Master Roshi, causing the old pervert to get a nosebleed that covers the Invisible Man in blood). It adopted the "Shonen Manga" cliche of "two guys fighting while everybody around them comments on the abilities, making every fight take super-long" (something that I thought DBZ originated, but watching some '80s episodes of Saint Seiya showed literally the exact same storytelling technique there, and it's older than THAT, too!).

The initial point of the story was to gather the "Seven Dragon Balls", large orbs that, when combined, would summon a Magical Dragon who would grant one wish. Villains typically wanted immortality or tons of power, while the heroes usually only used it altruistically (the finale of the First Season had Oolong the Pig ask for a pair of girl's panties to prevent Pilaf from getting his wish). Later on, they'd often ask for Resurrection, as somebody important would typically die (at one time, the father of a friend was killed, necessitating a new quest). However, this got dropped to a minor point later on, with people casually wishing for Resurrections to bring back the numerous dead, while the Balls were merely a Macguffin that the villains wanted- the reason why they were there, to justify the endless fights.

Dragon Ball Z:
The Vegeta Saga-
Dragon Ball Z was the title for the updated show with adult characters (the manga continued with the old title), and struck a bit of a major shift change- in the first storyline, a mysterious warrior with powers so godlike that he could take Goku and Piccolo AT ONCE arrives on Earth, and reveals that he is Raditz- the BROTHER of Goku! And also that they're aliens meant to conquer worlds! But then some stuff happens, Raditz dies, and he summons two MORE of their race to Earth, so that they can get the Dragon Balls! And so we get a YEAR-LONG ARC featuring the cast slowly "Training To Get Stronger" (the ultimate Shonen Manga Trope), with Goku (who sacrificed himself to stop Raditz) training with some super-elite trainer in Heaven until the heroes can Resurrect him with the Dragon Balls. Eventually, Nappa and Vegeta arrive, beat most the Z-Fighters to death, and then Nappa gets wiped out by Goku. Vegeta takes matters into his own hands, but is defeated after numerous travails and comebacks.

The Frieza Saga-
With Vegeta beaten, it's revealed that he's actually just a low-end guy in the Space Army of Frieza, who now discovers that there's Dragon Balls on Namek, the planet that spawned Kami-Sama & Piccolo. Vegeta wants power for himself, and so opposes his boss, going up against various D-bags in his army (Dodoria, Zarbon, The Ginyu Force), even allying with Gohan & Krillin to those ends. But then Goku (who has recovered from the last Saga) arrives, and quickly curbstomps all the bad guys. Frieza shows up, and goes through four different forms in a massive battle (in which he kills Krillin and easily beats Vegeta, Piccolo & Gohan), until Goku reveals that he is apparently the Ultimate Super-Saiyan of Legend, gaining yellow hair and a superior power level- he handily defeats Frieza.

The Cell Saga-
Vegeta is now a sort-of-ally, living on Earth, and then his SON FROM THE FUTURE shows up, in the uber-'90s Sword-Wielding hero, Trunks. He reveals that two powerful Androids will show up and kill everyone soon. So the heroes go through lots of training (AGAIN), until they find two DIFFERENT Androids, and then someone named Cell shows up, wipes out the two Androids we're supposed to be afraid of, and becomes Perfect Cell- our actual Final Boss. Stuff happens (most of the non-Saiyans become irrelevant here), Goku dies saving the heroes, and Gohan levels up to Super-Saiyan Level 2 (called "Super-Saiya-Jin" in Japan, so fans often shorten it to "SSJ"- particuarly-elitist Western fans are known to use "Super Saiya-jin" anyways) and saves the day.

The Buu Saga-
Goku returns from Heaven in a huge battle that involves a lot of goofy stuff and more (a big time-skip reveals his second son, Goten; as well as a modern-day-born Trunks). I'm the least-familiar with this one, having stopped watching before it came out here.

The Movies-
A ton of these were made, and typically don't fit properly into continuity, similar to the Sailor Moon movies. You'll have characters like Future Trunks around where they don't fit in, somebody alive who should be dead, etc. They're just kinda there for fun. And typically it's all just a giant brawl. Less stalling than you normally see in the show, of course.

Dragon Ball GT-
-GT is a bit notorious, as it was made without Toriyama's involvement, and is considered non-canon. It features "Goku as a Kid" after he's been de-aged by old enemy Emperor Pilaf thanks to the Dragon Balls. Things go way off the rails when Goku & Vegeta unlock a FOURTH level of Super-Saiyan that turns them fuzzy and red, there's Golden Apes, and then they have to fight a bunch of Dragons. I'm not really doing much from this version of the setting.

The Legacy:
The show was a HUGE smash hit- even now, coming back to Japan in 2015, I was amazed to see that literally every store that sold manga/anime Otaku stuff sold Dragon Ball Z as much as anything. The only thing bigger was the current smash, One Piece (itself inspired by DBZ). It was a BIG hit for an anime in the U.S., though it was stymied by the "65-episode cartoon" thing, as it ended halfway through the Frieza Saga. It came on the tail of the popular Sailor Moon, and helped inspire a new legion of American Otaku (among other nations)- both are credited with codifying a lot of what even the mainstream media identifies as "Anime Tropes" (Sailor Moon made sweat drops, blue hair and sexy costumed schoolgirls known, while DBZ's biggest icon seems to be the crazy-ass hair).

The influence over comics doesn't seem that great (people see a lot of DBZ in Invincible, with the accelerating power levels, Flying Bricks, and Race of Warriors, but Robert Kirkman insists he's never watched it), unless you blame it for the Power Creep that's afflicted the setting (which really isn't as bad as it was in the Silver Age anyways). However, it was HUGE on the internet, to the point where a major backlash happened, particularly among comic book fans. See, the show was popular for a good while- it was Power Geeking personified, so fans of Superman and his ilk loved it. I knew a ton of people obsessed with it the way I like Frozen and Idina Menzel!

The problem came because BattleBoards were a kind of new thing at the time- WizardWorld.com was then a thing, and featured a SuperHero ShowDown- a board themed around a Tournament the website was running, featuring (what else?) comic book characters fighting each other. Eventually, the board shifted to a generic "____ (vs) _____" theme, where people'd throw out names and everyone would debate (ie. argue and flame each other) over who would win. Geeks would usually end up going for "Batman (w/ Prep Time)" or "Silver Age Superman", but then DRAGON BALL Z showed up. With characters who could shatter moons in the EARLY seasons, and blow up GALAXIES in the later ones, they enacted a whole change in the boards, and became notorious for "Goku (vs) ______" fights now dominating. And, as comic fans typically get a bug up their ass over who would win in a fictional brawl, this led to a LOT of hate coming DBZ's way. I can't say for certain if this is why so many people seem to publicly-hate the series on nerd forums now (I do see a lot of it on various sites- I know several people who won't even watch ANIME because of the show, much less the show itself!), but it's part of it in some of the places *I* visit. An omnipresence and over-use of Goku in Fight Debates seems to have burned a lot of people on the series.

The show's influence is great (though it was hardly original itself- Saint Seiya is an obvious forebear)- The Big Three of Shonen Manga that hit big in Japan and in the States: Naruto, Bleach and One Piece, all point to DBZ as a major influence. It's plainly-obvious in the narrative, the tropes, and the styles of fighting, as well as the target audience (typically barely-pubescent young males): The shows all feature a Main Hero and his Close Male Buddies. As a bunch of shows targetted at young males, women are seen through the spectrum of how little boys see them: either Puerile Fanservice or Whining Nags (sometimes both). Rarely are they effective fighters. Villainous characters often turn into friends once they're defeated. The heroes' powers start small, but they get more and more powerful (usually described as "Getting Stronger") over time, culminating in new Godlike powers as time goes on. The Power Creep is huge- each new villain is exponentially stronger than the last. Heroes frequently take mysterious "New Forms" as time goes on, in a way to get stronger. Everyone spends all their time fighting (the shows are often just called Fighting Manga/Shows), usually one-on-one, with the rest of the cast sitting around commentating, describing the techniques used, and looking shocked at various instances.

Fun Fact: A lot of what we recognize as Shonen Manga tropes come straight from Pro Wrestling. Japanese "Puroresu" features a ton of the "training to get stronger" stuff (Japanese culture puts a HUGE, monolithic focus on "Practice Makes Perfect" and that "With Hard Work Comes Success"), guys training to undo their opponent's specific technique, and more. One of the first, super-iconic Shonen Mangas was Kinnikuman (called MUSCLE over here- it's the one that inspired all those little plastic rubber figures), which was a goofy Comedy Manga about Kaiju that slowly shifted into an All-Pro Wrestling Manga, and a lot of those tropes crossed-over, and inspired what later became common in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, YuYu Hakusho and Dragon Ball Z, among others.

However:
BUT... this show also gets a ton of stuff completly wrong. To the point where it seems like a lot of the successors have gone out of their way to NOT make the same errors! Among them:

1) It's all about Goku, all the time:

* This is probably the biggest annoyance of the show's actual FANS- if you like Gohan, Vegeta or (god help you) Yamcha the best, then f*** you, you're getting ALL GOKU, ALL THE TIME, and you're gonna LIKE it!! Any time a character is given some sort of big shot- a big boost in power to make him the overal strongest character in the setting, then you can bet your ass that by the next bit, Goku will find a way to lap him and become the strongest. Villains are soon curbstomped, rivals are one-upped (Vegeta started off MUCH more powerful than Goku, and soon begins trailing him on a constant basis), and even the Heir Apparent will take a big back seat, so that Goku can become the top guy AGAIN (poor, poor Gohan was the first guy to hit Super-Saiyan Level 2... then everyone gets it).

Part of the problem might be the show's name- if it was just called The Goku Show, or Goku and Friends, then maybe the fans could accept it. But the ambiguous, non-character-specific title means that some people live with this false hope that Gohan will FINALLY permanently-surpass his father, or that Piccolo, the only non-Saiyan worth a damn in the end, could get his big moment. But nope- Goku must always reign supreme. Even TORIYAMA apparently wanted Gohan to become the top dog, but fan response and editorial (who apparently can boss around even a VERY successful creator- mangaka earn big bucks once their series move to "Trade Paperback/Tankobon" format, never mind when they become ANIMES) forced him to put Goku right back on the pedestal.

Later Shonen series would apparently learn from this mistake, and make damn sure that most of the cast found SOME way to be useful. I don't think you see as much of the "The Main Hero is ALWAYS the most-powerful hero, EVER, and the rest of us will never even be close to him" thing, nor do they demote once-important supporting characters to a role of uselessness.

2) Character De-Pushes:

* Even worse than the whole "The Goku Show" thing above, for a lot of fans, is the fact that characters who once took a major role in the festivities are often doomed to become Background Characters. This hits Yamcha the hardest out of the Z-Fighters, as the once-respectable Vigilante/Thief/Antagonist becomes a friendly character, then a secondary fighter, then the LOWEST OF THE GROUP as soon as Dragon Ball Z starts. Chaotzu soon follows him, and eventually even Tien (the guy with some of the most esoteric powers) becomes a useless Sixth Banana, with zero importance to the plot. They're all essentially Filler as soon as The Frieza Saga starts, and eventually even KRILLIN is too under-powered to be useful in a fight.

3) The Saiyans Do Everything:

* It seems that once the Saiyans are introduced as a thing, things spiral out of control. Raditz & Nappa are temporary, but Goku & Vegeta are the biggest characters in The Frieza Saga, and The Cell Saga immediately introduces TRUNKS, who becomes a huge deal. Gohan runs in the "Secondary Character" part of all of this, becoming Top Tier at the end of the Perfect Cell battle. By The Buu Saga, we end up with Goten. So by this point, thanks to #2 above, literally the only characters who can contribute in a meaningful way to fights are Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks & Goten, with Piccolo behind the first three.

This leads to a LOT of Saiyan Overload (especially as the characters all get the same visual design with the giant yellow hair), but it's pretty obvious once you see the models sold in stores: these are by far the most-popular characters. I would bet anything that fan response and Merch Sales basically demanded that Toriyama introduce more and more Saiyans to the cast, and push them at the expense of others. The figurines that sell the best are essentially 100% Saiyans, Frieza and maybe a few Piccolos. The only time you'll see the other characters are with the Mini-Figures, who include EVERYONE, from Goku to Cui to Movie Villains' minions.

4) Everyone Has The Same Powers:

* A big thing in Shonen Manga, going right back to Kinnikuman, is guys with crazy new powers constantly showing up. That manga featured guys who could turn others into sushi, were made out of rockets, etc. Dragon Ball used to have the same thing- with guys using B.O.-based attacks and more. Even FLIGHT was basically a Game-Breaker at first! Chaotzu was a Telekinetic, Tien could split into three bodies, there was the Solar Flare thing, and more. But, after a certain point, all those powers kind of disappeared, and absolutely everyone's powers consisted of Flight, Strength, Super-Speed, Chi Blasts. And Multiple Forms. All of the "DBZ Techniques" are really just "use a Chi Blast, but in a slightly different way". It makes fights a lot more boring and static, since every character is using the same stuff, and the only thing that's important is the actual Power Level of the participants, not things like strategy or weaknesses in styles. It's not until the Buu Saga that we start seeing weird stuff again. And since the show is defined very much by increasing levels of power, you're left with it being VERY obvious who is the absolute #1 guy.

I think a lot of later Shonen Manga changes THIS as well- what little Naruto I've seen features a lot of odd, off-kilter attacks, and One Piece is basically DEFINED by that!

5) Half-Assed Power-Ups:

* As the show became obsessed with more and more Power Geeking, Toriyama seemed to write himself into a corner, not realizing that the characters couldn't even compete until it was too late. And so, to correct his OWN FRIGGIN' MISTAKES, he wrote in a series of increasingly-dumb excuses to randomly POWER PEOPLE UP. This happens again and again- it's discovered that Saiyans magically get more powerful after every time they heal from near-death. The Guru of Planet Namek is able to merely TOUCH Krillin & Gohan to "unlock their hidden potential". Cell arrives, and Kami-Sama reveals that OH WAIT WE HAVE A TIME CHAMBER, and so the characters all spend a year or so in their time (but days in the real-world) sparring until they become vastly more-powerful (and yes, all they do is spar- no tactical or strategic stuff- just Super-Speed Sparring until they're just better fighters at the end). The Super-Saiyan thing, which goes from the first (which eventually everyone gets), to a mid-level form, to a SECOND tier, to SSJ3.

Many of these Power-Ups don't even make SENSE: constant fighting, years of training (Goku was training for ten years and was basically at a Fighting Strength of 330) and more are needed to become super-powerful... yet Videl, Gohan's WIFE, was probably more-powerful having just trained with Gohan for a couple years than FRIEZA ever was! Frieza, the most powerful being in the universe during his arc, is not only trumped a hundredfold by the Androids (who were just BUILT to be tough), but every single hero in the next arc is stronger than he was. Trunks and Goten, who are CHILDREN, are not only dozens of times more powerful than Frieza, but are able to turn SUPER-SAIYAN, and faced none of what Goku, Vegeta & Piccolo had to go through to hit those levels. Half-assed explanations are required for even SOME of this ("I guess since we were Super-Saiyan before we sired them, they must get to it easier than we did").

Even minor things make no sense- Goku goes from FS 330 to 14,000-ish while training with King Kai. Fine. But the FS 1,000-ish Z-Fighters who end up there train with King Kai... and are then easily able to trounce the GINYU FORCE when they arrive. This means they jump from 1,000 to over **60,000** in that time! Even taking the ratios as semi-similar (42-times to 60-times), it's a bit non-sensical.

6) Too Many One-Sided Fights:
One of the most-annoying things for me was the fact that powerful bad guys and heroes alike wouldn't just win fights through strategy, luck or perseverence- they would just ANNIHILATE their opponent with ease if they were stronger. That was it- if you had a much higher Fighting Strength than your opponent, you were just going to win. You were much stronger, MUCH more durable (a common scene was "Guy throws Energy Blast. Guy smirks. Other Guy is revealed in the smouldering aftermath, none the worse for wear. Opponent freaks out... This happened hundreds of times, no exaggeration), and most-importantly, you moved so much faster that you could disappear from side, appear beside the guy, then punch him dozens of times and throw him into a mountain. Pretty much every time someone fought a guy tougher than them, this happened- even if it was the Big Bad Villain, and the hero had just gotten his Final Power-Up.

The movie Broly: The Legendary Super-Saiyan is basically all about this. Broly goes Super-Saiyan and is essentially invincible- Vegeta & Piccolo's best shots don't even annoy him, and he one-punches every single character, even GOKU. Then, at the very end, four characters pump their ki into Goku, he powers up, and then he just hits Broly with ONE PUNCH and tears the guy to pieces. No fight is ever even remotely close.

It's all the worse because the fights between guys on similar levels (or one powerful guy versus a group) were EPIC. Guys trading huge shots is much-cooler than watching someone (ESPECIALLY the hero) curbstomp everyone. It can kill the drama of situations like "Goku (vs) Nappa" or "Goku (vs) Recoom", where the Hero finally arrives after this villain has just DESTROYED his closest friends... then casually hands the bad guy his ass in two seconds. You're like "I waited through five episodes of talking and one episode of fighting for THAT!?!"

7) No Drama:
After a point, the Dragon Balls (the initial point behind the show) were just so casually tossed out there that there was no longer any drama when someone was killed. It was like "Crap. Vegeta died again. Time to go get the Dragon Balls and resurrect him." Once or twice you can get away with, but when people actually react to another character's death with "don't worry- let's just use the Dragon Balls!" you've got a problem. At least in Marvel & DC, people ACT sad when someone croaks! The Senzu Beans (little beans that magically heal all wounds) are bad for this as well.

8) Every Villain's The Same:
All four major bad guys in this show, as well as 90% of their subordinates, are the same exact guy- Smug, Arrogant, Preening Jackass. Toriyama isn't the best at drawing different kinds of faces, and so every bad guy gets the exact same "Cocky Smirk" look on his face. This extends even to the Art Posters and Figurines- even the HEROES get in on the act, with Smirking Goku and Smirking Gohan prominent in a lot of places. It's either that or "Angry Grimace." And the villains cycle from "smug over-confident type" to "angry when the hero turns out to be stronger" so often that everything comes off very same-y. It's like Toriyama had ONE good idea, and then just kept repeating it over and over again.

9) SameFace Syndrome:
Toriyama admits that he can only draw one female face, and so Bulma, Lunch and others are indistinguishable. He actually manages a different face with Android 18, but that's it. But his BODY TYPES were repeated as well- every male hero had an identical build, and often their sizes and faces were duplicated. This got particularly weird when two characters with identical bodies- like Vegeta and Jeice- were in a scene together. Most of the big muscular guys had the same look as well.

Is that all of them? Yeah, I think so. I mean, that's nine big issues right there, so what else could beOH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT THE

FILLER:
Oh Jebus GOD the Filler!! Toriyama is obsessed with padding out each chapter with endless chatter, commentary and often people just standing around doing nothing, and the anime (in order to give Toriyama the time he needs to write chapters without the anime inevitably "getting ahead" like some Shonen Manga does) is even WORSE. Examples: The Z-Fighters have finally prepared to fight Vegeta & Nappa, and Goku's on his way back, right? OH WAIT- they have SAIBAMEN! Useless little green things they can grow that also fight, and so we have to waste time on THAT. There's still MORE waiting, and so Nappa runs off and fights some humans for a while. The never-ending Namek Saga (TV Tropes used to call "Arc Fatigue" Are They Still On Namek? for a reason), which often featured episode after episode of people just WALKING AROUND. The multi-episode fight between Goku & Frieza, most of which consisted of talking (a friend once taunted a DBZ fan on a BattleBoard with "so they were standing still at the speed of light?"). To say nothing of the anime Filler Episodes like "Vegeta & Nappa end up on a planet of Bug People", "The Z-Fighters meet Saiyans from the past and fight them for a while", and "Gohan, Krillin & Buma meet a ship of other travellers while on the way to Namek because F*** you, that's why".

Note: As Mutants & Masterminds and Dragon Ball Z use the term "Power Level" to describe the comparative-levels of people, and this can prove confusing, I will ONLY use the term "Power Level/PL" to describe the M&M stat, and "Fighting Strength/FS" (a direct translation) to describe the DBZ one. Much simpler.

The Dub:
The series is somewhat infamous for its horrible dub- as an ultra-violent Shonen series, it was in no way designed for American networks (which rarely balk at SHOWING violence, but typically avoid showing the RESULTS of said violence... which isn't really a good message). Therefore, many re-writes and a lot of editing was needed- the sex gags were cleaned up a bit, and most-famously, nobody could ever suggest that anyone else DIED during this show. While shows like Sailor Moon were often hacked up for similar reasons (the networks didn't want to air a whole episode of the Sailors being murdered by the relentless DD Girls), this was on a whole other level- you couldn't say "Die", "Death", "Dead" or "Kill", which, given that a HUGE FREAKING PLOT POINT is people dying, is kind of an issue. And so we had the clumsily-written "I'll blow you... INTO THE NEXT DIMENSION!" and "He's in another dimension", etc. All the blood was edited out, and people simply disappeared when "killed", with everyone mourning at their temporary vacation into this world where they all had halos for whatever reason (unless they edited THOSE out, too- I forget).

It was particularly silly when Goku fell off the Snake Bridge and ended up in Hell, harrassed by two Oni. The Oni- one blue, one red- wore shirts inscribed with "HELL" in prominent letters, and this was written in the Dub as "HFIL", which they proclaimed meant "the Home For Infinite Losers!" When my brother and I saw this, we laughed our ASSES off- we though they were actually making a JOKE about how they couldn't say "Hell", and so were saying something so obviously-similar as a gag (like "HA HA- WE MEAN HELL, GET IT?"). The idea that it could have been legitimate censoring never even crossed our minds. And really... just censoring the lettering outright would have been way easier, right?

The Dub has some pretty horrible Voice Acting as well. FUNimation has always been spotty with that, but some of these guys read lines like they were just taken off the street and handed scripts- Piccolo & Vegeta's Chris Sabat is all super-growly to the point of self-parody, in particular. Watching the TV Specials/Movies is a painful experience for the same reason. Goku was okay at least- the original Japanese version kept the same Voice Actress for the entire run, meaning that an adult woman (ideal for playing high-voiced children) used the exact same squeaky, nasal shriek for Goku, Gohan & Goten for the ENTIRE RUN OF THE SHOW, even into the characters' adulthood!

Naturally, this show was a big factor in the early Dub (vs) Sub Wars. I thought the Sailor Moon cast always did a fairly great job with some bad censorship (I still miss the original Mars, Jupiter & Molly/Naru in the new Dub), but the DBZ cast... ugh.


----

HOW I HANDLE THE POWER LEVELS:
Easily the most-challenging aspect of building DBZ characters is the ever-extending series of Power Level Upgrades in the show- you not only have to deal with characters of high power, but characters whose power grows EXPONENTIALLY with each of the four Arcs! And considering that the characters start off at PL 12-15 at the VERY START of the series (when their Fighting Strength is only 330), and they end up with levels in the MILLIONS as time goes on, you've got an issue. It's like... if they're PL 12 at the start... then what are they when they're hundreds of times stronger at the end of the Vegeta Saga? What about in Frieza Saga (Frieza's Fighting Strength is one million- roughly three-thousand times as strong as Goku was at the beginning of DBZ)? And Frieza's so weak that Trunks is able to ONE-SHOT HIM in the next Saga, and he's not even the most powerful Z-Fighter by the end of that!

So that's basically the ultimate trick- you can't really justify going for Power Level 50, 90, or 1500 in the game (as powerful as the Z-Fighters are, I don't see them hitting the PL 30-50 levels of Marvel's Cosmic Beings). Shonen Manga as a whole is all like this- characters START OUT with great power, but have to constantly go through the "Shonen Manga Fighting To Get Stronger" Trope on an endless cycle in order to compete, which means that in M&M terms, they'd have to hit PL 20-30 to make sense within our RPG's system. It's the only thing that has prevented me from building the characters before now.

So what I ended up doing is ignoring the "Everyone in the Same Sandbox" approach that is so iconic to our system. I mean, almost the ENTIRE APPEAL of cross-genre Character Building is the "everyone can meet everyone else" approach, but sometimes, you just gotta ignore it and move on :).

An Example of the Problem:
Krillin is embarrassingly-weak at the start of the Vegeta Saga (when Raditz shows up), while Goku & Piccolo are around PL 12-ish. Radtiz is PL 14-15- MUCH stronger! However, by the time Vegeta & Nappa show up, Krillin is now equal in PL to what Raditz was- as are most of the Z-Fighters. However, Nappa is MUCH stronger than that lot, and Goku much stronger than him. Vegeta is by FAR the most-powerful, able to stomp any one of the other fighters in a one-on-one fight.

The Solution:
Characters' Power Levels are not constantly-growing- they are relative to each other only within that particular Saga (and sometimes only within PARTS of that Saga!). This means that the PLs I gave above for the "Raditz" part of the Vegeta Saga are okay. But rather than put Krillin at PL 14, Nappa at PL 18, Goku at PL 21, and Vegeta at PL 24 or something silly, I instead just "cycle back" the PL list and start over. Essentially, every time the Power Level of everyone gets shaken up (through a Time-Skip, or Training, or something like that), everybody starts over in the list of Power Levels: Weak fighters will be stuck at PL 8, no matter which Saga it was. Standard-issue fighters can be PL 10, much like they'd be in a standard Western Super-Hero Setting. Elites will hit PL 12. The Elite Bad Guys can go up to PL 14, and the Big Bads (and the Final Forms of heroes) can go all the way up to PL 18-20! This allows for the breadth of Power Levels to match what DBZ shows (in which minor fighters are worthless against Top Tiers), but avoid things spiralling out of control so quickly.

Example:
The Power Levels from the Raditz Saga remain the same. However, when Nappa & Vegeta touch down, instead of building upon the previous PLs and making everyone start out at Raditz's PL 14-15, things have "cycled back", so that all the Z-Fighters are semi-competitive at PL 8-10. However, Nappa is PL 13-ish or something (enough to take on four guys and win pretty-handily, with only a few moments of trouble), Goku stronger than him, and Vegeta stronger than THAT. And Vegeta & Gohan both unleash "Oozaru" (Giant Ape) forms as well.

Come the beginning of the Frieza Saga, everyone is now much stronger- Vegeta has grown in level, equal to Frieza's Elites, but is trounced by Zarbon's second form and then The Ginyu Force (so PL 11-ish at first, PL 12-13 later on). Gohan & Krillin are equal to each other, but always weaker than Vegeta (making them our PL 8s this time around). Goku, naturally, is much higher than any of them, with Piccolo also briefly stronger. However, Frieza's early forms give way to a MUCH more elite character, and Goku has to go Super-Saiyan to trump THAT. Come the Cell Saga, we've cycled back and the minor fighters are PL 8, main heroes at PL 12-14, and the villain's even higher.

This means that each character might have multiple Power Levels, as he varies across the stories. Tien & Yamcha are generally always minor-level heroes in DBZ, and won't change much. Krillin tends to bounce between low-end (PL 8) and mid-level (PL 10-ish). Vegeta starts out as a dominant villain (higher than even PL 14), but becomes more mid-level in Frieza Saga, later becoming an Elite Hero- he'd need at least three different builds. Raditz is a good example (even though he appears once)- he's PL 14-ish at the start of the series, but would have been PL 8-ish once Vegeta shows up.


THE ERAS:
* So the differing Power Levels requires a few specific "Eras" to put down. For the most part, the four different Sagas are there, but must be split in two to gain proper perspective.
1) Raditz's Arrival (Goku & Piccolo are tough; Raditz is tougher)
2) Vegeta Saga (Z-Fighters are godo; Nappa is tougher; Vegeta is elite)
3) Frieza Saga- Part One (when Krillin & Gohan are running around Namek while Vegeta is kicking ass on the lower-levels, but can't beat the higher-end ones)
4) Frieza Saga- Part Two (Vegeta gets a big power-up, and Goku arrives. The Ginyu Force go from Elites to Jobbers)
5) Cell Saga- Part One (the stuff with the Androids)
6) Cell Saga- Part Two (Perfect Cell forms, and the PLs become relatively set)
7) Buu Saga (I'll have to look into this one a bit more)
8) Movies (the Movies usually go with the status seen in the most-recent series, but some things may get altered)

* In general, only a few characters will require different PLs. Krillin, Yamcha and the others tend to stick around the same level, and so only need a couple different set-ups. Most villains don't make it out of one "Era", but I might include a weaker version to show what would've happened if they'd survived). High-end Fighters tend to bounce around all over the scale, so you'll see many different options for Piccolo, Goku & Vegeta (who has by far the most different PLs). In most cases, this will just be a matter of raising/lowering Fighting, Defenses & Ki Blasts, so don't worry about it getting too confusing :).

OTHER STUFF:
DBZ POWERS:
Super-Strength- DBZ characters tend to be pretty strong, but I don't recall many of them actually LIFTING heavy objects
Strength-Damage (Multiattack)- Characters will hit hard enough to crack mountains, and everyone after a point can do Multiattack Speedblitzes.

Flight (Light Speed)- Most everyone can fly pretty damn fast by the end, though they're at a more reasonable pace early on.
"He's So Fast" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Those With Slower Speed)- Pretty much every villain is able to do the "He disappears, shocking everyone, then reappears behind the heroes and curbstomps them" thing. This only works on slower fighters, and also helps establish why every villain with a higher PL is SUCH an insurmountable threat- everyone's essentially out-powered AND fighting with an additional disadvantage.

Ki Blast- The standard damage effect that once took years to master, but now every fighter can do at a certain point.
Ki Area Attacks (Burst, Line)- Ki Blasts tend to have a pretty big range, even on the Area Attacks.
Toughness (mostly Protection)- Fortitude seems okay-ish, but the REAL money is in the raw toughness of the characters.
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent- Everyone can reach hella-far with every Ki Attack.

Hide Ki (Concealment- Ki Sense)- Most Z-Fighters learn to withhold their Ki in order to confuse or hide from their foes.
Senses xx (Detect Ki- Acute, Radius, Ranged for miles)- Early Frieza minions cannot do this without their trademark Scouters, but the heroes learn quickly, and can detect people all over the planet- even telling different Kis apart.

"Ki Sense"
Ranged, Ranged 2- (100) Ranged 3 (1000) Ranged 4 (10,000) Ranged 5 (100,000) 6 (1,000,000) 7 (10,000,000) 8 (100,000,000), 9 (1,000,000,000)
-Ranged turns a Touch Range sense into a Ranged one, while the extras (usually called Extended Range) increase the level. You're at -1 per 10 feet with "Ranged", but each application of "Extended" increases that by a factor of ten (-1 per 100, -1 per 1,000, etc.). By the end of the series, guys like Goku can Sense Ki for millions of miles.

"From the Earth to the Moon" (Extended Range on Blasts)- Master Roshi, at a Fighting Strength of 139, is able to BLOW UP THE FREAKING MOON! While standing on Earth! I assume everyone else has crazy range, too (Frieza sure does, and Vegeta is also seen blowing up a planet in an anime Filler Episode). The Moon, at its closest, is 225,622 miles from the Earth. Thus, a Ranged Damage effect at, say, +16, can reach from one to the other at Extended Range 19 (16 x 63,488,000 feet = about 1 trillion feet at Long Range- as the Moon is immobile, I'm saying you can still hit it pretty easily at that distance (though really, at that distance, your aim would be WAY off if your hands were even a millimeter off-kilter. Maybe the Moon's gravity affects Ki?). And keeping in mind that most guys attempting to strike Planets are Power Attacking, the distance only INCREASES. Therefore, I'm calling it "Extended Range 15" and assuming that everyone can hit a surface from that distance. You're still limited in range on Earth (the horizon will block the view... and any attacks travelling in a semi-straight line), but you can basically hit almost anything in space from that distance.

A little expensive for something that's kind of a goofy add-on? Sure. But given the distance of the Area Attacks in this series, it's not even close to the most-expensive things guys can do.

Long Range (I calculated all of this out by rank): 1) 200 400 800 1600 3200, 6) 6400 12800 25600 51200 124000, 11) 248000 496000 992000 1984000 3968000 16) 7936000 15872000 31744000 63488000 126976000 21) 253952000

5280 feet in a mile
1,191,284,160 feet to the moon

1,015,808,000 (Extended Reach 19)
2,031,616,000 (Extended Reach 20)

The Power-Ups:
A few characters exhibit different forms, in particular the Super-Saiyans. The Flaws of these forms are so limited in scope (really, all that happens is that they're tired afterwards) that it's meaningless to include them as different forms at all- they're simply just different levels of power, and are Complications at-worst.

Generally, the Saiyans (Goku, Gohan, Trunks/Future Trunks, Goten, Vegeta) can hit "Super-Saiyan", at which point their iconic transformation from dark-haired fighters to golden-haired, green-eyed Combat Monsters takes place. They grow in "Fighting Strength", which, in DBZ terms, means they're now stronger AND faster than they were before. There are three further levels of this (with the middle one never being used, because it boosts strength at the expense of mobility and speed), generally getting more powerful. Gohan, Goku & Vegeta later unlock Super-Saiyan Level 2, an increasingly-powerful form that sorta looks the same but with more-detailed hair. In the last Saga of the series, Super-Saiyan Level 3 is discovered, where they become more inhuman- Goku's eyebrows disappear, and his Crazy Shonen Hair reaches its most-ridiculous, hitting the floor with multiple golden spikes. Only Goku and the Fusion Form of Goten & Trunks, Gotenks, can reach this level. In Dragon Ball GT, Goku & Vegeta reach Super-Saiyan Level FOUR, a weird-looking version that retains black hair, but grows red fur.

The current Sequel Movie Series introduces "Super-Saiyan God" after some ritual thing, giving Goku a red version of his normal hair, which looks silly (especially as previous SSJ forms tend to give him wilder and wilder golden hair). Super-Saiyan Beyond God becomes a thing when Goku manages to retain the SSG powers in base form. And if you go SUPER-SAIYAN while in this form, you become... Jesus... Super-Saiyan God Super-Saiyan. Their hair turns blue in this form, which looks even sillier than the red (it just looks like they died their hair and they're about to go clubbing).

Saiyans with tails can also gain an "Oozaru" form, usually called Great Ape nowadays. These giant rampaging apes are among the most-powerful creatures in the series. DBGT introduced a Golden version of THAT, too.

A few other villains gain multiple forms- Frieza has four (and gains a fifth in one movie), and his henchman Zarbon has a Monster Form. Cell also has three forms, ending in Perfect Cell. Again, these are simply Complications. Some characters can do the Fusion Dance, or put on Fusion Earrings, which essentially create all-new characters. More on that when I get to Gotenks, Vegetto & Gojita.

Character List:

The Z Fighters:
Goku
Gohan
Goten
Piccolo
Vegeta
Trunks
Future Trunks
Krillin
Yamcha
Tienshinhan
Chaotzu

Fusions:
Gotenks
Vegetto
Gojita

Supporting Characters:
Chi-Chi
Master Roshi
Bulma
Kami
Mr. Popo
Pan
Videl
Uub
The Dragons
Supreme Kai
King Kai

Vegeta Saga:
Raditz
Nappa
The Saibamen

Frieza Saga:
Cui The Mighty
Zarbon & Dodoria
The Ginyu Force (Guldo, Jeiice, Baataa, Recoome, Captain Ginyu)
"DBZ Mooks" (generally the useless Background Baddies)
Namekians
Nail
Dende

The Cell Saga:
Android 16
Android 17
Android 18
Android 19
Android 20
Cell (Three Versions)
Cell Jr.

Buu Saga:
Buu (Different Versions)
Babidi
Dabura
Baby

The Movies:
Cooler
The Movie Androids
Bojack
Dr. Wheelo
Bardock
Janemba
Broly
Garlic Jr.
Turles
Tapion
Kibito
Lord Slug
Beerus



MASTER ROSHI (Muten Roshi, aka Jackie Chun, The Turtle Hermit/Kamesenin) -- (REAL VERSION)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Perverted Old Man, Wise Old Mentor
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 12 (255)
STRENGTH
4/6 STAMINA 6/8 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+12, +14 Muscular Form)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+12)
Treatment 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint ("Drunken Fist"), Assessment, Daze (Deception), Diehard, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 2 (Detect Ki- Ranged) [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (96) -- [103]
AE: Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -2) (55)
AE: "Pressure Point Attack" Affliction 8 (Fort; Vulnerable/Stunned/Paralyzed) (8)
AE: "Kiai!" Blast 12 (Feats: Subtle 2) (26)
AE: "Hypnosis" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Sight-Based, Distracting) (4)
AE: "Sleepy Boy Technique" Affliction 8 (Will; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Sight-Based, Distracting) (4)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 1 Linked to Mind-Reading 5 (Flaws: Concentration) (9)
AE: "Thunder Shock Surprise" Blast 14 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -2) Linked to Snare 12 (76)

"Ki Enhancements"
Enhanced Strength 2 [4]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Enhanded Skills 6: Intimidation 6 (+7) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Muscular Form +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Pressure Point Attack +14 (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Kamehameha Wave +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Ki Blast +8 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Kiai +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Hypnosis/Sleep +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Thunder Shock +10 (+14 Ranged Damage & +12 Ranged Affliction, DC 29 & 22)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +6 (+8 Boost), Fortitude +8 (+10 Boost), Will +9

Complications:
Addiction (Being Perverted)- Master Roshi loves attractive young girls, and will never turn down an opportunity to get an upskirt shot or a boob-grab.
Relationship (His Students)- Roshi is close with all of his students, particularly Goku.
Disabled (Age)- Roshi cannot use his Ki Enhancements for extremely-long periods of time.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 127 / Defenses: 21 (255)

-Among the oldest of Tropes is the "Wise Old Master" archetype, and Shonen Manga often shifts it to make the old guy also a giant pervert and weirdo. Master Roshi here is of course the master that Goku seeks out to train him- by the end of the Dragon Ball portion, he's trained Goku, Krillin and Yamcha, and his backstory includes training Grandpa Gohan (Goku's adoptive father) and Ox-King (Chi-Chi's father). Like most of these characters, he has some hidden wisdom: Realizing that Goku always strives to be the best, and thrives on competition, Roshi ensured that Goku would face insurmountable odds on a few occasions. The key moment was when he disguised himself as "Jackie Chun", and whupped Goku's ass in one of the "Tenkaiichi Budokai" Tournaments- revealing to Goku that he still had a long way to go, and something to strive for.
-He's still a great assist character in the series up to a point, but by the time the other characters reach adulthood, he's basically just an old man sitting on an island, watching the battles on TV. Eventually, most of the non-useful fighting characters end up here- the TV watchers become Roshi, the Turtle, Chi-Chi, Ox-King, Oolong, Puar and even Bulma most of the time.
-Initially the strongest character in the setting, Roshi would soon take a back seat following the "Red Ribbon Army" Saga of the manga, and he'd be easily lapped by his students after that- by the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, one of the Scouters used by Frieza's agents to count the Fighting Strength of various people, and Roshi's only comes to little over a hundred (about half that of Goku & Piccolo, and a tenth that of Raditz). Some later assessments call it 180 or 350, but suffice to say, he's lapped by the RADITZ part of the storyline, much less once Vegeta shows up. This is what makes it so inexplicable that he shows up as a dominant (if easily-tired) fighter during the most-recent DBZ film- he wipes out over a HUNDRED of Frieza's soldiers. Even assuming they're Mooks, he should be so much less powerful than even Yamcha by this point that him even being competitive is silly.
-So I decided to first build Master Roshi as he REALLY appears in the series- a massively-powerful, Castle-shattering old man with hella-Ki Techniques and some very weird one-off abilities that most other characters don't utilize. Stuff like Hypnosis, an invisible "Kiai" Wave, and more. He's PL 12- enough to basically fit in on any super-team you can name thanks to being crazy-accurate and very strong. His melee attacks lean heavily towards accuracy (though +8 Damage is nothing to sneeze at), while his Blasts are higher-powered. Given that this is the version that's only HALF as powerful as the heroes at the very beginning of Dragon Ball Z, you begin to see why I went with a "Sliding Power Level Scale" :). I left out his "Evil Containment Wave", as it's always fatal to the user, and is only good for sealing evils like King Piccolo in a jar.
-As Roshi is packing the earliest-seen Kamehameha Wave in the series, I statted up his first- it's an uber-powerful attack to be certain, but requires a bit of thought. First off, it's kind of an Area Attack, but then it's ALSO treated like a standard Blast- something that you can use Accurate or Power Attack on. Therefore I went with two versions- one has Penetrating and Extended Range (for those Moon-Shattering Blasts), while the other is a +12 Area Attack that can reach for a full Half-Mile (and likely be extended further with Extra Effort and HPs spent). Note the Inaccurate- Kamehameha Waves tend to be high-damage, low-accuracy.

MASTER ROSHI (Muten Roshi, aka Jackie Chun, The Turtle Hermit/Kamesenin) -- (RADITZ'S ARRIVAL)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Perverted Old Man, Wise Old Mentor
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (188)
STRENGTH
2/4 STAMINA 4/6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+10, +12 Muscular Form)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 3 (+8)
Treatment 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Assessment, Daze (Deception), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Detect Ki" Senses 2 (Detect Ki- Ranged) [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (64) -- [71]
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (Inaccurate -2) (41)
AE: "Pressure Point Attack" Affliction 4 (Fort; Vulnerable/Stunned/Paralyzed) (4)
AE: "Kiai!" Blast 4 (Feats: Subtle 2) (10)
AE: "Hypnosis" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Sight-Based, Distracting) (4)
AE: "Sleepy Boy Technique" Affliction 8 (Will; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Sight-Based, Distracting) (4)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 1 Linked to Mind-Reading 5 (Flaws: Concentration) (9)
AE: "Thunder Shock Surprise" Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -2) Linked to Snare 8 (52)

"Ki Enhancements"
Enhanced Strength 2 [4]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Enhanded Skills 6: Intimidation 6 (+7) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Muscular Form +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Kamehameha Wave +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +4 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Hypnosis/Sleep +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+6 Boost), Fortitude +6 (+8 Boost), Will +9

Complications:
Addiction (Being Perverted)- Master Roshi loves attractive young girls, and will never turn down an opportunity to get an upskirt shot or a boob-grab.
Relationship (His Students)- Roshi is close with all of his students, particularly Goku.
Disabled (Age)- Roshi cannot use his Ki Enhancements for extremely-long periods of time.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 90 / Defenses: 8 (188)

-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND here you see what happens when you can't catch up to the others. Master Roshi, who is equally as good as he used to be, is now a PL 8 by the time Raditz shows up. Goku & Piccolo are now much more powerful, and Roshi stands so little chance against Raditz that he doesn't even bother getting involved. This means that many of his Advantages are meaningless (he's too comparatively-slow to make Agile Feint, Improved Initiative or Uncanny Dodge matter by this point), his hitting power & Strength drop.

MASTER ROSHI (Muten Roshi, aka Jackie Chun, The Turtle Hermit/Kamesenin) -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Perverted Old Man, Wise Old Mentor
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 4 (151)
STRENGTH
0/2 STAMINA 2/4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+8)
Athletics 8 (+8, +10 Muscular Form)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 1 (+4)
Treatment 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Assessment, Daze (Deception)

Powers:
"Detect Ki" Senses 2 (Detect Ki- Ranged) [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (32) -- [71]
AE: Ki Blast 6 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Inaccurate -2) (25)
AE: "Pressure Point Attack" Affliction 3 (Fort; Vulnerable/Stunned/Paralyzed) (3)
AE: "Kiai!" Blast 4 (Feats: Subtle 2) (10)
AE: "Hypnosis" Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Sight-Based, Distracting) (2)
AE: "Sleepy Boy Technique" Affliction 4 (Will; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Sight-Based, Distracting) (2)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 1 Linked to Mind-Reading 5 (Flaws: Concentration) (9)
AE: "Thunder Shock Surprise" Blast 4 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -2) Linked to Snare 4 (22)

"Ki Enhancements"
Enhanced Strength 2 [4]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Enhanded Skills 6: Intimidation 6 (+7) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Muscular Form +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Kamehameha Wave +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +2 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Kiai +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Hypnosis/Sleep +4 (+4 Ranged Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2 (+4 Boost), Fortitude +4 (+6 Boost), Will +9

Complications:
Addiction (Being Perverted)- Master Roshi loves attractive young girls, and will never turn down an opportunity to get an upskirt shot or a boob-grab.
Relationship (His Students)- Roshi is close with all of his students, particularly Goku.
Disabled (Age)- Roshi cannot use his Ki Enhancements for extremely-long periods of time.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 88 / Defenses: 6 (151)

-Now it's just sad- Master Roshi is so weak by the time Nappa & Vegeta touch down that he can't even fight.

YAMCHA -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Universe's Butt-Monkey, Can't-Catch-Up Guy, Rival-Turned-Friend
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (208)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+14)
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Desert Bandit) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Baseball) 2 (+8) -- Uses Dex
Expertise (Cooking) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (64) -- [68]
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (35)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Wolf Fang Fist" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 6) (6)
AE: "Spirit Ball" Blast 8 (Feats: Homing 4, Ricochet) (Extras: Penetrating 4, Burst Area 6) (31)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Kamehameha Wave +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast/Spirit Ball +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Afraid of Women)- Yamcha used to be so afraid of women that he would go catatonic if he saw one naked. Eventually he got over this, and started a relationship with Bulma. He may have even become quite the player at one point.
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Yamcha is so weak compared to the other fighters that he drops out of serious training during the Cell Saga- he can no longer stay competitive.
Relationship (Puar)- Yamcha's only confidante for years was the flying Cat Thing.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 100 / Defenses: 13 (208)

-Yamcha started out as a sort of "Bad-Ass Rival" to Goku- a desert bandit with cool powers and rad '80s hair- but he kind of ended up being the most-notable of the characters left behind as the series moved up in overall Power Level. Seriously- he was pretty cool at first, robbing people in the desert alongside that flying... cat... thing he called Puar. He had an attack called "Wolf Fang Fist" and all that. They get a lot of mileage out of his inability to talk to girls (there's a hilarious scene that actually made it into the first dub of the anime where he's looking for the Dragon Balls, and mistakes Bulma's breasts for them- he tears off the bedsheet covering her, only to SCREAM at the top of his lungs because he's uncovered the show's first hottie!), but by the end of the first Saga, the two have hooked up.
-Yamcha is thus our first "Rival Turned Friend" character in the show, and he eventually joins Master Roshi's training school, learning the Kamehameha. Unfortunately, at this point he discovers the flaw of being "Goku's Friend"- it really just means you're first in line to get your ass kicked by the big new villain. In fact, a recurring theme in the Tenkaichi Budokai tournaments is that Yamcha, as the third-tier Roshi Trainee (after Goku & Krillin), inevitably becomes the guy wiped out in the quarter-finals by the guy who eventually fights Goku in the last match. He's squashed by Jackie Chun (Roshi in disguise), Tien, Hero (Kami in disguise) and more. He & Bulma also frequently argue, as Yamcha goes off on his own to train, and gets hit on by female villains.
-This only gets worse for the poor guy in Dragon Ball Z- he trains up to FS 1,480 alongside all the others, and even manages to take the advantage over the Saibaman that Vegeta's sent against him. But then he's our first sacrifice- the creature is instructed to commit a suicide attack, blowing itself up while wrapped around the Z-Fighter, killing Yamcha to the horror of his allies! Krillin wipes out the rest of the Saibamen, but Yamcha never matters to the plot again. It gets worse- though he trains up on King Kai's planet (and beats up the Ginyu Force along with the others, EASILY defeating Recoome, meaning he was much more powerful than VEGETA was during the beginning of the Frieza Saga!), he & Bulma break up, and she gets married to VEGETA of all people! He's also a loser in the Cell Saga, quickly dropping out and retiring from actual competition- he is easily defeated by Android 20, and immediately gives up the fight. He is at least able to save Goku's life during the struggle. He apparently gets another girlfriend (who never appears on-camera).
-Yamcha in the Vegeta Saga is actually a solid fighter (like PL 14 in true M&M stats), but of course, his eternal role as The Jobber results in him taking a Suicide Attack from a friggin' SAIBAMAN, rather than dying against Nappa like Tien, Chaotzu & Piccolo do. And it never really gets better for him- he sits out the Namek story, and by the Cell Saga, he's just a joke (probably lower-level than even this). At least he managed to BEAT the Saibaman first, before going down to a lowly sneak attack, but come on...

YAMCHA -- (.... AT NO POINT, REALLY)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Universe's Butt-Monkey, Can't-Catch-Up Guy, Rival-Turned-Friend
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 10 (238)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Desert Bandit) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Baseball) 2 (+8) -- Uses Dex
Expertise (Cooking) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (80) -- [84]
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (43)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Wolf Fang Fist" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 8) (8)
AE: "Spirit Ball" Blast 12 (Feats: Homing 4, Ricochet) (Extras: Penetrating 8, Burst Area 8) (45)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Kamehameha Wave +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ki Blast/Spirit Ball +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Afraid of Women)- Yamcha used to be so afraid of women that he would go catatonic if he saw one naked. Eventually he got over this, and started a relationship with Bulma. He may have even become quite the player at one point.
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Yamcha is so weak compared to the other fighters that he drops out of serious training during the Cell Saga- he can no longer stay competitive.
Relationship (Puar)- Yamcha's only confidante for years was the flying Cat Thing.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 116 / Defenses: 12 (238)

-And here's Yamcha at PL 10, because... because... because I forgot I intended to stat PL 8 & 12 versions and not a PL 10 one, and then didn't feel like just deleting all the work :).

YAMCHA -- (THE GINYU FORCE'S ARRIVAL ON PLANET KAI)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Universe's Butt-Monkey, Can't-Catch-Up Guy, Rival-Turned-Friend
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 12 (266)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 6 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Desert Bandit) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Baseball) 2 (+8) -- Uses Dex
Expertise (Cooking) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
Protection 2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (96) -- [100]
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (43)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (16)
AE: "Wolf Fang Fist" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 10) (10)
AE: "Spirit Ball" Blast 12 (Feats: Homing 4, Ricochet) (Extras: Penetrating 8, Burst Area 8) (45)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Kamehameha Wave +12 Area (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Ki Blast/Spirit Ball +12 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +10, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Afraid of Women)- Yamcha used to be so afraid of women that he would go catatonic if he saw one naked. Eventually he got over this, and started a relationship with Bulma. He may have even become quite the player at one point.
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Yamcha is so weak compared to the other fighters that he drops out of serious training during the Cell Saga- he can no longer stay competitive.
Relationship (Puar)- Yamcha's only confidante for years was the flying Cat Thing.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 136 / Defenses: 14 (266)

-The though of YAMCHA being at PL 12 is too much fun to resist- I'm sorry, I just had to build him at this level once :). He was at this level only once- when he and the dead Z-Fighters ended up on King Kai's planet and were trained by him for months. Whereas Goku went from FS 300-ish to about 14,000, the Z-Fighters were at FS 1,000+ to start, and end up in the tens of THOUSANDS during their training. I guess Kai's particular method of getting them to spar (seriously, 90% of DBZ training consists of standing there and trading spar-punches) is super-effective. At one point, Tien, Chaotzu & Yamcha encounter the Ginyu Force, who've gone to the afterlife, broken past King Yenma, and invade King Kai's home planet... and they WHUP THEIR ASSES ROYALLY. Seriously, these guys were so powerful they trumped VEGETA after he arrived on Planet Namek (even after a power-up following his loss to Zarbon), and the WEAKEST of the Z-Fighters are now able to hand them their asses. Just bizarre.

CHI-CHI -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Nagging Housewife
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 4 (76)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Acrobatics 4 (+6)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Nag) 8 (+10)
Intimidation 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Startle, Ultimate Nag

Powers:
"Power Slugger" Blast 4 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Power Slugger +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Temper)- Chi-Chi is nearly-constantly angry.
Relationship (Goku)- Chi-Chi married an idiot who loves to brawl, and this is a constant source of stress for her. She DOES appear to love him, as she usually cries during those times when he's dead.
Relationship (Gohan)- Chi-Chi worships her young son Gohan, and forces him into higher-education, and strives to prevent him from fighting.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 5 (76)

-Chi-Chi's a pretty good showcasing of the target audience for Dragon Ball- young Japanese boys. And what do little boys think of older women? Why, they're nagging mothers & teachers, of course! And so we have Chi-Chi, who starts off as kind of a cowardly Action Princess with a spinning axe attached to her helmet, but a tendency to cry during fights. Toriyama seemed to sap all of the sexuality from her as soon as she moves from "Goku's Betrothed" to "The Mother of His Child", turning her into the stereotypical Nagging Wife, covering up her body as much as possible, and even giving her "Old Lady Lipstick" and Dr. Lilith Sternin's fashion sense and hairstyle.
-A running gag in the series is that it's actually CHI-CHI who is the most powerful person in the universe. After all- sure, Goku is tough, but even HE's afraid of CHI-CHI. Alas, her Power Level diminishes in comparison to everybody else after Dragon Ball becomes DBZ, and she's a non-entity in terms of fighting. In the original series, she had a powerful Helmet Device that could fire laser beams and a spinning axe.

BARDOCK
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z
Role: Flashback Father
Group Affiliation: The Saiyans, Frieza's Army
PL 9 (176)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Space Fighter) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
Protection 2 [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 12 (8,000 mph) [24]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Divination" Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]
"Saiyan Toughness" Regeneration 2 [2]

Ki Blast 9 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (37) -- [41]
AE: "Multi-Blast" Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 9) (9)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (27)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Area Attacks +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Ki Blast +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Teammates)- Bardock, unlike most Saiyans, is close to his subordinates (Tora, Fasha, Borgos & Shugesh).
Relationship (Wife & Children)- Bardock's mate is Gine, and his sons are Raditz & Kakarott.
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 76 / Defenses: 8 (176)

-Bardock was introduced during a TV Special with Akira Toriyama's involvement- he is the FATHER of Goku (and Raditz, who apparently isn't that important as he's almost never mentioned by his old man), and it's a Flashback Tale of just what went down during the final moments of the Saiyans. A low-ish level fighter, he nonetheless leads a squad of Saiyans in Frieza's Planet-Collecting Organization. Upon committing genocide on a planet, he's "gifted" with Precognition by the sole survivor, and is now troubled by visions of the death of his race. It turns out that Frieza, his boss, has discovered the fact that a Saiyan is reputed to become the mightiest being in the universe, and to remove a potential enemy, he's going to destroy ALL OF PLANET VEGETA (the Saiyan homeworld), and all but a few of their race. Bardock utterly fails in his quest to save his race (his team is massacred by Frieza's lieutenant Dodoria, and Frieza slays Bardock himself), but in his last moments, he's made happy by the future vision of his son Kakarot (ie Goku) killing Frieza.
-Bardock is considered a high-level warrior (his Fighting Strength is given at 10,000- comparable to Nappa later on), but in Frieza's group this makes him a small fry- he's easily bested by both Frieza & Dodoria.

GOKU (Son Goku) -- (VEGETA SAGA, FRIEZA SAGA- PART TWO, THE MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Main Hero, Giant Idiot, Big Eater
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 16 (382)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 15 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 11) [19]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (128) -- [139]
AE: Ki Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (67)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 26 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (22)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Power Punch +14 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Ki Blast +14 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Kiai +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +16 Area (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Spirit Bomb +6 (+26 Ranged Damage, DC 41)
Initiative +28

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +17, Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Goku loves his angry nag of a wife, though often appears confused as to how they ended up in a relationship.
Relationship (Gohan & Goten)- Goku has two sons. Gohan was initially the primary focus of his life, and he continually-defense his son later on, and mentors him in the martial arts.
Relationship (The Z-Fighters, Bulma)- Goku makes friends quickly (even with old enemies), and retains friendships just as well.
Obsession (Fightin' Round The World)- Goku is obsessed with the martial arts, and "fighting strong opponents". He will make frequent tactical blunders in order to ensure that his opponents get a fair shake in battle, and will often leave dangerous foes alive if it means being challenged in the future. He loves fighting so much that it makes him a terrible parent and husband.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In the Vegeta & Frieza Sagas, Goku needs to use the "Kaio-Ken" technique to empower himself to this level. In later Sagas, he must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do so. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion- Super-Saiyan Level Three is so all-consuming that Goku is in danger of powering-down in the middle of a fight.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 221 / Defenses: 21 (382)

-Goku is of course the main character of the Dragon Ball saga, and the only one who remains important throughout. He's like a lot of Shonen Manga heroes- thick-headed, uninterested in romance, and obsessed with fighting. However, UNLIKE many of them at the time, he wasn't a grim-looking adult- Goku was among the few who was a CHILD in his debut. However, as Toriyama aged the cast, he eventually aged into a friendly bad-ass that's become much-more iconic to the series as a whole. He's SO dominant in the series that it can be said to be one of the biggest FLAWS- Goku simply rarely loses in a major way. His predestined nature as the greatest fighter ever nearly always wins out. Fans of Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Trunks and others can only watch as Goku easily trumps all of them at various points. Hell, 90% of the series can be summed up as "all the good guys get the living crap beaten out of them for ten episodes, and then Goku arrives and wins". His numerous power-ups (and believe me, he's given plenty) often allow him to defeat even the Big Bads of the series WITH EASE. He's basically a walking drama-deflator- half the time, the villains can't even scratch him, no matter HOW much ass they were kicking previously.
-Problematic to is his personality, in my opinion. He's just not that INTERESTING- he's more or less a symbol of what a little boy wants to be- unromantic, simple-minded, eating what he wants, and stronger than everyone else in the world. He's friendly to a fault, but generally only wants to fight and eat. Of course, like a lot of Shonen Manga heroes, the key to his heart is his friendship with others- screw with any one of THEM, and you're a dead man.
-Goku's run is basically as follows: Grows from a child to a man, usually fighting one Big Bad at the end of each little "Saga", eventually taking out King Piccolo and his "son". In Dragon Ball Z, he reveals his son Gohan, and discovers that he's actually an ALIEN who got a bump on the head that turned his psychopathic personality into a more good-natured one, and sacrifices himself to stop his evil brother Raditz. He trains with King Kai in the afterlife, gets wished back to life with the Dragon Balls, and then fights the Saiyans- Nappa dies, but Vegeta is only beaten after a massive concentrated effort of numerous fighters. Goku heals and arrives on Planet Namek (looking for THEIR Dragon Balls, since Earth's are gone), at which point he wipes out the Ginyu Force, and has to unlock the "Super-Saiyan" power in order to defeat the genocidal Frieza. He then suffers from a heart ailment, but recovers in time to... lose to Perfect Cell. He passes the torch to Gohan, who'd been gaining in power the whole time, and sacrifices himself again to prevent Cell from blowing up the world. HOWEVER, when Majin Buu becomes a thing, he returns and has to hit Super-Saiyan 2 AND 3 in order to hold him back. Eventually, he & Vegeta fuse, de-fuse, then he powers up a massive Spirit Bomb with everyone on Earth donating him their Chi in order to stop the monster.
-Goku's transformations into a Super-Saiyan become a huge factor in the series- he's usually leading the pack there. The standard form is introduced at the end of the Frieza battle (and is how Goku wins), and remains that way througout the Cell Saga (where three other characters soon gain the form, with much more ease than Goku did). At the end of Cell Saga, Gohan unlocks Super-Saiyan Level 2, but in the NEXT Saga, Goku & Vegeta match that. Goku eventually unlocks Super-Saiyan Level THREE, at which point he's now the top dog in the series.
-Goku's various techniques are worth mentioning- the Kamehameha is your standard long-range Area Attack. His Ki Blasts are fairly-accurate but INCREDIBLY devastating. He can also through out Multiattack damage unarmed, Heal others, use Instant Transmission (a later ability that lets him 'port around the Universe to serve the plot), Power Punch for additional Armor-Piercing Damage, and even Read Minds. The Spirit Bomb is a character-defining technique, but is very silly- he stands there, immobile, for MINUTES, building power from the chi of all living things around him, before he unleashes this gigantic ball of energy- the kind of thing is very game-breaking, and usually goes way over his established PL, so I went for a more Power Attack-able Blast instead of an Area Attack.
-PL 16 is a recurring level for Goku- in the Vegeta Saga, it allows him to easily-crush Nappa (who has just got through demolishing four Z-Fighters at once, rarely even being challenged), but when he goes against Vegeta, he himself is out-powered, and has to fight for his life. They appear to be semi-equal at points, but Vegeta can turn into a Great Ape. Only the Spirit Bomb and the intervention of Krillin, Gohan & Yajirobe can turn the tide. Similarly, he arrives on Planet Namek at this level, easily squashing Burter and Recoome like bugs after Recoome got finished easily defeating Vegeta, Krillin & Gohan.
-During the Frieza Saga, Goku easily overpowers the Ginyu Force (powering up once again after his injuries against Captain Ginyu, who took over Goku's body briefly), but against Frieza, is himself overcome- PL 16 just can't cut it against one of the Big Bads. A Spirit Bomb appears to save the day, but Frieza powers up into three different forms, making him too mighty to stop. Only after Frieza kills Krillin can Goku unlock his "Super-Secret Awesome Power", and he becomes a Super-Saiyan, trumping the paltry depths of PL 16. Most DBZ Movies (TV Specials, really) feature Goku at this level, too- the top of his team, but often only just ahead (or equaling) that of the big villain. Hell, in Broly- The Legendary Super-Saiyan, Goku is SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKER, and requires absorbing Ki from the other fighters to win. He fits this during the Perfect Cell fight as well- able to only barely hold his own, and giving up in order to let Gohan reach his potential.

GOKU (Son Goku) -- (RADITZ'S ARRIVAL)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Main Hero, Giant Idiot, Big Eater
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 11 (277)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki), Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 3) [7]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 12 (2,000 mph) [24]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 7 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Acute, Radius) [7]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (88) -- [94]
AE: Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (49)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 10) (10)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 4) (Inaccurate -1) (5)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 11 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (22)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (24)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 14 (Feats: Subtle 2) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 24)
Power Punch +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Ki Blast +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Kiai +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Solar Flare +11 Area (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Kamehameha Wave +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude +7, Will +13

Complications:
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Goku loves his angry nag of a wife, though often appears confused as to how they ended up in a relationship.
Relationship (Gohan & Goten)- Goku has two sons. Gohan was initially the primary focus of his life, and he continually-defense his son later on, and mentors him in the martial arts.
Relationship (The Z-Fighters, Bulma)- Goku makes friends quickly (even with old enemies), and retains friendships just as well.
Obsession (Fightin' Round The World)- Goku is obsessed with the martial arts, and "fighting strong opponents". He will make frequent tactical blunders in order to ensure that his opponents get a fair shake in battle, and will often leave dangerous foes alive if it means being challenged in the future. He loves fighting so much that it makes him a terrible parent and husband.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 158 / Defenses: 18 (277)

-Poor Goku is only a PL 11 comparatively when Dragon Ball Z begins, and is easily-trounced by his brother Raditz. He also lacks many of hte powers he'd later develop.

GOKU (Son Goku) -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Main Hero, Giant Idiot, Big Eater
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 14 (353)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (112) -- [123]
AE: Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (59)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -1) (11)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 24 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (21)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 14 (Feats: Subtle 2) (30)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Power Punch +12 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Ki Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Kiai +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Spirit Bomb +4 (+24 Ranged Damage, DC 39)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +15, Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Goku loves his angry nag of a wife, though often appears confused as to how they ended up in a relationship.
Relationship (Gohan & Goten)- Goku has two sons. Gohan was initially the primary focus of his life, and he continually-defense his son later on, and mentors him in the martial arts.
Relationship (The Z-Fighters, Bulma)- Goku makes friends quickly (even with old enemies), and retains friendships just as well.
Obsession (Fightin' Round The World)- Goku is obsessed with the martial arts, and "fighting strong opponents". He will make frequent tactical blunders in order to ensure that his opponents get a fair shake in battle, and will often leave dangerous foes alive if it means being challenged in the future. He loves fighting so much that it makes him a terrible parent and husband.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In the Vegeta & Frieza Sagas, Goku needs to use the "Kaio-Ken" technique to empower himself to this level. In later Sagas, he must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do so. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion- Super-Saiyan Level Three is so all-consuming that Goku is in danger of powering-down in the middle of a fight.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 201 / Defenses: 19 (353)

-Goku is epic even in the Androids Saga, but is outmatched by Androids 17 & 18. It takes heart disease to bring him down, and he doesn't fight again until Perfect Cell shows up.

GOKU (Son Goku) -- (CELL SAGA, BUU SAGA, FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Main Hero, Giant Idiot, Big Eater
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 18 (411)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 17 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 10 (+16)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +9 [9]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 10 (Extras: Impervious 13) [23]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (144) -- [155]
AE: Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (71)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 18) (16)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 28 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (24)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Power Punch +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Kiai +16 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +18 Area (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Spirit Bomb +8 (+28 Ranged Damage, DC 43)
Initiative +28

Defenses:
Dodge +17 (DC 27), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +19, Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Goku loves his angry nag of a wife, though often appears confused as to how they ended up in a relationship.
Relationship (Gohan & Goten)- Goku has two sons. Gohan was initially the primary focus of his life, and he continually-defense his son later on, and mentors him in the martial arts.
Relationship (The Z-Fighters, Bulma)- Goku makes friends quickly (even with old enemies), and retains friendships just as well.
Obsession (Fightin' Round The World)- Goku is obsessed with the martial arts, and "fighting strong opponents". He will make frequent tactical blunders in order to ensure that his opponents get a fair shake in battle, and will often leave dangerous foes alive if it means being challenged in the future. He loves fighting so much that it makes him a terrible parent and husband.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In the Vegeta & Frieza Sagas, Goku needs to use the "Kaio-Ken" technique to empower himself to this level. In later Sagas, he must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do so. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion- Super-Saiyan Level Three is so all-consuming that Goku is in danger of powering-down in the middle of a fight.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 31 / Powers: 243 / Defenses: 23 (411)

-Goku eventually is just so much better than everyone else that it's ridiculous- at PL 18, he trumps the entire rest of the cast. He fits this mainly during the Majin Buu fight (after training with The Supreme Kai in the afterlife), as he hits Super-Saiyan Level 3, an unprecedented third level that makes him ridiculously-strong, but with a finite time limit. He's able to take the lead on Buu, but powers-down because he was delaying things in order to allow the second-generation fighters to win.

GOKU (Son Goku) -- (SUPER-SAIYAN in FRIEZA SAGA, POWERED UP AGAINST BROLY & KID BUU)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Main Hero, Giant Idiot, Big Eater
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 20 (436)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 19 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 12 (+18)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 6, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +9 [9]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 12 (Extras: Impervious 13) [25]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 20 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (160) -- [171]
AE: Ki Blast 22 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (75)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 18) (16)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 30 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (26)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Power Punch +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Ki Blast +18 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Kiai +18 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +20 Area (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Spirit Bomb +10 (+30 Ranged Damage, DC 45)
Initiative +36

Defenses:
Dodge +19 (DC 29), Parry +19 (DC 29), Toughness +21, Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Goku loves his angry nag of a wife, though often appears confused as to how they ended up in a relationship.
Relationship (Gohan & Goten)- Goku has two sons. Gohan was initially the primary focus of his life, and he continually-defense his son later on, and mentors him in the martial arts.
Relationship (The Z-Fighters, Bulma)- Goku makes friends quickly (even with old enemies), and retains friendships just as well.
Obsession (Fightin' Round The World)- Goku is obsessed with the martial arts, and "fighting strong opponents". He will make frequent tactical blunders in order to ensure that his opponents get a fair shake in battle, and will often leave dangerous foes alive if it means being challenged in the future. He loves fighting so much that it makes him a terrible parent and husband.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In the Vegeta & Frieza Sagas, Goku needs to use the "Kaio-Ken" technique to empower himself to this level. In later Sagas, he must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do so. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion- Super-Saiyan Level Three is so all-consuming that Goku is in danger of powering-down in the middle of a fight.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 98 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 259 / Defenses: 25 (436)

-Goku only hits this insane level twice, by my recollection- when he transforms at the end of the Frieza Saga into a Super-Saiyan for the first time, and effortlessly defeats the planet-shattering villain (Goku even GIVES FRIEZA SOME OF HIS CHI in order to spare him); and at the end of the Buu Saga, when he's gathered all the Chi from the people of Earth into a Super-King Kong-Mega-Uber Spirit Bomb that finally destroys the bad guy once and for all. If you count the Movies, then he probably also hits this level while fighting Broly- Broly one-shots everyone from Vegeta to Future Trunks to Piccolo, and even Goku falls before The Legendary Super-Saiyan, but when everyone is convinced to pour all of their energy into Goku, he basically gets up, powers up, and one-punches Broly so hard the guy EXPLODES.
-At PL 20, he's basically unstoppable- every form here is a little bit higher-end than the last, mostly raising accuracy & Power in equal measures, with the occasional jump in Initiative along the way (after a point, fast guys will ALWAYS get the first hit, unless they choose to let the enemy go first in order to prove who's strongest).

THE SAIBAMEN -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z
Role: Summoned Minions
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 7 (105)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Intimidation 5 (+2)
Perception 3 (+1)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Startle

Powers:
"Ki Speed"
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Acid Spray" Blast 6 (Extras: Secondary Effect) Linked to Weaken Toughness 5 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (33) -- [35]
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (26)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 7) (7)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Ki Blast +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +0

Complications:
Motivation (Following Orders)- Saibamen will even kill themselves if told to.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 6 (105)

-HAHAHAAHAHAHA the Saibamen thing was SUCH crap in Dragon Ball Z. Seriously- MONTHS of stuff building up to the Saiyans' arrival, Goku training in the afterlife with King Kai, the Z-Fighters training with Kami-Sama, and Piccolo & Gohan training in the wilderness... and as soon as Nappa & Vegeta arrive they go "OH WAIT- WE HAVE MINIONS!" and then the throw these little pods into the ground, growing these little personality-free beasties to fight FOR them! SUCH FILLER!
-The worst part is, the Saibamen are actually at a reasonably-high Fighting Strength- able to put up a half-decent fight against Yamcha & Tien, who at this point were around where Raditz was when he first arrived on Earth. Their Fighting Strength is even explicitly-given as equal to his- 1,200!! So not only were these things Filler, but they actually make our PREVIOUS villain look weak! As Nappa says in the Abridged Series: "That's right- Raditz was so weak, we can GROW MORE OF HIM." So one of the last four Saiyans alive was treated like a Huge Deal, when he was actually barely more-powerful than the SUMMONED MINIONS of Frieza's organization. So silly. So one of these things (looking a lot like a creature from This Island Earth, a sci-fi film from the '50s) puts up a fight against Yamcha, but is eventually beaten-down. At which point it leaps up, GRABS HIM, and explodes, killing our infamously-Worfish Z-Fighter in the opening salvo of the battle. Krillin, furious, kills three of them in revenge, while Piccolo easily finishes one trying to attack Gohan. And that's the last effect they ever have on the plot.
-As Summoned Minions, they're not bad, but they're extremely weak against even the lowest-end Z-Fighters. Yamcha is a PL 8 at this point and handily defeats one, and Tien, Krillin & Piccolo make even shorter work of them. They're at least pretty good at grappling, as poor Yamcha quickly found out. Hilariously, one of these stupid things would be like PL 14-15 around the time Raditz showed up.

