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Blue Beetle's Disads?


CrosshairCollie

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Need a smidge of help here ... I'm trying to write up Blue Beetle (DC Comics, Ted Kord version), and I'm stuck on Disads. It's for a PC, so sadly, I can't merely handwave the remaining 45 points I'm stuck on. With the research I've done so far online, I've come up with the following.

 

Hunted: The Madmen 8- (Mo Pow, Capture/Kill)

Psych Lim: Cannot resist taunting foes in combat (Com, Str)

Psych Lim: Code vs Killing (Com, Total)

Psych Lim: Prankster (Com, Mod)

Social Lim: Legacy of the Blue Beetle (Freq, Min)

Social Lim: Secret Identity (Ted Kord, Freq, Maj)

Reputation: Goofball Hero 11-

Unluck 2d6

 

I found a write-up online, but it didn't have *any* Disads, or any information I could cop to make some. Can anybody more familiar with the character and his history lend a fellow HERO a hand?

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

BB had heart trouble which could be worth some points. He was also a compulsive eater. I actually saw him make his ego roll when fighting in a mall food court. First to enter, then again when he passed the tex mex place. In love with Babs would be a good one, he would go to any length to help Oracle, even to the detriment of his company. I think you should have enough disads there.

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

It's been awhile since I perused his book (partially because the writers did their darndest to suck all the fun out of the stories), but I'll see if I can help you here. Note that these are from his '80s comic in the DCU, not from his time with the JLI or BoP or Superbuddies or anything.

 

Due to how Ted became BB (his mentor, Dan Garrett, the original BB, was killed figting Ted's uncle), he suffers from survivors guilt. This usually translates into a desire to live up to Dan's memory (common, moderate, 10 pts)

 

Ted is watched by a police detective (AP, NCI, Ted's easy to find, 14-, 20 pts) who thinks that Ted had something to do with Dan Garrett's dissappearance.

 

The folks at KORD Inc. make a great collective DNPC (Normal, 11-, 20 pts). If they're not related to a supervillian who makes them steal from KORD Inc. (Ted's secretary is the niece of Dr. Alchemy, who invaded KORD Inc. to recreate the Philosopher's Stone), then they're getting turned into superpowered freaks and getting kidnapped by supervillians (a worker at KORD Inc was turned into the metahuman Prometheus by Mento in a crazy attempt to create a 'new' Doom Patrol). And there's always Melody, Ted's old girlfriend (She also works at KORD Inc), who isn't fond of the Blue Beetle and sometimes snoops around ted trying to find out where he dissappears to all the time (no, she doesn't know about Teds secret). All that's probably why she's his ex-girlfriend now.

 

That's all I can remember without looking thru my collection. I hope it helps.

 

edited for clarification

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

I'd probably give Ted:

Hunted: BB Rogues Gallery 8- (15)

Hunted: JL/JLI Rogues Gallery 8- (20)

Hunted: JLA (Watching) 8- (10)

PhL: Nearsighted (5)

PsL: Code vs. Killing (20)

PsL: Protective of Friends (15)

PsL: Tech Head (15)

Rep: 2nd Rate Hero 11- (10)

Rep: Booster Gold's Straight Man 8- (5)

Social: Legacy Hero (10)

Social: Secret ID (15)

Unluck 2d6 (10)

 

Some notes:

:hex: Blue Beetle actually had some of his own villains that would cause him problems. IIRC, Madman and Overthrow were part of this and could even include Menton's Hybrid.

:hex: Because of his membership in the JL, he's become known as part of the team, and as a potential to strike the JL at.

:hex: IIRC, Ted wore glasses.

:hex: I would avoid going the yuckster route, as he was only like that in the Giffen/DeMatis books and not his own. But, because of some of this, I would give him reps based on it.

:hex: I gave him a PsL of Tech Head because he geeks out near any tech. I've seen it in his book, some Secret Files and in Birds of Prey

:hex: Gave him unluck because, simply put, he's got it. Look what happened to him before Infinite Crisis :mad:

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

I'd mix and match from Sketchpad's excellent list and the ideas Oruncrest posted (especially the DNPC ones) depending on the tone you want to go for.

 

Thanks for the praise :) While a fan of the Giffen/DeMatis JL/JLI run, I wanted to steer clear of some of things that were pretty much JL exclusive. IIRC, there wasn't a huge deal about his overeating in other titles ... nor was there a ton of "Bwahahahah"-ing ... mainly just in JL.

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

It was Birds of Prey issue where I thought they addressed it best. Chuck Dixon is the one who established that he'd gained control of his eating habits without completely invalidating Giffen's previous stories.

 

THerefore, psych lim for five to ten and he has to make ego rolls (I'd say with a bonus) around his favorite foods which are Tex Mex and pizza I believe.

 

I thought it added depth to a pretty stupid joke.

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

The compulsive eating thing is a lot like Max Lord killing him. It makes me want to stick my fingers in my ears, close my eyes and shout "Didn't happen" over and over again.

 

In any case, it isn't necessary to fill out his disad list.

Amen to that! Rep for you :)

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

I still say the compulsive eating thing was a good character trait, as long as he controlled it. Fat Blue Beetle is no good, but BB moaning about how he wishes he could eat pizza is funny. Had it never been introduced at all, probably wouldn't be saying, gee I wish some superhero had a weight problem. But I feel it humanized him a lot and it certainly endeared him to me. I hate hate hate fat beetle, but I like the idea of a super hero who isn't naturally prone to a stunning physique. I never understood why putting on spandex gave a person six-pack abs and a killer ***. If that were remotely logical, spandex would be a lot more popular.

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Re: Blue Beetle's Disads?

 

The compulsive eating kind of didn't make sense for a guy who trained himself to be a Robin or Nightwing, basically training himself to be a fighter/acrobat/detective/armorer etc. I know it was supposed to be funny, but it seemed a little on the stupid side for the Beetle.

 

Booster Gold, an ex-jock/gambler who lost it all and had to start over in another time and lost it all again. I could see him being a compulsive eater.

CES

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