Jab’s Builds! (Beaker! Sam Eagle! Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Ares »

Bloodwraith honestly seemed like a good final end place for the Ebony Blade. After a certain point, that damn sword was just way more trouble than it was worth. The idea of it being used by a villain made a lot of sense, given the Blood Curse that had been the bane of the blade's users ever since the original Black Knight. I never saw Bloodwraith's original appearance, but I have the Busiek Avengers issue where the sword draws in all of the vengeful spirits of the slain Slorenians and became a Galactus sized black knight with a sword the size of a building. Even Thor was having a hard time hurting the guy. This had a lot of potential as a bad guy, and the idea of binding him withing Slorenia's borders was a clever solution.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, Bloodwraith never appeared again. Somehow the Ebony Blade made its way into a fake Black Knight's hands, and then into the Black Panther's hands (it was joked that Huldin gave T'Challa the sword simply because it was the "Ebony Blade", so of course the Black Panther should have it), and then eventually back to Dane.

I think if I had to "fix" the whole scenario, I'd have said Bloodwraith used his powers to make a copy of the original Ebony Blade from the mammoth one he was wielding, and then cast it outside of the Slorenian borders, knowing the sword would eventually get picked up by Dane. That explains how the false Black Knight found it first, then the Panther, then Dane. Once Dane had it, Bloodwraith would use the lingering curse within Dane to forge a connection between the two, eventually allowing him to create a human-sized Avatar of himself outside of the imprisoning spell. The Bloodwraith avatar would take the copy of the sword and then book it to Slorenia to try and release his real body.

Dane and whichever hero team he's on at the time would head him off, and Dane would reveal he stopped using the Avalon gear because he didn't feel worthy of the title and powers that came with being the Pendragon. However, he knows he needs to stop Bloodwraith and summons the gear. Eventually he confronts Bloodwraith when the villain is mere yards from the border, and is able to draw on some of his giant form's power to battle Dane. Dane's Avalon gear gets badly damage, and his sword gets outright shattered. Weaponless, Dane realizes that the Ebony Blade keeps finding him because he does have a connection to it, and that connection wasn't always bad. The sword had originally been a tool of justice, forged by Merlin himself, and that outside forces had made it evil. So when Bloodwraith tries to stab Dane, Dane lets the sword impale him, using his own blood to help purify the sword.

Dane then grabs the sword and struggles with Bloodwraith to possess it, and the two men both fall away. Dane basically has pulled the original Ebony Blade out of Bloodwraith's sword, while Bloodwraith now holds a sword composed purely of the blood curse the Ebony Blade had. Bloodwraith dubs his new sword "The Wraith Blade", and within Slorenia, the giant Ebony Blade becomes the Wraith Blade as well. The only problem is that Bloodwraith technically no longer has an Ebony Blade and the blood curse in Dane has been removed, so there's no outside connection to maintain the avatar. The avatar disperses mere inches from his goal, and Bloodwraith is now trapped again.

Dane is left with his now untainted Ebony Blade, and the spirit of the Pendragon appears before him, again granting him its blessing. Dane's Avalon gear is re-forged, along with some elements of it being forged into the Ebony Blade to prevent anything like that blood curse from happening again.

We keep Bloodrwraith as a potential villain, the Blood Curse is over and done with, Dane gets his classic sword in addition to his upgraded gear and abilities, should be a nice fresh start for the character.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Damn, that's more thought than I've ever put into the Black Knight, and I've built three versions of the damn character. Gotta love your "Red Guardians", as always :).
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Blindspot

Post by Jabroniville »

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BLINDSPOT I (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Tony Bedard & Karl Moline
First Appearance: Rogue #7 (March 2005)
Role: Background Villain
Group Affiliations: The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
PL 9 (135)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (Criminal) 3 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Cipher), Benefit 3 (Wealth), Eidetic Memory, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Memory Absorption"
Mind-Reading 12 (Flaws: Touch Range -2, Limited to Memories) Linked to Affliction 12 (Will; Impaired Memories/Disabled Memories/Transformed Memories) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Continuous +3, Cumluative) (Flaws: Limited to Memories) [61]
"Communicate the Memories" Communication (Mental) 1 (Flaws: Limited to Accumulated Memories) [3]
Immunity 2 (Rogue's Powers) [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Memory Absorption +6 (+12 Affliction & Mind-Reading, DC 22 & 22)
Initiative +3

