Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
BriarThrone
Posts: 460
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 7:33 am

Re: Jab's Builds! (Vibraxas! Crusaders! Freedom Ring! BRUTAL!)

Post by BriarThrone »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 4:36 am My cop friend tells me their vests are "f*cking useless" at stopping knives, and cops actually find that annoying, given how much more likely they are to be stabbed or slashed by something. So that's what I went with for the vests :). Yours aren't bad, though, Beard! Thanks for adding your two bits!

Naturally, Comic Book Armor works in any which way.
Kevlar vests are basically useless against stabbing. The fibrous nature doesn't help much, because so little surface material from the vest meets the blade. To make modern armor that's effective against stabbing, you need to incorporate ceramic strike plates.

Against a knife's slash, kevlar isn't much better than a T-shirt... because a T-shirt is surprisingly great protection against that type of attack. Kevlar is similar, x50 or so.
User avatar
Batgirl III
Posts: 3626
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:17 am
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Jab's Builds! (Vibraxas! Crusaders! Freedom Ring! BRUTAL!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Thing is that, in the average street fight, you’re most
Likely dealing with someone who is “visibly in what appeared to me as an alternated state of consciousness.”* Such people generally don’t know how to fight with a knife very effectively. They will slash randomly and without proper follow through, they will cut you, but odds are it will not be life-threatening... When they switch to stabbing, however, they get all ice-pick grip and go horror movie on you. The real danger of a slash is that they get lucky and randomly hit your neck, femoral artery, or your face... all areas vests don’t cover. Hence “slash proof” vests always made little sense to me.

If someone with hostile intent gets within twenty-five feet of you, you should probably deploy your taser (if you have one) or shoot them. Preferably you also have a partner (or five) who can also engage them.

* Meaning they were drunk as a skunk or high as a kite, but since we hadn’t tested them yet we couldn’t prove it. So we had this phrase drilled into our skulls.

Fighting a knife wielding-opponent who isn’t on something and knows what they’re doing? That’s when things get really nasty. Thankfully, I’ve only encountered this combination in martial arts practice and training. A competent knife-fighter is usually also a skilled boxer or grappler, incorporating many of the same techniques... only now with 6”-12” of razor-sharp steel in his hand. Unless you’ve got ample distance between you and a loaded rifle, the skilled knife-fighter will cut you. Always. No one walks away from a knife-fight without bleeding.
BARON wrote:I'm talking batgirl with batgirl. I love you internet.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Foxy Roxy

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImageImageImageImage

Now how did I know there was gonna be art like this out there of her?

---

Who plays Foxy Roxy?

You are a capricous, playful soul who loves to see joy and happiness. You are
unable to take anything seriously for too long, however, and you have a strong
need for diversion.


FOXY ROXY (Idra Prashmet)
First Appearance:
Brutal- Paws of Fury (1994)
Vague Martial Arts Basis: Penjat Silat
Role: Fanservice (well, if you're into that sort of thing), Token Female Fighter
PL 7 (89)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Politician/Social Activist) 6 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative

Paws of Fury: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Kata)

Powers:
"Whiplash Kick/Spinning Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Dash Attack +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Having Fun)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 1 + 8 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 12 (89)

-Foxy Roxy is peculiarly the only female fighter in Brutal, and you can tell it's 1994 because she's a full-blown huge-boobed Furry Lady- something that movies and games tended to shy away from the more knowledgeable people became about the Furry Fandom and the attention you'd attract both from actual fans, and from people who hate them. But back in "the day", you tended to see a lot of stuff like this, Lola Bunny, and more- openly-fanservicey Animal Ladies, ignoring the inhuman heads by sporting large-breasted, wide-hipped, ultra-feminine types. Foxy even slaps her ass as a taunt!

-Foxy has an interesting "sable-colored" Player-Two color scheme- it's a lot more striking than the basic orange. Players tend to spam out her rushing-style "Crouching Attacks".
User avatar
Batgirl III
Posts: 3626
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:17 am
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Jab's Builds! (Vibraxas! Crusaders! Freedom Ring! BRUTAL!)

Post by Batgirl III »

“Well, that’s it. I guess I’m a Furry now!”
BARON wrote:I'm talking batgirl with batgirl. I love you internet.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Prince Leon

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

Who plays Leon?: You never forget a debt for right or wrong. You stop at
nothing to even up the score. Your power is indomitable, however, you find 
it difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time.


