Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

[SSgt Baloo]

I was just trying to come up with new ideas for this other thread when I decided to start a new one. Lets come up with mundane superheroes or supervillains, then use Heromachine, Fabrique du Herois or other means to make his/her/it's picture.

 

I'll go first with a minor supervillain:

 

Used Car Sales-Man!

 



 

Lester "Call Me 'Less' because that's what you'll pay" Smith was a small-time used car salesman with his own lot, filled (eight cars to be exact) with "incredible deals", and little to show for it but a balance sheet that was heavily tilted towards loss with only token attempt at profits. He was surely headed for bankruptcy when "The Event" changed his fate as most certainly it had others.

 

Where before, people were immediately put on their guard by his eager (some might say desperate) approach to customer relations, suddenly now people (especially customers) seemed glad to see him, and easily succumbed to his sales pitch, no matter how outrageous his claims, no matter how obviously decrepit his inventory. When dissatisfierd customers returned to his lot with complaints, he was easily able to explain away the problem. Oddly satisfied yet puzzled customers would return a few times before giving up, and the few times he wound up in court Lester found that even the prosecuting attorney bought his smoke and mirrors, at least long enough to move for acquittal.

 

Lester is an otherwise ordinary man with extraordinary (or possibly supernatural) persuasion. Since his ability only extends to himself, he is happy making unconscional profits by buying high-mileage cars and selling them for well over bluebook. Occasionally a customer will realize they've been had, but this is usually after a couple of weeks' worth of singing the praises of their "great new car" and Lester's ability to get them into it for such a pittance.*

 

* I am purposely leaving Lester's stats, powers, and abilities vague so anyone inclined to do such things may come up with their own write-up for the guy.

[Egyptoid]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Grifter

 

What can you do with Lightning Calculator,

Sleight of Hand on a 23 or less, Forgery 18-,

and Security Systems on a 23 or less ?

 

I'd guess mischief, YMMV

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

I just had a great idea.

 

Too bad you want a picture. Both of those sites stink, if one is using a dial-up. And I cannot draw worth a ****.

 

I'll see how they work when I have access to the public library's wifi. Though I didn't see anything that looked right, when I scanned those sites....

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

I just had a great idea.

 

Too bad you want a picture. Both of those sites stink, if one is using a dial-up. And I cannot draw worth a ****.

 

I'll see how they work when I have access to the public library's wifi. Though I didn't see anything that looked right, when I scanned those sites....

 

Go ahead and describe the character anyway. Maybe I (or possibly someone else) might have a go at it.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Here's another:

 

Quincy Magoo had been down-and-out so long he'd nearly forgotten what it was like to have a roof over his head. On a good night he'd sleep in a dumpster, occasionally seeking out others to share his good fortune when he'd find a stash of "like-new" fried chicken from that place with the bucket or nearly-fresh burger-pats in the dumpster behind that place with the yellow arches.

 

Late one night, Quincy picked the wrong dumpster to sleep in. He never knew the dumpsters behind that warehouse were a dumping ground for a local mad genius. He never knew that the damp refuse he was lying upon were soaked with illegal mutagens. He did, however, remember waking up to find that the dumpster he was sheltering in was in the middle of a huge inferno. The dumpsters around him had caught fire, the smoke choking and blinding him. Quincy Started to leap out of the dumpster, the only thing on his mind being to get somewhere safe.

 

The next thing Quincy knew was that he was suddenly somewhere else. At first he thought he was in Chinatown, but eventually he figured out that he had somehow managed to "leap" from his dumpster behind the warehouse in New York to a dumpster in Hong Kong. He also noticed he was finding things he needed or could share with others every time he rooted around in a dumpster. Sometimes he'd find cases of food that looked like they hadn't left the factory. Sometimes it was clothing or medicine that turned up. Whatever he found, someone would need.

 

Over time, Quincy learned how to control his power. He could choose any location in the world and, whatever the local equivalent to a dumpster was, he'd climb out of it in his new location. Whenever he looked for something specific in a dumpster, he'd teleport to a dumpster that either had what he was looking for or contained clues that would lead to the desired object.

 

Quincy gradually grew into his role as protector of the homeless, detective to the poor. Very few know his real name, but if you ever talk to homeless people or the very poor, most of them can relate the legend of the Dumpster-Diver!

 

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

I just had a great idea.

 

Too bad you want a picture. Both of those sites stink, if one is using a dial-up. And I cannot draw worth a ****.

 

I'll see how they work when I have access to the public library's wifi. Though I didn't see anything that looked right, when I scanned those sites....

