[Supers] GURPS Unofficial Handbook to the Marvel Universe, Reboot Edition

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Anders

Is there an adsorbing man who has more of an understanding of chemistry and merely coats himself in the stuff?

They could be a double act.

Clever!
I can't think of a super with such a power, although it seems rather too obvious to have been overlooked all those years.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Anders

Is there an adsorbing man who has more of an understanding of chemistry and merely coats himself in the stuff?

They could be a double act.

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Clever!
I can't think of a super with such a power, although it seems rather too obvious to have been overlooked all those years.

I can't think of one, either. Creel's been paired with a super-strong partner/girlfriend (married during the Civil War story arc, I heard), Titania, since '85 or so, and she tends to be the brains of the operation. Not sure if I'll be bringing her in, though; at least in a Year One deal.

[Phantasm]

More minor updates:

Green Goblin
Namor - okay, a bit more than a "minor" update. ;)
Rhino
Scorpion
Sif
Spider-Man

[Phantasm]

ASGARD

Properly speaking, the name 'Asgard' refers to both the city that houses most of the Aesir and the plane on which it resides (see Asgardians). In a broader sense, the name can also refer to the conglomeration of worlds connected to both Earth and Asgard; these include Vanaheim, home of the Vanir, the Aesir's sister race; Alfheim, home of the light elves; Nidavallir, home of the dwarves; Jotunheim, home of the giants; Svartalfheim, home of the dark elves; Nifflheim, which Hela rules and has turned into the land of her disgraced dead; and Muspelheim, home of Surtur and the fire demons (see Hela; Surtur). Earth is considered one of the Nine Worlds of Asgard, called "Midgard" by the Asgardians.

Matter in the Asgardian realms is denser than that on Earth; a chair made of Asgardian wood will weigh three times as much as a similar chair made of wood from Earth. This also applies to the Asgardians themselves, who weigh three times as much as humans of the same build. In fact, there is evidence that a human who spends any significant length of time – several months at minimum – in any of the Nine Worlds (save Midgard itself) will eventually become thrice as dense themselves, due to constantly ingesting Asgardian food.

The city of Asgard sits on the edge of a wide plain bordering the edge of the landmass sharing its name. This landmass is roughly the size of a small continent, rivaling Australia or Europe in size. Despite not being spherical, the continent has a definite top and bottom, with a center of gravity located at a point beneath it. The continent appears to "float" in space, and a sea that sits on the edge does not empty into outer space.

There are portals located on the continent to most of the other Nine Worlds. The only world that is not permanently connected to the others is Earth, thanks mainly to the recent sundering of the rainbow bridge Bifrost. (There are still means of traveling between Earth and Asgard that do not rely on the Bifrost.)

Asgard, 2015 A.D.

Population: 7,700 (Search +0)

Physical and Magical Environment
Terrain: Plains
Appearance: Very Beautiful
Hygiene: +1
Normal Mana (Common Enchantment)

Culture and Economy
Language: Old Norse
Literacy: Accented
TL: 3
Wealth: Very Wealthy (×20)
Status: 0 to 8

Political Environment
Government: Dictatorship (Monarchy)
CR: 2 (Corruption -1)
Military Resources: $1.1M
Defense Bonus: +8

Notes
The military presence of Asgard can be effectively doubled in times of crisis by enlisting the Einherjar, the warriors of Valhalla who reside in a castle outside the city.

[Phantasm]

AVENGERS

The Avengers are a team of superhuman adventurers who have gathered together in order to combat foes no single hero could handle on their own.

The Avengers first formed when the Norse trickster god, Loki, attempted to draw his adopted brother, Thor, into combat with the Hulk by discrediting the latter (see Hulk; Loki; Thor). The Hulk's ally, Rick Jones, believing the Hulk to be innocent in this case, sent an email to the Fantastic Four (see Fantastic Four; Jones, Rick). Loki intercepted the email and sent it to Thor; inadvertently, he also ended up sending it to Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp (see Ant-Man; Iron Man; Wasp). The four adventurers rendezvoused for the first time at Stark Industries' Dallas, Texas, plant with Jones in attendance (see Stark Industries). Tracking down the Hulk, the group learned of Loki's involvement and cleared the Hulk of any wrong-doing.

