Avenger Assembled

Indeed it does. Good thing Odysseus is crafty. Say, did Doctor Archeville miss Odysseus introducing himself, or does he not believe his tricky words?

Happy Birthday!

Capers: Damsel in Distress: The heroes receive a late-night phone call from Sharon Rosenbaum, begging them to help her escape the dire clutches of a wicked psychic ghost. When they arrive at her Southside apartment, though, they find a composed, lovely woman who invites them in for tea. Was it all a ruse? Or is Sharon less comfortable with the merged personality in her body than she really wants to admit? Money Money Money!: When Marionette gets a teaching job at the Shadow Academy to help pay the bills, heroic Claremont students now find that it's hard to resist the suggestions of the Shadow Academy's hot new field instructor! Marionette's not actually into teenagers of any stripe, but it sure is funny watching them beg! Do the boys have the willpower to resist her long enough to bring her in? Mud-Slinging: At a public charity event, two superheroes begin violently quarreling with each other, the situation ultimately escalating into blows and bloodshed. At another public occasion, two married police officers openly begin making out with each other in public. Marionette is tired of the public worshiping its "heroes" when it should be worshipping the beautiful people like her, and she's decided to take a little behind the scenes action. Why Can't We Be Friends?: When Marionette joins the Pinnacle Path, she soon decides that the New Age religion could use a little boost from someone with real power. Now the Path is more popular than ever, with hundred of people from all over the city joining up. When a loved one of the heroes falls into the now-cult's sway and the heroes investigate, can they resist the clutches of the wicked mentalist?

Caperzzz: Bee Aggressive! B-E-E Aggressive!: Like any good Freedomian, Barry Bowles hates the Flags with a passion. When the Flags come to town and win the first game of a double-header against the beloved Freedom City Comets, the Bee-Keeper goes into action with a team of specially-trained bees that stings each and every Flag player until they're too swollen to hold a baseball bat anymore. Can the heroes overcome their distaste for the much-hated Flags while tracking down the mad bee-meister? And what happens if the Bee-Keeper takes refuge in a sports bar full of rabid Comets fans too drunk to know any better? Civic-Minded: The heroes find that the Bee-Keeper helping rescue people from a burning building in the Fens. It turns out Barry Bowles doesn't want to see anyone get hurt, even though he'd happily have knocked the place over given the first opportunity. Can they work with the baron of bees long enough to save lives and catch the crazy man in the yellow and black powered armor? What happens if the crowd starts cheering Barry on? No More Mizzter Nice Bee!: Tired of not getting enough respect, the Bee-Keeper decides to pull off a daring extortion scheme at the annual Arbor Day Exposition in downtown Freedom City. He announces that if certain demands are not met, he will see to it that every single thousand-dollar orchid at the show will be forcibly pollinated!!! But who can identity a specific bee in an outdoor show full of flowers? Can the heroes stop Barry Bowles from perpetuating yet another mad scheme while fighting off hay fever? Whatever Happened to the Bee of Tomorrow?: After a little trip through a wormhole thanks to a misplaced time machine, the Bee-Keeper returns with the armor of the Bee-Keeper of 2525! Can the heroes (perhaps with a little help from the Freedom Legion) defeat the newly-empowered menace before he stings history right on the lip?

Eh, it's not really that big a deal for me. You guys go through enough hassle as it is. I've edited the character so that he has +10 ranged attack and does +4 non-lethal damage with his blasters.

Ah, but he doesn't use his Ranged Attack for his Perception Blast; the two of them don't stack with each other. And note also that his Blast is deliberately undercapped; it's built for flavor, not for maximum blasting power. I bought his ranged attack score up that high to reflect his Claremont training; it wouldn't make sense for it to not be fairly high given that he tries to rely on something besides his powers. It's no fair being That Guy with Attack +1 and Perception Range Blast. So yeah, his attack bonus is just points spent for character flavor; he's all of PL 7 with his blasters.