PRINCE LEON
First Appearance:
Brutal- Paws of Fury (1994)
Vague Martial Arts Basis: Tan Ku (the Iron Rage)
Role: Rock & Roll Warrior
PL 7 (103)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+10)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Musician) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Power Chord) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 4

Paws of Fury: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Kata)

Powers:
"Power Chord" Blast 3 (Reduced Defenses 2) Linked to Affliction 3 (Strength; Dazed/Stunned) (Extras: Ranged) (8) -- [10]
  • AE: "Swimming Attack" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 3) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 3 (Toughness; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (Inaccurate -1) (4)
  • AE: "Bite" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Bite +8 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Swimming Attack +10 (+3 Damage & Affliction, DC 18 & 13)
Power Chord +10 (+3 Ranged Damage & Afffliction, DC 18 & 13)
Initiative +5

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

Complications: 
Motivation (Revenge)- Leon fights to avenge an insult from Tai Cheetah & Kendo Coyote.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 4 + 8 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 8 (103)

-Prince Leon looks pretty bad-ass, and is a sunglasses-wearing lion who somewhat resembles the black guy from Enter The Dragon. He sports the most varied moveset in the game, featuring a Bite (a pretty short-range, almost Distracting, attack), a Multiattack, and even an INVISIBLE BLAST- a screeching "Power Chord" that nearly always seems to hit the enemy, knocking them back for a little bit of damage, but mostly stopping them in their tracks. Experienced players seem to be able to jump in too close to let him get the move off, but amateurs are frequently stymied by countless Chords, one after another.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Jul 14, 2018 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Psycho Kitty

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

PSYCHO KITTY
First Appearance:
Brutal Unleashed- Above The Claw (1995)
Vague Martial Arts Basis: Cat Fight
Role: Insane Cat
PL 7 (68)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 7 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+3)
Perception 4 (+3)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative

Paws of Fury: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Kata)

Powers:
"Rolling Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Rolling Attack +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +2, Fortitude +3, Will +2

Complications: 
Responsibility (Insane)

Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 1 + 8 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 9 (68)

-Psycho Kitty looks incredibly strange for this series- most of the other characters are drawn in the same art style- cartoon, simple heads atop martial artist bodies. Psycho Kitty instead has a bizarre, "Screw Animation"-Nickelodeon-esque head, and the shrunken body of a toon. It's VERY strange. Kitty appears only in the 32X sequel, Brutal Unleashed.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Jul 14, 2018 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Chung Poe

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage

CHUNG POE
First Appearance:
Brutal Unleashed- Above The Claw (1995)
Vague Martial Arts Basis: Sabbaal
Role: Wise Master
PL 7 (108)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 7 (+9)
Expertise (History) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative

Paws of Fury: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Kata)

Powers:
"Claw of the Ancients" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (Flaws: Distracting) (Inaccurate -1) Linked to Affliction 4 (Toughness; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (Inaccurate -1) (7) -- [8]
  • AE: "Rolling Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
"Mole-to-Chinese Dragon" Morph 1 (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
"Older Than The Stars Themselevs" Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Rolling Attack +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Claw of the Ancients +9 (+4 Damage & Affliction, DC 19 & 14)
Initiative +9

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

Complications: 
Responsibility (Righting Wrongs)

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 1 + 8 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 9 (108)

-Chung Poe, like Psycho Kitty, almost appears to be from a different game series entirely. He's said to be two feet tall, and "Older than the stars themselevs" (sp). However, at the start of the battle, this harmless-looking mole morphs into a skinny Chinese Dragon, unleashing rapid-fire attacks! A "Speed Run" on YouTube indicates the Claw of the Ancients attack takes off 1/3 of a guy's life- this game has REALLY poor balance.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Karate Croc

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage

KARATE CROC
First Appearance:
Brutal- Paws of Fury (1994)
Vague Martial Arts Basis: Karate
Role: The Sub-Boss
PL 8 (89)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+12)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 7 (+8)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)

Advantages:
None

Paws of Fury: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Kata)

Powers:
"Diving Attack/Backflip Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Being the Best)

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 0 + 8 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 9 (89)

-Karate Croc is a walking crocodile in a karate gi, and is the game's Sub-Boss, though he's been removed from both the Super NES & Genesis versions of Brutal. He fights a very simple style, and will swear vengeance if beaten. I made him a notch higher in PL than the others, equaling PL 7.5 on offense, PL 7 on defense.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Jul 14, 2018 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Batgirl III
Posts: 3626
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:17 am
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Jab's Builds! (Vibraxas! Crusaders! Freedom Ring! BRUTAL!)