Following this incident, Ant-Man suggested that the group stay together as a full-fledged team, and the Wasp suggested the name "Avengers". Not long afterward, Tony Stark (secretly Iron Man) donated his Manhattan mansion to the team and set up a foundation in his mother's name (the Maria Stark Foundation) to handle expenses so that the team would not be dependent on his own financial situation. The Stark family butler, Edwin Jarvis, has stayed on to tend to the mansion (see Jarvis, Edwin). Despite the fact that the individual team members reside in different cities all over the United States, they manage to meet at least weekly at the mansion. The Avengers soon offered membership to Captain America, who resides in New York (see Captain America). The Captain has accepted, and has become the team's unofficial leader.

Hulk: Hulk not play well with others.
Thor: Thou are the reason the Avengers first gathered.
Hulk: Don't pin that on me.
– Avengers Assemble #2



Okay, I know that seems like the classic origin. I prefer to look at the Avengers as a team that gathered on its own rather than as the brainchild of some government program. I wrote Jones in on a whim, but I'm not really sure how Jones figures in just yet with Hulk/Banner operating out of a Phoenix, AZ, think-tank. I see Hulk staying with the team rather than quitting in their second adventure because Banner's actually enjoying the company of the others. :)

[Phantasm]

And I'm back to statting the FF crew!

MOLECULE MAN

Real Name: Owen Reece.
Occupation: Former nuclear power plant technician turned professional criminal.
Identity: Known to the authorities.
Legal Status: Citizen of the United States with no known criminal record.
Other Aliases: None.
Place of Birth: Unrevealed.
Marital Status: Single.
Known Relatives: None.
Group Affiliation: Sometime partner of the Psycho-Man.
Base of Operations: Mobile.
History: Owen Reece was a technician at a Roxxon Energy Company nuclear power plant in the Midwest when the strangest incident occurred (see Roxxon Energy). While manipulating the waldos to remotely remove the nuclear waste and put fresh uranium into one of the three reactors on site, the reactor inadvertently switched itself on for half a minute; because Reece was the closest to the reactor while its shielding was open, he was bathed in nuclear radiation. Unlike what was expected, though, Reece did not immediately die of exposure, nor did he seem to be suffering from radiation poisoning of any kind. The only actual injury that occurred was that Reece was left with a series of scars on his face. An inquiry into the accident could not explain how it happened. Because the company felt they needed a scapegoat for the incident, as opposed to publicly admitting to being baffled, Reece was fired even though the accident was not his fault.

A lonely man with no friends and no family to turn to, Reece sank into a deep depression. At the height of his depression, he leaped off a bridge, only for his survival instinct to kick in at the last moment to cause the water beneath him to rise and cushion the blow from the fall. Realizing what had happened, Reece correctly determined his powers were the result of the reactor accident and decided to use his new powers for revenge against his firing. Calling himself the Molecule Man, Reece attacked the plant's corporate headquarters, a move which drew the attention of the Fantastic Four, whose leader, Reed Richards, was touring the facility (see Fantastic Four; Mister Fantastic). While sympathizing with Reece's plight, the Four were unable to talk him down; the resulting fight nearly destroyed one of the reactors, which perhaps coincidentally was the same reactor which had switched itself on weeks before. At the last minute, Reece used his powers to shut the reactor down before it went into meltdown. In a moment of clarity, he begged the Fantastic Four to kill him. Instead, Reed used his scientific genius to shunt Reece to another universe, one which Reed believed the Molecule Man could not hurt anyone besides himself.