CHIAOTZU -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Weird-Powered Little Guy
Group Affiliation: The Z-Fighters
PL 7 (131)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Insight 2 (+2)
Perception 6 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 7 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Acute, Radius) [7]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Telekinesis" Move Object 7 (Extras: Perception-Ranged, Damaging) (28) -- [34]
AE: "TK- Paralysis" Affliction 6 (Fort; Fatigued/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Perception-Ranged +2) (18)
AE: "TK- Internal Attack" Blast 5 (Extras: Perception-Ranged, Fortitude-Based) (20)
AE: "Dodon Ray" Ki Blast 6 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (22)
AE: "Dodon Barrage" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (21)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (7)
AE: "Drill Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 6) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Drill Attack +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Telekinesis -- (+7 Perception-Ranged Damage, DC 22)
TK Paralysis -- (+6 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
TK Internal Attack -- (+5 Perception-Ranged Fortitude Damage, DC 20)
Ki Blast +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 11), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Tien)- The two are inseparable pals.
Responsibility (Weak)- Chaotzu is actually weaker than even YAMCHA, and cannot contribute to later battles. He voluntarily steps aside during the Cell Games.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 67 / Defenses: 20 (131)

-This guy looks SO WEIRD given what the show turned into. In Dragon Ball, he was a bit less ubiquitous- there you had fat guys, dragon-people, big monsters, an anthropomorphic cat, a genie in blackface, etc. A tiny white-faced mime in Asian clothing wasn't so weird, by contrast. But once everyone became an Angry-Faced Steroid Monster, he stood out like a sort thumb. Chiaotzu debuted as one of the students of Master Shen, a rival of Goku's Master Roshi. He was lifelong buddies with Tien, and the two were inseparable. Based off of Chinese vampires (Jiang Shi) and the Nezha character from Journey to the West, he is a psionic/telekinetic (again, back before everyone had the same abilities). Hell, back when he debuted, he was one of the only characters who could fly!
-Chiaotzu & Tien soon turn on their cruel master once he starts ordering them to cheat and execute people, and later show up as allies. However, Chiaotzu is always an also-ran- he's defeated by Krillin after being tricked (requiring outstretched palms in order to use his powers, Chiaotzu is beaten when he starts counting on his fingers when Krillin stumps him with math problems... it's that kind of a series), he's killed by King Piccolo with a single shot, and he gets stomped by a cyborg enemy later. And, when it comes time to fight Nappa the Saiyan, Chaotzu can only accomplish a useless suicide attack that barely fazes the invader. This instant is one a friend of mine used to decry the series, as he pointed out that it'd have been much more dramatic if there were a FEW Saiyans instead of only two, and that this suicide attack had at least killed SOMEBODY. Because yeah, he looked like a dope.
-It was also the last time Chiaotzu ever actually mattered to anything as well- he can only watch for the whole Frieza Saga (though he manages to beat Guldo of the Ginyu Force after some training by King Kai), and he never even gets involved in the Cell Saga. By the end, he's just a watcher- lower-end than even Yamcha on the scale.
-Poor Chiaotzu is easily the weakest Z-Fighter of the group in the Vegeta Saga, and never recovers. As such, I can only give him PL 7 (and he could almost be lower than THAT!). Too bad, because he has some of the neater, more esoteric attacks in the series, consisting of some Perception-Ranged attacks (TK, Paralysis, Fortitude Damage... and in DBZ, Fort-scores tend to be lower than overall Toughness so that MEANS something) in addition to standard Z-Fighter stuff. He gets a brief boost in the Frieza Saga (enough to beat Guldo, anyways), but after that, he drops so far he no longer even matters).

RADITZ -- (RADITZ'S ARRIVAL)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Long-Lost Sibling, Way-More-Powerful Guy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 14 (245)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+12)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Saturday Crush!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (59) -- [62]
AE: "Explosive Blast" Blast 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (48)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Explosion +12 Area (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +22

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +15, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (Sadist)- Raditz will gladly torture an opponent when they're down, thus wasting time.
Weakness (Tail)- Raditz has yet to surpass the Saiyan weakness of their tails- if it's grabbed and squeezed, he will be rendered completely helpless and in great pain.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 125 / Defenses: 8 (245)

-Raditz's arrival in the first episode of Dragon Ball Z was an absolute game-changer. Though the series had dealt with aliens before, now we were dealing with the fact that not only was the HERO an alien, but he was part of a galaxy-spanning Evil Empire that destroyed entire worlds! Raditz basically drops in with the craziest hair ever seen in the series, the highest power level ever known (he easily takes a blast from PICCOLO like it's nothing, then one-shots Krillin with a tail attack), and murder on his mind. He kidnaps a young Gohan so that Goku will be forced to come with him, manipulates Goku into sparing his life, and then gleefully TORTURES his own brother when he gets the chance. Raditz embarrasses the main hero & villain of the series up till that point, and basically seems like a Big Enormous Deal.
-Which is all the funnier when it turns out that he was kind of a lame figure, used only to get the plot started. See, Raditz proves his might, but is undone by the Saiyan weakness of the tail. When he convinces Goku to let him go, he tortures his brother for that act of stupidity... but is injured by a surprisingly-empowered Gohan, and left vulnerable for the same tail-grab. Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon kills both brothers- Raditz mourns the fact that a potentially-great Saiyan warrior must die... but laughingly points out (when Piccolo unwisely brags about the Dragon Balls being able to resurrect people) that his teammates will no doubt come to Earth, grab the Dragon Balls, and resurrect HIM instead. Because, you see, he was BROADCASTING THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION to his fellow Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta!
-Vegeta & Raditz immediately disregard Raditz's plan, since he clearly sucks super-bad and lost to such lowly beings. They instead decide to use the Dragon Balls to ensure immortality for themselves. And then, when the two Saiyans DO arrive on Earth one year later, they mockingly point out that they can GROW beings of equal power level to Raditz! SIX of them! And thus is the last we ever hear of Raditz. Which is just bizarre- imagine any OTHER comic book or cartoon featuring a plot by the Long-Lost Brother of the MAIN HERO coming to Earth, showing great deals of power, and curbstomping everyone. You'd think that'd matter later, right? But nope- Nappa & especially Vegeta show far bigger roles. Too bad- I'd have loved to see what THIS guy's hair would've looked like at SSJ 3.
-Raditz upon his arrival is the most-powerful character on Earth by a vast degree- he effortlessly dodges the attacks of Goku & Piccolo, and only a series of Sneak Attacks (and Piccolo's revealing a super-secret technique that only works if he sits there for like a minute beforehand, gathering Ki) can bring him down. He's fundamentally just like Goku's PL 14 version, but with far fewer options in combat (he basically just throws punches and Ki Blasts), fewer Skills, and no subtlety. However, when Raditz is PL 14, Goku & Piccolo are only PL 11s at-best.

PUAR -- (WHOLE SERIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Animal Buddy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 0 (42)
STRENGTH
-5 STAMINA -5 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Expertise (Bandit) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+0, +8 Size)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Flight 2 (4 mph) [2]
Shapeshift 2 [16]

"Tiny Size" Shrinking 8 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) -- (1 foot) [17]
(-2 Strength, +4 Defenses, +8 Stealth, -4 Intimidation, -1 Speed)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-5 Damage, DC 10)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness -5, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications:
Relationship (Yamcha)- The two are pretty inseparable companions.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: -16 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 10 (42)

-Puar matters little to the overall plot, but is worth noting as an early Dragon Ball character that acted as an Animal Companion to Yamcha. However, Puar could also talk- many Anthropomorphic things are seen in the early series (Oolong the pig, a few dog-faced children and more are seen), but sort of fall by the wayside as everyone else starts looking like Generic Anime People. Toriyama has indicated in interviews that Puar is male, but the dub usually considered him a female, and gave him a girl's voice.
-Puar was Yamcha's pal in the desert, and looked like a catty-rabitty thing. That could fly. And shapeshift. And was blue. Puar didn't do much (being more of the pal to the more-important Yamcha), but WAS the one to stop Goku's first rampage as the Great Ape- shapeshifting into a pair of scissors that cut off his tail. After that, it's pretty much just Puar sittin' there, doing nothing but observe the real plot.

KRILLIN -- (RADITZ'S ARRIVAL, FRIEZA SAGA, CELL SAGA, BUU SAGA, SOME MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Everyman, The Hero's Best Friend
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (228)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 8 (+12)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 6 (+7)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Last Stand (Spend an HP to Ignore Damage For 1 Round), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Isn't Drawn With A Nose" Immunity 1 (Scent-Based Dazzles or Effects) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (64) -- [70]
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (36)
AE: "Scattering Bullet!" Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 6) (6)
AE: "Destructo-Disc!" Blast 12 (Feats: Homing 3, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -2) (49)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Solar Flare!" Dazzle Visuals 8 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) (16)

"Tri-Form" Summon Weaker Krillins 7 (Extras: Horde, 2 Krillins +2, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [14]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Kamehameha Wave +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Solar Flare +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Destructo-Disc +4 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Android 18)- Always bad with women, Krillin falls for the evil Android, and finds himself unable to kill her when he's supposed to. Eventually, however, she becomes less evil and they marry, producing a girl (Marron).
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Krillin is the most powerful human being on the entire planet, yet is so badly-outclassed by his Saiyan & Namekian allies that he basically may as well not show up. Eventually, he'st he last 100% human on the team.
Responsibility (Horrible Singer)
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 117 / Defenses: 14 (228)

-Krillin is one of the ultimate "Best Buddy" characters out there, and a pretty solid reference if you're interested in that character type. He's got a lot of the classic attributes- he's way less powerful than the hero, he tries hard, he's funnier and reacts more comically to things, etc. Unfortunately, like the other Non-Aliens in the cast, he falls so far behind in terms of Power Level that he's essentially worthless to the fight after a point- he pretty much stops mattering after the Frieza Saga, though he's still made prominent as a character.
-Krillin was created when Toriyama's editor requested a new character because he felt that Goku was too bland, and needed someone to compete with and bounce off of. The two characters were rivals in Master Roshi's school at first, but soon became inseparable friends. He often has subplots where he falls for some girl or another, and isn't drawn with a nose or even scelarae in his eyes- he's just got two dots (this actually becomes a plot point in a few fights). And his name is a nightmare for Dubbers/Subbers- it can be Kulilin, Kuririn, Kurilin, or Kulirin- none of which flows off of the Western tongue easily- I think "Krillin" is probably the best you're gonna get (though doesn't sound that much like the original pronounciation).
-Despite being an ostensibly-skilled fighter, Krillin spends more time as the "Worf" of the squad- while Yamcha & Chiaotzu both job harder, Krillin not only sticks around (thus making Jobbing his One True Calling), but usually becomes the last guy beaten so that Goku can show off how powerful he is by beating that villain. It's like Hercules' old job in the Thor comic, or what Martian Manhunter ends up doing if he's sharing a team with Superman- but both of those guys would put a shotgun in their mouth and pull the trigger if they had KRILLIN'S luck with that. Hell, he's died FOUR TIMES. And came back from ALL of them! He's worse than Jean Grey! A better show with stronger writing would have found a way to make Krillin really MATTER more.
-That being said, Krillin manages to factor into the plot way more than most of those guys ever manage to do. In the Vegeta Saga, he's a prominent "Fan POV" character of the Saiyans' arrival, freaking out when they display their power, being furious when they cut down his friends, and worrying openly at Goku's late arrival. In the Frieza Saga, he touches down on Namek with Gohan & Bulma, engaging in a frequent (and LONG) quest to find out what's going on with Vegeta, Frieza and the Dragon Balls of that planet. However, he's mostly-useless as a fighter- he survives against Nappa by pure luck, only manages a few shots against a distracted Vegeta, and on Namek, he's basically running around screaming from anyone who could be a threat.
-By the Cell Saga, only the Saiyans & Piccolo really matter. However, he DOES manage to be one of the more-effective characters tactically- when things look bad, it's Krillin who throws out the shocker-attacks that do a surprising amount of damage- he frequently uses the "Solar Flare" technique to stop bad guys (no matter what their PL, DBZ villains tend to have a vulnerability to being blinded- it's why I keep the Fortitude Saves much lower than Toughness!), and his Destructo-Disc flies at a much higher class of power than Krillin typically does (it's deadly enough to sever limbs on people like Nappa & Frieza, though it's wildly inaccurate and never really hits them). He even uses a "Tri-Form" technique to split himself into three- however, these forms are so much weaker than himself that it becomes worthless after a point.
-Krillin spends 90% of his time as a PL 8- way, WAY too far below the high-end villains to really matter as anything but a guy who can get the occasional one-shot. He's easily-trounced by Nappa, Vegeta, Dodoria, Recoome (even after an "Inner Potential-Unlocking" from Guru) and Frieza, and only survives by his wits, luck, and careful tactics. To explain his survival skills against some deadly fighters, I left him with probably the most defensive Advantages in the series- it's not enough to let him survive against the show's Gods, but he's still pretty good. And hey- he managed to land the only woman in the series not to be drawn with the same face. Not bad for a dwarf without a nose.

KRILLIN -- (VEGETA SAGA, ANDROID SAGA, SOME MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Everyman, The Hero's Best Friend
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 9 (245)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 8 (+12)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 6 (+7)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+9)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Last Stand (Spend an HP to Ignore Damage For 1 Round), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Isn't Drawn With A Nose" Immunity 1 (Scent-Based Dazzles or Effects) [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (72) -- [78]
AE: Ki Blast 9 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (40)
AE: "Scattering Bullet!" Ki Blast 9 (Extras: Multiattack) (27)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 7) (7)
AE: "Destructo-Disc!" Blast 13 (Feats: Homing 3, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -2) (51)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Solar Flare!" Dazzle Visuals 9 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) (18)

"Tri-Form" Summon Weaker Krillins 7 (Extras: Horde, 2 Krillins +2, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [14]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Kamehameha Wave +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Ki Blast +9 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Solar Flare +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Destructo-Disc +5 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Android 18)- Always bad with women, Krillin falls for the evil Android, and finds himself unable to kill her when he's supposed to. Eventually, however, she becomes less evil and they marry, producing a girl (Marron).
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Krillin is the most powerful human being on the entire planet, yet is so badly-outclassed by his Saiyan & Namekian allies that he basically may as well not show up. Eventually, he'st he last 100% human on the team.
Responsibility (Horrible Singer)
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 125 / Defenses: 14 (245)

-The closest Krillin comes to ever mattering in a fight once Power Levels get out of control is in the Vegeta Saga, where he manages to survive against Nappa's onslaught, and is the only member of the team left standing after Vegeta is defeated.

GREAT APE FORM -- (ANY SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Monstrous Form, Uncontrollable Beast
Group Affiliation: Various
PL 18 (183)
STRENGTH
14 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+16)
Intimidation 12 (+10, +15 Huge Size)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 16 (+16)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Power Punch" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Giant Monster" Protection 12 (Extras: Impervious 15) [27]

"Huge Size" Growth 11 (Str & Sta +11, +11 Mass, +5 Intimidation, -5 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -11 Stealth) -- (50 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [23]

"Mouth Blast" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 4) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (52) -- [53]
AE: Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Penetrating 10) (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +22 (+8 Impervious), Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Normal Form- Lack of Tail)- If the Great Ape's tail is removed, it will revert back to its prior form, leaving the original Saiyan exhausted.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 109 / Defenses: 26 (183)

-One aspect of the series that kind of faltered after a point was the whole "Transforms into a Great Ape" thing. As Goku was a parody of Son Wukong from Journey to the West, it seemed fitting that he became more ape-like at points. This was initially treated as a werewolf-like Full Moon-inspired transformation- it was also the explanation for why his grandfather Gohan was dead- Goku had crushed him during an involuntary transformation. Goku went on a rampage at the end of the first Saga in the series, getting de-powered only when Puar cut off his tail. He would show up one more time like this as well. Eventually, rational plans were enacted to prevent this transformation- simple stuff like BLOWING UP THE MOON, and then just cutting off Goku's damn tail in a way that was permanent.
-Called "Ozaru" in Japan, Oozaru by Anti-Dub fans in the early 2000s, and usually "Great Ape" by others (though, as a primate with a tail, it's closer to a monkey. That's fifty feet tall), this form was an Unstoppable Monster and total killing machine (it's pointed out that a Great Ape's Fighting Strength is equal to that of a Saiyan's TIMES TEN). The last time it truly mattered was against Vegeta at the end of the Vegeta Saga- when he found his power equaled too much by Goku, he arranged for a transformation thanks to some pre-planning (he had learned a Power Ball technique that allows him to simulate moonlight)- Ape Vegeta proceeds to annihilate his opponents (especially as, thanks to elite training, he was able to CONTROL his form, and was even able to talk!), and was poised for certain victory before the cowardly Yajirobe finally got involved in the fight, and sliced off his tail. The Power Ball proved to be Vegeta's undoing, as GOHAN awoke and was thus transformed- Vegeta managed to finally cut off his tail in mid-jump, but the Ape then came crashing down upon him- the final blow that ended his threat.
-Oddly, after this, the Great Apes vanish. With Goku, Gohan & Vegeta rendered tail-less, and Trunks & Goten apparently never using them, it was unnecessary. Possibly for the best- Toriyama tended to do better when it was Guy (vs) Guy, not Guy (vs) Kaiju.
-It was only in Dragon Ball GT that they became a thing again. In this out-of-continuity sequel series, Super Saiyan 3 Goku is unable to stop a mind-controlled Vegeta, and has his tail regrown by an Old Kai, and looks into the Full Earth (they were fighting in space, naturally), which causes him to become a Golden Great Ape- an advanced form. Once Goku gains control of this form, he's able to transform into the Super-Saiyan Level Four.
-Great Apes are statistically basically impossible to beat for lower-level characters- Vegeta, Gohan & Goku all basically require their opponents to either remove their tails or blow up the Moon or something to stop them. This fits a PL 18- someone so far above the common level of the series that you've got to use specialized tactics to win- a handful of REGULAR Saiyan warriors can depopulate an entire planet overnight if they transform. Thankfully, most characters can use "Cutting Discs" or the like. They're PL 18 Unarmed, PL 18 with Ki Blasts (though only Vegeta can manage this attack, having trained to control his Ape Form), and PL 17 defensively- as even GOKU tends to only be PL 16, it's not a good thing when they're unleashed. Had any Saiyans had their tails against Frieza and tried this, they could have done a TON of damage in the final fight on Namek, though of course Frieza himself specializes in cutting attacks, too.

TIEN (Tien Shinhan) -- (ANDROID SAGA, CELL SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Rival-Turned-Friend, Odd-Powered Guy
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (204)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 8 (+12)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 6 (+7)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Last Stand (Spend an HP to Ignore Damage For 1 Round), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Four Witches" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

"Third Eye"
Enhanced Advantages 1: Second Chance (Visual Dazzles) [1]
Senses 2 (Vision Counters Illusion) [2]

"Dodon Ray" Ki Blast 9 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (38) -- [43]
AE: "Tri-Beam" Blast 11 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Flaws: Side-Effect- Energy Drain) (Inaccurate -1) (18)
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Machine-Gun Punch!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 7) (7)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Solar Flare!" Dazzle Visuals 8 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) (16)

"Multi-Form" Summon Weaker Tiens 7 (Extras: Horde, 3 Tiens +3, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [21]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Ki Blast +7 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Tri-Beam +5 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Solar Flare +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Chiaotzu)- The two are Hetero Life Partners, and totally inseparable.
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Tien, like Yamcha, Chiaotzu & Krillin, has issues keeping up, especially once the Saiyans become prevalent. He stops mattering to anything around the Cell Saga.
Responsibility (Honor)- Tien refuses to win via cheating- he once forced Chiaotzu to stop helping him fight against Goku.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 99 / Defenses: 13 (204)

-One of the more-distinctive-looking characters, the three-eyed Tien comes from the same Martial Arts School as Chiaotzu, but was a higher-level fighter. He was, in fact, a key Rival to Goku for a full arc, and was treated as a serious threat (he even did the Trademark DBZ Villain Thing and beat the hell out of Yamcha earlier on!). However, once he's beaten, he sees just how evil and cruel his master really is, and allies with the kinder Goku and Master Roshi instead. And no, they never do explain why he has a third eye (given that this is a world of Anthros & talking cat-things, it's perhaps not that crazy to see a triclops)- it's mainly a reference to the Hindu God Shiva (the third eye represents enlightenment). Tien starts off rather vicious, but even after he's reformed, he stays fairly stoic and non-jokey. Alas, his usefulness in the series ends pretty quick, despite being one of the very few to DEFEAT GOKU (sure it was by Ring-Out, but a win's a win). He doesn't get Yamcha'd right away, but he's an also-ran in every fight, and is only ever the SECOND-most powerful Earthling in the world.
-Tien starts jobbing pretty quickly, losing to King Piccolo's minion Drum, who then gets ONE-SHOTTED by Goku. Later on, he & Goku fight, and he's housed with relative ease. In the Vegeta Saga, Tien fights alongside the Z-Fighters against the Saiyans, spending most of his time crying over Chiaotzu's early death. He loses an arm in the conflict (to a single hit from Nappa), but fights on- showing the tenacity of the heroes to the Saiyans. He puts all of his efforts into one final attack... which does nothing but smash Nappa's armor. Then he dies. Seriously, they REALLY shoulda used another Saiyan or two in that fight- it puts a really fine point on how crap-worthless everyone is next to Goku in this show. The anime at least throws an aside about how powerful the attack was, and if it'd hit flush, Nappa could have died (the manga includes no such extra- Tien just sucked).
-He spends the Frieza Saga in the Afterlife (getting to defeat the Ginyu Force with the others- easily taking out Berter & Jeice, which should give him a Fighting Strength of at LEAST 70,000!), and appears as an eighth-tier character in the Cell Saga, showing up as the weakest guy now that Chiaotzu & Yamcha have dropped out of the fight. His first act is to get the crap choked out of him by Android 17, and his second is to only manage to hold Imperfect Cell off for a bit (draining all of his energy, but preventing the villain from getting stronger, for the moment). All he can do after that is fart around and try to be helpful in a side-character sort of way (he even turns down staying in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train himself up- pointing out that he's too far behind by this point to matter). It might be due to his lack of popularity- Fan Opinion Polls are taken pretty seriously in the manga world, and he was always a big outlier among the regulars, barely scoring higher than Yajirobe at one point.
-All in all, it seems like Tien was a solid Rival character who was meant for better things, but Toriyama just got tired of the character. Nearly all of his best showings in the Z-series are anime-only (the Ginyu Force bit; Nappa complimenting his power), so when Toriyama's the sole voice for the characters, Tien's just a forgotten guy with no real use to the plot anymore. It's times like this that he'd have been better served not defaulting to "Resurrect With the Dragon Balls" so often, because it may've been more merciful to just KILL the guy rather than have him spend years moping over being so weak compared to the others.

TIEN (Tien Shinhan) -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Rival-Turned-Friend, Odd-Powered Guy
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 9 (217)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 8 (+12)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 6 (+7)
Perception 6 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Last Stand (Spend an HP to Ignore Damage For 1 Round), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 9 (1,000 mph) [18]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"Four Witches" Extra Limbs 2 [2]

"Third Eye"
Enhanced Advantages 1: Second Chance (Visual Dazzles) [1]
Senses 2 (Vision Counters Illusion) [2]

"Dodon Ray" Ki Blast 10 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (42) -- [48]
AE: "Tri-Beam" Blast 12 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Flaws: Side-Effect- Energy Drain) (Inaccurate -1) (20)
AE: Ki Blast 10 (Extras: Multiattack) (30)
AE: "Machine-Gun Punch!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 8) (8)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Solar Flare!" Dazzle Visuals 9 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Touch Range) (18)

"Multi-Form" Summon Weaker Tiens 7 (Extras: Horde, 3 Tiens +3, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [21]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Ki Blast +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Tri-Beam +6 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Solar Flare +9 Area (+9 Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Chiaotzu)- The two are Hetero Life Partners, and totally inseparable.
Responsibility (Can't Catch Up)- Tien, like Yamcha, Chiaotzu & Krillin, has issues keeping up, especially once the Saiyans become prevalent. He stops mattering to anything around the Cell Saga.
Responsibility (Honor)- Tien refuses to win via cheating- he once forced Chiaotzu to stop helping him fight against Goku.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 104 / Defenses: 14 (217)

-A slightly-more-useful Tien, as seen during the fight against the Saiyans, where at least he was equal to Krillin's PL 9. Not that it helped him against the Saiyans, of course...

BULMA (Bulma Briefs) -- (DRAGON BALL)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Miss Fanservice, The Grouch
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 3 (68)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+5)
Deception 4 (+5, +7 Attractive
Expertise (Science) 5 (+12)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Perception 2 (+3)
Stealth 1 (+4)
Technology 6 (+13)
Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Attractive, Inventor, Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (A Woman Through The Eyes of Young Boys)- Bulma has pretty stereotypical "Girl Behavior" as seen by little boys- she's fussy about her appearance, is totally man-crazy, freaks out over the tiniest thing, is physically-useless, and tries to flirt to get her way.
Relationship (Yamcha)- The two dated off-and-on for years, frequently torn-apart by his stupidly wandering into flirtacious events, and Bulma's mercurial nature. Eventually, they split up for good- it seems mutual (though some sources say that Yamcha started sleeping around).
Relationship (Vegeta)-

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (68)

-As the first (and, well, only) major female character in Dragon Ball Z, Bulma (close Japanese approximation of "bloomers"- her family is given names indicating underwear) is fairly-typical of the type, at times. As it's a manga meant for young boys, the main female primarily serves as a "HAW HAW GIRLS ARE GROUCHY!" archetype, as well as Miss Fanservice for the older boys. She meets Goku right in the first chapter- a rich inventor's daughter finding a wild-child in the wilderness, and the two go off on a crazy, comedic adventure (she plans on using the Dragon Balls to "create the perfect boyfriend"). A lot of mileage was gotten out of Bulma freaking out over various things, getting captured, wearing sexy outfits (at one point she's in a Playboy bunny costume for several episodes; in another, she "flashes her panties" at Master Roshi to earn his help, but doesn't realize she's not WEARING ANY that day, and so the old man nearly dies of a heart attack!), and arguing with the wide-eyed innocent that is Goku.
-Bulma was a fair bit annoying, made doubly-so because my old Writing Community had a guy (pretending to be a girl) who was not only an IMMENSE Power Geek (and thus a huge fan of DBZ), but was infatuated with Bulma. He was so obsessed he'd even make up stuff about how Vegeta beat her (leading to Vegeta Fans arguing with him... the internet is a mad, stupid place). And really, there's nothing like an obsessive fan of something to make others hate it (good thing *I* don't always go on about stuff I like to the lot of you, right :)?).
-Bulma is the second most-important character in Dragon Ball at first, but eventually takes a backseat to the thing shifting into a Martial Arts Duel-based series. During the Vegeta Saga, she doesn't get up to much, but she's in a whole TON of the "Filler" on Planet Namek during the Frieza Saga. Her role in the Cell Saga is rather unexpected- when this mysterious Super-Saiyan arrives from the future, it turns out that he's Bulma's SON. With VEGETA. The BAD GUY! Alas, at this point I wasn't watching, so I can't tell you how the relationship began or how it was written- though given Toriyama's obvious distaste for romance in his comic (Goku & Chi-Chi get engaged practically because Goku accepted without knowing what that meant), I don't have high hopes. It DID put the kibosh on her relationship with Yamcha, though that hadn't been a major plot element for an eternity (they had many break-up/make-up moments in Dragon Ball, usually around Whacky Misunderstandings or Yamcha accidentally flirting with someone). The two are estranged at first, due to Vegeta's passion (and semi-evil tendencies that remain) and Bulma's... Bulma-ness, but eventually form a real relationship, at which point she's usually seen as a de-sexualized "Mother Figure", usually holding a baby (she & Vegeta have a daughter, Bra/Bulla) or being a background person.
-Bulma, for all her flaws (and oh, they are numerous), is a very competent inventor (she built the tracker that can detect Dragon Balls), and could be dangerous with some proper gear. This build represents more her Dragon Ball self- as once the series his Cosmic levels of power, her stats would basically be into the negatives- she'd be more of the player who either quit and became the GM PC, or the poor bastard who decided they'd rather Role-Play than fight.

NAPPA -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Amoral Powerhouse, Raging Asshole
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 14 (241)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 10 (+9)
Perception 1 (+1)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+11)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown 2, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 13) [20]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

Ki Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (61) -- [65]
AE: "Bomber DX!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (42)
AE: "Break Cannon!" Ki Blast 19 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting) (Inaccurate -1) (30)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +11 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Explosion +12 Area (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +16, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (Sadist & Egotist)- Nappa likes to waste time and slowly beat people down. He is very overconfident, however- he sometimes tries to tank attacks that may hurt him.
Responsibility (Temper)- Nappa is easily-infuriated, and this can lead him into some foolish rushes- he nearly disregards Vegeta's direct instructions not to attack the Z-Fighters, and at one point nearly attacks FRIEZA after being insulted.
Responsibility (The Chain of Command)- Nappa's ranking officers are easily able to boss him around, despite his temper- he quakes in his boots whenever Vegeta is upset.
Responsibility (Somewhat Sympathetic to Allies)- Nappa seems to like the Saibamen Mooks the Frieza Force uses, and appears shocked when Vegeta casually kills one. He also suggests reviving Raditz with the Dragon Balls, and using Earth to sire a new race of powerful Half-Saiyans, but Vegeta shoots him down both times.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 121 / Defenses: 10 (241)

-The Vegeta Saga culminates with the two Saiyans FINALLY arriving- the more-powerful leader Vegeta, and his subordinate, the huge and muscular Nappa. Nappa is your classic Goon- a big, stupid idiot with huge muscles and a stupid look on his face. Tremendously-unlikable, he is easily goaded into attacking, but Vegeta allows the Z-Fighters a stay of execution so that this "Goku" fellow can show up. But once Nappa is unleashed (the Saiyans are sporting, and like to draw out conflict), watch out- he appears largely INVINCIBLE, absolutely flattening the Z-Fighters with ease. Chiaotzu pulls off a desperation attack, blowing himself up to stop the bad guy... but Nappa calmly walks out of the smoke like it was nothing. Tien loses his arm to a single attack, but he kills himself firing out one last super-beam... which fails to work (in the manga, it hits but fails to really hurt either). Even the triple-team of Piccolo, Gohan & Krillin can barely do more than scratch him- their best attempt involves a series of powerful blasts that MIGHT have done something, but Gohan got gun-shy and ran off, ruining their chance.
-It's a bit of delicious irony that after all this, and Piccolo sacrificing his life to save Gohan's, Nappa is finally able to meet Goku... who then immediately crushes him. Like, it's a reversal of everything that NAPPA had done to the OTHERS, and we're clearly meant to revel in it. However, I find that it's over a little too quickly- Nappa just takes a beating, flies after the heroes, then gets his back broken by a single shot from Goku. Beaten and broken, he crawls back to Vegeta... who executes him out of disgust for his weakness. It feels kind of... diminished... from what it should be. I would have liked to see a desperate Nappa trounced even harder, with a more drawn-out fight. It feels like we should have reveled in Nappa's destruction just a little bit more.
-And, like most of the subordinate bad guys in the series (or, well, any dead villain), Nappa is never seen again. It's a bit sad, since he's the one who killed THREE Z-Fighters in his debut (more than most villains have ever managed), he's one of the last Saiyans in the galaxy, AND it robs us of seeing someone with a killer 'stache going Super-Saiyan. Given that he's such a prominent part in the series (especially in the early Dub, which only got to partway through the Frieza Saga- he takes up a bigger proportion of episodes most people saw thanks to that), it's unfortunate. Dragon Ball Z: The Abridged Series gets a lot of mileage out of him being a general goofball, and the successful voice-acting of him turned him into a much bigger star in THAT than he ever was in the original series.
-Nappa is extremely powerful in the context of the Vegeta Saga- his Fighting Strength is given at around 4,000, meaning that he's probably the eleventh most-powerful person overall in the enormous Frieza Force (behind Frieza, his Lieutenants, the Ginyu Force, Cui and Vegeta). This means he's about three times as powerful as the human Z-Fighters, and even Piccolo is only at three-quarters of his strength. And in DBZ terms, this means that Nappa is essentially unstoppable- he's not only bigger and STRONGER than the others (he maims Tien in one hit), but he's FASTER too- their biggest Power Attacks actually tend to miss. It makes him a lot different than your typical Tanking Brute, like this type of guy normally is.
-Nappa, at PL 14, is more or less equivalent to what Raditz was when he arrived- somebody so far "above" the Earth-bound fighters that he was essentially a totally different animal. PL 7 Chiaotzu, PL 8 Yamcha, and PL 9 Krillin & Tien were nothing before him, and Piccolo & Gohan weren't exactly bridging the gap, either. Taking into account the "Afterimage" Concealment and him being keyed so much towards damage over accuracy (but with Accurate Attack, he can switch any time he wants to), he's damn-near insurmountable, even to a group of three or four fighters going against him (you'll recall how in M&M, it's relatively-easy to overwhelm your opponents with numbers).

KING KAI -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Whacky Mentor Figure
Group Affiliation: The Kami
PL 12 (255)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (History) 12 (+15)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+8)
Insight 6 (+10)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+10)
Vehicles 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Kaio-Shin), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +3 [3]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 12 (2,000 mph) [24]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Magic Materialization" Create 1 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Continuous) [4]

Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (51) -- [56]
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 12) (2)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 20 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (19)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: Remote Senses (Vision & Hearing) 5 (Feats: Dimensional) (16)
AE: Communication (Mental) 5 (Feats: Dimensional) (Extras: Affects Others, Area) (31)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ki Blast +10 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Spirit Bomb +4 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +10, Fortitude +10, Will +10

Complications:
Responsibility (Rules the North Galaxy)- King Kai is a God, an is supposed to ensure law and order are followed.
Responsibility (Humor-Lover)- King Kai will not train people unless they can first make him laugh. Unfortunately, he only tells bad jokes.
Weakness (Kaio-Ken Technique)- King Kai's full power is only available when using the "Kaio-Ken" technique to make himself stronger- it can be physically-exhausting and rather dangerous to utilize it. Usually he will only fight at PL 11-12.

Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 101 / Defenses: 17 (242)

-One of the curious aspects of the Dragon Ball universe is the existence of Gods (called "Kami" in Japan) that appear to rule everything, but themselves have somewhat-limited power. Earth has someone addressed as God/Kami, and there are also a bunch of Galactic Gods (Earth's Kami is ONLY in charge of Earth)- the first seen is King Kai, the ruler of the North Galaxy. He becomes the trainer of Goku when he's killed fighting Raditz, and the arduous heavy-gravity training Goku works under turns him into the bad-ass that wipes the floor with Nappa later on in the Vegeta Saga. Kai succeeds in making Goku more powerful than even HE is, and continues to be a protagonist throughout the series, often warning Goku of things from afar (such as the coming of Broly in one of the TV Specials).
-In the Frieza Saga, he ends up training those killed fighting Nappa and the Saibamen, and turns them into guys more powerful than the Ginyu Force (essentially multiplying their Fighting Strength by fifty times!). In the Cell Saga, he is killed when Goku teleports an exploding Cell away from Earth, and, thinking quickly, can only think of bringing him to King Kai's tiny, Little Prince-like planet- the explosion takes out Kai and his two allies, Gregory the Cricket and Bubbles the Monkey.
-Statting King Kai is a bit tricky because he's not a character that actually engages in fighting- he's merely a trainer of others. However, as someone who's used both the Kaio-Ken and the Spirit Bomb, he's no doubt a bad-ass. It is established, though, that he could never properly-master either technique, and that Goku, Nappa and Vegeta were all stronger than he was. Therefore, PL 12 sounds about right. And unlike many other characters, he does not gain power as the series goes on- even YAMCHA is better than he is at the end of the Frieza Saga! That said, he has some techniques that no others can master- including viewing things across Dimensions, Communicating across all Space, and making stuff (like clothes) just appear.

VEGETA -- (VEGETA SAGA, BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Proud Warrior, The Last Guy The Villain Beats, The Rival (to Goku)
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters, Frieza Force
PL 16 (377)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+17)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 11) [19]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Galick Gun!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (128) -- [136]
AE: Ki Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (66)
AE: Ki Blast 18 (Extras: Multiattack) (54)
AE: "Final Flash!" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (Inaccurate -1) (69)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (64)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Anime-Only Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Power Punch +15 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Ki Blast +14 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Final Flash +12 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Galick Gun/Big Bang Attack +16 Area (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +16, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Bulma)- Vegeta and Bulma are two bull-headed, argumentative people. Apparently they gel together.
Relationship (Trunks & Bulla)- Vegeta grew to appreciate his Future-drawn son, and appears somewhat protective of young Trunks as well. He is protective of his daughter Bulla, and she is the only person in the universe who can criticize him without getting screamed at.
Rivalry (Kakarot)- Vegeta only refers to Goku by his Saiyan name, and is intensely-competitive with him, to the point of excluding every other aspect of his life. Vegeta is so obsessed with beating Goku that he will do literally almost anything in order to get that last big "push".
Responsibility (Saiyan Pride)- Vegeta mourns the loss of his people, and takes great pride in being their Prince... even though he personally killed one of the last four, laughingly-refused to bring another of the four back from the dead, and rejected birthing a race of powerful Half-Saiyans because he didn't want anyone around who was more powerful than him.
Obsession (Being the Strongest)- Vegeta insists upon being the strongest fighter. This can be so strong that he'll be completely out of sorts if someone shows up who's tougher (see: Broly).
Responsibility (Temper)- Vegeta is extremely-easy to anger, and will rush to attack without thinking.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Vegeta must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting. Vegeta loses two ranks of Improved Critical (Blast) without turning Super-Saiyan.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 218 / Defenses: 17 (377)

-Vegeta became a huge breakaway hit character in Dragon Ball Z- he's pretty easily the second-most-popular and important character after Goku himself, and is probably #1 in America, judging by pretty much any online conversation I've seen about it. Quite a win for a guy who started off as a 100% evil bad guy, loses a TON of fights, and is so outclassed by his biggest rival that it actually becomes sad after a point.
-Vegeta debuts in (what else?) The Vegeta Saga, arriving with the bigger Nappa as part of an invasion force, intending to use Earth's Dragon Balls to wish for immortality. The Z-Fighters gather to stop them, while Goku trains with King Kai in the afterlife. Vegeta calmly allows Nappa to fight the Z-Fighters himself, and watches four of their number die before Goku arrives. When Goku finishes Nappa with ease, a disgusted Vegeta then EXECUTES his crippled comrade while he begs for his life! At which point he FINALLY joins the melee... and finds Goku absurdly-close to his own Power Level. THIS fight, however, is AMAZINGLY epic, and probably my favourite of the series. It's basically the super-powerful Vegeta going up against Goku, Krillin & Gohan at various points, usually flattening one fighter, only to be faced by another. The weaker heroes get in pot-shots and lose quickly, while Goku reveals incredible might and holds his own. A frustrated Vegeta enters the Great Ape Form in order to crush the heroes, but is then stopped by the timely intervention of the cowardly Yajirobe and his sword, which de-powers the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta eats the Spirit Bomb from Goku, but actually manages to SURVIVE. He prepares to murder Gohan, but Yajirobe cuts him AGAIN, this time slashing him in the back! In the end, Vegeta's action sows the seed of his own destruction, as the same technique that turned him into a Great Ape now empowers GOHAN, who crushes Vegeta beneath him. Badly-beaten, Vegeta is spared by Goku from Krillin's vengeance, and escapes.
-Surviving by the skin of his teeth, Vegeta goes to Planet Namek in order to find THEIR Dragon Balls. Discovering that his boss & master, Frieza, is ALSO searching for said Balls, he's now forced to oppose the dreaded Frieza Force. This has the smart side-effect of turning him into a powerful ALLY of the heroes, as he demolishes Frieza's top three henchmen by himself, then faces off against the elite Ginyu Force. Here, we see a vulnerable Vegeta- he's first crushed by Zarbon, then Recoome- he requires luck and being saved. Then he faces Frieza himself, and DIES, tearfully pleading with Goku to move on as the avenger of their race. He is revived at the end of this Saga, becoming an unlikely ally of the Z-Fighters. He ceases to become their enemy, but avoids becoming their friend, only forced to fight alongside them again when The Androids and Cell arrive in the next Saga. Here, he encounters his own son from the future (Trunks), and begins his new phase- Vegeta The Hero.
-Vegeta The Hero is STILL an asshole, of course- he's prideful, imperious, temperamental and vicious (in the Buu Saga, he willingly-allows himself to be taken over by a villain so that he can enjoy his "Evil Side" once more, and finally defeat Goku). But of course, that's why the fanbase took to him. And eventually, after a few attempts at pushing other characters (Piccolo in the Frieza Saga, Future Trunks & Gohan during the Cell Saga), Vegeta stands as the fairly-permanent #2 in the franchise after Goku. Most Movies feature him as the secondary fighter, with only the eternally-great Goku being truly unstoppable. I think the fact that Vegeta didn't have this Plot-Demanded Power actually served to make him a bit more-popular, as it caused a backlash against Goku (after all, one of the first things people complain about with regards to DBZ is that Goku always always ALWAYS comes out #1 in the end. Vegeta is spared this accusation).
-Vegeta is pretty-clearly the second-most-powerful person in the series after Goku- he trails him in every Saga but the first (where they appear equally-matched, with Vegeta maybe a bit ahead). He can't even attain Super-Saiyan Level Three, though he masters every form prior to that (SSJ1, the "advanced" forms of that, then SSJ2). In Dragon Ball GT, he gains his tail back, thus hitting the Great Golden Ape Form, and Super-Saiyan Level Four. In the recent Movies, he gains the "Super-Saiyan Beyond God" stuff, with the red & then blue hair. But in 90% of everything, he is the final character to lose to the guy who loses to Goku. Essentially, he's the "Krillin" of Dragon Ball Z (Krillin himself becomes "The Yamcha").
-Vegeta is basically Goku with slightly-different stats- he leans more towards Speed & Area Attacks, while Goku fights more like a Powerhouse/Tank. If they're at equal levels, they tend to match up quite evenly... sadly, they're like that basically twice (the Majin Vegeta/SSJ2 Goku fight, and the Vegeta Saga fight). The rest of the time, Goku is far superior.
-Vegeta is PL 16 in the Saga named for him- able to tie the PL 16 Goku easily. He's frighteningly-powerful there, equaling a Kaio-Ken x20 Goku, eating a SPIRIT BOMB and surviving, and generally being so tough he one-shots everyone else. Only the timely intervention of a Great Ape Gohan is able to finally put him down. He also fits PL 16 in the Buu Saga, being the only one even semi-close to Goku, who himself is PL 18 in Super-Saiyan Level 3 form.

VEGETA -- (ANDROID SAGA, CELL SAGA, MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Proud Warrior, The Last Guy The Villain Beats, The Rival (to Goku)
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters, Frieza Force
PL 14 (338)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+15)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+12)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Galick Gun!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (112) -- [120]
AE: Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (58)
AE: Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Final Flash!" Ki Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (63)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -1) (11)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (56)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Anime-Only Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Power Punch +13 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Final Flash +10 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Galick Gun/Big Bang Attack +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +19

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +13, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Bulma)- Vegeta and Bulma are two bull-headed, argumentative people. Apparently they gel together.
Relationship (Trunks & Bulla)- Vegeta grew to appreciate his Future-drawn son, and appears somewhat protective of young Trunks as well. He is protective of his daughter Bulla, and she is the only person in the universe who can criticize him without getting screamed at.
Rivalry (Kakarot)- Vegeta only refers to Goku by his Saiyan name, and is intensely-competitive with him, to the point of excluding every other aspect of his life. Vegeta is so obsessed with beating Goku that he will do literally almost anything in order to get that last big "push".
Responsibility (Saiyan Pride)- Vegeta mourns the loss of his people, and takes great pride in being their Prince... even though he personally killed one of the last four, laughingly-refused to bring another of the four back from the dead, and rejected birthing a race of powerful Half-Saiyans because he didn't want anyone around who was more powerful than him.
Obsession (Being the Strongest)- Vegeta insists upon being the strongest fighter. This can be so strong that he'll be completely out of sorts if someone shows up who's tougher (see: Broly).
Responsibility (Temper)- Vegeta is extremely-easy to anger, and will rush to attack without thinking.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Vegeta must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting. Vegeta loses two ranks of Improved Critical (Blast) without turning Super-Saiyan.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 189 / Defenses: 18 (338)

-Vegeta hits PL 14 in the Movies/TV Specials, where he's usually the most powerful fighter behind (of course) Goku. He usually finishes off Minions easily, but almost ALWAYS gets stomped by the Big Bad. In the Android Saga, Vegeta easily flattens Android 19, but is himself crushed by Android 18. A whole series of training allows him to defeat them and Semi-Perfect Cell, but after allowing Semi-Perfect Cell to absorb 18 and thus UPGRADING again, he's now easily-trumped by the Big Bad of the Cell Saga. He never really recovers- at this point, but Goku AND Gohan are superior to him, and he can't beat any version of Cell.

VEGETA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART TWO)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Proud Warrior, The Last Guy The Villain Beats, The Rival (to Goku)
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters, Frieza Force
PL 13 (324)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 5 (+11)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 9) [14]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Galick Gun!" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (104) -- [112]
AE: Ki Blast 15 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (55)
AE: Ki Blast 15 (Extras: Multiattack) (45)
AE: "Final Flash!" Ki Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -1) (59)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -1) (9)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (52)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Anime-Only Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Power Punch +13 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +11 (+15 Ranged Damage, DC 30)
Final Flash +9 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Galick Gun/Big Bang Attack +13 Area (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +19

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +12, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Bulma)- Vegeta and Bulma are two bull-headed, argumentative people. Apparently they gel together.
Relationship (Trunks & Bulla)- Vegeta grew to appreciate his Future-drawn son, and appears somewhat protective of young Trunks as well. He is protective of his daughter Bulla, and she is the only person in the universe who can criticize him without getting screamed at.
Rivalry (Kakarot)- Vegeta only refers to Goku by his Saiyan name, and is intensely-competitive with him, to the point of excluding every other aspect of his life. Vegeta is so obsessed with beating Goku that he will do literally almost anything in order to get that last big "push".
Responsibility (Saiyan Pride)- Vegeta mourns the loss of his people, and takes great pride in being their Prince... even though he personally killed one of the last four, laughingly-refused to bring another of the four back from the dead, and rejected birthing a race of powerful Half-Saiyans because he didn't want anyone around who was more powerful than him.
Obsession (Being the Strongest)- Vegeta insists upon being the strongest fighter. This can be so strong that he'll be completely out of sorts if someone shows up who's tougher (see: Broly).
Responsibility (Temper)- Vegeta is extremely-easy to anger, and will rush to attack without thinking.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Vegeta must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting. Vegeta loses two ranks of Improved Critical (Blast) without turning Super-Saiyan.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 179 / Defenses: 15 (324)

-PL 13 Vegeta is seen in the second part of the Frieza Saga, where he powers up TWICE after near-death experiences (against Zarbon and Recome, respectively). He effortlessly crushes Jeice (who never really gets a chance to fight in the show), and equals Frieza's first form. However, Frieza has FOUR FORMS, and is able to easily swat down Vegeta after a point (even when he conspires to grow more powerful AGAIN thanks to the "Near-Death" thing). Frieza still easily defeats him in his fourth form, giving Vegeta his first death in the series. In this form, he simply drops 1 to most of his important stats, and loses a rank of Improved Critical.

VEGETA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Proud Warrior, The Last Guy The Villain Beats, The Rival (to Goku)
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters, Frieza Force
PL 11 (292)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+11)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 7) [11]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Galick Gun!" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (88) -- [96]
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (46)
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
AE: "Final Flash!" Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (Inaccurate -1) (49)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 10) (10)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 4) (Inaccurate -1) (5)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (52)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Anime-Only Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Power Punch +10 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Ki Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Final Flash +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Galick Gun/Big Bang Attack +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +10, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Bulma)- Vegeta and Bulma are two bull-headed, argumentative people. Apparently they gel together.
Relationship (Trunks & Bulla)- Vegeta grew to appreciate his Future-drawn son, and appears somewhat protective of young Trunks as well. He is protective of his daughter Bulla, and she is the only person in the universe who can criticize him without getting screamed at.
Rivalry (Kakarot)- Vegeta only refers to Goku by his Saiyan name, and is intensely-competitive with him, to the point of excluding every other aspect of his life. Vegeta is so obsessed with beating Goku that he will do literally almost anything in order to get that last big "push".
Responsibility (Saiyan Pride)- Vegeta mourns the loss of his people, and takes great pride in being their Prince... even though he personally killed one of the last four, laughingly-refused to bring another of the four back from the dead, and rejected birthing a race of powerful Half-Saiyans because he didn't want anyone around who was more powerful than him.
Obsession (Being the Strongest)- Vegeta insists upon being the strongest fighter. This can be so strong that he'll be completely out of sorts if someone shows up who's tougher (see: Broly).
Responsibility (Temper)- Vegeta is extremely-easy to anger, and will rush to attack without thinking.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Vegeta must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting. Vegeta loses two ranks of Improved Critical (Blast) without turning Super-Saiyan.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 159 / Defenses: 13 (292)

-This is Vegeta at his weakest- a mid-tier fighter that struggles on the Planet Namek. Sure, he's able to easily-crush Cui and Dodoria, but Zarbon quickly finishes him in another fight (Zarbon is equal to Dodoria at first, but can switch to a mightier Monster Form). He heals and is now uber-powered again thanks to the Saiyan ability of powering-up, but can only finish Zarbon in a rematch (now at around PL 12) before he meets ANOTHER insurmountable foe in the super-strong Recoome. This is the only time we see Vegeta so weak against mere Minions.

THE FRIEZA SAGA:
-The infamously long-running second part of the DBZ series (TV Tropes used to call "Arc Fatigue" by the title of "Are They Still On Namek?" for a reason) features Gohan & Krillin being sent to the Planet Namek in order to stop Vegeta's boss Frieza from using the Namekian Dragon Balls to wish for immortality. Coming on their heels is Goku, who has been healing up since that fight, and now trains under 100x Earth's Gravity in order to build himself up. Meanwhile, VEGETA is on Namek too, and uses his increase in strength to fight his old teammates and get the Dragon Balls for himself. What ends up happening is Vegeta cuts down Frieza's henchmen and allies with the Z-Fighters against a common foe- Goku arrives and fights Frieza's Elites (the Ginyu Force), and things climax with an insanely-long, never-ending battle against Frieza himself.

Parts One & Two:
-In terms of PLs, there are two separate parts to this Saga (similar to how Raditz's Arrival & The Saiyans' Arrival are two distinct points). Part One is the part with Gohan, Krillin & Vegeta fighting against Frieza's forces- Cui, Zarbon, Dodoria and the Ginyu Force. It ends with Goku's arrival and the deaths of three of the four members of the team (thus Jeice receives two builds). Part Two begins pretty much after that point, and largely revolves around the battle against Frieza.

THE FRIEZA FORCE:
-Frieza's organization is introduced in the Frieza Saga, though we of course see three members during Vegeta's run in the Saiyans. Turns out that Frieza's in charge of the whole thing. Their entire purpose is to depopulate planets with nice environments and then sell them to other races. This premise actually has some potential, but oddly it's never mentioned as anything other than a backdrop and an explanation for why Raditz & "Kakarot" are on Earth in the first place. Like... we never even see the people who BUY these planets! And... are Frieza's men in it for the money? Because they fight near-suicidally for him. And Frieza's the most-powerful being in the universe at this point... what's he need money for? He could just TAKE whatever he wanted! I don't think any of this is explained. It's just there as an excuse to go "See? These guys are Genocidal Dickturds!"

The entire Frieza Force has issues detecting Ki, and so use Scouters instead. Most are low-level Goons who are barely worth statting (general PL: lower than any named character's). Vegeta declares himself to be pretty powerful, but at the time he arrives on Earth, he's about equal to only Cui, and FAR below Zarbon & Dodoria (Frieza's elite Lieutenants, having held that position since Goku was an infant). And above all of THEM are the Ginyu Force- a Quirk Miniboss Squad of Elites.

The guess-able Fighting Strength goes:
1,200- Raditz & The Saibamen
4,000- Nappa
18,000- Vegeta & Cui
20,000-23,000- Zarbon & Dodoria
24,000- Vegeta (on arrival to Planet Namek)
24,000+- Zarbon's Monster Form
50,000- The Ginyu Force (save Guldo, who's around 20,000, but packs unique powers)
250,000+- Frieza in his First Form

These means that Vegeta, for all his braggadacio, is pretty minor in the grand scheme of things- he and Nappa are 9th and 10th in overall power when they arrive on Earth. Poor Raditz ends up being about as powerful as your BASELINE MOOK, which makes it all the more ludicrous that he was so much stronger than Goku & Piccolo upon his arrival on Earth. What's the SECRET of these guys' power?

CUI -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Jobber Villain
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 8 (144)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 3 (+8)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+7)
Stealth 1 (+6)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Improved Critical (Ki), Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

Ki Blast 9 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (38) -- [43]
AE: "Bomb Strike" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
AE: "Flash Beam!" Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 7) (7)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 8 (Extras: Area 120ft. Cone +2) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Ki Blast +7 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Energy Wave +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +3

Complications:
Rivalry (Vegeta)- Cui & Vegeta hate each other, and their equal Power Levels was a point of contention as well- Cui believes the two to STILL be equals on the Planet Namek, making him overconfident.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 56 / Defenses: 8 (144)

-This may sound odd, but I've always been a big fan of Cui. I don't know WHY exactly- it's certainly not because he's a good character (he's not), not because he's a strong fighter (he loses his only fight), not because he looks awesome (he really doesn't), and not because he's important to the plot (HOO BOY is he not)... there's just something weird about the guy. He stands out because while he's not a major-league Frieza Force operative (Zarbon & Dodoria are Frieza's key Henchmen, while the Ginyu Force are his Elites), he gets dialogue and specific attacks, and is treated to a big one-on-one fight against a major character (Vegeta). He showcases zero unique powers, kills nobody on-screen, and dies without any effect on the plot other than to establish that Saiyans DO genetically increase in power every time they're nearly-killed. I think he oddly stands out because he DOESN'T otherwise stand out. And maybe because he's purple with two craters for ears- I've always been oddly-fascinated by groups that dress alike, but have some alien appearances (DC's various Lantern Corps are like that, too).
-Cui is introduced as a "named" character in the Frieza Planet-Trading Force, and a big rival of Vegeta's- the two clearly openly-despise each other. Cui appears EXTREMELY happy that Frieza has given the order to eliminate Vegeta- he's waited for this a long time. Alas, it turns out that while Cui's been palling around with Frieza, kissing ass, Vegeta's been working his ass off to "Get STRONGER and STRONGER!"- their Fighting Strength was once nearly-equal (with Cui ahead), but now Vegeta has surpassed him. Cui spends a little bit of time begging, but soon Vegeta absolutely curbstomps him, executing his old rival. And then, in the best moment, Zarbon & Dodoria are a bit surprised to find that "Vegeta has defeated Cui... with EASE...", but Frieza's just like "OH well. I never really LIKED Cui that much anyways..." TOTALLY no-selling the loss of probably the most-powerful of his troops outside four members of the Ginyu Force, and his two right-hand-men!
-Despite his poor showing, Cui was apparently FS 18,000 at this point- making him equal to a full-powered Goku or Vegeta during the Vegeta Saga, and MUCH more powerful than Nappa was! He would have been *PL 16* in that Saga, but alas- he's a mere PL 8 when he does show up, and gets easily wiped-out by the now more-powerful Vegeta, who's PL 11. Vegeta does the "walk through the clouds of smoke" thing, punches Cui in the gut, and vaporizes him.

DODORIA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Fat Bastard, Relentless Murderer
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 9 (185)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 7 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+7)
Technology 2 (+3)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Maximum Buster!" Ki Blast 11 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (44) -- [49]
AE: "Flyng Headbutt" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
AE: Ki Blast 11 (Extras: Multiattack) (33)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 9) (9)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Mouth Cannon!" Damage 9 (Extras: Area 60ft. Line +2) (27)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Ki Blast +7 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Mouth Cannon +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Frieza's Employ)- Dodoria is one of Frieza's right-hand men.
Responsibility (Dirty Coward)- Egotistical and supremely-confident, Dodoria does not get challenged by stronger opponents very often. When confronted by the much-mightier Vegeta, Dodoria panics, tries to flee, and begs for his life.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 13 / Powers: 82 / Defenses: 11 (185)

-Like most good Generals, Frieza surrounds himself with powerful loyalists- it's also a handy writer's trick when you want your villain to say stuff without talking to himself- they're confidantes of sorts, but also subordinate. In the Frieza Saga, Frieza is assisted by Zarbon & Dodoria- a pair of powerful goons who do his dirty work (again, establishing that Frieza doesn't get directly involved unless HE wants to). Dodoria himself is particularly-brutal, and is seen HORRIBLY cutting down a town full of Namekians (including headbutting a guy into a hoodoo, and murdering a Namekian CHILD). This brutality of course does not go unpunished, and Dodoria ends up being the second high-profile Frieza Minion cut down by Vegeta. Initially disbelieving the readings of his Scouter (by this point, most of the protagonists have learned to "hold back" their Ki, to avoid detection by the Scouter-dependent bad guys), Dodoria gets cocky, but Vegeta soon trounces him. Dodoria begs for his life, bargaining with the Saiyan Prince by revealing that FRIEZA is the cause for the destruction of his race and homeworld. Vegeta, with this information carefully filed away, decides he's not in a forgiving mood anyways, and nukes the pink bastard out of the sky.
-Dodoria is fairly unique in Dragon Ball Z for being one of the few guys without the exact same musculature everybody else has- the shrimpy guys, huge guys and medium-sized guys tend to always have the same general anatomy. Dodoria, however, is very obese, giving him a distinct look, along with his spiky head and pink body.
-For all his confidence and bravado, Dodoria is only barely more powerful than Cui (Fighting Strength 22,000 to Cui's 18,000), and puts up about as much of a fight against the PL 11 Vegeta. He basically is equal in fighting skill to Cui, but packs a lot more hitting power- he brawls like a true powerhouse, using Flying Headbutts and a big Mouth Beam to fight.

ZARBON -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Vain Pretty Boy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 9 (212), PL 11 (210) Monster Form
STRENGTH
6/8 STAMINA 7/9 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10/12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+9)
Deception 2 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 7 (+9)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+8)
Technology 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Possibility Cannon!" Ki Blast 10 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 6, Burst Area 8) (50) -- [54]
AE: Ki Blast 11 (Extras: Multiattack) (33)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 8/10) (9)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Elegant Blaster!" Damage 9 (Extras: Area 60ft. Line +2) (27)

"Monster Form"
Enhanced Strength 2 [4]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Enhanced Fighting 2 [4]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [2]
Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+7) [2]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Startle [1]
"Enhanced Ki" +2 to All Ki Attacks [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Monster Form +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ki Blast +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Mouth Cannon +9 Area (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Monster Form Ki +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Monster Mouth Cannon +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7 (+9 Monster Form), Fortitude +7 (+9 Monster Form), Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Frieza's Employ)- Zarbon is one of Frieza's right-hand men.
Obsession (Beauty)- Zarbon wears a lot of delicate clothing, and pays a lot of attention to his appearance. He hates ugly things, and voluntarily flies around in a weaker form because he finds it embarrassingly-ugly.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 106 / Defenses: 9 (216)

-Zarbon is Frieza's other key Lieutenant, and represents a very "Japanese" kind of villain- The Vain Pretty-Boy. I can't think of ANY male super-villains in comics like this, but anime & video games set in Japan has SEVERAL. Hell, they even have HEROES like that- Zarbon is a lot like Street Fighter's Vega, in that he's always going on about his looks, the looks of others, and being a general fancy-ass, while wearing feminine fashions and hairstyles. In the West, we typically view that kind of specific narcissism as very unattractive (it's part of why the backlash against King of Fighters' Ash Crimson was so volatile here), whereas it's much more normal and "accepted" in Japan, though still made fun of (most of these characters in Japan are either villains or Comic Relief heroes).
-Zarbon is also a bit unique in that he's one of the few lower-level villains to possess an Alternate Form. In his first, handsome form, he is trounced by Vegeta just like Dodoria was. However, he soon powers up to the ugly form he hates to use- a large reptilian-looking monster who soon smashes Vegeta all OVER the place. He even hits a huge German Suplex that smashes the Saiyan into a massive crater! However, he's supposed to take Vegeta alive, and so spares him- this proves to be his undoing, as Zarbon has no idea that Saiyans become stronger every time they recover from near-death. Vegeta thus escapes, and soon overpowers Zarbon in the rematch. Zarbon, like Dodoria, bargains and begs for his life (this is likely a lie), but Vegeta plunges his fist through Zarbon's stomach, then fires a Ki Blast through his spine, executing the villain.
-Zarbon's a bit tough to figure out- he's about as powerful as Dodoria at first (thus the PL 9 starting point), but easily-trounces Vegeta once he turns Monster. But... then Vegeta trounces HIM, at which point he's still far too weak for Recoome. I figure PL 11 (about equal to Vegeta, but keyed towards strength) is good enough- Vegeta probably upgrades to PL 12 after the beating and takes him out.

FRIEZA FORCE MOOKS -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Mooks
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 4 (75)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 8 (250 mph) [16]
Ki Blast 4 (Feats: Extended Range 4) [12]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Ki Blast +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +0

Complications:
Rivalry (Vegeta)- Cui & Vegeta hate each other, and their equal Power Levels was a point of contention as well- Cui believes the two to STILL be equals on the Planet Namek, making him overconfident.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 1 (75)

-The Frieza Saga is FULL of guys like this in the background- weakling losers that generally get mowed down by Namekians, Nail, Krillin & Gohan. Most remain nameless, but a couple manage actual names and distinctive appearances on-screen (Appule, the newt-headed guy, plus an entire race of beings just like him who often show up in the background). They usually wear the distinctive "Frieza Force" uniform (complete with big shoulder-pads and weird wang & thigh-covering codpiece bits) and Scouters. A few wield Laser Guns instead of using Ki Blasts- I guess they're lower-tier. In the recent Resurrection F movie, these guys show up AGAIN, but are HILARIOUSLY weak. I mean, even Hand Ninjas can put up SOME kind of fight against Daredevil- these idiots numbered about a THOUSAND, and STILL couldn't manage to put a dent in the Z-Fighters (most of the good guys didn't take a single serious hit- they only ended up with minor scratches. Even MASTER ROSHI took out a ton!).
-Frieza's Agents are pretty worthless (they'd likely be PL 8-10 in Dragon Ball, however), but can challenge low-end fighters in large numbers. Their weakness is Area Attacks and elite fighters (of which DBZ has plenty). By Resurrection F, they're so worthless that they're basically *PL 0*! Every shot against them hits and earns a knock-out, and all of their attacks miss save for a couple.

YAJIROBE -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Comic Relief, Stupid Lazy Fat Guy
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 7 (74)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 8 (+13)
Expertise (Ronin) 6 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Perception 1 (+2)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Sword), Power Attack

Powers:
"Katana" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [8]
Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (13 points)

"Hikou- Run Through The Air" Flight 1 (4 mph) (Flaws: Low Ceiling) [1]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 3, Acute, Radius) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Katana +5 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Coward)- Yajirobe is terrified of fighting strong opponents, and will generally only use sneak attacks against unaware bad guys.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters. In Yajirobe's case, this involves using his Katana instead.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 8 (74)

-Yajirobe is the least-used of the Z-Fighters once DBZ starts, in that he's a lazy, cowardly guy who doesn't want to get involved in fights. A Ronin, he's the only weapon-user of what becomes the ultimate cast of the show (Goku drops his staff at some point). His job in the show is usually to be asocial and gross, but pull off one major heroic feat to redeem himself- he does this in Dragon Ball a couple times, but his only major bit in DBZ comes when the Saiyans arrive. Having trained on Kami's lookout with the other Z-Fighters, he nonetheless shirks most of it, and isn't there when Nappa & Vegeta touch down on Earth. In fact, he doesn't appear AT ALL, even after four members of the team die, until Vegeta turns into his Great Ape form and runs roughshod. It was only THEN that Yajirobe popped in, using a sneak attack with his katana, slicing off Vegeta's tail and rendering him a normal fighter once more.
-This changes the entire context of the fight, especially once Yajirobe slashes Vegeta in the back violently, in order to save Gohan. Yajirobe brags about his accomplishments, but Vegeta soon one-shots him and promises him a painful death. However, it was THIS that allows Gohan the time needed to see Vegeta's Power Ball technique, transforming him into a Great Ape as well, thus winning the battle. Yajirobe is thus instrumental to saving the Earth.
-After this, Yajirobe essentially matters zero to the plot- with even Yamcha & Chiaotzu falling by the wayside in terms of power, he no longer has anything to offer as a fighter, so becomes one of numerous relics left in. His only role is now to deliver the Senzu Beans that allow fighters to heal quickly.
-In his debut, Yajirobe was quite powerful, particularly with his Katana- he could even climb Korin's tower in a single day (something even Goku couldn't manage). However, by the time DBZ starts, he's long-since been surpassed. The only Z-Fighter lower-level than him is Chiaotzu, who is far more versatile- Yajirobe is the only one of the group who never learned how to fly. In Dragon Ball, he was once equivalent to around Goku's level (PL 10-11), probably packing great Initiative (he uses the "draw sword & cut in one fluid motion" trick Samurai were known to utilize). He's so limited as a fighter that video games often have to give him Ki Blasts in order to allow him to compete even a LITTLE- despite his Sword's power, he's best left off the battlefield even by the Vegeta Saga.

PICCOLO (Piccolo Junior) -- (FRIEZA SAGA, ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Strong Father-Figure (to Gohan), The Serious One
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 15 (338)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Deception 7 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]
"Materialization" Create 1 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Continuous) [4]

"Chasing Bullet!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise, Homing 4) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (62) -- [74]
AE: "Special Beam Cannon" Ki Blast 18 (Feats: Improved Critical +1) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (48)
AE: "Scatter Shot!" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Hellzone Grenade" Blast 15 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (60)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Eye Flash!" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Hyper Explosion Demon Wave!" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (60)
AE: "Demon Wave!" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (45)
AE: "Shock Wave" Blast 12 (Feats: Subtle 2) (26)
AE: "Portal Opening" Movement 1 (Hell & Earth) (Flaws: Requires One Namekian on the Other Side) (1)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication 3 (Mental) (12)

"Multi-Form" Summon Weaker Piccolos 8 (Extras: Horde, 3 Piccolos +3, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [24]

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Special Beam Cannon +12 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +15, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Gohan)- Gohan is responsible for Piccolo's turn to good- he gained compassion for the boy after helping train him for a year in the Vegeta Saga, and continues this relationship later.
Rivalry (Goku)- Piccolo started off as an enemy of Goku, often trying to murder him. Eventually, the two become allies.
Responsibility (Linked With Kami)- Piccolo is the spawn of King Piccolo, who was once one with Kami. If Piccolo dies, so does Kami, and vice-versa.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 183 / Defenses: 15 (338)

-Piccolo is probably my favorite character in the show, and the only Non-Saiyan to matter in fights after a point. He initially arrives as the "son" of King Piccolo, a mighty Namekian Wizard-Guy who is killed in the penultimate arc of the Dragon Ball portion of the series. Piccolo Jr. is sprung off as an egg, and soon hatches into an adult form. He threatens Goku, but is ultimately defeated in the final arc of the manga before it shifts to Space-Stories and all that jazz. And here he becomes one of the more interesting characters.
-Piccolo debuts being thrashed by Goku's brother Raditz, and allying with Goku to stop the Saiyan invader. Goku sacrifices himself to stop his bro, leaving Piccolo with the responsibility of stopping his two Saiyan allies in the future- seeing the potential in Goku's son, Piccolo has no choice but to forcibly TRAIN the spawn of his arch-nemesis in order to save his own life! And in the process, we get the cliched (but still-used because it's still a pretty cool plot twist) situation where while he's a stern, cold taskmaster, he warms up to the kid, ultimately coming to enjoy a fatherly-relationship with him. When it comes time for the fight against Nappa, Gohan has gone from a useless crybaby to a Tyrannosaur-eating warrior of great power- an astonishing leap in the series considering only a year has passed.
-However, during the course of the fight, Piccolo is easily-agitated when he sees Gohan shrink back after watching the deaths of numerous allies, and screams at him for buggering up their only real shot against Nappa when he chickens out at the last second. Ultimately, however, Piccolo redeems his evil by sacrificing his life in order to save Gohan from Nappa's ultimate attack- he stands in the way of the beam and dies. The irony is not lost on him. Gaining power in the afterlife, he returns and merges with the injured Namekian Nail and temporarily becomes the mightiest Z-Fighter in existence, but watches himself get dwarfed in power by Frieza's Third Form, and is merely an assister to Goku from then-on. He gets the same treatment in the Cell Saga- a half-assed explanation for a power-up (merging with Kami- the "twin" of Piccolo's father, who is the result of the creature splitting in two), a brief run as the top-tier guy, then ultimately faltering before Perfect Cell.
-After that, Piccolo remains a distant #3 behind Goku & Vegeta. Sometimes Gohan or Future Trunks run in and becomes higher, but usually it's Piccolo- in the Movies, he's often the only useful Non-Saiyan, consistently just under the guys who have Plot Armor and numerous Power-Ups- Piccolo's only options for power-ups after a point are standard-issue training (only useful to an extent) and merging with other Namekians. His ultimate role is as a father-figure to Gohan (who often dresses more like Piccolo than Goku, who is really kind of a shit-biscuit of a father), and probably being the wisest and most-tactical of the fighters (Goku is an idiot, and Vegeta foolhardy and proud; Piccolo actually has PATIENCE).
-But yeah, I dig Piccolo. He's stern and cynical rather that carrying the trademark "DBZ Smirk" like 90% of the other characters in every shot, and doesn't act like a buffoon (Goku), whiner (Krillin), or egomaniacal douche (Vegeta). He's smarter than pretty much every other fighter (though, if you think about it, a huge portion of what happens in the series is HIS FAULT- if he'd just kept his yap shut about the Dragon Balls to Raditz, the Saiyan would have never been able to relay the message to Nappa & Vegeta, thus bringing them to Earth, and then Frieza's intervention on Namek. All because Piccolo just HAD TO BRAG to a dying villain).
-Piccolo is generally the third-mightiest Z-Fighter, behind Goku & Vegeta (though sometimes Gohan is better), and easily the most-versatile in combat. He packs the Multi-Form, Elongation, a ton of Area Attacks, a Homing Shot, and more onto one build.
-This PL 15 build represents Piccolo at his strongest- during the second part of the Frieza Saga, and the mid-point of the Androids Saga. Piccolo during the Frieza Saga was an interesting one, as he was resurrected by the Namekian Dragon Balls specifically in order to aid the cause against Frieza, as he was the strongest dead Z-Fighter (and also because his resurrection would bring Kami back to life on Earth, allowing for their Dragon Balls to be reintroduced). He gets this big introduction, fuses with the dying Nail (the strongest Namekian defender), and becomes SUPER-powerful... just in time to be lapped by Frieza's Third Form, and Goku's Super-Saiyan Form. Ultimately, poor Piccolo barely gets to matter in the fight. Piccolo during the Android Saga easily defeats Android 20, but is himself beaten by Android 17. After fusing with Kami, he is equal to 17, but loses to Cell, and never recovers the lead- during the Cell Games tournament, he's so much weaker that he doesn't even bother to fight Perfect Cell (and even Trunks appears to be stronger).

PICCOLO (Piccolo Junior) -- (PERFECT CELL SAGA, BUU SAGA, MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Strong Father-Figure (to Gohan), The Serious One
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 13 (316)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+13)
Deception 7 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 7) [12]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]
"Materialization" Create 1 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Continuous) [4]

"Chasing Bullet!" Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise, Homing 4) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (56) -- [68]
AE: "Special Beam Cannon" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Improved Critical +1) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (Inaccurate -1) (42)
AE: "Scatter Shot!" Ki Blast 14 (Extras: Multiattack) (42)
AE: "Hellzone Grenade" Blast 13 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (52)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 9 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (17)
AE: "Eye Flash!" Dazzle Visuals 13 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (26)
AE: "Hyper Explosion Demon Wave!" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (52)
AE: "Demon Wave!" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (39)
AE: "Shock Wave" Blast 10 (Feats: Subtle 2) (22)
AE: "Portal Opening" Movement 1 (Hell & Earth) (Flaws: Requires One Namekian on the Other Side) (1)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication 3 (Mental) (12)

"Multi-Form" Summon Weaker Piccolos 7 (Extras: Horde, 3 Piccolos +3, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [21]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Ki Blast +12 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Special Beam Cannon +10 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Area Attacks +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +13, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Gohan)- Gohan is responsible for Piccolo's turn to good- he gained compassion for the boy after helping train him for a year in the Vegeta Saga, and continues this relationship later.
Rivalry (Goku)- Piccolo started off as an enemy of Goku, often trying to murder him. Eventually, the two become allies.
Responsibility (Linked With Kami)- Piccolo is the spawn of King Piccolo, who was once one with Kami. If Piccolo dies, so does Kami, and vice-versa.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 168 / Defenses: 11 (316)

-Piccolo is PL 13 in the Movies and during the Buu Saga- a great fighter, but far, FAR beneath the PL 16 Goku. He's also at this level during the Cell Games- elite compared to say, Krillin or (god help him) TIEN, but nothing before Goku, Vegeta and even Gohan.

