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Transcript
Taliesin’sMARVEL UNIVERSE
Vol. 1
Abomination • Absorbing Man • Adam Warlock • Angel • Annihilus • Apocalypse Archangel • Ares • Banshee • Baron Zemo • Batroc the Leaper • Beast • Bishop Black Bolt • Black Cat • Black Knight • Black Panther • Black Widow • Blink Blob Bullseye • Captain America • Cloak • Cyclops • Dagger • Daredevil • Dazzler Deadpool • Doc Samson • Doctor Doom • Doctor Octopus • Doctor Strange Electro • Elektra • Emma Frost • Galactus • Gambit • Green Goblin • Havok Hawkeye • Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) • Human Torch • Iceman • Invisible Woman Iron Fist • Iron Man • Iron Patriot • Lizard • Loki • Mach IV • Machine Man • Magik Magma • Magneto • Mister Fantastic • Moon Knight • Nightcrawler • Polaris Quasar • Sandman • Scarlet Witch • Scorpion • Shatterstar • She-Hulk • ShockerSpider-Man • Spider-Woman • Storm • Sunspot • Super-Skrull • Thing • ToadUltron • Vision • War Machine • Wasp • Wolverine • Wonder-Man • X-23 • X-Man
The Abomination might be as strong as a calm Hulk, but not having the same adrenaline surge as the Hulk means that he is not nearly as formidable, and his healing factor isn’t as robust. At the time of its creation, the Abomination was actually as strong as an enraged Hulk, but he has been significantly nerfed since. To keep the Abomination from being simply Hulk-lite, I gave him a little different feat selection and also the power of Suspended Animation, which activates automatically when he is exposed to conditions too deadly for even him to withstand.
In some strange way, Absorbing Man is a lot like Plastic Man; both are built with a Variable power simulating their ability to change into various forms. For Creel, this involves touching an object or creature. His power gives him incredible diversity and combines both Object Mimicry and Mimic in that he can also copy the power of a superhero such as the Hulk by touching him.
Absorbing Man’s weaknesses are two-fold. First, he acquires any drawbacks that his subject has and must use Object Mimicry to its full power, so if he copies a diamond, he gains its vulnerability to bludgeoning attacks, and if he touches the Hulk, Creel will revert back to his human form if he’s not raging. Second, Creel is really dumb and easily tricked into mimicking something with an exploitable drawback.
(Lasting); +3], Range [+1]; 90pp) AP: Blast 15 (1pp) AP: Force Constructs 15 (1pp) AP: Stun 15 (Extra: Alternate Save [Will; +0], Range
[+1]; 1pp) Mind Reading 15 (Flaw: Limited [to those captured within
Soul Gem; -1]; 15pp)
T-NOTES
Adam Warlock is about as cosmic as it gets. His own powers and physical traits are impressive, most notably his ability to form a cocoon around himself within which he can regenerate and accumulate his powers (Boost) in greater safety. With the Karmic Staff in hand, Warlock exhibits a finer degree of control over Cosmic Energy and can use it to stunt Deflect and Telekinesis. Adam Warlock’s control over his own life force is such that he always resurrects if ever he dies.
The Soul Gem in Warlock’s possession is one of the most powerful items in the Marvel Universe, offering him nearly total control over life. He can drain souls by storing them in the Soul Gem’s Dimensional Pocket. Warlock can access the knowledge and memories of those trapped in the gem. Furthermore, he has mastered its use and can project energy blasts, create force constructs, and karmic stun blasts with the gem. However, the Soul Gem is possessed of a malevolent intelligence that feeds upon the souls of those it has captured or, in their absence, the life essence of its wielder. Use of the gem also interferes with Warlock’s Cosmic Energy Control, probably due to this symbiotic relationship.
Angel is heavily-dependent on his Favored Environment bonus, although he is quite a competent combatant even when not airborne. Warren’s secondary mutation affords him a healing factor that he can confer upon others through his blood, so long as his blood type matches that of his target. He has also used his blood to raise the newly dead. Angel can use his wings to simulate the Super-Breath power feat.
A good chunk of Annihilus’ cost comes from his resources in Minions and Wealth as well as his spawning power; upon his death, Annihilus spawns several immature clones of himself, each built with 195pp. One of these eventually becomes the next Annihilus. The other item of interest is his Cosmic Control Rod, without which Annihilus becomes very mortal and very vulnerable but with which he has conquered many worlds. He can Boost any of his traits up to his PL caps.
Recently during the Annihilation event, Annihilus killed Quasar and took his Quantum Bands. At this moment, this is a temporary Device and may or may not become part of Annihilus’ arsenal:
DRAWBACKS
Weakness (when deprived of Cosmic Control Rod; Uncommon, Major, -1 to all ability scores each day, lethal; -1pp)
With Shapeshift, Apocalypse can acquire any physical power he needs, which in combat usually includes some combination of Density, Elongation, Enhanced Strength, Flight, Growth, Insubstantial, Regeneration, and Strike. This pool includes 15pp of his physical ability scores, for a total of 30pp to spend. Apocalypse also gained some measure of mental or psionic ability, usually in the form of force blasts and teleportation. Apocalypse still prefers to wade into melee and no wonder; few beings can challenge him physically, and he always has the versatility to run circles around any physical threat.
Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen keeps changing membership, so he essentially gets four 150pp Alpha-level mutants as his minions, usually enough to describe any X-Man he happens to recruit/brainwash. Mister Sinister has betrayed and plotted against Apocalypse so many times that he shouldn’t be considered his Sidekick anymore.
Archangel is a deadlier, slightly less skilled incarnation of Angel. He does have a higher top speed due to his mechanical wings. Archangel is also able to use his wings to perform slashing attacks, to protect himself and others, and to fire neurotoxin-tipped feathers.
The recently reformed god of war and divine member of the Mighty Avengers, Ares is described as a cross between Thor and Wolverine. Without his magical gauntlets, Ares isn’t nearly as strong as Hercules, however, nor is he quite as good a tactician as his fellow Olympian Athena, so it’s not a surprise that he’s rather bitter at the second-rate status that he has among the Olympians. However, Ares is an extremely skilled warrior with a healing factor at least as robust as Wolverine’s, in addition to his immortality.
Ares is a master in the use of all weapons, archaic and modern, and with his Weapon Creation power, is able to summon any weapon or weapons of his choosing. Currently, he seems to favor an adamantine axe and the battle armor forged by Hephaestus. Ares can use Extra Effort to improve this power and perhaps summon an even more powerful weapon from Olympus should he require it.
I went into this built thinking of building Banshee as Black Bolt-lite, but that’s not quite fair. While he doesn’t have nearly the amount of auxiliary powers, Banshee can actually do a lot more with just his sonic powers, so much so that I needed to pare them down to stunts. There were really a few ways I could have approached this build, and I decided to stay away from using Sonic Control as an array due to its rank being restricted to PL.
In addition to a very powerful Blast, albeit at a reduced range of two increments, Banshee can use his sonic powers to hypnotize his target. He can also produce an area effect with his sonic scream when collateral damage is not a concern. Banshee has a few peripheral powers, including the ability to use his sonic powers to fly. He needs his very unstylish costume to be able to effectively maneuver aerially, however, thus the Distracting Flaw if he tries to fly without his costume.
Banshee has lost his sonic scream from power strain in the past. During these times, he has proven to be a capably trained combatant both in fisticuffs and with conventional and nonconventional firearms.
Baron Zemo the 13th isn’t the super-genius that his father and predecessor was, but he’s cunning in his own way, a true opportunist. He is a master of making use of the resources and manipulating the powers of other people, such as his father’s Adhesive X and Karla Sofen’s Moonstones. Being able to call upon such powers means that, unlike other masterminds, Zemo isn’t afraid to mix it up now and then in combat when his schemes don’t turn out the way he anticipated.
Batroc’s a pretty formidable martial artist with a focus on his acrobatic ability, making him somewhat of an analogue to Nightwing. Batroc has supposedly extremely well developed leg muscles allowing him to make extraordinary leaps, but I think the Acrobatics skill should cover that more or less. He has a military and criminal background and quite skilled overall, but it seems writers can’t decide whether to make him a credible opponent to such heroes as Captain America or simply write him off as a stock character with a funny accent.