(this build draws very heavily on Elric's Emma Frost build on the ATT) Character Name: Marionette II Secret Identity: Sharon Rosenbaum Description: Sharon Rosenbaum is the classic "Hollywood Homely," wearing thick, heavy glasses and black ankle-length skirts suitable for a theological librarian. She wears sensible shoes and keeps her voice low and quiet. It's largely a front, though, and a close observer will note that she has a fire burning behind those glasses that her "costume" fails to hide. When she is Marionette II, though, the sensible shoes are replaced with white leather combat boots and the dark clothes with a tight white bodysuit that covers everything while leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her voice becomes a live thing, a sensual purr that becomes a mad growl, her eyes burning with passion and fire. She is nearly another person. History: Allison Geller's story is largely told in the pages of Freedom's Most Wanted. The Golden Age Communist mentalist was indeed murdered, though it was by a mind-shielded assassin hired by the Invisible Empire rather than by American agents. After all, the Americans remembered how helpful Marionette had been during the Soviet-American alliance in World War II, and hoped they could turn the Red mind-controller into their pawn after she spent enough time behind bars. The story of the Marionette did not, however, end with the death of Allison Geller. Her soul survived at the edges of reality, clinging onto a life that she felt had been taken from her unfairly. She went mad there on the edges of the Cosmic Coil, pulling her way back from the Lands of the Dead on nothing but sheer willpower and the strength of her mind. Some of her awareness faded away as she pulled herself back to reality, Allison Geller falling away before the memories of Marionette, memories of power and control. It was the late 1970s when she reappeared, the psychic ghost becoming a serious nuisance for the Bronze Age Freedom League and their "successors" Force OPS. She never said her name around her old enemies, not wanting them to know her secrets, but eventually was captured and held in psychic stasis thanks to the vigilantes Evening and Eye of Justice. The book where she was held was lost by those two heroes during the Terminus Invasion, eventually winding up in the hands of the Freedom City Library. There she waited, her awareness growing more and more fuzzy, until finally librarian's assistant Sharon Rosenbaum picked up a copy of her book. Marionette found a kindred soul in Sharon Rosenbaum, a repressed young woman who bitterly resented taking orders from the less-qualified men around her. Overpowering Sharon's will, Marionette enthralled her, merging the souls of Allison Geller and Sharon Rosenbaum into a single entity with the memories of both. The new Sharon Rosenbaum craves sensation and passion in all their forms, reveling in the power and glory of her new abilities, and only a still, small voice deep in her mind remembers her conscience. But that voice fades more every day before the powerful duality in her head, and she rarely listens anyway. She has already used her powers to become wealthy, having persuaded certain wealthy patrons to sign over much of their assets to her and then making sure they forgot all about it afterwards. But she craves more than that; more sensation, more adventure? Maybe...a fight with superheroes? The old Marionette preferred to avoid direct combat and Sharon Rosenbaum wouldn't hurt anyone. But the new Marionette, a merger of the darker impulses of both women, is looking forward to making Captain Thunder fall at her feet and worship her. Power Level 10 (150 pp) Marionette II Abilities: (32 pp) STR: 8 (-1), DEX: 12 (+1), CON: 14 (+2), INT: 18 (+4), WIS: 20 (+5), CHA: 20 (+5) Combat: (24 pp) Attack +3, Defense +12 (+4 flat-footed), Initiative +1, Grapple +2, Knockback -4 Saves: (13 pp) Toughness +8 (+3 flat-footed), Fortitude +5 (+2 from Con, +3), Reflex +6, (+1 from Dex, +5) Will +10 (+5 from Wis, +5) (+14 vs. Mental Effects) Skills: (80r=20 pp) Bluff 10 (+15/+19), Concentration 12 (+17), Diplomacy 6 (+11/+15), Gather Information 8 (+13), Intimidate 8 (+13), Knowledge [History] 8 (+12), Knowledge [streetwise] 4 (+8), Notice 6 (+11), Profession [Librarian] 8 (+13) Sense Motive 10 (+15) Feats: (8 pp) Attractive, Benefit (Wealthy), Connected, Contacts, Fascinate (Bluff), Jack of All Trades, Leadership, Taunt, Powers: (53 pp) Enhanced Feats 9 (Defensive Roll 5, Dodge Focus 3, Uncanny Dodge (mental)) (9 pp) Mind Shield 4, (4 pp) Super-Senses 2 (Danger Sense [Mental], Mental Awareness) (2 pp) Mental Blast 8 (32 pp base + 5 APs= 37 pp) AP: Telepathy 10 (PF: Subtle) + Comprehend 2 (Languages- Speak/Understand any) + Super-Senses 4 (Detect Life [at Range, Acute, Radius]) (29 pp) AP: ESP 10 (Vision and Hearing; PF: Subtle) (31 pp) AP: Emotion Control 8 (Extras: Area- Burst (40-foot radius), Selective Attack) (32 pp) AP: Illusion 6 (All Senses, Extras: Sustained, Selective Attack; Flaw: Phantasms, PF: Progression 2—25 foot radius) (32 pp) AP: Mind Control 10 (Extra: Conscious, PF: Mental Link, Subtle) (32 pp) Protection 1 [source] (1 pp) DC Block Unarmed DC 14 Bruised Mind Control DC 20 Will Emotion Control DC 18 Will Mental Blast DC 22 Will Illusion DC 16 Will Story Hooks: Enemy (Golden Age legacies) Obsession (Sensation) Rivalry (Female Superheroes, Especially Sexy Ones) Temper (Does Not Like To Be Crossed) Abilities 32 + Skills 20 + Feats 8 + Powers 53 + Combat 24 + Saves 13= 150 pp