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

Complications:
Relationship (Rogue)- The pair were once good friends, and Blindspot seeks to renew this friendship.
Power Loss (Absorption)- Blindspot must be touching the actual organic flesh of her targets- cyborgs like Lady Deathstrike are thus somewhat-immune, or require called attacks (at a lower accuracy).

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 66 / Defenses: 7 (135)

-Blindspot is a bit of a Retcon Character from the short-lived Rogue solo book, established as an old ally of Mystique and Destiny from years back. She and Rogue were the same age, and good friends, but when a mission involving Sunfire failed, Blindspot erased the minds of all present and disappeared. She returned in modern times, with Lady Deathstrike having the computer software to recall Blindspot's existence- she was reintroduced to Rogue, removed Silver Samurai's memories of being a hero, and tried to memory-wipe Rogue back to the point where she was a member of the Brotherhood and still evil. Rogue attacked the X-Men when they arrived, but absorbing their powers caused her memories to return as well. Blindspot was apparently allowed to leave, but has never reappeared.

-Blindspot has a remarkably-costly Mutant Power, owing to her ability to mindwipe people's thoughts and memories. It's not QUITE as good as Brainwashing (she can only revert people to their past forms, like making Silver Samurai evil again), but it's damn close, and it's CONTINUOUS. Not much of a battlefield power, though- but it COULD essentially remove people's Experience Points, making her the Marvel Equivalent of a Rust Monster- low-tier, but terrifying. Possibly because her powers involve memories, she is immune to Rogue's power.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 11, 2022 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Ares »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:43 am Damn, that's more thought than I've ever put into the Black Knight, and I've built three versions of the damn character. Gotta love your "Red Guardians", as always :).
The Black Knight was never an A-List character, but I always loved the concept. A scientist takes up a family mantle to redeem the legacy that hid uncle had dragged through the mud, gains possession of not one but two mystical swords in his lifetime, becomes one of the greatest swordsmen in Marvel, and acts as a modern day paladin. There should be some story potential there, you know?
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by M4C8 »

Ares wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:20 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:43 am Damn, that's more thought than I've ever put into the Black Knight, and I've built three versions of the damn character. Gotta love your "Red Guardians", as always :).
The Black Knight was never an A-List character, but I always loved the concept. A scientist takes up a family mantle to redeem the legacy that hid uncle had dragged through the mud, gains possession of not one but two mystical swords in his lifetime, becomes one of the greatest swordsmen in Marvel, and acts as a modern day paladin. There should be some story potential there, you know?
I actually prefer the Pendragon gear/strider version of Black Knight
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Black Abbott

Post by Jabroniville »

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THE BLACK ABBOTT (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Cary Burkett & Greg LaRocque
First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up #146 (Oct. 1984)
Role: Jobber Villain, One-Shot Villain
Group Affiliations: The Monks of Dakoth-Kuru, The Black Apostles
PL 7 (128)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Monk) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Telepathy" Mind Reading 4 & Communication (Mental) 1 [13]
"Group Possession" Affliction 5 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2, Sustained +2) [25]

"Disintegration Beam" Blast 8 Linked to Weaken Toughness 4 (Extras: Ranged) (24) -- [25]
  • AE: "Telekinesis" Move Object 6 (12)
Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
D-Beam +6 (+8 Ranged Damage & +4 Ranged Weaken, DC 23 & 14)
Possession +5 Area (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +9, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Motivation (Power)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 63 / Defenses: 8 (128)

-And now, the OLDEST M&M Build I've yet to re-post from the ATT days... The Black Abbott! Last seen on my thread/s on February 2011, making this a SEVEN-YEAR OLD BUILD.