Hank in his feline form is easily the match of Wolverine and other peak human fighters. With the skills of a genius as well, Beast might be the most versatile of the X-Men. Beast’s farsightedness is a very minor drawback compensated by reading glasses and probably not worth a single pp.
Beast’s secondary mutation makes his form even more animalistic and feline. In addition to all those physical enhancements, he can also emit pheromones that attract members of the opposite sex. His Ricochet Attack can combine with Leaping or Speed to allow him to attack off of a wall bounce or other unusual angles.
Bishop is a formidable PL12 against energy controllers. He can use his Absorption to Boost Blast, but can also direct it inward to augment his physical traits such as his Strength or to heal himself. Bishop has performed many stunts with his Absorption, such as absorbing residual energy from a teleport and duplicating that power; this is a classic power stunt of his Boost. Bishop is also often the recipient or focus of Combined Attack, with all of his teammates directing their blasts at Bishop, who redirects it as a huge blast. This would use the usual rules for Combined Attack, with Bishop’s Absorption merely a descriptor.
Bishop can use absorbed energy to retaliate with a Blast. Usually, he’ll direct this through his blaster weapons, stacking the Boost with the Blast effects from those weapons. These need to be Devices, not Equipment, in order for the power to stack with the blasters. For instance, note that Bishop’s armor, as Equipment, does not stack with Absorption and thus applies only to his physical toughness.
Due in part to his frequent time travel and perhaps in part to his ancestor, Gateway, Bishop has a sense not only of the time but also of his location (build as Time Sense). He can also Detect Temporal Anomaly, but at zero-range, it doesn’t let him direct it at a target; it merely lets him know if the current timeline is somehow incorrect. Furthermore, he is a sort of temporal anchor; temporal effects tend to affect him less than usual.
Device 10 “Tuning Fork” (Hard to Lose; Power Feat: Restricted 2; 42pp)
Vibration Control 23 (Extra: Targeted Area [Cone; +1]; Flaw: Range [Touch; -1]; Drawbacks [array]: Full Power, Power Loss [when unable to speak; Uncommon, Minor]; 54pp) AP: Stun 18 (Extra: Targeted Area [Cone; +1];
1pp)
Tuning Fork (50pp total) Flight 6 (500 MPH; 12pp) AP: Super-Strength 6 (Heavy Load: 36 tons; 1pp) Force Field 13 (Extra: Impervious [+1]; 26pp) AP: Electrical Control 13 (1pp) AP: Force Constructs 13 (Extra: Movable [+1];
+1]; Flaw: Range [Touch; -1]; 1pp) Strike 5 (Extra: Penetrating [+1]; Flaw: Tiring [-1]; Power Feat: Mighty; 6pp)
Super-Senses 2 (Detect Energy 3 [mental; Ranged]; 2pp)
T-NOTES
Black Bolt’s Vibration Control is a Targeted Cone Area effect that’s incredibly potent; with a whisper, he can stun all but the toughest opponents, and with a shout, he can level cities. The catch is that Black Bolt cannot speak without triggering this power, so he is effectively mute unless he wants to level Attilan (which he has done before). Despite his inability to speak, Black Bolt is highly charismatic and the epitome of leading by example. Medusa is his de facto mouthpiece to his people, the Inhumans, to whom he is nigh a god.
Black Bolt’s costume sports a tuning fork which allows him some finer control over his powers, channeling them towards various other effects, such as flight and the generation of force fields. In addition, Black Bolt can, with great effort, increase his striking power greatly with the Master Blow.
Black Cat really isn’t that fun without her Jinx powers, taking a backseat to Catwoman. I think she doesn’t have them anymore, though Wikipedia seems to say otherwise. Regardless, it’s a simple enough change to remove Probability Control. She uses the Tinkerer’s devices now to augment her strength and dexterity, provide cat-like claws for combat and climbing, and other larcenous purposes. Black Cat’s costume is very form-fitting, and its powers, for instance the strength-enhancing micro-servos, aren’t easily used by those who don’t fill out the costume properly, thus the unique Restriction.
Shield of Night (14pp total) Deflect 10 (energy attacks; 10pp) Shield 4 (4pp)
Sword of Light (34pp total) Reflection/Redirection 10 (applied to Shield of Night’s Deflect; 20pp) AP: Dazzle 10 (Visual; 1pp) Strike 3 (Extra: Penetrating 7 [+1]; Power Feats:
Improved Critical 2, Mighty; 13pp)
T-NOTES
Black Knight is unusually well-rounded. In addition to his formidable combat ability, he has the skills to use both Ritualist and Inventor somewhat effectively. He is best known for his magical weaponry, the current set of which he summons using an amulet given him by the Lady of the Lake. Note how the Sword of Light allows Black Knight to redirect energy attacks absorbed by the Shield of Night.
Black Knight’s amulet can also summon his current steed, Strider. This magical horse can protect its rider from the elements and provide Life Support so long as he is mounted.
What a fun character. Take Batman, give him even more wealth and devices, mix in a little Wolverine, and you pretty much have T’Challa, the Black Panther. T’Challa is also a skills monster, though a good deal of those apply to non-combat skills reflecting his statescraft and technological expertise. T’Challa fights like his namesake, abusing his massive Acrobatic Bluff as well as his stealth skills and devices to give him opportunities to Sneak Attack.
T’Challa’s costume actually incorporates his armor, mask, and boots. The boots have an energy regulator that controls the vibranium soles and in addition to noise-dampening, also provides a limited ability to run up walls, across water, and to slow the Panther’s fall. The mask allows him to detect heat signatures as well as the energy signature left behind by his virtual energy daggers. His claws are made of an experimental vibranium anti-metal that can cut through virtually any metal; they are Penetrating and function much like Wolverine’s adamantium claws, but their descriptors are very different. T’Challa also uses the ultra-high tech Kimoyo Card that functions as a communications device and can track the energy signatures of T’Challa’s daggers.
This is a high end Black Widow, appropriate for insertion into superhero teams as opposed to espionage missions in a spy setting. Thus, her signature equipment, including her Widow’s Bite and her costume with its micro-suction cup / electrostatic cling wall-crawling and blending capabilities, are statted as Devices. Likewise, the effects of the Red Room treatment, Russia’s version of the Super Soldier Serum, are also included in this build, granting Natasha peak human physical attributes. In a lower-powered setting, these would be downgraded to Equipment and her Red Room treatment would be marginalized. Altogether, those changes would likely downgrade her to PL9.
Black Widow has a hefty pool of Equipment points she can spend on an arsenal. In fact, she only infrequently uses the plastic explosives and may instead be armed with any manner of firearms from pistols to assault rifles.
Tallus (30pp total) Super-Movement 6 (Dimensional Movement 3, Temporal Movement 3; Extras: Affects Others [+1], Area [Burst; +1], Selective Attack [+1]; 30pp)
T-NOTES
The key to building Blink was to mechanically show how she differs from Nightcrawler. She’s actually a much better teleporter than her more famous counterpart. I made her Teleport two separate powers rather than array her movement power with her attack powers so she can use both at the same time.
Growth Effects Size: Large, Mass x8, Base movement +5 feet, Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.; Strength +8, Constitution +4, Carrying Capacity +5; -1 Attack and Defense bonus, Grapple +4, Stealth -4, Intimidate +2
T-NOTES
Ironically, the power that the Blob is best known for, his immovability, is the one that I folded into Super-Strength. The Bracing power feat gives him Immovable at a rank equal to his Strength bonus. This actually works better, since the Blob does need to take a moment to set himself to activate his immovability.
The Blob’s immense body and fat renders him nearly immune to physical attacks. He’ll use his large body to Interpose in front of teammates. The Blob can also use the folds of his fat to entrap opponents who try to attack him in melee. I didn’t use Engulf because I didn’t want the effect to automatically produce a bound and helpless target.
