Create a Villain Theme Team!

[steriaca]

Snakebite

 

"Professor" Rodger Blank was originally nothing but a snake oil man, selling his "health" tonics of alcohol and chocolate, sometimes mixed with some cocaine powder also. Hiding after scamming the area around Champion City, he stumbled across a crotchety old man from Europe who claimed to be alchemist who was over 500 years old. He watched the old man create his potions and there wonderful effects and decided to kill the old man and take his secret notebooks. He created his first potion and quaffed it himself...big mistake as it turned him into a humanoid serpent. 

 

As Snakebite he is agile and tough and can spit poison...and that is about it. The transformation is only temporary and only partial in nature. He has to keep on creating and quaffing his options to remain as a snakeman.

 

Spoiler

If it is not obvious by now, he is the ancestor of Dr. Timothy Blank, better known as King Cobra.

 

[steriaca]

Anyone want to create the last member of this group?

[Sundog]

OK, I'll have a go:

 

Mary Blake

 

Mary's been it all: Prostitute, Madame, Fence, Hack Sawbones, and on occasion, Killer. She made a pretty fair chunk of cash over the years, too, and when she moved to Champion City a few years back she bought a nice saloon and figured to go straight for the rest of her days, living off the proceeds. As Mary Worthing she kept the liquor straight, the gambling honest and the girls clean - after all, she knew all the tricks. 

But her past caught up with her. There was a warrant for her arrest in Virginia, and while that didn't matter here in the Territories it got a bounty hunter on her trail. He botched the capture and Mary shot him dead, but her previous existence was revealed to the folk of the city. The "good folk" of Champion City (many of them regulars at her saloon) turned on her, and burned her out. Mary got on a horse and left with a rifle, her working gear and the clothes in her back - and the lives of both the town sheriff and mayor.

Mary joined up with the group outside Deadwood, when they had a bit of a dustup with the local hard men. She set a few bones, pulled a slug out of the boss and generally made herself useful. She's now their background specialist - logistics, selling stolen goods, medical help, she's the go to. And a dead shot with a Winchester.

New Group: Vegan Rising

 

Greenpeace? Bunch of pansies. PETA? Nowhere near radical enough! Vegan Rising demands change - right now! No more killing of animals! No more pollution! No more clearing of wild lands! And if you do any of those things, we'll kill you on the spot!

 

Vegan Rising may have had good intentions to start out, but they sure as heck don't now. Five members.

[death tribble]

It is a standard trope that if you are bitten by an animal or thing you become like them or similar. Look at werewolves, vampires, ghouls/zombies for example or you could get bitten by a radioactive spider. So just suppose you got bitten by a radioactive or polluted or radioactive and polluted cow what would be the result ?

Where's the Beef ? is the answer.  A minotaur for want of a better description who will get you to stop eating meat, beef particularly, or you will die trying. The origin reminds people of Grond or a certain mad scientist who flatly denies having anything to do with it. They are not the brains of the team but they are the muscle or the best brawler of the group. The one thing that is not clear is whether Where's the Beef ? is male or female. 

[steriaca]

Covered in a suit designed to contain radiation is Slag. A victim of Project Sunburst, but NOT by the actual test itself, he was a soldier who gained his almost lethal dose of radiation while digging graves for those who still had something to bury and were dead (seems they miscalculated how long it would take for the bodies to cool down enough to bury, so the lingering radiation mutated him). Slag (he rejected his normal name) now has a touch which can melt steel and is kept in check by the containment suit he must always wear.  Anyone who has seen him under the suit ponders how he is still alive.

 

Spoiler

Of course; Sunburst keeps an eye on Slag, but doesn't consider him a part of Project Sunburst because he wasn't exactly there when the bombs fell. Still if an opportunity to use Slag comes up...

Slag has a liquid vegetable diet and really hates radiation. He likes to claim that he is a walking warning against nuclear power ("I am your future if you don't beware! ")

[Opal]

J'hain Ps'mhiss, the Vegan Vindicatrix

 

A shape-shifting alien anthropologist from the Vega system, J'hain was surprised to immediately discover some of her people hiding in plain sight, using their powers to assume outlandish forms instead of blend in with bland humanoid appearances, and openly declaring their origin - even if the humans mispronounced it as Vee-gan.

 

So when Vegan Rising put out a plea for help, she showed... it took longer than you might think for her to realize her mistake, and by then she was in too deep with a band of dangerous fanatics.