Post by Batgirl III »

How did they not see the obvious: Brutalligator!?
BARON wrote:I'm talking batgirl with batgirl. I love you internet.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Dali Llama

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage

DALI LLAMA
First Appearance:
Brutal- Paws of Fury (1994)
Vague Martial Arts Basis: Unknown
Role: The Final Boss, Martial Arts Llama
PL 8 (106)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+12)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Expertise (History) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+7)
Perception 3 (+7)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative

Paws of Fury: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Kata)

Powers:
"Smoke Attack" Flight 2 (8 mph) [5]
"Headbutt" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Headbutt +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Finding the Strongest)

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 1 + 8 / Powers: 6 / Defenses: 8 (106)

-The Final Boss of both Brutal games, Dali Llama is hilariously named for the spiritual leader/King of the Tibetan people... but an actual llama. Not that he greatly resembles it- he just looks like a fuzzy... "something". He's very lanky for a Final Boss, and only has a pair of Speical Moves.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Brutal- Paws of Fury, Tai Cheetah, Foxy Roxy, Dali Llama)

Post by Jabroniville »

Next up... Luke Cage, and friends!

Followed of course by his friend Iron Fist.
User avatar
Ken
Posts: 3460
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:40 pm
Location: Sycalb, Madiganistan

Re: Jab's Builds! (Brutal- Paws of Fury, Tai Cheetah, Foxy Roxy, Dali Llama)

Post by Ken »

Jabroniville wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:55 pm Next up... Luke Cage, and friends!

Followed of course by his friend Iron Fist.
Wouldn't "his friend Iron Fist" already be included in "and friends!"?
My Amazing Woman: a super-hero romantic comedy podcast.

When the most powerful super hero on Earth marries an ordinary man, hilarity ensues.
User avatar
Batgirl III
Posts: 3626
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:17 am
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Jab's Builds! (Brutal- Paws of Fury, Tai Cheetah, Foxy Roxy, Dali Llama)

Post by Batgirl III »

Ken wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:24 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:55 pm Next up... Luke Cage, and friends!

Followed of course by his friend Iron Fist.
Wouldn't "his friend Iron Fist" already be included in "and friends!"?
"I have to save my friends... and Zoidberg!"
BARON wrote:I'm talking batgirl with batgirl. I love you internet.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Luke Cage Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

LUKE CAGE BUILDS:

Luke Cage- Blaxploitation Hero:
-Cage has had a pretty crazy run. The first successful black hero to have his own book (DC's Lobo, a black cowboy, was technically first, but is unknown even today), Cage farted around the mid-tier 1970s books during a period where Marvel was going through unprecedented creativity (thanks to the relaxing of the Comics Code allowing for all sorts of supernatural, blaxploitation and crime-based books, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the '50s), but it never really matched up with sales. Cage was a bit TOO exaggeratedly-black for a lot of comic book fans, and stuff like "Sweet Christmas!" just made him look silly. Nobody seemed to HATE Cage, but he was more of a joke. Various re-makes, re-dos, and updates occured for decades, trying to make him more popular. They gave him a code-name (the terrible "Power Man"), a team-up book with similarly-poor-selling Iron Fist, a solo run in the "EVERYBODY Gets a Solo Run" 1990s which suffered the same fate as Darkhawk, Sleepwalker & Terror Inc., and more. He was basically a Dead Horse by the time the 2000s hit (the '90s book Heroes For Hire gathered together a Defenders-like group of unused heroes, and also failed), which is why it was so weird to see him as an Avenger. But that's part, of course, what gave him a new lease on life...

Cage's Debut:
-Cage, in his original image, was very, very dated, based entirely off of the "Blaxploitation" films of the 1970s, which featured primarily black men as the protagonists, often vilified by major societal institutions (namely the police, jailers, judges, etc.), who nonetheless often had to fight black VILLAINS as well. These men were primal, vital, badass (to the point where the genre's originator was called Sweet Sweetback's Badassssss Song), and struggled against "The Man", but were undeniably cool. Black audiences loved seeing black heroes on the big screen (especially because they weren't as "safe" as the ones Sidney Poitier and others tended to play- these weren't kindly black men getting stuffy old white men to see the light- they PUNCHED the stuffy old white men!), and white people of course gravitated to this dark, exotic, cynical underworld.

-It was inevitable that someone in comics would try to rip this off, though it didn't happen as often as you'd think it might. I think the genre was always kind of an underground thing that lacked mainstream popularity. But in any case, here was Luke Cage- he was wrongly imprisoned like a lot of Blaxploitation heroes- a way to make him a bit of a dark horse (if you'll excuse the term), rebel and victim of "The Man" without making him QUITE as negative as a lot of these characters (who appeared in R-rated films) were. He had grown up in a world of crime, and was part of a youth gang, but quit the life when he realized how badly it was hurting his family- this made it all the more unjust he was jailed for a crime he never committed.