After a few more tearful goodbyes, hugs all around, and a group picture, Alex's mom finally left her there with her friends. It was a bright, warm summer's day outside, the sort that promised a legion of possibilities for the assembled students. They were all officially enrolled now, even if their full-fledged IDs and uniforms would be a little longer in the making. The day was young yet, with many further opportunities for adventure.

Odysseus, if that was who he truly was, made a perfect landing on Doctor Archeville's patio. "Crafty man," he said sociably, "I have indeed come a great distance to speak with you. Both of you," he added in Dark Star's direction. "You are both of age as men. You remember when the dark lord Omega came to your world, yes?" He waited patiently for both men to speak.

Note that I am not dropping a chest-burster on you, so don't panic. But make a Will save nonetheless.

Wesley was flying down to meet Phantom when suddenly he saw something small and fast flying right for his open mouth! Before Wesley could react, something small and winged flew into his mouth! And then he felt the most shocking thing of all, something beginning to grow and swell right inside his throat!

Eventually Grimalkin's efforts proved sufficient to win over even the dubious Fens crowd, and they joined her in cleaning up the mess left behind by Columbia's rampage. Unfortunately, she had a pretty good idea that they would get hostile again if she left them to their work and pursued the fleeing powerhouse out of the neighborhood. If she wanted to keep the Fens crowd on her side in general, she'd need to stick around for the cleanup effort. No one had been hurt by Columbia, but a lot of damage had been done to some important monuments, and the crowd wasn't very happy about it.

"Suggest you go at night. Let yourself be seen," replied Avenger, Jack's mind on when Pitt would be paying attention. "But not so much as to attract too much attention to yourself. And then meet up with Knight at his place? He can direct you." Avenger hardly moved as he spoke, crouching eerily like a statue on the edge of the railing. He'd have invited Grimalkin over, but he had a feeling his fellow hero would object to his lifestyle choices. Even if he wouldn't have minded hitting that.