-Black Abbott is a one-shot villain who was the leader of an order of Monks who "unlocked their mental potential" and used their powers FOR EVIL. He threatened Spider-Man & Nomad (must've been an off-month for Marvel Team-Up), but was beaten after a second battle involving the Human Torch, and later a third one involving Thor- why this warranted a THREE-PARTER is beyond me, especially since the character never reappeared. This guy was like most Team-Up villains in that he was one-note and a one-shot, and when he was finally killed... it was mentioned casually, and his death was off-panel. THAT is how minor this guy was- The Red Skull's personal "Scourge" ended up killing the guy and announcing it as one of his servings of justice. OFF-PANEL. He got brought back to fight the Punisher along with many other Scourge victims, and may have been killed again- Castle hit him with a bomb, and he was taken away by Letha for medical treatment.

-He's a minor-league Mind Controller type who often teams up with his PL 5-6 buddies in The Black Apostles, and is only pricey because he can Control people AND use his offensive powers at the same time.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 11, 2022 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Davies »

I'm waiting for the Black Chatelaine, the Black Archimandrite, and the Black Doge.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by L-Space »

Davies wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:21 pm I'm waiting for the Black Chatelaine, the Black Archimandrite, and the Black Doge.
Or The Black Costello.
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Black Brigade

Post by Jabroniville »

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BLACK BRIGADE
Created By:
Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Tom Tenney
First Appearance: Force Works #4 (Oct. 1994)
Role: Powersuit Guy
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (109)
STRENGTH
2/10 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 2 (+3)
Technology 3 (+5)

Advantages: 
Equipment (Robot Controls & Stuff), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Black Brigade Armor" (Flaws: Removable) [43]
Enhanced Strength 8 (16)
Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 7) (15)

"Shoulder Cannon" Blast 11 (Inaccurate -1) (21) -- (22)
AE: "Wrist-Blasters" Blast 9 (18)
-- (53 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Black Brigade Armor +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Wrist-Blasters +8 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Shoulder Cannon +6 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3 (+11 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications:
Responsibility (Arrogant)- Black Brigade underestimates Westerners, and is overconfident in himself.
Weakness (Lack of Armor)- Black Brigade is now dependent upon his armor, and will soon die without it.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 11 (109)

-Black Brigade was a member of the Red Army until they left Slorenia, at which point he joined that country's armed forces. He allied with Force Works in order to work against some enemy agents within Slorenia, but kept acting out. He finally just went nuts on Force Works, attacking them as well as Ember and his other enemies, then sat out a fight while War Machine had to brawl with another bad guy- Rhodey punched him in return. He later fought with, and lost to, Iron Man during a later arc (Abnett & Lanning appeared Slorenia-obsessed in their Force Works run). He was eventually killed by Ultron (having his arm ripped off, then getting skooshed) and his forces when he invaded and massacred the entire Slorenian population at the beginning of Ultron Unlimited- kind of a way of washing away the sins of the '90s and sacrificing a lot of Force Works-era stuff.

-Black Brigade is your standard Powersuit Guy, though apparently lacks flight. He also fights with a large army of Robot Drones beside him (which are controlled via tech in his suit). They're probably like PL 4-5 nobodies, as the heroes can demolish them pretty quickly.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 11, 2022 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Ares »

M4C8 wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Ares wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:20 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:43 am Damn, that's more thought than I've ever put into the Black Knight, and I've built three versions of the damn character. Gotta love your "Red Guardians", as always :).
The Black Knight was never an A-List character, but I always loved the concept. A scientist takes up a family mantle to redeem the legacy that hid uncle had dragged through the mud, gains possession of not one but two mystical swords in his lifetime, becomes one of the greatest swordsmen in Marvel, and acts as a modern day paladin. There should be some story potential there, you know?
I actually prefer the Pendragon gear/strider version of Black Knight
Ditto, though I would have included a cape to that outfit. Dane's blue cape with the red trim always looked pretty cool to me.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Ares »

Black Brigade seems like a cool concept messed up by 90s sensibilities. A guy in power armor who controls a small squad of combat drones is actually kind of an awesome idea.