[death tribble]

Druid Michael

 

The leader of this bunch of lunatics and the most normal looking of the bunch is Michael Druid who uses the nom de guerre Druid Michael. He will patiently explain in quite reasonable tones that he is descended from the druids of old and like the druids in Dungeons and Dragons is here to protect the wild and wildlife. It is only when you get to the methods that Michael uses that you realise that he is insane. He is charismatic and that is why the others follow him. That and the fact that he can go places that they can't. He didn't use a name like Black Druid or White Druid as there were racial connotations. And all druids are green so colour options are out as they might also have political ties i.e. Red Druid is a commie. Michael's powers do not register through any form of detection but he can make vegetation do as he wills. And he can open holes in the ground that swallow people. There is a school of thought that says that SOMETHING is accompanying Michael and IT causes the power effects not him.. This has yet to be proved.

[death tribble]

The Releaser

 

This member is thought to be several people who take it in turns to don the identity. The reason why it is thought to be several people is that they have appeared to be different sizes and sexes in different raids or appearances by the group. And one was almost certainly killed by a SWAT sniper and the police are pretty certain their officers downed another with concentrated gunfire. Whatever is the case The Releaser got their name from raided laboratories to release animals being used for testing or vivisection. They appear with balaclava and maybe combat fatigues and may use a gun. They are the one commonly used to transport the rest as a minotaur or a radioactive suit tends to get noticed. They do the donkey work as does Druid Michael. Under his influence they are now trying to release land as well as plants and animals.

 

New team: American Outlaws

Starting life as Outlaw and then Outlaw America this team is heavily based on the Wild West in truth or in the way that Hollywood or the fiction books present it. Each member affects a link to the Old West either through dress or lineage. Not all of them have rifles or pistols and they can use a variety of superpowers. If you can justify it you can post it (Miner '49 from Scooby Doo, Chinese martial artist working on the railway etc). Half-breeds and women are also among the number. They have appeared in almost every state on the US mainland from Maine down to Florida in the East to Washington down to California in the West. They are not wanted in Mexico which they have used as a haven if being closely pursued in any of the border states. Although thought to be primarily a Southern or Western US problem they can and have appeared in New York City and Washington DC.

One member must be a full on cowboy gunslinger.

Minimum number 5. 

 

[steriaca]

The woman known as Little Nell looks like an old fashion doll, with her white hoop dress, long blonde sausage curls and parasol umbrella. Little Nell is a mutant with the ability to shrink herself and any inorganic object she touches. She acts like a southern belle, the bad type who believes she should be treated like a princess and almost everyone is beneath her.

 

In spite of being a southern belle, and white to boot, she holds no real predjust for others in regards to race. Mostly because she sees most everyone beneath her, including fellow mutants and white people. 

 

Because of her powers, she has a small arsenal hidden on her most of the time (a VVP, Object Creation, Extra Dimensional Spaces, along with Shrinking and Transform: Object to Little Object).

[Sundog]

Hayseed is an older guy, looks like someone's favourite uncle. Tall and lean, he seems a jovial and easy going fellow, usually wearing classic farmer's overalls and chequered shirt.

Looks, in this case, are deceiving, Timothy Rowan made a pile of money by exploiting his encyclopedic knowledge of plants and understanding of genetics. He'd find a well-running farm and stealthily sow crop killing plants in their fields, looking like the very crops they were destroying. When the farm went bankrupt, Tim would buy it cheap and rehabilitate it, easy enough when he knew exactly what was wrong. After a couple years of bumper crops, he'd sell the land again for a massive profit.

Tim's brutal ways were uncovered by Colonel Clemson, a "southern gentleman" super. What really annoys Tim is that Colonel Clemson is a classic brick, super strong, extra durable and dumb as a post. Clemson stumbled across Tim's methods purely by fortuitous accident.

Since being denied his source of income, Tim has invested his remaining money in creating super plants. He can throw a seed and the instant vines will entangle a target, or a huge venus flytrap will spring up and attack, or a wall of plant will form. As Hayseed, he plays up to all the farmer stereotypes, even having a grass stalk in his mouth...with the seed on the end being one of his venus flytraps, of course!

[death tribble]

Outlaw No 1

 

Paulie Lennon is a direct descendent of Johnny Ringo, one of the villainous cowboys who fought against the Earps and Doc Holliday. He wears civilised cowboy apparel and so looks more like the Earps did in various of the films about the gunfight at the O K Corral. He is a skilled horseman and uses firearms that are modern day recreations of period weapons. Scopes and modified bullets are modern things that he will use. He is too much of a loose cannon to be the leader of the group. When the group needs someone dead, Paulie is the one who usually does it.