-Victimized by a racist authority figure (a BIG Blaxploitation trope), Luke was targetted for death, but was instead chosen for an experimental procedure related to the Super-Soldier Serum- this left him with bulletproof skin and Spider-Man-like super-strength. He uses his new powers to escape prison and start a new life, making money with his might.

-Luke appeared in Luke Cage: Hero For Hire, with the gimmick being that he was more of a mercenary, charging for his services (usually protection). The seventeenth issue saw it renamed Luke Cage, Power Man, giving him a real superhero nickname. Luke was decked out in some pretty dated (by now) 1970s fashions- a golden tiara, a white shirt with much of his chest showing, and a small afro, and lived in a grungier world than did most super-heroes. Most of his recurring foes were almost Dick Tracy-like- deformed freaks and weirdos like Piranha Jones or the obese Black Mariah. He rarely fought the villains of OTHER heroes- instead, it newbies, none of which ever took off. A bunch of drug dealers and Harlem kingpin sorts, too.

-The series sees Luke befriend the doctor who gave him his powers, his assistant Dr. Claire Temple (she and Luke begin dating), and more. He ends up befriending some other super-heroes, and makes an acquaintance of The Defenders as well. Small-time stuff for a lower-end book.

Image

Power Man & Iron Fist:
-The fiftieth issue saw it renamed Power Man and Iron Fist, combining two lower-selling books into one, and permanently sticking Cage with Iron Fist as a partner. The contrast this time was the more streetwise, grouchy Cage with the serene, mystically-minded Fist. The book would last seventy-five more issues, with people like Mary Jo Duffy (who wrote a pretty good seventy-fifth issue, going into the origins of K'un L'un) and Jim Owlsley (the future Christopher Priest) taking over. Over the course of their teaming, the two become best friends, and Luke stops dating Dr. Temple and instead gets with the model, Harmony Young.

-Eventually, however, the low-tier book is cancelled. Iron Fist is stupidly killed off, and Luke disappears into "Marvel Limbo", from which he doesn't reappear until 1992 sees the debut of Cage. Since EVERYONE was getting their own solo book, from newbie rookies to established characters, it only made sense to give Luke Cage his own book again. This Cage was less "1970s stereotype" and more "1990s stereotype", complete with giant muscles, black-guy-fade haircut (SUPER-popular with black stars in the early '90s) and Street Clothes As A Uniform, and like most of these lesser-known side-books, he was written and drawn by a pair of guys I've never heard of- Stan Lee once defended the whole "Marvel has too many books out now" accusation by essentially bringing up the point that sure, many of these guys aren't quite ready for the big times, but how ELSE will they learn than by cutting their teeth on new, less-important books? Jim Lees aren't created fully-formed, ya know (I have the forgettable Alpha Flight books to prove it).

-The same facts prove true even today- witness Matt Fraction doing very well on the relatively-nothing character Iron Fist, which allowed him an upgrade to the X-Men and other books (as well as an upgrade for Danny Rand as a character). Sure, it doesn't always work (like Cage, who took another decade & a half before he became relevant again), but when it doesn't, what was the loss? At least they tried.  This series is set in Chicago, with Cage symbolically destroying his old costume on the cover of the first issue, and adopting a more "hero in regular clothes" mentality that suits the '90s. Here, Cage fights all-new villains, and even reunites with the father he thought was dead (both had been led to believe the other was deceased by Luke's brother, who hated that Luke had "become a criminal"). However, the book only lasted 20 issues, having been written by a minor writer (Marc McLaurin) and featuring a pretty minor hero. John Ostrander wrote a Heroes For Hire series in the late '90s that lasted only 19 issues, as well.

-None of this stuff really mattered to the character, though his brother sacrificed his life (as the super-powered Coldfire) to defeat some of Luke's enemies in The Corporation. Harmony Young is later killed in another book.

Bendis Takes Over- A New Lease On Life:
-Luke was in a bad state of "Marvel Limbo" from the 2000s on, until Brian Michael Bendis used him in the Alias series, having a liaison with a drunken Jessica Jones. This grittier book made Luke into more of a "regular guy" character, and saw the two partner up, first professionally (as bodyguards for Matt Murdock), then romantically. Bendis gained a lot of respect for that book, and his fanboy love for Cage ended up getting the hero included on the reborn Avengers roster, giving him the biggest push of his existence! There's a great bit in the book's debut when he nearly murders The Purple Man for trying to mind control Cage into killing Jessica, and genuinely thanks Captain America for getting him to stay his hand at the last second (leaving Killgrave a badly-bruised grape).