Thinking about Dane and my "fix" story makes me realize that if I did get to work for Marvel, my initial idea would likely be doomed to cancellation. I'd try for a kind of superhero team that did standard hero stuff while also doing Dresden Files type mystical stuff. Maybe have it put together by Dr. Strange as a new Defenders or Champions team, with guys like Iron Fist, the Black Knight, Blade and Hercules or Captain Britain on the team. Man, even typing that and thinking I could do a decent job with that book, I can feel Jab thinking "No, your initial idea was right, that"s going to get cancelled by issue 4".

Then again, I'd probably opt for a limited series as a proof of concept run first.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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The Beast

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 10 (193)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+16)
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Psychiatry) 1 (+9)
Expertise (The Finer Things) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+20) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Insight 7 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 7 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 7 (+15)
Treatment 10 (+18)

Advantages: 
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Biology), Startle, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Acrobatics & Biology)

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animal Physiology"
Movement 4 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed 2) [8]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +8

Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- A symbol of the mutant community, Hank stands out in a crowd unless he's using a holographic disguise.
Rivalry (Cyclops)- There is a growing rift between Hank and the mutant community led by Cyclops. A much more moralistic person, Hank can't stand the dark road his old friend is moving down.
Responsibility (The Original X-Men)- Hank shares a common comraderie with the original team, having basically grown up with them.
Relationship (Wonder Man)- The two were inseparable buddies in the old Avengers book. Alas, they were split up by the varying editors when Hank got called back to the X-Men.
Relationship (Trish Tilby)- He dated the spunky reporter for a few years, but they split up when he turned into a lion.
Relationship (Abigail Brand)- The antagonistic head of S.W.O.R.D. is nonetheless Hank's new girlfriend, as she's a beast-fetishist.
Enemy (The Dark Beast)- An Alternate-Reality version of Hank came to the mainstream reality, and even took Hank's place for a while.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 88--44 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 15 (193)

The Beast- Iconic X-Man & The Face of Mutants:
-The Beast is awesome. I mean, who doesn't love the eloquent, agile, super-strong, blue-furred monster-man who's also a genius scientist? For that reason, despite his lower power levels (well, not really- he should theoretically be much better than Wolverine, being MUCH stronger with a similar power-set), nearly every writer wants him above all others on their team. He's the dry wit to counterpoint Cyclops' stodginess or Logan's grumpiness. Plus, he brings a bit of culture to the books. I mean, he even took turning into a grey (later blue) ape-man in stride! The Beast is, arguably, the most popular Mutant in the Marvel Universe (canonically, I mean), and sort of the "recognizable" face of Mutancy in much of the supporting fiction- movies & cartoons seem to feel at at least ONE GUY in the team must look inhuman, and with his sophisticated personality betraying his looks, Hank is ideal for that position. Occasionally (X-Men 2, X-Men: Evolution), Nightcrawler takes that role.

Early & 1970s Hank:
-He was initially a subversion of the old "Dumb Brute" thing, by making the brainiest guy on the X-Men also the burly strong one, but it wasn't until Steve Englehart got a hold on him in the 1970s that he got popular. Hank, free from the cancelled X-Men comic, would experiment on himself, turn into a gray-furred creature, and adopt a much more happy-go-lucky attitude ("he discovered pot", sez Englehart, though this would obviously not be stated in the books. Or even implied, anymore). This proved popular enough that Hank soon became an AVENGER, forming a bromance with Wonder Man and generally acting more like Team Joker than someone who was a smart powerhouse- it's actually VERY weird for me to read old Avengers books from this time period, because Hank is so utterly unrecognizable to what came before, or after.

