Dogs, monkeys and robots

[assault]

Once again, I am trying to get my version of "The World's Greatest Superteam" down on paper. I've tried before, but it has never worked out.

 

For those unfamiliar with this joke, it goes:

"To solve this case, I will need... a dog, a monkey, a robot... and a small boy."

 

Since my original version of this, I've been reminded that Marvel's 1950s Avengers also included the love goddess, Venus.

 

Obviously, a team without a love goddess is like a team without a monkey. It just doesn't work, does it?

 

So, my team will consist of: a non-powered team leader, a dog, a monkey, a robot, a kid and a love goddess. I've got the team leader, kid and love goddess roles pretty well filled, and I have a potential candidate for "dog", but I really need a "monkey" and a "robot".

 

I'm not going to use direct copies of published characters, but homages are a really good idea. But they require names.

 

Here are some examples of the type of characters I am looking for:

"Dog": http://www.toonopedia.com/rex.htm

"Monkey": http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/bobo.html

"Robot": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_Archie

 

Just for laughs, insert Batman and Robin homages for "Team Leader" and "Kid", and the old Marvel character Venus for "Love Goddess".

 

An... interesting... team, don't you think?

 

So far, I have "Captain Justice" as team leader. He is a fairly unsubtle combination of this character (http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/captainjusticeoz.htm )

and Ranger (http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=ranger , with a picture at http://dcworld.itgo.com/ClubofHeroes.html - he's the lame one in a slouch hat at the back). In short, I have him as "the Australian Batman".

 

I've given him a sidekick, who I've called "Snowy". Snowy fills the "kid" spot. His name is derived from a well-known tacky Australian poem. Hideously cheesy, but appropriate for what I was looking for.

 

Provisionally, my Love Goddess is going to be an Empyrean named Turan. The name is "borrowed" from an Etruscan love goddess.

 

If I can't come up with anything better, and if nobody else does, my Dog will be called "Crime Dog". Just because.

 

At one level, all I really need for my robot is a name. But if I get one with enough flavour, it may imply a concept all of its own.

 

My worst problem is actually "the Monkey". What species should he (almost certainaly he) be? What is his role in the team?

 

Once I have the concepts nailed down the mechanical builds shouldn't be a drama.

 

Any ideas?

 

(Yes, I have asked this question before, but... )

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

OK, I have a possible robot name, which I have often used for a bad-guy in my campaigns, but the name itself is fairly neutral:

Robo-Sapien.

As for the "Monkey" I think it should be a silver-back gorilla body with a human brain. But instead of the cliche "super-genius brain trapped in a big ape body," have him be just a regular guy. He was never anything special before, but now that he's got the strength and agility of a giant silver-back gorilla, he's gonna be (da-da-da-daaaah!) a super hero! He would be the group's muscle.

[OddHat]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

I've posted write ups of Dog and Robot characters before, but I take it you're not looking for something with too much of a back story. So, quick takes:

 

Gernsback - He's the Dog of Tomorrow, a genetically modifed cyborg super dog from a world where he was a respected Hero. Unfortunately, in the campaign's reality, he has only a fraction of his original powers. Gernsback can't speak any human language, read, or write, and communicates like any other dog with a 150 IQ. He's very frustrated by his situation, but his personal code of honor compells him to be a Good Dog.

 

The Gold Wife - Legendary golden woman created by the Finnish God-Smith Ilmarinen, the Gold Wife has no emotions (genuinely; she's not a Star Trek bot), but is able to follow pre-programmed behavoirs that make her appear to care.

 

Ape-otheosis - A Chimpanzee used in university experiments to unlock the secrets of psionics, Ape-otheosis has full, near-limitless psychic power of the Chimpanzee Race! Unfortunately, he is otherwise a perfectly normal, relatively friendly domesticated chimp. Who can destroy cities with his mind.

[OzMike]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

I like Crime Dog... is he a bit like Skippy? I like Crime Dog. Can he have a Crime Kennel?

 

I reckon that you should have the monkey/ape character be a gibbon - cause they're funky. In fact, why not have him be a gibbon with sonic powers of hypnosis? And let's call him Gary the Gibbon (Gazza to his mates).

[David Johnston]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

I had a monkey super-hero named "Shock" with electrical powers and a distinct dislike of men who wear labcoats.

[assault]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

I had a monkey super-hero named "Shock" with electrical powers and a distinct dislike of men who wear labcoats.

 

Too serious.