Bullseye’s aim is nearly superhuman. His Power Attack represents aiming for a vital spot, and with Improved Aim and Ultimate Aim, Bullseye can compensate for any attack penalty. Bullseye can also increase his damage potential using Autofire and Improved Critical. Bullseye usually carries an arsenal of small knives (treat as shuriken) and in his current incarnation, a bow. He is never bereft of weapons, of course, capable of using anything, even a fake tooth, as a lethal weapon. In the case of applying Throwing Mastery on Autofire weapons such as shuriken, every two ranks improves the damage bonus by +1.
Bullseye has had his skeleton, mainly the long bones and the spine, reinforced with adamantium. This augments his strength and also protects him from crippling blows to the extent that lethal Critical Hit damage is converted instead to nonlethal damage.
SKILLS
Climb 4 (+8), Craft [Chemical] 8 (+11), Disable Device 4 (+7), Drive 4 (+8), Escape Artist 8 (+12), Gather Information 8 (+9), Intimidate 12 (+13), Knowledge [Streetwise] 12 (+15), Knowledge [Tactics] 8 (+11), Notice 4 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+9), Sleight of Hand 8 (+12), Survival 8 (+9)
Device 10 “Vibranium-Steel Shield” (Easy to Lose; Power Feats: Accurate, Indestructible; 32pp)
Vibranium-Steel Shield (50pp total)Blast 2 (Extra: Targeted Area 9 [Shapeable; +1]; Flaw: Side-Effect [disarmed on a missed ranged attack roll; -1]; Power Feat: Mighty 7; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 increments]; 10pp) AP: Immovable 10 (Extra: Sustained [+0]; 1pp) Deflect 12 (all ranged attacks ; 36pp) Shield 3 (3pp)
T-NOTES
While a lot of other superbly-conditioned humans are considered “peak human,” Captain America truly stands at the precipice between human and superhuman. Having a +7 bonus is a big difference from having a +4, yet those characters are still somehow lumped into the same category.
Cap’s a master in all forms of combat and is the best in the world at using his trademark vibranium-steel shield. The vibranium component of the shield allows Cap to absorb immense amounts of kinetic impact without harm (Immovable) as well as provide him uncanny control over the shield’s trajectory (Shapeable Blast).
All of that makes Cap capable of going toe to toe with stronger and faster superhumans, but what sets Cap apart are his leadership and teamwork abilities. He is also a master tactician, and while he’s no Batman, he can still use the Masterful Tactics options outlined in the Masterminds Manual.
Though Cloak has lost his powers on several occasions and they have often been tied to his cloak, it’s not really a Device, since it generally cannot be taken from him. Dimensional Pocket is actually a better fit for his powers than Darkness Control and serves as his primary array. He can use it to send victims to the Darkforce Dimension, to teleport, and to drain their life force to feed his own. His cloak can Elongate to strike targets from a distance with no fear of reprisal to himself. Cloak is generally incorporeal and when he is not, his cloak surrounds him in a protective field of darkforce energy.
SKILLS
Intimidate 12 (+12), Sense Motive 4 (+6), Survival 4 (+6)
Without his ruby quartz visor, Cyclops’ Optic Blast is Uncontrolled—if he wants to use it, he’s unable to select a target; otherwise, he’s blind. Gamewise, it’s a matter of choosing to fight blind with the power under his control or letting the GM dictate who is targetted by his Blast each round.
Cyclops wears a ruby visor that removes the Uncontrolled Drawback from his Blast and affords him several options through additional Alternate Powers; Cyke can deliver a focused, Penetrating Blast, a wide-angled Cone, Deflect various attacks at range, and even break his fall. His basic Blast is both Precise and able to Ricochet multiple times. If Cyclops is in a sufficiently reflective environment, he can deliver a Targeted Area Selective Attack, using the reflectors to target multiple enemies.
Cyclops has a very high Charisma score despite having such a withdrawn personality. Those who know him trust his judgment in battle and willingly follow him, but his moodiness is probably best handled as a complication; otherwise, by lowering his Charisma, he would have not been as effective using feats such as Inspire.
Dagger is obviously the perfect complement to Cloak. Most of her powers play off or feed into Cloak’s. Her powers are surprisingly versatile: defensive, offensive, dazzling, and healing. They’re not overpowering, but that’s Cloak’s job. Tandy is completely immune to attacks that would drain hers, such as Cloak’s darkness, as well as to her own and other light-based powers. Instead, she can use her powers to heal Cloak (or feed his light hunger).
Daredevil’s a street-level costumed adventurer at heart, with a dash of martial artist thrown in for good measure. Daredevil uses his Super-Senses to enhance his existing abilities, but isn’t meant to mix it up with superhuman opponents.
The billy club is Daredevil’s signature weapon and has many features designed by Daredevil himself. It can be disguised as a cane, thus the Subtle feat, and has a thirty foot length of cable attached that allows him to throw and retrieve the club in one action, as well as use it as a swingline.
Many of Daredevil’s senses are not only Acute, but Analytical; he can read by feeling the ink on the paper, distinguish people by scent, identify ingredients by taste, and detect faint sounds at great distances, even through sound-proofing. He also has an additional Radar sense that he uses as an additional targeting sense. On the other hand, his heightened senses render him highly vulnerable to sensory attacks, such as Dazzle, that can overload his non-visual senses.
I chose not to base all of Dazzler’s powers on Absorption, since she doesn’t need to absorb harmful levels of sound in order to fuel her light-based powers. Thus, she has a Light Control array that she can use regularly and which is augmented by absorbing sonic damage. Dazzler is very much an 80s character whom time has passed by.
Deadpool is supposedly metahuman to a similar degree as Deathstroke, or at least capable of physical feats beyond the human body is capable of. I always interpreted it to mean beyond what his own body would otherwise be capable of, not what a peak human is capable of, but being enhanced beyond Captain America seems easy to come by nowadays.
EQUIPMENT
Costume (Protection 2; 2ep)
Arsenal (18ep array) Assault rifle (16ep) Fragmentation grenades (1ep) Swords (1ep): as Sword plus Split Attack
Doc Samson is a powerhouse, but a smart one, though his mental faculties are used for mostly non-combat purposes. Samson’s drawback is just like his Biblical namesake’s; if his hair is cut, he loses his strength. The GM should make this a graded drawback, so that Samson loses all of his Enhanced and Super Strength if he is shaved bald, but would lose fewer ranks in proportion to the amount of hair that is cut.
This build does not include the many minions and followers that Doom has access to in Latveria. Nor have I bothered statting Doombot duplicates of Doom, since Doom is just assumed to be a Doombot if he’s defeated and it suits the GM. Obviously, this is the epitomy of using GM Fiat, unless Doom hasn’t yet used his extra Hero Point for his Luck feat, in which case, this isn’t even treated as a complication; it’s just a fact of life when facing Doom!
In some ways, you could argue that Doom is second-rate at everything; he’s not as smart as Mister Fantastic, his battlesuit’s not as high-tech or as powerful as Iron Man’s, and his mastery of magic is not as advanced as Doctor Strange’s. But, he’s nearly as good as those three heroes combined! This makes for a versatile, and expensive, supervillain who isn’t very high in PL.
Doom’s “force field” isn’t typical; he can’t attack through it, so he needs to lower it in order to go on the offensive (besides which, it requires Concentration to maintain). Also note that Doom has used a variety of special attachments to his armor, such as his molecular expander, which are treated as power stunts of his primary Blast array. The aforementioned molecular expander, for example is a Permanent Create Object.
Against enemies that Doom considers beneath him…well, he considers everyone beneath him, but against those he considers really, really beneath him, Doom uses an old-fashioned pistol, a Broomhandle Mauser.
Doctor Octopus is a grappling fiend, particularly when he uses his tentacles together to gain the Additional Limb bonus on top of his Strength and Super-Strength bonuses. The tentacles can also be detached and controlled remotely. Note that his tentacles have the Super-Breath power feat under Super-Strength, manifested when he whirls them around to create a funnel of air. For all that he is incredibly formidable, Doc Ock is a lightweight defensively. This build assumes that the harness can be removed, though that changes from incarnation to incarnation.