PICCOLO (Piccolo Junior) -- (RADITZ'S ARRIVAL, VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Villain-Turned-Ally, Strong Father-Figure (to Gohan), The Serious One
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 11 (278)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 7 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 8 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 3) [7]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]
"Materialization" Create 1 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Continuous) [4]

"Chasing Bullet!" Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise, Homing 4) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (50) -- [62]
AE: "Special Beam Cannon" Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Improved Critical +1) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -1) (36)
AE: "Scatter Shot!" Ki Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
AE: "Hellzone Grenade" Blast 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (44)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 11) (11)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Eye Flash!" Dazzle Visuals 11 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (24)
AE: "Hyper Explosion Demon Wave!" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (44)
AE: "Demon Wave!" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (33)
AE: "Shock Wave" Blast 8 (Feats: Subtle 2) (18)
AE: "Portal Opening" Movement 1 (Hell & Earth) (Flaws: Requires One Namekian on the Other Side) (1)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication 3 (Mental) (12)

"Multi-Form" Summon Weaker Piccolos 5 (Extras: Horde, 3 Piccolos +3, Active) (Flaws: Limited to When Dividing Ki- Becomes Weaker -2, Unreliable- Single Use -2) [15]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Ki Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Special Beam Cannon +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Area Attacks +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Gohan)- Gohan is responsible for Piccolo's turn to good- he gained compassion for the boy after helping train him for a year in the Vegeta Saga, and continues this relationship later.
Rivalry (Goku)- Piccolo started off as an enemy of Goku, often trying to murder him. Eventually, the two become allies.
Responsibility (Linked With Kami)- Piccolo is the spawn of King Piccolo, who was once one with Kami. If Piccolo dies, so does Kami, and vice-versa.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 146 / Defenses: 11 (278)

-Piccolo is PL 11 during the first Saga of Dragon Ball Z- he's dwarfed in power by Raditz, and needs to focus his Ki for like a full MINUTE to use his first Special Beam Cannon (which puts him up past Raditz's Fighting Strength- around 1,400!). He's FS 3,200-4,000 when Nappa & Vegeta arrive (about three times more powerful than any Earthling on the planet), but is of course staggeringly-behind Nappa, who easily defeats him numerous times. Piccolo can manage a few hits, but the PL 14 Saiyan wipes the floor with him, ultimately killing him when he tries plays the Interpose Advantage in front of Gohan.

NAIL -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART TWO)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Bodyguard
Group Affiliation: Planet Namek
PL 11 (235)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Expertise (Bodyguard) 4 (+6)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 7 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 3) [7]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 8 (Detect Ki- Ranged 5, Acute, Radius) [8]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
"See Good & Evil Energy" Senses 5 (Detect Evil- Acute & Ranged 3) [5]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]

Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (46) -- [50]
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (12)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 11) (11)
AE: "Super Explosive Wave!" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (44)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Ki Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Special Beam Cannon +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Area Attacks +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Guru's Bodyguard)- Nail is devoted to protecting Guru and all of Namek.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 116 / Defenses: 9 (235)

-I recall Nail being oddly-popular with the DBZ fandom when I first got into it- considering he plays such a small role in things, it's a bit odd. He acts as the Bodyguard to the Grand Elder Guru of Namek when Frieza's forces arrive, but never gets to showcase his own power- Frieza personally cuts him down, in the first real display of his own might. His REAL purpose in the story is revealed later- the fatally-injured Nail begs Piccolo to "fuse" with him (apparently all Namekians can do this), which naturally will boost their power. As Piccolo has ALREADY boosted his power by training at King Kai's planet, this is actually a FURTHER boost, meant to raise him up to the level of Frieza, whom Toriyama was busy building up to a huge degree. The two engage in a permanent fusion that seems to leave Piccolo with FAR more than the sum of their parts (he would later do the same thing with Kami on Earth). Nail is only "seen" by once giving his voice to Piccolo, who was trying to convince Dende (who was close to Nail) of something.
-Nail, in the second part of the Frieza Saga, is about PL 11- enough to challenge most fighters, but WAY below what Frieza ends up being. At this point, he's about FS 42,000- semi-equal to the members of the Ginyu Force, and more powerful than Vegeta (until Vegeta recovers from the battle against Recoome). He fights more or less like a lesser Piccolo, using only the most-basic Ki Techniques. During the first part of the Frieza Saga, he'd likely be around PL 13-14.

BASIC NAMEKIANS -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Heroic Mooks
Group Affiliation: Planet Namek
PL 4 (79)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+7)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Ki Speed"
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]

Ki Blast 4 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Ki Blast +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Guru's Bodyguard)- Nail is devoted to protecting Guru and all of Namek.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 1 (79)

-Common Namekians are seen in a few instances (though as a whole, it appears that the planet is sparsely-populated), mostly as Backgrounders. During the Frieza Saga, numerous ones are killed by Frieza's men, in particular Dodoria, who takes a savage glee in cutting them down (once headbutting a dude into a rock). They're basically on the level of Frieza's Mooks, which is enough to take THOSE twerps on, but nothing before a PL 9 Zarbon & Dodoria.

THE GINYU FORCE:
-Some of the most-memorable one-off bad guys in Dragon Ball history, the Ginyu Force are rather popular and iconic. With Frieza's top two henchmen cut down by Vegeta, he calls down his ELITE forces to mop up on the Planet Namek. So Captain Ginyu and his four subordinates arrive on-scene... and immediately do a gigantic dance number, complete with ludicrous poses. Frieza's non-plussed, silent reaction is PRICELESS, as is the utter-seriousness with which the Ginyu Force takes this aspect of their persona. Jokes ALWAYS work best when the idiot plays it completely straight, and imagines he has dignity.

A good, old-fashioned Quirky Miniboss Squad, they're led by a big purple guy who acts quite seriously and tries to fight fair... unless you're more powerful than he is, at which point he'll try a Body Switch technique on you. Guldo is an annoying little sleazeball with a dirty trick of a power (Time Stop/Paralyze). Recoome is your classic Big Dumb Idiot, with about the same personality as Nappa. Burter is a giant blue braggart always going on about how fast he is. Jeice is... another guy. He basically looks like a red, long-haired Vegeta.

Like all DBZ characters, their names are puns and plays on words- this time, they're all related to dairy products- Ginyu & Guldo are Japanese names for stuff, Recoome is "kurimu" (cream) with the syllables rearranged, Jeice is "cheese" and Burter is "butter" (sounds like "Baataa" in Japanese, so that's the name he usually got in early FanSubs and online material).

GULDO -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART One)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Twerpy Little Guy, Weird-Powered Guy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force, The Ginyu Force
PL 7 (199), PL 14 (199) Time Stop
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Dancing) 6 (+5) -- Uses Presence
Perception 2 (+2)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Green Alien Dude Physiology"
"Four Eyes" Senses 1 (Radius Sight) [1]

Ki Blast 7 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (34) -- [37]
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 5) (5)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Time Stop" Flight +5 (64,000 mph), Evasion 2 & Quickness 10 (Quirks: Requires Holding His Breath -2) (20)

"Guldo Special" Affliction 14 (Will; HIndered/Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Extras: Area 30ft. Burst, Selective, Sustained +2) [70]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Ki Blast +7 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Guldo Special +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +3

Complications:
Reputation (Twerp)- Not a lot of people like Guldo. Upon his demise, even his teammates concern themselves largely with the fact that they'll now look stupid doing their Big Team Pose without him.
Responsibility (Bad Breath)- Both Vegeta & Chiaotzu make note of this.
Disabled (Out Of Shape)- Guldo becomes easily-winded while running about, making his Time Stop power tricky to use.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 132 / Defenses: 12 (199)

-Guldo is an ugly dwarf-like creature with four eyes and green skin, and is easily the weakest of the Ginyu Force. SO WEAK is he, that even Krillin & Gohan can beat him up! However, he manages to pull off a classic villainous move- Secret Unfair Powers! Guldo has the ability to FREEZE TIME and mentally-paralyze people, meaning that he can basically stop people on a dime, and beat on them at-will. Using this technique, he pummels the helpless Krillin & Gohan, then prepares to skewer them with a tree trunk he's picked up with Telekinesis. At which point Vegeta (who always hated Guldo) just gets sick of it and CUTS OFF HIS HEAD with a Ki Blast. Guldo's severed head curses him out for being so unfair, but Vegeta gets sick of it and blows his head to pieces.
-Guldo is a pretty poor fighter, and rather out-of-shape (it's an issue that he gets winded easily-enough to be unable to use Time Stop constantly), but he's PL 14 with that Guldo Special (it's never shown not working), making him very dangerous. It's really the only justification for someone this crappy being on the elite Ginyu Force, and it makes him much more expensive than he'd be otherwise. His low Initiative means that your best bet is to beat the hell out of him before he can pull it off.

RECOOME -- (FRIEZA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Goofy Powerhouse
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force, The Ginyu Force
PL 14 (269)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 5 (+4)
Expertise (Dancing) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 10 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+11)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown 2, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 13) [20]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Recoome Eraser Gun!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 500ft. Line +5) (80) -- [87]
AE: "Recoome Renegade Bomber!" Ki Blast 17 (Extras: Multiattack) (51)
AE: "Recoome Fighting Bomber!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (66)
AE: "Super Breath!" Deflect 12 (12)
AE: Ki Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (61)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30)
AE: "Recoome Boom!" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -1) (9)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Recoome Boom +11 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Ki Blast +11 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Area Attacks +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +16, Fortitude +9, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Recoome consistently underestimates his foes, and spends most of his time preening, dancing in goofy poses, and taunting his foes. As he's usually much stronger than his opponents, he has rarely had a reason NOT to act like this.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 147 / Defenses: 10 (269)

-Recoome is pretty clearly the "Nappa" of the "Frieza" arc- right down to being a big, muscular goon who wipes out the heroes before the Christ-like arrival of Goku. He's the member of the Ginyu Force with the most screen time- oddly, he takes up the majority of their fighting, given that he's not in charge, and has the least-dynamic design of the group. The others are multi-coloured aliens with wild features- he looks basically like a Caucasian with the features of Frankenstein's Monster. A dancing goof like the rest of his squad, he wins the "Rock, Paper, Scissors" contest to be the one to fight Vegeta, and so Burter & Jeice can only watch while he decimates the Saiyan Prince. It's one of those classic DBZ fights where the drama is somewhat lessened by the villain's COMPLETE demolition of the team. He snaps Gohan's neck with a lethal kick, wipes the floor with Vegeta, and Krillin just pulls a Krillin and loses as well (he only manages a surprise attack that leads to Recoome knocking his own teeth out with his Breath Weapon attack).
-Of course, Recoome faces the same fate as Nappa- he wipes the floor with the HEROES, sure, but once GOKU arrives, it's a done deal. He taunts away (even flipping Goku off!), but since this is Dragon Ball Z and he's facing Goku, Nappa is instead just one-punched into unconsciousness. All of those episodes of fighting (the series of dubbed episodes YTV showed in Canada actually ended right when Goku had arrived on Namek), and THAT was the payoff! Worse still, Goku then wipes out Burter in similar fashion, and Vegeta then casually-executes the pair of them in revenge for their attacks.
-Recoome is basically exactly like Nappa- big, strong and uber-fast all the same, he's a PL 14 Powerhouse that can wipe out PL 11-ish Vegeta and PL 8 Krillin & Gohan with ease. When Goku arrives on Namek (crossing the point between what I call "Part One" and "Part Two"), he's effectively PL 18 or so, and so the fight doesn't last long. When Recoome is next seen in the anime, he's with the Ginyu Force attacking the Z-Fighters on King Kai's homeworld, and he becomes the only villain in Dragon Ball history to lose a solo fight to FREAKING YAMCHA of all people!

JEICE -- (FRIEZA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: The Generic Guy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force, The Ginyu Force
PL 14 (252)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+15)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Dancing) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Baseball Player) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Crusher Ball!" Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 5) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (61) -- [66]
AE: "Red Magma!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Shapeable +4) (Flaws: Limited to Ranged of Area Moved Through) (56)
AE: Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (47)
AE: "Crasher Cannon!" Ki Blast 15 (Extras: Multiattack) (45)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Ki Blast +13 (+15 Ranged Damage, DC 30)
Area Attacks +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +15

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +13, Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Coward)- Jeice is quick to panic when things don't go his way- he flees when Goku dodges all of his attacks, tries to cheat when Ginyu fights Goku, and then begs for his life while fighting Vegeta.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 122 / Defenses: 14 (252)

-Poor Jeice (sort of like the English take on the Japanese take for "cheese"- "Jisu") really got the short end of the stick of the Ginyu Force. Guldo got to show off all his powers and do things before dying, Recoome got a huge fight where he wiped out VEGETA of all people, and Captain Ginyu was the team leader and fought Goku. Jeice? Jeice just sat their watching, then got killed by Vegeta. Too bad, too- I actually thought he was one of the neater-looking bad guys on the show (I always liked recolored characters, and he's basically a recolored version of Vegeta with different hair). Also, he was a Space Aussie. That's awesome.
-Jeice touches down with the rest of the Ginyu Force, but decides to just sit & watch the fights, commenting on things. He freaks out when Goku arrives and powers-up, wiping out Recoome & Burter with ease. Jeice quickly runs like a coward while Vegeta executes his unconscious comrades, to tell Captain Ginyu what's happened. Scolding his charge for his cowardice, Ginyu fights Goku himself, and threatens Jeice when he attempts to cheat in Ginyu's favor by sneak-attacking Goku. Jeice's final fate is to be cornered by an angry Vegeta, now powered-up since the Recoome fight- the Saiyan easily overpowers his opponent and blows him up. Jeice barely managed to even DO anything on-screen- there's some Double-Team Attacking going on with Burter (where they combine their Ki Attacks together to make purple-themed energy), but none of it's effective, as they're fighting Goku the Savior and he just effortlessly deflects away all their best stuff.
-Jeice's Fighting Strength is said to be equal to Recoome's, putting him at PL 14 in the first part of the Frieza Saga. His best technique is the "Crusher Ball", an Area Blast that can do a ton of damage... if his target isn't Goku. He's also one of the only characters in the series to bother with silly things like TEAMWORK, giving him a pair of Advantages shared by almost no other DBZ character- Set-Up & Teamwork.

JEICE -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART TWO)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: The Generic Guy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force, The Ginyu Force
PL 11 (210)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+12)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Dancing) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Baseball Player) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 1 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 5) [9]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Crusher Ball!" Blast 11 (Feats: Extended Range 5) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (49) -- [53]
AE: "Red Magma!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Shapeable +4) (Flaws: Limited to Ranged of Area Moved Through) (56)
AE: Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (41)
AE: "Crasher Cannon!" Ki Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 10) (10)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (21)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 28)
Ki Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Area Attacks +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +10, Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Coward)- Jeice is quick to panic when things don't go his way- he flees when Goku dodges all of his attacks, tries to cheat when Ginyu fights Goku, and then begs for his life while fighting Vegeta.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 103 / Defenses: 11 (210)

-It's unfortunate for Jeice that he survives until the second part, at which point even Vegeta is much-stronger than he is- as Saiyans grow stronger when recovering from near-death, Vegeta now toys with a pleading Jeice, then executes him.

BURTER -- (FRIEZA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Big Blue Braggart, Strong Speedster
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force, The Ginyu Force
PL 14 (250)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+14)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Dancing) 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative 4, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
Quickness 6 [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Really, Really Tall" Reach 1 [1]

"Blue Hurricane!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Shapeable +4) (Flaws: Limited to Ranged of Area Moved Through) (56) -- [60]
AE: Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (47)
AE: "Continuing Crusher Cannon!" Ki Blast 15 (Extras: Multiattack) (45)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Blue Impulse" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (42)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +14 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Area Attacks +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +23

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +14, Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Braggart)- Burter considers himself to be "The Fastest Man In The Universe!", and isn't shy about saying so.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 127 / Defenses: 16 (250)

-Burter, the tallest of the Ginyu Force, is a huge blue monster who's constantly going on about how he's the fastest being in the universe. This gets to the point of silliness when it's revealed that... no, no he isn't. His moment in the sun is arguably sadder than even Jeice's, as while he doesn't beg for his life like Jeice does, all his bragging is for naught as Goku effortlessly disables him with a single shot, and he's then killed by Vegeta with a knee-drop to the back of the neck.
-Of all the Frieza Force, Burter (sometimes called "Baataa" after the closest pronounciation of his Japanese name) gets the least-showcasing of his physical abilities. He allies with Jeice for a few Ki-Channeling powers, but Goku effortlessly-dodges all of them and smashes Burter. He's stated to be equal to Recoome & Jeice, meaning he's still PL 14- enough to easily curbstomp Vegeta, Krillin & Gohan, should he have won the contest.

CAPTAIN GINYU -- (FRIEZA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Whacky Leader Guy
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force, The Ginyu Force
PL 15 (343)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+16)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Dancing) 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 5 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Galaxy Dynamite!" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48) -- [52]
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (47)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30)

"Body Switch!" Affliction 18 (Will; Controlled) (Extras: Ranged, Possession, Continuous +3) (Flaws: Enemy Gets Ginyu's Body) (Quirks: Takes Time To Perfect Body -2, Inaccurate -1) [87]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Body Switch +12 (+18 Ranged Affliction, DC 28)
Initiative +15

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +14, Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Honor)- Captain Ginyu believes strongly in fair fights- he punishes Jeice severely for interfering in his fight against Goku, and threatens him not to do it again. He's not above Switching Bodies with a superior opponent, however.
Quirk (Speech Component)- Ginyu must be able to speak to use his "Body Switch" technique. If he's locked in a form that cannot speak, he is unable to change back.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 195 / Defenses: 16 (343)

-Captain Ginyu leads his squad down to Namek, but leaves them to their own devices while he collects Dragon Balls and stuff- a bit put out to discover that three of his number have been killed and that Jeice ran away like a coward, he nonetheless gets down to the business of fighting Goku. Chiding Jeice for interfering via a distracting Blast, he comes off like he wants to fight fair... and then, when he realizes that Goku is MUCH more powerful than he is (as Ginyu is Frieza's #2 man, pushing 120,000 in Fighting Strength, this is saying something), he pulls off his secret BODY SWITCH Technique. First, he gives himself a crippling injury, and then, when Goku is shocked at this, he throws out a blast that causes them to switch bodies! Now, Goku is in a near-fatally-injured purple body, while Ginyu is in the body of a healthy Saiyan!
-The Z-Fighters soon figure out what's up when "Goku" starts palling around with Jeice, and soon bad happenings are afoot. It isn't until he attempts to switch bodies with Vegeta that "Ginyu" jumps in the way, reversing the effect. When Ginyu (in his proper body again) tries it a second time, Goku throws a FROG in the path of the attack, resulting in Ginyu being permanently-trapped in the body of a Namekian Frog! In an anime "Filler" bit, Ginyu gains a "Speech Device" from a clueless Bulma (who's trying to be nice), then switches with HER. This goes on for a bit,

FRIEZA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- FINAL FORM)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Evil Leader, Effeminate Villain
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 18 (392)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+20)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+16)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Army Leader), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +8 [8]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 15) [23]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Frieza Species Physiology"
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Death Ball!" Blast 22 (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Weaken Toughness 22 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (109) -- [118]
AE: "Barrage Death Beam" Ki Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (70)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 12 (24)
AE: "Death Beam" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)
AE: "Invisible Eye Blast" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (42)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (42)
AE: "Death Comet!" Blast 18 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (108)
AE: "Death Saucer!" Blast 22 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (Inaccurate -1) (73)
AE: "Whirlwind Blow!" Blast 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cylinder +2) (56)

Offense:
Unarmed +20 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Death Saucer +14 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Invisible Eye Blast +16 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Death Ball +14 (+22 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 37 & 32)
Area Attacks +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +20 (DC 30), Parry +20 (DC 30), Toughness +16, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Frieza is a dominating figure, and wants immortality so that he can rule the universe forever.
Motivation (Revenge)- Frieza has returned from his demise a few times, and always seeks vengeance on the Saiyans for killing him.
Relationship (King Cold, Cooler)- Frieza is respectful, but not necessarily subordinate, to his father. The brothers are close enough that Cooler attempted revenge on the Z-Fighters for Frieza's death.
Phobia (The Legend of the Super-Saiyan)- Frieza had a nagging fear of a Saiyan gaining legendary power. It was so strong that he ultimately destroyed the Saiyan homeworld.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Frieza thinks very highly of himself, and believes that he is unstoppable.
Weakness (Power Drain)- Frieza's power will actually begin to wane if he is in his Final Form for too long- he is un-used to using 100% of his might.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 106 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 203 / Defenses: 23 (392)

-Frieza is the most-memorable villain in Dragon Ball- Piccolo & Vegeta later turned good, and Frieza totally overshadows who came later. It's a curious design- he looks small and feminine in most of his forms, and looks nothing like a martial artist with his three-digited limbs and tail. Toriyama has said that he built Frieza from an amalgamation of what he thought monsters looked like as a child, and what he ended up doing was creating one of the most-famous characters in anime.
-Frieza is called "The Emperor of the Universe", and runs a genocidal army that depopulates worlds and sells them for a profit. He spends the majority of the never-ending Frieza Saga sitting in a flying pod and having his minions do the work for him. He appears calm and collected, and features that trademark "DBZ Villain Smugness", constantly smirking at everyone. And it turns out that he's so mighty that nobody else even has a chance- while his men get cut down and he loses all of his Elites, Frieza calmly walks in with a Fighting Strength into the hundreds of thousands and just WRECKS HOUSE. He's so powerful that he's shown casually-destroying planets (though even in the Vegeta Saga characters could do this with their Ki Blasts), and during the course of his 975-episode fight with Goku & friends, he reveals that his intial form is just one of FOUR- he transforms from a tiny, womanly creature to a huge, muscular one. A third form looks like a Xenomorph from Aliens. His fourth form, however, reverses the trend (Toriyama says he did it to subvert expectations), and is a smoother, neater-looking version of the original. It's THIS form that has become the Iconic Frieza, and appears on most of the merchandise. However, all of Frieza's power cannot help him against the Super-Saiyan Goku, who wipes the floor with him at every turn. Eventually, Frieza blows up Planet Namek, but Goku takes him out. Frieza attempts one last attack, but his Cutting Discs miss, and then slice him to pieces. He is vaporized by one final Kamehameha Wave after using the merciful gift of Goku's ki in order to attack him one last time.
-Despite the grand showcasing of his power and pretty big death, Toriyama brought him back only a couple of chapters later and used him as a pathetic JOBBER of all things- he arrives on Earth with his father, King Cold. Now a Cyborg thanks to being rebuilt by his dad (who's super-huge), Frieza plans on destroying Earth out of revenge... but then Trunks arrives from the future, powers up to Super-Saiyan, and then ONE-SHOTS FRIEZA, slicing him in half with his sword! King Cold, having done NOTHING in the series of note, is soon killed as well- an embarrassing defeat for both, and a reminder of the Power Creep inherent in the series. And naturally, despite his great power and iconic stature in anime history, Frieza's a very flat character- essentially a 100% evil douchebag who likes to kill people. There's absolutely nothing to the character beyond that.
-Frieza's four forms are a trademark that DBZ would begin copying- Cell had three forms, and Majin Buu had numerous as well. Frieza, as the Big Bad of his arc, was overwhelmingly-strong, as you might expect. In his base form, he was higher than Krillin, Gohan & Vegeta combined, and easily defeated Nail- his Fighting Strength is around 530,000 (about three times that of Goku when he arrives on Namek)! When he upgrades, he's twice as powerful (the episode's title in Japan is Frieza: Power Level One Million?). In this third, and then fourth forms, he's so tough that he fights baseline Goku with only a fraction of his overall might- he stops Goku's Kaio-Ken x20 Ki Attacks with one hand, no harm coming to himself. Piccolo was able to equal Second Form Frieza handily, but was outclassed and badly-hurt by Third Form Frieza- Vegeta himself dies for the first time during the melee as well, despite powering up for a third time since arriving on Namek from the "Saiyan Near-Death" thing. Fourth Form Frieza was largely-unstoppable... but his attempt to get at Goku by slaughtering Krillin ends up being his downfall. Goku hits Super-Saiyan for the very first time, and now completely outclasses Frieza the way Frieza had outclassed the others.
-In an ironic situation, now FRIEZA is on the defensive- he manages a few shots of his own, but Goku soon beats him- in the manga, Goku is simply superior. In the anime, Frieza is near-equal to him, but his power drains quickly, as he's not used to his Final Form. Frieza is a total beast in any case- packing enough raw power to take down anyone, and unheard-of speed. His only real competition becomes a PL 20 Super-Saiyan Goku, who defeats him after a VERY protracted battle.

FRIEZA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- THIRD FORM)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Evil Leader, Effeminate Villain
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 16 (368)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+17)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+15)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Army Leader), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 15) [22]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Frieza Species Physiology"
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Death Ball!" Blast 19 (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Weaken Toughness 19 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (94) -- [103]
AE: "Barrage Death Beam" Ki Blast 17 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (61)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 12 (24)
AE: "Death Beam" Ki Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (62)
AE: "Invisible Eye Blast" Blast 14 (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (42)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (42)
AE: "Death Comet!" Blast 16 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (80)
AE: "Death Saucer!" Blast 19 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (66)
AE: "Whirlwind Blow!" Blast 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cylinder +2) (56)

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +15 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Death Saucer +13 (+19 Ranged Damage, DC 34)
Invisible Eye Blast +15 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Death Ball +13 (+19 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 34 & 29)
Area Attacks +16 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +17 (DC 27), Parry +17 (DC 27), Toughness +15, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Frieza is a dominating figure, and wants immortality so that he can rule the universe forever.
Motivation (Revenge)- Frieza has returned from his demise a few times, and always seeks vengeance on the Saiyans for killing him.
Relationship (King Cold, Cooler)- Frieza is respectful, but not necessarily subordinate, to his father. The brothers are close enough that Cooler attempted revenge on the Z-Fighters for Frieza's death.
Phobia (The Legend of the Super-Saiyan)- Frieza had a nagging fear of a Saiyan gaining legendary power. It was so strong that he ultimately destroyed the Saiyan homeworld.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Frieza thinks very highly of himself, and believes that he is unstoppable.
Weakness (Power Drain)- Frieza's power will actually begin to wane if he is in his Final Form for too long- he is un-used to using 100% of his might.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 106 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 186 / Defenses: 17 (368)

-Frieza's Third Form is only seen for a single episode, but is enough to wipe out everyone but Goku.

FRIEZA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- SECOND FORM)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Evil Leader, Effeminate Villain
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 15 (352)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+16)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+14)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Army Leader), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 13) [19]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 19 (1,000,000 mph) [38]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Frieza Species Physiology"
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Death Ball!" Blast 18 (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Weaken Toughness 18 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (89) -- [98]
AE: "Barrage Death Beam" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (58)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 12 (24)
AE: "Death Beam" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (60)
AE: "Invisible Eye Blast" Blast 14 (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (42)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (36)
AE: "Death Comet!" Blast 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (67)
AE: "Death Saucer!" Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (64)
AE: "Whirlwind Blow!" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cylinder +2) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Death Saucer +12 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Invisible Eye Blast +14 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Death Ball +12 (+18 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 33 & 28)
Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +14, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Frieza is a dominating figure, and wants immortality so that he can rule the universe forever.
Motivation (Revenge)- Frieza has returned from his demise a few times, and always seeks vengeance on the Saiyans for killing him.
Relationship (King Cold, Cooler)- Frieza is respectful, but not necessarily subordinate, to his father. The brothers are close enough that Cooler attempted revenge on the Z-Fighters for Frieza's death.
Phobia (The Legend of the Super-Saiyan)- Frieza had a nagging fear of a Saiyan gaining legendary power. It was so strong that he ultimately destroyed the Saiyan homeworld.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Frieza thinks very highly of himself, and believes that he is unstoppable.
Weakness (Power Drain)- Frieza's power will actually begin to wane if he is in his Final Form for too long- he is un-used to using 100% of his might.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 102 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 176 / Defenses: 16 (352)

-At PL 15, Frieza's Second Form equals Piccolo in overall Fighting Strength.

FRIEZA -- (FRIEZA SAGA- FIRST FORM)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Evil Leader, Effeminate Villain
Group Affiliation: Frieza Force
PL 14 (339)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+15)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 8 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+13)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Army Leader), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 13) [18]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 19 (1,000,000 mph) [38]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Frieza Species Physiology"
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Death Ball!" Blast 17 (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Weaken Toughness 17 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (84) -- [93]
AE: "Barrage Death Beam" Ki Blast 15 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (56)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 12 (24)
AE: "Death Beam" Ki Blast 15 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (54)
AE: "Invisible Eye Blast" Blast 12 (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (38)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (36)
AE: "Death Comet!" Blast 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (70)
AE: "Death Saucer!" Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (60)
AE: "Whirlwind Blow!" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cylinder +2) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +13 (+15 Ranged Damage, DC 30)
Death Saucer +11 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Invisible Eye Blast +13 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Death Ball +11 (+17 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 32 & 27)
Area Attacks +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +13, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Frieza is a dominating figure, and wants immortality so that he can rule the universe forever.
Motivation (Revenge)- Frieza has returned from his demise a few times, and always seeks vengeance on the Saiyans for killing him.
Relationship (King Cold, Cooler)- Frieza is respectful, but not necessarily subordinate, to his father. The brothers are close enough that Cooler attempted revenge on the Z-Fighters for Frieza's death.
Phobia (The Legend of the Super-Saiyan)- Frieza had a nagging fear of a Saiyan gaining legendary power. It was so strong that he ultimately destroyed the Saiyan homeworld.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Frieza thinks very highly of himself, and believes that he is unstoppable.
Weakness (Power Drain)- Frieza's power will actually begin to wane if he is in his Final Form for too long- he is un-used to using 100% of his might.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 102 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 169 / Defenses: 14 (339)

-Frieza's PL 14 First Form is enough to defeat Nail (PL 11) and Vegeta (PL 13), but he quickly upgrades.

COOLER -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movies)
Role: Previously-Unseen Brother
Group Affiliation: Cooler's Armored Squadron
PL 15 (349)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+16)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 6 (+11)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 6 (+9)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+14)
Technology 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 5 (Army Leader), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 13) [19]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Frieza Species Physiology"
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Death Ball!" Blast 18 (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Weaken Toughness 18 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (89) -- [95]
AE: "Barrage Death Beam" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (58)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 12 (24)
AE: "Death Laser!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (60)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 14) (14)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (36)
AE: "Particle Bomb!" Blast 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (67)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Invisible Eye Blast +14 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Death Ball +12 (+18 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 33 & 28)
Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +14, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Cooler considers himself the ruler of the galaxy.
Motivation (Honor)- Cooler seeks to avenge his family's name when he hears of Frieza's death at Goku's hands. However...
Rivalry (Frieza)- Cooler does not care for his brother much, and even points out that he'd have likely tried to kill Frieza if Goku hadn't done so already.
Weakness (No Scouter)- Members of the Frieza Force are surprisingly-incompetent at Detecting Ki, and depend on their Scouters. If readings appear out of whack, they tend to believe their Scouters are broken; and if they read something too strong, too quickly, the Scouter can short out.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 102 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 174 / Defenses: 16 (349)

-With the popularity of Frieza, it was inevitable that we'd see things inspired by him- and so a pair of DBZ Movies were made featuring his never-before-mentioned BROTHER, Cooler (in Japan, their names sound like "Freeza" & "Coola"). Cooler comes in with his Armored Squadron, a variant of the Frieza Force with similar uniforms (only bearing one shoulder pad), and assaults the Z-Fighters. Piccolo manages to kill the main three, but Cooler one-shots him and nearly kills Goku. When Goku fights back, Cooler reveals that his Fourth Form ISN'T HIS LAST, and transforms into a mightier, FIFTH Form! However, Goku of course finds the will to transform into a Super-Saiyan again (this was before he could do it casually), and begins whupping Cooler in a one-sided manner. Cooler attempts a Supernova to blow up Earth, but Goku fires a Kamehameha that launches Cooler into the sun, ending his threat.
-Cooler returns as "Meta-Cooler" in the next movie, having fused with the "Big Gete Star" while floating around in space, unable to do anything. With the ability to repair any damage in his new, metal form, Cooler is even able to defeat SSJ Goku, and when he & Vegeta finally stop the monster, he reveals that the "Cooler" was just an empty shell, and there are THOUSANDS like him! However, the Saiyans invade the Star, and soon blow it up from the inside, taking out Cooler's more-vulnerable bodily remains.
-As Goku is PL 16 in the movies, the weaker Cooler is PL 15. However, Goku actually requires EFFORT to hit PL 16 in The Revenge of Cooler, and therefore fights at PL 14 for most of the thing. Despite being more powerful than Frieza, he is seen using the same attacks- if you put this as part of the Frieza Saga, Cooler would likely be around PL 19-20, while Goku (who'd also gotten stronger since then) would be PL 22 as a Super-Saiyan. The Meta-Cooler version is much the same, but as there are apparently THOUSANDS of them, the threat is a lot more dire, and the Saiyans had to blow up the Big Gete Star to stop him (his actual body was much more vulnerable).

DR. WHEELO -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movies)
Role: Mad Scientists
Group Affiliation: None
PL 15 (268)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+15)
Intimidation 4 (+7, +10 Size)
Technology 8 (+15)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Initiative 3, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
"Metal Shell & Barrier" Protection 12 (Extras: Impervious 15) [27]

Growth 6 (Str & Toughness +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]

"Rocket-Powered Flight" Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

Energy Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (51) -- [54]
AE: "Madness Cannon!" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (45)
AE: "Gigantic Bomber!" Strength-Damage +10 (Inaccurate -1) (Extras: Penetrating) (19)
AE: "Claws" Strength-Damage +8 (Extras: Penetrating) (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Gigantic Bomber +12 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Energy Blast +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Madness Cannon +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +18 (+8 Impervious), Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Dr. Wheelo wishes to trasnsfer his brain into Goku's body, and use it to rule the world.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 158 / Defenses: 20 (268)

-Dr. Wheelo is a generic Mad Scientist Conqueror-Type who turns himself into a cyborg and tries to rule the world by transplanting his brain into Goku's body. He stomps on the team for a while, but is beaten by Goku going Kaio-Ken x4, then using a Spirit Bomb. He's one of the rare DBZ characters to... well, be a guy in a giant mechanical suit, giving him a different set of powers than many others. He's still ludicrously-fast, considering he can tag Vegeta Saga-era Z-Fighters with his Energy Blasts- his estimated Fighting Strength is given at 39,000.

THE CELL SAGA:
-This storyline came out a bit weird. It started off with the "WTF" moment of FRIEZA returning (in the manga, he'd only been dead for like two weeks), along with his FATHER, King Cold... at which point a Saiyan named Trunks arrives from the future, goes SUPER-SAIYAN, and then annihilates the two of them with single hits! He comes with the warning in his timeline, two Androids have slaughtered all of the Z-Fighters, and that Goku died of a heart attack and was unable to stop them. Thus begins the new mission- find and stop these Androids- along the way, they fight two of them, but it's revealed that it was two OTHER Androids that Trunks was warning them about. Then ANOTHER Android shows up- a monster named Cell, who soon absorbs the other two Androids and ascends to Perfect form. This was very clumsy-ass storytelling, but has a reason: the Editor hated the two designs Toriyama used for Androids 19 & 20 , and convinced him to create two new ones! And, dissatisfied with the two kids, wanted a NEW villain created! A lot of fans defend Toriyama against some sort of imagined cabal of cruel Editors that forced him to write crap in order to sate angry fans, but man, I agree with Editorial here :)).

And because it's DBZ, this Perfect Cell eschews fighting the heroes all at once, and announces "The Cell Games"- a TOURNAMENT for others to fight him. This gives the heroes tons of time to prepare, and so they go into the "Hyperbolic Time Chamber", an Ass-Pull device that allows everyone to power up MORE than they'd ever done before.

This "Saga" is about the Face Turn of Vegeta (who was made to be a bit more sympathetic in the Frieza Saga at the end), his relationship with Bulma, and the growth of Gohan as a fighter- his legacy was mentioned here to be bigger than GOKU's was! During the course of the thing, we get the first hint of what will come to dominate the series- eventually, it's only Saiyans that matter, as we now have FOUR in the cast, and all four quickly hit "Super-Saiyan" (something that was supposed to be unique to Goku, as mentioned in the Frieza Saga), completely leaping over every other character in might and importance to the plot.

Parts One & Two:
Like the Frieza Saga, you can split this into two parts- Part One is when the Z-Fighters are tangling with Androids 19 & 20, and then Androids 17 & 18. Piccolo receives an upgrade to temporarily become the strongest Z-Fighter in the world, but Cell quickly arrives to spoil everything. In Part Two, everyone's been training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, resulting in numerous upgrades for all, but the same "Generic DBZ Tiers" coming into place once again- Piccolo, then Saiyans, then Goku, then the Bad Guy, then the Ultra-Super-Saiyan Upgrade.

FUTURE TRUNKS (Trunks) -- (ANDROIDS SAGA, CELL SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Future Hero, '90s-Style Bad-Ass, Chick-Bait
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 14 (288)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 9 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+12)
Stealth 4 (+11)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 6 (Extras: Impervious 9) [15]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Burning Attack!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (58) -- [62]
AE: "Burning Storm!" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Attack Flurry/Rapid Sword Stream" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13, +15 with Sword) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (30)
AE: "God Breaker" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (42)

"Bad-Ass Future Sword" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [9]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (15 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Sword +13 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
God Breaker +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +19

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +13, Fortitude +8, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Bulma)- Trunks was close with his mother, who survived in the future timeline.
Relationship (Vegeta)- Trunks has a complicated relationship with his father (whom he never really knew in the future). Vegeta is at once distant and jealous of his son's power, but grows concerned for him later on.
Relationship (Future Gohan)- The crippled Gohan trained Trunks in the future.
Enemy (The Androids)- Trunks greatly-fears the Androids which dominate his future world- he constantly warns the others about them in the current timeline, and freaks out when they manage to appear.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Trunks must become a Super-Saiyan to utilize his maximum power- without it, he is only PL 14.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 21 / Powers: 140 / Defenses: 18 (288)

-The character now known as "Future Trunks" came in like a hurricane, and became one of the series' most-popular characters. Sporting a bad-ass sword, the "regular clothes with a jacket" look (that was usually the subject of AMERICAN comic books at the time), and longer hair than most spiky-headed DBZ characters, he ALSO got the wickedest introduction in history by walking in, powering up to Super-Saiyan (which only Goku could hit at the time), and then CUTTING FRIEZA IN MOTHERF***ING HALF, then murdering Frieza's father, King Cold. This scene comes off as especially awesome and hilarious because we'd JUST gotten finished with the "Frieza is so unstoppable that only Super-Saiyan Goku could stop him" arc, and Frieza returns with his huge DAD, and suddenly it turns out that they're both pussies and that Trunks can whup both of them with single shots.
-But yeah, the story of Trunks provides the reasoning for the Androids/Cell Saga. Coming from an apocalyptic future in which two crazy-powerful Androids have slaughtered all of the Z-Fighters save him and Gohan (who raised and trained him), he reveals that he is the son of VEGETA AND BULMA (at the time, basically a crack-pairing), Trunks has come to warn the Z-Fighters, and help cure Goku of the heart disease that killed him in Trunks' timeline. Horrified, the Z-Fighters believe him, and soon everyone is "Training To Get Stronger!" in the classic Shonen Cliche that the series had already done 70 times by that point. There's a few snafus (two OTHER Androids appear first, then CELL shows up), and really... he doesn't add too much to the plot AFTER he shows up! In fact, he's typically getting his ass kicked by either an Android or Cell- Cell even KILLS HIM in a casual move while he's fighting someone else! But man- that Sword made a lot of people think he was just the coolest S.O.B. in history, didn't it?
-At the end of the Cell Saga, Future Trunks is revived by the Dragon Balls, and sent back to his own timeline... which works under "Marvel Rules", and is still the way it was when he left (rather than "fixing the past", he appears to have created an Alternate Timeline). However, thanks to all of the training he's done in the past, he is now MUCH stronger, and when he's confronted by Androids 17 & 18, he shows off his power, and taunts them over how they now understand the fear of all those people they've murdered... then he executes them. He also finds a newly-born Cell wandering around, and skooshes him, too. Thus, he gets a happy ending (though all his friends are dead).
-Trunks' power is astonishing at the beginning of the Android Saga- enough to effortlessly kill Frieza and his father, each in single shots. However, he rapidly becomes "just one of the pack", and is swatted around by Android 18 along with Vegeta. He fights Perfect Cell as well, but is against trumped- he's thus only around PL 14 at both parts of that Saga. He takes a similar role in the movies, getting trounced by Broly, and being forced to give his Ki to Goku, so that he can Jesus-Up and fight the Legendary Super-Saiyan.

Trunks at one point unlocks a new form of the Super-Saiyan series (which, confusingly, has three grades BEFORE Super-Saiyan Level 2), but it's flaws soon become apparent, and he gets beaten by Cell:

"Super-Saiyan Third-Grade"
Enhanced Strength 2 [4]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Reduced Fighting 2 [-4]
Reduce Dodge -2 [-2]
Reduced Initiative -2 [-2]
-Points-wise, it adds up to "0". Only way to really stat is is make a Metamorph thing that doesn't actually provide camouflage (a minus 1-2 Flaw).

ANDROID 19 -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Dumb-Looking Villain
Group Affiliation: Dr. Gero's Androids
PL 12 (212)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Perception 9 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Ranged Attack (Energy Blast) 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Critical (Energy Absorption), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Android Body"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 12 [12]
"Extra Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +3 [3]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Ki Detector" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Energy Absorption" Weaken Ki Powers 14 (Extras: Broad, Simultaneous) (42) -- [45]
AE: Energy Blast 12 (Feats: Precise, Extended Range 15) (40)
AE: "Attack Flurry/Rapid Sword Stream" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13, +15 with Sword) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Energy Blast +11 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Energy Absorption +10 (+14 Weaken, DC 24)
Initiative +9

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

Complications:
Motivation (Killing Goku)- Android 19 is loyal to Dr. Gero, and plans to kill Goku and his friends.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Android 19 has been given information on the Z-Fighters only up to the Vegeta Saga- he is unprepared for their eventual Fighting Strength when he finally encounters them.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 137 / Defenses: 10 (212)

-Android 19 is a complete butthole failure of a design, looking like a big, fat pale clown compared to a force of ultra-muscular good guys. I agree wholeheartedly with the Editor who convinced Toriyama to change his plans for the Androids if THIS loser was expected to be one of the Big Bads. He teams up with Android 20 (a cybernetic Dr. Gero) as his loyal henchman, and the two maim Yamcha together. Unfortunately for them, the Z-Fighters arrive and, having prepared for this battle for three years (getting a warning from Future Trunks and training in advance), are a lot stronger. Goku is beaten when his heart disease gets the better of him, but Vegeta is under no such condition. He nearly gets his Ki drained along with the others, but he slowly pulls 19's arms off, then finishes him with a Big Bang Attack.
-At PL 11-12, Android 19 is a somewhat-effective fighter, but really only able to overpower someone like Yamcha or Krillin, or perhaps a dying Goku, after heart disease has brought him low. Once he challenges a PL 14 Super-Saiyan Vegeta, even his Energy Absorption can't help him. The Absorption is really the only thing making the Androids contenders- it can weaken the full spectrum of the Z-Fighters' abilities, which is rather devastating. Their Android nature is a further wrinkle- their powers aren't derived from Ki, meaning they're invisible to the detection of the Z-Fighters.

ANDROID 20 (Dr. Gero) -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Mad Scientist
Group Affiliation: Dr. Gero's Androids, The Red Ribbon Army
PL 13 (247)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 10 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+18)
Perception 9 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Ranged Attack (Energy Blast) 6 (+13)
Technology 8 (+18)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Critical (Energy Absorption), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Inventor, Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Technology Skill

Powers:
"Android Body"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 13 [13]
"Extra Hitting Power" Strength-Damage +3 [3]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Ki Detector" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Energy Absorption" Weaken Ki Powers 14 (Extras: Broad, Simultaneous) (42) -- [47]
AE: Energy Blast 12 (Feats: Precise, Extended Range 15) (40)
AE: "Ruthless Blow!" Strength-Damage +2 (2)
AE: "Attack Flurry/Rapid Sword Stream" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13, +15 with Sword) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (24)
AE: "Photon Wave!" Damage 13 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (39)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Ruthless Blow +14 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Energy Blast +13 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Energy Absorption +12 (+14 Weaken, DC 24)
Photon Wave +13 Area (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +13, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Killing Goku)- Dr. Gero wishes to punish Goku for his destruction of the Red Ribbon Army.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Android 20 has information on the Z-Fighters only up to the Vegeta Saga- he is unprepared for their eventual Fighting Strength when he finally encounters them.
Relationship (Android 16)- Gero built Android 16 to look like his deceased son, and made him gentle in order to protect him from violence.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 139 / Defenses: 13 (247)

-Depicted via Retcon as part of the Red Ribbon Army (an army of baddies that Goku faced in Dragon Ball), Dr. Gero swore vengeance after the Army's destruction and created a series of Androids meant to kill Goku and his friends. He also turned himself into a cyborg (... also called an Android). However, as he'd only planned on some lower-level, Vegeta Saga-era fighters, he was unprepared for the Super-Saiyans. When 19 was killed, Gero/20 ran away. Appearing as a wrinkled old man with an exposed brain, he was pretty dumb-looking, and was pretty much slaughtered by Androids 17 & 18 as soon as he activated them to take down the Z-Fighters- of all his Androids, only 19 was particularly loyal.
-Android 20 is a bit tougher than 19, and was able to take out Krillin & Yamcha (and Piccolo said he was too much for Gohan). However, he was swiftly beaten back by Piccolo, and faltered BADLY before Androids 17 & 18.

I will say there's one Shonen Anime I really like: Hajime No Ippo (the anime's called Fighting Spirit over here). It's a Boxing-themed series that takes all of the standard "Shonen Manga Tropes" (One-on-one fights, everyone standing around commentating, guys "leveling up" after every fight, seeking to "Get Stronger", etc.), and plays them semi-realistically in a real sport, and it comes off a lot better.

For example, everyone stands around commenting on the fight because... well, it's BOXING. They have actual commentators in boxing, and the guys' stablemates are always there to watch fights. They're not taking turns to be sporting. The characters don't stand around gabbing while they're fighting, either- since it's Boxing, they have timed rounds and things move quickly. Ippo "levels up" more by learning new tricks over time (he counters a power-puncher by learning how to duck and use Uppercuts; he perfects a Gazelle Punch after working out his legs a lot; he gains additional power because of working out his back by chopping wood all "Rocky" style, etc.), becoming a more complete boxer. He seeks to "Get Stronger" because that's how you win, make money, and become a success.

It avoids the common pratfall in Shonen of making the Main Hero too unstoppable- Ippo is a prodigy and gets better over time, but he's often fighting huge uphill battles, and has ACTUALLY LOST. And he can't pull random Power-Ups out of his ass, either, since it's at most a cartoonish version of actual boxing (ie. the fights are a bit more dramatic, and guys sell punches in huge ways). And it's established that Ippo's as good as he is because of his compact physique, and the work he did on his mother's fishing boat that made his core stronger- all of his attributes are thus because of hard work, not "Just Cuz He's Special", and other boxers show a lot more skill that he does. Every fighter has a weakness: Mashiba's glass jaw, Miyata's weaker punches that lead to a High Risk/High Reward style, Volg's lack of stamina (thanks to finishing most fights early), Date's age (a staggeringly-old 32), etc.

AND because it's a sports-based show and not a "death of everyone"-type one, the antagonists can actually be sympathetic characters in their own right. There are several cases where I wanted BOTH fighters to win (Volg, Miyata, Sendou, and Date in particular; even the "guy who fights in a boring way and wins on points" guy was made to be sympathetic). Ippo also acts like a Put-Upon Nerd rather than the "Glorious Battle-Seeker" archetype. AND the show doubles as Educational Content in a way- describing the different Boxing Styles, certain special moves used by real boxers (Mashiba uses Thomas Hearns' Flicker Jabs, Sendou uses The Smash, Miyata uses the Cross-Counter using his superior reflexes to make up for weaker punches).

One of my favourite parts is the Ippo (vs) Volg fight for the #1 Contendership. First off, their trainers have a diagreement, as the Russian trainer criticizes the Japanese boxing philosophy for its emphasis on "toughing it out" and fighting past a certain point, which results in shortened careers and injured fighters. Ippo's trainer, a proud patriot, is offended, but (and this is the nice part) is forced to admit that HE'S RIGHT, and that IS a legitimate flaw in the style. However, when fight-time comes, Ippo of course takes a ton of accumulated damage from the more-skilled Volg, who is a true prodigy. However, Volg's heart isn't truly in boxing (it's a way he earns money for his sick mother), and it's discovered as time goes on that his cardio isn't as good as Ippo's, as he's never gone past a certain time.

Therefore, the fight and battle of philosophies turns on its head: Ippo's now surviving (his trainer emphasized his cardio by having him do sprints to equal the rounds and time in boxing matches), while Volg starts faltering. Volg's trainer panics- they've never emphasized the "tough it out" portion of training! BUT, Volg is SO MANLY that he becomes full of "Fighting Spirit" by the contest of wills in the ring, and forces himself to go on by sheer willpower. He's all "I see it now! I LOVE Boxing!!" It's only at the last second that the day is won. And Eiji Date- the Japanese Champion in their weight class who's been watching this entire fight- is SO OVERCOME by the manly joy at being able to fight such a strong opponent that he has to run away from the stadium and run off his pent-up energy. Just over-the-top, epic stuff.

KAMI (aka God) -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Guardian of Earth
Group Affiliation: Earth, The Z-Fighters
PL 4 (263)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (History) 9 (+14)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 7 (+12)
Insight 8 (+12)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
"Ki Speed"
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Sense Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Godly Being" Senses 1 (Godly Ki Awareness) [1]
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]

"Instantaneous Movement" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Easy, Accurate) (100) -- [107]
AE: Movement 4 (Space Travel 2, Dimensional Travel 2) (8)
AE: "Far-Seeing Arts" Remote Sensing (Vision & Hearing) 20 (Flaws: Limited to While on Kami's Look-Out) (40)
AE: Ki Blast 4 (Feats: Precise, Extended Range 15) (24)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 3 (12)
AE: "God Wave" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (12)
AE: "Summon Shenron" Healing 14 (Extras: Resurrection) (Flaws: Limited to Shenron, Source- Stone Shenron Statue) (14)
AE: "Possession" Mind Control 5 (Extras: Possession) (25)

"Magic Materialization" Create 10 (Feats: Subtle, Innate) (Extras: Continuous) [32]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Energy Blast +4 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
God Wave +4 Area (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Guardian of Earth)
Responsibility (Linked With Piccolo)- Piccolo is the spawn of King Piccolo, who was once one with Kami. If Piccolo dies, so does Kami, and vice-versa.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 177 / Defenses: 8 (263)

-A quirky bit of Dragon Ball was the revelation of "Kami-Sama" (aka God, the Supreme Being). But not some big, beareded guy- he's a wrinkled, green, antennae-headed old man! And he's the Good Side of King Piccolo, having split all evil off of his body so that he could take the role of "Guardian of Earth" from his predecessor. When Piccolo is unleashed and starts wrecking house, then spawns a son after his death, Kami is revealed (and they ALSO reveal that he's the one who created Earth's Dragon Balls). He offers to train Goku to defeat Piccolo Jr., and is therefore Goku's final teacher of the Dragon Ball portion of the story. He tries to trap Piccolo inside a bottle, but it's reversed and he's trapped himself- Goku is thus left to save the day.
-Kami shows up again in Dragon Ball Z, extending his training to the other Z-Fighters once Goku is killed fighting Raditz, in preparation for the arrival of the Saiyans. And... it's kind of a failure. Okay, so Krillin, Tien, Yamcha & Chiaotzu were way outclassed, but c'mon, he had a year. After this, he largely doesn't matter to the series- he fades away when Piccolo is killed by Nappa, and doesn't reappear until late in the Frieza Saga. In the Cell Saga, he makes his last move, as Piccolo pleads to engage in the "Namekian Fusion" with him (is that what they're calling it these days?), so that the two can become one once more (well, Piccolo is technically the SON of the guy who split off from Kami years ago...). This ends up giving Piccolo a HUGE power increase (way beyond Kami's mere 400-ish Fighting Strength score), but negates Earth's Dragon Balls. It's later that Dende, another Namekian, is charged to become the new Guardian, and creates a new set of Dragon Balls.
-Kami is one of the Roshi/Goku/Piccolo-level beings when he first appears, but of course does not gain in power as time goes on. This has the odd effect of making someone called "GOD" one of the weakest heroes in the series. And yet, when he merges with Piccolo, Piccolo's power increases by a TON (explained away as him "becoming whole" once again). Of course, despite being only PL *4* as of the Vegeta Saga (he hits full PL 12 in the Dragon Ball portion, but only fights one time- possessing a man's body in order to fight in the tournament and take on Piccolo Jr.), he costs nearly TWO-HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO POINTS thanks to a combination of Teleport, Continuous Create, and a buttload of Skills.

GOHAN (Son Gohan) -- (CELL SAGA, BOJACK UNBOUND)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Would-Be Main Character, Scholarly Hero, Friendly Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 16 (378)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+17)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 11) [19]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (128) -- [135]
AE: "Masenko!" Ki Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (66)
AE: "Blaster Meteor!" Ki Blast 18 (Extras: Multiattack) (54)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (64)
AE: "Energy Barrier!" Force Field 10 (Flaws: Affects Others Only) (5)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +14 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Kamehameha +16 Area (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +16, Fortitude +8, Will +9

Complications:
Relationship (Goku)- Gohan loves and worships his father, though often doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him, as Goku is pretty terrible at being a dad.
Relationship (Piccolo)- Piccolo is a foster-father of sorts to Gohan (who wears Piccolo-themed clothing more than Roshi-themed stuff), and frequently saves his former student's life. Gohan looks up to Piccolo and respects him as much as his father.
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Gohan is a dutiful son, usually studying like his mother asks.
Relatoinship (Videl)- Gohan hangs out with Mr. Satan's daughter a fair bit. In Dragon Ball GT, the two are married and have a daughter named Pan.
Relationship (Others)- Gohan is a friendly boy, making allies quickly with odd sorts of people. He was close with Android 16 in the Cell Saga, for instance.
Responsibility (Doesn't Love Fighting)- Unlike most of the Z-Fighters, Gohan's life doesn't revolve around fighting. He gives enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and even spends the "Off-Season" actually doing regular-people things and studying instead of light-speed sparring!
Responsibility (Too Weak)- Early on, Gohan is weaker and must be saved by others- in the Cell Saga, this convinces him to stop letting others down and finally try to reach his potential as a fighter.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Gohan must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 217 / Defenses: 17 (378)

-Gohan always felt like he was supposed to be a bigger character than he ended up being- the REAL main character that would soon get the baton passed to him by his father. However, things never really worked out.
-Gohan was introduced as a tiny boy, incapable of fighting. Kidnapped by Raditz, he nonetheless managed to show a glimmer of potential (by Powering-Up and headbutting the villain, disabling him briefly) before watching his father die stopping his uncle. Gohan was thus trained by Goku's arch-nemesis Piccolo, in order to meet the threat of Nappa & Vegeta. After many months together, Gohan's kind-hearted personality and agreeable nature actually wore the villain down, turning Piccolo to the side of the heroes once and for all. However, all that training was largely for naught, as Gohan kept panicking during the battle, ruining the Z-Fighters' plans. Eventually, Gohan was saved by the heroic sacrifice of Piccolo, who jumped in the way of an Energy Beam from Nappa. This shocked Gohan permanently into being a serious fighter.
-Gohan spends the rest of the Vegeta Saga, and all of the Frieza Saga, in this permanent state of Krillin-Level Heroism. He shows potential, but is one-upped by Vegeta, Dodoria, Guldo, Recoome then Frieza, only managing to matter as a distraction, and the one time he turned into a Great Ape while fighting Vegeta (this is what finally stopped the villain). However, when the Cell Saga began, he finally hit the potential they'd been hinting at all along- he ends up finally being trained by his father (death and off-planet adventures had prevented this beforehand), and within a few years, he's a full-fledged bad-ass, able to go Super-Saiyan along with Goku, Vegeta and Future Trunks.
-And, in the climax of the Cell Saga, Gohan watches his friend Android 16 go down to Cell, and freaks the hell out, thus breaking his limits once and for all by going Super-Saiyan Level 2! Of course, this being DBZ, the fight goes on for like three more episodes, Gohan toys with him too long, Cell blows up (killing Goku), Regenerates, kills Future Trunks, and fights on until Gohan (assisted by Goku in the Spirit World, and a distraction from a grieving Vegeta) fires a Kamehameha that vaporizes the enemy. Because OF COURSE DBZ couldn't just do the simple thing and have the hero win after getting his Power-Up- he's gotta struggle and FIGHT for like eight more convoluted freaking chapters!
-Gohan, without Goku kicking around, seemed primed to become the series' major hero. He was a different kind of Shonen hero- a kind-hearted, thoughtful boy instead of a brash, stupid fight-seeker like Goku was. An online friend of mine considered Goku his favorite character, and always wanted his heroes to reflect this. Unfortunately... Toriyama just couldn't keep it going. In the Buu Saga, Gohan was depicted as having fallen back on his martial arts training (absolutely unforgiveable to Shonen fans, who watch Fighting Strength carefully), dressing up like the goofy Great Saiyaman as a superhero, and hanging around with a girl named Videl. He was given a big arc in which he trained with a Z Sword (which then broke before he could fight with it) and had his "Potential Unlocked" by Old Kai (I guess furthering his potential compared to what the Namekian Guru did??). Gohan trounces Super Buu, but once the villain absorbs Piccolo and Gotenks, he himself is overwhelmed, and later gets absorbed by the villain! Thus, he's surpassed AGAIN by his father and Vegeta, who return to being #1 and #2 as they fight the villain in a fused form, and then Goku finishes him with a Super Spirit Bomb. So ALL OF THAT WORK, only for Gohan to turn into the #3 guy again.
-No DBZ character's PL shifts around more than Gohan's- he starts off as a bab with hidden potential, turns into a standard PL 8-9 guy in the Vegeta Saga, keeps that up in the Frieza Saga, and then suddenly upgrades to equal the other Saiyans in the Cell Saga. Then he turns out to be the most-powerful of them ALL, until he isn't anymore. He fights more or less similar to Vegeta & Trunks, but is a bit less-versatile with his attacks- generally they're all Standard-Issue Blasts. He's a fair bit brighter than most other Z-Fighters, but he's like, REGULAR person smart, not Comic Book Smart- he doesn't invent anything. He's just a bright kid. He has more Presence and Persuasion like his father.
-Gohan during the Cell Saga is a PL 16 fighter- he matches this in Bojack Unbound, the movie in which he's responsible for taking out the main villain instead of Goku. This puts him a couple notches higher than Vegeta and Future Trunks, which is rather impressive considering he's all of eleven years old around this time!

GOHAN (Son Gohan) -- (THE CELL SAGA- SUPER-SAIYAN LEVEL 2)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Would-Be Main Character, Scholarly Hero, Friendly Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 19 (426)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 7 (+21)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 12 (+18)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 5, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +8 [8]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 9 (Extras: Impervious 15) [24]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave!" Damage 19 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (152) -- [159]
AE: "Masenko!" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)
AE: "Blaster Meteor!" Ki Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 19 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (76)
AE: "Energy Barrier!" Force Field 12 (Flaws: Affects Others Only) (6)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +21 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Ki Blast +18 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Kamehameha +19 Area (+19 Damage, DC 34)
Initiative +29

Defenses:
Dodge +20 (DC 30), Parry +20 (DC 30), Toughness +18, Fortitude +9, Will +9

Complications:
Relationship (Goku)- Gohan loves and worships his father, though often doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him, as Goku is pretty terrible at being a dad.
Relationship (Piccolo)- Piccolo is a foster-father of sorts to Gohan (who wears Piccolo-themed clothing more than Roshi-themed stuff), and frequently saves his former student's life. Gohan looks up to Piccolo and respects him as much as his father.
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Gohan is a dutiful son, usually studying like his mother asks.
Relatoinship (Videl)- Gohan hangs out with Mr. Satan's daughter a fair bit. In Dragon Ball GT, the two are married and have a daughter named Pan.
Relationship (Others)- Gohan is a friendly boy, making allies quickly with odd sorts of people. He was close with Android 16 in the Cell Saga, for instance.
Responsibility (Doesn't Love Fighting)- Unlike most of the Z-Fighters, Gohan's life doesn't revolve around fighting. He gives enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and even spends the "Off-Season" actually doing regular-people things and studying instead of light-speed sparring!
Responsibility (Too Weak)- Early on, Gohan is weaker and must be saved by others- in the Cell Saga, this convinces him to stop letting others down and finally try to reach his potential as a fighter.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Gohan must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 108 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 247 / Defenses: 23 (426)

-Gohan becomes the true Heir Apparent at the end of the Cell Saga, becoming the first fighter to unlock Super-Saiyan Level 2 when his friend Android 16 is murdered by Cell (who, in true DBZ fashion, was deliberately trying to provoke Gohan in anticipation of fighting this "True Potential" version- like Goku, he wanted to have the best fights). He beats Cell up and down the arena, but the savagery of the Super-Saiyan state makes him try to prolong Cell's suffering. So he wastes a ton of time instead of finishing the villain, which results in Cell having time to try a Suicide Attack. Goku saves the Earth by teleporting Cell away at the cost of his own life, but Cell returns, having Regenerated... and thanks to having Saiyan DNA in him, is now STRONGER! Thus Cell & Gohan are now evenly-matched, and Gohan needs to borrow the spiritual power of his dead father in order to finally vaporize Perfect Cell with a huge Kamehameha!

GOHAN (Son Gohan, aka The Great Saiyaman) -- (BUU SAGA- ULTIMATE POTENTIAL)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Would-Be Main Character, Scholarly Hero, Friendly Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 18 (409)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 15 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+20)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 10 (+16)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 5, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 11) [19]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave!" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (144) -- [151]
AE: "Masenko!" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)
AE: "Blaster Meteor!" Ki Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (72)
AE: "Energy Barrier!" Force Field 12 (Flaws: Affects Others Only) (6)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +20 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Kamehameha +18 Area (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +29

Defenses:
Dodge +19 (DC 29), Parry +19 (DC 29), Toughness +17, Fortitude +9, Will +9

Complications:
Relationship (Goku)- Gohan loves and worships his father, though often doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him, as Goku is pretty terrible at being a dad.
Relationship (Piccolo)- Piccolo is a foster-father of sorts to Gohan (who wears Piccolo-themed clothing more than Roshi-themed stuff), and frequently saves his former student's life. Gohan looks up to Piccolo and respects him as much as his father.
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Gohan is a dutiful son, usually studying like his mother asks.
Relatoinship (Videl)- Gohan hangs out with Mr. Satan's daughter a fair bit. In Dragon Ball GT, the two are married and have a daughter named Pan.
Relationship (Others)- Gohan is a friendly boy, making allies quickly with odd sorts of people. He was close with Android 16 in the Cell Saga, for instance.
Responsibility (Doesn't Love Fighting)- Unlike most of the Z-Fighters, Gohan's life doesn't revolve around fighting. He gives enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and even spends the "Off-Season" actually doing regular-people things and studying instead of light-speed sparring!
Responsibility (Too Weak)- Early on, Gohan is weaker and must be saved by others- in the Cell Saga, this convinces him to stop letting others down and finally try to reach his potential as a fighter.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Gohan must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 110 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 26 / Powers: 233 / Defenses: 20 (409)

-Gohan during the Buu Saga actually starts off WEAKER than he was at the end of the Cell Saga, owing to his lack of training over the intervening seven years! However, when Buu arrives and wrecks house on Earth, he trains out in space. He trains with the Z Sword, but when it's broken, Old Kai comes out and unlocks his "Ultimate Potential". In this form, he proves superior to Gotenks (a powerful Fusion of Goten & Trunks) and even Super Buu, but loses thanks to Buu's numerous esoteric techniques. Eventually, he himself is absorbed by the monster, who then blows up the Earth.

GOHAN (Son Gohan, aka The Great Saiyaman) -- (MOST POST-CELL MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Would-Be Main Character, Scholarly Hero, Friendly Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 14 (344)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+15)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+12)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (112) -- [119]
AE: "Masenko!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (60)
AE: "Blaster Meteor!" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (56)
AE: "Energy Barrier!" Force Field 10 (Flaws: Affects Others Only) (5)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Ki Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Kamehameha +14 Area (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +18

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +14, Fortitude +7, Will +9

Complications:
Relationship (Goku)- Gohan loves and worships his father, though often doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him, as Goku is pretty terrible at being a dad.
Relationship (Piccolo)- Piccolo is a foster-father of sorts to Gohan (who wears Piccolo-themed clothing more than Roshi-themed stuff), and frequently saves his former student's life. Gohan looks up to Piccolo and respects him as much as his father.
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Gohan is a dutiful son, usually studying like his mother asks.
Relatoinship (Videl)- Gohan hangs out with Mr. Satan's daughter a fair bit. In Dragon Ball GT, the two are married and have a daughter named Pan.
Relationship (Others)- Gohan is a friendly boy, making allies quickly with odd sorts of people. He was close with Android 16 in the Cell Saga, for instance.
Responsibility (Doesn't Love Fighting)- Unlike most of the Z-Fighters, Gohan's life doesn't revolve around fighting. He gives enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and even spends the "Off-Season" actually doing regular-people things and studying instead of light-speed sparring!
Responsibility (Too Weak)- Early on, Gohan is weaker and must be saved by others- in the Cell Saga, this convinces him to stop letting others down and finally try to reach his potential as a fighter.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In later Sagas, Gohan must use Super-Saiyan forms in order to do gain his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion. This rarely actually matters to the story, but it's worth noting.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 197 / Defenses: 15 (344)

-Gohan fights like this is most of the movies- falling around where Vegeta & Trunks are, but being behind his PL 16 father. A good example is the first Broly fight, where he goes down just as easily as the others do.

GOHAN (Son Gohan) -- (VEGETA SAGA, FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE, EARLY MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Would-Be Main Character, Scholarly Hero, Friendly Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (168)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+11)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 5 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Takedown

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 3) [5]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 7 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Acute, Radius) [7]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Masenko!" Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (36) -- [39]
AE: "Blaster Meteor!" Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 8) (8)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Goku)- Gohan loves and worships his father, though often doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him, as Goku is pretty terrible at being a dad.
Relationship (Piccolo)- Piccolo is a foster-father of sorts to Gohan (who wears Piccolo-themed clothing more than Roshi-themed stuff), and frequently saves his former student's life. Gohan looks up to Piccolo and respects him as much as his father.
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Gohan is a dutiful son, usually studying like his mother asks.
Relationship (Others)- Gohan is a friendly boy, making allies quickly with odd sorts of people. He was close with Android 16 in the Cell Saga, for instance.
Responsibility (Doesn't Love Fighting)- Unlike most of the Z-Fighters, Gohan's life doesn't revolve around fighting. He gives enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and even spends the "Off-Season" actually doing regular-people things and studying instead of light-speed sparring!
Responsibility (Too Weak)- Early on, Gohan is weaker and must be saved by others- in the Cell Saga, this convinces him to stop letting others down and finally try to reach his potential as a fighter.
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 76 / Defenses: 7 (168)

-Poor Gohan fights like this during the early half of the series- the unfortunate kid is usually in WAY over his head, and is forced to fight against the Saiyans and Frieza's army. His potential is seen in the occasional flare-up that does major damage, but he's generally way below the true powerhouses: Nappa, Vegeta and Recoome. Considering Piccolo got him to this level (he was chasing around and eating pieces of T-Rexes!) from being basically an infant is a testament to his talent as a trainer.

GOHAN (Son Gohan) -- (FRIEZA SAGA- PART TWO, ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Vegeta Saga)
Role: Would-Be Main Character, Scholarly Hero, Friendly Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 11 (238)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+8)
Persuasion 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 4 (+10)
Technology 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 7) [11]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]

"Masenko!" Ki Blast 12 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 6) (46) -- [49]
AE: "Blaster Meteor!" Ki Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Ki Blast +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Goku)- Gohan loves and worships his father, though often doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him, as Goku is pretty terrible at being a dad.
Relationship (Piccolo)- Piccolo is a foster-father of sorts to Gohan (who wears Piccolo-themed clothing more than Roshi-themed stuff), and frequently saves his former student's life. Gohan looks up to Piccolo and respects him as much as his father.
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Gohan is a dutiful son, usually studying like his mother asks.
Relationship (Others)- Gohan is a friendly boy, making allies quickly with odd sorts of people. He was close with Android 16 in the Cell Saga, for instance.
Responsibility (Doesn't Love Fighting)- Unlike most of the Z-Fighters, Gohan's life doesn't revolve around fighting. He gives enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and even spends the "Off-Season" actually doing regular-people things and studying instead of light-speed sparring!
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (Too Weak)- Early on, Gohan is weaker and must be saved by others- in the Cell Saga, this convinces him to stop letting others down and finally try to reach his potential as a fighter.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 111 / Defenses: 11 (238)

-A lower-level Gohan is essentially a completely different animal- he fights like this during the Androids Saga, having "Levelled-Up" on Namek a few times (enough to briefly attack and hurt FRIEZA), but it isn't until he enters the Time Chamber with his father that he truly equals the other Saiyans. This is before he gains a lot of Area Attacks.

First off, WHAT KIND OF ANIME NERD IS SO UNFAMILIAR WITH SAILOR MOON!?!? I'M ASHAMED OF YOUUUUUUUU!!!!!

Seriously- next thing you're gonna tell me you still haven't seen Frozen yet :).

I actually haven't seen any of the Live Action series beyond some YouTube clips, but the character seems pretty similar. There's a Wiki that shows her powers: http://wikimoon.org/index.php?title=Sailor_Moon.

It seems the Live-Action version shows the Tiara (Boomerang-style Blast- Homing & Ricohet), Moon Healing Escalation (turns Monsters back into humans), and whatever the Moon Twilight Flash is (checked YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbI57p1daUo- Multiattack Blast).

Regarding her Strength, it's a bit weird. It's NEVER mentioned in-series that anybody gets a strength boost. But there are scenes like Usagi pulling out big jump-kicks on large, muscular men. And in PGSM, teenage girls can brawl with large guys in suits like a Sentai thing. This video shows more of the ridiculous show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6F4RtfYP-M. Their martial arts isn't exactly advanced, and they need their attacks to do real damage.

The Disguise Pen appears to not be a thing in the live-action show. The show as a whole is VERY different, and alters many characteristics of the supporting players.

Regarding her enemies, the most-iconic ones are in the early seasons. Nephrite (who later turned good), Kunzite and Zoisite chiefly, but they also turned Tuxedo Mask into the evil Prince Endymion. Queen Beryl is THE bad guy of the first season, however, seen in most of the episodes. Queen Metalia was her boss, and fits more of the "Eldritch Abomination" type of thing.

In PGSM, only the first-season villains show up. Kunzite apparently was a Sword-wielder who used it to shoot energy waves. And he could Teleport. Zoisite apparently gets powers from playing the piano in this version.

Hope that helps.

DENDE -- (ANY SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Frieza Saga)
Role: Guardian of Earth
Group Affiliation: Earth, The Z-Fighters, Namek
PL 2 (128), PL 5 (128) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Ki Speed"
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Sense Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Godly Being" Senses 1 (Godly Ki Awareness) [1]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]

"Far-Seeing Arts" Remote Sensing (Vision & Hearing) 20 (Flaws: Limited to While on Kami's Look-Out) (40) -- [45]
AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 3 (12)
AE: Healing 12 (Extras: Restorative) (36)
AE: "Summon Shenron" Healing 14 (Extras: Resurrection) (Flaws: Limited to Shenron, Source- Stone Shenron Statue) (14)
AE: Ki Blast 2 (Feats: Precise, Extended Range 15) (20)
AE: Movement 4 (Space Travel 2, Dimensional Travel 2) (8)

"Magic Materialization" Create 3 (Feats: Subtle, Innate) (Extras: Continuous) [11]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Guardian of Earth)
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 93 / Defenses: 6 (128)

-Dende is one of the few Namekians who isn't just a nameless mook, and his childlike nature helps him become the "living face" of Namek- a symbol of the innocence of the people being cut down by Frieza's forces. He allies with Gohan & Krillin, and uses his Healing gifts to help them out, but is eventually killed by Frieza for trying this one too many times in the final battle. He is resurrected along with the rest of his planet, and is later convinced by Goku to become the new Guardian of Earth, thus allowing the Dragon Balls to be recreated. His role in the series after this is tiny, and more of a means to an end.
-Dende has some of Kami's abilities, but is notably way too far below anyone else in power to actually matter in a fight.