-The curious thing is that his Avengers run wasn't very long, yet is often referred to- The Beast is considered one of the most popular Mutants in the Marvel Universe, lacking the untrustworthiness of other Avenger Mutants like Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch. He's sort of like their Wayne Brady, I guess- a non-threatening, friendly face. Hank eventually left The Avengers and joined The Defenders, becoming central to the book under a few writers- he would eventually take charge of the team, turning it from the "Non-Team" that only got together out of necessity, and into a REAL team... which unfortunately made it so the book didn't really need to exist anymore, as Marvel already HAD several real teams. In modern comics, Hank is OFTEN referred to as an Avenger, but typically only in passing- his Defenders run (which teamed him up with Iceman and The Angel again) is basically forgotten.

Hank Rejoins the X-Books:
-Eventually, Marvel REALLY, REALLY wanted another X-Spinoff, and so Hank looked human again (the effects of his serum were reversed) and was put onto X-Factor, which mostly reverted Hank to his old personality. He'd later get furry again, forming the Beast we all recognize today- loquacious, irreverent, sophisticated and full of dry wit. He hasn't joined a non-X-team in eons- that book hit its stride just as The Avengers was faltering and The Defenders was almost entirely forgotten- and his importance to the X-Books in the supporting materials is extreme.

-Relegated to background roles alot of the time by the mid-90s (The X-Cutioner's Song & the whole Legacy Virus thing pretty much made him a "tries to cure stuff in his lab year-round" guy), he was rarely a major battlefield character. Honestly, that decade wasn't really good for him. He was still a funny, whacky guy in addition to the team's official scientist, though (his awesome reaming of Graydon Creed on national television was a thing of brilliance- comparing his Friends of Humanity to Hitler before that was a common insult to EVERYBODY, then sticking his tongue out at him, then MOONING HIM once the live feed was out).

Hank, Post-Morrison:
-He'd been brought back to some prominence by his controversial Leonine Form, created by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. Well, actually, it's an ape form. Or like The Beast from that live-action TV series starring Linda Hamilton. Or a Pelican. Or whatever the hell the next artist drew him as. See, he was apparently REALLY HARD TO DRAW, much like Tom "Wildcat" Bronson of the JSA, so like Tommy, he ends up looking different with every single penciller alive (John Romita Jr. even hilariously just ignored his new look COMPLETELY, and just made him "Old Beast" again). Eventually they just gave up and turned him back into more or less what he was before, but with less Wolverine-like hair.

-Eventually, he had a falling-out with the more militaristic Scott Summers, which is sad, since the two of them had a great "Old Soldiers" type of relationship going, but it makes sense: Hank is more idealistic and nice, while Scott was forced by fate to bunker down and do some dirty things to keep mutantkind alive. This set Hank first on the road to The Avengers (where he's still linked to the Illuminati, in Xavier's old role- Hickman said that role WAS going to Xavier, but then the X-writers killed him off, so Hickman had to use Hank in that position instead), then Logan's Jean Grey School For Higher Learning. But... then things went sideways- Hank brought the ORIGINAL X-Men to modern times to "show Scott his old self" and shock him into reality. Not only did THAT not work, but the KIDS stayed along, and thus Hank was now responsible for F-ing with the timtestream. That, plus his work with the Illuminati (which consisted of DESTROYING POPULATED PARALLEL EARTHS), ended up making him a pretty negative character (moreso than SCOTT, actually, which makes his moral virtue-signalling seem pretty shitty and stupid in retrospect- he was angry at Scott for creating a WETWORKS squad, and Beast was killing BILLIONS?), to the point where a recent X-story featured an "intervention" with nearly EVERY MUTANT coming down and telling him that he was an immoral douchebag.

The Beast's Power:
-Beast is a PL 10 who is impossible to properly put down to 150 points (I tried in 2nd Edition, and it was the most mind-numbing of ALL the X-Builds to do so), so I didn't even bother trying. Problematically, he's smart, agile, strong AND tough, and also a capable fighter with TONS of scientific skills. Hank is tough but not TOO tough, being PL 9.5 on offense, and PL 10 with his great defensive skills. That kinda fits, though, as despite being a bruiser, he's always been shown as weaker than the Colossus/Rogue power team, and more of a team player who hangs back and helps out with his pretty-high stats. Actually, his true strength levels are nigh-impossible to place, as he usually fights like a Scrapper, but is also super-strong. I've read more than one forum debate about it, and the various handbooks put him around Class 10-20 (though you know how THOSE tend to be... but most of them UNDER-score powerhouses rather than over-do it). I figured he was a notch above Spidey, but had similar lifting potential- I left the claws & teeth unstatted since I don't buy them as adding to the power of a Class 12-ish Powerhouse.