 

Go ahead and describe the character anyway. Maybe I (or possibly someone else) might have a go at it.

 

Thanks for offering, but there's no need. With the faster connection speed at the library, I was able to see that Heromachine has what I need; well, good enough to pass. I got 3 done yesterday, and started on the 4th. However, last night, after coming home (the library was only open until 5, it being Sunday), I realized I made some errors in transferring the pix to the final form, so I had to redo them. I got through that, and 3 more today, and hope to finish off tomorrow.

 

"Wait!" I hear some wail, "What do you mean, you're doing more than 6! It's supposed to be ONE character." Ah, but it is one character------with Duplication!

 

I've decided to do - - One Man Band! That's right, a guy with Duplication, (up to) 8 duplicates, each playing a different instrument (and able to pitch in on another). I've already worked out the character sheet, using one for all, since (A) they're so similar and ( I'm just doing this for fun so I don't need to work out all the details.

 

Anyway, that's why I'm still plugging away at Heromachine. I've got at least one more to do, and as many as three. Once I've got all the folks, I'm going to try and make an animated GIF as a "slideshow" of them all. That's likely to be huge, so I'll be hosting it somewhere and putting a link in my "I've done it!" post. I'll also put up the character sheet, just a web page somewhere; real basic, nothing fancy.

 

Since they're all dressed sort of "mundanely" I'm using Heromachine. There's no loose pants, sloppy sneakers, and other such stuff on the other site; that's all spandex or b**t-huggers, and the whole style is just wrong for what I want to do.

 

So, that's what's going on. No stealing my idea, now.

[tkdguy]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

How about a drill sergeant, a medic, and a priest?

 

And they all walk into a bar....

[palaskar]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Reminds me of the 'worst random character' thread on rpg.net.

 

The first guy only armor -- but only to the low bulletproof level. Still, a criminal who's effectively wearing Kevlar all the time can be very effective....

 

The second (and worst case I've ever heard of) was a guy who could detect magic at range.

 

Said range was touch.

 

So I imagine the guy running a pawn or other shop, sifting through the dross to find that occasional magic item.

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Well, took longer than I'd thought, but I got my idea written up. So....

 

 

As a teenager, Chuck Williamson dreamed of becoming a rock 'n roll star. Thing is, he was a bit lazy. Too lazy to put in the hours and hours of study and practice it takes to become a good musician. What made it worse was his lack of focus; he couldn't decide which instrument to play. That's because he dreamed of playing them all, being a rock star on them all.

 

But dreams won't make you a musician.

 

Chuck's father was a professional chef, and his mother had been too, before she made the deliberate decision to be a "home mom." And she'd never stopped working on her cooking skills. So it was easy for Chuck to follow in his parents' footsteps. He went to the local Voc-Tech College, and then to a fancy "Chefs' school." It was a good living, he was good at it, and he enjoyed it.

 

But in the back of his mind, he still wanted to be a big-time rocker. Even as he rose in rank in the restaurant business; all the way to head chef at a prestigious restaurant. Even as he passed his 40th birthday.

 

Then came The Event, and life changed. A lot for some people, a little for almost everyone.

 

Chuck was one of those... changed... by The Event. Some who were changed became something random, some became themselves, only more so. Some became what they'd dreamed of; Chuck was one of those.

 

Though it didn't work out quite the way he would have liked. He became a rock musician...sort of....

 

More here.

[tkdguy]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

I don't have a proper name for this guy yet, but you can stick him in any campaign. He's petty crook who often gets caught after committing some crime, usually mugging or assault and battery. He spends so much time in jail, he's called the Jailbird.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Chuck was one of those... changed... by The Event. Some who were changed became something random, some became themselves, only more so. Some became what they'd dreamed of; Chuck was one of those.

 

Though it didn't work out quite the way he would have liked. He became a rock musician...sort of....

 

More here.

 

Cool! Repped!

 

I don't have a proper name for this guy yet' date=' but you can stick him in any campaign. He's petty crook who often gets caught after committing some crime, usually mugging or assault and battery. He spends so much time in jail, he's called the Jailbird.[/quote']

 

So then... what power does he have that normal people don't?

[OddHat]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

So then... what power does he have that normal people don't?

 

He has never, ever, been anybody's ... er ... nevermind.

[SSgt Baloo]

Hero of the everglades!

 

Billy Kowznofski had always been interested in manatees since he first visited his grandparents in Florida when he was five. Right in their back yard was a channel of water that was home to a manatee. One summer evening he was in his grandparents backyard enjoying a family cookout when a drug-runner's boat zoomed through the manatee's channel.

