Jimmy Olsen's Watch

[Michael Hopcroft]

In cassic Superman continuity (I don't know if this still applies), Jimmy Olsen of the Daily Planet carries an ultrasonic signal watch that, when the button is pressed, emits a signal that only Superman can hear. Although this has saved Jimmy' life on more than one occasion, I imagine that for Superman it must be a pain in the neck.

 

This brings up severeal useful points in rules development:

 

1. Who pays the poiints for the watch -- Superman or Jimmy?

 

2. The design of the watch is predicated on the belief that only Superman is capable of hearing the signal. Unfortunately, even in the DCU this is a false premise (any Kryptonian can hear it, so if Zod happens to be on Earth he'll get the signal too), and in a Champions campaign any method designed to reach one specific super is likely to be accessible to several others. How can you build a device that can only send a signal to one specific character regardless of circumstances 9and beocmes useless if that character is dead, in another dimension, or otherwise out of range)?

 

3. Is giving such a device to a specific person ever a good idea for a PC, and under what circumstances does it become a reasonable thing to do?

[keithcurtis]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

1. Jimmy. Why would Superman pay for Jimmy's Summon?

 

2. Signal Watch: Summon 1000-point Superman, Loyal (Superman's his Pal; +1/2), Specific Being (Otehr Kryptonians can hear it, but only Superman responds; +1) (500 Active Points); Arrives Under Own Power (-1/2), IIF Fragile (Wristwatch; -1/2), Conditional Power Sometimes doesn't work in a deep mine shaft or underwater (-1/4)

That's going to be one expensive watch. But hey! It summons Superman!

 

3. It's a perfectly acceptable way for Jimmy to rate that 14- on his DNPC frequency. Give it to a PC? Maybe. If we're playing a game based on the sort of stories that appeared in Jimmy Olsen. "Help Superman! I've become Turtle Boy Olsen!"

 

Keith "Zee-Zee-Zee" Curtis

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

If we're playing a game based on the sort of stories that appeared in Jimmy Olsen. "Help Superman! I've become Turtle Boy Olsen!"

That reminds me of...

 

"The Planet of Doomed Olsens!!!"

 

Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

 

Dr. "Obscure Legion Reference" Anomaly

[keithcurtis]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

I remember that one. It was his initiation, wasn't it? I used to have it (pr more likely, a reprint)

 

Jimmy went through more physical and mental mutations than any other DNPC in the history of comics.

 

Turtleboy Olsen was probably my favorite.

 

Obscure Oslen Trivia: Werewolf Olsen was the first human to kiss Supergirl. Back when she was Superman's "Secret Weapon"

 

Keith "Elastic Lad came before Mr. Fantastic" Curtis

[Guest WhammeWhamme]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

1. Jimmy. Why would Superman pay for Jimmy's Summon?

 

2. Signal Watch: Summon 1000-point Superman, Loyal (Superman's his Pal; +1/2), Specific Being (Otehr Kryptonians can hear it, but only Superman responds; +1) (500 Active Points); Arrives Under Own Power (-1/2), IIF Fragile (Wristwatch; -1/2), Conditional Power Sometimes doesn't work in a deep mine shaft or underwater (-1/4)

That's going to be one expensive watch. But hey! It summons Superman!

 

3. It's a perfectly acceptable way for Jimmy to rate that 14- on his DNPC frequency. Give it to a PC? Maybe. If we're playing a game based on the sort of stories that appeared in Jimmy Olsen. "Help Superman! I've become Turtle Boy Olsen!"

 

Keith "Zee-Zee-Zee" Curtis

 

I've wanted to make a 'Jimmy Olsen' type hero. He'd have a new set of powers every adventure (probably power pool based), would be thought of as a sidekick or 'Pal!', etc, but would be a full blown PC.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Super Watch or not, Rick Jones would OWN Jimmy Olsen!

 

Oh Yeah! Super Sidekick Flame War, round one! FIGHT!!!

[McCoy]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

1. Jimmy. Why would Superman pay for Jimmy's Summon?

The watch was said several times to be a gift from Superman, so I would take it out of Superman's points. I would also add the "Independent" limitation.

 

Lois Lane got into trouble at least as often as Jimmy, why did she never have a Superman summoning device?

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

In the comics of the time, Lois Lane was a Superman summoning device.

 

And yes, Rick Jones would hand Jimmy's head to him.

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Lois Lane got into trouble at least as often as Jimmy' date=' why did she never have a Superman summoning device?[/quote']

 

Recall once reading a reprint of a story (from the 1940s?) where Superman gave Lois a signal watch of her very own.

 

EXTREMELY sexist, even for that era. LL constantly buzzes Supes for all manner of idiotic "emergencies", such as breaking a shoe heel on a city street or getting herself trapped in a department store's revolving door, etc.. In the end, some gangster-types kidnap LL so they can use her as a distraction/decoy. Naturally, their dastardly plan fails. Story ends with Lois bursting into tears and forcefully returning her watch to Superman (His snappy response: "Er, if you insist.").

[JmOz]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

I would build it as an image to ultrasonic sound, probably not that much range, as superman at the time had paid for so much telescopic hearing that he could listen in to conversations on the other side of the planet

 

The watch itself would probably be paid for by jimmy, who would be a DNPC of Superman (Probably with a 14-)

[caris]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

1. Jimmy. Why would Superman pay for Jimmy's Summon?

 

2. Signal Watch: Summon 1000-point Superman, Loyal (Superman's his Pal; +1/2), Specific Being (Otehr Kryptonians can hear it, but only Superman responds; +1) (500 Active Points); Arrives Under Own Power (-1/2), IIF Fragile (Wristwatch; -1/2), Conditional Power Sometimes doesn't work in a deep mine shaft or underwater (-1/4)

That's going to be one expensive watch. But hey! It summons Superman!