Doc Ock’s harness is capable of functioning independently when he is unconscious, usually following pre-programmed instructions to bring him to safety.
The most difficult part in writing up Doctor Strange is that the source literature is so inconsistent. There are a lot of limits imposed on his powers, a bunch of little quirks thrown in by various writers, separation of his various spells into different sources (magical, psychic, or dimensional). Doctor Strange’s Magic therefore comes from three sources—his own magical prowess, those granted by his title of Sorceror Supreme, and those granted by invocation of magical extraplanar beings. The last sources is the one that varies the most, and GMs using Strange as an NPC should feel free to use his ability to invoke his patrons as an X-trait.
The rest of Strange’s magic comes from his arsenal of magical paraphernalia. The Eye of Agamotto pierces all illusions and deceptions and provides a Power Reserve for his telepathic powers. It can also form a portal for dimensional travel. Strange also wears a Cloak of Levitation that, in addition to providing him Flight, acts as an extra set of hands. With Ambidexterity as a Power Feat, Strange suffers no penalty when using the Cloak as his “off-hands.” The Book of Vishanti contains every spell of order and allows Strange to use Ultimate Effort on Knowledge [Arcane Lore] checks as well as perform these checks much faster than usual for the purpose of designing rituals. Strange also uses it to Deflect energy attacks back to their source. Finally, Strange keeps the Orb of Agamotto in his Sanctum Sanctorum, where he uses it to scry (ESP).
Doctor Strange’s faithful manservant Wong (rank 6 minion) tends to his Greenwich Village mansion, the Sanctum Sanctorum, and though an expert martial artist, seldom participates in combat.
POWERS
Astral Form 3 (Flaw: Concentration [-1]; Power Feat: Dimensional; 13pp)
AP: Hypnotism 6 (1pp) AP: Telepathy 6 (1pp) Container 2 “Sorceror Supreme of Earth” (Flaw: Limited [only when
on Earth; -1]; 8pp) Device 5 “Book of the Vishanti” [Easy to Lose] (15pp) Device 3 “Cloak of Levitation” [Hard to Lose] (12pp) Device 7 “Eye of Agamotto” [Hard to Lose] (Power Feat: Restricted
[only those of pure soul]; 29pp) Flight 1 (10 MPH; Flaw: Levitation [-1]; 1pp) Magic 12 (Power Feat: Accurate 2; Drawback: Power Loss [when
unable to gesture or speak; Uncommon, Minor]; 24pp) Base Power: Mystic Blast 12 (0pp) DAP: Glamour 6 (all senses; 2pp) AP: Light of Truth 12 (1pp) AP: Mystic Binding 12 (1pp) DAP: Mystic Hand 12 (2pp) AP: Mystic Passage 8 (Extra: Attack [+1]; 1pp) DAP: Obscure 8 (Visual and Auditory; 2pp) AP: Summon Minion 12 (Extra: Type [mystical beings; +1]; Flaw:
Electro is more or less a typical energy controller, with most of the suggested alternate powers listed for Electrical Control. He does have two unusual stunts that somewhat set him apart. He can somehow charge himself with electricity to augment his physical ability scores at or near superhuman levels. Second, Electro’s vulnerability to water comes into play the more he is charged, which I’ve handled as the Vulnerable Drawback on his Electrical Aura. If he keeps it turned off, Electro doesn’t suffer from that Drawback.
It’s quite an interesting exercise building this little triangle of Elektra, Daredevil, and Bullseye. All three are street-level characters and are varying mixes of costumed adventurer and martial artist. Elektra’s build is a study in efficiency without overdoing it in any one area: four feats built into her weapons of choice, four to five ranks of situational modifiers built into her Toughness, Defense, and Damage. Elektra is highly-dependent on making use of surprise attacks and avoiding being the victim of the same; if someone can get the drop on her in any one area, she can be extremely vulnerable.
Density Effects Strength +24, Impervious Protection +6, Immovable 4,
Super-Strength 4 (Heavy Load: ~24 tons)
T-NOTES
I might be getting sick of statting telepaths, but I’ll make an exception for the former White Queen, Emma, here. She has a few extra tricks with her Telepathy, notably Nullify, and is extremely experienced, if not quite overwhelming in raw power.
Emma’s telepathic powers and her diamond form are placed in two separate Alternate Forms so that she can only use one or the other. In her diamond form, Frost still won’t hit her caps physically, but she can do some serious damage and is far from helpless in melee. Unlike the Stepford Cuckoos, Frost’s diamond form has a flaw which can be exploited through a Weak Point Drawback.
Headquarters “Taa II Worldship”Size: Awesome; Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Living Space, Power System, Security System 3; Powers: Flight 20, Space Travel 20, Super-Senses 42 (Detect Energy 21 [ranged, Extended 20], Detect Life 21 [ranged, Extended 20])
DRAWBACKS
Weakness (if Galactus is not consuming biosphere; Very Common, Major, potential Lethal, affects once a month)
*+16 Impervious
T-NOTES
Galactus has the Fades Flaw on his Cosmic Energy Control and Growth powers, which lose 1pp each week until he replenishes them by feeding on a biosphere using his Transfer power.
Galactus’ Devices are used to compensate for Flaws in his powers. His Body Armor helps him control his vast Cosmic Energy Control, removing the Uncontrolled flaw as long as it is worn. Without the body armor, Galactus’ Power Cosmic would radiate uncontrollably and turn him into a star. The Elemental Converter Machine helps Galactus siphon planetary energy more efficiently, removing the Side Effect flaw of Transfer; without the machine, Galactus would be forced into a comatose state after feeding.
The Empowerment power from Ultimate Power is ridiculously expensive for what it does, so I just added the Affects Others Extra to Galactus’ Cosmic Energy Control. This is can be used in the cases where Galactus empowers someone besides his herald. The Minions feat handles Galactus’ herald, and Galactus can further empower his herald beyond the 225pp the Minions feat provides.
Galactus possesses the Ultimate Nullifier, which he never uses, as it destroys both the wielder and its target.
Gambit’s signature power—his control over kinetic energy, has expanded to include several stunts and to explain some of his subtler abilities over the years. The basic use of his power is to charge an object with kinetic energy to the point that it explodes. Usually, he’ll charge small objects such as playing cards, functionally effecting a Kinetic Control blast. However, Gambit can also use this power on larger objects, converting their potential energy into explosive kinetic energy that will explode on impact. This is a full round action that will Drain Toughness from the object and create a Triggered Explosion Strike.
As an option, the Action Drawback can be applied to increase the blast diameter. By increasing the time from one round to one minute, five minutes, and so forth, Gambit can use the points he gets from the Drawback to buy Progression feats on the Explosion’s area. This would be an ad hoc application to represent charging larger objects, and an easier solution may be to simply declare Extra Effort to increase the rank of the power.
Gambit’s nearly superhuman agility has been explained through his control over his own body’s kinetic energy—a stretch, but not too much of one. Furthermore, the flux of kinetic energy in Gambit’s body supposedly makes for a formidable psychic barrier. Gambit’s hypnotic abilities has similarly been explained as his ability to control the kinetic energy in people’s brains—quite a stretch, but that’s the source material; a Sense-Dependent Conscious Mind Control has been arrayed against his Kinetic Control in light of this.
The Green Goblin seems like he’s inferior to Spider-Man in nearly every respect, but he’s also one of the few rogues who doesn’t have an obviously exploitable weakness like Venom or Sandman. What we’ve got is a guy who is nearly as strong, as smart, and as skilled as Spider-Man but who is also totally ruthless. While Peter has to worry about damage control, Norman doesn’t care about collateral damage, as evidenced by the Explosion modifier on his pumpkin bombs.
Hawkeye has nearly perfect aim and an array of trick arrows for every situation. In addition, Hawkeye has almost the opposite disability / compensation combination that Daredevil has; he’s nearly deaf but his eyesight is remarkably keen. Thus, his range increment for normal sight is 100 feet rather than 10 feet (a little overkill, but this progression is especially grainy). Hawkeye does have a hearing aid that compensates for his deafness. Hawkeye has constructed various unique trick arrows, but these are best relegated to power stunts instead of the Inventor feat, which is too broad for this sort of thing.