-He's also one of those rare heroes who is Sure-Footed, and can use his feet like they're hands (a Feature that I thought I was a genius for coming up with... but others turned out to have had the same idea). His agility was once a big factor in 1970s books, but it's been pushed so far down that it seems weird he was ever a "6" on the old Marvel scale. Like, when was the last time you even saw him do a backflip? Now he just charges forward like an animal. Back in the day it was a thing that he was using his feet like hands and being super-dextrous.

-Hank's scientific specialty is Biology, pushing to near-Reed Richards level in just that one aspect (making him one of the leading experts in diseases on Earth), and I actually increased his mental capabilities by a lot, since my old build felt WAY below what he is today- a true peer of Reed, Tony and other geniuses. I mean, I once had him with only a SIX in Intelligence! Hank is a genius medical whiz as well... though as one doctor has pointed out, Hank DOES NOT have a Doctorate in Medicine, and thus it is QUITE ILLEGAL for him to practice medicine on people. Hank is nonetheless very, very skilled in the sciences, though not capable of the "Sudden Fight-Winning Invention" stuff that Stark or Reed can.

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THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- WEIRD ANIMAL FORM
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (192)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Psychiatry) 1 (+9)
Expertise (The Finer Things) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+20) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Insight 7 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 7 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 7 (+15)
Treatment 10 (+18)

Advantages: 
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Biology), Startle, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Acrobatics & Biology)

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animal Physiology"
Movement 4 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed 2) [8]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Regeneration 4 [4]
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [4]
"Pheromones" Affliction 2 (Fort; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Area- Scent Perception, Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Limited Emotions- Attraction in Women) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +8

Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- A symbol of the mutant community, Hank stands out in a crowd unless he's using a holographic disguise.
Responsibility (Devolving)- Henry's appearanace is in flux, and he fears that he will possibly lose his intelligence.
Rivalry (Cyclops)- There is a growing rift between Hank and the mutant community led by Cyclops. A much more moralistic person, Hank can't stand the dark road his old friend is moving down.
Responsibility (The Original X-Men)- Hank shares a common comraderie with the original team, having basically grown up with them.
Relationship (Wonder Man)- The two were inseparable buddies in the old Avengers book. Alas, they were split up by the varying editors when Hank got called back to the X-Men.
Relationship (Trish Tilby)- He dated the spunky reporter for a few years, but they split up when he turned into a lion.
Relationship (Abigail Brand)- The antagonistic head of S.W.O.R.D. is nonetheless Hank's new girlfriend, as she's a beast-fetishist.
Enemy (The Dark Beast)- An Alternate-Reality version of Hank came to the mainstream reality, and even took Hank's place for a while.

Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 84--42 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 15 (192)

-This is Hank from his time as a... Lion... thing. It grew on me after a point, but I didn't like it at first (but then, I hated all of Frank Quitely's art except his "Big Screen" feel), but Jon Cassady and others have made me like it, and now I can barely picture him as a split-haired proto-Wolverine anymore. His powers were a slight bit different, giving him worse Dexterity ("I used to have HUMAN HANDS..."), Sleight of Hand and Agility, but some different Powers, including Regeneration and Pheromones that I never saw even ONCE, despite having read TONS of Beast stuff when he was in this form... methinks a writer casually came up with it, and later ones just forgot. 

THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- Mid-70s Newly-Beastly Version
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse, Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 9 (159)
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+14)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 5 (+11)
Treatment 4 (+10)

Advantages: 
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Various), Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill (Acrobatics)

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animal Physiology"
Movement 4 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed 2) [8]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +7

Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- A symbol of the mutant community, Hank stands out in a crowd unless he's using a holographic disguise.
Rivalry (Cyclops)- There is a growing rift between Hank and the mutant community led by Cyclops. A much more moralistic person, Hank can't stand the dark road his old friend is moving down.
Responsibility (The Original X-Men)- Hank shares a common comraderie with the original team, having basically grown up with them.
Relationship (Wonder Man)- The two were inseparable buddies in the old Avengers book. Alas, they were split up by the varying editors when Hank got called back to the X-Men.

Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 11 (159)

-The Beast in his 1970s-80s appearance is a much different animal than I recognize from my 1990s-era comics. Seriously, it's a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHARACTER. Steve Englehart took a somewhat-bombastic, super-intelligent strongman and basically turned him into a bounding whacky prankster who couldn't be serious for a second. Barely a mention of his genius is made in any comics I have from this era, and he spends more time using then-modern slang and being a goof than being super-erudite like he was under Stan (in the early days), and Claremont/Nicieza (in the '90s). Englehart bluntly says that "Hank discovered pot", which I GUESS makes sense- it's easy to forget given his grizzled appearance that he's a contemporary of Peter Parker, and was in college around the same time- a lot of button-down types let loose at College. Hank eventually becomes the leader of The Defenders in this era, but the book ended not too long after reuiniting Hank with his Original X-Men pals Iceman & The Angel. By the time he joins X-Factor only a couple years later, he's effectively become the character we'd recognize today.

-Hank at this point is only a PL 9- effective, but not really a great Scrapper, nor a great Powerhouse. He's just kind of "Filler" in team battles, as a matter of fact.

Image

THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- Debut
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 8 (134)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Insight 5 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 5 (+9)
Treatment 6 (+10)

Advantages: 
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Advanced Physiology"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling, Sure-Footed) [4]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +7

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 12 (134)

-'60s-Era Beast is a big, jolly, bombastic fighter, being very capable, but less so than his later versions. 

Image

THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- Teen in Modern Times
Created By:
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 8 (141)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+15) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Expertise (Magic) 2 (+8)
Insight 5 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 7 (+13)
Treatment 6 (+10)

Advantages: 
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ritualist, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Advanced Physiology"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling, Sure-Footed) [4]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +7

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 12 (141)

-Recent years have seen the Original X-Men brought forward in time, though it's been revealed that they were an offshoot, and the originals are still there. This has led to a lot of eye-rolling and "what the hell are they still doing here?", especially with there being two Icemen, two Beasts and more, especially once the kids started "splitting off" and showcasing some new powers and abilities. I call it "The Best Book That Has No Reason To Exist", because seriously, I found both the Bendis book and the one drawn by Mark Bagley to be quite good and interesting.

-This version of Hank is less intelligent than he'd later become, but he is very, VERY smart, and has also developed some low-level Magical abilities, owing to some time with Doctor Strange. Seriously, they're really shaking up the status quo with these kids, having a freedom that the "Mainstream" versions lack- why, most writers are stuck with only RUINING those characters by turning them into immoral monsters!
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed May 11, 2022 8:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Black Goliath! Black Talons! Blink! Black Tom Cassidy!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:32 am Black Brigade seems like a cool concept messed up by 90s sensibilities. A guy in power armor who controls a small squad of combat drones is actually kind of an awesome idea.

Thinking about Dane and my "fix" story makes me realize that if I did get to work for Marvel, my initial idea would likely be doomed to cancellation. I'd try for a kind of superhero team that did standard hero stuff while also doing Dresden Files type mystical stuff. Maybe have it put together by Dr. Strange as a new Defenders or Champions team, with guys like Iron Fist, the Black Knight, Blade and Hercules or Captain Britain on the team. Man, even typing that and thinking I could do a decent job with that book, I can feel Jab thinking "No, your initial idea was right, that"s going to get cancelled by issue 4".