 

Keith "I'm da man" Curtis probably has the decision that most fulfills the common sense, drtamatic sense and fair play reasoning from effect. Alternatively, you could make both Superman and Jimmy pay for the abilities:

 

Super Hearing: Ultrasonic Perception

 

Signal Watch: Ultrasonic Perception, Transmit, Transmit Only (-X), Only to send emergency signal (-Y)

[Theron]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Super Watch or not, Rick Jones would OWN Jimmy Olsen!

 

Oh Yeah! Super Sidekick Flame War, round one! FIGHT!!!

 

I've toyed with the notion of setting a campaign on the fringes of the Marvel Universe. Something along the same lines as Runaways, but instead of a bunch of kids discovering their parents are supervillains, we have some kids who just happen to break into Rick Jones' attic/storage shed/whatever. Imagine the hardware that guy's accumulated over the years...

 

"Uh, yeah, it's a Nega-Band or something, I guess. What about it? I FOUND IT! OK?"

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

1. Who pays the poiints for the watch -- Superman or Jimmy?

 

2. The design of the watch is predicated on the belief that only Superman is capable of hearing the signal. Unfortunately, even in the DCU this is a false premise (any Kryptonian can hear it, so if Zod happens to be on Earth he'll get the signal too), and in a Champions campaign any method designed to reach one specific super is likely to be accessible to several others. How can you build a device that can only send a signal to one specific character regardless of circumstances 9and beocmes useless if that character is dead, in another dimension, or otherwise out of range)?

 

3. Is giving such a device to a specific person ever a good idea for a PC, and under what circumstances does it become a reasonable thing to do?

 

1. Who benefits from it? I would say Jimmy!

 

2. I can't believe no one has knocked out the most simplistic answer of all - this is a Persistent mind link, limited to only transmitting a one way distress call, with a few other limitations (like an inability to transmit out of certain areas, or to reach Supes if he's off-planet). I think you'll find that a lot less expensive than the Summon alternative.

 

3. I like the idea that this supports a 14- DNPC quite nicely!

[CBikle]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

I don't think either Supes or Jimmy should pay for the watch. It's the rationale for a 14-appearance.

[CBikle]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Lois Lane got into trouble at least as often as Jimmy, why did she never have a Superman summoning device?

 

Maybe he figured he didn't want to travel on that slippery slope.

 

Pretty soon Steve Lombard would be *****ing about not having a Signal watch.

 

He can't give everybody one.

 

Superman has very annoying co-workers.

[CBikle]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

I change my vote; Jimmy should pay.

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Man, Superman's a ****.

[OddHat]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Lois Lane got into trouble at least as often as Jimmy, why did she never have a Superman summoning device?

 

Supes liked Jimmy.

[input.jack]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Supes liked Jimmy.

 

I saw it the other way around.

 

Supes was following Lois around like a puppy. Occasionally he needed a reminder that Jimmy existed

[Twilight]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

It was a simple matter of who needed it more. Perry White was often in the habit of pairing up his best reporters, Clark and Lois, for starters so whenever Lois wasn't tailing Clark trying to prove he was Superman they were working together. Thus, most of the time Lois got in trouble Superman was on the scene anyway.

 

This wasn't the case for Jimmy. As a freelance photographer, Jimmy could be assigned to any story any where. Thus he wasn't as easy for Clark to keep an eye on as Lois was, thus Jimmy needed the signal watch more then Lois.

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Keith "I'm da man" Curtis probably has the decision that most fulfills the common sense, drtamatic sense and fair play reasoning from effect. Alternatively, you could make both Superman and Jimmy pay for the abilities:

 

Super Hearing: Ultrasonic Perception

 

Signal Watch: Ultrasonic Perception, Transmit, Transmit Only (-X), Only to send emergency signal (-Y)

 

I'd say add on a naked advantage of "Invisible (Ultrasonic Perception)" to the Signal Watch, with the "Selective Effect" advantage affecting the naked advantage.

[HeroGM]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

Current continuity had Jimmy creating the watch using information that Lois got in her interview with Superman. (World of Metropolis)

 

Personally I'd make Jimmy spend the points, make it an independent item (he's been seen loaning it out). It's also based on sonics so if it was Summon I'd toss Extra Time onto it, make it applicable to only the Earth (sound can't travel in space last time I looked).

 

Oh, and it uses Hypersonics, I don't know if it's higher then a dog's range or not, but anyone with the proper device or "super-hearing" might pick it up.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

I am reminded of the scene in "Superman: the Motion Picture" is which every dog in Metropolis was going nuts and Calrk kent had a voice in his hear saying 'superman, you're the only thing on two legs that can hear this."; it was Lex Luthor calling Superman to his base.

 

So villains can use this effect too.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Jimmy Olsen's Watch

 

I am reminded of the scene in "Superman: the Motion Picture" is which every dog in Metropolis was going nuts and Calrk kent had a voice in his hear saying 'superman, you're the only thing on two legs that can hear this."; it was Lex Luthor calling Superman to his base.

 

So villains can use this effect too.

 

For reasons I'm not entirely certain of, I was always pretty sure Jimmy's Signal Watch operated on a higher frequency than anything native to Earth could hear, so dogs wouldn't flip out, so Jimmy's Signal Watch would be distinctive and not easily duplicated. If nothing else, I'd be surprised if Superman didn't have super perfect pitch.

 

Big Blue can obviously hear other Ultrasonic emissions, of course, as in Mr. Hopcroft's example. But I think the watch is 'unique'. I would actually buy the watch, itself, as a Mind Link to Superman with a limitation that it doesn't actually allow communication per se, with a -0 that other Kryptonians can pick it up.