 

Billy heard a thud and knew in an instant the manatee had been hit. Ignorong his grandparents' warnings to stay clear of the water, he dove in and swam towards the injured beast. He found the manatee bleeding profusely from several deep parallel gashes left by the boat's propeller. He finally started noticing his elders' cries and called out for them to call Animal Rescue. Although the adults pleaded with Billy, he would not leave the wounded animal until the Animal Rescue people arrived. They carefully hoisted the manatee from the water and took him away.

 

Billy's folks took him inside and cleaned him up.

 

"Grampa, will the manatee be okay?"

 

"The rescue people will do their best Billy."

 

Days later Billy found out that the manatee didn't make it. For the rest of the summer, he spent much of his time gazing at the canal, wishing his manatee could have lived.

 

As Billy grew older, his skin began acquiring a grayish cast and when he hit puberty, he grew at an incredible rate. Billy's parents took him to all the experts, but nothing they could do could stop his growing without risking great harm. Finally, at age sixteen, Billy's unnatural growth Spurt topped out. Billy had to travel by rail to see his grandparents that summer, since he weighed over one and a half tons, and stood 13 feet tall. Billy hated being different, and spent a lot of time swimming in the canal behind his grandparent's home.

 

Billy discovered that he could easily hold his breath for several minutes. Gradually, he discovered he had all the powers (and liabilities) of a human-shaped manatee. He asked his grandparents if he could go to school here in florida rather than having to travel on the train again. His parents agreed that Florida seemed to suit him better than the cold mid-western clime they lived in. Billy attended school in Florida. When he went to college, he majored in Marine Biology, specializing in aquatic mammals.

 

Upon graduation, he applied for a position as Park Ranger at Everglades National Park.

 

There's little possibility that he could pass for normal so He had his name legally changed to:

 

Man-atee

Guardian of the Everglades!

[tkdguy]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

So then... what power does he have that normal people don't?

 

 

Damage Reduction and Hand-to-hand Attack would be good choices for him.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Radio Man

 

Radio Man patrols the streets of [insert City Name Here], using his power to listen and transmit tv and radio signals to gather evidence of crimes to report to police. His other ability, to accurrately re-create audio and visual data he has recorded, has been helpful to police when describing suspects, vehicles, and other evidence. Other than that, however, Radio Man has no other overt powers.

 

Captain Cab

 

When patrolling more violence-prone neighborhoods, Radio Man is often accompanied by Captain Cab. Captain Cab has (he says) all the strength and toughness of a city cab. At the very least, he is able to lift more than three tons and run at 35 miles per hour and is more than a match for any normal criminal he meets.

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Brain Drain: He only has one power: Drain INT, AOE (cone), Selective Target. It's surprisingly useful to have all your enemies become really stupid.

 

(Actually, I wanted to Drain "common sense," but I guess this is as close as the mechanics of Hero System will allow).

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Jumping Jack

The unofficial Superhero of Jackson, Mississippi, Jumping Jack can jump nearly an eighth of a mile and is something of a scrapper. He is as strong as the strongest Olympic weight-lifters and is somewhat durable as well. He has incredibly quick reflexes and is known for his ability to to dodge bullets or anythinmg slower.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

the Flying Boxer

 

Foreman Joe was a world champion heavyweight boxer, the son of a famous boxer and hamburger-promoter. His boxing career came to a sudden halt when, during a crucial match, he leaped back and did not come back down for several minutes. Prior to this moment, Foreman Joe had no idea he was super. Foreman's Boxing victories were negated by the World Professional Boxing Federation since he was a super and could no longer compete in this league. Fortunately, Foreman had been investing in a hamburger franchise that was doing well: Foreman Joe's Burger Box, which was at that time the sixth most successful hamburger franchise in the US. Foreman Joe was able to reimburse the Boxing Federation's prize money and turned down an offer to box in the World Unlimited Boxing Guild (WUBG) because he wasn't that punchdrunk.

 

WUBG boxers have been known to punch holes in armor plate during exhibitions, and Foreman Joe knew he wasn't in that class. Still, he missed boxing and joined his Neighborhood Watch association when youth gangs started recruiting from the local high schools. After repeatedly being urged to become a real superhero by his Neighborhood Watch friends, Foreman finally decided to dig out his old trunks and gloves and his wife made him a cape. He's still part of the neighborhood Watch program, and is now a volunteer Policeman and assists with child safety programs, drug prevention and the like. He can often be seen flying around the neighborhood with a pair of binoculars in one hand and a radio in the other.

