THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST (Orson Randall)
Created By: Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker & David Aja
First Appearance: The Immortal Iron Fist #1 (Nov. 2006)
Role: Martial Artist, Gruff Predecessor, Obi-Wan Mentor Guy
Group Affiliations: The Confederates of the Curious
PL 10 (213)
STRENGTH 3
STAMINA 4
AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12
DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2
AWARENESS 3
PRESENCE 3
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 11 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 12 (+14)
Expertise (Pulp Adventurer) 10 (+12)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+6)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 5 (+8)
Perception 9 (+12)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Technology 2 (+4)
Treatment 5 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+6)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Benefit 2 (Millionaire), Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Diehard, Equipment 3 (Paired Pistols), Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Guns) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Languages 2 (Many Languages), Last Stand, Power Attack, Precise Attack 2(Close/Concealment, Ranged/Cover), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break
Powers:
"Possesses the Chi of Shou-Lao the Undying"
"Gun-Fu" Blast 8 (Extras: Penetrating) (Flaws: Requires Firearms) (16) -- [19]
- AE: "Fists Like Unto a Thing of Iron" Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 8) (Inaccurate -3) (11)
- AE: "Healing Trance" Healing 6 (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease) (Extras: Affects Others) (10)
- AE: "Hypnosis" Affliction 6 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Perception Range +2) (Flaws: Limited to Close Contact) (12)
"Supreme Physical Specimen"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Senses 1 (Mystical Awareness) [1]
"Immortal Weapon" Immunity 1 (Aging) (Extras: Affects Others, Continuous) [3]
Equipment:
"Paired Pistols" Blast 5 (Feats: Split) (11)
Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Iron Fist Punch +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Gun-Fu +12 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Hypnosis -- (+6 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +9
Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +16 (DC 26), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8
Complications:
Power Loss (The Iron Fist)- While Orson is not Fatigued or Exhausted if he uses the Iron Fist Technique, he still cannot simply spam the attack out willy-nilly. His Chi is a terrible weapon, and could consume him with over-use. He can use it multiple times in succession, but it's not a "use every time" kind of attack- he will eventually get Fatigued or Exhausted, suffer incredible internal damage, or lose the attack entirely.
Responsibility (Shell-Shock)- Orson fought for the Americans in World War I, and was utterly destroyed by the experience. Witnessing hundreds of men slaughtered, he resolved to never engage in such horrors again.
Addiction (Opiates)- Orson has been "Chasing the Dragon" for decades to dull his senses from his memories, and to dull his chi against those who would sense it and hunt him down.
Relationship (The Confederates of the Curious)- Orson was devoted to his friends in the Confederates, and engaged in many amazing adventures for years with them. One has written his entire autobiography, a selection of reading that holds great interest to Danny Rand.
Relationship (Phineas Randall)- Orson's father invented The Randall Machine, a device capable of sending the user to K'un-Lun and back. Orson & his old man were not close, but came to terms with each other over the elder's deathbed.
Relationship (Wendell Rand)- Orson kept the young kid on as one of his Confederates, but always tried to dissuade him from following in his footsteps as The Immortal Iron Fist. He believed Wendell would die trying, and he didn't want that kind of a violent path for a boy he thought of as his son.
Responsibility (K'un-Lun)- Orson was meant to be the weapon & defender of K'un-Lun, but rejected its hedonistic leadership.
Enemy (The Lightning Lords of Nepal)- Orson's assassination was ordered by The Bride of Nine Spiders, who charged the Lightning Lords with killing him. Failing and dying, their heirs continually hunt Orson and anyone else bearing the mantle of "The Immortal Iron Fist".
Enemy (The Immortal Weapons)- Orson ran from his "duty" in the Tournament years ago, and was hunted by the Immortal Weapons of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven, in order to protect the corrupt leadership of each city. After murdering The Crane Champion, he is especially hated by Crane Mother, who has resurrected the Steel Phoenix to replace her fallen daughter.
Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 94--47 / Advantages: 48 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 21 (213)
-Orson Randall came into the series like a hurricane, and proved that ANY retcon can be a good one if the writing is good enough (Ed Brubaker would prove this YET AGAIN by resurrecting Bucky Barnes)- he is the Iron Fist prior to Danny Rand, and survived the ages thanks to his Chi, and dulled it using opium after having a lifetime of adventures with a pulp hero-esque squad of Confederates. Returning to aid the new Iron Fist (Danny), he uncovered all of the lies and secret history of K'un-Lun, and how there are other Immortal Weapons, and than Nu-An, the current ruler, is a corrupt and vile man. He taught Danny a lot, but alas, they only had a few issues together, as Orson went the way of many Obi-Wans before him, and died fighting Davos, the resurrected villain now known as The Steel Phoenix, here to settle an old score Orson had with Crane Mother.
-It says something that a guy with a run THIS SHORT (only a handful of issues) left such a mark (especially considering how fan-ficcy the whole "I am your predecessor, and I know all of your techniques PLUS MORE because I'm so awesome" is), as Orson soon got dozens of backstory pieces in the
Iron Fist book- many adventures with The Confederates of the Curious, taking on a very pulp-y tone of mystical/street-level adventure, appear in his Journals. And then he bequeathed to Danny
The Book of the Iron Fist gave Danny a huge bunch of stuff to learn. Here, Danny would real the tales of the other Immortal Iron Fists, the adventures of Orson Randall and his team, and many of the mystical secrets of K'un-Lun and other realms. Alas, with the series' cancellation, we appear to have seen the last of him, but he was a hell of a character- taking part in a usually-untold portion of Marvel History (the World War I/Pre-WW II era) and using the almighty power of GUN-FU, transferring his Chi into his personal firearms.
-As a fighter, Orson is extremely elite, being a bit slower than Danny (he comes across as less lithe and agile, and more of a hardcore brawler and Blaster), and also possesses a few more mystical Chi Techniques. The most awesome of these is surely his ability to use the power of Shou-Lao the Undying to channel chi into his paired pistols, using them as SUPER-Blasters, mowing down HYDRA mooks all over the place. He can also use low-level Hypnosis (Perception Range, but he has to be pretty close to someone to use it), and is completely Immune to Aging (a power he can bestow upon others close to him- the Confederates begin dying soon after Orson himself moves on to the next life). He is also notably a LOT more Skilled than Danny- having the abilities of a longtime adventurer, detective and soldier.