Bee-Keeper II: Tier 1 PL 6 NPC Power Level 6 Tradeoffs: [-2 Attack/+2 Damage, -2 Defense/+2 Toughness] Character Name: Barry Brewster Bowles Alternate Identity: Bee-Keeper II, Second to Bear that Proud Title! Height: 5'8" Weight: Average leaning to skinny Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Description: Barry Brewster Bowles is a wide-eyed African-American man in his early 30s with a narrow face and too-ready smile, given to wearing yellow and black sweaters and talking animatedly about his his two great passions: his electronics resale shop in the Fens, and the apiary he owns out in the countryside. Voluble on his favorite subjects, he is quiet and reserved, almost shy, when it comes to anything else. He carries his costume around with him in a small briefcase, the suit a soft, flexible garmet that he can snap on in just a few seconds. Bee-Keeper II is a confident man bursting with energy and volubility, ready and willing to let everyone within earshot know who he is and why he's robbing them of their hard-earned valuables. His speech is peppered with horrible bee-related puns, often inaccurate ones, and his laugh is buzzing and maniacal. His Bee-Keeper suit is bright yellow with a black stripe around the mid-section, his glossy, transparent wings made of a high-tech plastic he ripped off from Doc Otaku after a supervillan fight in his neighborhood. His costume is insect-themed, giving him "bee claws" on his hands and feet and covering his head with the cartoonish likeness of a bee's face. He shoots streams of specially-trained bees (so they don't die after they sting) he keeps in a tank on his back out of shooters on his wrist. (How did he train bees not to die when they sting? Science!) History: Barry Brewster Bowles has always been a weird guy. He grew up the son of middle-class shopowners in the Southside, where his strange personality, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and high intelligence made him a constant target of bullying and harassment both at home and on the streets. He resented his parents for their lack of intelligence and "low-class" ways, and they resented him for being such a little punk. He might have made something of himself if he hadn't been so weird all the time, ignoring the teachers whose intelligence he outclassed and bitterly resenting those peers who could match him intellectually. Despite his intelligence, his grades were always very low. Eventually he managed a BA from Freedom City College and inherited his father's electronics shop, where his strange behavior around customers drove away enough regulars that eventually he had to move his business into the Fens. Bitterly resenting having to sell to "low-lifes and drug dealers," Barry's wide, weird interests began falling into new, less pleasant areas. A couple of years ago a tanker truck overturned on his block and poisoned a lot of people, Barry included. He was part of the class-action lawsuit that eventually won a great deal of money from the shipping company, leaving him with enough money that running the shop became a hobby rather than a necessity and furthering his generalized resentment towards the "no-class" world at the beginning of the 21st century. While Barry was laid up, he started reading history. It was there that he first read about the Bee-Keeper, aka Brian Nisbet. Now there was a man! A black man back in the day who didn't take guff from anybody, who fought the Centurion and all sorts of annoying superheroes who never actually did any good for anyone. And really, what better symbol for a man is there than a bee? Always hard-working, always ready to stand up for their relatives, never neglecting what really mattered! And honey was so tasty! At first he was just a voluble fan, buying up Bee-Keeper merchandise from Nisbet's online business and buying up everything he could read about the man. As the years went on, though, he began thinking more and more about how wonderful it would be (heh, be) if someone like Nisbit was still around. A rogue who showed up superheroes without hurting anyone, a cunning adventurer pitting his wits and luck against the law...and a man who made lots of money (even if he spent it all or had the state take it all!) and eventually retired safe and sound! He bought a beehive and studied bees, learning how to incorporate them into a blueprint for powered armor he found and significant improved on the Internet, and when he was done he approached Brian Nisbet. Nisbit was pleased and concerned simultaneously; he didn't like the idea of going back to prison one bit, but he did like the idea of having a successor to carry on his legacy. When he was absolutely sure that Barry's heart was pure, that he would do his best to never actually hurt anyone and carry on the bee-loving legacy of the Bee-Keeper in style, Brian Nisbet gave the younger man permission to carry on his legacy. Watch Out, Freedom City! The Bee-Keeper has Buzzed Back into Town! The new Bee-Keeper is a supervillan in the finest tradition of the Silver Age, a mad rogue out to rob only those who can pay for it and show up superheroes without actually hurting them. He would never deliberately hurt anyone who couldn't fight back, and never fires first. He's new to the buzzness and has few contacts yet, but hopes to make some friends in the "Rogue Community" as soon as he pulls off his first big heist. Abilities: (10 pp) Str: 26/10 (+8/+0) Dex: 10 (+0) Con: 10 (+0) Int: 18 (+4) Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 10 (+0) Combat: (14 pp) Attack +3, +4 (ranged), Grapple +14, Defense +4 (+2 flat-footed), Knockback -8, Initiative +0 Saving Throws: (9 pp) Toughness +8 (+6 Impervious)/+0, Fortitude +3 (+0 from Con, +3), Reflex +3 (+0 from Dex, +3), Will +4 (+1 from Wis, +3) Skills: (36 r=9 pp) Craft (electronic) 6 (+11/+12) (w/masterwork tools), Craft (mechanical) 6 (+10), Disable Device 0 (+4/+5) (w/masterwork tools) Knowledge (life sciences) 6 (+10) Knowledge (technology) 6 (+10), Perform (oratory) 6 (+6) Notice 2 (+3) Sense Motive 4 (+5) Feats: (6 pp) Attack Focus (ranged), Benefit: Wealth x2 Equipment Inventor, Power Attack Powers: (48 pp) Device 12 (Bee-Keeper armor, hard to lose): Drain Dexterity (Ranged) 8 [suffer the Stings of a Million Bees!] AP: Enhanced Strength 16 [Proportional Strength of the Mighty Bumblebee!] Flight 4 (100 MPH), [speed of the Swiftest of Bees: The Honeybee!] Immunity 9 (life support), [You Can't Smoke Out This Bee!] Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 6), [As Tough as a Sturdy Soldier Bee!] Super-Senses 6 (Blindsight [Radio, Extended], Extended normal vision), [Cunning Antennae!] Super-Strength 3 (Heavy Load: 3.6 tons) [Proportional Strength of the Mighty Bumblebee!] Equipment: Epi-Pen (1 ep) Masterwork Disable Device Tools (1 ep) Masterwork Cell-Phone (1 ep) Masterwork Electronics Tools (1 ep) Masterwork Multi-Tool (1 ep) Drawbacks: (-6 pp) Normal Identity (free action, -3 pp) Vulnerable (Bluff Checks designed to make him gloat; common, moderate (50%) (-3 pp) DC Blocks Unarmed DC 15 Bruised Unarmed in Suit DC 23 Bruised Dex Drain DC 18 Drained Abilities 10 + Skills 9 + Feats 4 + Powers 48 + Combat 14 + Saves 9 + Drawbacks -6 = Total 90 Story Hooks: Honor [silver Age values] Obsession [bees] Obsession [fame] Obsession [proving himself to be smarter than everybody else] Reputation [not in it for the money; has trouble hiring goons] Reputation [crazy as as a honeybee in a thunderstorm]