 

Foreman Joe, the Flying Boxer, is an Olympic-level boxer who can also fly. While he can fight if need be, he prefers to call in the police and provide additional muscle as required. Mostly he serves as aerial surveillance for the local police, who provided him with training, binoculars, and a radio. In cooler weather, he wears an insulated warm-up suit over his trunks and a red-white-and blue flyer's helmet.

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Maury Oscar Zimmerman like to go bicycling as fast as he could. It was ineveitable he'd get a job as a bike messenger. Too bad he wasn't quite co-ordinated enough to do the job safely. After hitting a lightpole and a truck (he was definitely at fault in that one---the truck was parked), he lost his job. He tried to get a job in the local music scene, changing his name to "Ximurman" to be more kewl. That didn't work either.

 

Then The Event happened, and he was rehired as a bike messenger in a flash; he goes Desolid anytime he's in danger. Which means he can ignore cars, trucks, etc., and just zip through on his bike.

 

He's also changed his name again, this time using his initials. He's MOX - - - it's Latin for "soon" and that's when he'll get there, wherever (downtown) "there" is.

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Hummbucker: Kind of ordinary-looking fellow, with one ability: he can fix anything electronic, for values of "fix" that include improving to better fit a purpose. Yep, he can make any piece of electronics do a better job, so long as that job is even vaguely what it was made to do.

 

He won't work for the government, nor any big corporation. He'll only work for rockers, especially on their sound equipment (hence his name). He's got an adequate independent income, so he doesn't need to worry about "making a living" and can pursue his interests.

[Basil]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Roger Macmillan was an ordinary college student until The Event, with an undeclared major and no real plans.

 

The Event gave him two abilities and a disability. He can play the violin superbly, and he can control people's emotions (though only while playing the violin). Somehow, he doesn't have to speak to control emotions.

 

His disability is a real problem, though. He has to consume blood. If he doesn't, he ages, fast. Raw meat helps; the cow/pig/sheep/goat blood in it keeps the aging down to about 4 or 5 times human normal. Chicken or fish is no help at all. But to really deal with the aging, to stop it and reverse the "excess" needs primate blood. Monkey and ape blood is impossible to get, but there are some odd people out there....

 

Being a bit of a geek and a terrible punster, Roger could hardly come up with any other "nom de sang" than

 

 

 

 

Strahd O. Varrius

[The Weapon]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

 

Captain Cab

 

 

When patrolling more violence-prone neighborhoods, Radio Man is often accompanied by Captain Cab. Captain Cab has (he says) all the strength and toughness of a city cab. At the very least, he is able to lift more than three tons and run at 35 miles per hour and is more than a match for any normal criminal he meets.

 

Not to mention that he can operate more than 23 hours a day!

[bubba smith]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

nice job

[bubba smith]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

 

the flying boxer

 

 

foreman joe was a world champion heavyweight boxer, the son of a famous boxer and hamburger-promoter. His boxing career came to a sudden halt when, during a crucial match, he leaped back and did not come back down for several minutes. Prior to this moment, foreman joe had no idea he was super. Foreman's boxing victories were negated by the world professional boxing federation since he was a super and could no longer compete in this league. Fortunately, foreman had been investing in a hamburger franchise that was doing well: foreman joe's burger box, which was at that time the sixth most successful hamburger franchise in the us. Foreman joe was able to reimburse the boxing federation's prize money and turned down an offer to box in the world unlimited boxing guild (wubg) because he wasn't that punchdrunk.

 

 

 

wubg boxers have been known to punch holes in armor plate during exhibitions, and foreman joe knew he wasn't in that class. Still, he missed boxing and joined his neighborhood watch association when youth gangs started recruiting from the local high schools. After repeatedly being urged to become a real superhero by his neighborhood watch friends, foreman finally decided to dig out his old trunks and gloves and his wife made him a cape. He's still part of the neighborhood watch program, and is now a volunteer policeman and assists with child safety programs, drug prevention and the like. He can often be seen flying around the neighborhood with a pair of binoculars in one hand and a radio in the other.

 

 

 

foreman joe, the flying boxer, is an olympic-level boxer who can also fly. While he can fight if need be, he prefers to call in the police and provide additional muscle as required. Mostly he serves as aerial surveillance for the local police, who provided him with training, binoculars, and a radio. In cooler weather, he wears an insulated warm-up suit over his trunks and a red-white-and blue flyer's helmet.

 

 

i just saw trhis one not bad i owe you rep

[Ranxerox]

Re: Mundane Superhheroes (and Villains!)

 

Archibald "Harry" Tuttle

Humanity's Last, Best Hope