 

I kind of like OzMike's idea of Gazza the Gibbon. He definitely sounds funky.

 

I've toyed with the idea of the robot having sonic powers. He would also be able to play mp3s!

 

The adult human character would, of course, be the "straight man" to all the comedy characters on the team. The token voice of sanity and so on. I've considered the possibility that he mightn't actually be a traditional superhero at all, but rather some poor guy who has drawn the short straw of being the government's freak wrangler.

[OddHat]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

The adult human character would, of course, be the "straight man" to all the comedy characters on the team. The token voice of sanity and so on. I've considered the possibility that he mightn't actually be a traditional superhero at all, but rather some poor guy who has drawn the short straw of being the government's freak wrangler.

 

He was the kid sidekick of the premeir hero of the previous generation, emotionally wrecked by the kid sidekick lifestyle. He had finally just started getting his life back together when the government tapped him, forced him through guilt and, well, threats, back into another damn spandex suit, and saddled him with a sidekick of his own. His fiancee found him with the Love Goddess in his house and left him, and when his sister discovered that he was now living alone with a young boy and a monkey the family rumor mill really got started. The Love Goddess offered to make things right by being his beard for his family, but he knows that this is bound to just make things worse.

 

Also, the Robot is in love with him.

[assault]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

Also' date=' the Robot is in love with him.[/quote']

 

There were many good ideas here, but this one is particularly interesting.

 

A tip of the hat to the Metal Men would be highly appropriate, wouldn't it?

 

It would change the dynamics a bit from what I had envisaged, but still...

 

I'll definitely think about this.

 

I'm still thinking about the Ape slot too. Gazza the funky Gibbon is a very fine idea, but I haven't quite got him nailed down.

 

Crime Dog is definitely in, though. And yes, he does have a Crime Kennel.

 

"What's that, Crime Dog? Timmy fell down a well, again? Well, sod him."

[OzMike]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

I'm still thinking about the Ape slot too. Gazza the funky Gibbon is a very fine idea' date=' but I haven't quite got him nailed down.[/quote']

 

He's got an Afro, is very disco, and wears a jumpsuit and rollerskates. And is just a little bit past it.

 

Roller Boogie anyone?

 

Or......

 

Otherwise he is the most ocker gibbon ever - blue singlet, shorts, pot belly, thongs, beer in one hand, cigarette in the other. And his sonic powers involve super-belching.

 

"G'day. I'm Gazza mate. You're with who? Viper mate? *BUURRRP* Not much to speak about now, eh mate? Now that you're out of it and all. Nice tights, by the way, mate. Make you look REAL manly. As manly as Mardi Gras."

[assault]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

My current thoughts:

Leader: Captain Mike Jackson. Change his title if "Captain" is inapproriate for your setting. A normal guy in a strange world. His name is obviously inspired by OddHat's comment about him living alone with a young boy and a monkey.

 

Kid: Snowy. A basic sidekick type.

 

Dog: Crime Dog, the crimefighting dog. He wears a mask to conceal his secret identity, and has a Crime Kennel.

 

Love Goddess: Glamour Girl, aka Turan of Arcadia. The most powerful member of the team, although her powers are presently at a relatively low ebb. Once pwned Mechanon by giving him the ability to love...

 

Robot: Silver/Sylvia. Originally an emotionless machine, she was given the ability to Love (and by extension, feel other emotions) by Turan. Unfortunately, she has fallen in love with Mike Jackson...

 

Monkey: Gary the funky Gibbon. Crime Dog's streetwise sidekick.

 

...

 

While Turan is potentially extremely high powered, and Silver is a fairly typical superbeing in most respects, most members of the team would be fairly low-powered, with powers like: "speech", "walking upright" and "has opposable thumbs".

 

Crime Dog and Gary probably have some degree of telepathy with other animals as well, though.

 

Should Gary wear a mask? Crime Dog does, of course, but it may not actually be all that useful.

 

Gary is probably also the team pilot. Because, you know, gibbons and supersonic aircraft go together like, uhh, butter and plutonium...

[Markdoc]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

In that team, just combine the robot and monkey slots to make a cybered-up ape with lots of guns

 

Can you say.... Battlechimp Potemkin?

 

cheers, Mark

[Susano]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

Go Mike Mignola -- Gorilla with bolts in his neck.

[OzMike]

Re: Dogs, monkeys and robots

 

Gary could wear a domino mask and a tuxedo....

 

Why is the theme tune to "Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp" stuck in my head?