AntonioTodd

On 12/23/2023 at 2:00 AM, Rich McGee said:

No, he's a take on the overarching theme of a goofy villain who uses a bunch of gadgets with a loosely connected theme that make up a large part of Flash's Rogues' Gallery.  Not trying to remake any particular guy, although it wouldn't surprise me at all if someone did impossible nonsense with photography in the actual books at some point, then never ever used it again.  I think I even remember Mirror Master playing around with reflecting photos at some point, now that I think about it.  

 

One-story gimmick "science" happened all the time in the Silver Age with Flash villains as the writers tried to keep him challenged and the readers engaged, which is hard to do if all you've got to work with is a parka and a cold gun.  Captain Cold, Heatwave and Mirror Master are probably the ones that did it the most, but that may have more to do with the amount of page time they got compared to everyone else but Grodd - who also ass-pulled one-off inventions and abilities pretty often, but they tended to be more varied and less tied to relatively narrow themes.  Abra Kadabra and Weather Wizard and Prankster aren't far behind, but I don't recall them appearing as often back in the day.

 

Applying the trope to a hero with a villain speedster doesn't actually feel like it would work in a comic since heroes need more versatility than villains to retain readers, but Flash makes "fast" as a power set do everything in the world so maybe I'm too pessimistic.  Heck, I'd read Simian Samaritan if he had a book, but like Grodd he sounds inherently more varied than hot/cold/reflections...or impossible camera tricks, FTM.

 

And hey, at least Cameraman isn't holiday themed. 

It's fascinating to explore the evolution of comic book villains and their gimmicks over time. The Silver Age indeed brought about some creative and often quirky solutions to keep heroes challenged and readers engaged. The use of themed gadgets and one-off inventions by characters like Captain Cold, Heatwave, and Mirror Master reflects the creative ingenuity of writers during that era.

Your observation about the potential challenges of applying such a trope to a hero with a speedster power set, like the Flash, raises an interesting point. The need for versatility in a hero's abilities to retain reader interest is certainly a crucial aspect. However, the Flash's wide range of applications for his super-speed does open up possibilities for unique and imaginative storylines.

The comparison to heroes like Grodd, who showcase a broader array of abilities, emphasizes the variety that can exist within a rogues' gallery. The mention of Simian Samaritan adds a touch of humor and highlights the potential for diversity in character concepts.

Lastly, the acknowledgment that Cameraman isn't holiday-themed injects a sense of relief, showing an appreciation for the variety in villain themes beyond the more common tropes. It's always intriguing to see how writers play with these elements to keep comic book stories fresh and engaging.

On 1/12/2022 at 5:26 AM, Lord Liaden said:

For Champions there isn't as much need for an official setting in which adventures are based, because most gamers' supers campaigns are set in some variation of the familiar real world. There are quite a few professionally-done adventures in that genre, particularly for 6E:

 

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/94-king-of-the-mountain-pdf/
https://www.herogames.com/store/product/506-evilution-unchained-pdf/

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/87-imaginary-friends-pdf/

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/94-king-of-the-mountain-pdf/

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/107-pretty-hate-machines-pdf/

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/53-the-crossroads-blues/

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/28-unkindness-pdf/

https://www.herogames.com/store/product/23-war-of-worldcraft-pdf/

 

For fantasy and sci-fi the adventure list is far shorter, and more could be done with them. However, DOJ would have to choose one of the four official fantasy settings, and two official sci-fi ones, that Hero Games has published to set them in, or else design a completely new one (which strikes me as an unnecessary expenditure of energy, given what's already extant).

 

fair enough