The Molecule Man was later encountered during the Fantastic Four's second sojourn into the so-called Microverse, an alternate dimension normally accessible through reducing one's size through shunting mass extra-dimensionally using Pym particles (see Ant-Man; Microverse). Now focused on revenge on the Fantastic Four, who he irrationally believed responsible for the accident which scarred him, he formed a short-lived partnership with the renegade Microversian known as the Psycho-Man to attack the Fantastic Four through turning them against each other (see Psycho-Man). Where and when the Molecule Man will strike next is anyone's guess.
Height: 5' 7".
Weight: 160 lbs.
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Brown.
Other Distinguishing Features: Owen has several scars on his face, radiating from the point where the nose meets the eyes, in the shape of lightning bolts.
Uniform: Green tunic with purple lightning bolts on the chest, green pants, purple wrist bands, purple boots, purple belt.
Strength Level: The Molecule Man possesses the normal human strength of a man his age, height, and build who engages in little regular exercise.
Known Superhuman Powers: The Molecule Man possesses incredible psionic control over matter, which he can manipulate on the molecular level, enabling him to perform such stunts as levitating and moving objects, creating and freezing a tidal wave,and using the ground to engulf his opponents. The only real limits on his power are self-imposed; for instance, he believes he cannot manipulate living tissue, so for all intents and purposes he cannot directly affect anyone with his powers. He cannot transmute one element into another, but he can break apart and combine various ambient elements and compounds; for example, he can combine the carbon in charcoal with oxygen in the air to create carbon monoxide.

While he believes he cannot affect or create living tissue, should he die his own power will revive him, even if his body is disintegrated.

2,165 points
Attributes: ST 9 [-10]; DX 9 [-20]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 10 [0].
Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d-1; BL 20 lbs.; HP 11 [4]; Will 12 [-5]; Per 13 [0]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed 4.75 [0]; Basic Move 4 [0]; Dodge 7.
Languages: English (Native) (Native Language) [0].
Cultural Familiarities: Western [0].
Advantages: Binding (Ground Engulfing) 14 (Environmental, -20%; Malediction (Speed/Range Table), +150%; Super-Binding, +400%; Psionic, -10%) [174]; Control Matter 10 (Accessibility: Cannot Affect Living Flesh, -20%; Collective, +100%; Reflexive, +40%; Psionic, -10%) [630]; Corrosion Attack 3d×5 (Accessibility: Cannot Affect Living Flesh, -20%; Cosmic: Irresistible Attack, +300%; Increased 1/2D Range ×10, +15%; Reduced Range ×1/5, -20%; Psionic, -10%) [548]; Create Matter 10 (Accessibility: Cannot Affect Living Flesh, -20%; Transmutation Only (Accessibility: Can Only Combine or Separate Compounds, Not Transmute Elements, -20%), -80%; Psionic, -10%) [80]; Damage Resistance 60 (Force Field, +20%; Hardened 1, +20%; Psionic, -10%) [390]; Eidetic Memory [5]; Energy Reserve (Psionic) 30 [90]; Matter Control Talent 4 [20]; Single-Minded [5]; Telekinesis 50 (Accessibility: Cannot Affect Living Flesh, -20%; Animation (Object Can Fly If Equipped), -20%; Psionic, -10%) [125]; Unkillable 3 [150]; Versatile [5].
Perks: Aerokinesis [1]; Hydrokinesis [1]; Power Source [1]; Umbrella; Universal Remote [1].
Disadvantages: Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Clueless [-10]; Indecisive (9) [-15]; Low Self-Image [-10]; Obsession (Revenge) (6) [-20]; Overweight [-1]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Selfish (12) [-5]; Status -1 [-5]; Truthfulness (9) [-7]; Wealth (Poor) [-15].
Quirks: Careful [-1]; Distinctive Feature (Facial Scars) [-1]; Mild OCD [-1]; Nervous Ranter [-1]; Uncongenial [-1].
Skills: Animate Object (H) IQ+3 [2] – 16*; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Scientific) (A) IQ-1 [1] – 12; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Sensors) (A) IQ-1 [1] – 12; Innate Attack (Beam) (E) DX+1 [0] – 10; Matter Shaping (H) IQ+3 [2] – 16*; Professional Skill (Nuclear Power Plant Technician) (A) IQ-1 [1] – 12; Transmutation (H) IQ+3 [2] – 16*.
Starting Spending Money: $800 (20% of Starting Wealth).