Hawkeye’s bow and trick arrows are represented by a Device. The ranks in Variable Descriptor lets Hawkeye select from any technological descriptor for the damage and can be changed once per round as a free action, just like an alternate power. Clint can fire so quickly that he has the Autofire modifier with his custom bow, allowing him to hit multiple targets, although he does not get to apply much of his Strength bonus when doing so. If he’s using a specific trick arrow, then he loses the Autofire modifier but replaces it with another effect. Hawkeye can also apply the Ricochet feat to all of his bow attacks (a reflection his own skill and thus not a Power Feat) and the Homing feat (a boomerang attachment and considered part of the Device). I’ve only included some of the most common trick arrows in the array; others should be considered power stunts.
The new Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, is a relatively new character whose abilities have not been fully revealed. She has remarkable facility with learning new weapons and combat styles and possibly has some degree of photographic reflexes. Kate is slightly undercapped (except with the bow) to allow some flexibility to use Reflex Memory.
Kate uses weapons that either are or are patterned after those of Mockingbird and Swordsman; they have generally not demonstrated the traits of those specific weapons and are treated as Equipment in this build. She has been confirmed to use the former Hawkeye, Clint Barton’s, bow and trick arrows, though Kate has demonstrated use of all the various trick arrows at this time.
Havok has always been in Cyclops’s shadow. The youngest Summers brother doesn’t have the control and finesse of the X-Men field leader, but he makes up for it somewhat in sheer destructive power. Havok has, for the most part, overcome his control issues and reliance on containment suits, so it only comes up as a Complication. Havok has shown that he can super-absorb solar and other radiation energy to boost his powers, although this is a rare enough occurrence to be handled through Extra(ordinary) Effort and Power Strain. Havok’s immunity covers Cyclops’s powers.
Plasma Control 15 (Drawback: Power Loss [if deprived of cosmic radiation; Uncommon, Minor; -1pp]; 29pp) AP: Dazzle 10 (Extra: Area [Visual Perception; +2];
Heeeere’s Johnny! His powers can be separated into two groups: one that depends on the creation of a sheath of flames about his body and one that involves his ability to control fire.
Human Torch can surround himself with an aura of fire which also has the benefit of protecting him from physical attacks. He can selectively apply this Aura, for instance, leaving parts of him uncovered. By forming this aura around his feet, he can use the flames to propel himself through the air. All of these powers are in the same container, so he needs to be able to Flame On! in order to fly. Johnny’s flame aura is also notorious for being countered and vulnerable to being smothered. He can generally only use this Alternate Form when in the presence of oxygen. Likewise, he can spontaeously ignite in the presence of too much heat or fire.
Johnny can use Fire Control to augment the rank of the very expensive Flame Aura, which otherwise is active at a lower level, although it has a drawback where he cannot use Fire Control for Flame Aura unless he already has it active, similar to the drawback on Power Reserve. Props to Elric for thinking to just have Fire Control stack with the Flame Aura.
Very technically, the only power he can use in his non-enflamed form is Fire Control, so the APs of Fire Control reside in his Flame On! form. Most versatile among these is Flame Objects, with which he can create anything from flame cages, barriers, and even decoys of himself; this is the Create Object power, but the objects have no Toughness and instead have a Damage Aura at rank 5.
Johnny Storm is probably the exemplar of using Extraordinary Effort and Temporary Power Strain (from the Masterminds Manual) to create a one-shot effect. Normally, an area effect like Nova Flame is PL-capped, so pushing this power through Extra Effort is an appropriate means of temporarily surpassing PL caps for the damage of this effect. Johnny will usually spend two fatigue conditions (Fatigued and Exhausted) as well as incur Temporary Power Strain (a Power Loss drawback) in order to use the Increase Power option of Extra Effort to produce a rank 16 Nova Flame.
POWERS
Alternate Form 8 “Flame On!” (Drawbacks: Involuntary Transformation [in presence of high heat; Uncommon, Minor], Power Loss [in absence of oxygen; Common, Minor]; 37pp)
Fire Control 15 (Power Feat: Precise; 31pp) Immunity 6 (Environmental Condition [Heat], Fire damage; 6pp)
Vapor Form Traits: (19pp total) Concealment 3 (Normal Sight, Normal Hearing; Power Feat: Close Range; 7pp)
Flight 1 (10 MPH; 2pp) Insubstantial 2 (10pp)
T-NOTES
Bobby Drake is quite the accomplished energy controller these days, using his powers at a high level without losing control. At one time, he needed to wear an inhibitor belt. His powers were rank 15 but had the Full Power Drawback and Uncontrolled Flaw; the belt bought back the Flaw and Drawback but decreased his Cold Control rank to 11. Now Iceman has essentially used his own pp to buy off the Flaw and Drawback and can use his powers at their full capacity as befits an Omega-level mutant.
Iceman can actually exist in any form of water, from ice to liquid water to vapor, each with its own set of properties. Also, so long as there is ambient water for Bobby to absorb, he gets Regeneration, even from states that would otherwise qualify as dead (shattered, etc.). It is unknown what set of circumstances besides the absence of water could prevent Iceman from reconstituting himself. Since it is a somewhat rare trick, by using Extra Effort, Iceman can stunt his Alternate Form to add external water to his own mass and simulate a Growth effect.
Bobby’s actually a CPA! That’s pretty impressive. Less so are his feats; he relies more on his powers and the tricks he can manage with them than a whole lot of combat training, though like most X-Men, he’s still a great team player. A random power is Bobby’s Infravision; he can detect heat in objects, which makes sense given his powers. Even more random: he can use Artistic Craft to make ice sculptures, making him a popular guy come Christmas time.
I tried to find a balance between Claremont’s overpowered Invisible Woman and the shrinking violet some other writers have cast Sue. If the GM allows her to use her Force Field ad nauseum on her teammates, things can get broken very quickly, so I’ve kept her Force Field at Personal range (and this doesn’t stack with her costume’s Protection) while allowing Create Object to represent Sue’s ability to shield her teammates (which can be imbalancing, as well, but at least it’s legal).
I’ve limited her alternate powers, except for Blast and Immunity. She has demonstrated Force Shatter, Snare, Suffocate, and a multitude of other powers listed under Force Constructs, but these are best handled with stunts.
Note that Sue’s force fields are generally considered pliable, but she can stunt an unyielding, Impervious version, but the harder she makes them, the more likely she’ll suffer a psychic backlash when they are damaged, so even out the Impervious with a Feedback flaw for the power stunt.
Not too many martial artists in the Marvel Universe can surpass Iron Fist. Danny’s a great hand-to-hand fighter overall, and can stunt his more unusual tricks off of his Chi. He has demonstrated Mind Reading, various Super-Senses and Immunities, among other abilities. His eponymous Iron Fist attack is Tiring and basically acts as an enhanced version of Extra Effort and is Penetrating. Danny can use Extraordinary Effort on the Iron Fist, increasing it by two ranks with each application of Extra Effort beyond the first.
Tony Stark has internalized the inner layers of his Extremis armor, permitting him to use Datalink at a worldwide range and any satellite in Earth’s orbit. He may use this power to summon his Extremis armor. The nanites also provide Tony with a healing factor, allowing him to regrow lost or damaged organs.
The main features of Iron Man’s armor are the vast weapons systems. If he really needs to do something, he can blow a Hero Point to reroute system resources and stunt a new power off of his Enhanced Strength.
Osborn doesn’t get nearly as much out of the Iron Man armor as Stark due to his inherently greater natural physical power. He probably has not managed to unlock all of the powers of the armor that Stark was able to utilize, although this remains to be seen. As yet, this writeup assumes a slightly toned down version of the Extremis armor.
The Lizard is a physical match for Spider-Man but his superior toughness makes it difficult for Spidey to harm him; in this sense, he is much like Venom. However, like all Spidey villains, the Lizard has a very exploitable weakness, namely the reptilian vulnerability to cold. The Lizard’s combat style is a strange mix between brute force and stunning speed. He can choose to play hit-and-run or he can use his mobility to try to get into position to grapple and use his enormous strength and extra limb to gain the upper hand.