[Sundog]

Outlaw No. 2

 

George Starr claims descent from Belle Starr, but he's probably lying. He's a little more meticulous than No.1, and usually uses actual, antique 1880s guns, though he's smart enough to use double-action revolvers and cartridge based weaponry, as well as slightly fancier, more gambler-styled gear.

He's also more careful in planning out operations and checking to see all bases are covered, so he does a lot of the group's legwork and setup. He wouldn't call himself the leader of the group, but he often is by default.

Not to say he isn't as ruthless and vicious as they come. No.2 Has been known to slaughter large groups of bystanders as a "lesson" to supers or law enforcement who got too close, or to eliminate the possibility of witnesses. But he's always doing what he does for a reason and with steel self-control.

[death tribble]

Wild Bill Hiccup

 

This member of the group is supposedly descended from 'Bat' Masterson and comes from a long line of law enforcement officials. It is said that he failed the physical to become a police officer and it turned him bad. He is not really fat but he is large. His power is to inflict an attack of the hiccups on a victim leaving them unable to do much of anything. He is generally used when the team really, really need to keep people or a specific person alive. He wears Western gear and does carry guns but these are generally used for defence unlike several of his colleagues. Naturally his family want him back and want him to repudiate his wicked ways. Unfortunately they are particularly susceptible to Wild Bill's power which is why he is still with the group.

[steriaca]

Brave Scout appears in traditional Frst Nation buckskin and only enters combat with his coup stick. He clames to use "strong medicine" to become as strong a a bear, as swift as a deer, eyesight of an eagle, swim like a salmon, hearing of a rabbit, etc. It should be noted that Brave Scout is another mutant and is as white as most of the other members of the group, and plays the part of the sterotypical red savage. 

[death tribble]

Deadeye Dora

 

She dresses like a lady of the Old West and claims to be a descendent of Dora DuFran an infamous brothel keeper of the Old West. She does not carry guns but fires energy as if she was firing a gun like a gunslinger. With practice she has also been able to increase the range and power by firing as if she was firing a rifle like a Winchester 73. She can't fire her blasts as if she had a magazine larger than 8 bullets (for a Winchester rifle or a Broomhandle Mauser). It is more usual that she will fire a six shot volley before 'reloading'. Some people have theorised that the shot limitation comes from the films Winchester 73 and Joe Kidd. She also can sport a forcefield (which is distinctly unWestern but is effective). Like many of the others she can ride a horse but she can also drive a car.

 

[Quackhell]

Gunslinger

 

Jerome Pettibone joined a Wild West Show as a teen and was a gofer and roustabout for a few years before becoming an apprentice to the trick shot artist. While he mastered quickdrawing and gunspinning tricks he had one problem...he was a terrible shot. His inability to hit a target was almost supernatural. In his frustration one day he threw his gun and to his surprise it struck the target perfectly. After some practice he could throw his six guns and have them hit targets and bounce back his hand. Unfortunately he was still fired from the show. He decided to use his odd skill to commit crime as the literal Gunslinger. He wears a garishly colored cowboy outfit and has holsters and bandoliers holding guns that cannot fire bullets. He still uses his over the top showmanship and jokey patter as he commits crime. He is considered a bit of a weak link on the team considering his weapons are non-lethal and he seems to prefer to be the center of attention than being a great criminal.

[death tribble]

Judge Cole Peanut

 

He is the living re-incarnation of Judge Roy Bean. Let that sink in for a moment, you have to believe in reincarnation and that Cole is Roy Bean but not the real Roy Bean, the fictional Hollywood version. Cole does not wear a judge's robes but dresses like a Western era gentleman. He will engage a target in conversation and then bend them to his will through legal argument. He has a limited form of mind control and mental illusion dependent on you using legal argument. He can persuade a person that they are guilty of crimes and then must be hanged. They then will believe themselves to be hanged but it only knocks them unconscious. He wears a bulletproof vest as certain law enforcement officials have taken it into their heads to shoot members of the group first and ask questions later. Or rather they don't ask questions. The Judge is one of the leaders as he will talk to people and plan things which the others will then execute. He does have a weakness for the finer things in life. The best women, a fine cigar and vintage spirits or wine.

 

We are over the limit so if anyone has an idea for a new team and wants to post it, go ahead.