MR. POPO -- (VEGETA SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: Assistant to the Guardian of Earth
Group Affiliation: Earth, The Z-Fighters
PL 4 (90)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+8)
Expertise (History) 10 (+13)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Servant) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Flying Carpet)

Powers:
"Levitation" Flight 1 (4 mph) (Flaws: Low Ceiling) [1]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Sense Ki" Senses 7 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Acute, Radius) [7]
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]

"Swallow Ki" Deflect 4 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Guardian of Earth)- Mr. Popo is Kami's assitant, and later Dende's. He has been serving Guardians as a helper for hundreds of years.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 3 (90)

-Among the more, uh, NOTORIOUS Dragon Ball characters in the West would be Mr. Popo. Because, as you can see, he looks pretty much identical to the way cartoonists exaggerated black people's features in older, largely-racist cartoons, right down to the "ethnic" clothing those characters sometimes wore (an old collection of Bringing Up Father strips from the 1910s showed artists even drew people from INDIA like that at times). Naturally, the idea of drawing someone with pitch-black skin and big pink lips isn't as offensive in Japan as it comes across here, but it still reeks a little bit of "HAW HAW- aren't those foreign people FUNNY LOOKING?" The similar-looking Pokemon Jynx actually drew protests for this, but I've heard little about Mr. Popo getting the same (though he was recolored blue in the American version of the Dragon Ball Kai remake). Toriyama just seems to like the "Big Lips" design concept- one of Cell's forms has this feature, as does Pikkon and one of the Movie Androids.
-Popo is a bit hard to place, as he rarely fights. In Dragon Ball, he effortlessly defeated Goku (swallowing the Kamehameha Wave), while all the way forward in Dragon Ball Z, he blocks the attacks of Super-Saiyan Goten & Trunks! This should make him WAY beyond what we'd assume he was, but it's silly, because then he would have easily crushed Vegeta & Nappa when they arrived on Earth. Considering how broken up he was when Nappa killed Piccolo (thus causing Kami to die), it doesn't make much sense- it's not like he's forbidden from acting.

ANDROID 17 (Lapis) -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Genocidal Monster
Group Affiliation: The Androids
PL 15 (298)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Deception 4 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Perception 10 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+15)
Technology 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 2 (Pistol), Fast Grab, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Energy) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 9) [14]
Immunity 15 (Life Support, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

Energy Blast 15 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (59) -- [65]
AE: "Accel Dance!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Accel Shot!" Ki Blast 15 (Extras: Multiattack) (45)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (45)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 15 (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blast +15 (+15 Ranged Damage, DC 30)
Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +15, Fortitude +10, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Destruction)- Android 17 just wants to break things, and people. He generally rebels against anyone's orders, and wants to do his own thing.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 156 / Defenses: 15 (298)

-Androids 17 & 18 were a bit of an odd thing- created largely because the Editor found Toriyama's designs for Androids 19 & 20 to be awful, they were meant to aid Dr. Gero in his quest for vengeance against Goku... but instead just killed him and slaughtered indiscriminately. In Trunks' future, the pair of them had killed a huge chunk of the world's population, and every Z-Fighter but Trunks. They're actually a pair of human teenagers, restructured into mechanical beings... thus making them CYBORGS, and not Androids, actually.
-17 received far less characterization than his sister (who had the whole thing with Krillin). He's your typical over-confident, smirking DBZ villain, even leaving the Z-Fighters alive so that they can be healed by Senzu Beans, and left for another fight! It's when he fights with an enhanced Piccolo that he's stopped, this time by a run-in from Cell, who absorbs 17, thus gaining in power! This is the last we really see of the guy in the show aside from cameos- he returns when Cell is defeated, and goes off on his own to become a Park Ranger, even apparently getting married!
-Perhaps sensing how odd this was, he was reintroduced in Dragon Ball GT, getting merged with Hell Fighter 17, a version of himself created in Hell by scientists (no, really). Becoming Super 17, he one-punches every Z-Fighter, but Android 17 takes control and allows Goku to take advantage of his one weakness: he cannot move while absorbing energy. Goku thus punches through him while he's absorbing some, then finishes him with a Kamehameha. Android 17 is thus revived a second time (or third, if you count the time he was blown up with the rest of the Earth in the Buu Saga).
-Androids 17 & 18 were truly high-level warriors during the Cell Saga. Their rep came big: they are said to have slaughtered ALL of the Z-Fighters in Trunks' future, AND they are claimed to be EVEN STRONGER in the "standard" timeline! And that's DESPITE all the Z-Fighters training for years to fight them. 18 whups Vegeta, and 17 takes out so many guys that it takes the boosting of Piccolo to #1 (via his fusion with Kami) to even equal him. However, Cell soon arrives, and ruins everything. We never really see him as dominant again, but as Super 17, he's apparently PL 18-ish or something, able to take out everyone else.

ANDROID 18 (Lazuli) -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Genocidal Monster, Hot Wife to Ugly Guy
Group Affiliation: The Androids, The Z Fighters
PL 15 (303)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Deception 4 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 10 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+15)
Technology 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Fast Grab, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Energy) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 9) [24]
Immunity 15 (Life Support, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

Energy Blast 15 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (59) -- [65]
AE: "Accel Dance!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Infinity Bullet!" Ki Blast 15 (Extras: Multiattack) (45)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (45)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 15 (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blast +15 (+15 Ranged Damage, DC 30)
Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +15, Fortitude +10, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Killing Goku)- The Androids were created to kill Goku- even after she turns good, she finds herself distant towards him.
Relationship (Krillin)- He falls in love with her after she flirts with him following several attacks on the Z-Fighters, and defends her against the better judgement of the others. After the Cell fight is over, he works to save their lives, wishing away their self-destruct mechanisms using the Dragon Balls.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 156 / Defenses: 15 (303)

-The sarcastic, flirtacious, female Android, 18 is the more-popular and used of the two. One of the few super bad-ass women in the series, she initially just kinda goes along with Android 17's plan to kill Goku and wipe out the Z-Fighters, but isn't overly-concerned with anything. She tends to flirt with a terrified Krillin, which of course leads to him falling in love with her- a running theme features him trying to save her, despite Trunks' warnings of how genocidal the pair of Androids are. She is rescued when Perfect Cell regurgitates her, and appears flattered when she finds out that Krillin has a thing for her- however, Toriyama carefully avoids any hint of development by revealing them as having been married during a seven-year time-skip between the Cell & Buu Sagas- here, she is the mother of Krillin's child- a daughter named Marron. And yes, as a cyborg, she can apparently give birth.
-Despite being one of the most powerful fighters on Earth, she doesn't really get involved in the major battles (she throws a fight ot Mr. Satan, provided he reimburse her with a ton of money). She's also your typical Bossy Toriyama Wife, given that her anger is terrifying, and Krillin's always been a bit of a wimp that way.
-In combat, Android 18 is more or less equal to 17, and can defeat Super-Saiyan Vegeta after a prolonged battle (she breaks his arm with her first kick, and outlasts him the rest of the way). Much is made of the Androids' Stamina- they never tire, and are thus able to fight continuously, which allows them to eventually overpower their Saiyan enemies. In later Sagas, she gains the Destructo Disc of Krillin's, but unfortunately falls back a bit in overall power.

ANDROID 16 -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Peaceful Powerhouse
Group Affiliation: The Androids, The Z Fighters
PL 16 (349)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Deception 4 (+4)
Perception 10 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+16)
Technology 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Fast Grab, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Energy) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 17 (Extras: Impervious 9) [36]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Hell's Flash!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 500ft. Line +5) (96) -- [102]
AE: Energy Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (63)
AE: "Accel Dance!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (30)
AE: Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (48)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 15 (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Blast +16 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Area Attacks +16 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +18

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +17, Fortitude --, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Killing Goku)- The Androids were created to kill Goku.
Responsibility (Pacifist)- Android 16 does not wish to fight, and it takes a lot to make him break this.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 229 / Defenses: 15 (349)

-Android 16 was a peculiarity in the Cell Saga- he never appeared in Trunks' future, and he was completely synthetic. AND he was 100% peaceful, watching the birds fly about instead of helping the other Androids against the Z-Fighters. It turns out that he was based off of Dr. Gero's son, and was created to be peaceful, so that he would not meet a violent death the way Gero's son had. However, he is brought to battle when Cell tries to absorb Android 17- he does well, but once 17 is absorbed, Cell becomes MUCH stronger and easily beats 16. During the next while, he befriends a young Gohan, and when he observes the Z-Fighters' battle against Perfect Cell, he is mercilessly-slaughtered by the villain, who hopes to unlock Gohan's "next tier" of power. Unfortunately for Cell, this does the trick, and Super-Saiyan Level 2 Gohan beats him. Android 16 is never seen again, and it's left ambiguous as to whether or not the artificial man could be resurrected by the Dragon Balls.
-As an analogue to Frankenstein's Monster, Android 16 is an interesting character concept (a PACIFIST in a FIGHTING MANGA??), but I feel the design is too silly to work. The big "puffy" armor looks odd, and he has the same "Big Goon" look that Recoome does. Just not that interesting. At least the smaller Androids look unique.
-Android 16 is more-powerful than either of his "siblings" in the series, but lacks the desire to fight until they are threatened by Cell (he refuses to help them against the Z-Fighters, perhaps because he knows there's no danger to them). He is overpowered by Cell in the end, and easily-destroyed later on.

ANDROIDS 14 & 15 -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Super Android 13 Movie)
Role: Mindless Warriors
Group Affiliation: The Androids
PL 13 (241)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA -- AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Intimidation 6 (+4)
Perception 8 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 5 (+13)
Technology 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Energy), Improved Initiative 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 13 (Extras: Impervious 7) [20]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

Energy Blast 13 (Feats: Extended Range 15) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (49) -- [54]
AE: "Accel Dance!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (15)
AE: Ki Blast 13 (Extras: Multiattack) (39)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 13 (13)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Blast +13 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +13, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Killing Goku)- The Androids were created to kill Goku.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 164 / Defenses: 14 (241)

-The movie Super Android 13! introduces three additional Androids. Android 14 is a big grey-ish dude, while Android 15 is a tiny purple Black Stereotype, right down to the pimp clothing (FUNimation's dub actually makes this WORSE by giving him a distinct black accent). Both do well against Vegeta & Trunks in their base forms, but the two Saiyans power up and soon kill their opponents. Android 13 uses their corpses to empower himself with an upgrade. As they can fight PL 15 fighters until they hit full power, I figure them for PL 13.

ANDROID 13 -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Super Android 13 Movie)
Role: Goku-Hunting Warrior
Group Affiliation: The Androids
PL 13 (265), PL 16 (265) Super 13
STRENGTH
8/10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10/10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Intimidation 6 (+4)
Perception 8 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 5 (+13)
Technology 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Energy), Improved Initiative 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 13 (Extras: Impervious 7) [20]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +5 [5]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

Energy Blast 13 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 8) (50) -- [55]
AE: "Accel Dance!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 13) (13)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 5 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (15)
AE: Ki Blast 13 (Extras: Multiattack) (39)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 13 (13)

"Super 13 Upgrades" (All Have Flaws: Require Components of Other Androids)
+4 to All Energy Attacks [4]
Strength-Damage +4 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 2 [2]
Protection 4 [2]
Impervious Toughness +4 [2]
Flight +2 [2]
Enhanced Dodge 2 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Blast +13 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Upgraded Unarmed +15 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Upgraded Blast +13 (+19 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +13, Fortitude --, Will +5
"Upgraded" Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +17, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Killing Goku)- The Androids were created to kill Goku.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 180 / Defenses: 16 (265)

-Android 13 is the leader of the Movie Androids, and fights Goku personally. He falls behind when Goku hits Super-Saiyan, but soon absorbs components from his dead colleagues and transforms into the blue-skinned "Super 13", who soon beats down the other fighters. Goku naturally goes "time for a Spirit Bomb", and the other fighters battle 13 while Goku absorbs the necessary Spirit Energy for his ultimate attack. However, unlike in many other situations, this doesn't work, and Super 13 wipes the floor with Vegeta, Piccolo & Future Trunks. But now Goku is mysteriously able to ABSORB the power of the Spirit Bomb, and basically uses it like an Aura that burns off 13's arms. Then he one-punches the guy. Because Goku Must Always Win.
-A powerful, Movie-level threat, able to easily equal Goku, and trounce his allies, Super 13 hits PL 16 with the upgrades from his comrades (basically Flawed Stat adjustments). Only Goku can take him on in this state, naturally.

THE CELL SAGA:
-This storyline came out a bit weird. It started off with the "WTF" moment of FRIEZA returning (in the manga, he'd only been dead for like two weeks), along with his FATHER, King Cold... at which point a Saiyan named Trunks arrives from the future, goes SUPER-SAIYAN, and then annihilates the two of them with single hits! He comes with the warning in his timeline, two Androids have slaughtered all of the Z-Fighters, and that Goku died of a heart attack and was unable to stop them. Thus begins the new mission- find and stop these Androids- along the way, they fight two of them, but it's revealed that it was two OTHER Androids that Trunks was warning them about. Then ANOTHER Android shows up- a monster named Cell, who soon absorbs the other two Androids and ascends to Perfect form. This was very clumsy-ass storytelling, but has a reason: the Editor hated the two designs Toriyama used for Androids 19 & 20 , and convinced him to create two new ones! And, dissatisfied with the two kids, wanted a NEW villain created! A lot of fans defend Toriyama against some sort of imagined cabal of cruel Editors that forced him to write crap in order to sate angry fans, but man, I agree with Editorial here :)).

And because it's DBZ, this Perfect Cell eschews fighting the heroes all at once, and announces "The Cell Games"- a TOURNAMENT for others to fight him. This gives the heroes tons of time to prepare, and so they go into the "Hyperbolic Time Chamber", an Ass-Pull device that allows everyone to power up MORE than they'd ever done before.

This "Saga" is about the Face Turn of Vegeta (who was made to be a bit more sympathetic in the Frieza Saga at the end), his relationship with Bulma, and the growth of Gohan as a fighter- his legacy was mentioned here to be bigger than GOKU's was! During the course of the thing, we get the first hint of what will come to dominate the series- eventually, it's only Saiyans that matter, as we now have FOUR in the cast, and all four quickly hit "Super-Saiyan" (something that was supposed to be unique to Goku, as mentioned in the Frieza Saga), completely leaping over every other character in might and importance to the plot.

Parts One & Two:
Like the Frieza Saga, you can split this into two parts- Part One is when the Z-Fighters are tangling with Androids 19 & 20, and then Androids 17 & 18. Piccolo receives an upgrade to temporarily become the strongest Z-Fighter in the world, but Cell quickly arrives to spoil everything. In Part Two, everyone's been training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, resulting in numerous upgrades for all, but the same "Generic DBZ Tiers" coming into place once again- Piccolo, then Saiyans, then Goku, then the Bad Guy, then the Ultra-Super-Saiyan Upgrade.

PERFECT CELL -- (CELL SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Genocidal Monster, Playful Villain
Group Affiliation: None
PL 18 (706), PL 19 (706) as Super Perfect Cell
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 16 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+19)
Deception 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+11)
Perception 11 (+14)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 7 (+16)
Stealth 2 (+10)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Energy) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 4, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 15) [30]
Immunity 15 (Life Support, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +8 [8]

"Z Fighters' Genes" Enhanced Skills 8: Persuasion 8 (+11) (Flaws: Limited to the Z-Fighters) [2]
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
"Mimicry" Morph 1 (Flaws: Limited to Speech, Limited to the Voices of Those He's Absorbed) [3]

"Namekian Genes"
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [11]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (144) -- [161]
AE: Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (71)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 17) (17)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 28 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (24)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (1)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Destructo-Disc/Death Saucer!" Blast 22 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (Inaccurate -1) (73)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (36)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (54)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 18 (18)
AE: "Absorption" Weaken Toughness 20 (Extras: Progressive +2) (Inaccurate -2) (58)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (72)

Summon Cell Juniors 23 (Extras: Heroic +2, Controlled, Horde, 7 Minions +5.5) (Flaws: Unreliable 2- Just the One Time) [219]

"Zenkai- Saiyan-Like Burst of Strength After Almost Dying"
Enhanced Strength 1 [2]
Enhanced Fighting 1 [2]
Enhanced Stamina 1 [2]
Enhanced Dodge 1 [1]
Enhanced Ki Attacks +1 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +19 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Death Saucer +14 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Spirit Bomb +10 (+28 Ranged Damage, DC 43)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Absorption +15 (+20 Weaken, DC 30)
Area Attacks +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
"Post-Zenkai"
Unarmed +20 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blast +17 (+21 Ranged Damage, DC 36)
Death Saucer +15 (+23 Ranged Damage, DC 38)
Spirit Bomb +11 (+29 Ranged Damage, DC 44)
Solar Flare +15 Area (+15 Affliction, DC 25)
Absorption +16 (+21 Weaken, DC 31)
Area Attacks +19 (+19 Damage, DC 34)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +18 (DC 28), Parry +18 (DC 28), Toughness +18, Fortitude +13, Will +8
"Post-Zenkai" Dodge +19 (DC 29), Parry +19 (DC 29), Toughness +19, Fortitude +14, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation/Responsibility (Z Fighters' Problems)- Cell takes a lot from those whose genes he's made from: He has Vegeta's arrogance, Goku's love of good challenges (thus making questionable tactical decisions), Frieza's smugness, and the battle-lust of all Saiyans. Cell can be easily convinced to stall if it means he gets to fight a stronger opponent.
Normal Identity (Weaker Cell)- Cell required the absorption of thousands of people before he was ready to take on the Z-Fighters.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 118 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 518 / Defenses: 17 (706)

-So with Toriyama's Editor displeased AGAIN by the Androids he'd created, Toriyama scrambled and went "Oh no WAIT the real villain is CELL now", and created some weird bug-faced dude (who copies the genetics from all of the Z-Fighters, the Saiyans, and Frieza... and he's from the future and came back, like Future Trunks did) to be the primary villain. The Editor went "So he has different forms like Frieza, right?" (that's "Japanese Business Speak" for "Your design is a piece of crap- make a better one") and so he gained the ability to absorb the other Androids and take new forms. This is all hilariously-weird, and makes for some clumsy storytelling, as our perceived main villain changes twice, then changes his appearance.
-Cell starts off as a creepy bug-monster who sneaks about, but he becomes your trademark Smug DBZ Villain as soon as he starts absorbing Androids. This only happens due to Vegeta's arrogance- he wanted to face a stronger opponent, and so Semi-Perfect Cell goaded him into letting him absorb Android 18. As Perfect Cell, he's so far above the others as to be invincible. However, easily-goaded into fighting powerful opponents (likely due to his Saiyan genes), he gives the Z-Fighters ten days to train further, before facing them in a tournament. He proves himself superior to Goku, who forfeits the match when it's proven he cannot win. This disgusts the other Z-Fighters, but Goku's plan is to put GOHAN, who's shown more potential, in that spot. When Cell (who himself was pissed at Goku for forfeiting) hears that Gohan has hidden powers, he goads Gohan into revealing them. He splits off seven Cell Juniors to attack his friends, and then murders Android 16 in cold blood. This... was a mistake.
-Gohan's rage explodes, causing him to hit Super-Saiyan Level 2. Naturally, CELL is now being curbstomped, as Gohan wades through his attacks and becomes better. Only NOW does Cell's confidence fade, and he freaks out, trying to use a Suicide Attack to kill everyone. Goku immediately Teleports in, killing himself to save the others (and King Kai, when he teleports the two of them to Kai's planet). HOWEVER, Cell comes back from being reduced to a single cell (because it's DBZ, that's why), and is now SUPER Perfect Cell, because he's copied the Saiyan ability to grow stronger with each defeat. Now he's better than GOHAN, but ends up losing when a grieving Vegeta (who watched his son Trunks die) blasts him, distracting him enough for Gohan to fire a Kamehameha Wave that disintegrates Cell's entire body.
-Perfect Cell is PL 18 in the Cell Saga- enough to beat up Piccolo (PL 13), Vegeta & Trunks (PL 14) and Goku (PL 18, but with fewer powers and no Regeneration), as well as Gohan... until he goes from PL 16 to PL 19. Cell himself hits PL 19 when he returns from his near-death experience. And he's pretty much always ludicrously-expensive- combining vast Area Effects, great power, incredible skills, and a 219-point Summon Minion effect, pretty much breaking the bank. I didn't even include the "Blow Up The Planet" thing that kills Goku, as most effects in the series can blow up the planet eventually anyways (seriously).

IMPERFECT CELL -- (ANDROIDS SAGA)
SEMI-PERFECT CELL -- (CELL SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Genocidal Monster, Playful Villain
Group Affiliation: None
PL 16 (440)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+17)
Deception 5 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+11)
Perception 11 (+14)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 5 (+14)
Stealth 2 (+10)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Energy) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 13) [26]
Immunity 15 (Life Support, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]

"Z Fighters' Genes" Enhanced Skills 8: Persuasion 8 (+11) (Flaws: Limited to the Z-Fighters) [2]
"Tail" Extra Limb 1 [1]
"Mimicry" Morph 1 (Flaws: Limited to Speech, Limited to the Voices of Those He's Absorbed) [3]

"Namekian Genes"
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [11]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (128) -- [145]
AE: Ki Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (67)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 15) (15)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 26 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (22)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (1)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Destructo-Disc/Death Saucer!" Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (Inaccurate -1) (71)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (36)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (48)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 16 (16)
AE: "Absorption" Weaken Toughness 19 (Extras: Progressive +2) (Inaccurate -2) (55)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (64)

Offense:
Unarmed +17 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Blast +14 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Death Saucer +12 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Spirit Bomb +8 (+26 Ranged Damage, DC 41)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Absorption +13 (+19 Weaken, DC 29)
Area Attacks +16 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +16, Fortitude +13, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation/Responsibility (Z Fighters' Problems)- Cell takes a lot from those whose genes he's made from: He has Vegeta's arrogance, Goku's love of good challenges (thus making questionable tactical decisions), Frieza's smugness, and the battle-lust of all Saiyans. Cell can be easily convinced to stall if it means he gets to fight a stronger opponent.
Normal Identity (Weaker Cell)- Cell required the absorption of thousands of people before he was ready to take on the Z-Fighters.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 114 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 260 / Defenses: 15 (440)

-Imperfect Cell is very insect-like and sneaky, moving about during the Androids Saga, slowly-building power until he's ready to challenge the characters. At PL 16, he's better than Piccolo & Android 17 by a bit, but equal to Android 16. Once he absorbs 17, he's more powerful than anyone in the series- in the Cell Saga, he equals PL 16 once more (which is, like, PL 18 or something in the Androids Saga). He doesn't fight much in this form, aside from one brawl against Vegeta.

CELL JUNIOR -- (CELL SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Summon Minions
Group Affiliation: None
PL 14 (336)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Intimidation 7 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 5 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Energy) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle

Powers:
"Cyborg Body"
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 9) [11]
Immunity 15 (Life Support, Fatigue Effects) [15]

"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +6 [6]

"Super-Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (112) -- [121]
AE: Ki Blast 14 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (55)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 17) (17)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (30)
AE: "Destructo-Disc/Death Saucer!" Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 10, Homing 4, Ricochet 2) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (59)
AE: "Android Barrier" Deflect 14 (14)
AE: "Energy Wave!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (36)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (56)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Blast +14 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Death Saucer +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Area Attacks +14 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Initiative +16

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +14, Fortitude +12, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Cell's Will)

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 208 / Defenses: 13 (336)

-The Cell Juniors provide a tiny bit of filler, but are more a means to an end (and to make sure the other Z-Fighters have SOMETHING ELSE TO DO during these never-ending solo battles that make up the Cell Saga)- Cell summons seven of them to fight the heroes, in order to get Gohan to lose his temper. These guys are powerful enough to beat Future Trunks, Vegeta and Piccolo, and they easily-defeat the others.

TURLES -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (The Tree of Might)
Role: Lookalike Villain
Group Affiliation: The Turles Crusher Corps
PL 15 (285)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+16)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 6 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)
Technology 5 (+9)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Scouter- Detect Ki- Ranged 7, Acute, Radius, Communication 4), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Kill Driver!" Blast 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (75) -- [78]
AE: "Calamity Blaster!" Ki Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (60)
AE: Ki Blast 17 (Extras: Multiattack) (51)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +14 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Kill Driver +15 Area (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +19

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +14, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Turles wishes to use the Tree of Might to gain ultimate power in the universe.
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 136 / Defenses: 16 (285)

-Turles is the first of a few "Movie-Only" Saiyans that show up, and was intended to be an alternate version of Goku- what would have happened if he hadn't hit his head and settled down from his evil Saiyan state. However, he instead just comes off as an evil Goku-Lookalike. His schtick is that he plants a "Tree of Might" on various planets, then eats its fruit to become more powerful- his end goal is to conquer the universe. He beats up the Z-Fighters, then Goku (after eating from the Tree), but is stopped when a Spirit Bomb (empowered by the Tree's Spiritual Energy) hits both him and the tree, vaporizing both.

BOJACK -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Bojack Unbound)
Role: Generic Space Baddie
Group Affiliation: The Galaxy Soldiers
PL 18 (337)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+16)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Genocidal Space Douche) 9 (+11)
Intimidation 9 (+12)
Perception 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 10 (+16)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +11 [11]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 10 (Extras: Impervious 15) [25]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Grand Smasher!" Blast 18 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (90) -- [94]
AE: Ki Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: "Calamity Blaster!" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 12) (68)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (36)
AE: "Psycho Barrier" Deflect 16 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Grand Smasher +15 Area (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +19

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +20, Fortitude +10, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Bojack wishes to conquer the universe.
Quirk (Alternate Form)- Bojack has a "Super Form" which is needed to attain PL 18. Normally, he fights at PL 16.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 179 / Defenses: 16 (337)

-Bojack is a pretty generic villain- a Movie-Only baddie that breaks free from his prison when King Kai dies during the Cell Saga- he and his four cronies are genocidal buttholes who tore their way across the galaxy. When he breaks free, he beats up the Z-Fighters with his troops. However, as this is a movie made when Goku was dead, Goku can't pull out his "Unstoppable God Mode" and win- GOHAN is left with the ball. When Super-Saiyan Vegeta & Future Trunks fall to Bojack, Gohan has to unlock Super-Saiyan Level 2 again, at which point he kills the henchmen and takes out the villain. Of course, Goku STILL manages to get involved- breaking up Bojack's Bear-Hug with a punch ("breaking the rules" of the Afterlife by returning to Earth for one minute).
-Bojack is so tough that he wipes the floor with the Cell Saga-era heroes with ease, and comes close to Super-Saiyan Level 2 Gohan, who at that point was like PL 19. Therefore, Bojack is all the way up to PL 18. Despite this, he STILL cheats, using the dishonorable tactic of throwing his female henchwoman in the way between him and Gohan, then KILLING HER to let an Energy Blast hit the hero.

DABURA THE DEMON KING -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Buu Saga)
Role: Satanalogue
Group Affiliation: The Demon Realm
PL 15 (349)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+16)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Demon King) 9 (+13)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]
Senses 1 (Communication Link- Babidi) [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 16 (125,000 mph) [32]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

Ki Blast 17 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (60) -- [65]
AE: Ki Blast 17 (Extras: Multiattack) (51)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (20)
AE: "Ki Deflect" Deflect 16 (16)
AE: "Materializes Weapons That Never Do Anything" Features: Does Slashing or Piercing Damage (1)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 12 (24)

"Stone Spit" Affliction 16 (Fort; Dazed & Impaired/Immobile & Disabled/Transformed to Stone & Unaware) (Extras: Ranged, Continuous +3) (Inaccurate -2) [78]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+14 Damage, DC 29)
Ki Blast +14 (+17 Ranged Damage, DC 32)
Kill Driver +15 Area (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +19

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +14, Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Turles wishes to use the Tree of Might to gain ultimate power in the universe.
Involuntary Transformation (Great Ape)- Saiyans will transform into a Great Ape under the light of a full moon. These are mighty forms, but can be uncontrollable. The state will be ended if their tail is cut off, or the source of the moonlight disappears.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 202 / Defenses: 17 (349)

-Dabura is an odd duck in the DBZ universe- he's basically like Satan, except he's the minion of other, more-powerful villains. He's taken over by the wizard Babidi, and manages to fight the Z-Fighters pretty well (drawing with Gohan, who hasn't been in training for a while). It was also his idea to tempt Vegeta with the Majin power and sending him against Goku. When Majin Buu is revealed, Dabura thinks little of him, and is atatcked for insulting the creature. Babidi refuses to help Dabura, instead telling him he was just another pawn in the grand scheme of things- Dabura is killed. The Demon King, however, is sent to HEAVEN instead of Hell, since... well, he's a Demon King. He'd have ENJOYED Hell! In the anime, some Filler shows him actually learning to be good while in Heaven.
-A pretty generic fighter (though he can summon Weapons, they're useless in two separate cases), Dabura can nonetheless use a "Stone Spit" that freezes Piccolo & Krillin into stone statues- they cannot break free until Dabura is killed. This makes it a very expensive power that exists outside his array.

TRUNKS (Trunks Briefs, aka Kid Trunks)-- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Bratty Kid
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (200)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 7 (+11)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Diehard, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (64) -- [70]
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (36)
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (24)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 6) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Area Attacks +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Family)- Trunks idolizes his father Vegeta, and inherits his mother's spoiled, selfish streak.
Relationship (Goten)- The two are an inseparable pair, though the older Trunks often bosses Goten around.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Trunks needs to go Super-Saiyan to hit his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 13 (200)

-Trunks (often called "Kid Trunks" to differentiate him from his future self) was eventually born in the main timeline while Future Trunks was still around, and aged to about eight by the Buu Saga, at which point he was best friends with Goku's second son, Goten. Trunks was a cocky little prick, often taunting his foes and acting like a general goofball- the kind of broad comedy that Dragon Ball used to do a lot before it got super-cosmic. In a bizarre case of the series' jumping power levels, Trunks is able to go SUPER-SAIYAN at eight years old, putting him in the millions in terms of Fighting Strength, and meaning he's more powerful than Frieza was during the battle on Planet Namek. While a kid. Who's barely even fought seriously before that point.
-Trunks & Goten play an important supporting role, establishing the concept of "Fusions", as they do a silly "Fusion Dance" that allows them to become Gotenks- a much more powerful warrior, to oppose Majin Buu (who at this point had slain Vegeta). However, they fail completely, and soon their power is added to Buu's, along with all the other fighters, and Goku McJesus saves the day. Their roles in sequels and Movies all typically run in minor roles.
-Trunks & Goten take a pretty Krillin-like role in the last Dragon Ball Z Saga, so they hit PL 8 just like he does. They're effectively distractions and Jobbers, only useful so far as their ability to Fuse into Gotenks.

GOTEN (Son Goten)-- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Buu Saga)
Role: Generic Kid Character
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (200)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 7 (+11)
Perception 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Diehard, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (64) -- [70]
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (36)
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (24)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 6) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Area Attacks +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Family)- Goten worships his older brother Gohan, but is unused to, and nervous around, his father Goku (who was dead when Goten was born).
Relationship (Trunks)- The two are an inseparable pair, though the older Trunks often bosses Goten around.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Goten needs to go Super-Saiyan to hit his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 13 (192)

-Goten is the posthumously-born second son of Goku, and was introduced during the Buu Saga as a background character, usually palling around with Trunks (who was one year older). Like Trunks, he mattered to the plot mainly because he fused into Gotenks, but they got some mileage out of his first meeting with his father, and his physical resemblance to Goku. He's pretty much the same as Trunks (Trunks started out a bit stronger due to his extra year or experience), but not as smart (Trunks inherited his mom's genius).

LORD SLUG -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movie: Lord Slug)
Role: Generic Space Conqueror
Group Affiliation: Lord Slug's Army
PL 15 (338)
STRENGTH
8/10 STAMINA 8/10 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10, +12 Full Size)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+13)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Space Conqueror) 8 (+10)
Intimidation 9 (+10, +16 Full Size)
Perception 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Namekian Physiology"
"Big Ears" Senses 1 (Extended Hearing) [1]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 2 (Flaws: Limited to Arms) [1]
Features 2: Regrows Lost Limbs, May Fuse With Other Namekians [2]
Regeneration 2 [2]

"Darkness Twin Star!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (59) -- [65]
AE: Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Telepathy" Communication 3 (Mental) Linked to Mind-Reading 8 (28)
AE: "Super Explosive Wave" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (56)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: Teleport 10 (20)
AE: "Darkness Blaster!" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Burst +3) (56)

"Great Namek"
Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry) [4]
Growth +10 (+12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, +1 Speed, -12 Stealth) -- (60 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Non-STR & STA Growths) [10]
+2 to All Energy Attacks [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +12 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Area Attacks +14-15 (+14-15 Damage, DC 29-30)
"Great Namek"
Unarmed +13 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Ki Blast +12 (+18 Ranged Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +15, Fortitude +8, Will +6
"Great Namek" Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +17, Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Weakness (Gohan's Whistling)- Gohan's whistling is excruciating to Namekians, apparently. This only ever comes up here.
Motivation (Ruling the Galaxy)
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 103 / Defenses: 9 (338)

-Lord Slug's another Movie-Only Villain, and is a long-lost Namekian who was sent to another planet to avoid the Namekian near-extinction, but ended up turning evil thanks to a mutation that made him a "Super Namek". Building an army, he of COURSE became a conqueror of plants. He comes to Earth hoping to use the Dragon Balls to make him young once more. His minions are wiped out by the Z-Fighter Job Squad, but he is beaten back by Goku's "False Super Saiyan Form". He upgrades himself to a giant Super Namek and beats down Goku, but Piccolo offers Goku his energy, and Ol' Jesus soon knocks Slug into his ship and finishes him with a Spirit Bomb.
-Slug is unusual in that he can grow to huge size (a power shown by King Piccolo, but not the DBZ heroic Piccolo), making him a much different kind of opponent. He normally fights at PL 14, but upgrades to PL 15 with his huge size- he can take out Goku well enough, but as soon as the tide turns, he's done.

GARLIC JUNIOR -- (MOVIES, PRE-ANDROIDS SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movie: The Dead Zone)
Role: Vengeance-Seeker
Group Affiliation: The Spice Boys
PL 15 (424)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Space Conqueror) 8 (+10)
Intimidation 9 (+10)
Perception 6 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+14)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 2, Improved Initiative 3, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 7 (Extras: Impervious 9) [16]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 18 (500,000 mph) [36]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Immortality- Granted by Shenron"
Immortality 15 [30]
Regeneration 12 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [13]

"Full Power Energy Ball!" Ki Blast 16 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 10) (59) -- [62]
AE: "Continuous Energy Bullets!" Ki Blast 16 (Extras: Multiattack) (48)
AE: "Sealed Light Beam!" Snare 16 (48)
AE: Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (45)

"Open the Dead Zone" Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel- Dead Zone) (Extras: Attack 15, Portal +2) (Flaws: Side-Effect- May Be Trapped Himself) Linked to Move Object 14 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2, Continuous +3) (Flaws: Limited to Towards the Portal, Touch Range) [88]
"Magic Materialization" Create 4 (Feats: Subtle, Innate) (Extras: Continuous) [14]

Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Ki Blast +14 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Sealed Light Beam +14 (+16 Ranged Affliction, DC 26)
Area Attacks +15 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +15, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Revenge)- Garlic Jr.'s father was imprisoned for going against Kami centuries ago- Kami was chosen as Guardian of Earth after the previous Guardian saw through Garlic Sr.'s evil schemes.
Normal Identity (Smaller Form)- Garlic Jr.'s normal form is a very diminutive one. It is unknown just how long he can maintain his powered-up state, or how weak his smaller one is.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 282 / Defenses: 13 (424)

-Garlic Jr. is a one-off Movie Villain who was transfered to a FILLER ARC in Dragon Ball Z- he invades Earth between the Frieza & Cell Sagas. He is the son of a being who was trapped in a realm of darkness by Kami years ago- Garlic Jr. craves revenge. After successfully gathering the Dragon Balls and gaining immortality (seriously- why don't Bulma & Co. just grab the things every year JUST to prevent villains from getting them?), he is attacked by the Z-Fighters (he'd kidnapped Gohan, who had the four-star Dragon Ball sewn into his cap). He transforms into the gigantic Super Garlic, but Goku & Piccolo manage to land some heavy damage on him. Sensing defeat, he opens a portal to the Dead Zone (the place his father was trapped), but Gohan gains one of his rare power-ups and sends Garlic Jr. through.
-This was initially it for him, but DBZ, needing a Filler Arc, decided to bring him back. Freed from the Dead Zone by the Makyo Star coming close to Earth, he and his empowered goons use the Black Water Mist to brainwash most of Earth into following them. Gohan & Krillin are the sole people left un-controlled, but it turns out that Piccolo was faking it in order to unseal Kami & Mr. Popo from the prisons in which Garlic Jr. had locked them. Kami is able to grab the Spirit Water to reverse the effects of the Black Water Mist, and Gohan blows up the Makyo Star, thus negating Garlic Jr.'s powers (he was beating Piccolo, who at the time was weakened by Kami being attacked while trying to get the Spirit Water). The villain is thus trapped in the Dead Zone once more, never to return.
-Garlic Jr. is powerful enough to challenge Movie Goku & Piccolo simultaneously (one is PL 13 and the other PL 16-ish) until they start fighting unencumbered after they take off their weighted clothing. Similarly, he's a match for Piccolo in the Garlic Saga, which takes place after the Frieza Saga- this puts Piccolo at PL 15. Therefore, I don't have to change Garlic Jr.'s Power Level around to match the others. He's powerful enough on his own, but the unleashing of the Dead Zone is what makes him lethal- it's a Continuous Move Object that draws someone towards his Dimensional Travel Attack- and since none of the Z-Fighters at this time know how to travel between dimensions, this is pretty devastating. Oh, and he's ALSO unkillable and immortal, so good luck stopping him. Basically, your only option is to throw Garlic into his own Portal (which is how he's beaten, twice).

BABIDI -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Buu Saga)
Role: Attempted Conqueror
Group Affiliation: His Army
PL 12 (234), PL 14 (234) to Evil Beings
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 10 (+14)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Improved Inittiave, Ritualist

Powers:
"Ki Speed"
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]

Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]

"Paparapapa!" Teleport 12 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (48) -- [52]
AE: "Telepathy" Communication (Mental) 5 (Extras: Area) (25)
AE: "Magic Blast" Ki Blast 12 (24)
AE: "Haretsu Majyutsu" Blast 14 (Feats: Triggered- Time) (Extras: Penetrating) (Flaws: Distracting) (29)
AE: "Wizard Barrier" Force Field 14 (Extras: Impervious) (28)

"Manipulation Sorcery" Mind Control 14 (Extras: Continuous) (Flaws: Limited to Targets With Evil in Their Hearts) [56]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Magic Blast +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Haretsu Majyutsu +8 (+14 Ranged Damage, DC 29)
Mind Control -- (+16 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 26)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4 (+18 Force Field), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Coward)- Babidi is usually mocking and overconfident, but will shake in fear if confronted by a stronger foe.
Responsibility (Shitty Boss)- Babidi has a habit of killing his slaves once he no longer needs them. Even his strongest soldiers are mere disposable pawns.
Power Loss (Magic)- Babidi requires the ability to speak in order to cast his spells. So if he's, say, being strangled to death, he's pretty S.O.L.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 149 / Defenses: 4 (234)

-Babidi is sort of the initial main villain of the Buu Saga, but is himself supplanted by Majin Buu. He is the cloned offspring of the wizard Bibidi (yes, indeed: Bibidi, Babidi, Buu), but supplanted his "father" when Bibidi was killed in battle. He shows himself as a sadistic individual when he casually-tortures his loyal mind-controlled minions to death when he figures he doesn't need them anymore, and desires to control the legendary Majin Buu by breaking his seal with a great expenditure of energy. He then mind controls VEGETA, believing his "evil intent" to be the key to unleashing Buu on the world- "Majin Vegeta" soon duels with Goku, and their huge battle (one of the best in the series, actually) does the trick. Buu is at first loyal, but Babidi is almost fatally-wounded by Piccolo- he convinces Buu to protect him, and the two go on a genocidal rampage. He orders Buu around endlessly, but the monster finally gets sick of it (with some goading from Goku), finally strangling his master, then shattering his head with a single punch.
-Babidi is pretty useless as a fighter, but is INCREDIBLY-dangerous with his Mind Control, which allows him to control any evil being to an endless degree. However, Vegeta is so focused on surpassing Goku that Babidi is unable to focus him on anything but that.

MR. SATAN (Mark) -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Wannabe Hero, Fake Hero, Comic Relief
Group Affiliation: None
PL 0 (29), PL 3 (29) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+1)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Leaping 1 [1]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Power-Lifting 5 (1,600 lbs.) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative -1

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +4, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Popularity)- Considered a hero on Earth, Mr. Satan is desperate to retain his credibility and fame.
Addiction (The Ladies)- A classic lech, Mr. Satan often uses his fame to get women into bed.
Relationship (Videl)- Mr. Satan is protective of his daughter.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 7 (29)

-Mr. Satan (called "Hercule" for reasons you can probably imagine in the Western versions) is a pretty fun comedic character- an obnoxious blowhard who constantly brags about how awesome he is, despite being VASTLY overpowered by the entirety of the fighting cast of the series. He is effortlessly defeated by Cell during the Cell Games, but lies to the public, saying it was "a trick". When Kid Trunks easily-defeats him in another battle, he lets the crowd believe that he kindly let the boy win. He proves himself to be cowardly (refusing to fight anyone stronger than him) and lecherous.
-Despite that, however, Mr. Satan is a kind-hearted and righteous man who fights for the innocent- he helps save the world during the end of the Buu Saga when he convinces the whole population (which still idolizes him) to lend Goku their Ki to allow him to create the biggest Spirit Bomb ever, and he even begs them to spare Buu (who had become his friend).

MR. SATAN (Mark) -- (ACTUAL VERSION)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga)
Role: Wannabe Hero, Fake Hero, Comic Relief
Group Affiliation: None
PL 7 (77)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+9)
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
Leaping 1 [1]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications:
Motivation (Popularity)- Considered a hero on Earth, Mr. Satan is desperate to retain his credibility and fame.
Addiction (The Ladies)- A classic lech, Mr. Satan often uses his fame to get women into bed.
Relationship (Videl)- Mr. Satan is protective of his daughter.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 9 (77)

-As you can see, Mr. Satan is actually a really effective fighter in the real world, able to defeat armed gunmen with ease, and smash through fourteen (but not fifteen) tiles. He can even smash up buses. He's effectively a Low-Level Superhuman, and would be an amazing fighter if not for the fact that he's in a world of Planet-Destroying Powerhouses.

It's kind of funny that a man with such limited versatility in character looks created so many characters- Toriyama definitely showcases similar design elements among most of his line:

* Spikey hair. He's most-famous for this. Goku, Gohan & Vegeta, plus ALL of the Saiyans. His art for Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest is often packed with this element as well.
* Big, baggy pants. Parachute-like in form- it comes off like he was trying to mimic Asian martial arts uniforms in some cases, but he goes full "Arabian Nights" with most of them- the crotch in the pants is often halfway to the ground. I think he just has a fetish for drawing "folds" in clothing, because even Gohan's superhero uniform has these elements in it.
* Guys, even serious villains, wearing short-shorts.
* The exact same muscular figure on just about every male character.
* The "Battle Armor" of similar appearance. Okay, so the Saiyans, Frieza's forces and Cooler's men are all of the same army, so it fits... but even OTHER Movie Baddies have guys with these kinds of clothes on.
* The "Smug Smirk" shared by Frieza & Cell, plus most of the Saiyans in certain pieces of art.
* Big, caveman-like brows- The Super-Saiyan Level Three, Piccolo, EVERY Namekian later seen, Garlick Jr. (who's of a different race than Piccolo but looks the same), Pikkon and more.
* Big, thick lips. Toriyama controversially draws Mr. Popo and black background characters like this, but likes the design element enough that he replicates it for Pikkon, one of the Movie Androids, and other backgrounders.

BROLY -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movies)
Role: Drooling Moron, Supreme Powerhouse
Group Affiliation: None
PL 18 (388)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+16)
Intimidation 15 (+13)
Perception 8 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 11 (+16)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +9 [9]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 15) [23]
Regeneration 5 [5]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Omega Blaster!" Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (Extras: 900ft. Burst +6) (154) -- [163]
AE: "Super Explosive Wave!" Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (Extras: 1,800ft. Cone +6) (154)
AE: "Planet Geyser!" Damage 18 (Extras: 900ft. Cylinder +6) (136)
AE: "Eraser Cannon!" Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 20, Penetrating 10) (30)
AE: "Energy Shield" Deflect 16 (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Gigantic Cluster" Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 10 (Extras: Damaging) (30)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Power Punch +14 (+22 Damage, DC 37)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Area Attacks +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +28

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +20, Fortitude +12, Will +6

Complications:
Obsession (Fighting)- Broly seeks only to destroy- he's like a regular Saiyan times fifty.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Broly is a mere stripling when he's not in Super-Saiyan form.
Enemy ("Kakarot!!")- Broly somehow remembers the infant Goku keeping him awake with his crying when the two were in the Saiyan Nursery. He carries a grudge to this day.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 37 / Powers: 256 / Defenses: 20 (388)

-When people dismiss Dragon Ball Z as a masturbatory excercize in Power Geeking and "just fighting", Broly is the kind of thing they're talking about. In Broly: The Legendary Super-Saiyan, it is revealed that THIS GUY is the Super-Saiyan spoken of by Vegeta & Frieza with such fear and reverence. Not Goku, nor Gohan. Broly is a wimpy-looking, seemingly-addled simpleton... until he goes Super-Saiyan, at which point he gains muscles upon muscles, and a pyschopathic urge to destroy everything around him. He murders his own father Paragus, who was using him as "muscle"- both were naturally Long-Lost Saiyans... though really, it's not THAT silly of a trope to use- a PLANET-FULL of these guys were killed, and they WERE known intergalactic warriors. It's actually weirder that there were ONLY FOUR off-planet when Frieza blew the whole thing up.
-Broly was basically a God Among Gods, and absolutely wrecked the Z-Fighters. Krillin didn't even bother fighting, and the rest of the Android/Cell Saga-era crew was annihilated in short order- Piccolo, Future Trunks, Gohan and Vegeta were all crushed in mere seconds each. Broly was so tough he even effortlessly defeated GOKU! Such was his dominance that the Z Fighters had to pour their combined Ki into Goku to allow him to do the prerequisite "okay, NOW shit's on" and rip the villain in half with a single punch.
-The idea of a villain even MORE POWERFUL than Goku was too much to ignore, and so Broly came back for an unprecented TWO TIMES in sequel movies. He returns from seemingly-sure death, crazier than ever and looking for revenge. Mistaking both Gohan and Goten for their then-deceased father, he continues an assault that lays waste to the countryside. I watched this with my friend when I was in Japan in the late '90s on a school exchange, and we were in AWE of the power levels displayed throughout- this kind of stuff works best on younger boys, after all. It takes the combined efforts of Trunks, Gohan, Goten, and the ghost of their father hitting simultaneous Kamehameha Waves that launch Broly into the Sun, killing him.
-A third movie features a "Bio-Broly"- a cloned monster created by some evil Priest Scientists- it's basically a big Slime Beast, though, and is a whole different kind of threat- they mix some Macguffin Fluid into him, thus solidifying the monster long enough to be defeated. This is one of those I've never even had a ghost of a desire to see- who wants to see a big dumb Slime Monster be the main villain of a movie these days? As you might imagine, Broly's sheer might and size makes him a popular character- he almost looks more like something AMERICAN comics would come up with! So despite his complete lack of personality beyond "breaking stuff", he shows up in a lot of DBZ Merch, including the Video Games.
-Broly is a massive PL 18 powerhouse for the Movies, reaching a level beyond Vegeta & Future Trunks (PL 14), Piccolo (PL 13) and even GOKU (PL 16). Even Gohan, who at this point was the most-powerful Z-Fighter, was beneath him in the second appearance- Gohan was probably equal to his PL 16 self, even in Super-Saiyan Level 2 form! It took a lot of effort (and some help from a ghost) to finish the bad guy in that one.

VIDEL -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Great Saiyaman Saga)
Role: Tsundere ("Cold" Archetype), Bad-Ass Normal
Group Affiliation: The Z-Fighters
PL 7 (109)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+11)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Ki Speed"
Flight 8 (500 mph) [16]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 5) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Mr. Satan- Father)- Videl is embarrassed by her charlatan lech of a father.
Relationship (Gohan)- She's cold to him at first, but soon wants to feel his Ki, if you know what I mean.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 6 (109)

-Videl was added to the series during the Great Saiyaman Saga (a brief stopover before the Buu Saga) as the daughter of Mr. Satan ("Videl" is an anagram of "Devil", and she's the daughter of SATAN, get it...?) and love interest of Gohan. A more-serious character, less grouchy than the other women in the series (though she's a classic "Tsundere"- cold to the male, then slowly warms up to him), she proved popular enough to stick around, eventually becoming Gohan's sidekick (Great Saiyaman 2, aka Saiyawoman), and the mother of his daughter, Pan. As a fighter, she's low-end (but notably MUCH more powerful than her father), never able to really lend a hand in a scrap- she doesn't even learn any cool KI STUFF beyond simply flying around or hitting fast!

JANEMBA -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movie- Fusion Reborn)
Role: Mindless Chaotic Evil Villain
Group Affiliation: None
PL 18 (565)
STRENGTH
11 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+16)
Intimidation 13 (+13)
Perception 8 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 11 (+16)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +9 [9]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 15) [23]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [11]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Hell Gate!" Blast 18 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (Extras: 1,800ft. Cone +6) (154) -- [162]
AE: "Bunkai Teleport" Teleport 10 (Extras: Easy, Accurate) (40)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 10 (Extras: Damaging) (30)
AE: "Cloning" Summon 15 (Extras: Active, Variable 2) (Flaws: Variable Requires An Opponent to Copy) (60)
AE: "Illusion Smash!" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 20, Penetrating 10, Ranged 20) (50)
AE: "Rapid Energy Cannon!" Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "Ki Portal" Deflect 16 (Extras: Reflection, Redirect) (48)
AE: Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)

"Reality Manipulation" Transform 16 (Anything to Anything Else) (Extras: Continuous, Ranged) [112]
"Portal Opening" Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (Extras: Portal +2, Area +5) [27]
"Mystic Attack" Elongation 3 [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Area Attacks +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +28

Defenses:
Dodge +16 (DC 26), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +20, Fortitude +12, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (EEEEEEEEEEVVVIIILLLLLLLLLL!!!)- Janemba doesn't do anything but be evil.
Weakness (Insults)- Janemba (and the things he creates) can be damaged by people's insults. However, he will only be momentarily stunned if insulted himself.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 38 / Powers: 403 / Defenses: 18 (565)

-Janemba, like Broly, is pretty much 100% a non-character- a mindless vessel that exists only to be powerful and cause mayhem. He doesn't even SAY ANYTHING during the big fight in the movie! Janemba (a play on Je n'aime pa- I don't like-- in French, spelled as "Evil Thought Wave" in Japanese apparently...) was created when one of the workers up in Heaven got caught in the slime run-off from the machine that cleans evil souls on their way to Hell (yes, it's a goofy series). At first, he's a big yellow monster that only says his name, like a Pokemon or something- but once Goku comes from Heaven and tries to stop him by going Super-Saiyan Level Three, he forms into this bad-ass looking Devil-dude with a vicious DBZ Villain Smirk, a sword, and some ultra-cheap "Teleports out of the way" powers.
-Janemba is so otherworldly-powerful that Goku & Vegeta combined can do nothing to him. Eventually, the point of the movie is reached about TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE ENDING, as the two finally agree to do the "Fusion Dance" and form Gogeta- the combined strength allowing them to one-punch the villain to death.
-Janemba is basically like Broly, plus some extra Magical power, like Reality Warping, a Reflecting Deflect (he can create Portals that will capture Ki, then open them behind the shooter and hit THEM), and more.

HIREDUGARN -- (MOVIES)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movie- Wrath of the Dragon)
Role: Mindless Chaotic Evil Villain, Giant Monster
Group Affiliation: None
PL 18 (394)
STRENGTH
20 STAMINA 20 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS -2 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+16)
Intimidation 10 (+7, +17 Size)
Perception 7 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 11 (+16)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Takedown 2, Ultimate Toughness, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Demonic Kaiju" Growth 20 (Str & Sta +20, +20 Mass, +10 Intimidation, -10 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed, -20 Stealth) -- (250 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [41]

"Unkillable Monster"
Impervious Toughness 15 [15]
Regeneration 10 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [11]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Chou Makousen!" Damage 18 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (Extras: 1/2 Mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (144) -- [148]
AE: "Super Explosive Wave" Damage 18 (Feats: Extended Range 10) (Extras: 1/2 Mile Burst +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (144)
AE: "Fire Balls" Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)
AE: "Drain Life" Weaken Stamina 20 (20)

"Dark Eyes"
Insubstantial 4 [20]
"Phases In & Out Between Attacks" Enhanced Defenses 4 [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Fire Balls +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Area Attacks +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +20

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (+16 Dark Eyes, DC 22-26), Parry +12 (DC 22-26), Toughness +20, Fortitude +20, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Destruction)- Hirudegarn is pretty mindless.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 30 / Powers: 299 / Defenses: 28 (394)

-Hiredugarn is a Giant Demon creature from the world of Konats, and was sealed away by the brothers Tapion & Minotia. Unleashed on Earth by an evil wizard, he commences to laying waste to everything, while Tapion (an alien Link-lookalike with a Magic Sword that resembles the one Future Trunks used) seeks to aid the Z-Fighters. Hiredugarn kills the wizard, is beaten by Gotenks, but of COURSE can return from that, breaking forth from a cocoon in a more-powerful form that easily KOs the Fused Saiyan. He is then of course killed by Goku, who goes Super-Saiyan Level Three in order to do so... guess he was saving that till the end (time limit and all that).
-Hiredugarn is so powerful in this form that, naturally, GOKU is the only one who can defeat him. Despite being a Kaiju, he fights with great speed and accuracy, and has no trouble hitting the Z-Fighters. His Insubstantial nature is the trickiest thing- it works much like it does in comics (and not so much like in M&M), where he's only vulnerable so long as he's trying to touch something, but the second he's NOT striking someone, you can't hit him- allowing him to basically phase in and out of reality between his attacks. It's a bit tricky to perform in M&M terms (it's not an Affects Corporeal effect on his attacks, nor is it an Alternate Effect deal), but I figure it for a standard-issue "Defense Bonus" kind of thing that allows him to basically turn insubstantial so quickly that he's hard to hit, even though he's immense. I mean, in effect, the only REAL effect of his power is that he's just plain hard to hit unless you time it right... which is the DEFINITION of "High Defenses" anyways.

PAN (Son Pan)-- (DRAGON BALL GT)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Finale)
Role: Plucky Girl Character
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 8 (200)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 7 (+11)
Perception 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 2 (+8)

Advantages:
Diehard, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Ki), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +2 [2]
"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (64) -- [70]
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (8)
AE: "Masenko!" Ki Blast 8 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Split) (Extras: Penetrating 4) (36)
AE: Ki Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24)
AE: "Energy Wave" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 120ft. Cone +2) (24)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 6) (6)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Area Attacks +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ki Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Goku, Gohan, Videl)- Pan loves her family dearly.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 13 (192)

-Pan is the daughter of Gohan (and thus Goku's granddaughter), a 1/4 Saiyan who becomes a major character in the Dragon Ball GT sequel series. She's not that tough compared to, say, Goku, but appears pretty capable. Sadly, she never goes Super-Saiyan, as Toriyama claims he "could never figure out what female Super-Saiyans would look like", which seems a pretty stupid cop-out considering how most Saiyans just get longer, blonder hair when they transform. Her build is basically a more mentally-capable version of Goten's, as she's not a high-end warrior.

THE BUU SAGA:
A giant pile of confusing stuff, The Buu Saga is the fourth and final part of Dragon Ball Z. It starts off with an evil wizard named Babidi doing some stuff, but all his minions are soon vanquished, and he himself is killed by his final minion: Majin Buu- the ultimate destroyer of stuff. Vegeta dies fighting him (after first becoming Babidi's minion and having one last battle against Goku), and soon Goten & Trunks are taught to Fuse with each other to stop him. And Gohan undergoes some great spiritual training. And Goku (and then Vegeta) are brought back to life to fight him.

It's a giant, massively-confusing story that takes numerous twists and turns, as Buu kills everyone on Earth except for a few. He splits into Good & Evil forms, the Evil ABSORBS the Good, and soon he absorbs Piccolo, Goten, Trunks & Gohan (changing form each time), leaving Goku as the only person alive who can stop him. Buu regenerates from any and all damage no matter what (even when Goku & Vegeta do their own Fusion, creating Vegito), but a final Super Spirit Bomb finishes him.

MAJIN BUU (aka Kid Buu, Super Buu, Evil Buu) -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Buu Saga)
Role: Chaotic Evil Menace
Group Affiliation: None
PL 18 (890), PL 20 (890) Post-Absorption
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 14 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+20)
Intimidation 10 (+9)
Perception 11 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+16)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +8 [8]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 15) [23]

"Detect Ki" Senses 6 (Detect Ki- Ranged 4, Radius) [6]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Unkillable Monster"
Regeneration 20 (Extras: Persistent) (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [41]
Immunity 10 (Life Support) [10]

"Head Tentacle" Extra Limb 1 [1]
"Malleable Form" Shapeshift 4 [32]
"Absorption" Affliction 20 (Fort; Hindered & Impaired/Restrained & Defenseless/Transformed to Absorbed) (Feats: Indirect 4) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative, Extra Condition, Continuous +3) (Inaccurate -1) [143]
"Absorbed Personalities" Variable (Skills & Abilities of Anyone He's Absorbed) 5 (Extras: Continuous) (Flaws: Limited to Absorption Victims) [35]
"Learn By Watching" Variable (Adds an Alt-Effect For Any Technique He's Seen) 4 (Extras: Continuous) [32]
"Absorb Powers" Variable (Extra Physical & Ki Power) 4 (Flaws: Limited to After Absorbing Powerful Foes) [24]

"Human Extinction Attack!" Damage 16 (Extras: Area- 8,000 miles +22) (Flaws: Successful Dodge Check Avoids All Damage) (352) -- [361]
AE: "Mouth Blast!" Damage 18 (Extras: Area- 1/2 Mile Line +8) (162)
AE: Blast 20 (Feats: Variable 2- Any Energy) (Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (72)
AE: "Planet Burst!" Blast 24 (Extras: Penetrating 10) Linked to Weaken Toughness 24 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects Only +0) (Inaccurate -2) (104)
AE: "Chocolate Beam!" Affliction 20 (Fort; Transformed to Candy) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree) (20)
AE: "Mad Kill Spike!" Ki Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10) (70)
AE: "Let Me OUTTTTT!!!" Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (3)
AE: "Wrap Attack!" Snare 20 (Flaws: Touch Range) (40)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (42)

Offense:
Unarmed +20 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Human Extinction Attack +16 Area (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Mouth Blast +18 Area (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Planet Burst +12 (+24 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 39 & 24)
Chocolate Beam/Absorption +16 (+20 Ranged Affliction, DC 30)
Initiative +24

Defenses:
Dodge +20 (DC 30), Parry +20 (DC 30), Toughness +16, Fortitude +8, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Destruction)- Buu finds it amusing to destroy things.
Addiction (Sugary Sweets)
Responsibility (Numerous Personae)- Buu takes on the personae of those he's consumed, and gains some of their flaws as well.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 760 / Defenses: 25 (890)

-The fourth of the "Big Four" villains of Dragon Ball Z is Majin Buu, an "Ancient Evil" sealed up for centuries, that gets released by the short-sighted wizard Babidi. Babidi manages to lead Buu (who has vast powers, in addition to the ability to transform people into food) around for a while, but after pissing the creature off, he ends up getting killed. Vegeta desperately attempts to stop the monster, but, in the move that finally "made up" for the evil he'd committed in the past, he committed suicide in order to stop Buu. However, since this is DBZ, Suicide Attacks Never Work, and Vegeta died basically for nothing. Finally, Goku arrives, hitting the new Super-Saiyan Level Three transformation, and going nuts on Buu- however, even THIS doesn't work, as Buu can regenerate from any damage. Goku leaves, promising a stronger opponent in a few days.
-Buu wanders about doing random things, and actually forms an odd friendship with Mr. Satan, who is oddly the first person to ever tell Buu that KILLING IS WRONG. Buu's reformation is short-lived, however, as he grows angry over a murder attempt on Satan, and "casts off" his evil side to become Evil Buu. Good Buu and Evil Buu fight, and Evil Buu transforms him into chocolate at eats him, showing a new power- with each person eaten, he alters form and gains power. Evil Buu is thus now Super Buu, and at some point he basically kills almost all of the Z-Fighters and most of the population of the planet! However, Super Buu soon has Good Buu and the various Gods and fighters he'd eaten removed from him, transforming him into Kid Buu (the original Majin Buu). Good Buu and Kid Buu now fight, and Goku & Vegeta are able to end things by throwing a Super Spirit Bomb at Kid Buu. Goku wishes for Buu's good side to be revealed, and so he is reborn in the form of Uub, a minor character who shows up at the very end- Goku runs off to train him at the end of Dragon Ball Z, hoping for a shot at redemption for one of the greatest evils ever (Uub shows up a bit in Dragon Ball GT as well, alongside Good Buu).
-There's like... eighteen variations of Buu during the entire Saga, as he keeps altering forms and power levels based off of which character he'd just absorbed. At one point, he was packing insane power from absorbing Gotenks & Piccolo, but then DROPPED because the time-limit for the Fusion Dance wore off, separating Gotenks back into Goten & Trunks. But then he absorbed ULTIMATE GOHAN, which made him tougher AGAIN. This makes statting up any concrete version completely impossible, but generally speaking, they're all super-powerful- Buu once destroyed a GALAXY, and his Human Extinction Attack basically did just what it says on the tin (the only way to really showcase this is with a Flaw on a massively-huge Area Effect- a Multiattack would lose too much accuracy against billions of targets. The Flaw allows for the situation where low-end fighters like Tien & Chiaotzu were able to successfully Dodge the apparently slower-moving Blasts. Only "regular" humans were killed.
-All in all, Buu is the most-powerful threat faced in the series. He has the PL 18 qualities of a Frieza, but packs an EXTRAORDINARY number of powers on top of the standard Blast/Multiattack/Area Attacks stuff. He can turn people into chocolate (only Goku is shown dodging this), cross Dimensions by yelling, Absorb people by some goo that can move independently (Accurate)... and then he can ADD ALL HIS VICTIMS' POWERS INTO HIMSELF, meaning that absorbing people like Gohan and Gotenks amplify his might up to PL 20 levels! Oh, AND he can mimic any technique just by watching it once, Shapeshift, AND he's completely unkillable, frequently cheesily-coming back from attacks that DISINTEGRATE HIM. He's basically every single cheap "The Villain Can't Be Stopped" trope shoved onto a mindless moron.

GOTENKS -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Buu Saga)
Role: Comedic Hero, Combined Warrior
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 17 (371)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 15 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 6 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 10 (+16)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 4, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +9 [9]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 10 (Extras: Impervious 13) [23]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 17 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (136) -- [144]
AE: Ki Blast 20 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Precise) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (70)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 18) (16)
AE: "Continuous Die Die Missile" Ki Blast 20 (Extras: Multiattack) (60)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (24)
AE: "God Breaker!" Damage 17 (Extras: Area- 500ft. Cone +4) (85)
AE: "Galactic Donut!" Snare 17 (Flaws: Touch Range) (34)
AE: "Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack!" Blast 20 (Feats: Features- Ghosts Can Say Stuff, Extended Range 10, Homing 6) (Extras: Multiattack) (77)
AE: "Vice Shout!" Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (3)

Offense:
Unarmed +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Power Punch +16 (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Ki Blast +16 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Area Attacks +18 Area (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +28

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +19, Fortitude +9, Will +6

Complications:
Normal Identity- Gotenks can only exist if Goten & Trunks successfully do the Fusion Dance, and he can only remain in existence for one half of an hour.
Involuntary Transformation (Mistaken Dance)- If the Fusion Dance is performed incorrectly, Gotenks will appear fat or emaciated, and be much less powerful. He must wait half an hour before trying again.
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Gotenks is overconfident beyond the point of even regular Super-Saiyans, and will frequently show off his power or stall when this is the WORST POSSIBLE THING TO DO.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Gotenks needs to use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do hit his full Power Level. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion- Super-Saiyan Level Three is so all-consuming that Gotenks is in danger of powering-down in the middle of a fight.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 231 / Defenses: 14 (374)

-Gotenks was created due to the introduction of "Fusions" in the fourth Saga of DBZ- there is an ancient technique known as the "Fusion Dance" that allows two characters of similar Fighting Strength to fuse together, creation a temporary being for half an hour- this character is often far in excess of their combined power. I think Gotenks' REAL purpose was to establish that GOKU and VEGETA could later do it, even if by another method (without it seeming like an Ass-Pull), but boy did they spend a lot of time on it in that Saga. Gotenks is the fusion of Goten and Trunks- best pals who were forced to take the lead against Majin Buu while others were busy. Even poor Piccolo was an also-ran by this point, and so the powerful Gotenks was required. Gotenks is a lot more comedic than DBZ fighters were by this point, which became a bit of a sticking point for this Saga- some fans loved the reintroduction of humor into a "Stand around and Power-Up" series, while others thought it was more childish and stupid than they prefered.
-Gotenks is ENORMOUSLY powerful, to the point where he leaps over Vegeta in the Tiers and can hit Super-Saiyan Level Three, something only GOKU was capable of! Keep in mind that he's combined of two low-end PL 8s who are easy for villains to one-shot (despite being Super-Saiyans). Gotenks starts off with black & grey spikey hair, and hits Super-Saiyan like the two boys can, but at one point he gets the BIG-TIME boost of SSJ3, and proceeds to have a huge battle against Super Buu, doing very well, but failing to stop the creature in time for his Fusion to hold- he eventually splits back into Goten & Trunks, because Buu can easily regenerate from all harm. After an hour passes and the boys are able to Fuse again, Buu wisely takes the time while fighting Gohan to absorb both Piccolo and Gotenks- increasing his power to an EXCEPTIONAL level. Gotenks never really matters again, but appears in the Fusion Reborn movie, taking on some resurrected villains (namely Hitler and his army) when they break out of Hell.
-Gotenks is one of the highest-level characters in the series, and can fight Super Buu on a pretty even level. He's only one notch lower, and the only characters who are tougher are Ultimate Gohan & Goku... unfortunately, the time limit of the Fusion runs out before he can put a dent in the largely-unkillable Buu. His oddest attack is the Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack, which basically summons a bunch of ghosts that explode on contact- this could sorta be a Summon, but since they essentially operate as a Blast that can find their way to things (and can only attack once before exploding), I think a Homing Multiattack Blast works best.

VEJITO -- (BUU SAGA)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Buu Saga)
Role: The Ultimate Masturbatory Power Geek Fantasy, Uber-Powerful Combined Character
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 22 (482)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 19 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+21)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 14 (+20)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 6, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +13 [13]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 14 (Extras: Impervious 13) [27]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Saiyan Shield" Immunity 2 (Buu's Absorption) [2]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 22 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (176) -- [199]
AE: Ki Blast 24 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (79)
AE: "Banshee Blast!" Blast 24 (Extras: Multiattack) (72)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 23) (23)
AE: "Spirit Sword!" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach 10) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (Inaccurate -1) (25)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (52)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 34 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (26)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (1)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 20 (Extras: Area- 1,800ft. Burst +7) (160)

Offense:
Unarmed +21 (+23 Damage, DC 38)
Spirit Sword +19 (+25 Damage, DC 40)
Ki Blast +20 (+24 Ranged Damage, DC 39)
Kiai +18 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +20 Area (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Spirit Bomb +10 (+30 Ranged Damage, DC 45)
Initiative +36

Defenses:
Dodge +21 (DC 31), Parry +21 (DC 31), Toughness +23, Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Vejito is overconfident beyond the point of even regular Super-Saiyans, and will frequently show off his power or stall when this is the WORST POSSIBLE THING TO DO.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Vejito must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do hit PL 20. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 297 / Defenses: 29 (482)

-With the Fusion Dance having been introduced, the 11th-Hour Super-Power of the Potara Earrings was now less "out of left field"- some ancient earrings that allowed two characters to permanently-Fuse together much the way Trunks & Goten did with the Dance, but with an even BIGGER boost to power! And naturally, it was GOKU AND VEGETA that now transformed, creating Vejito, the most-powerful DBZ character ever seen. Vegito pummels Majin Buu mercilessly and effortlessly (possessing both Vegeta's killer instinct and Goku's combat intelligence), but allows himself to be Absorbed in order to free Buu's other absorbed victims. Naturally, the "permanent" Fusion immediately breaks down, and the two save Piccolo, Gohan and the others. And that's the last we ever see of Vegito- Goku finishes the weakened Buu once everyone's been saved.
-Vegito is astonishingly-powerful, able to hand Super Buu (with the combined power levels of Gotenks, Piccolo & Gohan inside of him) his ass with great ease- the entire battle is your typical "Drama-Free DBZ Fight", as once again the hero whips out a power that doesn't make him the villain's equal- it makes him the villain's SUPERIOR, and so you just see the villain being pummeled for panels at a time.

GOGETA -- (MOVIES, DRAGON BALL GT)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball Z (Movie: Fusion Reborn)
Role: The Ultimate Masturbatory Power Geek Fantasy Part 2, Uber-Powerful Combined Character
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 22 (482)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 19 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+21)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 14 (+20)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 6, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +13 [13]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 14 (Extras: Impervious 13) [27]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Saiyan Shield" Immunity 2 (Buu's Absorption) [2]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 22 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (176) -- [199]
AE: Ki Blast 24 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 14) (79)
AE: "Banshee Blast!" Blast 24 (Extras: Multiattack) (72)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 23) (23)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (52)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 34 (Extras: Penetrating 12) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (26)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 4 (8)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 16 (Feats: Subtle 2) (34)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (1)
AE: "Big Bang Attack!" Damage 20 (Extras: Area- 1,800ft. Burst +7) (160)
AE: "Stardust Breaker!" Blast 24 Linked to Weaken Toughness 24 (Extras: Ranged) (96)

Offense:
Unarmed +21 (+23 Damage, DC 38)
Ki Blast +20 (+24 Ranged Damage, DC 39)
Stardust Breaker +20 (+24 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 39 & 34)
Kiai +18 (+16 Ranged Damage, DC 31)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +20 Area (+20 Damage, DC 35)
Spirit Bomb +10 (+30 Ranged Damage, DC 45)
Initiative +36

Defenses:
Dodge +21 (DC 31), Parry +21 (DC 31), Toughness +23, Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Responsibility (Overconfident)- Vejito is overconfident beyond the point of even regular Super-Saiyans, and will frequently show off his power or stall when this is the WORST POSSIBLE THING TO DO.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- Vejito must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do hit PL 20. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 33 / Powers: 297 / Defenses: 29 (482)

-With Vegito giving Power Geeks the world over raging stiffies, it was inevitable that the series'd find a way to give us ANOTHER Fusion of Goku & Vegeta. This time, the movie Fusion Reborn gave us Gogeta, with Goku & Vegeta doing the humiliating Fusion Dance in order to create this combined warrior. The entire battle was a bit weird- it's basically the two Saiyans losing for 15 minutes until Goku finally convinces Vegeta, both of them halo-sporting men from the afterlife, to merge with him ("I'd rather DIE than Fuse with you!!" "Vegeta... you're already dead."). And then they basically hit Janemba twice and kill him.
-Dragon Ball GT would show us Gogeta again, as the Dragons had turned evil after years of evil wishes being cast from the Dragon Balls, and Goku alone couldn't stop them. The two Fused into Gogeta once more, but in an ADDITIONAL Power-Up, they used their Super-Saiyan Level FOUR transformation, thus allowing the SUPER-POWER-GEEK moment of creating SSJ4 Gogeta, the most-powerful character ever seen, trumping the "official" Vegito (as Gogeta was never from Toriyama's canon).
-Gogeta is basically Vegito, minus the Spirit Sword technique, and adding the Stardust Breaker, a super-powerful attack that vaporizes Janemba in one hit. After all, the guy basically took out a PL 18 monster in a single hit.