Density Effects Strength +8, Impervious Protection 2, Immovable 1, Super-Strength 1, Mass x3
*+2 Impervious **Without Mystic Shield
T-NOTES
Ah, the quintessential Avengers villain. True, Loki is really Thor’s archenemy just as the Red Skull is Captain America’s, and the…uh, Titanium Man is Iron Man’s. But the Avengers were formed in response to Loki’s machinations. Loki relies primarily on being behind the scenes, manipulating people to do his dirty work while he watches, as evidenced by his powers. He is the world’s greatest liar and should be able to Bluff nearly anyone. Loki is incredibly subtle at times, so much so that his influence is nearly unnoticeable, as he can work his mischief from other dimensions.
Regardless of the supposed source of Loki’s various powers, they are all magical or godly in nature. Loki can use Boost to grant powers to villains, but permanent alterations actually require the villain to purchase the ability with his own power points or are derived from certain magical objects and should be a plot device. Likewise, Loki does have access to Asgardian artifacts, but these are usually one-shot deals. Moreover, Loki can stunt various other effects off of his Magic array or choose to cast them as rituals.
Loki is not too shabby in actual combat, however, although he usually prefers to use his magical powers from a distance. He doesn’t have many combat feats, as direct combat isn’t his style, but with his Bluff bonus, Loki should be able to feint and Taunt extremely effectively or even keep a foe indefinitely Distracted.
MACH-IV is pretty much Iron Man-lite. Make that extra-lite. He’s actually not a half-bad battlesuit archetype and though somewhat narrowly-focused in terms of skills and feats, Abner’s armor has a great variety of powers, making him a good all-purpose support character. The M.A.C.H. IV armor’s Enhanced Feats power represents computer-assisted aiming.
Density Effects Strength +12, Toughness (Impervious) +3, Immovable 2, Super-Strength 2, Mass x5
T-NOTES
Machine Man is an android with a highly-advanced artificial intelligence able to pass as a human in terms of learning and creativity. His most notable features include extendable arms and an array of payloads in his fingers, generally high caliber bullets and cold and heat projection. At a cost to himself, X-51 can release a burst of electricity. He is capable of repairing his body through the use of Craft.
-1]; Power Feats: Accurate 2, Affects Insubstantial, Improved Critical, Mighty; 8pp); Linked Power: Nullify 12 (any one Magical effect at a time; Flaw: Range [-1]; 6pp)
T-NOTES
Magik was the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo, but on Earth, she had only a fraction of that power, able only to displace her senses astrally (though this isn’t fully Astral Form) and to summon her Soulsword. The Soulsword can only harm magical beings and undo mystical enchantments. In addition, when drawn, the Soulsword manifests a mystic armor over Magik. The GM can rule that she only gains one rank of Protection per round as the armor appears piece by piece on Magik’s body.
Magik’s mutant power is the ability to create teleport discs that permit travel through space and time via Limbo. If Magik fails a Concentration check to activate this power, its unreliable nature results in spatial or temporal displacement.
In Limbo, Magik gains several alternate powers to her Magic array as befits the Sorceress Supreme, as well as two ranks of Luck which she can use for power stunts. Were she on Earth, Magik would have to use the Ritualist feat to cast these spells.
Darkchilde is the manifestation of Magik’s dark side and is essentially Uncontrolled and a plot device for the GM. In this form, she can use the full powers of the Sorceress Supreme regardless of her current location or dimension.
[+1]; Flaw: Range [-1]; 1pp) Energy Aura 3 [Fire] (12pp) Immunity 10 (all fire effects; 10pp) Protection 5 (5pp)
T-NOTES
Magma is ridiculously powerful and capable of incredible feats of earth and fire control. She needs to be in her alternate, magma form to use most of these powers. Magma’s Alternate Form has a Limited Flaw on six of those ranks; her powers are halved if she is not in contact with the ground. Magma’s background and training with melee weapons and living in the wilds gives her something to fall back on aside from her powers.
When Magma is particularly angry, she can cause localized earthquakes, which can become quite major if near a faultline or a volcano. This is more of a Complication and in the hands of the GM. Conscious effort to create earthquakes is handled through the Explosion Knockback Trip (similar to the Groundstrike power feat of Super-Strength).
Magneto is one of the greatest Marvel villains ever, so I felt free to go all out with him. Not only does he sport one of the most powerful arrays of any mutant, but Magneto is an incredible genius, tactician, and leader. His expertise in genetic manipulation is only rivaled by Apocalypse. Omega-level mutants / plot devices aside, Magneto and Charles Xavier are usually considered the most powerful mutants in the world. Obviously, Magneto’s signature power is Magnetic Control, and aside from his usual feats, this array is also able to handle any power stunt Magneto has exhibited over the years, including pulling all the iron out of a person’s body (Ranged Drain Constitution) and other neat tricks. Magneto has more limited control over other forces, including the electromagnetic spectrum, gravitons, and radiation, and this can also be handled via power stunts.
Magneto’s most useful and recognizable Device is his helmet that protects him against all mental powers, most notably Xavier’s. He also wears a costume constructed of metal, presumably so that he can use his powers on himself, but its Protection bonus does not stack with that provided by his Force Field.
EQUIPMENT
Flexible metal jumpsuit (5ep): Protection 5, does not stack with Force Field
Here’s Marvel’s resident super-genius extraordinaire. Mister Fantastic’s powers are technically a limited form of Shapeshift, but he’s really not nearly as versatile as someone like Plastic Man. Instead, I gave him a elasticity-themed dynamic array with enough points to allocate to several powers at once. Rarer powers like Deflection (Reflection) can be power stunts off of this array. His elastic body provides a great degree of protection, and he is Impervious to physical impacts, which includes all physical damage excluding those with an edged descriptor. I’ve placed the cost of this as a –2 Flaw, cheaper than all physical damage and more expensive than all blunt damage. Mister Fantastic’s costume provides Protection, but it only comes into play if his powers are somehow nullified.
Reed was already an unparalleled genius before the accident, but his mutation enhanced his intellect to superhuman levels. If for whatever reason his mutation is nullified, his Intelligence would drop to 24.
Though Moon Knight is most often associated with the powers he gained when Khonshu possessed his body and granted him superhuman physical ability scores that waxed and waned with the phases of the moon, that incarnation lasted only a relatively short time in his career. Usually, Moon Knight is a highly skilled but human agent of Khonshu, with no superhuman powers.
EQUIPMENT
Cestus (as brass knuckles with Piercing descriptor; 1ep), Commlink (1ep), Crescent darts (as shuriken; 3ep), Truncheon (as club plus Super-Movement [Swinging]; 6ep)
Nightcrawler always struck me as a character with a lot of potential. Alternate timeline versions of him really showed all the tricks he could perform with his Teleport. By default, Kurt can Teleport 400 feet as a move action or 1 mile as a full round action, but with Extra Effort, can push his full round Teleport to 20 miles. He has a limited ESP allowing him to sense the area he wishes to Teleport to so that he doesn’t end up Teleporting into a solid object.
Nightcrawler also has an array Linked to the Teleport. Kurt can use a “rending” power by grabbing hold of an opponent and selectively teleporting away only a part of that target. He may also grab an opponent and do a quick succession of Teleports to Stun him. Finally, Kurt can attack every opponent within 40 feet per the Rapid Attack power feat of Super-Speed, using his Teleport in place of Super-Speed.
I always liked Polaris and thought her under-utilized. She was actually one of “the Twelve” Alpha mutants whose power Apocalypse tried to harness. She is very much a toned down Magneto, and due to her limited development storywise, perhaps too depowered. Polaris can use Extra Effort to stunt Electrical and Gravity Control off of her Magnetic Control.
Quasar’s classic form is an energy controller par excellence. The Quantum Bands can only be removed over his dead body, even though since his death, they’ve been passed around like…well, they’ve been around. Quasar can manipulate light energy in various ways, and the Bands also provide the usual flight, force field, and life support powers. When he wants to share these powers with allies, he can usually stunt that off of his Quantum Array.