Mark, I would like to run this thread for you. :)

Defensive Roll (1) Distract: Intimidate Attack Focus: Melee (1) (3 pp total) +3 to Diplomacy and +1 to Stealth (1 pp total) Done by Sandman XI

I need Wesley's Notice check.

"Wesley's place. And a friend's. He can direct you." Avenger laughed, just once. "My way not suitable for permanent inhabitants. You would not enjoy the place where I sleep." Well, it was more than it would be really awkward. But there was no need to dwell on that fact. "Very short task. Can get the job done quickly."

Why yes! He has the exact same weird, undefinable accent as Daedalus.

The golden man removed his helmet, revealing a weather-beaten face topped by short black hair and a scruffy beard graying at the temples. He was of indeterminate age, somewhere between thirty and sixty, with black eyes that seemed ancient indeed. "Ah, you have your Phaeton with you. Marvelous." When the man smiled, his face spoke volumes. "I am Odysseus. I have come to speak with you on a matter of great importance. Will you fly with me, or would you prefer to conduct your business within your chamber?"

I concur, D-A, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to do that.

Everyone wound up with a pretty decent picture on their student ID, the three kids generally all looking hopeful about the bright future that studying at Claremont promised them. Eventually Alex's mom finished up with her forms and came out to give her daughter a big hug. "Okay, kiddo, it looks like I've got everything taken care of here. Are you going to be okay here tonight?" she asked, giving a worried look down at her little baby girl. "You can call me anytime if you decide you want to come home. I love you, honeylamb."

From the tone of Avenger's voice, the situation had evidently shifted for the better. "Yes. Wesley, meet me at the Atlas Stockyards in Greenbank in two hours. Grim, suggest you return home and gather what's yours expediently. Bring cats as seems prudent. Happen to know that Wesley's landlord loves cats. Has large statue of Bast in private boudoir."

Avenger dropped the nearly-unmoving Vulture, feeling a twist in his gut at how close he'd just come to taking yet another life. Not an innocent life, mind you, but a life nonetheless. Blood on his hands, his face expressionless even behind his mask, he walked up to Shark and punched him in the face, putting his full body weight into the blow. No more killing; no more blood. Well, maybe a little more. "Two!"

I need a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check for your school pictures, depending on what kind of face you're making. You can roll a skill untrained for this too.