GOKU (Son Goku) -- (IN REAL LIFE, CIRCA CELL SAGA-ish)
First Appearance:
Dragon Ball
Role: The Main Hero, Giant Idiot, Big Eater
Group Affiliation: The Z Fighters
PL 25 (513)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 8
FIGHTING 20 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+25)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 11 (+10)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Ki) 8 (+18)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Ki) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 9, Last Stand (Ignores All Damage For 1 Round With HP Spent), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Seize Initiative, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Withstand Damage (Trade Defenses For Toughness)

Powers:
"Ki-Powered Warrior"
"Martial Arts Strike" Strength-Damage +15 [15]
"Raw Toughness" Protection 13 (Extras: Impervious 21) [34]

"Ki Speed"
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
"Afterimage Technique" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Flaws: Limited to Versus Lower-PL Opponents) [2]

"Detect Ki" Senses 12 (Detect Ki- Ranged 9, Acute, Radius) [12]
"Hide Ki" Concealment (Ki Sense) 1 (Flaws: Limited to When Not Using Full Power) [1]
Features 1: Can Double Area Attacks With an HP Spent [1]

"Kamehameha Wave" Damage 25 (Extras: Area- 1/2 mile Line +8) (Flaws: Distracting) (200) -- [211]
AE: Ki Blast 32 (Feats: Extended Range 15, Ricochet, Homing) (Extras: Penetrating 16) (97)
AE: "Attack Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 16) (16)
AE: "Power Punch" Strength-Damage +4 (Extras: Penetrating 16) (Inaccurate -2) (18)
AE: "Solar Flare" Dazzle Visuals 14 (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Tough Range) (28)
AE: "Power-Up Kersplosion" Damage 15 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (45)
AE: "Spirit Bomb" Blast 42 (Extras: Penetrating 16) (Flaws: Distracting, Requires Long Power-Up Phase) (Inaccurate -3) (34)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Earthbound" Teleport 20 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (80)
AE: "Instant Transmission- Universal" Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Space Travel 3) (Extras: Instantaneous) (18)
AE: "Give Energy" Healing 10 (20)
AE: "Kiai" Blast 20 (Feats: Subtle 2) (42)
AE: Mind-Reading 4 (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +25 (+24 Damage, DC 39)
Power Punch +23 (+24 Damage, DC 33)
Ki Blast +18 (+32 Ranged Damage, DC 47)
Kiai +14 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Solar Flare +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Kamehameha Wave +25 Area (+25 Damage, DC 40)
Spirit Bomb +6 (+42 Ranged Damage, DC 57)
Initiative +49

Defenses:
Dodge +26 (DC 36), Parry +26 (DC 36), Toughness +23 (+11 Impervious), Fortitude +9, Will +13

Complications:
Relationship (Chi-Chi)- Goku loves his angry nag of a wife, though often appears confused as to how they ended up in a relationship.
Relationship (Gohan & Goten)- Goku has two sons. Gohan was initially the primary focus of his life, and he continually-defense his son later on, and mentors him in the martial arts.
Relationship (The Z-Fighters, Bulma)- Goku makes friends quickly (even with old enemies), and retains friendships just as well.
Obsession (Fightin' Round The World)- Goku is obsessed with the martial arts, and "fighting strong opponents". He will make frequent tactical blunders in order to ensure that his opponents get a fair shake in battle, and will often leave dangerous foes alive if it means being challenged in the future. He loves fighting so much that it makes him a terrible parent and husband.
Weakness (Power-Ups)- In the Vegeta & Frieza Sagas, Goku needs to use the "Kaio-Ken" technique to empower himself to this level. In later Sagas, he must use the Super-Saiyan forms in order to do so. Super-Saiyans are extremely powerful, but are often egotistical, bloodthirsty and sadistic warriors. Long-term use of Super-Saiyan transformations will lead to long periods of exhaustion- Super-Saiyan Level Three is so all-consuming that Goku is in danger of powering-down in the middle of a fight.
Responsibility (DBZ Character)- All DBZ characters, when fighting a more-powerful opponent, must throw one useless Blast at them, then smirk at the ensuing explosion. Then, they must appear absolutely shocked when the opponent walks out of the smoke, completely unharmed. All this ever does is waste a round for both characters.
Addiction (Stalling)- All DBZ characters automatically fail all checks to resist the enemy using stalling tactics. They will never take one minute to do something when thirty will do.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 40 / Powers: 316 / Defenses: 38 (515)

-Because I wanted to see what a Dragon Ball character would look like "outside" of their own little world of Scaling Power Levels, here's Son Goku as how he would probably appear as a real character in the Marvel or DC Universe. DBZ characters are the full spectrum of Power-Geekiness: They're so mighty they can shatter mountains beneath the opponent they've punched, they move at Light Speed, they can dodge basically anything (good luck hitting DC 36), and even in the FIRST of the four Sagas, guys with a Fighting Strength of 18,000 can destroy the entire Earth with a good hit from a Power Attacking Ki Blast! Later Sagas introduce guys with Fighting Strength in the MILLIONS, which is where Goku ends up here. Goku here is a full PL *25*, able to go toe-to-toe with a COSMIC BEING in combat, and dishes out damage as such, with an accuracy that exceeds DC's top Speedsters, and a power exceeding Superman- even Pre-Crisis Silver Age Superman is a mere PL 17 compared to this monster.
-For the record, since Master Roshi was a PL 12 in Dragon Ball ("actual" stats, not scaled-down), I figure Goku & Piccolo for around PL 14-15. By the Vegeta Saga, guys are around PL 14-18 (for Vegeta & Goku). By the Frieza Saga, everyone's so powerful that the scale hardly matters- PL 22-25 is probably a good bet. Any higher than that, and guys go beyond Cosmic Beings, and I still think Marvel's Cosmics could take out a Z-Fighter- perhaps not in raw power (though Galactus pulled off a DBZ-level Feat he's never equalled in Annihilation, wiping out several parsecs of Annihilus' forces), but in versatility. For all of the Z-Fighters' power, they're not exactly WELL-ROUNDED- Goku's only powers consist of Movement, Punching & Blasting.

xxx



Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military,
Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)

DBZ Posting Order:
20) Goku (Real) (B)


RADITZ'S ARRIVAL:
PL 8: Master Roshi, Krillin
PL 11: Piccolo, Goku
PL 14: Raditz

VEGETA SAGA:
PL 4: Kami-Sama
PL 7: Saibamen, Chiaotzu
PL 8: Yamcha, Yajirobe, Gohan
PL 9: Tien, Krillin
PL 11: Piccolo
PL 12: King Kai
PL 14: Nappa
PL 16: Goku, Vegeta
PL 18: Great Ape Forms

FRIEZA SAGA- PART ONE:
PL 7: Mooks, Guldo
PL 8: Krillin, Gohan, Cui
PL 9: Dodoria, Zarbon (Baseline)
PL 10: Zarbon (Monster)
PL 11: Vegeta
PL 14: Jeice, Recoome, Burter
PL 15: Captain Ginyu

FRIEZA SAGA- PART TWO:
PL 9: Krillin, Gohan
PL 11: Jeice, Nail
PL 12: Yamcha, Captain Ginyu
PL 13: Vegeta
PL 14: Frieza (First Form)
PL 15: Piccolo, Frieza (Second Form)
PL 16: Goku, Frieza (Third Form)
PL 18: Frieza (Final Form)
PL 20: Goku (SSJ)

ANDROIDS SAGA:
PL 8: Yamcha, Tien
PL 9: Krillin
PL 11: Gohan
PL 12: Android 19, Android 20
PL 14: Trunks, Vegeta, Goku
PL 15: Android 17, Android 18, Piccolo
PL 16: Semi-Perfect Cell, Android 16

PERFECT CELL:
PL 8: Tien, Krillin
PL 13: Piccolo
PL 14: Trunks, Vegeta, Cell Jr.
PL 16: Gohan
PL 18: Goku, Perfect Cell
PL 19: Gohan (SSJ 2)

BUU SAGA:
PL 0: Mr. Satan
PL 7: Videl
PL 8: Krillin, Goten, Trunks
PL 12: Babidi
PL 13: Piccolo
PL 15: Dabura
PL 16: Vegeta
PL 17: Gotenks
PL 18: Goku, Gohan, Majin Buu
PL 20: Majin Buu (Gohan, Gotenks & Piccolo Absorbed)
PL 22: Vegito

THE MOVIES:
PL 8: Goten, Trunks
PL 9: Krillin
PL 13: Piccolo, Movie Androids
PL 14: Gohan
PL 15: Vegeta, Cooler, Dr. Wheelo, Turles, Lord Slug, Garlic Jr.
PL 16: Goku, Super 13
PL 18: Bojack, Broly, Janemba, Hiredugarn
PL 22: Gogita
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Dungeons & Dragons

Post by Jabroniville »

http://www.newsfromme.com/pov/col145-2/
-Mark Evanier's description of his hand in Dungeons & Dragons (which essentially consists of him cutting down the convoluted ideas that'd been put down before)

On the Saturday morning cartoon show, Dungeons and Dragons, wasn't there a "last" episode in which the kids got home?

Not really…and as the person who developed the show for television, you'd be amazed how often I am asked this.

The show, just to remind you, was about a band of kids who were stranded in a mystical land, forced to battle dragons and stay out of dungeons, and to elude the insidious master villain, Venger. I wrote the pilot and one other episode, then went on to other things. Some fine writers grabbed the baton and made the show into a modest hit, and one that still has many fans.

The show was in production for three seasons. As you probably know, it takes a long lead time to do animation. When we were producing shows for Saturday morning, the rough schedule was to write the entire season from February through about June…then those episodes would begin airing in September. So the last episode of each season was put into production months before the first episode of that season aired. A few months later, the network would look at the ratings and decide whether or not to order another season.

When the last episode of the third (final) season was produced, no one had any idea if there would be a fourth season, so they didn't do a story that wrapped things up. And of course, once the decision was made not to make any more episodes, there was no way to "end" the ongoing storyline.

Before it came to that, there was one episode produced in which the kids dreamed they were back on Earth…but it was only a dream. A lot of people seem to recall that episode as the "last" episode. But no ending was ever produced.

Soon after the show was cancelled, the animation studio (Marvel Productions) decided to get a script written that tied things up. I'm not entirely certain who they thought would put up the money to produce one more episode or why they might have considered spending their own…but they did hire one of the show's writers to whip one up. My friend Michael Reaves, who wrote several of the best episodes, was engaged for that purpose and he wrote a script which was not produced. It has since been performed in some fan-generated projects and you may be able to find those or Michael's script with a little Googling. It's not how I would have ended the series but I wouldn't suggest he's wrong. It's just the approach of a different writer. You can decide for yourself if you want to consider it "the ending" or not.

Incidentally: The Dungeons and Dragons series was cancelled due to declining ratings. I keep reading stories about it getting yanked off the air because it was too "violent" or because protest groups thought it was Satanic or something of the sort. As far as I know, the protests were minimal and had no impact. The show simply began losing its audience, as all shows eventually do.
-Mark Evanier

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS:
-Fun fact: I used to get this as a "Write-In Request" CONSTANTLY back in the day. Posters could just NOT understand why I'd never statted up the characters, and when I told them that I'd never so much as seen an episode, they were like "HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?!!?!?" (never mind that I was like four friggin' years old when it was canceled) In fact, this was such a common, annoying request (*every two months* Hey Jab, I checked and it says you never did the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon? Can you stop whatever you're doing and do that?") that I was pretty much on the level of refusing to ever watch it and then stat it up out of spite. Then I wrote my big thing on not wanting to do requests, at which point instead all I got was "Hey Jab, I know you don't do requests, but have you ever seen or heard of (insert name of thing you secretly want to request, but instead just mention it in hopes that I will suddenly decide to do it anyways)?" :).
-But then I found it on DVD for pretty cheap, figured "why the frick not" and ended up watching it periodically over the next couple of months. But my glacial pace of actually getting through my DVDs (current on the list: The Best of WWE Monday Night Raw, which I bought over SIX YEARS AGO) made it pretty slow going.
This series came about in 1983, based on the popular Role-Playing Game and had a tangential relationship with it (generally, it was a Fantasy-based setting with some named Character Classes and a few distinctive monsters)- it was a moderate success, lasting for two years and three seasons, but only had a tiny number of episodes- 27. The stars are a cast of kids (between eight and fifteen years old) who go on a Dungeons & Dragons ride at a theme park and end up being tossed into the actual fantasy realm itself! And so we go on a very long "Oddysey" story, where the kids are desperately fighting to get home in a hostile world, using a batch of Magical Weapons that turn them into bad-asses.
-Generally, every episode is the same idea: the kids find out about a possible way home (usually given to them by Dungeon Master- a cryptic shrimpy guy who speaks in riddles and never answers directly), travel there, fight bad guys, and eventually lose their way home by some method. Oftentimes, the main bad guy Venger is responsible. Other times, they have to sacrifice their way home to save somebody, a teammate, or because they need to give the portal to someone else. In the meantime, they often end up helping people out. And in four separate episodes, they do the "Cast Member makes a new friend after a short period of time together, and is forced to say goodbye to them at the episode's end" thing- Bobby, Presto, Diana & Eric all have to do this (everyone but Eric with someone of the opposite gender, setting off "Shipping").
-Truth be told, the early episodes are a bit of a slog. Many of the characters are pretty annoying, the other half are bland, the villain is basically the kind of typical evil Dark Lord that STILL gets parodied as being the "Generic Fantasy Villain", and the episodes get a bit same-y. The fights are pretty boring at first, and the kids are comically worthless in combat. However, things eventually start picking up- the kids gain more Power Feats, some characters get nice Focus Episodes (allowing us to see more of them than Nice People & Whiny Jerks), and they even deal with things like MORAL AMBIGUITIES, which were rarely dealt with in the "Black & White" world of most children's cartoons. Episodes where they have to debate EXECUTING the main villain, for instance. Ones where they have to give up something they want in order to do what's right. A far cry from the usual "Skeletor and his Bumbling Boobs Scheme & Then Lose" stuff that most other cartoons were doing for the '80s. It also helps that the villains were rarely buffoons- even the Orcs & Lizardmen were actually a bit dangerous and menacing.
-Really, the show starts weak, then ends strongly, as you can see by my episode synopses. Most of the characters aren't terribly interesting, and Uni is OH MY GOD THE MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER EVER, pretty much bleating atonally throughout every episode with Frank Welker's worst nasal "BLEEAAAAHHHH!!! BLEAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!". Eventually, falling ratings killed the show (though I can't imagine why they had so few episodes per season), but it remains pretty well-thought-of today. It breaks enough of the recurring tropes to be interesting, and at least does pretty good "Kid Designs" for a show that was stuck using children for the main cast (though part of me is still weirded out by Sheila & Diana wearing fetishy outfits... at least they're in the "Sailor Moon" class of "They Don't Look 14").
-The actual link to the RPG for which it is named (and meant to advertise) are pretty weak. Tiamat is the name of a multi-headed Dragon that... almost never shows up or features in anything, and is never the primary menace. Lolth appears once, but is easily dealt with. The Classes are based off of real ones (including Cavalier & Acrobat, though these are long-since gone away). You see Orcs, Bullywugs and Lizardmen as recurring Enemy Mooks, and some Hook Horrors go unnamed in another. But you never see Elves, Dwarves never matter to any plot, and there aren't even a lot of DRAGONS in the series (which is named Dungeons & DRAGONS, mind you). It's really more of a "Generic Fantasy Setting".

Power Levels:
-They ain't high. Characters in this show are REALLY weak at first (a band of Orcs easily captures them in one episode; later, Lizardmen do, too). It isn't until much later that they kind of turn into Goonsweepers with a few of their powers. And they're REALLY useless without their weapons. Without gear, they're actually helpless against NORMAL CIVILIANS, much less armed bad guys. Essentially, they have to get by on teamwork and careful planning instead of power.

Episode 1: Several kids effortlessly climb up a huge, vertical ladder leading to a cloud- I would imagine that'd be tougher to do in real life. WHY IS THERE A PANTY SHOT OF THE THIEF!?? Presto is quickly established as very powerful... but uncontrolled to the point of uselessness.
Episode 2: Nice one with a cowardly knight who proves himself to save the kids from the Beholder (whose weaksauce weakness is FLOWERS). The gang has the portal back to their homeworld... but have to turn back to save Sir John from a vengeful Venger. Even ERIC eventually turns back (though he was initially ignoring what was going down, he soon turned- "I can't believe what I'm doing!").
Episode 3: Apparently, a bit part of the series is that Venger wants to steal the kids's weapons to fight Tiamat. Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders is dealt with in all of two seconds, and the gang need to re-charge their weapons in the "Hall of Bones". Venger being held off by a Ghost Army is pretty bad-ass, and he blows up the mausoleum to save himself. Paul Dini wrote this one, and somehow managed to avoid sticking a woman in fishnet stockings and a top hat in it.
Episode 4: A pretty fun one, featuring a lot of unique stuff. ERIC of all people saves their lives by getting them under his Shield in time, and an evil wizard is collecting Unicorn horns. Poor Uni's is taken as well, which drives Bobby into such a rage that his fury actually CRACKS HIS ICE PRISON. Watching a five-year old lose it like that is pretty rare. When Dungeon Master says "Sometimes your greatest enemy can be your greatest ally", Presto figures out that since this evil guy is claiming to become even more powerful than Venger, then THEY NEED TO CALL VENGER FOR HELP. So Presto 'ports in, tells Venger that Kellek is about to become his superior, and now it's a WIZARD FIGHT. In the end, Kellek is imprisoned in a glass ball, his castle is destroyed, and Eric actually has a smart idea for once, because he's actually WRITING DOWN what Dungeon Master says, and that they only need to place one Unicorn horn back on for all the others to reappear- this lets the kids escape the collapsing castle and Venger.
Episode 5: A bit of a weird one, with a lot of random stuff going on. Dungeon Master is captured by an evil knight and his Bullywugs, so the kids go to rescue him, except Eric refuses to go into the cave because he's got to be a complainer. The gang avoid a Rock Monster but end up kidnapped by Orcs (here a green race that looks like lizards but have big pink noses and make pig sounds) who want to enslave them, but Sheila avoids their grasp. Eric, meanwhile, wanders around alone, meeting one HELL of a grotesque Zombie! Jesus Christ- that thing would have scared the LIFE out of me as a kid!
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Episode 6: A heavily Eric-themed one, as they get the most out of turning him into an ugly frog-man, along with a complicated riddle on how to change him back- the gang actually MAKE IT BACK TO EARTH... but have to turn back when Eric realizes that the only way to transform back is to return to the D&D World. Eric sadly goes alone, and is shocked to find his friends having gone with him.
Episode 7: Hey- Steve Gerber wrote this one! A pretty generic one where they save some Gnomes by having Presto wave his wand over a giant Treant-like monster who turns out to be a Gnome Wizard, trapped in that form by Venger. Venger throws out a blast that JUST HAPPENS to blow up the stones that could send the kids home, too. More general whininess and grouchiness from Eric.
Episode 8: The gang get captured, and thrown into Venger's super-prison, with only Bobby the Barbarian left free to free them. An imprisoned Eric fans himself with a Spider-Man comic, showing us who produces this thing. There's some very good designs of the prisoners and monsters in this one.
Episode 9: The characters are fooled by a powerful Magical Skeleton (under Venger's orders) into invading a mystical temple, which assaults the kids with their deepest fears. Naturally, Hank figures this out thanks to Dungeon Master's warning, and simply tells everyone to not be afraid, and it works instantly. However, when the Skeleton attempts to betray the kids, he realizes the error of his ways, and the hundreds of years he's suffered for his mistakes, and defends them against Venger. Naturally, the Macguffin is destroyed to set things right, and the kids are still stuck here.
Episode 10: Bobby gets poisoned by an Aquatic Monster, and the quest to cure him ends up with the group fighting some Shapeshifting minions of Queen Zinn, who is trying to enact a prophecy. A friendly monster helps out the gang, and soon Zinn's scheme is unveiled. Curiously, Zinn looks remarkably Asiatic, while her brother is a plain white dude.
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Episode 11: The gang comes across a giant box in the middle of nowhere, and wouldn't you know it's a teleportation device. Thinking it can send them home, they are first tricked by Venger's Shadow Demon minion into nearly being eaten by Giant Wasps (after they fall through a checkerboard floor, of course). Then, when they free one of Dungeon Master's old friends and find their way home, Venger HIMSELF arrives and attacks. Naturally, the kids decide this means they have to go back AGAIN (Eric is again reluctant, but this time gets scared into it by Venger). Aaaaaaaand it turns out the box could have only transported the kids home if it was on this one specific ridge, and now that's broken. Well, at least they give thorough explanations.
Episode 12: A race of tiger-striped people team up with the kids in order to rescue an elder of their race, and pilot his SPACESHIP, as apparently these are all aliens. The kids find it incredibly easy to get into Venger's castle, AND escape it, but the ship is shot down in the meantime. They get around numerous questions by having the aliens age at a really slow pace, so the fact that they need fifteen years to fix the ship NOT be horribly-depressing. Naturally, it just means the kids need to find another method home.
Episode 13: Presto accidentally sends the whole group to a Giant's castle with a miscast spell, and has to go on a solo mission to help out. This one features "Golden Dragons", which here are non-speaking, flightless, animalistic beasts. It also features one of the few Presto spells that works how it's supposed to, as he twiddles his fingers and... apparently kills the giant.
Episode 14: Actually a pretty good one- the gang find someone ELSE from their world- a young girl Bobby's age who can see the future. The girl and her dog ended up coming through on the same type of ride that snatched the other kids, and now they're going through Venger's Evil Maze to find another Portal home. Unfortunately, the Maze has all kinds of nasty tricks, like mind control (turning the team against each other until Hank snaps out of it), falling walls, pits, and more- ultimately they have to send the girl through, and stay behind to prevent anyone ELSE from falling into the maze. There's a nice bit where Bobby feels horrible about losing the girl (they naturally become "best pals" pretty quickly, given that it's gotta happen in one episode, but still), and Dungeon Master arrives to cheer him up.
Episode 15: The gang fights Demodragon, whom Venger is using to destroy everything. Humorously called "The Treasure of Tardos".
Episode 16: My God! HOOK HORRORS! Finally another legitimate D&D monster! A group of them attack the kids, and despite ORCS and LIZARDMEN being able to trounce them in earlier episodes, here they team up with an Arabian Knights-themed guy and whup on them hardcore. Diana somehow manages to throw two of them at least fifty feet- what is she using? The M&M 3rd Edition throwing rules? In any case, Bobby is kidnapped by the same monster that took the guy's daughter years ago, resulting in some neat characterization from the group. Even ERIC (who previously gets a small character bit where he says "Are you kidding? He's better than MY dad EVER was") basically freaks out and practically leads the charge to Bobby's rescue!

They re-open the "Night Walker" guy's portal (SOMEHOW... nobody actually explains what happened, or why pointing their weapons at it worked), invade a town where the clock never strikes midnight, and discover hordes of children (from both worlds, even) being forced to hold the gears of the clock frozen, so that time never moves forward. However, they immediately start breaking stuff, and... well, they wrap things up in like five seconds. Okay, that part loses a bit of drama, but the rest of this one is terrific.

Episode 17: ... Yup, this one's on the tail of Return of the Jedi, alright- particularly the most Merch-tastic, Toyetic part of that film- the EWOKS. The gang here ends up allying with a band of tree-living fuzzy teddy bears against a band of Orcs, but it turns out that Hank might be a traitor!
Episode 18: A bit of an interesting one, as Eric is given Dungeon Master's powers for the duration! However, he can't use it properly at first, and even in the end it's touch-and-go. Nonetheless, he comes up with a plan to send the gang home, but Venger of course arrives and things go sideways. Eric gets a nice moment taking on Venger by himself so the team can escape back to Earth, but the gang turns around and gathers their captured weapons and aids in the battle instead. So it's Yet Another Failed Home Attempt. In the end, Eric wishes to give up the power (he'd earlier been whining about how DM has "the easy life" and how HE'd love the chance), and the others admit he was willing to lay down his life against Venger to save the rest.
Episode 19: Now here's a REALLY good one- the gang is befuddled by evil illusions... that turn out to be cast by a girl in Venger's captivity! Presto is the only one who can hear her cries for help, and suddenly his heart's aching for her. The nearby villagers blame the kids for the troubles affecting them (especially once Venger uses the illusions to make him look heroic), and now they're left weaponless as they have to attack Venger's castle. Eventually, the girl fades away after casting one too many illusions, giving us a pretty harrowing Disney Death (and some great acting from the girl's voice actress). Oddly enough, ERIC takes the lead in a lot of this episode- heading up a prison break and then leaping to regain all of their gear!
Episode 20: And then all of a sudden things get SERIOUS- Venger ruins their latest chance to escape right at the beginning of the episode, and instead of going "aw, shucks!" and at least rejoicing over stopping his plans once more, the kids just free themselves from some ice... and SIT there. Sheila notices immediately that everyone's morose, but she fails to reassure anyone, at which point Bobby & Eric argue over something dumb, and Bobby just breaks down CRYING over their predicament. Then, Eric & Hank come to the realization that the only way they'll ever escape is if they stop Venger "once and for all", which is G-Rated Children's Entertainment-Speak for "KILL"!
You can tell things are a bit different when Dungeon Master shows up, and not only do the kids not put up with his riddles, they ignore his suggestion of helping someone else and demand he tell them how to kill Venger. And there's not even any MUSIC by the end of the scene- just the wind. A classic case of how the lack of a soundtrack can completely change the emotion into something more stark and foreboding. They go to Tiamat's realm- the Dragons' Graveyard, and get her help. She forces Venger to face them there, where their weapons gain tremendous power, owing to having been created there. And so Venger takes the lead at first, but soon the power of the weapons overwhelms him- Bobby shatters the land around him, Presto traps him against the sole remaining rock, and Hank is given a free shot. At which point everyone's just like "... it's up to you, Hank". Hank is forced to choose to end Venger's threat now (possibly taking them down a very dark path, as Hank has seen Bobby seethe with rage over an injury Venger committed to Uni), or spare their greatest nemesis. Ultimately, Hank does the cliche "If we kill him, we'll be no better than him".
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Episode 21: The gang find "The Child of the Stargazer", who is destined to defeat some evil Demon Queen. His voice acting is really well-done- that kind of low-key, morose attitude comes off a lot better than "Loud & Nasal" like most VAs make kids. And he falls for Diana almost immediately, and the feeling is mutual (must be his... purple eyes?)- the entire gang pretty much notices this immediately and starts cracking jokes. Eric gets some great lines in here, repeatedly assuming that the kid has ended up imprisoned for robbing a bank ("She won more gold medals than that bank you robbed!"). Diana & Kossar are separated from the rest of the group, but everyone ends up in the city with the Temple that allows the prophecy to be fulfilled. The gang clears out the Queen's Mooks easily (now they start packing Area Attacks on the regular, making this much easier than their old fights), and soon ERIC is leading the assault by drawing her fire ("I can't believe I'm doing this, but ARRRRRRRRR!!!!")!

Diana reveals that as the daughter of an astronomer, SHE'S able to fulfill the prophecy as well, and when Kossar is fatally-wounded by the half-demon faced Queen, she energizes and grows into a Cosmic Acid Trip, offering the way home to the gang. But the Dungeon Master's cryptic "One of you will have to choose between the home and the heart" statement comes true, as Diana chooses to save Kossar's life and switch places with him, sending him off on some Cosmic Journey, where they have to be apart forever. And the Demon Queen gets vaporized (okay, so she COULD have just been "exiled"... but no. She freakin' explodes, pretty much).

Excellent episode- good enough to make you ignore the obvious logic holes (Why was Kossar trapped in the dungeon? Why not just KILL HIM if he's gonna fulfill a prophecy? And why leave the Temple standing if he has to do it there?).
Episode 22: A weird one, as almost instantly the group accidentally summons Venger's MASTER, a super-powerful godlike being "Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken"- he effortlessly defeats both Venger (for failing him so far) and Dungeon Master, both of whom escape to a subterranean world to repower. The kids get separated one by one to hold off the various threats they face there, before Dungeon Master repowers them and they face the being... who has already left. The adventure leading up to that was pretty cool, but it's a bit of a let-down.
Episode 23: This one takes a while to get going, but once to realize what Venger's up to, you're like "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT?" His plan involves kidnapping a bunch of people from Earth... but he keeps one fighter pilot's modern-day jet, tosses him in the dungeon, and replaces him with a member of the German LUFTWAFFE, planning on sending him back in the new jet in order to win World War II for his allies! Yes, a NAZI FIGHTER PILOT is in this episode! However, it turns out he's kind and virtuous, and hates the "stupid war"- he makes friends with the kids. Instead of aiding Venger's plan, he destroys the portal, falling through right before it closes. A cool idea, but if would've meant more if he'd been hanging out with the kids for more than five seconds before making his decision.
Episode 24: A new kid joins the group- an orphaned boy wielding a powerful Talisman that can blow things up with great capability. The runaway, never wanted anywhere, nonetheless rubs Eric the wrong way, and the two begin bickering for hours! The rest of the gang is annoyed, but soon after the kid bails on them (his Talisman is uncontrollable, and thus dangerous- Dungeon Master warns him to give it up), Eric has a change of heart and goes to get him. The two become true comrades, united in their love of snark and complaining about stuff, but ultimately the kid gives up the Talisman. The evil-looking Wizard who's been chasing them for it (the Talisman has a curse that you'll always be "hunted by evil") grabs it, but uses it to fight Venger (who naturally is chasing the WIZARD) before giving it up, realizing that this is ultimately a hollow pursuit. The new kid goes off with the townspeople from earlier in the episode, leaving poor Eric missing his first new friend in a very long time.
Episode 25: Eric rips on Sheila for nearly botching their mission, and so she decides to prove herself by freeing someone in need... who turns out to be Venger's evil sister, Karena! Sheila gives her a powerful ring that allows her to fend off her brother, and discovers her evil nature. Feeling terrible, she nonetheless returns, botching the kids' chance to go home in order to save Karena's life once Venger returns. This casts away Venger, AND saves a life (curing her of evil in the process), so the kids are somewhat okay with it.
Episode 26: The kids come across a band of Faerie Dragons (a concept I've always found fascinating- I loved the Dragons in D&D rulebooks even before I played the game, and thought the idea of a tiny, kindly race of them was a great idea), one of whom takes a shine to Presto, and work to protect them from an Evil King and his men, who want their treasure. They thus give up a chance to go home through a magic mirror in order to send the Dragons to their new home- ERIC even does the deed without complaining!
Episode 27: An unfortunate old woman aids the kids against a mysterious guy who's been kidnapping people- his first victim is HANK, who's feared lost forever. Eric again takes the lead, charging ahead against the villain and taking it hard when Hank disappears. Eric then formulates the entire plan to rescue Hank, but only the old woman stepping in and using her light powers (after running in fear from the creature) can stop the bad guy. I kinda figured the old lady'd be reunited with her family (it was implied they'd been killed or captured by the monster), but nothing happened.

SHEILA- THIEF
Role:
Protective Older Sister, Team Mom, Thief Who Never Steals Anything
PL 5 (81)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8)
Athletics 7 (+7)
Deception 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 6 (+9)

Advantages:
Evasion, Ranged Attack 3, Set-Up, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Thief's Magic Cloak" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [5]
Concealment (All Visual Senses) 4 (8 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Bobby)- Sheila is protective of her little brother, and always defends him against anyone picking on him, from teammates to enemies.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 12 (81)

-Sheila is the "Thief" of the team, and her specialty is going invisible, sneaking past the enemy, and undoing their schemes. Despite being a thief, not only does she never pick so much as a lock, but she never steals ANYTHING as far as I can remember! She spends a lot of time crying over Bobby whenever he gets into trouble, and defends him against Eric's insults, and attacking enemies. She does very little fighting, given that she has no weapons. She also seems to hang around Hank a lot- there's no actual romance in the series, but it seems clear that the writers were probably leaning that way, as they were the group's most stable, level-headed individuals after Diana, AND they're two of the three party members that don't get opposite-gender "friends" who last for an episode and then run off.

BOBBY- BARBARIAN
Role:
Argumentative Little Kid, Powerhouse, Area Attacker
PL 7 (40)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+3)
Perception 2 (+1)

Advantages:
Improved Smash, Interpose, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up

Powers:
"Barbarian's Magic Club" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [14]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Improved Trip, Power Attack (2)
"Smash With Club" Strength-Damage +9 (Feats: Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (16) -- (20)
AE: "Earthquake Burst" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (16)
AE: "Earthshaker Burst" Affliction 8 (Athletics/Acrobatics; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
AE: "Earthquake Line" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (16)
AE: "Earthshaker Line" Affliction 8 (Athletics/Acrobatics; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Prone) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Club Smash +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Shiela)- Bobby is defensive of his older sister, but sometimes chafes under her protective nature.
Responsibility (Age)- Though he tries to be brave, Bobby is capable of falling into depressive rages when things don't work out well. He is also stupid and impulsive, acting without thinking.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 14 / Defenses: 6 (40)

-Bobby is the resident "Little Kid" in the show- what would normally be a Tagalong Kid or a Sidekick is instead a full member of the cast, and the team's Heavy-Hitter, owing to his ultra-powerful Magic Club. Unfortunately, Bobby's age means that he's very dumb and INCREDIBLY impulsive, prone to attacking without thinking, and wasting too much time arguing with a smart-ass like Eric. Despite his great power (+8 Damage is INSANELY high for this low-powered universe, where most of their foes are simple Orcs and Lizardmen around PL 4), he's extremely cheap on points due to his immaturity. Of the gang, he's easily the one most-dependent on his gear.
Dungeons & Dragons was a series about six kids who were transported to a dimension filled with wizards and fire-snorting reptiles and cryptic clues and an extremely-evil despot named Venger. The youngsters were trapped in this game-like environment but, fortunately, they were armed with magical skills and weaponry, the better to foil Venger's insidious plans each week.

The kids were all heroic — all but a semi-heroic member of their troupe named Eric. Eric was a whiner, a complainer, a guy who didn't like to go along with whatever the others wanted to do. Usually, he would grudgingly agree to participate, and it would always turn out well, and Eric would be glad he joined in. He was the one thing I really didn't like about the show.

So why, you may wonder, did I leave him in there? Answer: I had to.

As you may know, there are those out there who attempt to influence the content of childrens' television. We call them "parents groups," although many are not comprised of parents, or at least not of folks whose primary interest is as parents. Study them and you'll find a wide array of agendum at work...and I suspect that, in some cases, their stated goals are far from their real goals.

Nevertheless, they all seek to make kidvid more enriching and redeeming, at least by their definitions, and at the time, they had enough clout to cause the networks to yield. Consultants were brought in and we, the folks who were writing cartoons, were ordered to include certain "pro-social" morals in our shows. At the time, the dominant "pro-social" moral was as follows: The group is always right...the complainer is always wrong.

This was the message of way too many eighties' cartoon shows. If all your friends want to go get pizza and you want a burger, you should bow to the will of the majority and go get pizza with them. There was even a show for one season on CBS called The Get-Along Gang, which was dedicated unabashedly to this principle. Each week, whichever member of the gang didn't get along with the gang learned the error of his or her ways.

We were forced to insert this "lesson" in D & D, which is why Eric was always saying, "I don't want to do that" and paying for his social recalcitrance. I thought it was forced and repetitive, but I especially objected to the lesson. I don't believe you should always go along with the group. What about thinking for yourself? What about developing your own personality and viewpoint? What about doing things because you decide they're the right thing to do, not because the majority ruled and you got outvoted?

We weren't allowed to teach any of that. We had to teach kids to join gangs. And then to do whatever the rest of the gang wanted to do.

What a stupid thing to teach children.

Now, I won't make the leap to charge that gang activity, of the Crips and Bloods variety, increased on account of these programs. That influential, I don't believe a cartoon show could ever be. I just think that "pro-social" message was bogus and ill-conceived. End of confession.
ERIC- CAVALIER
Role:
The Complainer Who Is Always Wrong
PL 10 (67)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 4 (+3)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Interpose, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Cavalier's Magical Shield" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [32]
Deflect 12 (Extras: Reflection, Redirection) (36)
Force Field 8 (Extras: Affects Others, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Distracting) (16)
-- (52 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2 (+10 Force Field), Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Addiction (Complaining)- Eric likes to whine and insult others. Generally, the first thing out of his mouth is snark.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 9 (67)

-Eric is pretty infamous to fans of the show, and a classic, CLASSIC example of Mark Evanier's "The Complainer Is Always Wrong" theory, which aggressively taught children of my age group that you should always go along with what the group wants, and never voice your concerns about their decision making. So, basically Groupthink targeted at six-year-olds. TERRIFIC lesson. And yes, Evanier was forced to add him to the show's roster by "Parents' Groups".
-This was accomplished by having the "Complainer" not have any REAL reason for doing what he wants- he just wants to bitch and moan. In the early episodes, when the team wants to go right, Eric not only wants to go left, but he squeals about it in the whiniest voice possible, has no ACTUAL reason for feeling that left is superior, and he's proven wrong anyways. In short: if you complain, then you're a dumbass and you need to join the collective.
-This makes Eric, who hilariously is voiced by Donnie Most of Happy Days fame (he played Ralph Malph, Ritchie's annoying prankster best buddy who left the show at the same time Ron Howard did, a few episodes after Fonzie jumped over a shark on waterskis), a very annoying character at first. He was even depicted early on as if his family was rich, so he'd complain about trivial "rich people things" and mope about losing out on them. And then the show would revel in Eric's humiliations, like getting turned into a croaking Frog-Boy or falling down a hill and getting dirty. Now, I love bitchy, crabby characters. But generally, the shows are smart enough to make them hot chicks or something, and make them snarky and grouchy instead of whiny. A "Vidia" or a "Sailor Mars" rather than an "Eric". That kind of character you can enjoy. Eric would complain, argue with Bobby (who's like half his size), and get the gang into all kinds of trouble.
-But the show's writers kind of worked on the character later, and did what all good writers do: they humanized their characters, even their negative ones. Much like a good writer can get into the villain's head and at least explain him (NOT justify him or excuse him; just explain why he is doing what he is doing and why he thinks he's right), they got into Eric's head and at least worked to make him a full-fledged character. Sure he's a whiny pain in the ass. But when given the opportunity to abandon his friends and go back home in an early episode, he shocks even himself by refusing to do so, and arrives to help! In one episode, he quietly mutters that "he's better than my dad EVER was..." when he sees a man searching desperately for his lost child. Just that tiny little bit makes you think that there's something sad in Eric's backstory that at least helps explain who he is.
-In a later episode, he gains Dungeon Master's power for the duration, and gives it up after realizing the responsibility that comes with the power is too great- yet he was willing to lay down his life to save the other kids from Venger! As time goes on, he does some rather heroic things, such as leap right into danger to save his teammates, being the only guy around with a good Toughness Save (owing to his Shield, which is actually the BEST Magic Weapon they have!). In the episode with the illusion-casting girl (#19), Eric actually takes the lead a great deal, even leaping to regain the team's gear! There's a good one where Eric and a kid with the same personality he has start off as bickering enemies, but grow into true friends in the end (humorously, it's due to their love of complaining and being snarky assholes), and Eric actually gets sad over the loss of the only "Best Friend" he's ever known. In Episode #21, he leaps right into the fray against the Demon Queen ("I can't believe I'm doing this, but ARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"), and in the final produced episode, Eric actually formulates most of the plans once Hank has been captured, acting as deputy leader.
-Though Eric isn't a terrific fighter (and shows no indication of being a horseman for a Cavalier), his Defenses are beyond the norm for the series- even Venger and TIAMAT can never scratch the team when he's around. He can form Force Fields so long as he remains fairly immobile (so he can't gain his full Defense value), as well as doing the full Deflect/Redirect thing.

HANK- RANGER
Role:
Default Team Leader, The Generic Guy
PL 7 (106)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 7 (+9)
Deception 2 (+5)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Arrows), Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Ranger's Magic Arrows" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [15]
"Wrap Up The Bad Guys" Snare 5 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20) -- (24 points)
AE: "Fireworks Arrows" Dazzle Visuals 5 (Extras: Area-Visual Perception) (15)
AE: Blast 6 (12)
AE: "Forms Walls & Footholds" Create 6 (12)
AE: "Snare Arrows" Snare 6 (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Snare Arrow +8 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Arrow +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Fireworks Arrow +5 (+5 Ranged Affliction, DC 15)
Wrap 'Em Up +5 Area (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (The Leader)- Hank is stuck as the leader, and often has to make the hard decisions. When the others screw up, it's often because Hank gave them improper instructions (such as when he allowed Eric to break open the seal that led to the release of That Which Cannot Be Named, who nearly destroyed all existence).

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 13 (106)

-Hank, like about half the cast, was a pretty flawless "Good Guy" character, and because he was the biggest and oldest-looking kid, got to be the leader. Typically, he was very level-headed, kind-hearted and generous, in addition to being a bit plain personality-wise. In short: the ideal team leader. He was also by FAR the best fighter in the team early on, and kept up his competence later. His "Arrows" were the best offensive weapon the team had (and the most reliable one), and he eventually learned some Create/Snare tricks with them as well!
-Hank is a great fighter with numerous options, like Blasts, Fireworks, Snares and more. Hell, he practically turns into Green Lantern Lite at one point! But despite his name, he is no more a Ranger than Sheila is a Thief, or Eric a Cavalier. Nonetheless, he is easily the most well-rounded, expensive fighter in the group.

PRESTO- MAGICIAN (Albert)
Role:
Incompetent Powerhouse
PL 8 (66)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+2)
Deception 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Magician's Magic Hat" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [29]
"Does Whatever" Variable (Any Effect or Created Object) 8 (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (48 points)
Stuff Presto Has Done: Summons cow instead of burgers. Creates giant carpet. Teleports to Venger. Makes a Unicorn's horn reattach. Creates Aircraft Carrier (!!).

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Stupid Powers)- Presto's powers rarely work properly, and his teammates (usually Eric) often express disappointment with him.
Power Loss (Magic)- Presto often has to make some kind of cockamamie rhyme in order to do something with his hat.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 15 (66)

-Presto is the all-powerful "Magician" class, which usually meant you started weak and ended up way more powerful than your teammates. However, in this show, it meant he wore a hat that could do anything. Anything except BE USEFUL. Presto would shout a silly rhyme and try to summon an object from the hat, but rarely would this ever be useful. Occasionally you'd see something outlandish (an AIRCRAFT CARRIER?), but the running gag with Presto was that he was pretty weak. One time he killed a Giant, at least. And sometimes the objects he yanked out turned out to be useful, but in an unintended way. His best episode is probably the one where he fell for a girl who could project illusions.

DIANA- ACROBAT
Role:
Agile Fighter, Token Black Friend
PL 7 (98)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 9 (+10)
Deception 1 (+4)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Staff) 3 (+10)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Evasion, Improved Critical (Staff), Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Acrobat's Magic Staff" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [6]
"Staff Smash" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Reach, Split) (5) -- (7)
AE: "Thrown Staff" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Ranged 3) (5)
AE: "Magical Lifting Power" Power-Lifting 2 (400 lbs.) (2)
"Pole Vault" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (2)
Features 1: May Split Apart Or Shrink (1)
-- (10 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Thrown Staff +10 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
None

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 11 (98)

-Diana is the only non-white cast member of the main group, and was given the customary Generic Friendly Personality of that type of character as well. And she's wearing a fur bikini, which you'd think more something a Barbarian Queen or someone riding a chariot driven by polar bears would wear, rather than an acrobat. Diana had a pretty good episode where she fell for that one kid who turned out to be a Cosmic Being who went off into space to make David Bowie records or something, but was usually just there in the background. However, she was probably the best fighter in melee next to Bobby, as she could flip, dodge, parry and throw guys around like the "Martial Artist" archetype. And yes, "Acrobat" used to be a D&D class.

VENGER- THE FORCE OF EVIL
Role:
The Big Bad, Dark Lord
PL 11 (163)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 8 (+11)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 3 (+10)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (Warlord), Improved Critical (Magic), Minion 4 (Nightmare- Flying Horse), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Startle

Powers:
"Magical Might"
Teleport 12 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (48) -- [49]
AE: Magical Blast 10 (20)

Force Field 6 [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Magic Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+11 Force Field), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)
Enemy (Tiamat)- The monstrous, talking Dragon hates Venger, and will attack him whenever possible. She is the only being he truly fears.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 55 / Defenses: 16 (163)

-Venger is the Big Bad of the show, and is both powerful AND intelligent- he wishes for the Weapons held by the kids, and so constantly threatens them. He ALSO constantly tries to stop their endless escapes, so he's always blowing up portals and what-not. His personality is pretty much "Generic Dark Lord", but he doesn't constantly call for retreats like Megatron & Cobra Commander, nor does he whine like Skeletor- he actually has a great deal of pride. I'm not a big fan of the design- the "one-horn" look makes him appear oddly unbalanced. I know the assymetry is the POINT, but c'mon. There were hints of a former familial relationship between Venger & Dungeon Master- this led to most fans assuming (correctly) that Dungeon Master was Venger's father. The unproduced Series Finale actually shows the kids curing Venger of his evil, and he turns good! Because that's how that works.
-Venger, for all his supposed might, actually doesn't do a whole lot of varied stuff in the show. We know he's powerful enough to take a gang of PL 7-8s on with only a little bit of trouble (Eric's Shield causes the biggest problem), and he defeats the rival wizard Kellek as well, but he's got limits.

xxxxxxx


Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
+26: Destroyah (Oxygen Destroyer), Ymir, Surtur (Unarmed or Blast)
+28: Surtur (Twlight Sword)


1) Hank, Eric, Shiela, Bobby
2) Diana, Presto, Venger
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 27, 2020 3:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Ever After High

Post by Jabroniville »

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OH MY GOD THE CATCHIEST THEME SONG EVER I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO IT



EVER AFTER HIGH:

-Yes, that's right- another set of builds based off of dolls targeted towards little girls. SUCK IT, GENDER CONFORMITY!!! LICK MY HAIRY MAN-TAINT!

-Ever After High is Mattel's sister series of the very successful ($1.2 billion in sales- #2 amongst Doll Lines only to Barbie) Monster High franchise, and set around the same kind of concept. Only THESE girls are the daughters of FAIRY TALE characters instead of famous Monsters! So you have "Raven Queen- Daughter of the Evil Queen" and "Ashlynn Ella- Daughter of Cinderella", stuff like that.

The overall conceit is that the girls (and a few boys- most of whom are without dolls, naturally) are the Sons & Daughters of these famous storybook characters, and are expected to follow in their parents' footsteps- it's declared that this is "to ensure that their stories continue to be told". This means that, for example, Raven Queen is expected to become evil, attempt to poison Snow White, and be defeated (and rendered a hobo, if the Storybook of Legends is to be believed). And the entire overall plot is that some of the characters want to follow this path (Apple White, first and foremost), while other characters, most notably Raven, REJECT this philosophy, and demand to be able to write their OWN destiny!

The Webisodes (like Monster High, it advertises the dolls with a cartoon series made up of animated shorts, followed by some bigger "Movies") are actually REALLY funny, and the fact that the characters have actual purpose and dimension to them, as opposed to MH's more simplistic "Everyone's a friendly girl who loves fashion" concept means that there can be real conflict, and some interesting circumstances. The smaller roster of characters also allows for more characterization, as they're not hoising a new doll up every other episode. Some of the characters are AWESOME- Raven Queen & Darling Charming are as good as any new comic character from the past fifteen years (well... maybe not CYCLONE...) if you include the characterization from the Book series. The Movies they've occasionally released have been pretty good, too. A bit of "Filler" stuck in them, but they're fun. And there's actually some deadly stuff going on, with their whole world at stake- a little beyond "Typical High-School Hijinks". The oncoming spectre of Raven's mother is a SERIOUS issue.

The jokes are pretty damn funny, and there's some great character moments. Maddie Hatter is delightfully-insane, and avoids being annoying (a common problem with "Crazy Friend" archetypes). Cupid is pathologically in love with Dexter Charming, to the point where she turns into a babbling moron in his presence, and is TOTALLY a stalker. Dexter is COMPLETELY clueless about women (thus avoids seeing that Cupid is obviously obsessed with him). Apple White is a huge drama queen (probably the funniest moment of the series is when Raven's doing a "Talking Head" interview, and Apple comes bursting into their room, flops down on her bed, and starts kicking her feet in sadness over some stupid thing. Just the little "pitter patter" of her feet becomes hilarious thanks to the timing). Apple White is so eager to be poisoned as part of her "story" that she BEGS Raven to poison her birthday cake! Repeatedly! And at one point, Hunter Huntsman makes a big speech about how he's going to "Save these two HELPLESS DAMSELS!", at which point Raven & Cerise Hood elbow the shit out of him.

The classes the girls have to take are pretty good- as the concept of the show is fairly metatextual, they get to make fun of Fairytale Tropes, and in a way that doesn't come off as badly or as "been there, done that" as a lot of the "Well I AM NO DAMSEL TO BE RESCUED!" stuff you see nowadays. There's classes on General Villainy, and the boys take Advanced Wooing, where part of their class assignment is to hit on girls in an auditorium setting. And not only to the girls take DAMSEL-IN-DISTRESSING Class, but they're forced to learn asinine lessons like "Screaming for help" and "Waiting" homework (ie. sitting around for hours doing nothing, to practice for awaiting rescue).

AND THAT ANIMATION~~!! It's seriously the best Flash Animation I've ever seen, with all sorts of neat character facial tics and reactions. It really boosts the quality of the fiction (especially since they never go for "ugly, weird CGI" like Monster High does). My only issue with it is that things move so quickly, you MISS bits! You end up trying to rewind back to spot the great little animated flares, which is tricky if you're watching on a computer (YouTube is weird for pausing & re-starting).

The Book Series is pretty good, too (at least what I've read of it). They have Shannon (Ella Enchanted) Hale on the first three, and Susanna Selfours on the rest, so they didn't just pawn it off on rookies to make nothing material. They're quite clever, and go a bit more in-depth with the characters (the webisodes rarely have the time).

The doll line is... pretty mediocre, compared to Monster High. It's unfortunate, because it seems like a pretty clear attempt to skew more "Traditionally Girly" than the goth-y, bad-ass MH stuff, what with all the girls tasseling the crap out of their super-girly dresses and all. But they ended up going with some pretty plain-looking dolls, and copying the exact same face & head for every character. Given that the characters are so great, it's a bit sad. Hell, even the BOX ART is usually the same- you can see the same poses & faces on every single "Raven Queen" doll- only the outfit and hair changes! That kind of laziness is really just unacceptable when there's a more-advanced line of dolls sitting right off to the side, from the same company. It's especially bad because THE DOLLS DO NOT LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS!! The TV show & Box Art shows characters with varying head-shapes, extremely large eyes, and only sorta-big heads on tiny bodies. By contrast, the dolls feature cloned giant round heads on everyone, with often the same FACE MOLD. it's a bizarre disconnect.

In terms of success, it's doing well enough to have a series of shorts on Netflix, plus the occasional longer "Movie" episode (30-60 minutes). That said, the dolls seem to not sell as well as Monster High in particular- Canadian Wal-Marts are largely dropping them, and Toys R Us has been condensing them to the MH side as well. So I don't know quite how well its doing. Disney's managed to rip it off completely with The Descendants, about- believe it or not- the sons and daughters of four Disney Villains who've rejected their parents' evil and gone over to join the sons and daughters of the Disney HEROES at Auradon Prep. So they must be doing SOMETHING right.

The Series:
* The cast is generally separated into two categories: The "Royals", who want to keep their destinies, and the "Rebels", who want to re-write the book and forge their OWN path. The Rebels, led by Raven, are given a great deal of sympathy and pathos, as their paths are often quite distressing (Raven becomes deposed), or they're forced to hide significant aspects of themselves (Cerise Hood). The Royals, made up of the "Disney Princess" types (daughters of Rapunzel, Snow White, Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty included), are usually seen as kind-hearted, but obviously have way more benefits in keeping their destiny.

* Eventually, the Royals are given so many dynamic characters and so much sympathy that the Royals end up looking awful- it's made worse by the fact that most of the positive Royals end up holding Rebel sympathies- Briar Beauty doesn't want to sleep for 100 years, for example; and Ashlynn Ella is dating "out of story"- the Rebel Hunter Huntsman (Son of the Huntsman). This causes issues with the story at times, because it makes Apple White- the Royal Leader- out to be a GIANT bitch for trying to force everyone to conform. It makes a bit of sense when you consider that her own "Happy Ending" is at stake, I guess, but still.

* Raven & Apple are the leaders of the respective fashions, and argue a bit at first about the Legacies, but they're also roommates, and try to get along. And yes, they really stuck the Prim & Proper Blonde Princess in a dorm room with the Dark-Haired Magically-Powered Girl Who Faces Prejudice Because of How She Was Born. They even split the room between "Girly" & "Evil-Looking". The creators MUST have had Wicked in mind when they were doing this. They even keep the ludicrous amounts of sexual tension!

* Unlike the sister show, which uses a fairly large Main Cast with a horde of outliers, there is a very strong #1 in Raven Queen, with Apple being #2. Everyone else is very distant, though some get more focus in the movies.

* One of the biggest running themes is the Storybook of Legends, where you're supposed to sign your name in order to "Pledge Your Destiny"- Raven's refusal sets off the entire series. Eventually, we find out that the book was a FAKE, and Briar hides the real thing to avoid her massive slumber!

* It's never quite clear just HOW CLOSELY the "Legacies" are supposed to be followed. Is Raven supposed to eventually marry Apple White's father? Does this mean that Snow White & Cinderella are supposed to die young, as their mothers had, in-story? Also, to whom are they recreating their "Stories" for? They're in the realm of "Ever After", but are there like, normal people who are supposed to be reading their stories? Who are these people? This is definitely the same "world" as Monster High, which notably uses a lot of Monster-fied city and place names, and isn't the real world at all (there's no New York- only Boo York).

* The school offers classes required of future heroes & villains: heroic males have a Knight class, and must learn Advanced Wooing. Girls take Damsel-In-Distressing Class & Princessology. Raven, as a "villain", must take History of Evil Spells, Home Evilnomics (Apple once takes the course to spite Raven's taking Princessology, and is forced to turn a rabbit EVIL) and Kingdom Mismanagement. There's also Muse-ic Class (Raven begs to be allowed to enter).

* Many of the characters have some kind of Magic Power- though oddly, this sometimes only shows up in the Book Series. Not once to they mention Dexter's "Enchanting Eyes" in the webisodes, for example. Nor Apple's ability to control men's minds by batting her eyelashes. Similarly, certain backstory elements are dropped, like Raven's father being "The Good King".

* Like the sister series, EVERY GIRL is in the most enormous high-heels imaginable.

* Because the cast is so much smaller than the sister series, you don't have incidences of a characters showing up for an introductions, then vanishing forever from sight (like Catrine DeMew, Avea Trotter, Bonita Femur, Casta Fierce and numerous other Monster High characters).

* There's a whole chapter of the first Book devoted to the characters gaining lifelong pet companions, seemingly in order to sell additions to the toys (Monster High, for example, offers pets for most of the Main Ghouls). This is made quite weird by the fact that they never appear in the webisodes, nor are there any toys of, say, Apple's snow fox Gala. Cerise hangs out with a wolf in one webisode, and Hunter chases after a squirrel named "Pesky", but we never see any of the other animals. I wonder if the author got some "marching orders" about creating a chapter just for the animals, only to have it be pointless (like the part in Monster High: Haunted where Spectra makes a big deal out of a fancy Desk that never got turned into a playset).

* The GROAN-worthy puns are not so omnipresent here. People often say "Hex-cellent", but that's about the worst of it. The Books & doll info-boxes are actually worse, saying tongue-twisters like "Chemythstry Class" (how do you even SAY THAT?). I love "LOSpells", though.

* Generally-speaking, only the most-famous characters got Sons & Daughters- Hansen & Gretel, The Dark Fairy (ie. Maleficent), Snow White, Robin Hood, etc. Only one of the most-recent characters, The Daughter of the 12th Dancing Princess, is comparatively obscure. It's pretty much just Fairytale & Folk Tale Characters and, but Alice in Wonderland gets thrown out with the Wonderlandians. The only other exception is C.A. Cupid (a character immigrating from Monster High, who's the adopted daughter of Eros- a Greek God. Most characters are from specific stories, but the Charming family is known to be rather plentiful, and they show up in a lot of tales (it's revealed that Daring & Dexter's grandfather is SIEGFREID, but most of the family are generic heroic "Charmings" who marry various Princesses).

* Unlike MH, which typically pairs off the male & female characters and sticks them there (while bouncing Frankie Stein from guy to guy, every time a new one comes along), there's a fair bit of Shipping here. Raven appears aloof at first, but soon returns the feelings of one Dexter Charming, the shy one of the Charming family. But his best friend C.A. Cupid is pathologically in love with him, to the point of constantly sighing and giggling. He is, naturally, quite clueless. Apple by contrast doesn't have any real chemistry with anyone... anyone MALE, that is.

* Way Too Wonderland, the most-recent "TV Special" (over an hour long!) actually changes the entire meta-plot of the series! In it, the girls find the real Storybook of Legends once more, and Apple confesses to Raven that she now KNOWS Raven will never accept her destiny, because "it just isn't IN you!" to be evil! Given that the whole show was based around this schism, it's an odd choice to go with, and I'm interested in how things will change in the future.



REBELS (the ones who've decided to ignore their fairytale:
Raven Queen (Daughter of the Evil Queen)-
Perky Goth with vast power. Doesn't want to be evil. The most sympathetic character by a ways.
Madeline Hatter (Daughter of the Mad Hatter)- Complete nutbar.
C.A. Cupid (Daughter of Eros)- Loves Dexter Charming.
Cedar Wood (Daughter of Pinnochio)- Shy. Can't tell lies, so nobody will share secrets with her.
Cerise Hood (Daughter of Red Riding Hood)- Has a hairy family secret; always wears a hood that covers her ears.
Darling Charming (Daughter of Prince Charming)- Wants to be an adventurer instead of a rescued damsel.
Ginger Breadhouse (Daughter of the Candy Witch)- Wants to bake in peace.
Humphrey Dumpty (Son of Humpty Dumpty)- A nerd.
Hunter Huntsman (Son of The Huntsman)- An animal lover. Dating Ashlynn Ella.
Kitty Cheshire (Daughter of the Cheshire Cat)- Can even THIS franchise be free from Catgirls?
Melody Piper (Daughter of the Pied Piper)- Popular DJ.
Poppy O'Hair (Daughter of Rapunzel)- Punkier girl.
Rosabella Beauty (Daughter of Beauty)- Fights on behalf of monsters.
Sparrow Hood (Son of Robin Hood)- Con man and annoying musician.

ROYALS:
Apple White (Daughter of Snow White)-
Somewhat clueless "Good Girl", and queen of the school.
Ashlynn Ella (Daughter of Cinderella)- Shoe-obsessed nice girl.
Briar Beauty (Daughter of Sleeping Beauty)- Action-seeking princess, owing to the fact that she'll be comatose for a century.
Daring & Dexter Charming (Sons of Prince Charming)- Daring is the charming, handsome sort, while Dexter is an introverted, nervous nerd. Has an adorable crush on Raven Queen.
Lizzie Hearts (Daughter of the Queen of Hearts)- Actually a nice girl and not a genocidal ruler. Looks SUPER-evil, though. Probably the best design in the series.
Duchess Sawn (Daughter of the Swan Princess)- Wants to be the "Apple White" of the school.
Faybelle Thorn (Daughter of The Dark Fairy)- A menacing, conniving villain- one of the few authentically-rotten characters.
Blondie Lockes (Daughter of Goldilocks)- Nosy girl with a habit of "borrowing" things without asking, and then claiming she was just "holding it" for the victi--- oh god she's a Kender.
Bunny Blanc (Daughter of the White Rabbit)- Loves Alistair.
Alistair Wonderland (Son of Alice in Wonderland)- Loves Bunny.
Holly O'Hair (Daughter of Rapunzel)- Poppy's twin sister.
Hopper Croakington II (Son of The Frog Prince)- Annoying flirt.

-Of this crew, only a handful are actually important to the overall story- Raven & Maddie of the Rebels; the Charming brothers; Apple, Ashlynn & Briar of the Royals; and the Wonderlandian Kitty becomes more important later. The bottom four of each group are basically glorified Backgrounders with speaking roles.








So this came up in the very first Storybook of Legends book (Apple realized that Raven is supposed to marry HER FATHER), but I was thinking about what kind of weird situations would get brought up if all the characters signed the Storybook and accepted their destinies:

1) Everyone's supposed to go along with these stories, and have their destinies be written out. But... are they supposed to act surprised? I mean, they're getting a huge spoiler here.

2) Snow White's story is that her father remarries an "Evil Stepmother". This means that her dad is supposed to marry Raven Queen! And also that Snow White apparently will die young, and therefore, so will Apple. What kind of a "Happy Ending" is THAT?

3) Same issue with Ashlynn Ella- I think her mom is dead in the book series, too. She even has Stepsisters in the Webisodes, implying that part's still holding still. So does that mean that Cinderella's job is to ALSO die young?

4) Faybelle Thorn is supposed to curse a baby to become Sleeping Beauty. Except she's the same age as Briar is.

5) The Big, Bad Wolf sort of dies in both The Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood, doesn't he? So why is he walking around, all alive and stuff? Also, nobody seems to know who Cerise's father is. Did that never come up?

6) Beauty's father is imprisoned by The Beast in their story, right? So... does this mean that Rosabella's father, The Beast, is destined to be imprisoned by his own future version? And Rosabella will then marry a guy just like her father?

"Is is ON like FAIRY-SONG!!"

RAVEN QUEEN (Daughter of The Evil Queen)
Role:
The Main Character, Rejecter of Destiny
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 10 (96)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Muse-ic) 4 (+6)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4, Ritualist

Powers:
"Black Magic"
"ENOUGH!!!" Affliction 10 (Will; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (31) -- [39]
AE: "Teleport Group" Teleport 8 (Extras: Portal +2) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (24)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 4 (8)
AE: Summon Bats & Vermin 2 (Extras: Multiple Minions, Horde, Variable- Any Evil-Looking Creatures) (10)
AE: "Wilting Flowers" Weaken Stamina 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Flowers, Uncontrolled/Automatic) (2)
AE: "Transform Others" Affliction 10 (Fort; Transformed) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree, Uncontrolled) (5)
AE: Purple Fire Blast 4 (8)
AE: "Let Your Bad Side Out!" Create Guitar & Awesome Speakers 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (14)
AE: "Speed Spell" Affliction 8 (Strength; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Running at Top Speed) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Purple Fire +6 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Speed Spell +6 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Transform Others +6 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Wilting Flowers +4 Area (+4 Weaken, DC 14)
Time Stop +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Raven is thus expected to become the next Evil Queen, and poison Snow White.
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Raven became the first of her class to REJECT her destiny, declaring that "My Happily Ever After STARTS NOW!" She wants to find a happy ending of her very own.
Reputation (Evil, Rebel)- Raven was initially feared because she was destined to become the most evil Fairytale character of them all (Raven's mother nearly took over all of Ever After, as well as going "Off-Book" by invading Wonderland). When she rejected this destiny, she was hated for going "off-book", thus threatening the happy endings of all the other students. As the beginner of the "Rebel" movement, Raven is the most-hated student in the school, and the most-lectured by the teachers.
---
Relationship (Madeline Hatter)- Raven's best friend is Maddie. Despite Maddie's insanity, she can make Raven laugh.
Relationship (Apple White)- Raven was destined to poison Apple and then be deposed, but Apple decided that since their destinies are linked, they should still be friends and roommates. Raven finds Apple tiresome, overly-dramatic and a bit annoying, and REALLY doesn't care for Apple constantly pressuring her to become evil (for example, she refuses to poison Apple on her birthday, despite Apple's pleas), but does not want any harm to come to her.
Relationship (Dexter Charming)- Raven finds Dexter to be likeable and easy to talk to, and a good friend- there's little pressure. However, when she discovers that HE put the love note on her locker, she thinks of him a different way ("He's so SWEET, and CUTE!"). However, the concept of going on a date with him makes her extremely-nervous and agitated, causing her confidence to falter.
Responsibility (Kindness)- Raven is actually very kind-hearted and sweet, and tries to help others out- she'll back up Maddie (for Class President), Cerise (covering up her family secret), and more. She will not hesitate to come to the rescue of any student.
---
Responsibility (Black Magic Woman)- Raven is seemingly-destined to only use her Magic for evil. When she attempts to use it for good, things tend to... backfire, and go out of control. If she gives in to negative emotions (such as anger), she can become exceptionally-dangerous, become surrounded by magical energy, and gain multiple voices on top of her own.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 10 (96)

-Raven is clearly and completely the main character of the Ever After High franchise- though Apple appears alongside her in most of the material, the theme song, and the advertising, Raven appears as the central character in more Webisodes and books than anyone else, and it's HER decision to alter the course of her destiny that sets off the entire plot of the series. Raven, as the Daughter of the Evil Queen, is a much-feared girl, and expected to become the ultimate evil, as her mother was. However, being a nice, friendly girl, Raven doesn't WANT to become evil, and goes through a great deal of angst, questioning whether or not she wants to sign the "Storybook of Legends" and set her destiny in stone. Given that intially she's led to believe that she will DIE if she doesn't, this becomes a rather dramatic point.
-Ultimately, Raven takes the advice of Headmaster Grimm's exiled brother, and doesn't sign- she surprisingly doesn't go "poof!", but remains the most-feared girl in school. Half of the students, the Royals, reject her for risking all of their "Happy Endings" out of her own "Selfishness". The other half, the Rebels, end up jumping for joy, and are inspired to reject fate THEMSELVES. And thus the entire series begins on this note- Raven and her pals (some of whom are oddly happy to follow their own destinies- they just think everyone should have the CHOICE) rejecting destiny and forging their own paths. This sense of choice reminds me of what Tom DeFalco said as part of his How To Write Comics panel at the Edmonton Comic Expo- the heroes need to actively make CHOICES and force the narrative to move. This is probably what helps make the Rebels so sympathetic and dynamic, and the Royals so static and dull by contrast- they simply lie back and accept their fates.
-Raven's interactions with the other characters are fun- she's a bit of a generic "Helpful Heroine" to most of the Rebels, but the thing with Apple is great. Apple is AGHAST and emotionally-destroyed by Raven's decision to "Flip the Script", thinking this is a selfish choice- Raven points out that Apple is free from destiny now too, but Apple LIKED her own destiny! This makes Apple come off pretty selfishly, but the girls' arguments become fun, especially since they're both still pretty friendly, and even understand each other (Apple becomes less-upset over time, and tends towards being more condescending and "oh I know you'll come around!"). They're basically a lighter version of Glinda & Elphaba from Wicked, teasing each other and playing up the contrasts- Raven is dark, goth-y and fabulous, while Apple is prim and girly and a total princess. Naturally, a large segment of the fans ship this HARD- "Rapple" has a few blogs devoted to it.
-Raven & Dexter are SO ADORBZ, too- it's super-obvious that Dexter's infatuated with Raven, but naturally she sees him as a friend (despite him being a Royal- his lack of being judgemental is what appeals to Raven). When she sees a love note from a "D. Charming" on her locker, she thinks it's his he-man brother DARING, but is both shocked and actually HAPPY to discover it's from Dex, who she agrees is "SWEET and CUTE!". Their first date was relatively-recent, and featured the two stuttering like imbeciles, being as clumsy as humanly-possible, and apologizing for absolutely everything that went wrong (did Raven accidentally turn them into Canadians?).
-I think the only issue I have with the great Raven character is she's a bit too "nice" sometimes- the Opening Theme features a lot of her rolling her eyes at Apple and destiny and stuff, and it'd be nice if it was played up more often- make her a bit more brassy and full of attitude (it would also help to make things not look so one-sided in favor of the Rebels). You get glimpses of this during the EPIC webisode in which Sparrow Hood annoys her with his guitar playing, causing her to FREAK THE F*** OUT during a Talent Competition, change clothes to a Rocker Grrl look, and summon giant speakers to destroy Sparrow. But usually, she's must too "positive", which has the effect of also making Apple out to be very unsympathetic. A few recent webisodes centre around her trying to get more embarrassing, wacky pictures into the School Yearbook, which comes off so out of character that fans are starting to think her mother's evil is seeping into her! This wouldn't happen if it was more in her character in the first place.
-Raven is rather powerful, but a bit Uncontrolled- most of her powers have that Flaw, so long as she tries to use them for good. Magic can tend to be rather "Variable" with her, but she's managed to Teleport, bring Gingerbread Men to life, create a wicked new costume change and summon speakers, blow stuff up, move objects around, transform people into animals, and even FREEZE TIME ITSELF, generally when she gets upset (when she & Dexter went on their first date, she panicked out of nervousness and froze the whole auditorium save her & Dex).

RAVEN QUEEN (Daughter of The Evil Queen)- POST-SIGNING THE STORYBOOK OF LEGENDS
Role:
The Main Character, Rejecter of Destiny, Full-Powered Evil Form
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 12 (151)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Muse-ic) 4 (+6)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 12 (+14)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 6 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Startle, Ranged Attack 4, Ritualist

Powers:
"Black Magic"
"ENOUGH!!!" Affliction 10 (Will; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (41) -- [51]
AE: Purple Fire Blast 13 (Feats: Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating 9) (36)
AE: "Teleport Group" Teleport 10 (Feats: Change Direction) (Extras: Portal +2) (41)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 10 (20)
AE: Summon Bats & Vermin 2 (Extras: Multiple Minions, Horde, Variable- Any Evil-Looking Creatures) (10)
AE: "Wilting Flowers" Weaken Stamina 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Flowers, Uncontrolled/Automatic) (2)
AE: "Transform Others" Affliction 10 (Fort; Transformed) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree) (10)
AE: "Let Your Bad Side Out!" Create Guitar & Awesome Speakers 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (14)
AE: "Speed Spell" Affliction 8 (Strength; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Running at Top Speed) (8)
AE: "Cutting Disc" Blast 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (36)
AE: "Throw the Card Soldiers" Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (30)

Force Field 12 (Extras: Impervious 11) [23]
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Purple Fire +10 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Speed Spell +10 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Transform Others +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Wilting Flowers +4 Area (+4 Weaken, DC 14)
Time Stop +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2 (+14 Force Field), Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Raven is thus expected to become the next Evil Queen, and poison Snow White.
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Raven became the first of her class to REJECT her destiny, declaring that "My Happily Ever After STARTS NOW!" She wants to find a happy ending of her very own.
Reputation (Evil, Rebel)- Raven was initially feared because she was destined to become the most evil Fairytale character of them all. When she rejected this destiny, she was hated for going "off-book", thus threatening the happy endings of all the other students. As the beginner of the "Rebel" movement, Raven is the most-hated student in the school, and the most-lectured by the teachers.
---
Relationship (Madelyne Hatter)- Raven's best friend is Maddie. Despite Maddie's insanity, she can make Raven laugh.
Relationship (Apple White)- Raven was destined to poison Apple and then be deposed, but Apple decided that since their destinies are linked, they should still be friends and roommates. Raven finds Apple tiresome, overly-dramatic and a bit annoying, and REALLY doesn't care for Apple constantly pressuring her to become evil (for example, she refuses to poison Apple on her birthday, despite Apple's pleas), but does not want any harm to come to her.
Relationship (Dexter Charming)- Raven finds Dexter to be likeable and easy to talk to, and a good friend- there's little pressure. However, when she discovers that HE put the love note on her locker, she thinks of him a different way ("He's so SWEET, and CUTE!"). However, the concept of going on a date with him makes her extremely-nervous and agitated, causing her confidence to falter.
Responsibility (Kindness)- Raven is actually very kind-hearted and sweet, and tries to help others out- she'll back up Maddie (for Class President), Cerise (covering up her family secret), and more. She will not hesitate to come to the rescue of any student.
---
Responsibility (Black Magic Woman)- Raven is seemingly-destined to only use her Magic for evil. When she attempts to use it for good, things tend to... backfire, and go out of control. If she gives in to negative emotions (such as anger), she can become exceptionally-dangerous, become surrounded by magical energy, and gain multiple voices on top of her own.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 84 / Defenses: 10 (151)

-The most-recent TV Special, Way Too Wonderland, features Raven going along with the group to Wonderland and facing Courtly Jester, who's using one of the Evil Queen's spellbooks. Raven, out-powered, ends up signing the REAL Storybook of Legends, unleashing her mother's full power- this act practically turns her into Teenage Girl Satan, and she damn near MURDERS Courtly for f*cking with her and her friends, and has to be convinced not to by Apple, who's now convinced that Raven doesn't have it in her to be truly evil. And from far away, you can hear the Evil Queen, trapped in her otherdimensional prison, laughing- everything is going accord to plan.
-Evil Raven is EPIC- she's permanently-wreathed in purple flame, floats menacingly above the ground at all times, and speaks with a vicious, haunting echo in her voice (an ultra low-pitched Satanic voice is heard, overpowering her own voice). And despite Courtly wielding great powers of her own, Raven basically goes DBZ on her ass, throwing out huge blasts of energy.