-During this time, Jessica and Luke married, even having a daughter- Danielle. This gave him a whole new aspect for a super-hero, given how few of them breed. He also takes Cap's side, along with most of the other "Street Level" heroes, in the Civil War, making him a fugitive from the law once again. He goes underground with the "New Avengers", taking over when Cap is assassinated. 

-Bendis gets distracted with other things, and Luke sadly kind of just fades away in importance, leading a Thunderbolts book that nobody really cared for, acting as a jailer (ironically) to a bunch of super-villains who were supposed to reform as part of a Suicide Squad knock-off. He joins one Avengers group, then another, becoming the leader of The Mighty Avengers version of the roster, where I've read most of my "Luke" appearances. Here, he's depicted as a mature, responsible "established hero" and leader of the team, which got Al Ewing noticed in the comic book world. Using a great "aren't comics WEIRD?" sense of humor with little-used heroes, Al created a book centered around a Minority Cast that many readers (like me) didn't even realize was a Minority Cast until several issues in, as everyone was made quite varied and never harped on it. I mean, not everyone on the book became a star, but it was a fun ride.

Current Luke Cage:
-Ewing would later coast on this success to The Infinites and another Avengers book, this one making SUNSPOT out to be a bigger star. Sadly, Cage was mostly done as a major name by this point. He appears in few major recurring titles (just lower-tier/newbie creators doing an indie-comics-style team-up book with Iron Fist, plus a random Marvel Knights book featuring all four "Netflix" heroes), no Avengers book is using him, and he's kind of faded into the background once more. Ironically, this is right as his Netflix TV series becomes a bigger deal, celebrating the urban black culture of the United States while showcasing the first black hero in a leading role in any of the modern Marvel Universe productions. Of course, he's now been completely overshadowed by The Black Panther- a recurring issue with Cage in the comics, too (T'Challa being THE black hero, of course).

The Trouble With Cage:
-Cage runs into a lot of issues that heroes created after the 1960s (which unfortunately includes EVERY MINORITY HERO EVER, save the Black Panther... who still has this problem) have- his Rogues Gallery kind of sucks, and he lacks credibility as a major name. With guys like Archie Goodwin on his book instead of top-tier guys of the era like Roy Thomas, etc., he had a tough go of making it. Chris Claremont & John Byrne were a better bet, but they soon leapfrogged the C-Tier Power Man & Iron Fist book to greener pastures with the X-Men, which revolutionized both comics and their careers. Luke, meanwhile, was pretty much always left as a low-tier act, with the writers either being amateurs or unproven names.

-The biggest problem, of course, is his Rogues Gallery. Doofuses like Mr. Fish & Black Mariah are primarily meant for laughs, but those types and other Jobbers make up the BULK of his enemies. Most of the guys named after snakes were generic drug dealers, most of whom were killed and then had Serpent Society guys take the names. The TV series actually uses some of them, which might have given them a new lease on life. 90% of them, however, simply took a twenty-year "nap" before suddenly popping up in modern times, showing up in group scenes as part of Dr. Nightshade's "Flashmob", a group of guys Tombstone hired, and then Alex Wilder's "New Pride" in Runaways. Seriously, expect to see me type those things up a lot during this set.

-He's a very good "Street Level Hero", though- super-strong, but nothing any other super-team can't do better with about three other guys. His DURABILITY is much higher, though, meaning you can get some fun "he gets his ass kicked, but gets right back up" stuff, making him look like a huge bad-ass. A kind of "Wolverine" thing. But he's really best for CHARACTER bits- most superheroes kind of grew up in middle-class whitebread lives, are kinda nerdy, or are Grim Vigilantes. Cage? Cage is ANNOYED with all this shit. Many comics I have featuring him represent him as more of a normal guy- someone who finds the tropes bothersome. He's passionate and can care quite a bit, but he's not a bleeding heart, nor is he overly full of gravitas or "woe is me" stuff. He's pretty good at back-talk and the like, though.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Jun 13, 2022 7:36 am, edited 4 times in total.
MacynSnow
Posts: 5631
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:56 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Brutal- Paws of Fury, Tai Cheetah, Foxy Roxy, Dali Llama)

Post by MacynSnow »

My favorite Cage villian by far is Cockroach Hamilton.This guy's claim to fame? Somehow turning a Shotgun into A SIX-BARRELED SHOTGUN.

I'll let that thought sink in and stew a minute....

Now that it's good an' "Marrinated" in there,let's add this: During Civil War,he fired this Monsterosity right into She-Hulks FACE and knocked her out(it didn't penetrate her skin,but it DID give her a major Cunccusion)...
Post Reply