Animal Motifs for Supers

**Blue** · Feb 3rd, '04, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by Kzinbane
Hmmm. Yeah when you think about it using cats is cool - Ocelot, Tiger, Puma, etc. Dogs... Wolf (cool) Coyote (been done) Jackal, Dingo? heh. The cat's certainly win on this one. One could use PittBull or Mastif or something as a character name and not be laughed at too much I would think.
Beware the amazing Dachshund! Ze French Poodle woman shall snap you up....

Stick with cats.

No, that's the point. Anyone can make a cat superhero! It's been done to death. Wolves, bats, etc. I picture someone a little scraggly, a guy that nobody figures for a threat. It's interesting that I have no powers in mind yet and no picture drawn or costume thought up, yet I'm interested in this. That's rare.

Damnit, I keep coming up with new things to do. Wish I could just finish something!

(I'm also thinking of the names STRAY and MAD DOG in addition to BLOODHOUND. Jeez...suddenly I have a whole kennel.)

**Enforcer84** · Feb 3rd, '04, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by Supreme Serpent
The comic Wildguard (amusing book BTW) has a hero "Red Rover" who has red outfit/"dog powers".

I was going to mention him! That is such a fun series.

Red Rover (Demonstrating His super senses):"Adheasor has stuck himself to a wall and...*sniff*...someone's breakfast is not agreeing with them."

**Doug McCrae** · Feb 3rd, '04, 04:38 PM

My all-time favourite character was called Dog Girl. She believed (incorrectly) that she'd got her powers from being bitten by a radioactive dog.

**Doug McCrae** · Feb 3rd, '04, 04:40 PM

Loads and loads of animals haven't been used at all yet, especially when you consider extinct animals too.

One example: The pangolin, a sort of scaly anteater from SE Asia. Their scales look really cool and might make a good design for a power armour guy.

**Lord Liaden** · Feb 3rd, '04, 04:56 PM

Speaking of powered armor, one of my former players came up with an amphibious armored suit that looked like a cross between a tank and a bipedal turtle. Name: "Snapping Turtle."

**WhammeWhamme** · Feb 3rd, '04, 05:04 PM

Originally posted by Doug McCrae
My all-time favourite character was called Dog Girl. She believed (incorrectly) that she'd got her powers from being bitten by a radioactive dog.

This is probably a good time to bring up Savage...

Bitten by a radioactive werewolf....

I'll leave it there.

**ShinDangaioh** · Feb 3rd, '04, 05:11 PM

Well, I did create a villian using a hummingbird motif. A left-handed hummingbird motif.

The corresponding hero was based off a winged snake. Haven't done anything with the jaguar or eagle yet.

Cats are kind of overdone.

I'm suprised that the firebird motif hasn't been mentioend yet

Despite being vegetarians bulls and rhinos make good motifs

**AnotherSkip** · Feb 3rd, '04, 05:46 PM

Mad Dog apperared in Marvel,

the Amoeba Brothers (though ineffective) appear in the Power Puff Girls.

You could have a horsey sidekick and name it Colt if it is male and Filly if it is female.

id lump Firebird in with Bird general motif.

But to go exotic get in the whole Sphinx mystique!

besides ignore the reindeer/deer thing and go with "the Horned Man" (druidical type character)

However any critter motifed super dud from Boulder CO I would insult by calling it Prarie Dog.

Perhaps Catobleas Man? (- PRE, and the one-shot stoning ability from the fantasy Basilisk)

Steal from Heraldic symbiology that should ge your motors really going.

**Richard Logue** · Feb 3rd, '04, 05:48 PM

As I've mentioned in other threads, my first Champions character was Black Cheetah, a staff-wielding speedster.

In my current campaign world (not the canon Champions Universe), I've created several aminal motifilations.

Bulldog. The third person to use this name. All three have been scrappers/martial artists. The first one was a WW2 hero, the second one in the Silver Age, and the third one is current.

Crimson Spider. Martially artistic former government spy/agent. Has some limited gadgets in addition to his fighting prowess.

Bast. Named after the Egyptian goddess. Uses several cat motif powers.

Scorpio. Member of my Western Zodiac villain team. The scorpion motif is somewhat of a stretch but it works for me. Along with Scorpio, there are several other members that demonstrate animal motifs to certain extents.

All 12 members of my villainous Eastern Zodiac team.

Pirhana. a man from Atlantis.

Jaguar Knight. Aztec warrior/hero.

Kodiak. Haven't done much with stats yet. Just thought it would be a cool name for a bricky hero.

Red Bear. Historic, Golden Age Soviet brick.

Mako. One of my player's alternate characters. He's a scientist bitten by a radioactive shark. Betcha can't guess who his favorite comic book character is.

Lion Rampant. Okay, this one doesn't really count. He's a (deceased) Brit with power armor. The lion rampant symbol adorned his breastplate.

Insecta. An unfortunate victim of the malevolent mad scientist Doctor Hephaestus. She'll never be a super model again.

Black Widow. She's a martial artist/ninja with a couple gadgets to help her along the way.

Spider Monkey and Mosquito of Los Asesinos. I've rewritten and updated the group and characters for use in my world.

Iron Dragon. I'm not sure this one counts. A martial artist.

Phoenix. Another mythological critter motif. Flame on.

Interesting. I've got more animal motif characters than I realized when I started writing this post. In fact, looking through my database of characters, the animals are a sizable portion. And I didn't even include The Swarm, a gang of insect-motif villains that play around only in the back of my mind.

**Lightray** · Feb 3rd, '04, 06:21 PM

ahem.

**Badger** · Feb 3rd, '04, 10:38 PM

I've found inspiration watching the Animal Channel's Most Extreme.

**Space Cadet** · Feb 3rd, '04, 11:09 PM

Originally posted by Bengal:

And of course, Sheep Man: The Man who can turn you into a sheep.

Well, if nothing else, we've gotten at least one villainous NPC for a
Western HERO campaign...

Space Cadet

**Kintara** · Feb 3rd, '04, 11:31 PM

And the Golden Codfish. You know what codfish have going for them? They are tasty and numerous. I have found absolutely nothing else mythological or particularly interesting about them.

**Lord Liaden** · Feb 3rd, '04, 11:35 PM

In the old German/Scandinavian folktale of the fisherman who caught a talking fish who promised him three wishes if the fisherman released him - wasn't that a cod?

**Kintara** · Feb 3rd, '04, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by Lord Liaden
In the old German/Scandinavian folktale of the fisherman who caught a talking fish who promised him three wishes if the fisherman released him - wasn't that a cod?

Alas, the only one I could find was one with a flounder.

Edit: Anyway, I suppose Golden Codfish could be a local Massachusetts superhero. They are big fans of the Codfish down there.