More unusual powers include his Quantum Jump, which provides interstellar teleportation. He is Impervious to a high degree of energy damage and has programmed the Bands to protect him from psionic assaults, although similar effects with the magic and Darkforce descriptors affect him normally. Finally, his Quantum Array allows him to counter any electromagnetic effect. Between this and Impervious Energy Toughness, Quasar is able to absorb and counter many energy effects without actually having the Absorption power per se.
Richard Rider’s powers as Nova are pretty similar for the most part to Vaughn’s powers as Quasar, and it should be pretty easy to create a hybrid build to represent the new Quasar.
Spider-Man really needs to exploit the weaknesses of his various rogues in order to triumph against these immensely powerful villains. Sandman is no exception; he has a host of powers as a result of his sand form, and isn’t a foe Spider-Man can hope to pound into submission, but he is highly vulnerable to a slew of attack descriptors, none of which are particularly common.
Most of Sandman’s powers are self-explanatory and he has access to all of them as part of his Alternate Form. I made this form Permanent, allowing him access to all of these powers, but he can assume a normal appearance simply by not actually using those powers. Also, when knocked out or disabled, Sandman’s form is sand, not flesh, so it does seem reasonable that his true form is sand. Sandman’s Growth power requires a large body of sand for him to incorporate into his form and is sufficiently infrequent and context-dependent to not count towards his PL caps.
I really like how Sandman’s Drawbacks turned out. He has a couple of Involuntary, One-Way Transformations; flames or temperatures of sufficient intensity can fuse his constituent particles into glass, and large amounts of water transform Sandman into a mindless sludge creature, both of which effectively take him out of the fight for hours to days. Finally, wind-based attacks can disperse his form (essentially Growth 16 with the Dispersal flaw linked to Insubstantial 2) forcing him to take a turn to reassemble himself.
The Scarlet Witch’s powers are all variations of her Hex Spheres to some extent, be they called Chaos Magic or whatever. Since Doctor Strange denounced her magical ability as simply an expression of her mutant powers, it’s much easier to justify this arrangement. Most often, she uses her hex spheres to jinx people in an area or cause unfortunate accidents to befall them (Damage). She can also mimic magical spells using her Variable Power. In the past, this power suffered from the Uncontrolled Flaw, but even with her greater control over this power, likely due to her using magical incantations and gestures as a focus, Wanda still needs to make a Concentration check to use the power.
Wanda is undercapped otherwise, but most of her powers are or can be area or perception ranged and thus set her PL. Deflect now counts towards the Defense cap, and Wanda can always summon a Force Field using Variable Power as she needs to.
Wanda’s powers sometimes balloon to deus ex machina proportions, but what I have here feels like a playable build. GMs can have the option to execute plot devices or fiats through her powers, but that should be out of player control, obviously.
SKILLS
Concentration 8 (+12), Knowledge [Arcane Lore] 8 (+10), Language 3 (French, English, Latin; base: Russian), Medicine 5 (+9), Notice 5 (+9), Perform [Dance] 8 (+10), Pilot 7 (+8)
One of the early powerhouses in Spidey’s rogues gallery, Scorpion’s original incarnation looks less daunting by today’s standards but was a handful for classic Spider-Man. Without his suit, Scorpion already has superhuman strength exceeding that of Spider-Man. His armor adds a versatile mechanical tail that can deliver a poisonous sting and is often outfitted with an electrical blast and an acid spray.
Shatterstar isn’t, well, all that different from most Liefield creations. Muddled history? Check. Muscle-bound hack and slasher? Check. Healing factor so Liefield can draw him getting beat up every other panel. Double check!
Okay, seriously. Shatterstar’s signature weapon is a mystic blade that can take the forms of various weapons. To model this, I’ve tacked on a Variable Feats to the Strike power, so the mystic blade can acquire the appropriate feats to its weapon type: Improved Critical, Thrown, Improved Disarm, etc. In some stories, he only has a mundane pair of swords. He also can channel a bioenergy blast through this or any other metal weapon. In addition to his healing factor, Shatterstar’s internal organs can shift to avoid critical hits.
Another simple build, this time a powerhouse. She-Hulk doesn’t have all the quirky modifiers that Hulk does. She’s a straightforward, but not mindless, brawler. I used Growth to account for a portion of her enhanced abilities, and she has a moderate healing factor.
She-Hulk has a little-used power that essentially works as a Mind Switch. Remove this power and she’s a perfectly balanced PL10.
She-Hulk’s normal identity is Jennifer Walters, attorney and law. It takes a full round to change form. Sometimes, she does not have full control over the transformation or needs a device to help regulate it.
The Shocker is remarkably inexpensive due to being rather a one-trick pony (as many of Spidey’s villains are) and all of his powers being tied to Devices. His battle suit generates a vibrational shield that protects him from snares and grapples as well as physical damage, which is particularly useful against Spider-Man. Its thick padding also protects against vibrational and sonic effects such as that from his Vibro-Smasher Gauntlets. The Shocker’s gauntlets have a variety of settings, but its initial use was Nullify Machines in order to shake open safes.
This build reflects an experienced Spider-Man without the powers granted by the further mutations he experienced in The Other storyline and therefore should fit his current Mephisto-retconned status.
Spider-Man usually goes full-on Defensive Attack. Spider-Man is practically the poster boy for having a much higher defensive than offensive PL. It’s probably more accurate to think of Spider-Man’s default combat line with Attack +8 and Defense +18 and the listed combat line for when he goes “All-Out Attack,” which for him is really just not using Defensive Attack.
Peter’s a pretty bright kid and makes frequent use of Inventor, or as frequent as his limited Wealth resources allow. His web-shooters are standard and are usually used to Snare his foes or for Swinging. Other effects should be considered power stunts.
Though he’s pretty powerful, Spider-Man usually has to use his ingenuity to beat most of his rogues gallery, since each member usually out-classes him in some aspect. Of the mainstream heroes with such a large gallery of villains, only Batman is more versatile, and not by much.
DRAWBACKS
Unlucky (does not start off with Hero Point, must earn through Complications; -1pp)
Weakness (if Spider-Sense is nullified; Uncommon, Moderate [-1 all checks, attack, defense], Instant; -2pp)
Spider-Woman doesn’t need her costume anymore to fly, so the wings are truly vestigial now. A little weaker than Spider-Man but a lot more skilled in combat, Spider-Woman can also double as a blaster, albeit a rather limited one, since her Venom Blast fades and needs to be recharged over time. In addition, she exudes pheromones that attract men and repel women, a phenomenon that is largely out of her control. Jessica’s Immunity to Diseases and Poisons only activates after previous exposure to the toxin, but this is really more a complication than anything, considering that it’s in the GM’s control whether or not she has been previously exposed.
SKILLS
Acrobatics 10 (+15), Disable Device 4 (+6), Gather Information 8 (+10), Investigate 4 (+6), Languages 6 (French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish; base: English), Notice 8 (+10), Pilot 4 (+9), Sense Motive 4 (+6), Stealth 4 (+9)
Storm came out surprisingly versatile. She’s decently trained in a lot of practical skills, owing to her criminal background; she’s a formidable combatant both hand-to-hand and at range; she can fill in as a capable field leader; and her Weather Control array is incredibly diverse.
Storm can set her Weather Control to produce any of listed effects per the Mix-and-Max Environments optional rule in up to a 25-mile radius. As offense, she can call forth lightning bolts, form a tornado, or produce thunderclaps. Storm has an auxilliary ability to manipulate air, including to lift herself and others into the air.
Storm is immune to powers and effects with the Weather descriptor, as well as to lightning. She can also predict the weather using Precognition. The Simultaneous Extra is taken from ESP, allowing Storm’s normal senses to function while she uses Precognition.
Sunspot is a pretty standard energy controller / paragon dual-threat, with the main difference being that he was not as invulnerable as most paragon-types.
Sunspot fuels his powers with absorbed solar radiation, although he no longer suffers from Power Loss in the absence of sunlight. Levels of solar radiation exceeding those found on Earth will amplify his powers beyond these default levels. I suggest that up to four ranks be added to all powers in his Solar Form at the GM’s discretion in these situations and his effective PL modified accordingly.