* Includes +4 from Matter Control Talent.

Role-Playing Notes:
A bitter, lonely man who thinks he has nothing left to live for, Owen is out for revenge against the world that he feels has rejected him. His accident has left him unhinged.

[Phantasm]

Not a traditional FF character, but added because of where I'm putting her first appearance....

NILE, TANA

Real Name: Tana Nile.
Occupation: Explorer, adventurer, former conqueror.
Identity: Tana Nile's existence is unknown to the general populace of Earth; she does not use a dual identity.
Legal Status: Citizen of the Rigellian Annex.
Other Aliases: None.
Place of Birth: Capitol City, Rigel IV.
Marital Status: Single.
Known Relatives: None.
Group Affiliation: Ally of Captain Marvel, former member of the Rigellian Colonizer Corps and solder in the Rigellian Annex military.
Base of Operations: Mobile throughout the known galaxy.
History: Raised among her native Rigellians, Tana Nile entered the Rigellian military at a young age; it has been hinted that she enlisted below the legal age (see Rigellians). For years, she never questioned the orders she was given; like all Rigellians, she believed in the superiority of her race compared to the others. Rising through the ranks, Nile was selected for training in the Colonizer Corps.

As a Colonizer, Nile helped bring several systems into the Rigellian Annex. As part of her duties included bringing world and into the Annex, Nile decided to study other species' mentalities; this sometimes put her at odds with members of her crew, who felt that studying "lesser" beings was a waste of time. She often did this by studying their art and music, using holographic disguises stored in her battlesuit to pass for the native dominant species of the planet.

Nile's arrival on Earth proved to be a turning point in her career. Her efforts to "annex" Earth brought her into conflict with the Fantastic Four, Earth's semi-official liaisons to the interstellar community (see Fantastic Four). Seeing no reason not to humor the humans, she listened to their case as to why she should leave Earth alone. None of the claims they made swayed her, until their leader, Mister Fantastic, indicated that the Kree and Skrull Empires have made similar claims on Earth (see Kree; Mister Fantastic; Skrulls). Intrigued by this claim, Nile consulted with the Kree and Skrull ambassadors to the Annex, and discovered the truth behind it. Not wishing to drag the Annex into an unnecessary conflict with either interstellar empire, Nile officially rescinded her claims to Earth and departed.

Following her departure from Earth, Nile continued in the Colonizer Corps, but her meeting with the Fantastic Four and the way they stood up for their own people made her start to question the Rigellians' xenophobic ways. Nile found herself stripped of her rank when she refused to conquer a planet whose inhabitants had not yet developed radio or the internal combustion engine. Instead of submitting to the required reeducation, Nile fled the Annex.

She soon found herself on a station in neutral space, Port Nowhere, where she encountered the Kree adventurer Captain Mar-Vell and his lover, Una (see Captain Marvel; Una). She has since joined Mar-Vell and Una in their efforts to stop the Kree Colonel Yon-Rogg from staging his own invasion of Earth (see Yon-Rogg).
Height: 5' 8".
Weight: 155 lbs.
Eyes: White.
Hair: Unrevealed.
Skin: Golden.
Uniform: Red and gray metallic body armor.
Strength Level: Tana Nile possesses the equivalent strength of a human woman of her apparent age, height, and build who engages in regular exercise. Her Rigellian Colonizer battlesuit enables her to lift (press) roughly one ton.
Known Superhuman Powers: Like all Rigellians, Tana Nile possesses the ability to control another being's mind and/or limbs. In addition, Tana possesses rudimentary telepathic and telekinetic ability. She is able to scan a person's surface thoughts and send brief telepathic messages, provided she is able to see her target. She is able to move as much weight telekinetically as she is able to lift without assistance from her battlesuit. Her telekinesis is such that she cannot exceed a distance of 30 feet.
Weapons and Paraphernalia: Tana Nile usually carries a neural blaster pistol as her sidearm, and wears a suit of powered armor which grants protection against most kinetic and energy weapons as well as enhancing her strength to superhuman levels. Her battlesuit is powered by her psionic power; it cannot be used by anyone that lacks psionics.