Image
Image

And yes, people very vocally ship Raven & Apple. There's FanArt, and people read into various scenes (like Apple's shock/disappointment in Raven's relationship with Dexter). The internet- where even dolls designed for little girls get Femslashers.

CEDAR WOOD (Daughter of Pinocchio)
Role:
Truth-Teller
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 1 (70), PL 2 (70) Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA -- AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Art & Cooking) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Wooden Puppet-Girl"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 2 [2]

"Wood Floats"
Features 1: Automatically Floats on Water [1]
Enhanced Skills 4: Athletics 4 (+7) (Flaws: Limited to Swimming) [1]

"Revealer-Ray Glasses" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [6]
Senses 7 (Vision Counters All Concealment & Illusion, Detect Hidden Objects & Fake Objects) (9 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Cedar is thus expected to become the next Pinocchio, and earn becoming a "real girl".
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Cedar is sympathetic to the Rebel cause, and thinks students should be able to choose their own destiny- however, she is fine with that chosen for her.
Responsibility ("I Cannot Tell a Lie")- Cedar can only give the 100% truth- this means that she is TERRIBLE at keeping secrets, and can be brutally-honest without wanting to.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 1 (70)

-Cedar Wood is one of the "black" characters (like Monster High's Wolf family, she's not quite human, but meant to look like a black person), and a bit of a tertiary character who is typically not that important. Her whole schtick is that she's the Daughter of Pinocchio, ironically rendered incapable of lying thanks to a "Truth Spell" her father had cast upon her years ago. Most of her appearances either use her as a "Generic Friendly Girl" backgrounder (albeit a Rebel... though she seems to be okay with her own Destiny), or involve her having an issue with the fact that she always has to be brutally-honest. This can have negative side-effects ("Does this ____ look good on me?", or when she has to keep the secret of Hunter & Ashlynn's relationship). Her sweet-natured personality and raspy, squeaky little girl voice (Jonquil Goode uses the same tone she sometimes gives Twyla in Monster High, dropping the odd pauses and adding more of a "nasal" touch) earns her a lot of fans. Despite not having a really major role in the ongoing plot, she's had five dolls. Most "first-run" characters match that, however.
-I love this bit: url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W0VOUtOoBM. The best part is when they're trying de-bunk the theory of them secretly dating, and Cedar finds a note FROM HUNTER that says "I'm so glad we're secretly dating!"[/url]
-Cedar is a pretty typical schoolgirl, though gains some benefits from being a wooden construct, and eventually picks up "Revealer Ray" Glasses that lets her detect the true nature of objects, and whether or not certain objects are fakes.

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(Dexter is fawning over Raven Queen. Cupid, who loves Dexter, attempts to give him advice)
Dexter: "I want to ask her out, but I'm just afraid I'd screw it up..."
Cupid: "You know there ARE other girls at this school."
Dexter: (excited) "You'd ask Raven out FOR me?!?"
Cupid: "... NOT what I meant."

C.A. CUPID (Chariclo Arganthone Cupid, Daughter of Eros)
Role:
Transferred Character, Lovestruck Fool
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 4 (34)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Radio Host) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Cupid's Arrows" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [21]
Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Feats: Accurate, Split) (Extras: Progressive +2, Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Love) (26 points)

"Glowing Eyes" Senses 1 (Magical Awareness) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Cupid's Arrows +2 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Love Warrior)- Cupid loves those who love others, and focuses on helping others overcome their problems.
Relationship (Dexter Charming)- Cupid has a desperate, stupid crush on the nerdy Dexter Charming, fawning over him like a lunatic. Alas, he only has eyes for Raven Queen- she wants him to be happy, and tries to give him advice on how to woo Raven.
Responsibility (Terrible Aim)- Cupid actually can't hit worth balls with her Arrows.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 3 (34)

-Initially from Monster High, C.A. Cupid (always just called "Cupid") is an odd fit, being the Daughter (possibly adopted) of a God rather than the biological daughter of a well-known monster. She ends up being kind of a gag character in Monster High, in that she's terrible with her bow, but works as a Radio Host for a "love advice" program, giving flowery advice. She'd only appeared in two dolls, and had only a minor role in some of the CGI movies, so it didn't seem like she was going anywhere.
-However, in a very odd bit, she was TRANSFERRED from Monster High, and is now a recurring character on its spin-off sister show Ever After High, where she got a much better, SUPER-pink, redesign (the "cupid's bow" lips really just look weird to me), more in keeping with that show's more feminine, flowery style. In EAH, she has a HILARIOUS role, in that she fawns over Dexter Charming (Son of Prince Charming) like a deranged, lovesick fool (her computer includes "selfies" of her with Dexter in the background, surrounded by drawn-on hearts; she tends to just stare at him while giggling like a loon). However, there's also a hint of tragedy, as Dexter only has eyes for Raven Queen, and Cupid feels honor-bound to help her beloved by teaching him to get with Raven- building him up with compliments, and telling him how to talk to girls (Dex is of course ENTIRELY clueless as to her intentions). YouTube arguments over "Dexven" and "Dexpid" are actually hilariously-intense. I love you, internet.
-Cupid's had a couple Monster High dolls released, and four EAH ones- hers tend to veer on the VERY, VERY PINK side, complete with floral decor and big wings, making her about the girliest thing ever. She's a great example of the kinds of designs you can come up with even with a limited palette.
-Cupid's become one of my favourite characters- her behavior would be insane and stalker-ish in a male character, but just comes off as endearingly-cute in a girl (particularly since the show is obviously pretty chaste). Her goo-goo eyes, sighing voice, and giggly nature around Dexter is some funny stuff. Oddly, her VA, Erin Fitzgerald, also does the voice for her rival in love- Raven Queen! Neither character sounds remotely alike, which is par for the course with Erin, apparently (she's a vocal chameleon).
-Cupid has a pretty-powerful Ranged Weapon, a rarity for Monster High... but can't actually hit worth balls. In Ever After High, it seems pretty non-existant. And her giant feathery wings are never seen doing anything.

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A sample of Maddie's insanity ("And you may vanish into OBLIVIONNNNN... that's a thing you know and it's gotta hurt.")

MADELINE HATTER (Daughter of The Mad Hatter)
Role:
Comic Relief, The Crazy One
Played by: Cindy Robinson
PL 2 (36), PL 3 (36) with Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Wonderlandian) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+2)
Perception 3 (+3)
Stealth 1 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Breaking The Fourth Wall" Features: Can Hear the Narrators [1]

"Pull Things Out Of A Hat" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [9]
Variable 2 (Brings Out Tea Sets, a Dormouse, etc.) (14 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Maddie is thus expected to become the next Mad Hatter.
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Maddie is sympathetic to the Rebel cause, and thinks students should be able to choose their own destiny- however, she is fine with that chosen for her.
Relationship (Raven Queen)- Maddie is devoted to Raven's cause, and an extremely-sympathetic ear. It is Maddie who puts Raven into contact with Giles Grimm, who convinces her that Fairytale characters do not ALWAYS have to "Follow the Book."
Reputation (Nutty)- Maddie is a bit... koo-koo. She makes a lot of weird noises, dances like a loon, is hard for some people to understand, and is known to get into arguments with "Narrators" that nobody else can hear. She also sometimes interprets people's fear and screaming as positive emotions.
Addiction (Tea)

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 6 (36)

-Maddie is a hoot. As Mad as her father is (fun fact: Millinners were known for going slowly mad over the years, due to the fact that hat-making often required the use of mercury. The constant poisoning would cause them to lose their grip on sanity, hence the term "Mad as a Hatter" pre-dating the Lewis Carroll character by years), Maddie is our Comic Relief, and a sounding board for Raven's opinions and complaining. Unlike a lot of that type of character, Maddie is also completely nuts, making weird noises, speaking "Riddlish" (essentially nonsense-speak) and more. She tends to think everything is going better than it is in a very clueless manner (unless people are actually fighting), and reacts to everything with good cheer (she eats something in Wonderland, grows big- in order to sell a new 17" doll, of course- and shouts out "I got taller- YAYYYY!!").
-The only tricky thing with her fun character is that it lacks depth, as she really doesn't display many emotions aside from "Manic Glee". She's very popular, though- packing eight dolls, all with the same colour scheme. She's a particularly-sad victim of the "SameFace Syndrome" affecting the dolls, as she has the same blank expression every other character does, which doesn't really fit her insane character that well.
-Curiously, despite being, well, a HATTER, Maddie doesn't wear large hats- thanks to the uber-haired designs of Mattel dolls, large hats are an impossible fit, and so she ends up wearing little itty-bitty hats attached by headbands (the other dolls in the Hat-Tastic Party line do the same, kind of defeating the purpose of a HAT-BASED doll-set). Her designs are very pink & green, generally with the same hair.
-Maddie is a pretty whacky sort, but packs an important ability- she can hear and understand the Narrators! This can seem rather minor, but in dramatic situations, it pays off- in the first Book, Maddie overhears the Narrator's exposition, and uses it to figure out an important secret, and in Spring Unsprung, The Narrators' daughter Brooke deliberately involves Maddie in the scheme to save the world (against the orders of her parents), by pointing out a pie with a message baked into it.

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ASHLYNN ELLA (Daughter of Cinderella)
Role:
Star-Crossed Lover
Played by: Laura Bailey (Season 1-2), Karen Strassman (Season 3 on)
PL 1 (32), PL 3 (32) with Saves
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Fashion Designer) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+3)
Persuasion 1 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Not-Quite-A-Disney-Princess" Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Ashlynn is thus expected to become the next Cinderella.
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Ashlynn was a Royal at first, having pledged to follow her expected destiny. However...
Relationship (Hunter Huntsman)- Ashlynn is in love with Hunter, the Son of the Huntsman. However, this is an "Off-Book" romance, and disallowed for a "Royal" expected to marry a Prince Charming-type. Ashlynn initially splits with Hunter over this, but soon comes to realize that "just call me Ashlynn Ella... REBEL!"
Relationship (Apple White)- Ashlynn's best friend is Apple, the most-obsessive of staying "On-Book". This causes issues because of the above, though Apple is able to accept it, however critical she is of Apple's decision.
Responsibility ("I'm Late!")- Ashlynn, like her mother, will have her clothing convert to rags if she is late. Even if she's late for class.
Relationship (Wicked Stepsiblings)- Ashlynn's stepsisters are kind of rotten and bitchy.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 4 (32)

-Ashlynn is one of the initial "Power Trio" of Royals, alongside Apple & Briar. Her design is rather plain and uninteresting (just strawberry-blonde hair and a pink/turquouise design), and her personality seems more drawn from the classic "Disney Princess" concept than any other character (showing the standard template of Kindness/Speaking to Animals/Elegance), but her MAJOR role in the series is that of a kind of "bridge" between the Royals and Rebels- her boyfriend is HUNTER HUNTSMAN, who is both a Rebel AND someone from a different story. As this is forbidden, there's a very big Romeo & Juliet vibe going on. Ashlynn is thus one of the most-sympathic Royals, to the point where despite having pledged her destiny, she identifies as a Rebel as of True Hearts Day (where she & Hunter broke up, but then made up). Despite that, she still shows up as part of the "Royal" side of the line. She is also obsessed with shoes. How that differentiates her from any OTHER woman on the planet is beyond me, but it's kind of her thing :).
-Her concept is one of the more-odd ones if you really get into it- part of the Royals thing is that they're after their "Happily Ever After". But... if Ashlynn becomes the next Cinderella, then doesn't that mean that her MOTHER is supposed to die young? And that Ashlynn HERSELF will also die young, should her own daughter inherit the story? What kind of Happily Ever After is THAT? In fact, the book series goes into this, as Ashlynn is apparently mourning her deceased mother- it gives a stronger sense of pathos to her side, especially since she signed the Storybook of Legends and thus knows what her fate will be.
-Ashlynn is a more "plain" character statistically, but can communicate with Animals.

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"As a huntsman, I am sworn to protect helpless damsels! (Raven & Cerise elbow the shit out of him) OW! ... Were you offended by 'damsels', or the 'helpless'?"

HUNTER HUNTSMAN (Son of The Huntsman)
Role:
Star-Crossed Lover, Environmentalist
Played by: Grant George
PL 6 (72)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+9)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Axe), Improvised Tools

Powers:
"Master Builder" Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Building Stuff) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Axe +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Hunter is thus expected to become the next Huntsman, and attack the Big Bad Wolf and spare Snow White's life- he is a protector of "Helpless Damsels".
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Hunter does not wish to slaughter animals, and so rejects his destiny.
Relationship (Ashlynn Ella)- Hunter loves Ashlynn, but they try to keep their relationship secret in order to protect her status as a Royal.
Responsibility (Protecting Damsels)- Hunter has a bit of a heroic streak, and it often leads him in the wrong direction- he is prone to rushing into situations without thinking, and being condescending to damsels he thinks are in need of rescue.
Rivalry (Pesky the Squirrel)- Pesky is seen a couple times (he was probably meant to be a more-important recurring thing), usually causing trouble for Hunter.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 10 (72)

-Hunter Huntsman is one of only two male characters to get dolls in the line (and even then he only appears as part of a two-pack with his girlfriend), and is mainly there to be dating Ashlynn and cause their issues. There's a hint that he's an environmentalist, but this usually gets glossed over and he's a generic "Rebel"- his relationship with Ashlynn is the focus. He's a bit delightfully-goofy at times, getting to play the doofus as this is a Girls' Line and he's a boy character- he overdoes the "Save the Damsels" thing with two Strong Female Characters in Cerise & Raven, and he's too quick to fight anything he thinks is evil (he nearly gets Cerise's secret when he barges in on her family picnic and threatens the Big Bad Wolf, who pretends to be frightened and runs away).
-Hunter is a great physical specimen- the best next to Daring Charming- and is thus a pretty high-PL character, taking up a Bad-Ass Normal kind of role. He can sometimes be a bit clever, but often just says the wrong thing, and his concept of "Deception" can be iffy (he can maintain a Secret Relationship for a long time, but at one point his Cover Identity was "Gunther Guntsman").

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(Sparrow rushes in from a corner Ashlynn's Shoe Shop, randomly playing his guitar to annoy the others)
Ashlynn: "What are you DOING in here, anyways?"
Sparrow: (singing) "I WAS SHOPPIN' FOR LAY-DEEZ SHOES!!"


SPARROW HOOD (Son of Robin Hood)
Role:
One-Note Gag Character
Played by: Todd Haberkorn
PL 4 (42)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Music) 5 (+5)
Perception 2 (+2)
Stealth 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Killer Guitar), Hide in Plain Sight

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +1

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Sparrow Hood is thus expected to become the next Robin Hood.
Motivation (Royal- Sticking To The Script)- Sparrow is seemingly-fine with robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. It doesn't come up in the webisodes, but in the Books he's hostile to Raven over it.
Obsession (Music & Being Annoying)- Sparrow is usually only seen running in and playing guitar.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (42)

-One of the funnier running gags in the series is Sparrow Hood, Son of Robin Hood, suddenly leaping into frame and annoying everyone with his wailing guitar and screlted-out lyrics. Like, that's his ONLY character trait in 99% of his appearances! Somebody's doing something, he runs in all "OHHHH!!" The best use of this is in the "Talent Show" episode, where Raven Queen is trying out her lovely little acoustic guitar solo. Sparrow keeps interrupting her practice ("PRAC-TICE IS FOR LO-SERZ, OHHH!!!") and agitating her, until she finally loses it during the actual competition, freaks out, transforms into a Heavy Metal Princess, and buries him under a mountain of amps and hard rocking guitars.
-The only time we don't see him in this context is when he was hanging out with Duchess Swan, who was being a bitch to everyone. Sparrow finally turns on her when he realizes that nobody wants to hang out with HIM anymore, because he's friends with HER.

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APPLE WHITE (Daughter of Snow White)
Role:
Princess Classic, Main Character, Destiny-Follower
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 10 (59)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 1 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Treatment 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Most-Beloved Student), Jack-Of-All-Trades

Powers:
"Princess Singing" Summon 3 (Extras: Multiple Minions +2, Horde, Variable- Woodland Critters) (18) -- [19]
AE: "Fluttering Eyelashes" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Boys) (8)

"Prim & Proper Princess" Features 1: Never Gets Dirty [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Boy Control +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Apple is thus expected to become the next Snow White, eat the poisoned apple, and be saved by her Prince.
Obsession (Royal- Sticking To The Script)- Apple is by far the most-obsessive Royal in terms of keeping her story intact. She is emotionally-shattered first by Raven's breaking the rules, and then Ashlynn dating Hunter "off-sript".
Addiction (Apples)- Apple is nearly ALWAYS compelled to eat apples. She's REALLY into her character.
---
Relationship (Raven Queen)- Raven was destined to poison Apple and then be deposed, but Apple decided that since their destinies are linked, they should still be friends and roommates. Apple is horrified at Raven's rejection of her Legacy, and repeatedly tries to get Raven to get back "On-Book". She is frequently condescending and lecturing towards her roomie & pal, but eventually comes to realize that it just isn't IN Raven to be evil, and accepts this. Also, it is SUPER-EASY to read slashy stuff into this relationship.
Relationship (Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella- Besties)- Apple's best friends are (or were) fellow Royals, and they generally get along fabulously, even though the other two hold some Rebel sympathies...
Relationship (Daring Charming)- Everyone simply assumes that Daring will be Apple's "Prince Charming", and so they act as King & Queen of the school. However, as they've their whole LIVES to be "Happily Ever After", they see no pressure to date now.
---
Responsibility (Kindness)- Apple can come off as self-centred, but is obsessive about helping people and the community. It IS the proper way to be a Princess, after all.
Responsibility (Drama Queen)- Apple can be a bit... over-dramatic at times. When her Magic Mirror (which exists only to compliment her) is broken, she breaks down in tears. "This is just the WORST thing that's EVER happened to ANYONE!!"
Reputation (The Fairest One Of All)- Apple wishes people would see her as more than just a pretty face.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 4 (59)

-Apple White is the other "Main Character" of Ever After High, and represents the Royals' side of the equation. The show is meant to have fans choose "Royal or Rebel?", but honestly, they do such a number of making Apple appear close-minded and selfish that it's hard to gain a lot of sympathy at times. It's a bit of a mis-step, as you can only KIND OF see her point- sure, her destiny is now up in the air because of Raven's refusal to sign the Storybook of Legends and become the next Evil Queen... but Apple has the GOOD destiny! Half of the student body get BAD endings! And subsequent episodes show her acting condescending, badgering Raven about becoming evil (at one point, she insists that Raven poison her on her birthday), and more. The fact that she acts like a bit of an airhead and a "High School Princess", and that one of her personal issues is that she's so beautiful that people only see her as a "Pretty Face" doesn't help matters- reading the comments on the Webisodes, and you get the impression that EVERYONE hates Apple and thinks she's selfish.
-However, that being said, there are certain depths to the character- in the books, she's given more of a reasoning to stay "On-Book" (she nearly died as a youngster because of not following instructions). One fun webisode showcases all the bad-ass stuff she does when she's NOT being fawned over by the entire male student body (I get the feeling they did that one just to calm the Anti-Apple fans).
-Apple & Raven are, like I said, a bit of a Glinda/Elphaba pairing. You have the blonde Princess with her "by the book" nature, and the quirky, odd, disliked Raven all dressing in black. Given that they're two girls in an adversarial-yet-friendly relationship, the fanbase goes to town on "Shipping" them (I've found a couple blogs devoted to it), and even some Canon stuff makes you think they HAD to know what they were writing (when Apple suggests that Raven poison her birthday cake, Raven suggests that all she's using is some simple ingredients, "And a LITTLE BIT OF LOVE!" with a sneaky grin). I'm more into "Dexven", but "Dexpid" is also pretty cute, so that leaves "Rapple" an opening... but seriously, their bickering is pretty fun- it never hits real depths of anger and hatred like you would perhaps expect, but comes off more like teasing with the occasional condescension.
-I think that, despite the fandom's hatred of her, Apple is voiced very well by Jonquil Goode. I get the impression that the starring role in EAH was a reward for Goode's great voice for Monster High's Twyla- she maintains the same kind of raspy voice, but at a much higher pitch than Twyla (or Cedar Wood) and her lower rasp. It makes for some fun scenes when Apple gets completely melodramatic over something stupid (her breakdown when her mirror breaks is hilarious), or when she's being a bit too condescending.
-Apple is surprisingly a bit of a Skillmonkey (as Class President, she actually manages to get a "Goose Crosswalk" installed in like a couple minutes. Given that this is a CITY GOVERNMENT PROJECT that got done quickly, that's some talent right there), and very persuasive. The Books detail her ability to use Mind Control on boys just by fluttering her eyelashes (most women I know just unbutton the top button on their shirts), and one webisode features pretty much just that (she stops a slapfight between Hunter & Sparrow over a Hocus-Focus Latte with one blink).

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HOLLY O'HAIR (Daughter of Rapunzel)
Role:
Flat Character, Excuse to Sell a Long-Haired Doll
Played by: Colleen Foy
PL 0 (11), PL 1 (11) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Baking) 2 (+2)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 2 (+2)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Features: Constantly-Growing Hair [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Holly is thus expected to become the next Rapunzel, ending up trapped in a tower.
Motivation (Royal- Sticking To The Script)- Holly is a standard Royal.
Relationship (Daring Charming)- Her doll's Profile suggests she has a secret crush on Daring.
Relationship (Poppy O'Hair- Sister)- The two are close, though quite different.
Secret (Not the Eldest O'Hair)- Technically, it is POPPY who should be the next Rapunzel- the two girls decide to ignore this, thus defying the rules.
Responsibility (Always Getting Trapped)- Holly is afraid of heights (too much time spent in towers), and doors tend to get stuck shut behind her.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 2 (11)

POPPY O'HAIR (Daughter of Rapunzel)
Role:
Intermediate Character
Played by: Lindsay Ames
PL 1 (15), PL 2 (15) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Hairstylist) 6 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Features: Constantly-Growing Hair [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. However, Poppy isn't supposed to be the next Rapunzel- Holly is.
Responsibility (Roybel)- Poppy has not decided on being a Royal or a Rebel yet- her destiny is up in the air!
Relationship (Holly O'Hair- Sister)- The two are close, though quite different.
Secret (The Eldest O'Hair)- Technically, it is POPPY who should be the next Rapunzel- the two girls decide to ignore this, thus defying the rules.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 3 (15)

-The O'Hair Sisters are really just "Filler" characters in the overall franchise- added after all of the main cast, they really don't add too much to things. Holly is a standard, generic "Royal", without any real character traits. A running gag in the fandom is to have yet another Webisode that features her in a non-speaking role- even the episode DEVOTED to a doll line featuring her actually used her as a non-speaking Backgrounder! Holly thus exists mainly to sell a doll with super-long, luxurious hair (which I guess is a thing that appeals to little girls). Poppy, on the other hand, is a little bit punkier in design (and one of the only girl dolls in any Mattel franchise with SHORT HAIR), and, when she can't decide on a "side" in the school political arena, she becomes a "Roybel", having seen good parts in both Royal & Rebel.
-The main thing the sisters had as an issue was a hilariously-minor bit when their grandmother reveals that POPPY was actually the eldest twin (by three seconds!... wait, how does that work? Did Rapunzel just fire 'em out like a gatling gun?), meaning that SHE should have become the next Rapunzel! But as Holly ENJOYED that fate, and Poppy wanted to forge her own path, the twins decided to keep it secret from everyone.

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BLONDIE LOCKES (Daughter of Goldilocks)
Role:
The Scrappy, Human Kender
Played by: Julie Maddalena Kliewer
PL 0 (26), PL 2 (26) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+2)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Journalism) 4 (+4)
Perception 8 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+8)
Stealth 6 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"The Master of Unlocking"
Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise) (Flaws: Limited to Locks) (5) -- [6]
AE: Movement 1 (Permeate) (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Limited to Doorways) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Blondie is thus expected to become the next Goldilocks.
Responsibility (Royal)- Blondie has pledged to become the next Goldilocks.
Responsibility (Picky)- Blondie often finds flaws in things others are doing, or what they've made. It's kind of part of her story. She's always looking for something that's "Just RIGHT!"
Relationship (The Three Bears)- Blondie thinks they're great pals- however, they both fear and hate her, since she's always stealing their stuff.
Motivation (Being Taken Seriously)- Blondie wants everyone to think she's royalty.

Total: Abilities: 2 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 3 (26)

-Blondie is probably the least-popular Ever After High character, despite an early and solid push for her character, and it all comes down to her personality. See, Blondie's whole schtick is that, like her mother, she has no concept of personal property, and tends to just take stuff. When people get annoyed, she points out that if they'd WANTED it, they'd have taken better care of it, or that it should have been locked tighter, or that she was just "holding it"... and fans of Dungeons & Dragons can probably already see the connection. Blondie is basically a KENDER, a notorious race of characters seemingly-designed for the most annoying attention-whore at the gaming table to play- notorious for wrecking things for others, causing trouble for the sake of causing trouble, and being a douche with the excuse of "but I'm just having fun!" Kender are ULTRA-HATED amongst more-mature gamers, as players ended up annoying one too many GMs and party-teammates, and even their occasional apologists (*HMMPSFHST!!** ... sorry, threw up in my mouth a little bit there) are rapidly drowned-out by a sea of annoyed players who've had their campaigns hampered by the actions of a player who REALLY wants everyone to know just how NEAT and HILARIOUS he is! .... Seriously, Kender suck.
-So it's all the funnier than Blondie is UBER-hated by the fanbase every time she features in a webisode, and all for basically the same reason (though most of the fans have no knowledge of Kender): She's annoying, jars everything out of whack, and just takes people's things without asking. And she even jostles for attention, trying to convince everyone that she's actual royalty (nobody actually cares), and her school "MirrorCast" is sort of like Spectra's blog on Monster High- interjecting into people's lives. She also criticizes everyone and everything with "Just Right!" jokes that aren't really funny. So the fact that Blondie had a ton of dolls released early on didn't help her much, neither did the fact that her design is way too close to Apple White's (she's also blonde and has an identical build- only her yellow & blue colour scheme sets her apart). After an initial batch of webisodes that seemed to want to make her to be a big part of Apple's "Royal Group" (she's with Briar & Apple in the opening, taking a selfie), she's kind of faded into the background.
-Blondie appears pretty generic on the surface, but her Journalistic Skills, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and ability to simply open locks (either Precise Move Object or Permeate- I was gonna just go with Permeate, but she can wave the locks off of small books as well) are stand-out features.

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LIZZIE HEARTS (Daughter of The Queen of Hearts)
Role:
Antagonist-Gone-Good
Played by: Wendee Lee
PL 2 (30), PL 3 (30) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Deception 3 (+4)
Expertise (Wonderlandian) 5 (+6)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Fashion Design) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Off With ____ Head!" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle, Reach) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Hand Slice +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Lizzie is thus expected to become the next Queen of Hearts.
Responsibility (Royal)- Lizzie has pledged to become the next Queen of Hearts.
Relationship (The Queen of Hearts- Mother)- Lizzie's mom is a bit... "off"... ever since The Evil Queen attempted a takeover of Wonderland years ago. The two also have seen little of each other, as the Queen's evil nearly took over Wonderland, requiring an exiling of the children.
Relationship/Secret (Daring Charming)- In one webisode, Daring did the whole "He made a bet to date Lizzie... but he didn't bet on FALLING LOVE!" thing with Lizzie, and the two found themselves enjoying each other's company. But since Lizzie's expected to be the next Queen of Hearts, this is an "Off-Book" relationship, and so they hide it from everyone else.
Responsibility (Hard to Understand)- Lizzie has picked up some... odd habits from Wonderland. She screams "Off With Her Head!" at people, enjoys cutting things up, and occasionally acts very cruelly... but doesn't actually mean to be that awful.
Responsibility (Wonderland)

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 4 / Defenses: 3 (30)

-Lizzie is a curious one- she initially debuted as a Backgrounder, as often as not just causing trouble with "Off With Her Head!"-related puns, acting selfishly (she randomly grabbed people's "Hearts" during True Hearts Day, getting in the way of Dexter & Raven hooking up), or generally just being nasty. Then all of a sudden she pops up with a more positive attitude, cheerfully helping others, and revealing that some of her personality comes from attempting to be like her mother, and some misunderstandings ("Off With Her Head!" is apparently a perfectly-acceptable greeting in Wonderland). It seems to have started around the episode where Daring Charming bets Sparrow Hood that he can get a date with Lizzie... only to of course discover he actually DOES kind of like her, and she him. A kind Lizzie agrees to date him, but only if they can keep it secret (as she's supposed to be the next Queen of Hearts).
-I think this may be a result of unexpected popularity- after being minor for a while, Lizzie has appeared in a big role in the past TWO EAH TV Specials (Spring Unsprung and Way Too Wonderland). It's probably due to her GREAT design- she looks villainous as all hell with that heart-mark over one eye, and her Queenly regalia, but it's an AWESOME design- one of the few A-class, Monster High-level looks.
-Curiouser & curiouser, Lizzie is one of the only Wonderlandians who speaks with an English accent. Alistair, Bunny & Maddie do not. And OH MY GOD, that scene in WTW where she thinks her mother doesn't love her (long story: Courtly Jester is mimicking Lizzie with a Magic Spell, convincing the Queen that it's Opposite Day. Thus, the Queen tells Lizzie that "I DON'T love you!" and "I HAVEN'T missed you!", breaking her little heart)?? SO ENDEARING! To see her heart break, and sadly wipe tears away- so sad!
-Lizzie is a pretty typical character, sporting some social issues, but is fairly Intimidating for a teenage girl, and has the weird power to wave her finger by things and have them invisibly "slice" open. She usually does this to things like flowers, but once did it to a playing card. I have no idea how powerful it is, really. She's also the official "Fashionista" of Ever After High, having been seen creating the new looks for the girls during Spring Unsprung (a neat set of dress designs that focused mainly on long dresses with black vine motifs everywhere).

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HUMPHREY DUMPTY (Son of Humpty Dumpty)
Role:
Backgrounder, Nerd
Played by: Cindy Robinson
PL 0 (10)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Features 1: May Reattach Limbs [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Humphrey is thus expected to become the next Humpty Dumpty.
Responsibility (Rebel)- Humphrey does not wish to fall apart.
Responsibility (Clumsy)- Humphrey often falls down and hurts himself on things.

Total: Abilities: 6 / Skills: 6--3 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 0 (10)

-Fun Fact: Nowhere in the poem of Humpty Dumpty does it say that the character is supposed to be an egg. And really, why WOULD it? You can't put an egg back together at all! Not that it's particularly easy with PEOPLE, either, but... In any case, the character/rhyme has been combined with a walking, talking egg for reasons that are lost to history.
-Probably the most "Background" of the speaking characters in the series, Humphrey is a stuttering, squeaky-voiced nerd with very pale skin and glasses, generally seen building tech-stuff, or being clumsy and getting into accidents. He has no doll, and has only had focus in one single Webisode (a curious matter, as there are still characters WITH DOLLS that are under-utilized).

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FAYBELLE THORN (Daughter of the Dark Fairy)
Role:
Bitchy Cheerleader
Played by: Haviland Stillwell
PL 6 (92)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10)
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Cheerhexer) 3 (+7) -- Uses Agility
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Ritualist

Powers:
Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

"Location Spell" Senses 5 (Detect Life- Acute & Ranged 3) Linked to Teleport 10 (25) -- [28]
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Invisibility Spell" Concealment (Visuals) (4)
AE: "Go To Sleep!" Sleep 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Thrown Objects +3 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Sleep Spell +3 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Faybelle is thus expected to become the next Dark Fairy, and curse Sleeping Beauty to a century-long nap.
Responsibility (Royal)- Faybelle is perfectly-happy to be a huge villain. Though it's never really explained how she's supposed to curse the baby Briar with a "Sleeping Spell" if they're the same age.
Motivation (Being Evil)- Faybelle is both Head Cheerleader AND destined to be The Dark Fairy. Evil's kind of in her blood.
Hatred (Not Being Invited To Things)- Like her mother, Faybelle doesn't take kindly to being skipped over for invitations.
Rivalry (Raven Queen)- Faybelle has an issue with Raven in the books, owing to Raven's mother swiping the destinies of multiple other villains, including Faybelle's mom (The Evil Queen cursed Sleeping Beauty herself).
Responsibility (Bad Dancer)- Seriously, just look at her moves at the end of Faybelle's Choice. You'd think a Cheerleader would have some moves.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 0 (92)

-Faybelle Thorn is one of the neater designs in the show, and looks so "Non-Standard Character Design"-y that she fits in better with Monster High. She's got an odd skin and hair colour combo, and sports insectoid wings- she's also one of the bitchier students, owing to being happy to follow in the footsteps of The Dark Fairy (the character Disney calls "Maleficent"). The show uses her as an antagonist, who first appears trying to finagle her way into getting invited to a rare forest dance party- she taunts Ashlynn Ella and her friends, works to get them lost in the Dark Forest (which could have gotten them KILLED), but when she apologizes, she's invited along anyways! I was a bit annoyed to see them turn a potentially-interesting villain into a "Friendly Rival" so quickly, as the series kind of lacks proper bad guys, but she's right back to her old tricks in a later one, taunting her friend Duchess Swan over figure skating skills. And she does admit that "I can always be evil TOMORROW!"
-Faybelle Thorn is a trickster and a low-end Magic-User, mostly doing Telekinesis and one Invisibility Spell in the cartoon, plus one "Take Me To _____" spell in her Diary (and some backstory that involves her rhyming a spell to make her kindergarten teacher fall asleep- she got in trouble for... *ahem* "Cursing in Class"). She's barely a Mini-Maleficent at this stage, but her Cheerhexing skills give her a bit of a physical boost.

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DARING CHARMING (Son of King Charming)
Role:
Supreme Narcissist
Played by: Evan Smith
PL 8 (89)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Expertise (Knight) 8 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +10 Attractive)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Equipment 2 (Knightly Gear), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Flashing That Charming Smile" Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Swooning, Limited to Damsels) [2]
"The Ideal Male" Enhanced Advantages 2: Beginner's Luck, Jack-Of-All-Trades (Flaws: Limited to Masculine Activities) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Daring is thus expected to become one of many Prince Charmings to rescue helpless damsels.
Responsibility (Royal)- Daring is the ultimate Royal, wanting to become a classic Prince Charming.
Addiction (Staring At Himself)- Daring is unable to look away every time he catches a glimpse of himself in a reflective surface. He can also not part with mirrors.
Relationship (Apple White, All Women)- Daring is assumed to be the one to rescue Apple White when they're adults, but plays the field now. In one short, he begins dating Lizzie Hearts in secret.
Relationship (Dexter Charming- Brother)- Daring is cool with his "Bro", though often comes off as condescending and belittling without meaning to.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 17 (89)

-Given that it's a school set in a Fairytale Universe, it stands to reason that there are Prince Charmings about. A LOT of Prince Charmings, as there's plenty of myths out there involving one (a large number of tales centre around the girls, but feature some amorphous non-entity male coming in and the last second to save the day, often with a magical kiss. Though in the original Sleeping Beauty, the guy knocks up the girl WHILE SHE'S ASLEEP!). So you see a lot of background guys wearing crowns, but only a couple get names- debuting right early on, but never earning his own doll, is the narcissistic, self-obsessed Daring Charming. Brother to Dexter, and future-betrothed of Apple White, he's constantly staring at his own reflection, and flirting with absolutely every girl he sees.
-Given that he's... well, not an ANTAGONIST, per se, but certainly a semi-unlikeable figure, Daring has yet to earn his own doll, and most people in the fandom aren't taken with him. He's basically every stereotype of a Prince Charming embodied in one person, which is kind of the point. It's kind of interesting though, that the series has been able to make a brave, heroic, upstanding individual look like a negative character (in Spring Unsprung, which reverses a ton of characters' traits, his main alteration is to become a COWARD). His only real "positive" is from the episode where he makes a bet with Sparrow Hood on whether or not he can date Lizzie Hearts, who is notoriously-prickly. It goes in the course pretty much every single time has ever happened in the history of Pop Culture, and so they end up liking each other for realz.
-Daring is the most physically-capable student at Ever After High- it's a major plot point that he's successful and perfect at pretty much EVERYTHING a fairytale male should do, dominating all school athletics and achievements. This is largely in contrast to his unfortunate brother Dexter, who struggles at this aspect of manhood, and thus feels lesser for it. In fact, 90% of the time, when you see Daring do something, it's either as a contrast to his brother, or meant for a sight gag over him staring into a mirror. So he's this funny combination of everything a hero should be, and everything a man SHOULDN'T.

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DEXTER CHARMING (Son of King Charming)
Role:
Shy Guy, Nerdy Hero
Played by: Evan Smith
PL 2 (29), PL 4 (29) with Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Science) 1 (+4)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Enchanting Eyes" Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Swooning, Limited to Damsels, Side-Effect- Blinded) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Dexter is thus expected to become one of many Prince Charmings to rescue helpless damsels.
Responsibility (Royal)- Dexter is a Royal, destined to be one of many Prince Charmings.
Relationship (Raven Queen)- Dexter has a hugely-obvious crush on Raven Queen, mooning over her constantly.
Responsibility (Insecure, Shy & Nervous)- Dex lacks confidence in himself, and is fearful of awkward situations. He is prone to tripping over his words, merging them together (Good + Gorgeous = "Gord"). He can't even bring himself to ask out Raven Queen, despite thinking about her for MONTHS.
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Relationship (C.A. Cupid)- Cupid is one of Dexter's best pals, and the only person he can talk to about his crush on Raven. Sometimes she acts kind of funny, though. "Daring says Cupid likes me. Well DUH- of COURSE she likes me! She's my friend!"
Relationship/Rivalry (Daring Charming- Brother)- Daring is Dexter's superior at pretty much everything, and has all the girls in school fawning over him. Poor Dexter can only compare himself to Daring and feel bad.
Relationship (King Charming- Father)- Dexter's father is as boisterous and loud as Daring is, and never misses an opportunity to lecture Dexter about not being as great as his brother is. To King Charming, Dexter can ONLY be Second-Best (and being Third-Best is absolutely out of the question). This does not help with Dex's inferiority complex.
Relationship (Darling Charming- Sister)- Dexter's twin sister is so beautiful that boys are constantly asking her to marry them- Dex is extremely-protective, getting angry at any boy who comes close. He has no idea that Darling can take of herself.
Disabled ("Overly-Perfect Vision")- Dexter is basically blind without his glasses, requring them at all times. They appear to block his "Enchanting Eyes".
Accident (Clumsy)- Dexter is occasionally accident-prone.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 8--4 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 6 (29)

-Dexter is the kind of character who normally shows up more in works targeted at teen males- the Nervous, Stuttering, Foot-In-Mouth Shy Guy just waiting for his opportunity to ask out the girl he likes ("Hey Raven, you look gord! I mean- Good! I don't even know what gord is..."). Main Characters like this are ALL OVER THE PLACE in stuff like American Pie, so it's kind of funny to see "Nerdy Guy Gets The Girl" used so clearly in a franchise targeted towards younger girls. And it WORKS- the female fanbase has Dex as the clear #1 (sure as hell doesn't match MY High School experience, I'll tell you THAT...). Granted, it helps that he's also super-handsome, and looks like any other attractive male without his glasses on.
-Dex is fun, mainly because he plays off of the other characters so well. His crush on Raven is super-endearing and funny, because he turns into such a mess at times ("Adorkable" is the common Internet phrase). He's ultra-jealous of his brother Daring, feeling that "it's not fair!" that he gets all the girls, and he has a huge inferiority complex surrounding not just him, but their father (who's a thing only in the books, really). His friendship with Cupid is both hilarious and sad, because she's so DESPERATELY in love with him, but Dex is of course a teenage boy and can't read "Girl Code" worth a damn (even though Cupid's ridiculously-obvious about it, to the point of giggling at him and basically implying he needs to just ask her out). Some fans get annoyed that Dexter "ignores" her so much, but they're probably quite young, not getting the joke about his cluelessness. There's a fun bit in his Diary where he is paired with her in Advanced Wooing, and all of his attempts at flirting cause her to faint in a heap! Then there's his protectiveness over his sister, Darling (who is, in turn, protective of him, trying to protect him from the physicality of others).
-Dexter's not as elite as his brother is at, well, much of anything, but is a good bit smarter and more technical. He wouldn't be BAD at the physical stuff if he would stop comparing himself to his brother- one of his major Achilles Heels (Cupid: "You spend SO much time comparing yourself to your brother, that you forget you're GREAT- JUST the way you are!").

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HOPPER CROAKINGTON II (Son of The Frog Prince)- As Frog
Role:
One-Note Backgrounder
Played by: Cam Clarke
PL 0 (29)
STRENGTH
-5 STAMINA -4 AGILITY -2
FIGHTING -2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
None

Advantages:
Attractive (Sort Of...)

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Ultravision, Infravision & Direction Sense) [3]
Swimming 4 (4 mph) [4]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]

"Fun Size" Shrinking 12 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) -- (6 inches) [25]
(-3 Strength, +6 Defenses, +12 Stealth, -6 Intimidation, -1 Speed)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-5 Damage, DC 10)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness -4, Fortitude +0, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Hopper is thus expected to become the next Frog Prince.
Responsibility (Royal)- Hopper is a Royal.
Relationship (Briar Beauty)- Hopper has a big crush on Briar, and constantly seeks to court her.
Involuntary Transformation (Human)- Hopper will tranform back into a teenage boy if he is kissed by a female.
Disabled (Animal)- Hopper cannot easily manipulate objects with their webbed limbs.
Weakness (Lack of Water)- Amphibians require water or moist conditions to survive- many cannot breathe properly without a layer of moisture around them.
Weakness (Small Size)- At their natural size, small Amphibians are vulnerable to large creatures- even without good accuracy. Anything of Size Rank -2 or more (human size and up) using a melee attack on a Amphibian of this scale effectively strike with Burst Area Damage at their strength rank naturally.

Total: Abilities: -20 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 34 / Defenses: 4 (29)

HOPPER CROAKINGTON II (Son of The Frog Prince)
Role:
One-Note Backgrounder
Played by: Cam Clarke
PL 0 (1), PL 1 (1) with Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
None

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +0

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Hopper is thus expected to become the next Frog Prince.
Responsibility (Royal)- Hopper is a Royal.
Relationship (Briar Beauty)- Hopper has a big crush on Briar, and constantly seeks to court her.
Involuntary Transformation (Frog)- Every time Hopper gets tongue-tied (which is often), or even gets female attention, he transforms into a frog. As a frog, he is quite evocative and has skills with the ladies (at least PRESENCE 3)... but is a frog, which disgusts girls.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 1 (1)

-Hopper is one of those characters who's more of a Backgrounder with one solid gag- trying to hit on girls, getting tongue-tied (he talks like an idiot while flirting, "CUPID... your name should be CUTE-pid"), and then transforming into a frog with a quasi-English accent ("Blahst!" he cries, every time he transforms). He's got a thing for Briar, but his penchant for getting nervous always makes him lose control. Note that his Frog Form is both MORE EXPENSIVE and MORE CHARISMATIC than his base Bystander-ish form.

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DARLING CHARMING (Daughter of King Charming)
Role:
Ultrafeminine Girl With Nonfeminine Interests, Lady Knight
Played by: Marieve Herrington
PL 8 (143), PL 10 (143) Stopping Time
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Deception 4 (+8, +12 Attractive)
Expertise (Knight) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +10 Attractive)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Knightly Gear), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Initiative, Fast Grab, Jill-Of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Those Charming Looks" Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Reaction- Being Seen +3) (Flaws: Limited to Proposing Marriage, Limited to Young Males, Uncontrolled) [8]

"Hair Flip- Stop Time" (All Have Drawbacks: 60 Second Time Limit -1) [xx]
Speed 7 (250 mph) [6]
Quickness 8 [7]
Enhanced Fighting 4 [7]
Enhanced Dodge 4 [3]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Improved Initiative 3 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Stopping Time +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Stopping Time w/ Sword +14 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +8 (+20 w/ Hair Flip)

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8
"Stopping Time" Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Darling is thus expected to become one of many Damsels In Distress in need of rescue.
Responsibility/Secret (Rebel)- Darling is actively-opposing her destiny of becoming a Damsel In Distress- instead training herself athletically in secret.
Relationship (Daring Charming- Brother)- Daring commands a lot of attention, and he's very protective of his little sister.
Relationship (Dexter Charming- Brother)- Darling loves her twin brother deeply, as he was one of the only people to support her interest in heroics and adventure when she was a youth. Even, she believes, sliding adventure books under her bedroom door so she could read them as a little girl. While Dex is protective of Darling, Darling is also physically-protective of Dex- trying to keep him safe from the world's dangers.
Relationship (Parents)- Darling's parents are the strongest authority figures out there, intending to keep their daughter soft, weak and feminine. It isn't until the very end of Darling's solo book that we discover a particular secret of Queen Charming...
Responsibility ("Tell"- Callused Hands)- Darling, while delicate-looking and uber-feminine, has very rough and callused palms due to climbing up and down out of her tower all the time. This could be a clue to others as to her true nature.
Power Loss (Hair Flip)- Darling must be able to flip her hair in order to Slow Time- if her hair is encumbered by something, or she can't flip her head around, she cannot use the power.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 14 (143)

-Darling Charming is SOOOOOOOO AWWWWESOMMMMMMMMMMMME...
-The sister of Daring & Dexter, and thus a daughter of a big-name Prince (now King) Charming, Darling is expected to "Follow Her Destiny" and become one of many, MANY Damsels-In-Distress in numerous Fairytales and epic stories that need to be re-told (the "Brave Hero Rescues the Princess" story being so iconic to the human experience that it's one of the oldest stories in all creation). To her benefit, she has been blessed with the beauty of the Charmings (she is SO beautiful, in fact, that once she hit puberty, she was immediately besieged with proposals of marriage from boys & monsters alike). The trouble is, the petite, bouffante-haired Princess Charming doesn't WANT to sit in a castle and wait to be rescued by a hero- she wants to be a hero HERSELF. The solution? Dressing up in armor and KICKING ASS like the boys in the Hero classes get to do!
-This is part of the fun of Ever After High- "Fairytales Done With Modern Sentiment" is ridiculously played-out these days, with countless adaptations (some snide parodies, others heartfelt loving satire) being shown again and again. But because these characters KNOW they're supposed to follow these specific destinies and stories, the parody aspects and the modern interpretations of the stories carry a bit of a different kind of weight.
-Also, the gags in her focus book (A Semi-Charming Kind of Life) are HILARIOUS. Darling, who has been training herself athletically in secret (her father put her bedroom at the top of a tower to prevent boys from begging for her hand in marriage at their door all the time, so she is able to get a lot of working-out done thanks to lifting stacks of books or climbing up and down vines) and is thus in better shape than 99% of the student body, male of female, is forced to attend a class that teaches lessons like "Waiting" (ie. doing nothing for hours at a time to simulate waiting for a rescuer), "Gliding" (Princesses should not be seen "stepping" about, and instead must appear to "glide" across the floor in their long dresses), "Screaming For Help" (there's a funny scene where Headmaster Grimm interrupts the lesson because of all the screaming going on, as girls are belting out "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLP!" at the top of their lungs, but leaves happily upon their explanation), and more. Darling ends up disguising herself as her hapless brother Dexter while he's out sick from Knight Class, kicking ass and taking names on the field. She even tries to help him hook up with Raven Queen.
-The book is so over-the-top in turning her into a superhuman Mary Sue (deliberately so, I have to imagine) that it becomes hilarious- she's simultaneously super-likeable to others, so amazing athletically that she can take on any boy in Knight Class, and so beautiful that boys are prone to begging for her hand in marriage on-sight. She's also an intelligent bookworm, and fights against a society that's prejudiced against her for no good reason (her reading list as a child was enforced by her parents- no action stories at all). It all combines together to make her ultra-fun and amusing. The cartoon has only used her a bit so far- in that she's appeared as a cameo in Spring Unsprung, and revealed herself during Way Too Wonderland, wearing a gigantic "White Knight" contraption that made her look like a buff male in armor. Otherwise, she's a tiny, petite little Marie Antoinette type wearing a frilly Princess Outfit... with ARMOR PLATE over her chest and shoulders, and actively kicking ass like a warrior born. Such a fun little design, and a great character.
-Darling Charming is one of the more-powerful characters in the setting (actually equal to her brother Daring, if not moreso). Her goofy ability to "Stop Time" with a flip of her hair (probably a parody of how beautiful girls in fiction are able to slow the entire room down from the hero's point of view) actually makes her MORE powerful (in the novel, she is able to slow time, run down to the jousting arena, adjust Dexter's lance so that he doesn't miss Daring's shield, and run back, without anyone noticing), but has yet to appear in the webisodes (and might not even appear at all).

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ROSABELLA BEAUTY (Daughter of Beauty & The Beast)
Role:
Animal-Rights Activist, Super-Hippy
Played by: Paula Rhodes
PL 0 (40), PL 3 (40) with Skills, PL 10 (40) with Mind-Reading
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Animal Handling) 8 (+11)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"See Others' True Nature"
Enhanced Skills 10: Insight 10 (+13) [5]
Mind-Reading 10 (Flaws: Limited to One's Inner Nature) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Rosabella is thus expected to become the next Beauty, who falls in love with a Beast.
Responsibility (Rebel)- Rosabella believes that fighting for the rights of others supercedes following one's destiny.
Responsibility (Fighting For Beasts' Rights)- Rosabella finds that the viewing animals and beasts as monsters to slay is abhorrent, and protests this.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 2 (40)

-Fans took to Rosabella Beauty pretty quickly, but she's yet to appear in a significant role as a speaking character in a webisode thus far- even as Darling's roommate in A Semi-Charming Kind of Life she had a minor role. She's Briar's cousin, and an active fighter for the rights of Beasts everywhere. Her only real appearance so far has been in the "Diary" that came with her doll- she fights to get a picked-upon Goblin boy reinstated into the school, and has special vision that allows her to see someone's "True Nature" via colored auras (so like, she's a Super-Hippy). Kind of a fun concept, so I hope she doesn't just end up being Ever After High's version of Venus McFlytrap, a character that really doesn't have anything beyond her one big character trait. Also, she's the only female character so far to wear glasses (though in the books, Apple White NEEDS glasses, but doesn't wear them, so as to not give the impression that she's imperfect).
-Rosabella is a pretty simple character so far (there's little to go on), but she essentially has Super-Insight, allowing her to see someone's natural "Aura" (ie. someone being cowardly, bullying, passionate, etc.). Also a bit of Mind-Reading just in case.

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BRIAR BEAUTY (Daughter of Sleeping Beauty)
Role:
Action Princess, Party Girl
Played by: Kate Higgins
PL 3 (47)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+7)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Extreme Sports) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 4 (+5)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Benefit 1 (REALLY Good At Charades), Eidetic Memory

Powers:
"Hears All" Senses 4 (Extended Hearing 4) (Flaws: Limited to While Asleep) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Briar is thus expected to become the next Sleeping Beauty, destined to fall asleep for a century, and be awoken by a handsome Prince.
Responsibility (Royal)- Briar was one of the most-ardent supporters of the "Royal" cause of maintaining their expected destiny, even though it would cause her great pain to lose all of her friends during a one-hundred year slumber.
Secret (Rebellious)- Briar eventually fears and resents her expected destiny SO MUCH that she throws the Storybook of Legends (the real one, not the fake) into the well to Wonderland. She hides this from everyone, even the Rebels.
Accident (Extreme Sports)- Briar often bites off a little more than she can chew, ending up parachuting into trees or the like.
Disabled (Narcoleptic)- Briar is prone to falling asleep on the spot, allowing nobody to wake her.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 4 (47)

-A bit of a generic "Princess" character (that's kind of necessary, though, when you're dealing with a narrative based entirely around Fairytale Tropes), Briar can be seen as a bit conceited and a standard Disney Princess type, but she's got a few wrinkles to the character. Initially, she seemed like a Party Girl/Valley Girl ("If I'm going to SLEEP for a hundred years, I've got to LIVE IT UP NOW!!"), but they started making her an extreme athlete of sorts, trying to experience as many things as possible before she is inevitably cursed and forced to enter her long slumber. Eventually, she came to TRULY fear and resent her destiny, since she'd lose ALL of her friends and family in the process! As time went on, it would be BRIAR, one of the most-ardent "Royals" (she was often seen looking disapprovingly at Raven Queen), who would remove the Storybook of Legends from the equation, tossing it into Wonderland to avoid ever having to live out her destiny. And thus, one of the last hold-outs of the Royals changed sides. Albeit in secret. Until Way Too Wonderland, where it was revealed, and Raven allowed all of the students to be free to choose their role in life.
-Briar is physically-fit thanks to her extreme hobbies, but also fits the "Princess Classic" concept a bit. She's also able to hear anything around her, but only while she's asleep. AND she's phenomenal at Charades- she effortlessly-deciphered a 43-word story about True Hearts Day from Cupid as fast as the girl was miming elaborate symbols. I dig the design, too- contrary to the more-generic Apple, Blondie & Ashlynn on the Royal Side, Briar's all Pink & Black look gives her an edge- where she looks very much the Princess, but also has these bad-ass black rose-vines all over her leggings and dress.

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KITTY CHESHIRE (Daughter of The Cheshire Cat)
Role:
Shit-Disturber
Played by: Bekka Prewitt
PL 3 (97)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9)
Athletics 8 (+8)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Wonderland Native) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 7 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Eidetic Memory

Powers:
"Cat Traits"
Movement 1 (Safe Fall) [2]

Teleport 10 (Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity) (Extras: Accurate, Extended) (42) -- [43]
AE: Movement 1 (Dimensional Travel 1) (2)
"Invisibility" Concealment (Visuals) 4 [8]
Features: Quick Change Clothing [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Kitty is thus expected to become the next Cheshire Cat, and aid Alice/Alistair on a merry chase.
Responsibility (Neither Royal Nor Rebel)- Everyone argues as to which side Kitty belongs. She doesn't seem interested in the debate, and prefers to keep it to herself.
Motivation (Chaos)- A true Internet Troll in physical form, Kitty's out to raise havoc and cause disturbances wherever she goes.
Relationship (The Cheshire Cat- Mother)- Kitty's mom is a TRUE prankster, and is always needlessly-hurtful to her daughter about her "pedestrian" pranks. The Cheshire Cat once hid the Storybook of Legends, which nearly destroyed all of Ever After... for a LAUGH!
Responsibility (Wonderland)- Kitty is a Wonderland native, and gets along alright with her friends from there (Lizzie, Maddie, Alistair & Bunny).

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 54 / Defenses: 7 (97)

-Kitty is kind of the "Toralei" of Ever After High- an antagonistic she-bitch out to raise havoc for havoc's own sake- in the webisodes she's downright cruel, at one point threatening to expose Cerise Hood's parentage to the world (which would get her parents in a LOT of trouble). However, in the TV Specials, she's seen more sympathetically- she pranks and raises hell because that's her JOB, and her own mother is a bit of a stern teacher in this sense, often voicing her disapproval in Kitty's lamer physical pranks. In Spring Unsprung, Kitty takes near-centre-stage, helping out the heroes (especially her Wonderlandian friends), and even disobeying her mother- defeating her in a contest to get the Storybook (The Cheshire Cat made Kitty "come and get it" by crossing a chessboard that freezes people who step on the wrong spot... Kitty simply cut the Gordian Knot and teleported across it, earning her mother's approval by being sneaky and pointing out that "you didn't say HOW I had to come get it".
-And yeah, Mattel REALLY loves adding Catgirls to their franchises. They must sell like NUTS or something. Kitty herself is a Trickster Archetype, stealthy and prone to lying, threatening and secret-spilling. She has a quirkier Power-Set than most EAH characters, owing to her Teleportation, ability to travel to Wonderland, Invisibility, Quick Change (in Spring Unsprung, jealous over the great designs Lizzie made for some of her friends, simply creates her own dress out of... Magic, I guess?) and Safe Fall (because of her Cat-Like nature). And no, they never really explain why the Cheshire CAT is just a Catgirl, whereas the White Rabbit's Daughter is a girl who turns INTO a rabbit. Forget it, Jab- it's Wonderland.

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DUCHESS SWAN (Daughter of The Swan Queen)
Role:
Alpha Bitch
Played by: Stephanie Sheh
PL 4 (60)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 11 (+12)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Dancing) 10 (+12)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Agile Feint

Powers:
Morph 1 (Swan Form) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Duchess is thus expected to become the next Swan Queen.
Responsibility (Royal)- Though she does not like her eventual fate, Duchess accepts it. She is not above trying to switch her destiny with that of another Princess, however- her fate has also made her bitter and envious of others.
Reputation (Bitch)- Duchess is so unpleasant that people actively worked a huge con just to avoid her coming to their party (since she was naturally going to spoil it). Similarly, Sparrow Hood got a lot of crap from others, and wasn't invited to the True Hearts Day Dance, just because he was friends with her.
Involuntary Transformation (Swan)- When she's angered, Duchess can transform into a swan. She's also a horrible singer- her lyrics all come out as honks!

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 3 (60)

-Another semi-necessary "Bitch" character, newer character Duchess Swan is the daughter of the protagonist of Swan Lake, and is thus doomed to be transformed into a swan forever (I'm pretty unfamiliar with that fable, though). This has made her a bitchy, cynical person out to punish others. And oddly, she's one of the few characters in the franchise to have black hair (though it's almost half-white). She's a bit odd in some shots, as she spends all of her "walk cycles" dancing around like a ballerina. Fairest on Ice, a new set of three redesigns, features her in a major role alongside Ashlynn Ella & Poppy O'Hair, and the webisode had her trying to imitate and improve upon everyone else's dances. Unfortunately, she ends up copying what Poppy was doing ACCIDENTALLY (ie. spiralling down into a... lower ice pond), and so nearly gets dunked into the ice water. I find the FOI look to be MUCH better than the original- her hair looks better with only a few streaks, and the High-Heeled ICE SKATES are wonderfully-impractical (surprisingly, doll collectors note that her doll can STAND ON HER OWN despite the insanity of her footwear).

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ALISTAIR WONDERLAND (Son of Alice in Wonderland)
Role:
Background Guy
Played by: Robbie Daymond
PL 2 (37), PL 4 (37) Defenses
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Expertise (Wonderlandian) 4 (+6)
Insight 1 (+3)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Duchess is thus expected to become the next Swan Queen.
Responsibility (Royal)- Alistair is perfectly happy to be the next "Alice" in Wonderland. Though... he lives there, and isn't a visitor from the real world. And is a dude.
Relationship (Bunny Blanc)- Alistair has a crush on his friend Bunny, but believes that Bunny thinks of them as a platonic duo.
Relationship (Other Wonderlandians)- Alistair grew up with Lizzie, Kitty, Maddie & Bunny, and is close with them all.
Responsibility (Wonderland)

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (37)

-Alistair Wonderland, a pretty fun play on words, is a bit of a stand-out in the series, as he both looks less like a Fairytale Character than anyone else, and he reverses the gender of his parent. Also, he's a native Wonderlandian apparently, and not a visitor who's startled by the strange land. He grew up a close friend of the other characters (all girls), and pals around with his best bud, Bunny Blanc. The two have a pretty cute thing where they're clearly in love with each other, but totes think the other believes them to be a platonic pair. This leads to a lot of awkward situations where they touch and go all "OMG *blush*!" and what-not, and there's a funny bit where Apple hugs Alistair for bringing the Storybook of Legends back to Ever After, and Bunny gives them the DEATH GLARE, then a voiceless "hmph!" look as Alistair pleads for understanding (this is mostly character animation, and proof of how good they are with the series' Flash system).
-He's also notable for being based around all of the things that preteen girls find attractive, and so he's got a ton of young female followers online. Somethin' about that lightly-tousled hair and Generic Pretty Boy look that does it for people. He's one of THREE male characters with dolls, adding to things as a new character. Unfortunately, he's a bit one-note, and doesn't really DO that much in the stories- he just brings the Storybook of Legends in Spring Unsprung, and doesn't matter to the plot after that. Even Way Too Wonderland leaves him in Ever After, and his appearances in the webisodes have all been non-speaking ones.

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BUNNY BLANC (Daughter of The White Rabbit)
Role:
Background Girl, Bunnymorpher
Played by: Karen Strassman
PL 3 (38), PL 4 (38) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+5)
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Expertise (Wonderlandian) 4 (+5)
Insight 1 (+2)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Rabbit Form" Morph 1 (Feats: Metamorph) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Bunny is thus expected to become the next White Rabbit, and lead Alice/Alistair to Wonderland... where he already lives.
Responsibility (Royal)- Bunny is perfectly-happy to become the next White Rabbit.
Relationship (Alistair Wonderland)- Bunny has a crush on her friend Alistair, but thinks that he thinks of them as a platonic duo. She grows incredibly-jealous if he's seen getting close with other girls, and pouts if another girl touches him.
Relationship (Other Wonderlandians)- Bunny grew up with Lizzie, Kitty, Maddie & Alistair, and is close with them all.
Responsibility (Wonderland)

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 7 (38)

-Bunny Blanc is yet another humanized version of an animal character, being the human-looking daughter of the White Rabbit, albeit with little "lop" bunny ears. And an outfit that looks dangerously fetish-y for a little kids' franchise. I like the little character bits they give her (in Spring Unsprung, she gives Alistair & Apple SUCH a dirty look when the latter embraces her love interest), and her hair has great animation considering it's so short... but like Alistair, she doesn't really DO much or get involved in the plot. Once the Storybook of Legends gets in the hands of the Cheshire Cat, they really don't matter too much.

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CERISE HOOD (Daughter of Red Riding Hood)
Role:
Underutilized Character
Played by: Rena S. Mandel
PL 6 (86)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 11 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+11)
Deception 6 (+6)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+5)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Big Bad Family Secret"
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Cerise is thus expected to become the next Red Riding Hood, and be threatened by the next Big Bad Wolf.
Responsibility (Rebel)- Cerise thinks that everyone should be allowed to choose their own destiny.
Relationship (Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf- Parents)- Cerise loves her parents deeply, but the three of them must hide their relationship from others.
Secret (Hairy Family Secret)- Cerise's parents are the original Rebels, and if it's ever found out, they could ALL be in serious trouble! Her wolfy heritage (her pointy ears) is hidden by her red cloak, and
Addiction (Meat)- Cerise can often be seen chowing down on gigantic chunks of meat.
Temper- Cerise can get threatening very quickly, and will start growling and snarling sharply if she (or her meat) is threatened.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 14 (88)

-Probably the most shamefully-undertutilized character in the franchise is Cerise Hood, the innocent-looking daughter of Red Riding Hood... and the BIG BAD WOLF! Packing wolf ears (hidden underneath an omnipresent red hood), enhanced stats and a violent temperment, she is GREAT fun, but only gets a few shots here or there in the webisodes, and doesn't even feature that much in the TV Specials (despite having a new look in Spring Unsprung). Given that she's got one of the most-sympathetic backstories (she can't even embrace her father in public), some of the funniest gags (frequently, characters will startle her or ask for some of her meat, and she'll go yellow-eyed with fury), and a great overall design (looking like a cute innocent, but being one of the tallest girls) and being a giant bad-ass (she dwarfs even DARING's time on jogs, taunting him- "With THAT kind of time? I don't think so"), this is really unfortunate.
-Cerise is extremely-popular with the fanbase owing to all of that, and they tend to get annoyed at her mis-use. Funny episodes like when she meets her family on a secret picnic, and her father has to pretend to be frightened of a protective Hunter Huntsman, are mere drops in the bucket compared to the oodles of attention Ashlynn & Briar get, and I feel like they're a lot less fun. Hell, we see more of CEDAR than Cerise at times! Part of the problem might be a focus on the physical gags of her snarling at others, and the fact that she doesn't have major relationships with other characters- Ashlynn & Briar are Apple's BFFs. Cedar is one of Raven's closest confidantes. Cupid interacts with everyone. Cerise, by contrast, is a classic introvert who spends most of her time by herself. It's really too bad they don't get more out of her.
-Cerise is possibly the most bad-ass person in all of Ever After, dwarfing Daring's physical achievements in many respects (she's a LOT faster and scarier). The only issue is that she's never seen FIGHTING or anything (her "Bookball" webisode is the closest thing, showcasing dodging skills).

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COURTLY JESTER (Daughter of The Joker Card)
Role:
Wannabe Queen
Played by: Paula Rhodes
PL 10 (106)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 9 (+10)
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Wonderlandian) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+7)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 1

Powers:
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]

"The Evil Queen's Spellbook" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [23]
"Imitate Others" Illusion (Visuals & Hearing) 10 (30) -- (31)
AE: Blast 10 (20)

Force Field 6 (6)
-- (37 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Magic Blast +6 (10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+9 Force Field), Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Courtly doesn't really HAVE any kind of legacy to follow, though- she's just kind of there.
Motivation (Power)- Courtly wants ALL the power- she wants to write herself in as the ruler of Wonderland.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 5 (106)

-Okay, I just have to say it... COURTLY? THAT'S the name they went with? The name "Courtney" is RIGHT THERE. I'd also ask about the fact that she's the daughter of some "Joker Card", but really- that's about as normal as Wonderland gets in this series. There ARE talking Cards, and God knows the freaking WHITE RABBIT has a human daughter, so this is just a drop in the bucket of weird.
-Courtly Jester was introduced in Way Too Wonderland as a vile antagonist (Monster High movies typically did the same thing- bringing in non-Doll characters to be the major bad guys), but is getting her own doll eventually. Good thing, too- she's got a pretty cool design- a play on the Lizzie Hearts design, but with the crack-addled bonuses of Wonderland's craziness in full force. Initially speaking with a Cockney accent, then kind of going for "various British accents" (which fits the character, really), Courtly seeks to take over ALL OF WONDERLAND. She's helped in this goal by The Evil Queen, who is affecting the world from outside her Mirror Prison- Courtly picks up a Book of Spells that gives her great power. And when she gets a hold of the Storybook of Legends (the real one), she plans on using it to take Lizzie Hearts' place as the next Queen, gaining a ton of power. Also, she's the Principal of Wonderland High. Which only has one day of classes. None of which makes sense. Which is perfectly in keeping with Wonderland.
-Courtly is pretty much the only "Pure Evil" character seen so far. She damn near takes over Wonderland until Raven Queen manages to sign the Storybook for real, inheriting the full power of her mother. This turns her into a MONSTER, as she annihilates Courtly regardless of what magic power she has, then nearly executes her fallen opponent (until Apple jumps in the way and stops it). She's not overly-powerful on her own, but with the Evil Queen's Spellbook, she's around PL 9-10, and able to thump all the girls at once with Power Blasts and Force Fields backing her up. It's only when Raven hits PL 12 that things turn against Courtly.

Headmaster Grimm is in charge, and is an almighty douchebag. He threatens than Raven Queen will disappear (ie. die) if she doesn't sign the Storybook, and when she doesn't, and calls him on that fact, he just yells at her. He threatens everyone that NOT signing will have "Dire Consequences!" but never explains what they are. He also yells at anyone who tries to rock the boat even a little bit, such as when Cupid discovered a hidden holiday (True Hearts Day)- he threatens to shut the whole party down.

In the books, he's even worse- following around Raven Queen (who's shown a disinterest in signing the Storybook) and inventing lies and fake evidence of what'll happen if she doesn't (such as a skeleton of some girl who didn't sign, with a fake message she "wrote on the wall" stating "I SHOULD HAVE SIGNED THE BOOK".

In both continuities, he imprisoned his brother Giles, who believes that students should be free to choose their own destiny, beneath the school, and placed a spell on him that he could only speak "Riddlish". The only thing keeping him from being SUPER-evil is the fact that a lot of this is played for laughs (like him watching Raven's guitar solo and demanding it be "MORE EVIL!").

HOWEVER...

There are strong hints that all this signing/not signing business could have actual consequences, largely based around what Raven's mom: The Evil Queen. When Raven doesn't sign the Storybook, Milton Grimm watches a magic mirror that echoes her laughter. AND, he definitely seems to believe that people following their own destiny will eventually destroy their stories, and thus destroy the entire realm of Ever After. Whether or not this is TRUE is unclear, but HE certainly seems to buy it.

And also, he and his brother make peace really quickly.

The Other Faculty:
Rumpelstiltskin- Gives impossible assignments, and punishes failure by forcing the students to spin gold for him.
Baba Yaga- Is on Headmaster Grimm's side, and helped form an "Intervention" to get Raven to be more evil. Also heads Home Evilnomics, where one assignment is to turn an ANIMAL evil.
Giles Grimm- Wants the students to follow their own destiny.
The Pied Piper- Simply the muse-ic teacher, nothing more.
Evil step-librarians - Current librarians
Gold - Royal advisor/Unspecified teacher (possibly no longer employed)
White Queen - Teacher of Princessology and Kingdom Management
Mr. Badwolf - Teacher of General Villainy
Gingerbreadman - Teacher of Grimmnastics (standard "Coach" character)
Jack B. Nimble - Unspecified teacher, likely of Storytelling 101
Poppa Bear - Teacher of Beast Training and Care
Momma Bear - Unspecified teacher possibly of Cooking Class-ic
Maid Marian - Teacher of Damsel-in-Distressing (appears to dislike it)
King Charming - Teacher of Heroics 101 and possibly Advanced Wooing (never seen in the show)
Mother Goose - School Counselor
Card - Teacher of Art
Knight - Teacher of Wooing 101 and Hero Training

---

"All I wanted was a LITTLE help manipulating my little sister into MARRYING a Prince to make me fabulously wealthy and powerful! Is that too much to ask!?!"

MONSTER HIGH- BOO YORK, BOO YORK:

The latest movie in the franchise is only a few minutes shorter than the typical ones, and ALSO comes with the 46-minute Ever After High: Spring Unsprung movie. That makes it overall one of the best deals in the franchise!

This one's based around Catty Noir, the big "Idol Singer" of the series, and is actually a MUSICAL. One one hand, the songs are relatively well-produced and sound like modern pop. On the OTHER hand, the songs... sound like modern pop. Complete with over-use of Autotune like a motherf**ker. Catty angsts over trying to write a love song, as she's never BEEN in love. Meanwhile, Cleo's father (The Mummy) recognizes the importance of a date with a Macguffin Comet, and pulls his two daughters (Cleo & Nefera the Alpha Bitch) to "Boo York" with him, and Cleo decides to invite a ton of her friends (Frankie, Clawdeen, Draculaura, Operetta & Catty, who's searching for her "New Song").

It's 7:46 in before they put on their outfits to advertise the new doll line- I think that's a new speed record (if you don't count the one where they STARTED in those outfits and then switched back to normal for the rest of the thing). Given that Deuce normally dresses like a "Bad Boy", and acts like a Bored Surfer Dude, his "Neon Green Eurotrash" look is kind of a clash. Cleo and Nefera though are in their best costumes EVER- the whole "Egyptian" thing really comes of well in this series' designs. We meet Luna Mothews & Elle Eedee within ten minutes for cameos. A DJ party in the most sparsely-crowded Times Square EVER (seriously- I've seen it busier at 3 in the morning).

There's parodies of many Broadway productions- you can see a poster that looks like the distinctive, iconic one for Wicked, though I particularly loved Bats. The horrifyingly-bad puns are in full force here, which is amazing- they're on Hexington Avenue, Times Scare, Spectral Park West, and the Upper Beast Side- I LOVE IT! Nefera schemes to break up Cleo & Deuce so that Cleo is free to marry Seth Ptolemy, the heir to Boo York City, and they do so in a hilariously-over-the-top Autotune Sad Song that only lasts all of two minutes (a routine for this show, actually). Cleo is supposed to marry Seth Ptolemy, but Seth (in disguise as the rapper "Pharaoh") falls in love with Catty instead (in the classic "they hang out for two seconds and are now in love" thing), rejecting their parents' plan to unite their two dynasties over the light of the mysterious Comet.