Then again, I'd probably opt for a limited series as a proof of concept run first.
Hah- oh, I ABSOLUTELY would say something like that. It's got "Early 2000s Heroes For Hire" written all over it- begging to be "that comic that everyone loved, but no one bought".
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Blink! Black Tom Cassidy! Black Abbott! The Beast!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And that's it for the "B" names of Marvel! There's only a couple of names left, and it's guys I think are best-handled in other sets (Byrrah, for example, is a Namor supporting character). I've developed a dislike for posting guys separately from their own groups.

Next up: Something we haven't seen since freaking 2009- INVINCI-BUILDS!!! Yep, owing to the upcoming finale of Invincible, I'm going to be tearing through all the characters from that series. Though I have to delay it by a day, as the final issue only comes out TOMORROW, and I won't be able to read it until after work, and I need stuff to post before that. It might require me adding to the bios I've already written (which is... well... all of them. Hey, shut up! I had to re-read the entire series to get to do the builds, so I was doing them as I went!).

So tomorrow you'll see a re-post of something I did as a 2nd Edition one-off, then one of Marvel's many forgettable Jobber Teams, with a handful of additional notes. The Jobber Teams have been reposted periodically on here, usually an entire group in a single day, owing to the fact that there's generally little additional material on them, and I've posted them at LEAST three times already (2nd Edition, ATT and Ronin Army). But it'll kill a day while I read The End of All Things- Part Twelve. Meanwhile, read my ongoing review/summation of the entire series on this thread, which will keep you updated! It will only take marginally less time to read this whole bit than go through the entire series :).
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

AIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW???

F*@#ING TERRIFYING CHOCOLATE MAN
Created By:
Satan
Role: Soulless Abomination
PL 10 (136)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA -- AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)
Persuasion 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception)

Powers:
"Chocolate Man Form"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 2 [2]
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) (Flaws: Source- Chocolate) [4]

"Irresistable To Women" Affliction 10 (Fort; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Scent Perception, Reaction +3) (Flaws: Limited to Lust, Limited to Women) [30]
"Terrifying to Men" Affliction 10 (Fort; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- Scent Perception, Reaction +3) (Flaws: Limited to Mortal F*@#*ing Terror, Limited to Men) [30]
Weaken Stamina 6 (Extras: Progressive +2) (Flaws: Limited to Dogs, Limited to When Consumed) [6]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Afflictions +10 Area (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

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

Complications:
Vulnerable (Heat)- The F*$&*$%ing Terrifying Chocolate Man will melt in direct sunlight, or from heat-based attacks.
Normal Identity (Human)- Regular applications of Axe Body Spray are required for the F*$&*$%ing Terrifying Chocolate Man to maintain his powers.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 102 / Defenses: 5 (136)

-Okay, so way, WAY back, all the way to March 2009, I interrupted my Legion of Super-Heroes builds with this insane creation- something from one of many clever commercials Axe Body Spray released. These commercials were rather amazing in their simplicity- they advertised to young men, promising that women would immediately begin to try and rape them if they tried the product (Bill Hicks predicts that the ads of the future will simply just be naked women with the words "Drink Coke" next to them). And since they were targetting YOUNG MEN, these "Sex For Product" ads were horrifyingly effective, and Axe soon began selling like wildfire (of course, *I* never tried all of the various scents...), along with competitors like Tag. I know plenty of women who claimed to like it, but the Sprays eventually gained the reputation of being something only used by young, immature males, usually to excess. To the point where I think the "Body Spray" fad ended up dying.

-But still, some of the commercials were hilarious. This one featured a man spraying himself with a "chocolate" scent and turning into the very embodiment of the Uncanny Valley, which led to him being repeatedly chased down and bitten by women, one of whom tore off his arm in a drive-by molesting. The commercial was designed to be off-putting and humorous all at the same time... but I'm not sure if anybody ever actually wanted to smell like chocolate.

-Relatively unskilled and unweidly in combat, the Chocolate Man can nonetheless mess with your emotions something FIERCE, terrifying the men and enrapturing the women. And, as evidenced by the "Axe" ads, he suffers very little from women eating his body, even to the point of tearing LIMBS off! Truly a horrific opponent. Plus, he's poisonous to dogs.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Sep 04, 2022 6:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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