580 points
Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 12 [20].
Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Will 14 [10]; Per 12 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 10 [0].
Languages: English (Accented Spoken/Illiterate) [2]; Kree (Native) [6]; Rigellian (Native) (Native Language) [0]; Shi'ar (Native) [6]; Skrullian (Native) [6].
Cultural Familiarities: Kree Empire [1]; Rigellian Annex [0]; Shi'ar Empire [1]; Skrull Empire [1].
Advantages: Alien Friend 2 [10]; Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Born War-Leader 2 [10]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Fit [5]; No Intolerance [10]; Psychokinesis Talent 2 [10]; Rigellian [140]; Signature Gear (Rigellian TL11 Psionic Battlesuit) [64]; Telepathy Talent 2 [10]; Telereceive (Shallow) 4 [27]; Telesend 4 [24]; TK Grab (Short-Ranged) 10 [40]; Unfazeable [15].
Perks: Controllable Disadvantage (Callous) [1]; Courtesy Military Rank 6 [6]; Energizer [1]; Off-Screen Reload [1]; Suit Familiarity (Battlesuit) [1]; Tactical Reading [1].
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Soldier's) [-10]; Enemy (Rigellian Colonizers; Large Group, under 1,000 people) (9) [-30]; Hidebound [-5]; Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]; Stubbornness [-5]; Wealth (Struggling) [-10].
Quirks: Bad With Names [-1]; Chauvinistic [-1]; Mild OCD [-1]; Proud [-1]; Simply Not Funny [-1].
Skills: Beam Weapons/TL11 (Pistol) (E) DX+2 [4] – 14; Climbing (A) DX+0 [2] – 12; Connoisseur (Music) (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Connoisseur (Visual Arts) (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Diplomacy (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14*; Electronics Operation/TL11 (Surveillance) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Escape (H) DX+0 [4] – 12; Expert Skill (Xenology) (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14*; Force Sword (A) DX+2 [8] – 14; Hiking (A) HT+0 [2] – 12; Intelligence Analysis/TL11 (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14†; Judo (H) DX+0 [4] – 12; Jumping (E) DX+0 [1] – 12; Karate (H) DX+0 [4] – 12; Leadership (A) IQ+2 [2] – 14†; Mathematics/TL11 (Applied) (H) IQ-1 [2] – 11; Navigation/TL11 (Hyperspace) (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Observation (A) Per+0 [2] – 12; Piloting/TL11 (Aerospace) (A) DX+0 [2] – 12; Piloting/TL11 (Contragravity) (A) DX-1 [1] – 11; Piloting/TL11 (High-Performance Spacecraft) (A) DX+2 [8] – 14; Propaganda/TL11 (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Psychology (Comparative) (H) IQ+0 [4] – 12; Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ+0 [1] – 12; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ+2 [1] – 14†; Shield (Force) (E) DX+2 [4] – 14; Shiphandling/TL11 (Starship) (H) IQ+0 [4] – 12; Spacer/TL11 (E) IQ+0 [1] – 12; Stealth (A) DX+0 [2] – 12; Strategy (Interstellar) (H) IQ+1 [2] – 13†; Strategy (Land) (H) IQ+1 [2] – 13†; Strategy (Space) (H) IQ+1 [2] – 13†; Tactics (H) IQ+1 [2] – 13†; Telereceive (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14‡; Telesend (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14‡; Throwing (A) DX+0 [2] – 12; TK Grab (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14§.
Starting Spending Money: $2,000 (20% of Starting Wealth).