Curiously, meeting the "Four New Ghouls" set up is slightly-different this time around. Instead of meeting a new character every few minutes, then gathering them into the party, the ghouls just kind of bump into each other here and there, often coincidentally being in the same places. This keeps the "Wandering Cast" down to reasonable numbers, but still doesn't give many of them stuff to do (Operetta seemed like a natural for this, given that she's a singer... but she doesn't speak for the first FIFTY MINUTES- she's just background dressing until then, and she STILL doesn't play a major role!).

Nefera gets involved AGAIN when Seth rebels against his mother, taking away their singing talent and spirits, but after a big Sing-Off (between Luna & Toralei- using Catty's voice in a Bloodway show... wow, they went through workshops, previews and an opening in less than an hour? Impressive...), Catty has her voice back. Everything wraps up in a big hurry (Deuce goes back to Cleo, Seth gets his voice back and even his mother now accepts it, etc.), and then the COMET finally arrives with less than seven minutes to go, which is easily the longest they've waited to introduce a big new character- it's Astra Nova the Alien! And she doesn't really add anything beyond everyone talking about how the Comet "gave them their voice" and stuff. Which... she didn't really DO.

Going through the local toy stores, I noticed some interesting things about the various Mattel-themed franchises (though of course I turned it into a thing based off of the entire toy industry):

* Disney & Mattel have split up, and soon the entire Disney Princess line is going to be produced by HASBRO, instead. This has led to some ugly "F*** You" moves already, as Disney has produced The Descendants, an Ever After High rip-off featuring the exact same concept (the good children of evil villains)- the TV Movie was pretty bad, aside from Kristin Chenoweth chewing the scenery as FREAKING MALEFICENT HERSELF. Hasbro is naturally making the dolls for THAT, while Mattel has produced Monster High-themed Centaurettes, essentially cutting into Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. And now that Hasbro will have the lucrative Frozen stuff going for them, this could get even uglier (word has it that Disney was tired of their franchise being only #3 on Mattel's list, and so went with Hasbro, who's desperate for more action on the girls' side of the aisles).

* Frozen fever seems to have abated- at least stayed put. There are still displays of it everywhere (and EVERY themed kind of thing out there will now have a Disney Princess thing AND a Frozen thing), but now they're just staying there instead of flying off the shelves. A lot of the Wal-Mart-style uglier dolls are rather omnipresent at other locations- I notice the "Showcase" stores (which used to have Infomercial-related stuff, but now largely supply cheap toys) in the malls have a lot of them just lying around. Many of these stores now practically appear STUCK with them, as people went for the same-priced, but MUCH more well-made Disney Store versions (it helps that those, you know, ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS FROM THE MOVIES). One store had $29.99 stickers on them (a ridiculous price- that's $10 more than the Disney Store one), now reduced to $14.99.

* Disney Stores themselves also seem to have as much Frozen merch as they need, though the GIANT singing dolls are never around anymore. There were literally fifty-plus Elsas at the West Edmonton Mall Disney Store, which seems excessive- having THAT many just makes it look like you're not selling any at ALL (though Disney Stores are notorious for keeping 800 of everything on the shelves- this is practically just making Elsa only SLIGHTLY more-common than Rapunzel, Belle & Cinderella).

* Disney Fairies stuff is still kind of around, but in smaller numbers. The dolls have sold enough to be reduced to a small section of most Disney stores, but they've only been selling Tink, Periwinkle (who remember was only in ONE MOVIE like four years ago now) and Fawn. Curiously, the only real signifier of the franchise's success anymore is in bookstores, where they're STILL coming out with new Fairies collections ever week.

* Speaking of Disney Books, there are now literally FIFTEEN kinds of Frozen book out there. They've basically released and re-released all the illustrated books out there, and now collected editions are coming out. They're at least quite well-made and well-illustrated, but it's odd to see so many books this far after the movie came out. Maybe they're making up for the fact that they ran out so quickly when the movie first hit big? Books take a bit longer to produce than making the same couple dolls over and over again, I suppose...

* Monster High still appears to be VASTLY more popular than any single other franchise, taking up entire sections of Toys R Us aisles (more than even Barbie in some cases). Every store containing both features about five times as much MH stuff as its sister franchise, Ever After High. One Wal-Mart I visited actually had ALL of their EAH stuff on clearance! That would almost not bode well, except they're still steadily releasing new characters and have a Netflix-based series of webisodes that's fairly popular. In fact, EAH's online presence seems to outstrip MH's by quite a ways.

* Plenty of figures seem to have difficulty selling- I actually don't see a lot of success from the Haunted film, particularly as Porter Geiss & Kiyomi Haunterly figures are still absolutely EVERYWHERE, being classic "Shelfwarmers." While the male figures are usually "shortpacked", leaving few left, there's still tons of both. Meanwhile, I've seen only a handful of Vandala Doubloons figures out there, but I have never seen a SINGLE Spectra movie doll, nor River Styxx, in any location I've ever visited. That's beyond Shortpacked and more "just didn't come out", practically.

* One Toys R Us had WAY too many Wydowna Spiders- literally at least fifty. As a result (of what I assume was a packaging mistake or SOMETHING), they were on a HUGE discount, as it's normally a pricey figure. Though Monster High is all about Creepy Goth-y Stuff, I think a six-armed girl with jet-black skin and RED EYES was a bit too much for most little girls. The other big Shelfwarmer seems to be Operetta, who often appears in large numbers at various Wal-Marts I've seen. Which is odd, because she gets a lot of plot focus, and a good number of dolls.

* The stuff from Boo York, Boo York, the upcoming film, is selling like hotcakes, with only a few figures remaining on shelves of each character. Except of course for Astra Nova, who's being sold in a big playset that only rich parents can afford. Meanwhile, the other three are being sold in individual packs (I've seen a couple), but ALSO a big three-pack was at one Wal-Mart. And oddly, THAT'S the one featuring the art-accurate version of Luna Mothews (Daughter of Moth Man)- it actually bugged me that her amazing design wasn't initially-showcased in the doll's costume. Cleo De Nile's redesign for the movie is EPIC, though Deuce... well, remember when someone commented that the male characters seemed to be drawn more to appeal to gay men, or appear gay themselves? Yeah. The rest of the doll redesigns (from both Boo York and the Freak du Chic Circus lines) look pretty awesome, especially considering the line has so many "meh" interpretations with poor themes ("School Cafeteria" and "Save Frankie" being some of the lamer ones).

* The "Gooliope Jellington" doll is HUGE. And you can really tell just how oversized the characters' heads are when you see one on that scale (17")- her head's the size of a baseball, and it's on a spindly little body.

* Mattel is REALLY going Full Steam Ahead with their film series- even before BYBY is out, there's already teasers and stuff for Great Scarrier Reef, and images of its three new characters. One of them is a four-armed Squid Girl, and another has TWO HEADS. God I love this weird-ass series and its weird-ass toys... could you imagine 20-25 years ago looking down the Barbie aisle and imagine they'd be advertising TWO-HEADED FREAK dolls to little girls?

* Regarding Ever After High, it's a bit odd to see in contrast to MH, because there are far fewer characters, even a couple years into things (there were DOZENS of MH charaters by this point in that franchise). This means that you get a lot of "repeat" dolls in new costumes, just like MH, but it feels more pronounced because it's JUST the same few characters. Is it normal for girls to get multiple versions of the same character, or do they tend to just get one in whatever "look" they currently have? I know with BOYS toys, there tends to be fewer "duplicates" like that (though there definitely are some- I had multiple versions of Donatello and Leonardo, for example... it's just way less-common).

* Oddly, the MOST-duplicated character? C.A. Cupid- she's EVERYWHERE on the shelves- with like five different dolls! That could theoretically not be a good sign (ie. the dolls are on the shelf because they didn't sell), but if they made FIVE, then they must be doing something right. I think her EAH look- with the bright pink hair, less-obvious "heart" lipstick (which makes her look ghastly in the Monster High original design), pink outfit and feathery wings- is probably responsible for that. She's pretty easily the "girliest" design in the series- and given that this series is like an orgiastic display of increasingly more-complex dresses, that's saying something.

---

Regarding the BOYS' stuff, it's the same-old story. Same Star Wars, Transformers, TMNT and other stuff. Because the competition is more intense, and contenders more numerous, they have smaller sections comparatively than almost any Girls' Franchise. LEGO has now dominated half of many toy stores, with increasingly-complex sets. The "Girl Lego" is actually becoming very popular, much to the chagrin of feminists who hated the idea of even LEGO slapping pink paint and elves onto toys and thus changing the target gender (no really- Lego Elves is a thing).

Power Rangers is now catering largely to nostalgia, as Dino-themed Rangers are back in fashion, and they sell a lot of toys for the original series. I remember loving it when it first came out, but the only toys available were ridiculously-big and a bit too expensive to justify getting.


I liked the movie- though I can see why Netflix would want the stuff to be exclusive, it's a bit annoying to have to jump through hoops online in order to watch it. I SUPPOSE I could guy start getting Netflix, but I'm CHEAP and like having just PVR'd stuff to watch, dang it!

Some notes:
* I do appreciate how they don't copy the "Monster High Formula" for these TV Specials. You know- "Start an adventure, grab a handful of friend characters (mostly Main Cast; a couple outliers...), meet four new characters over the course of the adventure- giving each one a two-minute introduction before shuffling them into the main group, The End". Here, we actually get established characters doing things, and only a few "New Dolls" to push. AND we get to see more than just the "Main Five" in the Specials.

* Yeah, it's weird to see Alistair & Bunny essentially as nothing. Especially since they've yet to appear in the Webisodes, so this is the only place to see them!

* Briar, Kitty and even Lizzie didn't really matter much to the overall plot. Lizzie's main thing was to interact with her mother- she & Kitty are mostly there because... well, it's WONDERLAND! Still doesn't explain why Alistair & Bunny had to sit this one out (well, the REAL REASON is of course "Their dolls just came out, so we don't have Way Too Wonderland versions of them just yet", but they could still push them more- they're newbies!).

* The whole bit where they're trapped in the school and have to do weird things to Graduate screams "Wait, what? This is going to be SIXTY MINUTES LONG? *#$%- time to create some Filler!" on the part of the writers.

* Raven going Super Saiyan? Complete with vast power displays, a Satanic voice and that shot of her slowing hovering with flames coming out all over the place? EPIC.

* The bit where she nukes the Storybook of Legends and Apple accepts Raven's true nature is just... WEIRD. Seriously, this is the ENTIRE NARRATIVE of Ever After High- the whole Royal/Rebel thing, and whether or not somebody wants to accept their destiny! And they just nuked it like that! However... I can sort of see why- it's been a couple years in for the franchise, they've released a ton of specials, and they probably want to "shake things up". You don't want to do the same stories forever, after all (and how much longer could we see Headmaster Grimm go on about keeping it on-book and not get sick of it?). Plus, they COULD theoretically keep the whole concept intact- just dropping the "Storybook of Legends" aspect of it.

* Apple realizing that Raven isn't evil is understandable... but feels kind of "Out of Nowhere"- they didn't even really play it up for any part of the movie. Apple simply pops up and is like "but it's just not IN you to be evil!", even though that hadn't been part of the theme of this movie at all. Even having bits where Apple doubts Raven, considers her personality, or realizes that Raven is a heroic person would have been helpful.

* Lizzie's character is always a bit odd to me- in the early Webisodes, it seemed like she was a one-note gag ("OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"). Then she was a bit of a villainess (especially on True Hearts Day, where she kept blocking Dexter's attempts at getting with Raven and was acting really selfish). Then all of a sudden she's a positive character, and in here she's pretty much 100% kind. Did they just change their minds on what kind of person she was? But the whole bit where she's crying her eyes out because she thinks her mom doesn't lover her is totally "D'AWWWWWWWWW..."-worthy.

* Darling Charming is terrific- I really liked her solo novel. But such a huge part of her deal was her secret life and the fact that she was SUPPOSED to be a "Damsel in Distress" that having her just reveal it in front of everyone kind of alters the character completely. Especially if everyone's all just like "Hey, okay then!"

* Creating this interesting-looking, dynamic character in the Red Knight just seems mean to the fans, since we all know that Boy Dolls don't sell and rarely get made, so nobody will be able to collect him (as an '80s kid who grew up not getting an Arcee Transformers toy for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, I can relate) :).

* I liked the sense of forboding in the ending- that things were better FOR NOW, but now the Evil Queen's plan is coming to fruition. I hope that figures in to why Headmaster Grimm wants everyone to be Story-Accurate, and was obsessed with the Storybook.



Hm, let's see- I like the line and the show, but there's definitely some stuff out there that I would like changed:

* I wish they'd stop introducing 16 new characters per year, only to default back to the Main Cast. How many times have we seen an interesting-looking new character show up, only for their token "Handful of Webisodes" to pass by and then the character disappears? Look at Marisol & Lorna from the "Exchange" line, the Frights, Camera, Action characters, all four Haunted characters and more! They get a few appearances, and then you never see them again!

This pretty much happens with every new movie, but at least a couple Hybrids showed up in a couple Webisodes! By contrast, Haunted came out half a year ago, and we haven't seen ANY of the four ghost kids show up! They basically exist JUST for that movie! This is so bad with some characters that we actually have ONE-OFFS- Avea & Bonita have never reappeared since Freaky Fusion, Amanita Nightshade & Casta Fierce got their little debut runs and then vanished, etc.

I do at least appreciate that Twyla has gone on to become a very important character (even more than Howleen, oddly enough), and Honey at least shows up in Freak Du Chic.

* Put a new ghoul into the "Main Cast". Seeing the EXACT SAME group all the time makes things look pretty static and dull.

* The "Monster High Movie Template" is getting a little old: A Handful of previously-seen Ghouls (always 3-4 of the Main Cast, plus a few of the more-obscure characters) move off on an adventure, then meet one new character/doll at a time. The four (ALWAYS four) characters introduce themselves with their full names, do one cool thing, and then sit back and do little else for the rest of the movie. They've done this three or four times by now, and Boo York, Boo York is obviously more of the same.

* I wish they would release things in more "even" numbers. It seems like some dolls are just SPAMMED out to stores, while others are impossible to find. I've yet to see a River Styxx or Haunted Spectra in a store- instead, there are dozens and dozens of Porter & Kiyomi Shelfwarmers in every location. And let's not even get INTO Wydowna Spider, whose toys were shipped up to Canada in such massive numbers that I've seen Toys R Us locations cutting the expensive doll to 1/2 price just to get rid of it! And I mean, we KNOW that a doll becoming a "Shelfwarmer" is a sure sign that Mattel won't use that character so much any more (it's probably why Heath & Jackson/Holt never do much anymore), so practically ENSURING that a doll becomes a Shelfwarmer seems like a set-up to kill that character for good.

* A few too many "Generic Friendly Ghoul" characters. It seems like too many characters are given just one quirk (Lorna McNessie loves photobombing; Jane Boolittle likes animals), and they're SUPER-friendly, and they come off the same as everyone else. It makes them very bland, and hard to appreciate unless they have a very cool visual design. Gooliope Jellington for example has a great bio in her Diary, but shows up in her webisode series as a Generic Friendly Girl that immediately fits right in. This even affects some other characters- Cleo became much nicer over time (turning into The Conceited One instead of The Mean One), and if Spectra's character arc in Haunted is permanent, she'll become a lot more bland, to me.

* I want to see more of the actual CLASSES. I mean, this IS a High School, and yet they spend all their time walking around the halls and engaging in whacky antics. Part of the issue is their teachers, who are pretty much all buffoons. I'd like to see real lessons being learned and stuff like that.

* Better CGI in the movies. It's REALLY cheap stuff, with odd walking and characters with funny-moving mouths (they're WAY too animated, resulting in chins flopping all over the place when people speak).

* I want to see more of the "Normies"- one of the weirdest parts of Ghouls Rule! was that we ACTUALLY SEE A HUMAN TOWN, and yet it's never really dealt with beyond "both sides are afraid of the other". When you think about it, this is a REALLLY INTERESTING TWIST, particularly because they're clearly living in a Monster-dominated world (all the cities have Monster-fied names, for example; all the civilians are also Monsters). So are humans second-class citizens or something? Do they just never interact with monsters?

* And one of the weirdest things to me- in a franchise that's based around the Sons & Daughters of famous Monsters... WE NEVER SEE THEIR PARENTS!! You'd think that DRACULA or THE WOLFMAN or somebody like that would become important to the plot, but no- it's like Mattel doesn't want to release Adult dolls, and the makers of the animation don't want to step on Mattel's toes and DESIGN these new characters, and so we're stuck with almost every character having non-existant parents. We only ever get to see a couple, even when it's a plot point about people's parentage (Twyla's father is refered to a LOT, but never seen; Frankie quotes her dad sometimes; Gil's parents are bigots). It's very weird.

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APPLE WHITE (Daughter of Snow White)
Role:
Princess Classic, Main Character, Destiny-Follower
Played by: Jonquil Goode
PL 8 (62)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 1 (+5, +7 Attractive)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +8 Attractive)
Treatment 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Most-Beloved Student), Jack-Of-All-Trades

Powers:
"Princess Singing" Summon 3 (Extras: Multiple Minions +2, Horde, Variable- Woodland Critters) (18) -- [19]
AE: "Fluttering Eyelashes" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Boys) (8)

"Prim & Proper Princess" Features 1: Never Gets Dirty [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Boy Control +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Apple is thus expected to become the next Snow White, eat the poisoned apple, and be saved by her Prince.
Obsession (Royal- Sticking To The Script)- Apple is by far the most-obsessive Royal in terms of keeping her story intact. She is emotionally-shattered first by Raven's breaking the rules, and then Ashlynn dating Hunter "off-sript".
Addiction (Apples)- Apple is nearly ALWAYS compelled to eat apples. She's REALLY into her character.
---
Relationship (Raven Queen)- Raven was destined to poison Apple and then be deposed, but Apple decided that since their destinies are linked, they should still be friends and roommates. Apple is horrified at Raven's rejection of her Legacy, and repeatedly tries to get Raven to get back "On-Book". She is frequently condescending and lecturing towards her roomie & pal, but eventually comes to realize that it just isn't IN Raven to be evil, and accepts this. Also, it is SUPER-EASY to read slashy stuff into this relationship.
Relationship (Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella- Besties)- Apple's best friends are (or were) fellow Royals, and they generally get along fabulously, even though the other two hold some Rebel sympathies...
Relationship (Daring Charming)- Everyone simply assumes that Daring will be Apple's "Prince Charming", and so they act as King & Queen of the school. However, as they've their whole LIVES to be "Happily Ever After", they see no pressure to date now.
---
Responsibility (Kindness)- Apple can come off as self-centred, but is obsessive about helping people and the community. It IS the proper way to be a Princess, after all.
Responsibility (Drama Queen)- Apple can be a bit... over-dramatic at times. When her Magic Mirror (which exists only to compliment her) is broken, she breaks down in tears. "This is just the WORST thing that's EVER happened to ANYONE!!"
Reputation (The Fairest One Of All)- Apple wishes people would see her as more than just a pretty face.

Total: Abilities: 24 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 4 (62)

-Apple White is the other "Main Character" of Ever After High, and represents the Royals' side of the equation. The show is meant to have fans choose "Royal or Rebel?", but honestly, they do such a number of making Apple appear close-minded and selfish that it's hard to gain a lot of sympathy at times. It's a bit of a mis-step, as you can only KIND OF see her point- sure, her destiny is now up in the air because of Raven's refusal to sign the Storybook of Legends and become the next Evil Queen... but Apple has the GOOD destiny! Half of the student body get BAD endings! And subsequent episodes show her acting condescending, badgering Raven about becoming evil (at one point, she insists that Raven poison her on her birthday), and more. The fact that she acts like a bit of an airhead and a "High School Princess", and that one of her personal issues is that she's so beautiful that people only see her as a "Pretty Face" doesn't help matters- reading the comments on the Webisodes, and you get the impression that EVERYONE hates Apple and thinks she's selfish.
-However, that being said, there are certain depths to the character- in the books, she's given more of a reasoning to stay "On-Book" (she nearly died as a youngster because of not following instructions). One fun webisode showcases all the bad-ass stuff she does when she's NOT being fawned over by the entire male student body (I get the feeling they did that one just to calm the Anti-Apple fans).
-Apple & Raven are, like I said, a bit of a Glinda/Elphaba pairing. You have the blonde Princess with her "by the book" nature, and the quirky, odd, disliked Raven all dressing in black. Given that they're two girls in an adversarial-yet-friendly relationship, the fanbase goes to town on "Shipping" them (I've found a couple blogs devoted to it), and even some Canon stuff makes you think they HAD to know what they were writing (when Apple suggests that Raven poison her birthday cake, Raven suggests that all she's using is some simple ingredients, "And a LITTLE BIT OF LOVE!" with a sneaky grin). I'm more into "Dexven", but "Dexpid" is also pretty cute, so that leaves "Rapple" an opening... but seriously, their bickering is pretty fun- it never hits real depths of anger and hatred like you would perhaps expect, but comes off more like teasing with the occasional condescension.
-I think that, despite the fandom's hatred of her, Apple is voiced very well by Jonquil Goode. I get the impression that the starring role in EAH was a reward for Goode's great voice for Monster High's Twyla- she maintains the same kind of raspy voice, but at a much higher pitch than Twyla (or Cedar Wood) and her lower rasp. It makes for some fun scenes when Apple gets completely melodramatic over something stupid (her breakdown when her mirror breaks is hilarious), or when she's being a bit too condescending.
-Apple is surprisingly a bit of a Skillmonkey (as Class President, she actually manages to get a "Goose Crosswalk" installed in like a couple minutes. Given that this is a CITY GOVERNMENT PROJECT that got done quickly, that's some talent right there), and very persuasive. The Books detail her ability to use Mind Control on boys just by fluttering her eyelashes (most women I know just unbutton the top button on their shirts), and one webisode features pretty much just that (she stops a slapfight between Hunter & Sparrow over a Hocus-Focus Latte with one blink).

Apple Update:
-A huge amount of Apple's behavior becomes more forgiveable in The Dragon Games, when she gets a phone call from her mother (Snow White herself), who scolds her on falling the "Popularity Rankings" at Ever After High. Yes, it turns out that Apple's MOM is a massive control freak with a popularity obsession, and THIS is a huge chunk of why Apple is the way she is. Not that this forgives ALL of what she does- walking up to the Evil Queen's mirror prison and accidentally freeing her, then agreeing to cover up the release of the greatest villain in forever after just to keep her own popularity. Then, as the blackmail continues, Apple gets more and more competitive in the Dragon Games/Not Quidditch, and even resorts to DIRTY TACTICS to win! However, she tries to make good in the end, and everyone mourns her "death" after she takes a bite from a poisoned apple (old habits die hard). After she's awoken from the curse by Darling Charming (more on that later), she's instrumental in stopping Raven's mother from taking over the entire world. The status quo is a bit changed: Apple & Daring are no longer destined to be together (not that they EVER interacted with each other), and Apple's finally given up on competing with others for popularity. Subsequent webisodes & movies have turned her into a background character for the time being.
-Though I can't say enough about how Jonquile Goode is KILLING IT as Apple in this series- her high-pitched, raspy voice is so perfect for the girly Apple, and her acting in Dragon Games is phenomenal. She pulls off quirkily-weird, mopingly-sad, and even comes off as endearing when she's egging Raven on to be more evil.

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Daring Update:
-Daring is a blast in the Dragon Games- the ultimate Douchey Narcissist, he is first horrified by the fact that he becomes trapped in a prison... WITHOUT MIRRORS! Naturally, this drives him to the brink of insanity (he arrives to one sporting event with a bag literally overflowing with hand mirrors, to put his mindset into perspective here). And then things get even worse, as he is freed to engage in one giant act of heroism: awakening Apple White with a True Love's Kiss. And it does NOTHING. This means that he & Apple are NOT destined to be together forever after, and the entire school body saw it! We end The Dragon Games with the two looking at each other nervously.
-Daring continues forward like this in Epic Winter, when his behavior actually causes the cursed Snow King to transform him into the thing that finally makes it clear WHICH "Prince Story" he's destined to be a part of: he becomes a BEAST! So selfish and arrogant Daring turns into a large, stately lion, and of course commences to mope. Only Rosabella Beauty (who'd never really encountered him before) can bring him out of his funk, and things are rapidly put into motion that shoves them together, as she helps him become less selfish- by the end of the story, his sacrifice for Faybelle Thorn both cures him, and spares her centuries of servitude. The fans seem to have appreciated this "Ship", in spite of the fact that Daring has been a bit of a "Ship-Launcher" in the fandom: he's dated Lizzie Hearts, had a rivalry-then-respect thing with the volatile Cerise Hood, and been a "Prince Charming" to more than one downtrodden girl (dancing with Farrah Goodfairy in her debut). Naturally, young girls go WAY into the whole "Jerk With A Heart Of Gold" thing, though they've established many times that Daring's not ROTTEN- he's just a giant pretty boy who's obsessed with himself.

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JILLIAN BEANSTALK (Daughter of Jack)
Role:
Sporty Girl
Played by: Julie Maddalena Kliewer
PL 5 (60), PL 6 (60) Defenses
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 11 (+14)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Ultimate Athletics Skill

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Jillian is expected to be the next "Jack" of Beanstalk fame.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (60)

-Jillian is a recent character, and like most of them has only received a tiny bit of characterization. She is shown climbing massive beanstalks for fun, and trying to convince cowardly Humphrey Dumpty to become braver. Unfortunately, he bites off more than he can chew, and ends up in danger. Jillian rescues him... but then "screws up" and nearly falls. Humphrey is immediately emboldened by another being in danger, jumps to her "rescue"... and then has to be carried down the rest of the way. It's a cute little story. Naturally, fans have been shipping Jillian & Humphrey madly since then (in what parallel universe are cowardly, scrawny nerds an IDEAL for girls?). Humorously, her character has an accent so vague in comes off like a combination of Scottish/Irish/Australian/South African.
-Unfortunately for Jillian, her doll has a pretty plain design, and she looks NOTHING like the Webisode character, which actually has a pretty good "Sporty-Yet-Stylish" look for a beanstalk-climber. Plus that weird face mold, which is reflected on the box art- there, she looks like a wide-faced girl with minimal make-up and a foresty design- the webisodes give her a TON of frilly, flowery detail, then put a ton of make-up on her. Plus, as a recent character she'll get almost nothing to do.
-For her stats, I gave her a lot of strength and athletic ability, owing to... well, her climbing. I mean, that's her whole THING.

RAVEN QUEEN (Daughter of The Evil Queen)
Role:
The Main Character, Rejecter of Destiny
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 10 (96)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Muse-ic) 4 (+6)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 2 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4, Ritualist

Powers:
"Black Magic"
"ENOUGH!!!" Affliction 10 (Will; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (31) -- [39]
AE: "Teleport Group" Teleport 8 (Extras: Portal +2) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) (24)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 4 (8)
AE: Summon Bats & Vermin 2 (Extras: Multiple Minions, Horde, Variable- Any Evil-Looking Creatures) (10)
AE: "Wilting Flowers" Weaken Stamina 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Flowers, Uncontrolled/Automatic) (2)
AE: "Transform Others" Affliction 10 (Fort; Transformed) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree, Uncontrolled) (5)
AE: Purple Fire Blast 4 (8)
AE: "Let Your Bad Side Out!" Create Guitar & Awesome Speakers 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (14)
AE: "Speed Spell" Affliction 8 (Strength; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Running at Top Speed) (8)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Purple Fire +6 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Speed Spell +6 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Transform Others +6 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Wilting Flowers +4 Area (+4 Weaken, DC 14)
Time Stop +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Raven is thus expected to become the next Evil Queen, and poison Snow White.
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Raven became the first of her class to REJECT her destiny, declaring that "My Happily Ever After STARTS NOW!" She wants to find a happy ending of her very own.
Reputation (Evil, Rebel)- Raven was initially feared because she was destined to become the most evil Fairytale character of them all (Raven's mother nearly took over all of Ever After, as well as going "Off-Book" by invading Wonderland). When she rejected this destiny, she was hated for going "off-book", thus threatening the happy endings of all the other students. As the beginner of the "Rebel" movement, Raven is the most-hated student in the school, and the most-lectured by the teachers.
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Relationship (Madeline Hatter)- Raven's best friend is Maddie. Despite Maddie's insanity, she can make Raven laugh.
Relationship (Apple White)- Raven was destined to poison Apple and then be deposed, but Apple decided that since their destinies are linked, they should still be friends and roommates. Raven finds Apple tiresome, overly-dramatic and a bit annoying, and REALLY doesn't care for Apple constantly pressuring her to become evil (for example, she refuses to poison Apple on her birthday, despite Apple's pleas), but does not want any harm to come to her.
Relationship (Dexter Charming)- Raven finds Dexter to be likeable and easy to talk to, and a good friend- there's little pressure. However, when she discovers that HE put the love note on her locker, she thinks of him a different way ("He's so SWEET, and CUTE!"). However, the concept of going on a date with him makes her extremely-nervous and agitated, causing her confidence to falter.
Responsibility (Kindness)- Raven is actually very kind-hearted and sweet, and tries to help others out- she'll back up Maddie (for Class President), Cerise (covering up her family secret), and more. She will not hesitate to come to the rescue of any student.
---
Responsibility (Black Magic Woman)- Raven is seemingly-destined to only use her Magic for evil. When she attempts to use it for good, things tend to... backfire, and go out of control. If she gives in to negative emotions (such as anger), she can become exceptionally-dangerous, become surrounded by magical energy, and gain multiple voices on top of her own.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 39 / Defenses: 10 (96)

-Raven is clearly and completely the main character of the Ever After High franchise- though Apple appears alongside her in most of the material, the theme song, and the advertising, Raven appears as the central character in more Webisodes and books than anyone else, and it's HER decision to alter the course of her destiny that sets off the entire plot of the series. Raven, as the Daughter of the Evil Queen, is a much-feared girl, and expected to become the ultimate evil, as her mother was. However, being a nice, friendly girl, Raven doesn't WANT to become evil, and goes through a great deal of angst, questioning whether or not she wants to sign the "Storybook of Legends" and set her destiny in stone. Given that intially she's led to believe that she will DIE if she doesn't, this becomes a rather dramatic point.
-Ultimately, Raven takes the advice of Headmaster Grimm's exiled brother, and doesn't sign- she surprisingly doesn't go "poof!", but remains the most-feared girl in school. Half of the students, the Royals, reject her for risking all of their "Happy Endings" out of her own "Selfishness". The other half, the Rebels, end up jumping for joy, and are inspired to reject fate THEMSELVES. And thus the entire series begins on this note- Raven and her pals (some of whom are oddly happy to follow their own destinies- they just think everyone should have the CHOICE) rejecting destiny and forging their own paths. This sense of choice reminds me of what Tom DeFalco said as part of his How To Write Comics panel at the Edmonton Comic Expo- the heroes need to actively make CHOICES and force the narrative to move. This is probably what helps make the Rebels so sympathetic and dynamic, and the Royals so static and dull by contrast- they simply lie back and accept their fates.
-Raven's interactions with the other characters are fun- she's a bit of a generic "Helpful Heroine" to most of the Rebels, but the thing with Apple is great. Apple is AGHAST and emotionally-destroyed by Raven's decision to "Flip the Script", thinking this is a selfish choice- Raven points out that Apple is free from destiny now too, but Apple LIKED her own destiny! This makes Apple come off pretty selfishly, but the girls' arguments become fun, especially since they're both still pretty friendly, and even understand each other (Apple becomes less-upset over time, and tends towards being more condescending and "oh I know you'll come around!"). They're basically a lighter version of Glinda & Elphaba from Wicked, teasing each other and playing up the contrasts- Raven is dark, goth-y and fabulous, while Apple is prim and girly and a total princess. Naturally, a large segment of the fans ship this HARD- "Rapple" has a few blogs devoted to it.
-Raven & Dexter are SO ADORBZ, too- it's super-obvious that Dexter's infatuated with Raven, but naturally she sees him as a friend (despite him being a Royal- his lack of being judgemental is what appeals to Raven). When she sees a love note from a "D. Charming" on her locker, she thinks it's his he-man brother DARING, but is both shocked and actually HAPPY to discover it's from Dex, who she agrees is "SWEET and CUTE!". Their first date was relatively-recent, and featured the two stuttering like imbeciles, being as clumsy as humanly-possible, and apologizing for absolutely everything that went wrong (did Raven accidentally turn them into Canadians?).
-I think the only issue I have with the great Raven character is she's a bit too "nice" sometimes- the Opening Theme features a lot of her rolling her eyes at Apple and destiny and stuff, and it'd be nice if it was played up more often- make her a bit more brassy and full of attitude (it would also help to make things not look so one-sided in favor of the Rebels). You get glimpses of this during the EPIC webisode in which Sparrow Hood annoys her with his guitar playing, causing her to FREAK THE F*** OUT during a Talent Competition, change clothes to a Rocker Grrl look, and summon giant speakers to destroy Sparrow. But usually, she's must too "positive", which has the effect of also making Apple out to be very unsympathetic. A few recent webisodes centre around her trying to get more embarrassing, wacky pictures into the School Yearbook, amd being MUCH more snarky about school policy ("Oh, GAG!" she chokes, responding to Damsel-In-Distressing Class), which comes off so out of character that fans are starting to think her mother's evil is seeping into her! This wouldn't happen if it was more in her character in the first place.
-Raven is rather powerful, but a bit Uncontrolled- most of her powers have that Flaw, so long as she tries to use them for good. Magic can tend to be rather "Variable" with her, but she's managed to Teleport, bring Gingerbread Men to life, create a wicked new costume change and summon speakers, blow stuff up, move objects around, transform people into animals, and even FREEZE TIME ITSELF, generally when she gets upset (when she & Dexter went on their first date, she panicked out of nervousness and froze the whole auditorium save her & Dex).

RAVEN QUEEN (Daughter of The Evil Queen)- POST-SIGNING THE STORYBOOK OF LEGENDS
Role:
The Main Character, Rejecter of Destiny, Full-Powered Form
Played by: Erin Fitzgerald
PL 12 (170)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 5 (+7)
Expertise (Muse-ic) 4 (+6)
Insight 1 (+4)
Intimidation 12 (+14)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 6 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Startle, Ranged Attack 4, Ritualist

Powers:
"Black Magic"
"ENOUGH!!!" Affliction 10 (Will; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (41) -- [51]
AE: Purple Fire Blast 13 (Feats: Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating 9) (36)
AE: "Teleport Group" Teleport 10 (Feats: Change Direction) (Extras: Portal +2) (41)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 10 (20)
AE: Summon Bats & Vermin 2 (Extras: Multiple Minions, Horde, Variable- Any Evil-Looking Creatures) (10)
AE: "Wilting Flowers" Weaken Stamina 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Flowers, Uncontrolled/Automatic) (2)
AE: "Transform Others" Affliction 10 (Fort; Transformed) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree) (10)
AE: "Let Your Bad Side Out!" Create Guitar & Awesome Speakers 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (14)
AE: "Speed Spell" Affliction 8 (Strength; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Running at Top Speed) (8)
AE: "Cutting Disc" Blast 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (36)
AE: "Throw the Card Soldiers" Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (30)

Force Field 12 (Extras: Impervious 11) [23]
"Fix Stuff" Transform 2 (Anything to Anything Else) (Feats: Reach 2) [12]
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Purple Fire +10 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Speed Spell +10 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Transform Others +10 (+10 Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Wilting Flowers +4 Area (+4 Weaken, DC 14)
Time Stop +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3 (+15 Force Field), Fortitude +4, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Raven is thus expected to become the next Evil Queen, and poison Snow White.
Motivation (Rebellion- Re-Writing Destiny)- Raven became the first of her class to REJECT her destiny, declaring that "My Happily Ever After STARTS NOW!" She wants to find a happy ending of her very own.
Reputation (Evil, Rebel)- Raven was initially feared because she was destined to become the most evil Fairytale character of them all. When she rejected this destiny, she was hated for going "off-book", thus threatening the happy endings of all the other students. As the beginner of the "Rebel" movement, Raven is the most-hated student in the school, and the most-lectured by the teachers.
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Relationship (Madelyne Hatter)- Raven's best friend is Maddie. Despite Maddie's insanity, she can make Raven laugh.
Relationship (Apple White)- Raven was destined to poison Apple and then be deposed, but Apple decided that since their destinies are linked, they should still be friends and roommates. Raven finds Apple tiresome, overly-dramatic and a bit annoying, and REALLY doesn't care for Apple constantly pressuring her to become evil (for example, she refuses to poison Apple on her birthday, despite Apple's pleas), but does not want any harm to come to her.
Relationship (Dexter Charming)- Raven finds Dexter to be likeable and easy to talk to, and a good friend- there's little pressure. However, when she discovers that HE put the love note on her locker, she thinks of him a different way ("He's so SWEET, and CUTE!"). However, the concept of going on a date with him makes her extremely-nervous and agitated, causing her confidence to falter.
Responsibility (Kindness)- Raven is actually very kind-hearted and sweet, and tries to help others out- she'll back up Maddie (for Class President), Cerise (covering up her family secret), and more. She will not hesitate to come to the rescue of any student.
---
Responsibility (Black Magic Woman)- Raven is seemingly-destined to only use her Magic for evil. When she attempts to use it for good, things tend to... backfire, and go out of control. If she gives in to negative emotions (such as anger), she can become exceptionally-dangerous, become surrounded by magical energy, and gain multiple voices on top of her own.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 96 / Defenses: 11 (170)

-The most-recent TV Special, Way Too Wonderland, features Raven going along with the group to Wonderland and facing Courtly Jester, who's using one of the Evil Queen's spellbooks. Raven, out-powered, ends up signing the REAL Storybook of Legends, unleashing her mother's full power- this act practically turns her into Teenage Girl Satan, and she damn near MURDERS Courtly for f*cking with her and her friends, and has to be convinced not to by Apple, who's now convinced that Raven doesn't have it in her to be truly evil. And from far away, you can hear the Evil Queen, trapped in her otherdimensional prison, laughing- everything is going accord to plan.
-Evil Raven is EPIC- she's permanently-wreathed in purple flame, floats menacingly above the ground at all times, and speaks with a vicious, haunting echo in her voice (an ultra low-pitched Satanic voice is heard, overpowering her own voice). And despite Courtly wielding great powers of her own, Raven basically goes DBZ on her ass, throwing out huge blasts of energy.

Updated Raven: Raven appears more in control of her powers in The Dragon Games, but actually barely uses them, since there's no plot purpose for her to do so until we hit the endgame. Finally seeing her interact with her mom is pretty cool though, as the Queen attempts to manipulate her daughter into nasty behavior, but Raven kind of just chuckles and condescends towards her. You can see that there's some love there, but Raven so fears turning into her mom that she ends up a bit distant- when EQ shows up as "Mira Shards" in disguise, she's clearly hurt several times by Raven's casual dismissal of everything the Queen stands for. Raven spends the rest of the special yelling at Apple for her various wrongs (such as going back to the "Keeping Our Destinies/Raven Must Be Evil" thing AGAIN), running off in a huff, rejecting her mother... and then finally concocting a plan. When Apple is put into a "Forever After Sleep" by the Evil Queen's machinations, Raven arrives back at school, pretends to be evil, and pisses off Faybelle Thorn enough to turn on the EQ, which turns the entire thing against her. Eventually, her and Apple's "friendship" is able to turn things against the Queen.
-Despite being the central character of the franchise, she was given a break in Epic Winter, barely appearing. The latest season of Webisodes (devoted entirely to new dolls) have actually ignored her completely! It's actually kind of nice that the series doesn't have to completely hang on her, at least. Much the better, since her "arc" has arguably ended. Though I STILL want to see more of her & Dexter- they went on their first date before friggin' Wonderland, and he hugged her at the end of WTW when she turned up safe... but they haven't interacted as a couple ONCE since then! Obviously they don't want to focus on the "Romance" aspect of the show, but COME ONNNNN....

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"Yay, the EVIL QUEEN'S HERE!! Said no one EVER!"
-Madeline Hatter, continuing to be amazing.

THE DRAGON GAMES:
Part 1:
* We start off with Raven being the new "Popular Girl In School", as she's helping others out with their mundane problems (making Daring's teeth shiny, fixing Blondie's MirrorPad), and this is making Apple jealous. And then we finally get our first glimpse of Raven's mother, the Evil Queen of Snow White fame... and wouldn't you know it? Total QILF. It was like the animators were tired to drawing short, skinny, wide-eyed teenage girls and wanted to draw a REAL woman for a change! High cheekbones, fierce eyes, Angelina Jolie lips, crap-tons of dark makeup and statuesque as hell- WELL DONE.
* Anyways, Raven's mom eggs her on to commit evil acts and let her escape, but this just sets off Raven's temper. Which, as we've known since the end of Way Too Wonderland, is EPIC in scope- her eyes glow bright purple, a Satanic-sounding male's voice is dubbed in with hers, and she starts blasting out random bursts of energy until her pet dragon Nevermore is able to calm her down (the Queen was actually goading her to break the mirror, establishing that THIS is how to free her).
* And then we meet Snow White herself- the rulingest Royal in all the land, a combination of royal Queen and CEO. And she's got a severe outline, high cheekbones, ruby-red lips, a condescending attitude, long, long black hair... oh Mattel, you're spoiling us! But it turns out that Snow has a vested interest in Apple's popularity and the continuation of their royal story, and she's PRESSURING her young daughter to push Raven towards evil, all in the name of popularity ("How HAPPY do you want our 'Happily Ever After'?!?"). And JUST LIKE THAT, all of the insane "no, you HAVE to be evil and live out a horrible life!" stuff that made Apple so awful and unpopular in the early years of the series are explained.
* The girls bond over their insane mothers, but then a mopey Apple gets into the best scene in the whole thing: "Mirror, mirror on the wall- why is life so unfairest after all?" She talks to a mirror, but the Evil Queen casts her magic through it, leading Apple to her Mirror Prison, at which point she eggs on Apple to lash out and accidentally/maybe deliberately SHATTER it, releasing the Evil Queen in to the world of Ever After, more than a decade after her imprisonment! Complete with a Latin Chorus chanting! Oh Apple, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT THING THAT YOU DID. The shot of her face, shuddering with fear, as she gazes upon the full splendorous evil of Raven's mother is worth the price of admission alone. The character animation is fantastic here, too- the Flash Animation is the best I've ever seen, with characters going through multiple emotions per second, moving eyes, eyebrows and mouths independently, and giant hair bouncing around- I almost wanna watch this thing in slow motion.

* The Evil Queen's plan is first to "blend in" by disguising herself as a teenager called "Mira Shards"- this is a hilariously short subplot considering they drop it in like ten minutes, and it seems to be there only because of a "Teenage Evil Queen" doll they were selling. Mira begins coaxing Raven to act more evil (leading to a funny scene where Mr. Badwolf sees Mira encouraging cheating and suggests Raven "stick with this new girl!"). Then we get some backstory for what "Dragon Games" are- a very dangerous Not-Quidditch that involves girls riding Dragons and throwing balls through hoops.
* Then we go flying through plot-time- Daring's Dragon "Legend" turns out to be a SHE, and lays a clutch of eggs. Then a magic spell goes awry (thanks to Mira) and what was supposed to heat the eggs up more quickly ends up hatching them INSTANTLY, giving us adorable Baby Dragons. And some of the Dragons are hatched EVIL because of the speed-up spell!
* The Dragons either shoot fire or ice... but naturally, Maddie Hatter finds one that has a COTTON CANDY breath weapon- eating it causes her pupils to dilate like she's on super-crack. Snow White recognizes "Mira" immediately, and is SO EXCITED to see her old rival back that she resinstates the Dragon Games and builds a new arena in an afternoon- seeing her walk around and have birds land on her wherever she goes is pretty funny. And she blabs Mira's secret in front of the assembled student body, but instead of trying to arrest her, makes her the rival Dragon Games captain in order to enhance Apple's popularity! Seeing the adult women next to the students really puts a fine point on just how young the main cast is supposed to be... though you'd think kids in their mid to late teens wouldn't be THAT much shorter than their parents- the Queens are nearly full heads taller than their daughters!

Part 2:
* Snow White gives the EQ a temporary pardon in order to play Dragon Games, but promises Apple that her "Booking Glass" can return the EQ to jail any time she wishes. Meanwhile, Faybelle Thorn gets involved, as she starts spying on people and reporting to the Evil Queen, desperate to play "big villain" for once. Faybelle's rapturous response to the EQ, and her general attitude ("I would do anything- ANY-THING. To be like you!") is a veritable fountain of memes for "Notice Me, Sempai!" Yuri reading-into things. The EQ sticks Apple as her team's captain, then has the Booking Glass stolen by Faybelle, then turns her dress into TIGHTS (my frickin' heart!) so that she can ride Nevermore in demonstration to the students. Snow does in kind, whipping off her dress (!!) to reveal a short skirt & knee-high metal boots like a white-skinned Wonder Woman!
* The Dragons quickly get super-aged into giant steeds by ANOTHER Magic thing, proving that Comics isn't the only medium that does this to skip the "infant" stage. These dragons are hilariously girl, being covered in golden swirls, packing gigantic dishpan eyes, and half of them are even PINK. The Dark Dragons, however, look AMAZING- jet-black and covered in blue & yellow swirls. The girls play a single Dragon Game (Apple showing some selfishness by deliberately hurting Darling Charming in order to get Raven into the game), but the EQ manipulates things so that Raven's dragon burns down the stadium, then she captures the entire faculty, then Snow White herself!

Part 3:
* We start with the Evil Queen in charge of the school, but she soon wrecks house and tears the place apart once Raven and the other dragon riders bail. The girls meet some helpful Woodland Pixies, who have a REALLY tiny role in the story considering this was an EAH line of miniature dolls (about half the size of a main character's), and this was an attempt to advertise them. I mean, they're cute and all, but they don't have speaking roles (they "chitter" like animals) and they just provide some basic help before standing aside.
* Some weird bits, as characters who were soon to be released as dolls, but had MONTHS before their Debut Webisodes were revealed, all of a sudden show up and say one or two lines each- Farrah Goodfairy, Jillian Beanstalk and Ramona Badwolf (with a clumsy "I LOVE my daughters!" from Mr. Badwolf, regarding her & Cerise), among a few others in the background. Apple manages to escape (though the EQ gets Faybelle to spy and figure out where everyone is) and apologize to Raven for her selfish behavior. Her and Raven immediately make nice... but she instantly takes a bite of the poison apple that Faybelle has planted, and goes into a coma!

Part 4:
* In a big game-changer, Daring, who until this point had been assumed to be Apple's "Prince Charming" (even though the two had basically never interacted as characters), plants a Magic Kiss on Apple's sleeping form... and it does nothing! He's not destined to be with her! Raven's last ditch plan? To willingly join up with her mother, and as payment, get her to leave the world of Ever After! The Evil Queen undergoes a COMPLETE switch in personality, now being adorably giddy to be with her daughter again (aw), doing a "Mother/Daughter Evil SELFIEEEEEEEE!" and acting like a goof. Poor Raven can only navel-gaze all sad, while Faybelle now pouts like a spurned lover ("NOTICE ME, SEMPAI!!") and flutters off in tears.
* Then, in the moment that excited the entire fandom (but was completely ignored by the creative team), Apple begins choking on the poisoned apple, and DARLING Charming steps it, performs one bit of mouth-to-mouth, and suddenly there's a yellow light and Apple comes back to life! This was interpreted by just about EVERYBODY as a sign that Darling was now Apple's "Destined" PrincESS Charming. After all, that Apple would turn out to be a lesbian should surprise NOBODY who has any familiarity at all with Ever After High- Apple has had absolutely zero romantic chemistry with anyone... anyone MALE. But looking at other materials, it's possible this could just be some overzealous animators putting too much effort into things (like the infamous "JanSlap" in Avengers, that got Hank Pym forever labeled a wife-beater)- the Dragon Games: Junior Novelization simply writes that Darling performs mouth-to-mouth, and the poisoned apple is dislodged from Apple's throat, saving her life. No "Giant Flash of Light", implying a destined kiss.
* Apple wakes up, goes "Did DARING wake me up?", then immediately wonders where Raven is (SURE she's not a lesbian, Mattel...). They're still unsure how to work the Booking Glass capture-mirror they've managed to aquire (long story), but then FAYBELLE arrives, switching sides and helping out. Though in a bit I love, Faybelle insists it's not a Face Turn- "I'm just out for REVENGE!"- she wants to screw over the Evil Queen for ignoring her. It turns out that this was Raven's plan all along (though she never really interacts with Faybelle to do so, so it feels kinda tacked-on), but she refuses to kill Snow White and the teachers for her mom, so she ends up trapped by her mother. At which point the other students arrive with their flight of Good Dragons, and end up opposed by the Evil Queen and her EVIL Dragons- holy shit this is actually getting epic.
* The girls manage to drop most of the Dark Dragons ("use the fire extinguisher, Maddie!" *Maddie chucks the fire extinguisher at the Dragon's face, KOing it), but we end up with the Evil Queen alone against Apple & Raven. She taunts Apple one last time about never getting her "Happily Ever After", but Apple finally refuses the call for the same old destiny, insisting she'll find it "My OWN way!"- the Queen nearly repels the power of the Booking Glass... until Raven jumps in and uses the Power of Adorable Schoolgirl Lesbianism to overpower her mother, saving the day once and for all (they even de-evil the Dragons!). We end with the girls all playing another, less-dramatic Dragon Game, while the Queen confesses she's proud of Raven's growing powers- both in manipulation and in magical might.

The End Result:
-Probably the most epic Ever After High is likely to get (I'm not even sure if we're getting anything after Epic Winter, though Mattel is always tight-lipped about things until right before they happen). They use a lot of characters, but each of them get SOMETHING to do, and it never feels overwhelming (the infamous O'Hair twins were feared to be major characters despite their lack of personality, but really just help take care of the Dragons in the first episode and nothing more; the Pixies are also backgrounders). Faybelle was a hoot, Daring trapped in a land WITHOUT MIRRORS was funny, and we got some great Mother/Daughter interactions, helping explain both Apple White's nature (her ultra-obsessive, intrusive mom), and Raven's rejection of her mother's pure evil. They really finally "cap off" the whole Royal/Rebel "Choosing Your Destiny" thing, which is good, because the whole "Let's just get rid of the Storybook of Legends" thing was tacked on to the end of the last movie (Way Too Wonderland), which was REALLY strange, given how it drove the entire story until that point.

-The health of the EAH franchise may be in doubt, as shelf-space has been dwindling. Every Walmart I've been to in the past several months has dropped the line entirely, and this is corroborated by many Americans with similar tales. Toys R Us has also diminished it, but really just kind of consolidated the same stuff it always carried into the Monster High section, thanks to the growing amount of DC Superhero Girls and other girly lines. Mattel is always tight-lipped about future webisodes, so I'm not sure what's going on in that front, and I can't find any info about future trademarks.

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Maddie, after eating her Dragon's Cotton Candy Breath Weapon.

THE PIXIES:
-The Pixies are a curious little bit- they're essentially a Budget Line for Ever After High. "Budget Lines" are the fashion doll equivalent of those tiny, puny Transformers that are just the smallest version of Bumblebee or someone like that- the cheapest toy for the poorest kids... or the completists, featuring miniature characters with no elbow or knee joints (yes, Girl Toys operate under "More Points Of Movement = Better" just like Boy Toys do). Their outfits are simple, often only designed on the front (the backs are plain), and they're overall much more simple. Fans typically turn their noses up at "Budget Lines", and doom & gloom abounds every time one is released, fearing that this means the ENTIRE LINE will now consist of straight-armed budget dolls. I find this quite amusing, especially as Deluxe Stuff still gets released all the time.
-The Pixes were released right alongside the Dragon Games line, and featured briefly in the cartoon. And I mean BRIEFLY- the girls flee Ever After High, meet the Pixies (none of whom speak English- only chittering chipmunk noises), who help them out and feed them in the Enchanted Forest. Then they stop mattering to the plot. In Epic Winter, another pair were released, and they feature even LESS in the overall story- they're just Palace Aides to Crystal Winter!
-The dolls seem to have done okay, as they're still out in stores and being re-stocked occasionally- they really ARE cheap. For their size and general quality, they're a good deal at the $8-12 stores are charging, and an "easy buy" for kids who don't have a lot of money, or parents looking for a cheap gift. They were once set alongside the standard dolls, but their tiny box size means they're better fits for the "peg racks", which is where most of them sit. And they're even pretty popular with the fans, avoiding the "Budget Line" curse because they're actually well-detailed, and just plain cute.

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MEESHELL MERMAID (Daughter of The Little Mermaid)
Role:
Shy Girl
Played by: Rena S. Mandel
PL 2 (39), PL 3 (60) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+6)
Expertise (Singing) 7 (+8) (APPARENTLY...)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Aquatic Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Drowning, Pressure) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 4 (8 mph) [4]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Aquatic Creatures) [2]
"Sea Legs" Morph 1 (Mermaid to Human) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Meeshell is expected to be the next Little Mermaid, though how happy that tale is in this universe (in the original, the Mermaid DIES and "wins" by gaining a soul, which Mermaids do not normally have) is unknown.
Responsibility (Shy)- Meeshell is shy around new people, and nervous when she's walking around on land.
Involuntary Transformation (Mermaid to Human & Back)- Meeshell turns back into a mermaid every time she gets wet.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 4 (39)

-Meeshell was released after the Justine/Melody/Farrah crowd of characters (I've yet to see her doll in person), and got a late webisode. Fans INSTANTLY fell in love with her amazing Webisode Design, and so were disappointed greatly at the doll, which cuts a lot of corners (UNPAINTED accessories!?! How DARE they!) and had a simpler design with both her hair and her outfit.
-She's also become quite the fountain of snark. First, her horrible name, which isn't even a funny or "cleverly-bad" pun. Then her debut webisode, because it shows the shy Meeshell finally coming out of her shell by singing... and doing a REALLY half-assed job of it. Yet all the characters talk about how wonderful and amazing her singing is! So I snarked at it, but was informed that the Voice Actress, Rena S. Mandel, actually has an acting history replete with examples of Broadway, Off-Broadway and Touring Company performances in major, high-end roles- in fact, she pretty much HAS to be an amazing singer! This begets the question of why Meeshell's rendition of the original Ever After High theme song was so weak. My best guess is that she was told to sing a couple verses, had to get it done quickly, and went on to do something more important than a one-off role in a webisode (her primary character in this show is Cerise Hood, who has one of the neater voices).
-Also drawing snark... the episode starts off with a mystery, as Ashlynn Ella and some other girls follow the "shy new girl" around to get her to open up. Meeshell runs off every time she gets wet, and they want to know why she's been avoiding them- turns out, she's a MERMAID. This brings up several questions: Why did they not know her last name? Her name was an obvious "seashell" pun, she's in a school for the children of fairy tale charaters, and her outfit is covered in clams and fish-scales- who's f*cking daughter did they think she WAS? These characters are not generally known for their subtle parental origins (Cerise notwithstanding).

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DARLING CHARMING (Daughter of King Charming)
Role:
Ultrafeminine Girl With Nonfeminine Interests, Lady Knight
Played by: Marieve Herrington
PL 8 (143), PL 10 (143) Stopping Time
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Deception 4 (+8, +12 Attractive)
Expertise (Knight) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Princess-ology) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+6, +10 Attractive)
Stealth 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Daze (Persuasion), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Knightly Gear), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Initiative, Fast Grab, Jill-Of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Those Charming Looks" Affliction 4 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Reaction- Being Seen +3) (Flaws: Limited to Proposing Marriage, Limited to Young Males, Uncontrolled) [8]

"Hair Flip- Stop Time" (All Have Drawbacks: 60 Second Time Limit -1) [xx]
Speed 7 (250 mph) [6]
Quickness 8 [7]
Enhanced Fighting 4 [7]
Enhanced Dodge 4 [3]
Enhanced Advantages 3: Improved Initiative 3 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Stopping Time +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Stopping Time w/ Sword +14 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +8 (+20 w/ Hair Flip)

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8
"Stopping Time" Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Darling is thus expected to become one of many Damsels In Distress in need of rescue.
Responsibility/Secret (Rebel)- Darling is actively-opposing her destiny of becoming a Damsel In Distress- instead training herself athletically in secret.
Relationship (Daring Charming- Brother)- Daring commands a lot of attention, and he's very protective of his little sister.
Relationship (Dexter Charming- Brother)- Darling loves her twin brother deeply, as he was one of the only people to support her interest in heroics and adventure when she was a youth. Even, she believes, sliding adventure books under her bedroom door so she could read them as a little girl. While Dex is protective of Darling, Darling is also physically-protective of Dex- trying to keep him safe from the world's dangers.
Relationship (Parents)- Darling's parents are the strongest authority figures out there, intending to keep their daughter soft, weak and feminine. It isn't until the very end of Darling's solo book that we discover a particular secret of Queen Charming...
Responsibility ("Tell"- Callused Hands)- Darling, while delicate-looking and uber-feminine, has very rough and callused palms due to climbing up and down out of her tower all the time. This could be a clue to others as to her true nature.
Power Loss (Hair Flip)- Darling must be able to flip her hair in order to Slow Time- if her hair is encumbered by something, or she can't flip her head around, she cannot use the power.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 14 (143)

-Darling Charming is SOOOOOOOO AWWWWESOMMMMMMMMMMMME...
-The sister of Daring & Dexter, and thus a daughter of a big-name Prince (now King) Charming, Darling is expected to "Follow Her Destiny" and become one of many, MANY Damsels-In-Distress in numerous Fairytales and epic stories that need to be re-told (the "Brave Hero Rescues the Princess" story being so iconic to the human experience that it's one of the oldest stories in all creation). To her benefit, she has been blessed with the beauty of the Charmings (she is SO beautiful, in fact, that once she hit puberty, she was immediately besieged with proposals of marriage from boys & monsters alike). The trouble is, the petite, bouffante-haired Princess Charming doesn't WANT to sit in a castle and wait to be rescued by a hero- she wants to be a hero HERSELF. The solution? Dressing up in armor and KICKING ASS like the boys in the Hero classes get to do!
-This is part of the fun of Ever After High- "Fairytales Done With Modern Sentiment" is ridiculously played-out these days, with countless adaptations (some snide parodies, others heartfelt loving satire) being shown again and again. But because these characters KNOW they're supposed to follow these specific destinies and stories, the parody aspects and the modern interpretations of the stories carry a bit of a different kind of weight.
-Also, the gags in her focus book (A Semi-Charming Kind of Life) are HILARIOUS. Darling, who has been training herself athletically in secret (her father put her bedroom at the top of a tower to prevent boys from begging for her hand in marriage at their door all the time, so she is able to get a lot of working-out done thanks to lifting stacks of books or climbing up and down vines) and is thus in better shape than 99% of the student body, male of female, is forced to attend a class that teaches lessons like "Waiting" (ie. doing nothing for hours at a time to simulate waiting for a rescuer), "Gliding" (Princesses should not be seen "stepping" about, and instead must appear to "glide" across the floor in their long dresses), "Screaming For Help" (there's a funny scene where Headmaster Grimm interrupts the lesson because of all the screaming going on, as girls are belting out "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLP!" at the top of their lungs, but leaves happily upon their explanation), and more. Darling ends up disguising herself as her hapless brother Dexter while he's out sick from Knight Class, kicking ass and taking names on the field. She even tries to help him hook up with Raven Queen.
-The book is so over-the-top in turning her into a superhuman Mary Sue (deliberately so, I have to imagine) that it becomes hilarious- she's simultaneously super-likeable to others, so amazing athletically that she can take on any boy in Knight Class, and so beautiful that boys are prone to begging for her hand in marriage on-sight. She's also an intelligent bookworm, and fights against a society that's prejudiced against her for no good reason (her reading list as a child was enforced by her parents- no action stories at all). It all combines together to make her ultra-fun and amusing. The cartoon has only used her a bit so far- in that she's appeared as a cameo in Spring Unsprung, and revealed herself during Way Too Wonderland, wearing a gigantic "White Knight" contraption that made her look like a buff male in armor. Otherwise, she's a tiny, petite little Marie Antoinette type wearing a frilly Princess Outfit... with ARMOR PLATE over her chest and shoulders, and actively kicking ass like a warrior born. Such a fun little design, and a great character.
-Darling Charming is one of the more-powerful characters in the setting (actually equal to her brother Daring, if not moreso). Her goofy ability to "Stop Time" with a flip of her hair (probably a parody of how beautiful girls in fiction are able to slow the entire room down from the hero's point of view) actually makes her MORE powerful (in the novel, she is able to slow time, run down to the jousting arena, adjust Dexter's lance so that he doesn't miss Daring's shield, and run back, without anyone noticing), but has yet to appear in the webisodes (and might not even appear at all).

Updated Darling:
-Darling has gotten a very strange push in the EAH franchise. First off, they appeared to do a huge "slow burn" with her, as the White Knight is greatly helpful to Ginger Breadhouse in Wonderland, but takes off "his" helmet at the very end, revealing the trademark Gigantic Ever After High hair of a female! Then she appears brieftly in Way Too Wonderland, shows up as the White Knight off-and-on, then FINALLY reveals herself at the end! Her focus webisode also features her as the "girl in disguise", despite WTW featuring her reveal (it may or may not be set earlier). All of this, plus her Focus Book (released way before her doll came out), her doll's release, and then ANOTHER doll release (very rare to have two within a few months) for The Dragon Games, in which she plays a subordinate role... it seem like she was going to becvome the new focus character of the franchise or something!
-Which is why it's all the weirder that she suddenly dropped out of focus after that- she doesn't appear in a speaking role for the next season, or the next movie. Her dramatic rescue of Apple White via mouth-to-mouth (and possible "Destined Lesbians" nature) was completely glossed over as the script focused entirely on Daring Charming's inability to use the Magic Kiss to restore Apple himself. As supporting materials seem to indicate that this was simply mouth-to-mouth, and makes no mention of "Magic Glowing Light", the obvious indications the story would seem to show are actually an accident on the part of the creative team. Which is kind of too bad- it'd be a pretty ballsy move for Mattel to have a pair of PRINCESSES be a destined couple in this toyline meant for young girls. Never mind that the franchise is centered around people being prejudiced against you because of who you are (Raven, Ginger), hiding your true nature (Cerise, Darling) and rejecting authority (Raven again).
-Plus, Apple & Darling have ZERO relationships with any male characters. Apple is only seen with Daring a single time in any real context, way at the beginning of the series where they are seen as the "Ruling Students" of the school. Apple's relationship is so full of slash-potential that there are posters in her side of their shared bedroom with Raven's photo cut up and stitched in with photos of Apple. Her nearly every waking moment is full of thoughts of what Raven's doing or what Raven's GONNA do. Darling, by contrast, basically fought in drag for 90% of her earliest appearances, LITERALLY hides everything about herself in a closet, and her specialty is turning down the romantic advances of men ("No, I won't marry you! But that you very much for asking!"). Hell, except for the fact that she wears the most feminine-colored outfit in history and wears her hair like Marie Antoinette's girlier cousin, she's hitting 9/10 for Lesbian Stereotypes.

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MELODY PIPER (Daughter of The Pied Piper)
Role:
Rock DJ
Played by: Laura Bailey (early episodes), Karen Strassman (official new one)
PL 8 (39)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 1 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Expertise (Mad Beats) 10 (+13)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Forced Dancing" Affliction 8 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 1,000ft +6) (Flaws: Limited to Dancing, Requires Keyboard/Instruments, Distracting) [32]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Melody is to become the next Pied Piper.

Total: Abilities: 20 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 4 (39)

-Melody Piper has a strange origin, as she debuted in a VERY early webisode (around True Heart's Day) as a one-off "Daughter of the Pied Piper" who is apparently a big name in the Disc Jockey circuit ("MELODY PIPER?!!" Maddie squeals when she's mentioned). She goes "What up, Ever After High" and spins some mad beats (as the kids say), and that's the end of it. But her design was SO incredible (mixing pink, white, black and purple all together) and her general attitude so cool that fans got attached to her. Nearly three full years later, we finally had a doll and a webisode appearance. It dealt with her inability to control her magic, which often causes people to dance uncontrollably- it turns out she sets off a plague of dancing (Headmaster Grimm moonwalks into class, does a painful version of the splits, then moonwalks out while lecturing her on her mistake), and has to "get everyone in rhythm" to make it work. This sets off an INSANE bit of animation, as the animators put literally every student design they have (dozens of actual charaters, plus the distinctive backgrounders) in one giant scene where everyone dances as one. Her only other real appearance is as a backgrounder in The Dragon Games, where she gets a great redesign (but no doll, unlike the infamous O'Hair twins, who ALWAYS get new dolls because I HATE THEM SO MUCH!), but no spoken dialogue worth mentioning. Her Dragon is an ultra-cute white one that she gets to listen to music through giant headphones.
-Melody's VA has a pretty "adult"-sounding voice- the actress makes no attempt to disguise the fact that she is fifty years old, and she talks like a breathy Late Night Radio DJ (her voices for Ashlynn Ella & Bunny Blanc are much higher and girlier). It's quite the peculiar concept, though it actually fits for the character, who IS a DJ. Like a lot of students, she's supposed to be "great friends" with various other kids at EAH, but this is literally never shown. In fact, almost NONE of those "Best Friends Till THE END" sections are accurate beyond the first season- one even says that Duchess and FAYBELLE are best friends, yet the two are amazing bitches to each other every time they're on-screen at the same time!
-Melody is a charismatic student, but specializes in Musical Mind Control, getting everyone to march and/or dance in step through applications of her powers.

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JUSTINE DANCER (Daughter of the Twelve Dancing Princess)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Bresha Webb
PL 2 (25)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Expertise (Dancing) 9 (+12)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Ultimate Dancing

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (DC 13), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Justine is to become the next twelve Dancing Princess (from some story about twelve Princesses who dance in secrecy).

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (25)

-Justine is one of a few new darker-skinned character in the new generation of Ever After High, which has only featured two darker-skinned regulars so far (unless you include Briar's "Ambiguously Brown" nature). I kind of like how her golden outfit plays off of her darker skin tone (which is darker than a lot of other cartoon characters- dark skin often doesn't reflect detail well on TV or in print, necessitating a lot of "light brown" folks). And am I the only one who has NEVER heard of The Twelve Dancing Princesses AT ALL? It's such a strange choice for a new character, though I kind of appreciate the occasional use of an obscure one (much like in Fables, which featured guys like Thrushbeard in addition to the "Big Names".
-Justine is... pretty generic and background-y, showing up in her Debut Webisode simply to wonder who's been wearing her shoes- it turns out she's been dancing in her sleep! This proves that she's taking on her mother's legacy. And that's it! That's the whole thing!


EPIC WINTER:
* The opening shot of the Ice Castle is done WAY too quickly- you get to see it for all of 0.3 seconds before they zoom in to the door. This is a regular problem I find with the show- the most beautiful animation and designs... and you see them for a second at a time, and practically have to go shot-by-shot through it in slow-motion to appreciate anything.

* Crystal's use of the term "Indoor Ice Hockey" fills my Canadian heart with rage. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ICE HOCKEY! THERE IS ONLY HOCKEY! "Field Hockey" gets to have the prefix!
* The Snow Queen = DAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNGGGG... They really do the "Mom Designs" well in this show. Snow White, The Evil Queen & the Snow Queen all look nothing less than fantastic (or as Dexter would say, "Gord"). It also reminds you just how SHORT they make the teen characters in this- even the women are almost a head taller than the main girls. How short do they think sixteen-year-olds really are?
* Why are Crystal's parents Caucasian, and her, a... grey/pink color? I like her design alright- they had to avoid a deliberate "Elsa" look, and it's nice to see a non-standard skin color for an EAH character- the series had WAY too much SameFace & SameRace going on in the early days.
* OK, four minutes in, this shot is straight out of Frozen. The big ice castle and the big balcony outside of it?
* They jump straight into the central argument of the story, too- Crystal's too immature to rule, so Jackie Frost & Northwind turn the King & Queen evil, causing them to turn on their daughter and act 100% evil, screaming at each other and the Snow Queen gets frozen solid. Like five minutes into the film and they've already done this. We don't even KNOW these characters yet! Made worse when Crystal comes to her "best friends" Ashlynn Ella & Briar Beauty, whom we learn have always known her, and she talks about how "all of a sudden" her father is acting differently, even though she had one conversation with him.
* Hey- they're re-using the "Fairest on Ice" outfits! Well, I suppose if you're gonna try to sell a toy line, ONE three-minute webisode isn't gonna cut it. Blondie appears to be a central character, complaining about her reporting being overly difficult with "fluff" pieces like Crystal causing a "Summer Snow-Day". HAHAAHAHAHAHA- "I might win a Princess And The Peabody award!"
* It's kind of weird that the entire concept of the EAH Movies is "New Looks", because in Monster High Movies, it's "New Characters AND New Looks", so they advertise new dolls at the same time as the new outfits. This causes issues for EAH, because the new characters NEVER get New Looks, and so you've got all these newbies like Justine Dancer & Nina Thumbell who just sit around and do nothing instead of, you know, BEING ADVERTISED. Instead, it's the same-old crews getting drawn together with new outfits, and only one new character (Crystal) gets used. Though Farrah Goodfairy does a little bit in Part 2.
* Curiously, EAH tends to use the villains in major roles... which results in major characters being given NO TOYS, which against seems contrary to the purpose. Major characters include the Snow King, The Evil Queen, The Cheshire Cat and others- no dolls produced for any of them.

Part 2:
* So the Snow King steals Crystal's powers and goes "Full Elsa" on the area around Ever After High. Meanwhile, we finally get into the other "Core Story"- that of Daring Charming finally getting punished for his selfishness, conventinently teamed up with the daughter of Beauty and the Beast. This goes pretty much exactly the way everyone would expect (this is no spoiler- they basically advertise everything with this), with Daring turning into a cuddly white lion after being selfish to the Snow King.
* Daring as The Beast is rather entertaining, especially as he tries his old "Charming" act in front of a stunned student body. Meanwhile, a band of the girls figure out what's going on, thanks to finding a "Secret Library" (well, it's destroyed, but Farrah is able to recreated it, "until the clock strikes noon"), and a convenient glowing scroll. Turns out, shards of the Magic Mirror that imprisoned Raven's mom (the Evil Queen) cause... oh god... "Kindness Blindness", so the victim only sees the rotten in everyone (you get a King's Eye View of various people yelling at and making fun of him, causing his rages). AAAAAAAAAND of course it turns out that Four Royal Roses of the Seasons will lift the curse, so we must Go On A Quest/Maguffin Hunt to some Fairytale Castles. Naturally, the "Fourth Rose is Found Inside", which pretty much gives away the ending for Crystal right there. THIS SHOW FOR EIGHT-YEAR OLDS IS TOO PREDICTABLE!!!
* Faybelle Thorn gets an interesting subplot, as her punishment for aiding the Evil Queen in Dragon Games is to clean up the entire school- she talks to the "Fairy Mobfather" and gets railroaded into working for them for "200 years", so she goes along on the quest in order to pay them off.
* LOL- Apple & Daring "kissing" to try and break his curse is priceless. He just licks her face like a giant dog!
* So the Quest Begins: Faybelle invites herself along ("it's kind of her thing", says Briar, who obviously knows this perfectly well), and gives the girls a new set of Winter Outfits, with "Sparklized" dresses (BUY THE MERCH!). Of course, as per the norm for this series, the best overall look belongs to the one character (Faybelle) not getting a new doll out of it (seriously- EAH does this ALL THE TIME- numerous "Legacy Day" outfits, "Dragon Games" outfits and "Fairest On Ice" outfits went unproduced, even though the animators knocked the designs out of the park). Though her snow outfit is just Apple's, but with a "wintery" color scheme.
* Our Gathered Party: Crystal Winter, Rosabella & Briar Beauty, Daring Charming, Blondie Lockes & Ashlynn Ella. So for the first time ever, it's NOT Raven & Apple being central characters!