[Opal]

You might expect "The Demon Lords" to be a violent street gang or, perhaps, actual demons.

 

But, no, they're young nerdy supervillains inspired by the demon lords & princes of the 5th edition of the world's most popular tabletop RPG.

 

Aside from being obliged to use the name of a D&D demon like Demogorgon, Orcus,  or ... IDK, I can't spell the others that come to mind... anything goes. 

[death tribble]

How many ?

 

I am thinking a minimum of 4

 

Demon lords and princes include Astaroth, Baphomet, Dagon, Demogorgon, Fraz-Urb'luu, Graz'zt, Juiblex, Kostchtchie, Malcanthet, Orcus, Pazuzu, Yeenoghu, Zuggtmoy

[death tribble]

Juiblex

 

Perhaps the most horrifying or disgusting member of the group is Peter Sanderson who goes by the name of Juiblex. Peter can turn himself into a large jelly or ooze and can engulf people. Those who have survived the experience have claimed that they need to bath for a week at least. He can spray targets with a slime which can blind or deafen them or he can use it like a hose to push them away. He can also fire spores to grow a fungus on others. Peter has killed accidentally with his powers but he has also deliberately killed people because the team needed it and to help them escape. Peter is more of a follower than a leader but can play the part of the deadly ooze that the others 'worship' if they need it.

[steriaca]

Pazuzu

 

Parker Zolomon has taken the name of Pazuzu because he can fly really well and can control the wind. He can control the wind enough to push people around (Telekinesis), cut people (Range Killing Attack), deflect missiles (Missile Deflection and Reflection), among other effects.

 

Parker has some birdlike trates he no longer cares to hide. It was Parker who suggested using the name list of demon princes for villain names once someone else suggested "Demon Lords" as a group name.

[Quackhell]

Baphomet

 

A subject of mad geneticist Tobias Hall's Animal Farm, Stu O'Dell had bovine DNA mixed with his at birth. The result was that he grew into a massive ten foot tall man bull. He broke free from the Farm at fourteen and realizing he couldn't fit into society turned to crime. Originally he went by the name Stampede and worked as muscle-for-hire to various gangs. He was recruited into the Demon Lords to give them a powerhouse tank in battle. He serves the role well, but aspires to be a bit more than just brute force used by the group.

[death tribble]

Dave Crisley has perhaps the oddest power of the group which is saying something when you have a jelly and a ten foot tall bull man. He transforms into a stunningly beautiful woman with wings and horns. The others insist that Dave regularly changes back into Dave. The reason for this is that Dave's succubus form is very assertive, unpredictable and very dangerous. He also seems to enjoy it way too much. In his non-powered form Dave would be ignored but his transform can make grown men and women bend to his meekest whim. The others can find this incredibly disturbing whether Dave is seducing a man or a woman. Dave is far more powerful in the succubus form than the others have realised and that form is watching and waiting. Dave is Malcanthet

[steriaca]

Dagon is an atlantian named, well, Dagon. He is a criminal from Atlantis with all the normal stuff that entails (superhuman strength and durability, the ability to breathe water as we breathe air, fast swimming speeds). He also carries various weapons of Atlantis orgins. Dagon doesn't really care about the group, as he has a dislike for all land dwelling air breathers. But since he can't go home again and such, he decides to plunder the riches above the sea for a while. 

 

New Group: The New Flesh

Member Count: 5 minimum. 

A bunch of humans who got body modified by The Great Beast (from Children of the Night: Horror Enimies), they seem to have walked out of director David Cronenberg's wet dreams. They are twisted, with extra limbs and such, new organs to do things humans normally do not do and such, and there modifications was absolutely painless (he used the same psuedo-matter which his animal hybrid creatures are made from, and it was mentioned that it causes no apparent pain). Some had limbs replaced. Some have limbs relocated. Others have more dramatic body modifications. 

 

(Slightly in horror of Cronenberg's new movie "Crimes of the Future".)

[Quackhell]

Skitter

 

Russell Tovey has six arms and the hands of each have a maw of razor sharp teeth in the palm. The teeth produce a poison that causes paralysis and thins the blood. He also has extra eyes grafted around his head giving him 360 degree vision. His favorite tactic is to use his hand mouths to cling to walls and then climb to a ceiling so he can drop on a victim. He then engulfs them in his powerful arms while poisoning and tearing them apart with his mouths. To go along with his disturbing appearance he has a creepy predatory personality and the unnerving habit of gnashing all of his teeth as he stares unblinking at you.