* Includes +2 from Alien Friend.
† Includes +2 from Born War-Leader.
‡ Includes +2 from Telepathy Talent.
§ Includes +2 from Psychokinesis Talent.

Role-Playing Notes:
When first encountered, Tana Nile is already a somewhat unorthodox Rigellian, studying the worlds she is bringing into the Annex rather than just conquering outright. Her time on Earth, short as it was, affected her greatly as it reinforced many of the ideas she'd previously had exposure to.

In her next appearance, when she encountered Captain Marvel, she is actively being hunted by her own people for "reeducation". She laments that she misses her home, and yet states she no longer feels at home there. Her reasons for assisting Mar-Vell are as yet unrevealed.

Designer's Notes:
1. In her first appearance, Tana Nile possesses Military Rank 6 [30], roughly analogous to an Army Colonel or Navy Captain, Status 2 [0] (free from Rank), Wealth (Comfortable) [10], and Security Clearance (Need to Know on a Broad Range of Secrets) [10]. She had not yet bought off her racial Intolerance. After leaving Earth, she loses all those; her Military Rank become Courtesy Military Rank, and she is reduced to Status 0.
2. This build, and the High TL trait in the Rigellian racial package, assumes a campaign TL of 8, as would be encountered on modern-day Earth. For Tana Nile after she leaves Earth, the campaign would likely be considered a TL 11 setting, reducing her Rigellian Battlesuit's price from $640K to $80K, her Signature Gear point cost by 61 points (to 3 points), removing her racial High TL 3 [15], and increasing her Starting Money ($18,750 (50% of TL 11 Starting Wealth) in cosmic campaigns).

[Adversary]

Does Molecule Man have any defenses (besides Unkillable of course)? From the looks of him any average person could just shoot him with a pistol and he'd go down. Not great for one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, a challenge to the whole FF team.

I am not that familiar with him from the comics. Did he ever use his powers defensively? Seems like he could use his control of matter to prevent any matter from touching him in a harmful fashion. If he could maintain this as an ongoing effect, he should have a forcefield or something, limited to only material, nonliving attacks (so lasers, telekinetic bolts, fists, etc. could ignore it). Or if he can harden the air around him into a barrier, his forcefield could protect him against nearly anything--though maybe to a lesser degree if he is using the air to protect himself rather than controlling the substance of the incoming attack itself.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Adversary

Does Molecule Man have any defenses (besides Unkillable of course)? From the looks of him any average person could just shoot him with a pistol and he'd go down. Not great for one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, a challenge to the whole FF team.

I am not that familiar with him from the comics. Did he ever use his powers defensively? Seems like he could use his control of matter to prevent any matter from touching him in a harmful fashion. If he could maintain this as an ongoing effect, he should have a forcefield or something, limited to only material, nonliving attacks (so lasers, telekinetic bolts, fists, etc. could ignore it). Or if he can harden the air around him into a barrier, his forcefield could protect him against nearly anything--though maybe to a lesser degree if he is using the air to protect himself rather than controlling the substance of the incoming attack itself.

Yes, his biggest defenses would involve Power Blocks, using the air and ground to create shields to deflect incoming attacks. I'm just not sure how yet those are calculated or what they'd be (one part of Powers I haven't fully grokked yet).

[Celjabba]

Possibly adding reflexive on his control matter ?
And/or going all the way and making his control matter a wildcard power. It would remove the need for the separate corrosion attack and the TK, and give him more options...
He is about the only marvel being that can last more than a second against the beyonder, he need more defence :)
He also miss his hyperspace travel portals (warp ?),unless you don't want them in your reboot ?

Celjabba