A Golden Age Bulldozer?

[Koshka]

Next game session should wrap up the "Martian" invasion of 1938. I'm expecting lots of alien-property damage -- not only does the team include two bricks, but I'm letting the players run the tank unit that's coming in from the other direction as well. (I figure having to fight off an invasion force should have some impact on US military tactics, and this is the fairest way I can think of to determine what changes the Army will go into WWII with.)

 

It occured to me on the way home that, as always assuming the PCs win, I've got the perfect setup to create Bulldozer. Someone's got to clean up the fight scene, after all.

 

First off, can I keep the name? I know many of the pictures from the Depression show crews of men with shovels on construction sites, but CCC projects were designed to put lots of people to work. And I'm pretty sure all the players have seen Mystery Men, so calling him "Shovel" is asking for a jokefest .

 

Second, he's going to need a trim -- I like having him be weaker than the PCs, and this is a 250 starting point campaign. I'll be dropping his STR to 35 or 40, but any other ideas?

 

Third, IIRC pro wrestling wasn't around in 1938. Is this correct?

[OddHat]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

Pro wrestling has been around since before the turn of the century, complete with strange nick-names, costumes and showmanship. It mixed freely with bare knuckles boxing and strongman acts in the 19th and early 20th century. Do some web searches on names like Geroge Hackenschmidt and Eugen Sandow. A good chunk of comic book tropes come from those guys. They rocked.

 

Call Bulldozer "The Working Man" and make him an early workers' rights advocate.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

I'd call him Steamshovel and give him Tunnelling.

[Just A Guy Name]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

It occured to me on the way home that' date=' as always assuming the PCs win, I've got the perfect setup to create Bulldozer. [i']Someone's[/i] got to clean up the fight scene, after all.

 

First off, can I keep the name? I know many of the pictures from the Depression show crews of men with shovels on construction sites, but CCC projects were designed to put lots of people to work. And I'm pretty sure all the players have seen Mystery Men, so calling him "Shovel" is asking for a jokefest .

 

Second, he's going to need a trim -- I like having him be weaker than the PCs, and this is a 250 starting point campaign. I'll be dropping his STR to 35 or 40, but any other ideas?

 

Third, IIRC pro wrestling wasn't around in 1938. Is this correct?

1. The construction machine was around then so the name works in that regard. Given the historical context of it's origin (giving someone the "Bull-dose" was to beat them severely, as you would a bull), it looks appropriate for him anyway.

2. Depending on how much weaker you want him to be, you may not have to do much else besides peg his stats down. I'd suggest reducing his HTH levels to just 1, to make him less flexible, maybe reduce or eliminate the extra Running.

3. Pro Wrestling did indeed exist, though it was far less popular than boxing.

[AlHazred]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

Hmmm... Bulldozer is such an archetypical character, it would be interesting to see Bulldozers for a variety of Comic Book (and non-Comic Book) Ages.

[GestaltBennie]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

Oddly enough, at the turn of the 20th Century, pro wrestling was considered a legit, respectable sport, and boxing had the sullied reputation.

 

It wasn't until after WWI, when crowds tired of three hour long legit matches, that catch-as-catch-can began its evolution into vaudeville. By 1938, it was pretty much the evolved carnival sideshow act that it is today, though the older grapplers (like Ed "Strangler" Lewis) had their roots in the legitimate period and knew how to really hurt someone bad without too much effort.

 

Wrestlers of this period that would have been well known included: Lewis, "the Golden Greek" Jim Londos, Jim Browning (who invented the airplane spin), Ed Don George, Dick Shakat, Danno O'Mahony, Steve "Crusher" Casey, and (by 1937) Lou Thesz. Oh, and proving that the gimmicks date back to the old days, some ex-US sailor shaved his head, called himself Ali Baba, and got the crowds to boo him a lot.

 

I really have to work on that pulp age pro wrestling article I've been itching to write for years.

[OddHat]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

I really have to work on that pulp age pro wrestling article I've been itching to write for years.

 

I'd love to see it.

I've got dibs on the turn of the century strongmen angle.

[Agent 13]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

Bringing some links:

 

http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/home.html

http://www.solie.org/

http://www.1wrestlinglegends.com/

http://www.kayfabememories.com/

http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/

[starblaze]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

I once used Bulldozer in my Golden Age game. He was an army corps of engineer Seargent who ended up getting arrested for striking his superior. He was taken from his bus ride to Leavenworth by a supervillian and given superpowers. He still had the same attitude as the modern one.

[Koshka]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

Thanks for all the help, everyone

[Brandi]

Re: A Golden Age Bulldozer?

 

Actually, having a guy as tough and ornery as Bulldozer decide to be a hardass union man might be good trouble-- read up on the history of the Wobblies (Industrial Workers of the World)...