Part 3:
* Jackie & Northwind attack the girls, of course IMMEDIATELY reveal their entire plan, and then assume that their deathtrap has worked, allowing the girls to free themselves on their own time. Jebus, kids- read the Supervillain Handbook before you do this.
* All of this "Crystal is lazy/Crystal never does her own work" is really not that elaborated upon first. The flaws of say, Anna in Frozen or even Tiana (the princess who Works Too Hard) in The Princess and the Frog are at least established early and are immediately apparent... the only sign we ever see of Crystal's laziness is her getting the Snow Pixies to tie her skates for her. THAT'S IT. At least show her lazing about or being a slacker or something!
* The whole "Hey, my Sparkle-Shooter, which I didn't actually use to sparkle the dresses of the characters even though they're selling a toy of the sparkle-gun, can shoot icicles to create a ladder" thing is great and all... but Faybelle CAN FLY. Why is SHE climbing!?
* It's weird how they go into the castles of Rosabella & Ashlynn, but of course their parents aren't seen, because they're not important to the story and they don't want to "give away" potentially important character designs (when is Ashlynn's mom supposed to friggin' die, anyways? That's like, her Origin). And then they show the famous GLASS SLIPPER, a huge part of Cinderella's story... but it gets almost zero fanfare and we see it for about a second of screen-time.
* "Northwind, you IDIOT- you're BRILLIANT!" Hahaha- Jackie rules.
* Faybelle continually brings the awesome in this- she's snarky at just the right moments, is conniving the whole way, and gets befuddled at the sight of Daring & Rosabella's "spark" ("Did you guys see anything weird?" "UHHHHHHHHHHHH NOPE!").

Part 4:
* Endgame approaches rapidly, with the Frost Siblings putting the Snow King to asleep, while multiple counts of Attempted Murder are committed against the heroes. Northwind is transformed into a Frost Giant, but is tricked into shapeshifting into a tiny form (which... renders him helpless and unable to change back... somehow). Then Jackie pulls the same size-shifting trick, but Crystal is able to use THE POWER OF HOCKEY (The Top of the World = Canada. This proves it) to win and capture the Rose of Winter.
* The Macguffins gathered, the day is pretty much saved. Except Faybelle swipes the thing and tries to pay off the Mobfathers... they're able to convince her to give it back, at which point Daring finally clues in on how to help others (by offering to take on Faybell's debt). This actually solves everything in a neat little bow, and thankfully is sweet enough to avoid coming off like a TOTAL Ass-Pull.
* Crystal Winter gets a big push here, but comes off a bit oddly in the story. Like I mentioned, she doesn't actually DO ANYTHING to really justify this "Lazy Do-Nothing" persona they heap on her- all they do is show that her Ice Pixie servants are the ones who usually have to tie her skates/boots for her (this actually gets ignored until the ending bit, which has them come untied THREE TIMES). This makes their attempt at a "Character Arc" fall flat, as she drops character traits it never quite looked like she had in the first place. And though I like the design alright, she looks noticeably worse than the white-dressed "Ice Queen" girl the show always uses as a Backgrounder- the fans were actually REALLY bummed to not see that girl get used, as she has a top-level design!
* I did like that they did this whole story outside of the "Over-Arching Plot" of the series, proving that they COULD. This and Dragon Games don't centre around The Storybook of Legends (which was a gimmick that was fraught with problems anyways), but this one doesn't even use the Evil Queen!
* Oddly enough, FAYBELLE THORN of all people comes off the best in this set. The best outfit, the best lines, and she's truly dynamic in all the right ways- drawing the plot forwards, while actually changing. Though I feel they've done the "Faybelle Isn't So Evil After All" story repeatedly so far.

Funny things:
* Ashlynn & Briar are given roles in this, and dolls in the toyline... but don't actually matter to the plot in the slightest. All we need them for is an example of how Crystal fits into this world, and even THEN it's only because both are her friends (still weird that they basically just explain this and never elaborate upon it). As both of them kind of had their narratives end 1-2 Movies ago, and their personalities being pretty basic (Nice Girl & Party Girl, really), I suppose that was inevitable. But it's kind of part of the issue with the line- a lot of supporting characters don't get up to much.
* Blondie was at least useful to the story (TWICE she unlocks things. TWICE!), dropping her Kender-like kleptomania. Oddly, she never really gets a "lesson"- she's just chasing the scoop and that's that (contrast this with Monster High- Haunted, in which Spectra Learns A Lesson about making up stuff to draw readers).
* Curious by their absence in the story are Dexter & Darling Charming- Daring's siblings. Dex in particular drew a lot of angst from comparing himself to his handsomer, more charismatic brother, so they kind of wasted a potential gag or two there. Darling was peculiar because she was such a big part of the last couple of stories. Other skipped characters: The O'Haire sisters (for ONCE they're not omnipresent and heavily-pushed!), Cedar, Ginger, all of the newbies besides Farrah, the Wonderlandians, Cerise Hood, and even RAVEN QUEEN.
* Also weird is that both Apple White & Maddie Hatter received dolls in this line... but never show up for a plot purpose in the story! Neither are part of the Adventuring Party, and Maddie only gets ONE LINE in the whole thing! Apple's purpose (mentioned on the toy's backing) was to seemingly help Crystal conform, which ended up not being the way they went at all. The two only show up in a later webisode themed around the wintry kingdom. Did the doll people & media people not see eye to eye on this at all?
* The whole "Apple/Darling Kiss/Mouth-To-Mouth" thing is glossed over in favor of the Apple/Daring "Ship" dying out (since his kiss didn't cure her sleeping curse last time). I wonder if Mattel just backed down from it entirely, or that the animators just went a bit more nuts than they should have (the Novelization of DG simply features mouth-to-mouth dislodging the poisoned apple; no giant Energy Curative Kiss).

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... WELP, I lust after characters from a Mattel doll line now. THANKS, Mattel.

SNOW WHITE (Mother of Apple White)
Role:
The High Queen, Star Mom, QILF
Played by: Cindy Robinson
PL 10 (98)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+8)
Deception 2 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Royalty) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Business) 8 (+12)
Insight 2 (+6)
Perception 2 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+9, +11 Attractive)
Treatment 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Most-Beloved Student), Jack-Of-All-Trades

Powers:
"Princess Singing" Summon 3 (Extras: Multiple Minions +2, Horde, Variable- Woodland Critters) (18) -- [19]
AE: "Fluttering Eyelashes" Affliction 10 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Males) (10)

"Prim & Proper Queen" Features 1: Never Gets Dirty [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Male Control +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Snow at one point may have been forced to take on the destiny of her own mother.
Obsession (Popularity)- Snow White is so obsessed with her daughter's popularity that she actually CALLED her daughter, IN SCHOOL, to warn her that her popularity had shrunk to be slightly less than Raven Queen's.
Motivation (Money)
---
Enemy (The Evil Queen)- Snow fought the EQ years and years ago. She immediately charges to Ever After High to confront "Mira" (she recognizes her old classmate immediately)... but instead of fighting her, renews their old sports rivalry because that was SO MUCH FUN and they aren't at all clearly in love.
Relationship (Apple- Daughter)- Snow is a controlling, forceful personality.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 6 (98)

-Like I said- a HUGE chunk of Apple's personality and behavior is immediately explained within the first minute of Snow White's arrival in the story. Appearing tall, graceful and with cheekbones that could kill, Queen White arrives by giant Limo Chariot, rules a corporation that has "700 Dwarfs" employed within, is considered THE Queen of Ever After, and is so obsessed with her freaking DAUGHTER's popularity that she calls Apple up and lectures her at length about the importance of ALWAYS being #1 in High School popularity polls. While Raven & Apple both bond over "getting an earful from our moms" regarding sticking to "the script" and destiny, Raven has the strength and stubborness to oppose the Evil Queen... Apple does not share Raven's willpower.
-Once the plot gets going, Snow recognizes this "Mira Shards" girl as her old High School classmate and later super-villain, the Evil Queen. And though she makes sure to "out" Mira to everyone, the excitement in her voice at competing against "My old enemy" is palpable- she basically flies right down to EAH, refuses to put her back in Mirror Prison and instead challenges her to the Dragon Games (by rebuilding the entire stadium in an afternoon) just to renew their old rivalry, and then competing by proxy with the students and Oh My God even the MOMS are crazily slash-able. However, Snow is quickly dealt with by the Queen's spells, and spends the rest of the movie trapped in cobra form (and once she's unveiled, she really just hugs Apple- there's no conversation or "I was WRONG" with her... though that seems in-character). So she's really kind of a means to an end. But wow- WHAT a design! I like how they actually aged her up with grey streaks, but she still comes off as stunning.
-Snow is more naturally athletic than her daughter (judging by the fact that she can fight in the Dragon Games after having a teenage daughter and running a corporation for over a decade), and her manipulation of people is more pronounced. However, she's still a far cry from the Evil Queen.

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Only this franchise could take something as bad-ass and legendary as FRIGGIN' DRAGONS and turn them into something girly.

THE DRAGONS
Role:
Loyal Riding Beasts
Played by: N/A
PL 8 (107)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Aerobatics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 2 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+6, +8 Size)
Ranged Attack (Breath Weapon) 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+4, +0 Size)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Startle

Powers:
"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
"Mighty Wings" Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]
"Breath Weapon" Blast 8 [17]
Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Breath Weapon +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications:
None

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 35 / Defenses: 16 (107)

-Dragons get a push in The Dragon Games, though oddly not as much as you'd think. Really, the whole thing is quite strange.
-Dragons had appeared in Ever After High before- Raven's pet dragon Nevermore was part of the series early-on, and Daring has a pet dragon named Legend that showed up a few times- Nevermore could inexplicably shift between Tiny Cute Collectable Pet form and Huge Dragon form, while Legend was simply an adult. The girls are also attacked by a REAL Dragon during "Damsel-In-Distressing Class", and had to be saved by Darling Charming, disguised in her brother's armor. But in the movie, suddenly Dragon Riding was seen as a huge thing.
-But how they went about this was very strange. There's the cute joke about Legend laying eggs ("Legend isn't a HE at all!"), but then they go immediately into "Speed Up The Plot" mode, with the Raven first using her powers to speed up the eggs' hatching (because it takes YEARS normally), and then the Evil Queen feeds them some Magical Food that makes them grow into gigantic beasts overnight! This is REALLY weird, as if the creators had to shoehorn in both Cute Collectible Dragons (the dolls naturally come with tiny little unarticulated dragons) and the large dragons for the dramatic action-packed sports scenes, and the best way they could think of doing it was one of my Least-Favorite Comic Book Cliches- Super-Aging Things. It ALWAYS comes off as clumsy.
-And despite the huge push of the Dragons at first (everyone talks about how cute they are; they're seen being cared for as babies), and the fact that the thing is CALLED The Dragon Games... the whole "Games" aspect is just there in one of the middle episodes, and it's barely focused on. Really, the entirety of the thing is set around the human characters, and the Games are just a means to an end for the Evil Queen, who uses them to pit Apple against Raven. The individual Dragons receive no focus (or even NAMES for the most part), save for Nevermore... despite APPLE's Dragon being the one to get its own large-sized toy. And because it's a Girls Line, her Dragon is basically horsey-sized, has wings that look to be made of delicate stringless harps, and eyes so big they make Bambi look like Doug Funnie. And in the end, the girls play Not-Quidditch once, then the EQ makes Nevermore go uncontrollable and she blows up the Games Stadium.
-Afterwards, the Dragons are really just props to get the girls from the school to the Enchanted Forest and back, until it's time for the climax... which is admittedly pretty bad-ass, as hordes of Princesses riding Dragons fight against the Evil Queen and her Evil Dragons (who have AMAZING designs, to be certain).


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Image (EQ & Raven)
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Oh, HELL yes.

THE EVIL QUEEN (Mother of Raven Queen)
Role:
The Big Bad Villain, QILF
Played by: Kate Higgins (Early), Wendee Lee (Later)
PL 13 (234)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Magic) 10 (+14)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 10 (+14)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 3 (+7)
Persuasion 7 (+11)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 6 (+12)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Improved Critical (Magic), Power Attack, Startle, Ranged Attack 4, Ritualist

Powers:
"Black Magic"
"ENOUGH!!!" Affliction 12 (Will; Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobile/Incapacitated) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Selective) (49) -- [58]
AE: Purple Fire Blast 13 (Feats: Improved Critical 2) (Extras: Penetrating 9) (36)
AE: "Teleport Group" Teleport 10 (Feats: Change Direction) (Extras: Portal +2) (41)
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 10 (20)
AE: Summon Bats & Vermin 2 (Extras: Multiple Minions, Horde, Variable- Any Evil-Looking Creatures) (10)
AE: "Wilting Flowers" Weaken Stamina 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Flowers, Uncontrolled/Automatic) (2)
AE: "Transform Others" Affliction 13 (Fort; Transformed) (Extras: Ranged, Progressive +2) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree) (39)
AE: "Speed Spell" Affliction 8 (Strength; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Limited to Running at Top Speed) (8)
AE: "Cutting Disc" Blast 12 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (36)
AE: "Throw the Card Soldiers" Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (30)

Force Field 12 (Extras: Impervious 11) [23]
"Fix Stuff" Transform 2 (Anything to Anything Else) (Feats: Reach 2) [12]
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]
"Change Shape" Morph 3 (Any Human) [15]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Purple Fire +12 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
Speed Spell +12 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Transform Others +12 (+13 Ranged Affliction, DC 23)
Wilting Flowers +4 Area (+4 Weaken, DC 14)
Time Stop +12 Area (+12 Affliction, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3 (+15 Force Field), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- The Evil Queen is so evil and power-hungry that she actually went "Off-Script" and took over OTHER lands, not just her own! She nearly conquered Wonderland before she was stopped.
Relationship (Raven Queen- Daughter)- The Evil Queen appears to love Raven dearly, but she is extremely disappointed that Raven has chosen to follow a "good" destiny. She is constantly manipulative, tries to persuade Raven to help her escape, and schemes to force Raven down a dark path. However, when Raven appears to choose "Evil" once and for all, the Evil Queen is giddy with hexcitement ("Evil Mother/Daughter SELFIIIIEEEEE!"), and couldn't be happier.
Responsibility (Ignores Others)- Anyone who's not a part of the Evil Queen's immediate plan is generally ignored. Even if it's a super-loyal minion who REALLY wants to be noticed by her boss.
Enemy (Snow White)- The Evil Queen was unseated decades ago by Snow White, and is still annoyed by it. They were also rivals in High School, and are eager to take up their old rivalry.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 118 / Defenses: 17 (234)

-The Evil Queen has been hyped since the absolute very beginnings of Ever After High- a dark, mysterious force that was always unseen, but was constantly talked about. Her reputation was so fearsome that her daughter Raven was a social pariah at school instantly, and her history includes going "Off-Script" and trying to conquer ALL lands, not just her own! Raven's deepest desire to NOT be her mother feuled the entire franchise, and pretty much every character talked about how afraid of the Queen they were. I wasn't that enamored with her character design at first, but the full body shots? HOLLLLLLLLLYYYYYY HELL. Statuesque, high cheekbones, curvy figure and wild, wild eyes? YUP- hottie. The only thing I'm not convinced about is the big spiky purple haircut.
-After many Movies where she controls a few things from behind the scenes (such as moving books to the right place, so that another character can manipulate the story), or can be heard chuckling from within her Mirror Prison. But when she finally arrives in The Dragon Games, she finally makes her move... by trying to manipulate everything so that she can take over the world AND have her beloved daughter by her side. It's kind of cute to see someone so evil try to be maternal (and Raven kind of playfully laughing off her mom's suggestions to wreak havoc- "*rolls eyes* oh, MOM...").

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NINA THUMBELL (Daughter of Thumbelina)
Role:
Background Character
Played by: Debi Derryberry
PL 2 (29)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3)
Persuasion 1 (+3)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
Shrinking 12 (Reduced Stamina -3) [18]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (+7 Shrinking, DC 11-17), Parry +0 (+6 Shrinkin, DC 10-16), Toughness +0 (-3 Shrinking), Fortitude +1 (-2 Shrinking), Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Nina is to become the next Thumbelina.

Total: Abilities: 8 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 1 (29)

-A natural for the line is the daughter of Thumbelina, though Nina is not a terribly popular character. I blame her weird design, which mixes dark skin and blonde hair, and a generic overall look aside from that. In a series with upwards of 30 regulars, I don't see this one doing much- some of the supporting newbies have actually shown up a handful of times or said things, but poor Nina has gotten nothing. Her bio lists environmentalism and a crush on Hunter Huntsman among her character traits, but she's a Generic Friendly Girl in the one webisode where she's made an appearance. There, she brings the gang along on a tiny adventure (Raven uses a charm of her mom's to make EVERYONE shrink down!), but they're befuddled when they can't reach the charm to grow back (Nina can only shrink TINIER, since she was "charmed", too)- luckily, her pet cat (which looked all fearsome, as the episode looked to go with the cliched "Evil Cat Attacks Shrunken People" story) saved the day.
-Nina's only really notable thing is that she can shrink to about six inches tall, but I threw in "Reduced Stamina" to showcase the fact that it's likely she's MUCH more vulnerable in this form.

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RAMONA BADWOLF (Daughter of The Big Bad Wolf)
Role:
Bad Girl
Played by: Cindy Robinson
PL 6 (86)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 11 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+11)
Deception 7 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages:
Daze (Intimidation), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Big Bad Family Secret"
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Ramona is expected to be the next Big Bad Wolf, and be an enemy to Cerise Hood.
Relationship (Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf- Parents)- Ramona seems to listen to her father.
Secret (Hairy Family Secret)- Ramona's parents are the original Rebels, and if it's ever found out, they could ALL be in serious trouble! She even hides the fact that Cerise is her sister.
Temper- Ramona is easily angered, and challenges her own sister to a fight at one point!
Reputation (Criminal)- She'd been sent away to the Black Forest Reformatory Academy at one point, and has a bad enough reputation that people feared she was stealing special dancing shoes at one point.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 14 (88)

-Ramona came in as a big surprise to the EAH fandom, as out of nowhere, she was seen in The Dragon Games, as the school was being torn apart by the Evil Queen. Complete with some clumsy exposition from Mr. Badwolf ("I LOVE my daughters!"), we learned that Mr. Badwolf & Red Riding Hood had TWO daughters, and the two pretended that the other wasn't related to them. Ramona has all of Cerise's powers, but as we'd learn, a much nastier reputation. She appears as Justine Dancer's roommate in her focus webisode, being accused of taking some dancing shoes thanks to her rep as a troublemaker (her own inability to give a shit didn't help). Later, she would finally make her proper "introduction", returning to the school after a stay at reformatory school for untold bad behavior (despite the fact that she is clearly supposed to be a VILLAIN, and bad behavior should be thus expected). She acts out a rivalry with Cerise (her sister), but it turns out it's NOT all an act, as she gets annoyed by Cerise's attempts to hide her parentage. After several arguments nearly lead to a fight, the girls agree to a race- we only get to see the start of it.
-Fans LOVE her design, though. The whole "Sneering Bad Girl" vibe, her lack of caring, and her long, multicolored hair made her an instant fan favorite... which makes it all the weirder that nobody can find a trace of her DOLL anywhere. It seems that one is either being delayed, or the just aren't making one. I'm sure the fans will bitch that it doesn't match the webisode version, anyways (Mattel has been having issues with that since the day the line started, as their ultra-elaborate Flash Animation is hard to replicate without making the dolls cost a fortune). Her voice is BAD-ASS, though- Cindy Robinson also plays the jovial Maddie Hatter, but here she plays a dark, throaty girl who sounds more like a cynical, mischievous 30-something than a teen girl. Given that Robinson is also the new voice for Sailor Moon's Queen Beryl, I shouldn't be surprised.
-Ramona is more or less equal to Cerise, I figure- just less wise and more scary.

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D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW so freakin' cute!

FARRAH GOODFAIRY (Daughter of The Fairy Godmother)
Role:
Sweet Girl, Deux Ex Machina
Played by: Tish Hicks
PL 1 (104), PL 4 (104) Defenses
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Magic) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Fashion) 6 (+8)
Persuasion 2 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Powers:
"Wish-Granting Fairy Godmother" Variable 12 (Any Wish) (Flaws: Requires Magic Wand) [72]
"Fairy Physiology" Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Ramona is expected to be the next Big Bad Wolf, and be an enemy to Cerise Hood.
Quirks (The Clock Strikes Twelve)- At 12 noon, or 12 midnight, all of Farrah's Wishes wear off.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 75 / Defenses: 5 (104)

-The fanbase took to Farrah pretty much as soon as she showed up, which is a big contrast to the reaction to her name ("GOODFAIRY"?? That was the best they could do?) and doll (which is really oddly pink and has a squished face). Instead, the webisode version has light blue skin, a weirdly-cute face (her chin is pointy and her face looks very pouty) and a high-pitched voice that basically sounds like a less-exaggerate version of Kristin Schall (who is in EVERY cartoon these days, with her trademark screechy nasal whine- Hey Kristin! There's more to acting that just f*cking SCREAMING EVERY LINE AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS). So basically fans forgave the silly name and doll, and fell in love with the girl. It helps that her mission is to grant wishes to EVERYONE all day long, but has the sympathetic aspect of always wanting to grant her OWN wishes, and dance with a Prince until midnight. So in her feature webisode, the other students plan a surprise party, wishing all of her wishes FOR her, ending up with Daring dancing with Farrah until twelve... at which point they wish for her to dial the clock back and dance some more!
-Farrah has one of the most potent, useful powers in the world of Ever After- she can literally create ANYTHING, and it'll stick around until the clock strikes twelve (noon or midnight). In Epic Winter, she's used to do something insanely outlandish- recreate an entire destroyed library, right down to the lost books in it. This allows the gang to find out some important Plot Exposition, until it's noon and the spell wears off- they escape the library just as it fades into nothingness once more. And to get around "Why doesn't Farrah just do everything FOR them?", this effect wipes her out, and she has to "rest" for the remainder of the movie.

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CRYSTAL WINTER (Daughter of The Snow Queen)
Role:
Sweet Girl, Deux Ex Machina
Played by: Ciara Caneega
PL 9 (77)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Hockey) 8 (+11) -- Uses Agility
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Ice) 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Favored Environment (Icy Landscapes), Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Ice Princess"
"The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway" Immunity 1 (Cold) [1]

"Wand of Winter" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [20]
"Frozen Fractals" Create Ice 10 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Continuous) (31) -- (33 points)
AE: Ice Snare 8 (24)
AE: "Snow Flurry" Dazzle Visuals 8 (16)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 15)
Snare & Dazzle +9 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Crystal might thus expected to be the next Snow Queen... who is a villain. They never explain this.
Responsibility (No Responsibility)- Crystal doesn't take many things seriously, and even has servants tie her own boots.

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 9 (77)

-Crystal was kind of a disappointment to fans when she debuted, not because she was FLAWED, per se, but because there was another design in the show that the fans REALLY loved- that of a Backgrounder that was seen in numerous webisodes, wearing ice-themed dresses all the time. Likely created by an animator who wanted more than just generic "filler" back in the days when the cast wasn't so large, this character was AMAZING, and everyone assumed she'd be the Daughter of the Snow Queen. So Crystal, who isn't bad, just just "okay", kind of disappointed people.
-Her character is defined by a sort of "lack of responsibility"- she doesn't care much about ruling, and lets her Pixie servants do everything. Unfortunately, despite being the main character of the latest EAH movie, Epic Winter, the writers actually don't go about DEFINING this "central characteristic" very well- she just kind of has her servants tie her boots for her, and the movie uses THAT as a recurring symbol of her character flaw. So she's a far cry from a certain Disney-borne Ice Queen, that's for sure. That said, the actress does a good job playing her as a "normal girl"- not with a high-pitched cartoony voice like other characters have, but a normal person. She even delivers an "I know what a great responsibility I have, and what I must do" speech without coming off as cheesy as it probably should.
-So in the movie, Crystal gets attacked by her cruel father, who then banishes her to Ever After. She thus recruits her two "old friends", Ashlynn & Briar, and a small group of kids goes up North to rescue them. the adventure is fairly mundane in terms of raw danger, though she has a handy little "Sparkle Gun" to make up for her Wand of Winter going missing. She's at least good enough at fighting that, with the Wand of Winter creating ramps for her, she can take on Jackie Frost in Frost Giant form by skating up to her shoulders and grabbing the Staff of Winter from her hand, saving the day.

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The "Background Ice Girl" the fandom has been obsessed with for like two years before Crystal was revealed.

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"Northwind, you IDIOT... You're BRILLIANT!"

JACKIE FROST (Daughter of Jack Frost)
Role:
Evil Girl
Played by: Bresha Webb
PL 6 (107)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Deception 5 (+7)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Favored Environment (Icy Landscapes), Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Winter Creature"
"The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway" Immunity 1 (Cold) [1]

Shapeshift 7 (Flaws: Limited to Winter Creatures) [49]
Morph 2 (Winter Creatures) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Animal Forms +4 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+8 Winter Creatures), Fortitude +3, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Jackie might be expected to carry on the legacy of Jack Frost.
Motivation (Power)- Jackie plots to overthrow the Snow Kingdom.

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 6 (107)

-A curious choice of Big Bads for Epic Winter were Northwind & Jackie Frost- though it's normal to make the villain of a movie a Non-Toy Toyline Character, they usually don't make the designs so GOOD... nor do they make them so young. Jackie is the grouchy, conniving bitch of the duo, while Northwind is her idiotic, bumbling ally. Jackie looks INCREDIBLY-cool- a conniving, pale-blue witch with Animal Shapeshifting capabilities. If she was a better fighter, she'd be really dangers- with the Staff of Winter she turned herself & Northwind into Ice Monsters, but they missed almost every attack.

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NORTHWIND (Son of Jack Frost)
Role:
Bumbling Sidekick
Played by: Todd Haberkorn
PL 6 (94)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 3 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Favored Environment (Icy Landscapes), Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Winter Creature"
"The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway" Immunity 1 (Cold) [1]

Shapeshift 7 (Flaws: Limited to Winter Creatures) [49]
Morph 2 (Winter Creatures) [10]

Offense:
Unarmed +3 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Animal Forms +3 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+8 Winter Creatures), Fortitude +3, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Northwind appears to be the younger brother of Jackie, so may have avoided being forced to follow one path or the other.
Motivation (Power)

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 4--2 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 60 / Defenses: 10 (94)

-Northwind is a colossal doofus, and easily-fooled. In the climax of Epic Winter, he is turned into an Ice Giant by Jackie using the Staff of Winter, but he's fooled by the heroes when Rosabella & Daring suggest that he CAN'T turn into a "snow mouse". So to prove that he can, Northwind transforms... but then he's grabbed by Daring and I guess can't transform back.

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FAYBELLE THORN (Daughter of the Dark Fairy)
Role:
Bitchy Cheerleader
Played by: Haviland Stillwell
PL 6 (92)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10)
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Cheerhexer) 3 (+7) -- Uses Agility
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Ritualist

Powers:
Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [5]

"Location Spell" Senses 5 (Detect Life- Acute & Ranged 3) Linked to Teleport 10 (25) -- [29]
AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 8 (16)
AE: "Invisibility Spell" Concealment (Visuals) (4)
AE: "Go To Sleep!" Sleep 8 (16)
AE: "Undoes Glamors" Nullify 5 (Magic) (Extras: Broad) (10)

"Creates Sled & New Clothes" Create 5 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Continuous) [16]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Thrown Objects +3 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Sleep Spell +3 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +2 (DC 12), Toughness +2, Fortitude +2, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (Destiny)- All of the children of Fairytale Characters are expected to carry on the exact destinies and stories of their parents. Faybelle is thus expected to become the next Dark Fairy, and curse Sleeping Beauty to a century-long nap.
Responsibility (Royal)- Faybelle is perfectly-happy to be a huge villain. Though it's never really explained how she's supposed to curse the baby Briar with a "Sleeping Spell" if they're the same age.
Motivation (Being Evil)- Faybelle is both Head Cheerleader AND destined to be The Dark Fairy. Evil's kind of in her blood.
Hatred (Not Being Invited To Things)- Like her mother, Faybelle doesn't take kindly to being skipped over for invitations.
Rivalry (Raven Queen)- Faybelle has an issue with Raven in the books, owing to Raven's mother swiping the destinies of multiple other villains, including Faybelle's mom (The Evil Queen cursed Sleeping Beauty herself).
Responsibility (Bad Dancer)- Seriously, just look at her moves at the end of Faybelle's Choice. You'd think a Cheerleader would have some moves.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 0 (92)

-Faybelle Thorn is one of the neater designs in the show, and looks so "Non-Standard Character Design"-y that she fits in better with Monster High. She's got an odd skin and hair colour combo, and sports insectoid wings- she's also one of the bitchier students, owing to being happy to follow in the footsteps of The Dark Fairy (the character Disney calls "Maleficent"). The show uses her as an antagonist, who first appears trying to finagle her way into getting invited to a rare forest dance party- she taunts Ashlynn Ella and her friends, works to get them lost in the Dark Forest (which could have gotten them KILLED), but when she apologizes, she's invited along anyways! I was a bit annoyed to see them turn a potentially-interesting villain into a "Friendly Rival" so quickly, as the series kind of lacks proper bad guys, but she's right back to her old tricks in a later one, taunting her friend Duchess Swan over figure skating skills. And she does admit that "I can always be evil TOMORROW!"
-Faybelle Thorn is a trickster and a low-end Magic-User, mostly doing Telekinesis and one Invisibility Spell in the cartoon, plus one "Take Me To _____" spell in her Diary (and some backstory that involves her rhyming a spell to make her kindergarten teacher fall asleep- she got in trouble for... *ahem* "Cursing in Class"). She's barely a Mini-Maleficent at this stage, but her Cheerhexing skills give her a bit of a physical boost.

Updates: Faybelle has come out of nowhere to become one of the absolute best characters in the series. Though in the webisodes she's usually left just being "The Bitchy One"- in a funny one, she sends out invitations to a party held in her own honor, with cards to read "Faybelle Facts" to allow for conversations "about ME"- Attendance was also listed as mandatory, and the party was decorated with images of an Angry Faybelle pointing menacingly at the crowd. But for the most part, pretty mundane stuff, like what Duchess gets up to (or Toralei at Monster High). But in the movies? Faybelle is HILARIOUS- first off, in The Dragon Games, she's basically desperately trying to chase after the Evil Queen to become her subordinate villain (the slashy overtones are REALLY getting out of control in this series), and in Epic Winter, she controls a huge chunk of the plot, having been forced by the "Mob Fairies" to steal the Macguffin that's needed at the end of the Movie. Here, she gets one-liner after one-liner, makes fun of everything, and gets a ton of great acting performances out of her VA, who kind of modifies a "Valley Girl" voice to be a little more low-pitched and with a funny kind of diction that over-emphasizes the final consonant on every word.
-And OH MY GOD, she looks so cool with her Epic Winter look! Of COURSE there's no doll, and they were kind kind of lazy (they just recolored Apple White's outfit from the same line, since she wasn't appearing in the Movie so much), but the combination of extra-long hair (well she's a FAIRY, so I guess that can be variable with them) and the fancy, super-detailed purple outfit made all of the girls watching the movie jealous as hell.

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THE SNOW KING (Husband of the Snow Queen)
Role:
The Good King
Played by: Todd Haberkorn
PL 9 (213)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Expertise (Royalty) 8 (+10)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Attack (Ice) 2 (+9)

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (Snow King), Favored Environment (Icy Landscapes), Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
"Winter Creature"
"The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway" Immunity 1 (Cold) [1]

"Near-Giant For Some Reason"
Features 1: Increased Mass 1 [1]
Reach 1 [1]

"The Staff of Winter" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [124]
"The Snow Glows White on the Mountain Tonight" Environment 14 (30 miles; Cold 2, Impede Movement 2, Visibility) (70)
"Snowstorm" Concealment 2 (Extras: Affects Others, Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [6]
"Transform" Shapeshift 8 (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Limited to Winter Forms) (64)
"Animal Curse" Affliction 8 (Fort; Transformed to Other Form) (Extras: Ranged, Continuous +3) (Flaws: Limited to Final Degree) (32)

"Create Snow & Ice" Create 10 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Continuous) (31) -- (34)
AE: "Frozen" Affliction 9 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Immobile & Defenseless/Paralyzed) (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Extra Condition +2, Ranged) (37)
AE: "Icicle Shot" Blast 8 (16)
AE: "Frozen Fractals" Move Object 8 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to Ice & Snow) (17)
-- (206 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+6 Damage, DC 16)
Animal Forms +5 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Snare +9 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Transform +9 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Icicle Blast +9 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +6, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Snow Kingdom)
Relationship (Wife & Daughter)

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 127 / Defenses: 11 (213)

-In a weird bit, Crystal Winter was announced as the Daughter of the Snow Queen (as per Ever After High standards), yet the ruler of the kingdom in Epic Winter is the Snow KING, despite a Queen being there right next to him. And the Snow Queen isn't even story-accurate at all- she's not even remotely villainous! And she lives in a world where that is SERIOUS BUSINESS. Very strange. Really, the only reason I can think of is that they didn't want two movies in a row with Evil Queens playing a role.
-The Snow King is quickly manipulated by Jackie Frost & Northwind, who stick some evil powder from the glass shards of the Evil Queen's Mirror Prison (seen in Dragon Games), which is an homage to how the Snow Queen manipulates Kai in the original Snow Queen story. He and his wife are both effected, giving them "Kindness Blindness" (yes, really), but then the King quickly freezes his wife solid after getting offended by something she said, and then he sets off an "Epic Winter" that goes all the way to Ever After. Eventually, he is put to sleep by the TRUE villains, who then use his Staff of Winter to engage in shenanigans, and he's cured by movie's end.
-The Snow King is basically a Device-dependent Elsa in terms of stats. And is also a giant, for some reason. Seriously, he is TWICE AS TALL as the teenage characters, who are usually only a head shorter than an adult.


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Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
+26: Destroyah (Oxygen Destroyer), Ymir, Surtur (Unarmed or Blast)
+28: Surtur (Twlight Sword)

--------------------

5) Crystal Winter, North Wind & Jackie Frost, The Snow King
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 27, 2020 3:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Sherlock Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

"Sentiment is a chemical defect found on the losing side."- Sherlock Holmes

SHERLOCK:

-You know, I really didn't want to like Steven Moffat's Sherlock- I really didn't. I mean, I LOVED his Coupling, which was an amazing take on the Friends formula (3 males, 3 females; funny relationship stuff) with tons of great dialogue, "Hey, you ever noticed that ____"-type humor, and some real genre-bending stuff (half of an episode was a guy talking to an Israeli girl he liked; the second half was shown from HER perspective, as she spoke no English and couldn't figure out what he was saying... as he was spouting off the original "Bucket of Ears Speech", this was a good thing). But I really didn't care for his Doctor Who- I thought it was a fun show as a kid, but as an adult all I can see is horrible acting, awful special effects, women inexplicably lusting for that weird mutant guy with the giant elongated head, and LEGIONS of nerds at Comic Cons wearing Who-related outfits acting annoying (basically like Bronies but with fezes). And it's not like I never gave it a chance- I'd watched several episodes (I mean, Daleks are still bitching). But I thought it was all pretty bad.

So yeah, I didn't want to see, nor like, Sherlock. It had another British actor with a weird mutant head (Benderact Cuminsnatch), everyone talked too damn fast with too thick an accent to understand, it was YET ANOTHER SHOW featuring "The Main Character is a giant douchebag who insults everyone" and it seemed like it was gonna be very Who-vian. I watched their interpretation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and found it impenetrably-accented and a little weak. So I was ready to toss it aside and never watch it again.

HOWEVER... I later came upon someone online ranting about how awesome it was, and their argument felt rather convincing. And since I could rent it from the local video store, I did so (sadly, that store has now finally closed- one of the last ones in Edmonton. When I think about all the stuff I would NEVER have seen had that store not been around when I was in college, it blows my mind. SUCK MY TAINT, NETFLIX- you've forever destroyed a part of our culture with your goddamned CONVENIENCE), using the helpful "Subtitle" DVD function because goddamn even WATSON talks too fast and mumbles in a foreign accent. And I. Was. BLOWN. AWAY. Like, I was astonished at how good it was.

So here's the deal- Sherlock stars the Most-Britishly-Named-Guy-Ever Benedict Cumberbatch (spawn of the meme about strange spellings of his name) as the ultra-famous detective Sherlock Holmes, and Tom from The Office (English one, not American, also he's The Hobbit of The Hobbit) as Dr. John Watson. But unlike most Sherlock shows, this one is based in modern-day London, with tons of London-esque sights (their fancy new Financial district, and that giant Ferris Wheel)- sadly this means they can't film on the REAL Baker Street, as the real street is now full of stuff NAMED AFTER SHERLOCK HOLMES. Holmes is like he is in the books- grouchy, antisocial, obsessive and a bit of a nut (many characters suggest he has Asperger's at the best, though like most TV shows it doesn't say a SPECIFIC mental problem because that can hamstring the writers), and Watson is a long-suffering Hetero (kinda) Life Partner and "Straight Man"/Assistant. Together, They Fight Crime- solving cases that are just too much for the regular Police to handle- Sherlock is brilliant, but easily-bored, and does this to keep himself entertained. There's also a Moriarty to menace him.

Every "Season" (well, Series, since it's England) is only three episodes long (British Brevity, and all that). However, these episodes are NINETY MINUTES EACH, meaning they're effectively Mini-Movies, dealing with one case. Each one ends on a HUGE cliffhanger, which, given that it takes MORE THAN A YEAR to make new episodes, is a righteous pain in the dick to its multitude of fans.

The Good:
* Fantastic acting. Sherlock & Watson are amazing actors, rattle off rapid-fire dialogue with ease, and really have authentic chemistry.
* Great humor. The writers point out that the ORIGINAL Holmes tales are often full of dry wit- and many modern retellings leave this out. The characters are HILARIOUS, and everyone has a ton of funny moments.
* The dialogue is perfect- almost every episode has a dozen quotable moments.
* They depict intelligence very well. Sherlock is a genius, and you can SEE his genius at work. Most shows just kind of go "oh well he just knows the answer automatically", but this show lets you SEE why he knows the answer.
* Great special effects- they show the inner workings of Sherlock's mind using CGI, a moving camera, and various great bits.
* The mysteries are awesome, hard to solve, and complex, yet easily-understood. Getting the "Eureka" moment in the episode with "The Woman" is AMAZING. I can't even spoil it- the last ten minutes of that episode rival the best moments of every show ever- that whole episode is among the best stuff ever produced- think of it as a movie and it's a Top Ten Movie Ever.
* Short seasons and Mini-Movies mean there's no filler. British shows almost NEVER have any filler. Yet the long episodes means they don't suffer from the usual problem of British shows- short runs mean you never quite get attached to the characters the way you would from super-long American show's seasons.
* Homoerotic Undertones. Sherlock & Watson make Ken & Ryu look platonic sometimes, but it's commented on repeateldy by every character, making a hilarious running gag.

The Bad:
* Funny accents and fast talking = incomprehensible to me. Sherlock talks too fast, and Watson mumbles too much. I can't follow along without the DVD and being able to both read subtitles and scroll back.
* Because the episodes are so long, and take up such a big chunk of the seasons, if you find a mediocre one, you're basically watching an hour and a half of "meh", and a third of the season is dull. Thankfully this doesn't happen too often, though Series One's 2nd episode is pretty mediocre, and The Hounds of Baskerville isn't that great, either.
* I REALLY don't care for the actor playing Moriarty. I mean, I get what they're going for- a wild, crazy psychotic with Asperger's instead of the usual stoic, prim Intelligencia we're used to. But he just comes off as a bad over-actor with an ever-changing accent and randomly-pitched voice.
* "Asshole Main Character" is so criminally-overdone in every form of TV show now that it's lost a lot of the old cleverness it used to have. There are now shows in which EVERY character is an asshole! So it's hard to point out how great the series is with "and the lead character is SUCH an uncompromising asshole!" It's just that Sherlock is CLEVER for such a thoughtless asshole.

The Episodes:

SERIES ONE
1) A Study in Pink- James Watson, a crippled Afghani War Vet, returns to London and meets Sherlock Holmes, a "Consulting Detective" who needs an assistant and partner in crime- Watson, who needs a new form of excitement and danger in his life, gladly goes with him.
2) The Blind Banker- Some people are being killed in "The City of London", and a bunch of Chinese criminal/circus folk are at the heart of it. Not one of the stronger episodes.
3) The Great Game- Our heroes are given a bunch of random assignments by phone- various people are force to wear "Suicide Vests" and give them orders and weird mysteries to solve. Of course the ringleader is Holmes' arch-nemesis.

SERIES TWO
1) A Scandal in Belgravia- A famous dominatrix, "The Woman", is given access to secrets she shouldn't have, and now her life (and the safety of the civilized world) is in danger. Holmes must uncover The Woman's secrets, while she works her wiles and deconstruct the undeconstructable Sherlock himself. Best Episode Ever.
2) The Hounds of Baskerville- A man recalls something that couldn't be true, piquing Sherlock's curiosity and sending the duo to recreate the most-famous of the original stories. It all involves a military complex in Northern England.
3) The Reichenbach Fall- The Sherlock/Moriarty feud reaches a fatal head, with both men seen dead.

SERIES THREE
1) The Empty Hearse- Of course Sherlock was faking it (come on- everyone knows that), and after an angry reunion, the duo fight an underground terrorist network.
2) The Sign of Three- Watson gets married to the love of his life (no, not SHERLOCK), and a mysterious killer attacks at the wedding.
3) His Last Vow- An evil Newspaper Magnate holds sway over all the free world with his "room full of secrets" that could undo anyone. Even Sherlock.

* Sherlock has just finished Sherlock Scanning an ex-boyfriend of John's fiancee Mary, uncovering that he carries the torch for her and wants her back*

"I think from now on we'll downgrade you to casual acquaintance, no more than three planned social encounters a year and always in John's presence. I have your contact details I will be be monitoring."
"They were right about you. You're a bloody psychopath."
"High-functioning sociopath. With your number." *Big Smile*

SHERLOCK HOLMES (William Sherlock Scott Holmes)
Role:
High-Functioning Sociopath, Asshole Hero
Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch
PL 5 (143), PL 6 (143) Defenses, PL 9 (143) Skills
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 7 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 15 (+14)
Expertise (Current Events) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+14)
Expertise (History) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Law) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Music) 6 (+5)
Expertise (Streetwise) 10 (+15)
Insight 10 (+17)
Intimidation 8 (+7)
Investigation 12 (+19)
Peception 8 (+15)
Persuasion 5 (+4)
Sleight of Hand 1 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Technology 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Assessment, Daze (Intimidation), Eidetic Memory, Fearless, Improved Disarm, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 3 (Pretty Much Whatever He Needs), Luck, Second Chance (Investigation Checks), Skill Mastery 3 (Investigation, Expertise- History, Expertise-Current Events), Ultimate Investigation Skill, Ultimate Current Events Expertise, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Sherlock Scan" Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks & Perception Checks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +8

Complications:
Quirks (Antisocial Asshole)- Sherlock appears to have some form of mental disability when it comes to dealing with people- he appears uninterested and uncaring about offending people, constantly belittles others, gives out personal information (gleaned through Sherlock Scans) frequently, and is generally a giant douche. Naturally, this doesn't 100% jibe with any real-world malady because it's TV and they don't want to get in crap for getting something minor wrong, but some characters joke/comment that he has Asperger's Syndrome. Sherlock himself says that he's a "High-Functioning Sociopath", though even this is wrong.
Motivation (Excitement)- Being so intelligent means that Sherlock is frequently-bored. His position as "Consulting Detective" is to find things that can motivate him to put an effort into something- he will readily-discard any suggested assignments that bore him. Moments of boredom have led to him firing bullets into the wall of his flat.
Relationship (John Watson)- Sherlock's most-meaningful relationship is with his Hetero Lifemate Dr. Watson. The two are so close that it makes Turk & JD from Scrubs, or Frodo & Sam from The Lord of the Rings look like distant, non-homoerotic friendships. Virtually ever single person they know comments about their "closeness". Most of John's girlfriends have left him after "coming in second" to his first love, and Sherlock has been left emotionally beside-himself nearly every time John's life was in danger.
---
Rivalry (Mycroft Holmes)- Sherlock and his equally-smart older brother have an uncomfortable relationship, often trading quips. Mycroft & Sherlock do appear to care for one another, and Mycroft will come to Sherlock for help at times.
Relationship (THE Woman)- Irene Adler proved an intellectual equal on many levels, fascinating the normally-distinterested Sherlock with the opposite sex for the first time in his life.
Relationship (Others)- Despite his attempts at classifying himself as a "high-functioning Sociopath", Sherlock does care for and admire numerous people. He considers Molly Hooper, Detective Inspector Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson to be friends, and feels worry when they are endangered. When an American agent abuses her for information, Sherlock beats him up, ties him to a chair, and then throws him out the window. Multiple times.
Power Loss (Genius)- Sherlock has some odd "blank spots" in his repetoire of knowledge. Believing it to be pointless to the cause of solving crimes, Sherlock never bothered to learn anything about astronomy. I mean, what benefit is there to learning whether or not the Earth travels around the Sun? He is also somewhat-stunted by situations involving women- he is unable to tell that the stuttering, nervous Molly has a thing for him, and his Sherlock Scan utterly fails him when he sees a woman naked.
Responsibility (Mind Palace)- Sherlock is prone to fugue states that result in him being Unaware and unresponsive for hours at a time- this can be provoked by moments of heavy thought or confusion, or simply because he's bored. Sometimes, his Eidetic Memory is only accessed by this state.
---
Responsibility ("There's always SOMETHING!")- Despite the power of the Sherlock Scan, Holmes is prone to missing out on at least one detail- when Scanning Dr. Watson for the first time, he fails to realize that John's older sibling "Harry" is actually "Harriet".
Responsibility (Messy)- Sherlock cannot really take care of himself, much to the frustration of his flatmate Watson and his landlord Mrs. Hudson, who are left to clean up all of his messes.
Addiction (Nicotine)- Sherlock has also dabbled with cocaine in the past.
Enemy (Jim Moriarty)- Sherlock has an intellectual equal in the dangerous, psychotic "Consulting Criminal" Moriarty, who likes to play games and toy with people's lives.
Fame- Sherlocks is now recognized more often than not, which can prove troubling.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 112--56 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 3 (143)

-"Asshole Lead Character" shows have become REALLY common over the years, and it's led to several shows being made up ENTIRELY of jerks in the cast, which I think has had a negative effect on television. I mean, I can see the appeal- jerks are fun and interesting because they say the things we might WANT to say, but don't- they have no interest in keeping the peace, and can speak the truth without reservation. We can admire that at times. Their insults can also be quite funny if the writing is good enough. But it gets a bit... extreme, at times. I think most of the Mad Men characters ended up becoming awful people after a point, and that wasn't a good thing. It can be TOO MUCH. Which I think is what makes Sherlock so good- not only is he in keeping with the original Holmes (who gets a Grandfather Clause in)- the inspiration for TV Jerks like Dr. House (Holmes/Watson = House/Wilson, naturally), but his jerkishness comes from more of a characteristic bluntness and inability to care for the emotions of others, rather than selfish desires. He simply spouts off whatever comes to mind, which ends up pissing people off. It helps that his lines are usually funny. And that they successfully pull off his growing understanding of the human value known as friendship.
-Cumberbatch has a tricky role to play here- he's got to make Sherlock both likeable and a bit of an ass. And, as a fast-talking actor, he's often given more and more challenging lines by the malicious writers (Kristin Chenoweth noted the same phenomenon in Pushing Daisies, as her Olive Snook was given giant rapid-fire monologues). But he really handles it, and you can see that reflected in his current success in acting (which, of course, is now delaying the show). Also, women find him attractive, even though he's very weird-looking. I'm a terrible judge of that sort of thing, though (true story: In the hinterlands of Canada, there was a show called Breaker High, featuring a gang of students on some freighter/High School that traveled around the world but never actually SHOWED any of it because it was a Canadian show and there was no budget for that kind of thing. I was annoyed because my sisters thought the goofy-looking, big-nosed kid playing the Nerdy Funny Guy was cute- I retorted that they were incorrect. The actor playing the goofy-looking big-nosed kid? A young RYAN GOSLING).
-Sherlock stats out as a vastly-intelligent guy who's also a great fighter- he's below the Comic Book Class of hero, but has taken out entire groups of people before (once with a SWORD). He's got a massive +19 to Investigation, because Batman has +18, and Sherlock's MUST be one higher. Watch the show if you don't believe me- Sherlock's powers of observation and deduction are at the highest-possible level. I was trying to think of some clever stuff for his "Sherlock Scans" and the like, but it's really just your standard Mental Quickness ability- like the original Holmes, Sherlock can "read" a person in a single moment, gaining incredible insight to their character. He uncovered Watson's status as an Afghani War Vet with an alcoholic sibling named Harry (only missing that Harry was short for "Harriet") just by looking at his clothes, gait and phone. He could tell a man was asking his lottery-winning mother for money just by how the two were dressed (he was wearing an itchy, uncomfortable sweater clearly bought by her, while she was wearing fancy clothes save for a "sentimental" old wedding band from when she was poorer). Nearly everything people wear can tell a story. Not that he's infallible- Moriarty fools him more than once, as does Irene Adler. Even +17 Insight can fail you ONCE in a while.

Sherlock Holmes: Punch me in the face.
John Watson: Punch you?
Sherlock Holmes: Yes, punch me, in the face. Didn't you hear me?
John Watson: I always hear "punch me in the face" when you're speaking, but it's usually subtext.
Sherlock Holmes: Oh, for God's sake! [He punches John in the face. John punches him back] Thank you John, that was - [John tackles Sherlock and grabs him in a chokehold] Okay, I think that's enough now.
John Watson: You want to remember, Sherlock, I was a soldier. I killed people!
Sherlock Holmes: You were a doctor!
John Watson: I had bad days!

DR. WATSON (Doctor John Watson)
Role:
The Watson (well, duh)
Played by: Martin Freeman
PL 6 (93)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Streetwise) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Current Events) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Military) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 2 (+5)
Treatment 7 (+10)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Pistol +4), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Sherlock Scan" Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks & Perception Checks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Pistol +8 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Obsession (Danger)- John is pathologically-obsessed with being placed in dangerous situations- he gained a psychosomatic limp just because he was home from the war in Afghanistan. He gladly joined Sherlock's dangerous activities. Even his taste in WOMEN proves rather dangerous...
Relationship (Sherlock Holmes)- Most of John's girlfriends have left him after "coming in second" to his first love, and is shattered emotionally when Sherlock is thought-dead. The two are REALLY homoerotic together, and argue like an old married couple. Watson remains possessive and protective of the more childlike Holmes.
Relationship (Mary Morstan)- John had a series of women in his life, but most of them left him out of disgust for his much-closer relationship with Sherlock. Only Mary retained her love for John through the trials and tribulations. And there'd be a lot of them.
Relationship (Others)- John is also close with some of Sherlock's friends- in particular Mrs. Hudson.
Reputation ("WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!")- John is more-perturbed by Sherlock about the rumors surrounding them.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (93)

-A character like Sherlock Holmes basically requires a "Watson"- much like how early comic book writers gave their heroes Sidekicks so that they wouldn't be talking to themselves all the time, Watson exists to let Holmes prattle off about all of the things he's figured out, and thereby explaining things to the reader. It's also a tricky role to do, though- he can easily seem like an ineffectual idiot, repeatedly astounded and trumped by the superior Holmes. He's also less-dynamic and a bit dull in comparison- he's not a Kid Sidekick who the young reader can identify with- he's just some other guy. This is the struggle, and Martin Freeman easily handles the load by playing Watson as the "regular guy" who CAN be astounded by Holmse's genius, but is more than often just annoyed by his oddities and lack of social graces. Freeman's role as Tim on The Office (called "Jim" in the American version) gave him adequate training in how to react to asinine people).
-It also helps that the show turns Watson into a hell of a bad-ass, able to beat the snot out of Sherlock (who is himself a good fighter), and a good doctor. He's also a danger-junky and an adequate problem-solver in his own right (though naturally has to operate on a human level, and is thus takes way longer than Holmes). So Freeman comes off as likeable and endearing with his emotional ways, contrasting the more stoic, weird Sherlock. He ALSO more or less acts as Sherlock's conscience- giving him a human outlook on the world. You really couldn't do the series if either one of them were any different.
-So John stats up much differently than Sherlock does- he's a better fighter, and capable in his own right, but lacks knowledge just about everywhere compared to his more-famous friend. He's also a hell of a shot- he pulls off a perfect killshot on a man with a small pistol through TWO PANES OF GLASS, while Sherlock was standing right in front of him.

"If you seem slow to me, Sherlock, can you imagine what real people are like? I'm living in a world of goldfish."

MYCROFT HOLMES
Role:
Lecturing Older Brother, British Government Agent
Played by: Mark Gatiss
PL 5 (119), PL 9 (119) Skills
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 7 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 11 (+14)
Expertise (Current Events) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+14)
Expertise (History) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Law) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Streetwise) 10 (+15)
Expertise (Government) 10 (+17)
Insight 10 (+17)
Investigation 12 (+19)
Peception 8 (+15)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Technology 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit 5 (Highest of High Security Clearance), Eidetic Memory, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 3 (Pretty Much Whatever He Needs), Luck, Second Chance (Investigation Checks), Skill Mastery 3 (Investigation, Expertise- Government, Expertise-Current Events), Ultimate Investigation Skill, Ultimate Current Events Expertise, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Mycroft Scan" Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks & Perception Checks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +1 (DC 11), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1, Fortitude +2, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The British Government)- Mycroft occasionally IS the British Government- major decisions always go through him.
Rivalry (Sherlock Holmes)- The brothers often trade quips, but Mycroft is very protective of his little brother, taking unorthodox and extreme methods to keep an eye on Sherlock.
Secret (Everything)- As a high-level Government agent, Mycrof has access to numerous protected secrets.
Responsibility (Lazy)- Though as smart or smarter than Sherlock, Mycroft prefers not to have to do the "legwork" of cases.
Responsibility (Losing Weight)- Mycroft is often seen dieting or working out.
Responsibility (Uncaring)- Mycroft takes great cares not to care about anyone or anything- when witnessing a family in mourning, he confides that he's glad he is immune to such things, considering it a personal weakness. He only appears to care for his parents (willing to see a torturous rendition of Les Miz with them) and Sherlock ("your loss would break my heart").

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 98--49 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 4 (119)

-Mycroft Holmes in the original stories is kind of a version of the "Ace" concept- a guy who's just BETTER than the hero, provoking both awe and jealousy. The idea that even SHERLOCK HOLMES has a superior both humanizes him, and makes him a bit tragic. Sherlock takes a slightly-different route with Mycroft, making him SORT OF Sherlock's superior, but also makes him a high-level Government agent, effectively a mastermind who often sends Sherlock & Watson out on important work, while also lecturing his little brother about proper behavior. He's first-seen SPYING on Sherlock, and trying to get John to spy FOR him. He's as weird as Sherlock, and even more uncaring about others, but unlike Sherlock is able to "fake it" and blend in with normal people.
-Sherlock Co-Creator Mark Gatiss plays Mycroft as a fussy, somewhat weak figure, in spite of his genius. He's apparently still Sherlock's superior (he beats him at the "Sherlock Scan" Deduction game, and correctly figures out that someone did not die on the sofa, but another piece of furniture), but not by such a degree that he can't be fooled by Sherlock's skills- he also needs Sherlock to unseat the problems presented by men like Magnussen or Moriarty, and is nearly undone by The Woman as well. He has actual Presence owing to his ability to fake regular human emotions (he is actually even more immune to caring for others, considering it a tragic weakness), as opposed to the sarcastic, rude Sherlock. As he's never seen fighting on-screen, and is treated so pathetically at times (Sherlock frequently takes the piss out of him), he has lower physical stats & Fighting skills, making him much cheaper, in spite of his high-level position in the government. 5 ranks of Benefit means that Mycrof can spy on anyone through CCTV cameras, have anyone followed, and even communicate via messages on ATM machines.

"Every fairytale needs a good old-fashioned VILLAIN. You need me, or you're nothing."

JIM MORIARTY
Role:
The Arch-Nemesis, Chaotic Evil Menace
Played by: Andrew Scott
PL 5 (144), PL 9 (144) Skills
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 7 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4)
Deception 15 (+19)
Expertise (Current Events) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+14)
Expertise (History) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Law) 7 (+14)
Expertise (Criminal) 12 (+19)
Expertise (Government) 10 (+17)
Insight 10 (+17)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Investigation 12 (+19)
Peception 8 (+15)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Technology 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit 5 (High-Level Criminal, With Snipers & Stuff), Eidetic Memory, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Languages 3 (Pretty Much Whatever He Needs), Luck, Second Chance (Criminal Checks), Skill Mastery 3 (Investigation, Expertise- Criminal, Expertise-Current Events), Ultimate Investigation Skill, Ultimate Current Events Expertise, Ultimate Criminal Skill, Well-Informed

Powers:
"Moriarty Scan" Quickness 6 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Tasks & Perception Checks) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Curing Boredom)- Moriarty is so smart that he lives in a world that bores him- he becomes a Consulting Criminal for the challenge of it, and when presented with a man on his level of genius (Sherlock), he becomes obsessed with bringing Sherlock down and destroying every part of his life. He wants Sherlock dead and his reputation ruined.
Temper- Moriarty can go berserk at a moment's notice, losing his cool and shouting.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 108--54 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 5 (144)

-Moriarty is mentioned in the very first episode of Sherlock, but we don't meet him till the end of the first Series- rather than the usual stoic, intellectual Moriarty, this guy is a NUT- a Chaotic Evil loon who starts shit just for the sake of starting shit- he hunts down Sherlock just for the challenge, and goes out of his way to create games for his nemesis to play. And he'll murder absolutely anyone necessary to further his ends of having fun. A lot of people I know LOVED this interpretation of the character, but I found the actor annoying and detestable. He basically acted borderline Autistic, screeching and lunging about like a crazy person, altering his accent and the tone of his voice frequently. It was actually kind of irritating.
-Moriarty is the intellectual equal of Sherlock & Mycroft, but lacks any sense of morality- a dangerous menace. He doesn't value any life at all- even his own.

Adler: "I would have you, right here, on this desk, until you begged for mercy twice."
Sherlock: "I would not--"
Adler: "Twice."

THE WOMAN (Irene Adler)
Role:
Femme Fatale
Played by: Lara Pulver
PL 4 (118), PL 8 (118) Skills
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Deception 8 (+13, +18 Attractive)
Expertise (Current Events) 7 (+12)
Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+13)
Expertise (Government) 8 (+13)
Expertise ("Recreational Scolding") 8 (+13)
Insight 8 (+13)
Investigation 5 (+10)
Peception 6 (+11)
Persuasion 8 (+13, +18 Attractive)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+7)
Technology 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit 2 (Wealth, Access to Powerful Men & Women), Equipment (Mobile Phone of Secrets- Unlockable), Languages 2 (Presumably a Few), Luck, Second Chance (Persuasion), Skill Mastery 3 (Scolding, Persuasion, Deception), Ultimate Persuasion Skill, Ultimate Scolding Skill, Well-Informed

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Secrets)- Adler enjoys getting secrets out of people- she considers much of it her "insurance"- blackmail should any of her clients ever turn on her. She's so entrenched in the world of secrecy that she's never honest with anyone.
Relationship (Sherlock Holmes)- "Let's have dinner." Adler is an extreme flirt, and enjoys toying with the stoic, unemotional Holmes. "Brainy is the new sexy," after all. However, it's quite unclear just how deep this attraction goes for either one of them. They're both clearly playing games, but when does it get serious?
Reputation (Dangerous)- Many, many people want access to Adler's secrets, and will kill her to get them. She will be killed if she ever loses the guardianship of certain people.
Enemy (Mycroft Holmes)- Adler has blackmailed him many times.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 84--42 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 7 (118)

-The story of Irene Adler is a popular one for Holmes enthusiasts- the one woman who was able to outwit the master. And so the Sherlock writers introduced Lara Pulver as "The Woman", ramping the sexuality up to 10 and making her a professional dominatrix with information on many of the top people in England (and if that wasn't hawt enough, they imply that she's engaged in a slave & master relationship with KATE MIDDLETON)- "You know ____?" "Well, I know what he liked." The Woman is smart, capable, reads people as well as Sherlock can, and scheming- she enjoys having power, and uses her mastery of secrets (and the ability to get them out of people) to ensure her own survival.
-This episode was AMAZING, and really came off with the chemistry between the uber-confidant Adler, and her games with the stoic, virginal Sherlock, who found himself unable to do a Sherlock Scan (she has the most ingenious solution to a man who can tell everything about someone by the clothes they wear...). There's some brilliant writing tricks in this one, and I consider it an accomplishment of nerd pride that I was able to figure out what she meant when she said "I already told you" about her locker safe's combination. And the bit at the end with her locked mobile and the acting involved... spectacular stuff. I was really impressed by Pulver, though I didn't realize just HOW attractive she was until she dropped the "prim & proper bun in hair and dominatrix gear" look for the "long, mussed-up hair just out of the shower while wearing a bathrobe" one... now THAT's a good look.
-The Woman is as good as the Holmeses at certain things, and is an excellent professional liar and persuader (particularly if the target is attracted to her). She's not AS smart as Sherlock, but is able to figure out the secret of the "Dead Outdoorsman" with some careful assistance. Her main weapon is her arsenal of Secrets, allowing her a mobile phone that can't be unlocked by anything but a simple four-digit password (and too many failed guesses will nuke the phone)- the ultimate Maguffin, EVERYONE wants to get their hands on it.


xxxx

Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Combat (Type), Deception, Expertise (Acting, Art, Business, Carpentry, Cooking, Criminal, Current Events, Dance, History, Journalism, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Magic, Music, Philosophy/Theology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychiatry, Science, Sociology), Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Ranged Combat (Type), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Technology, Treatment/Medicine, Vehicles

Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Assessment, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit, Chokehold, Close Attack, Connected, Contacts, Cunning Fighter, Damaging Escape, Daze (old Distract), Def.Attack. Def.Roll, Def.Strike, Def.Throw, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment, Evasion (R), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate, Fast Grab, Fav. Environment, Fav. Foe, Fearless, Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Hide in Plain Sight, Imp.Aim, Imp.Critical, Imp.Defense, Imp.Disarm, Imp.Grab, Imp.Initiative, Imp.Hold, Imp.Smash, Imp.Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inspire, Instant Up, Interpose, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Last Stand, Leadership, Luck, Minions, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Close,Cover/Conceal), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Redirect, Ritualist, Second Chance, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Sidekick, Skill Mastery, Startle, Takedown, Taunt, Teamwork, Throwing Mastery, Tough, Tracking, Trance, Ultimate Effort, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage

STR 0 (50 lbs.) ---- (Bald Eagle)
STR 1 (100 lbs.) ---- (Jean Grey, Sue Storm; Wolves)
STR 2 (200 lbs.) ---- (NPC Thugs, NPC Cop, Black Tom Cassidy, Base Doom/Kang) (DCA- Black Canary, Robin)
STR 3 (400 lbs.) ---- (Nightwing, Silver Samurai, Black Canary II, Razor Fist; Cougars) (DCA- Nightwing)
STR 4 (800 lbs.) ---- (Daredevil, Batman, Demona "Gargoyles"'; Chimpanzees, Jaguars) (DCA- Batman, Vandal)
STR 5 (1,600 lbs.) ---- HUMAN MAXIMUM (Captain America, Hudson "Gargoyles", Hawkman, Bugbears; Lions)

STR 6 (3,200 lbs.) ---- (Goliath "Gargoyles", Sabretooth; Horses, Gorillas, Anacondas, Black Bears, Tigers) (DCA- Gorillas)
STR 7 (3 tons) ---- (car, van, truck) ---- (Cyborg; Grizzlies, Gryphons, Rhinoceros, Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Peak for Most Animals) (DCA- Cheetah)
STR 8 (6 tons) ---- (lear jet, subway car) ---- (Elephants, Triceratops, T-Rex)
STR 9 (12 tons) ---- (fighter jet, semi truck) ---- (Spider-Man, The Beast, The Blob)
STR 10 (25 tons) ---- (humpback whale) ---- (Kid Omni-Man) (DCA- Aquaman)

STR 11 (50 tons) ---- (tank, train) ---- (Rogue, The Immortal, Marvel's Ares)
STR 12 (100 tons) ---- (767, cargo jet) ---- (Most Super-Bricks: Colossus, King Kong, Baseline Hulk) (DCA- Humpback Whale, Powerhouse)
STR 13 (200 tons) ---- (747, fishing liner) ---- (DCAU Superman, The Thing, Dragon Man)
STR 14 (400 tons) ---- (drilling rig)
STR 15 (800 tons) ---- (small bridge) ---- (The Juggernaut, DCAU Darkseid, Mary Marvel/CM3, Invincible)

STR 16 (1,600 tons) ---- (destroyer) ---- (Legion Supergirl, The Abomination) (DCA- Wonder Woman)
STR 17 (3,200 tons) ---- (freight train, nuclear sub) ---- (Mon-El, PC Superboy, Omni-Man)
STR 18 (6,000 tons) ---- (cargo freighter- empty) ---- (Thunderstrike, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Prof. Hulk, She-Ra, Samaritan) (DCA- Grundy)
STR 19 (12,000 tons) ---- (cruiser, loaded freighter) ---- (Thor, Superman, He-Man) (DCA- Black Adam, Superman)
STR 20 (25,000 tons) ---- (ocean liner, large bridge)

SPEED CHART:
2 mph (Normal Human), 4 mph (Speed 1), 8 mph (Speed 2), 16 mph (Speed 3), 30 mph (Speed 4), 60 mph (Speed 5), 120 mph (Speed 6), 250 mph (Speed 7), 500 mph (Speed 8), 1,000 mph (Speed 9), 2,000 mph (Speed 10), 4,000 mph (Speed 11), 8,000 mph (Speed 12), 16,000 mph (Speed 13), 32,000 mph (Speed 14), 64,000 mph (Speed 15), 125,000 mph (Speed 16), 250,000 mph (Speed 17), 500,000 mph (Speed 18), 1,000,000 mph (Speed 19), 2,000,000 mph (Speed 20)

(One Degree): Dazed (single action of own control), Entranced (stunned unless a threat is obvious), Fatigued/Hindered (half-speed), Impaired (-2 penalty), Vulnerable (half-defense)
(Two Degrees): Compelled (single action control), Defenseless (0 defense bonus), Disabled (-5 penalty), Exhausted (impaired/hindered), Immobile (no moving from spot), Prone (-5 close attack/hindered), Restrained (hindered/vulnerable), Stunned (no actions)
(Three Degrees): Asleep (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Controlled (all actions), Incapacitated (defenseless/stunned/unaware), Paralyzed (defenseless/immobile/stunned aside from mental actions), Transformed (altered traits), Unaware (unable to Percieve/Interact)

Attack Bonuses:
+6: Elite Wolves, Cassowaries, Komodo Dragons, Black Rhinos, Dolphins, Most Sharks,
+7: The Yeti, Worm, Jaguars, Dire Wolves, Smaller Bears (Black, Sloth), Terror Birds, Most Snakes (Constrictors & Vipers), White Rhinos, Gorillas, Great White Sharks, Megalodons, Thunderball, Stilt-Man, Bulldozer (Headbutt), Sasquatch
+8: Rusty & Skids, Boom-Boom/Meltdown, Siryn, Most of the Serpent Society (Coachwhip, Rock Python, Puff Adder, etc.), Blockbuster, G.W. Bridge, Grizzly IV, Most Big Cats (Lion, Leopard), Brown & Polar Bears, Haast's Eagles, Elephants, Killer Whales, The Wrecker, Piledriver, Titania, The Absorbing Man, Tony Stark
+9: The Thing, Karma, Rictor, Warpath, Copperhead, Short-Faced Bears, Crocodiles (In Water), Sperm Whale, Mister Hyde, The Gamecock, She-Hulk, James Rhodes,
+10: Harry Osborn, Fancy Dan, Hobgoblins, The Prowler, Sunspot, Cannonball, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Scalphunter, Harpoon, Arclight, The Wendigo, Sauron, Dragon Man, Zaran & Machete, The Beast, Julia Carpenter, Thor (Hammer), Hercules
+11: U.S. Agent, Vulture, The Lizard, Norman Osborn, Hammerhead, Mac Gargan, Tombstone, Spider-Girl (May), Callisto, Feral, Dani Moonstar, Shatterstar (Swords), Diamonback, King Cobra, Sabretooth (Unarmed), Jessica Drew, Luke Cage, Thor (Unarmed),
+12: The Puma, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Callisto (Knife), Wolfsbane, Domino, Cable, The Punisher, Namor, Ares
+13: Bucky-Cap, Spider-Man, The Kingpin, Carnage, La Tarantula, Shatterstar (Unarmed), Sabretooth (Claws), Black Knight (sword)
+14: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Batroc the Leaper, Swordsman (Sword),
+16: Captain America

Damage:
+1: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost (unarmed)
+2: Barracudas, Most Humans (200 lbs.)
+3: Black Widow, Iron Fist (standard attack), Rottweiler, Lynx, Eagles, Mandrills, Nighthawk, Night Thrasher (Unarmed)
+4: Daredevil, Mastiff, Wolves, Crossbones
+5: Standard Gun, Captain America, Bullseye (Objects/Adamantium Fists), Daredevil (Club), Hyenas, Eels, Rattlers, Stags, Chimps, Swarm, Red Skull
+6: Agent 13 (Gun), Black Widow (Bite), The Kingpin, Dire Wolf (Bite), Cougars/Leopards, Dolphins, Pythons, Horses, Elk, Orangutans
+7: Punisher, Cable & Domino's Rifles, Vermin, Jaguars, Lioness, Cobras, Gorillas, Spider-Girls, Black Knight (Sword)
+8: Spider-Man (Unarmed/Snare), Captain America (Shield), Wolverine (Claws), Lions, Black Bears, False Killer Whales, Bull Sharks, Anacondas, Terror Birds, Crocs, Moose, Bulls,
+9: Tigers, Brown/Polar Bears, Hammerheads, Colossal Squids, Salties, Irish Elk, Giraffes, Hippos, Black Rhinos, The Shocker, Titania I, Poundcakes
+10: Smilodons, Cave Bears, Great Whites, White Rhinos, Elephants, Killer Whales, Hydro Man, Piledriver's Fists, Texas Twister's Wind, Foxfire & Quagmire's Attacks, Gladiatrix
+11: Jack of Hearts (Blast), War Machine (Blasts), Mr. Hyde, Giant Snakes, Woolly Rhinos, King Kong, Dr. Octopus (Arms), Venom, The Lizard, Electro, Frenzy, Unuscione, Power Princess, Tiger Shark, Rogue, Stegosaurus' Thagomizer
+12: Iron Man (Blasts), Humpbacks, The Scorpion (Tail), Thunderball & Bulldozer's Weapons, Dr. Spectrum's Blasts
+13: Sperm Whales, Indricotherium, Namor, The Thing, Colossus, Ultron, The Mandarin's Area Attacks, T-Rex's Bite
+14: The Wrecker (Crowbar), Magneto's Blasts, Exodus' Blasts, Namor & Tiger Shark (in Water), Ultron's Attacks, Sasquatch, The Mandarin, Loki's Blasts
+15: Zeuglodons, Megalodons, Gilgamesh, Hulk (Baseline), Inertia's Blasts, The Executioner's Axe, Apocalypse
+16: Thor (Unarmed), Hercules, Giant-Man (Maximum Size), The Kraken, Redstone, The Abomination, The Juggernaut, Odin & Zeus (Unarmed), Air-Walker
+17: Hyperion, Ulik the Troll, Red Hulk, Fenris Wolf (Teeth), Red Shift
+18: Thor (Hammer), The Champion of the Universe, Black Bolt's Scream, Odin (Spear), Surtur & Ymir (Area Effects)
+19: King Caesar, Anguirus, Silver Surfer, Firelord, Nova, Stardust
+20: Hulk (maximum rage), Godzilla (Showa), Red Ronin, The Destroyer, Zeus (Thunderbolt), Terrax (Axe)
+21: Red Ronin's Blade, Odin (Blast)
+22: Godzilla (Showa- Breath Weapon), Godzilla (Heisei), The Destroyer (Blast), Morg (Blast)
+23: Jormungand, Morg (Axe)
+24: Godzilla (Heisei- Breath Weapon), Mechagodzilla (Showa- Weapons)
+25: Mechagodzilla (Heisei- Weapons), Space Godzilla (Breath Weapon), Jormungand (Breath)
+26: Destroyah (Oxygen Destroyer), Ymir, Surtur (Unarmed or Blast)
+28: Surtur (Twlight Sword)
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