Sunspot can in fact decrease the surrounding ambient temperature rather than increasing it by absorbing the heat and light in the area as a power stunt.
Attack +10Damage +5 (Unarmed), +9 (Unarmed, Thing form), +9 (Energy Aura, Human Torch form), +15 (Blast, Human Torch form)
Defense +10 (+5 flat-footed)Initiative +6
T-NOTES
The Super-Skrull’s signature powers are those derived from the Fantastic Four. These powers are divided into two arrays, one for assuming the form of the FF member (represented by the dynamic Alternate Form array) and one that includes the fire and force field control powers of Human Torch and Invisible Woman. The Alternate Powers which each FF member has developed with his or her power are relegated to power stunts for the Super-Skrull. Note that the various Alternate Forms have different costs, so the Super-Skrull can mix and match powers to some extent, although the ratio of points spent on the constituent powers of each form should remain fixed.
Aside from those powers mimicked from the Fantastic Four, the Super-Skrull retains the Shapeshifting powers of his race, which he can use to augment his already potent arsenal of powers. Note that offensively, even with the Thing’s strength or Torch’s aura, Kl’rt is still only PL12, but he can sink Shapeshift points into Growth to reach PL14.
The Thing is about as straightforward as they come. He isn’t quite as hard a hitter as the top tier powerhouses like the Hulk, but he makes up for it somewhat with greater accuracy and technique, even if it’s just brawling and grappling. Ben relies on his hard hide to protect him and uses All-Out Attack most of the time, sacrificing defense for accuracy. The Thing has demonstrated hardiness, such as during his bout with the Champion, that is greater than what his Toughness would otherwise indicate. This is an exercise of Hero Point usage and Ultimate Effort.
Elongation 3 (25 ft.; 3pp) Mind Control 8 (Extra: Sustained [Lasting; +1]; Flaws: Range [Touch; -2], Requires Grapple [-1]; 4pp)
Strike 4 (Power Feat: Mighty; 5pp)
T-NOTES
Someone let me know if Toad can still paralyze by touch or spit acid. As far as I recall, he has lost most of the powers aside from his mind-controlling pheromones, prehensile tongue, and leaping ability. Toad is reliant on using his tongue to initiate grapples and has an incredible bonus, thanks to his Elongation, Super-Strength, and Grappling Finesse. Once he successfully grapples, he can also unleash a mind-controlling pheromone from his tongue.
Density Effects Strength +24, Impervious Toughness +6, Immovable 4, Super-Strength 4, Mass x25
T-NOTES
Vision is a complex character. Basically, he’s an android with the power to increase his density or lower it to the point of insubstantiality. It’s all the peripherals that complicate the matter. Vision’s Density is Distracting, such that he is clumsier the denser he becomes. At the highest rank of Density, Vision is Immobile, unable to move from his location. If instead he chooses to decrease his density, Vision can become incorporeal and even fly at a moderate speed.
Vision is powered by solar energy, which allows him to recover from injuries, unlike other androids, and to fire his solar beams. He can also use a disruption attack by phasing his hand into a target and solidifying it, but this power has the side effect if he fails to damage his target, he instead suffers damage. Finally, Vision is able to interface with computers anywhere in the world, and his artificial intelligence is equipped with the ability to comprehend any language.
James Rhodes has gone through his share of War Machine battle suits, each quite different from the others. This build represents the most iconic War Machine—a battle suit in the style of Iron Man modified with an enhanced weapons array.
Shrinking 20 (Extra: Normal Strength [+1]; 40pp); Linked Power: Flight 3 (50 MPH; Drawback: Power Loss [if wings immobilized]; 5pp)
T-NOTES
Shrinking isn’t subject to PL caps, but with Normal Strength, a non-physical attack form, and a movement power, the only thing going against it is the Toughness penalty. Still, who is going to hit a flying Wasp with her Defense of +26 or dodge an attack with a potential +22 bonus? Area attacks will do a number on her, though, as I didn’t give her even a rank of Evasion lest she become too overwhelming, so bust out that can of Raid.
So how does a PL12 villain give the Avengers so much trouble? Well, by being so darned expensive, for one. Second, Ultron is nearly invulnerable to everything with his massive defensive tradeoff and complete immunity to Fortitude effects. Moreover, many plotlines involve multiple robot minions or even multiple Ultrons.
Absorption and Impervious Protection: Ultron is equally invulnerable to physical and energy damage but only absorbs and heals through energy damage. Unfortunately, the Absorption mechanic doesn’t handle this well. Applying Absorption to Impervious Protection doesn’t accurately portray Ultron’s ability, since it would allow him to absorb physical damage. However, by separating Absorption from Impervious Protection as I have, Ultron has to pay the same cost but lacks the ability to Absorb physical damage. This is a more accurate portrayal of Ultron’s abilities, and when doing conversions, being accurate and descriptive doesn’t necessarily equate to being cost-efficient. You wouldn’t build a PC this way, but then, comic writers aren’t (usually) thinking in M&M terms when creating characters either.
Wolverine is near peak human in Strength and Dexterity, and has a superhuman Constitution. His adamantium-laced skeleton I’ve handled using Density, to reflect the added Strength he gets from having that solid frame, a rank of Impervious Protection, and the fact that he carries around half again his weight in adamantium. He also gets a rank of Affects Insubstantial, as incorporeal characters have difficulty phasing through adamantium.
In combat, Wolverine is pretty well-balanced. He’s exceptionally skillful with all melee weapons and besides his claws, has wielded a katana on occasion. Rage brings his damage up to its cap, and he can maintain it for ten rounds. If he can’t finish off his foe in that time, Wolverine usually gets handed a beatdown while he’s fatigued. He also has two ranks of Takedown Attack so he can mow through all those ninjas he inevitably ends up facing.
Despite a hundred and more years of experiences, Wolverine has Beginner’s Luck to cover all the various skills he has picked up. I feel this to actually be quite appropriate; any time an enemy from his past shows up and triggers a Complication, Wolverine will get a Hero Point which he can then use on Beginner’s Luck and reveal some skill he has picked up in the past. Note that I’ve pared his Languages down to 4 ranks, as well, so he can also use Beginner’s Luck on his Languages skill now.
It should be reasonably easy to reconstruct a build of Wolverine with no adamantium: remove the Density power, remove the Penetrating Extra from Strike, and add a rank to the recovery rate of each damage condition for Regeneration
A nice variant on the paragon archetype. Wonder Man owes his immunities and near-instantaneous regenerative capability to his ionic makeup. He owes his immortality to bad and hackneyed writing. Otherwise, he functions very much as a paragon and can hit as hard as anyone, though not as hard as Thor’s hammer as he once claimed.
It might be a bit lazy to call X-23 simply “Wolvie-lite,” but that’s exactly what she is. In some ways, that does mean she’s weaker than Wolverine, even if some of her performances have been better (particularly in her own comic, which is to be expected). Whereas I built my Wolverine to be a bit more of a tank and bruiser, X-23 is more of a classic slasher, sleeker if not quite faster than the man she was cloned from.
Though she’s not entirely matured yet, X-23 does seem to possess nearly in full all of Wolverine’s mutant powers. What she does have is a full adamantium skeleton, only adamantium-laced claws, and thus she isn’t as vulnerable to magnetic attacks, but neither does she gain the protection that such a treatment provides and is also somewhat weaker as a result. X-23 is also conditioned to transform into a berserker when she smells an unknown trigger chemical. In this state, she will kill anyone on whom she detects the scent.
Behold, the ultimate mutant! Well, until the next most powerful mutant showed up. For a time, Nate Grey, the X-Man, was hailed as the most powerful psionic mind in several worlds and yet another of many in line to put an end to Apocalypse. He’s normally PL11, but with Boost, can increase his powers: more powerful than even Professor X.
Since Nate hasn’t fully reached his potential, he cannot use the full depth of his powers without backlash, so he normally uses his powers at rank 11 and Boosts them sparingly. He suffers damage and fatigue conditions every time he uses Boost.